Vers.-1-10.-The ,-e,tra-int upon evil,. Following D,l~f•appropriately ~~'u the foregoing .<lesoription of a conflict; and the conquest by the .. ttuth and .tpe power of ragbteQusneSll, is.•a repr888ntatiop, in most significant imagery, of the restraini· that iB put upon evil, by the preval,ence_;0f _righteousness-the chaining back the clouds of night by the rising sun. The spirit of evil, "the dragon, .the old serpent,"." the devil and Satan," i11 '1 laid hold '1 liy "all angel coming down ot1,t of heaven_," ll,lld bound with "a gr.®t chain,", apd cast!'.into the abyss,!' which js,11\mt: and &ea¥ld: '.r'.hif 1i ,to be for "a thousand years;" after that,•• he must be loose~ for a little season.~ W#~ ,ai great distinetn~ as could well be ell,lployed hereiu is set wrth- . l. THB.cEFFllOTUAL RESTRAINT Ol' THE- POWER -PF EV.U.., IL is her11 pictureQ ,as a single 11:ct. But we nmst.read the history of the strife w~ich is_ev.er proceeding-;-the gradual leavening of the entire life of humanity by the p1inciples and_the po~r.of the holy gospel. Whatever. may be the oscillations between the pr!Jba9ilitie/) of BU~s and the danger of defeat, this picture must be held to declare the ultimater happy triumph of the true and good over- the false and the evil. Sataµ is ):ield in chains; his power is restricted. The heavenly hold,s bal}k,the earthly and the hellish,- I~is.\pe comfortable encouragement to the patient, suffering toiler that tqe agency eIX1ployed uf God is effective. rJ.'hat bindiDg aud restraining.every faithful 'l!erv&nt must see to be now going on. ' _ . _ . . _ _ . . 11:"TBE DURATIOJJ OJ' THIS 1u~ST11,~1NT. Themillennium~"athousa.ridyears"-along but definiteperiod,-now reigns; yet must.,we not forget $os-ymbolical char~ter even of the definite words of this book. No time mu11t be affi,xoo.. .It is a p~fod of blessing, of rest, of rejoicing, - The toils of the Oh,urch, and the pa.tj13q~ of the suffering faithful ones, have, by Divine grace, become fruitful. Now in the world, permeated by the pure Bild •lofty:, p,inci.plea, of Christianity,, pesoe, truth, rightoou11n~~ reig~; and• by how ~Ach tbey:prevail, l,yso,much evil is restrained. In their supremacy is ..to be seen the complete ehaiaing of th!l eviLagents of an evil kingdom. JU. 'l'BIS PERIOD IlUUlUl'.ED AS ONE QF. TRJUMPR AND R1$.TOICIN:G on behalf of the fai(4• fol Chureh of Clirist.. .'fhrones are Sllt.,·the faithfulreigu with Christ, c&ndjudgmentoyer human 00,llduet is giwn to them-a signifie3nt, indioatiOll ~hat principles of ~ighteo_us- ness are. prodominant, and that by them human life. is .adjudged. Theae..are "blessed and holy ; " they hllve priestly function5i they approaoh, they mediate, .thJly a;re chmnela of bfossing, they live to reig11; they escape. tha~ sec,ond <lea*.which iB ,the ))6JJalty of t;in, from which they have been rai!Rld-they partil,ke in a wst ?e&Ufl'.IWtipn which presages another. , c . . ,- IV. 'fo ·this happy per.ioo of the. unive~sal •prevalence of Christian. truth there succeeds A 'l'EKPORARY BEL.APSE,_ Like ·a.ll hui;nan blessedness, even_ i;Jljs has the -signature of imperfectness upon it.: It-. is historical, not imposed. But t~ill is oµly temporary, "for a little time,'.' an.d issues in 11 ftna.l destruction of all tempting. and evil !JOWer--6ven "for ever and ever." - . .. , .. , • In this the Church is. to ftoo (1). ~mcouragement tofaitk; (2) motillll /O'f d-iligenl labour; (3) the mo.st·ckering assuf'ances in times fJj disoouragement cuvi,je,ar, The truth shall ultimately prevail·• the false, the foul, the vile, shall be restrained.-,-R. G.
Vers. 11-15.-~ Jfflal iudgment "PM ,evil co,u.Zuct. The scenes ()(the,:&ok of Revelation a.re now. approaching completion, and they present more definitely the characteristics of "t.he end." J udgment proceeds on human conduct daily, but there ia a final jlldgmentt "the judgnient of the great day,.. wh!ln "Wll sh&ll al-1 stand before 498 THE REVELATION' OF ST• .lOHN THE' DIVINE: [cu. xx. 1-13 ·