his love. They would satisfy the mind, for nothing short of himself and his words could satisfy the soul which he had formed for himself. They would satisfy the heart, for he alone could fill the heart, formed as it is for love-love its life-hence a spiritual perception of him who is love can alone yield satisfaction. They would satisfy the conscience, for the atoning work and words of Jesus only can give it quietness, thus (v. 11) in the enjoyment of the joy of faith, our joy should indeed be full. His instructions dwelling in the heart will constrain to our abiding in him, or waiting with earnest expectation for him.

Then after enjoining upon his disciples the duty of reciprocal love, and instancing his own surrender of life as their rule of action, he says (v. 14) "Ye are my friends if ye carry out, practise, my instructions." Here the mutual friendship of the believer and his Lord with its evidence, are the material of thought. The Lord Jesus calls us friends (po), a term full of beautiful meaning, not a tool for service, nor companion by accident, as implied in the word raîpe, so applied to Judas (Matt. xxvi. 50), and to the individual who had not on the wedding garment (Matt. xxii. 12), but the chosen friend, as implied in the word gilos, the loved and dear friend. Moses speaks of friendship thus (Deut. xiii. 6), “Thy friend who is as thy own soul." Sweet is the friendship that our Lord desires, and gives man needs and seeks friendship; life is solitude without, as Cicero wrote, "Friendship improves happiness and abates misery by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief;" but long before his time the Scriptures had recorded, that a "friend is born for adversity," that a "friend loveth at all times," and that " there is a friend who cleaveth closer than a brother." Such is especially true of the Lord Jesus. Christ; there are some points of similarity between human and divine friendship; there may be dissimilarities, as mutual admiration, for friends admire each other's . excellences; equality, this must be the case between friends; even these as dissimilarities may cease, when we shall be like him, and as he is behold him. But even now he gives us the privileges accompanying friendship.

Facility of access to God. We approach a stranger with restraint, but to a friend our presence is ever welcome, and we have perfect freedom of intercourse. So may we draw nigh to our great Father through Jesus Christ, for we are made near through the blood of the cross, and through faith in that blood may "come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in our time of need." In every time of trial, perplexity, or need, in every season of difficulty or danger, for all that human vicissitude may require, we may enter into his presence, and freely ask-" Believing that he is," the loving, watchful, powerful friend, "and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him;" everywhere and at all times we may find him nigh to hear and bless.

We have sympathy. Before I speak my friend is able to detect feelings of joy or sorrow, which are hidden to a stranger or mere acquaintance, but this everlasting Friend understandeth our thoughts afar off, and he is not one who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

We have constancy. Various circumstances have changed human fellowship. Some in whom we once confided are not what we then thought them, their true character lay concealed; and even when faithful friends ure faithful, still, distance may separate, and we miss them; or perhaps

our friend sleepeth, and we cry, "O for the touch of a vanished hand, and the sound of a voice that is still." But our Saviour is never necessarily distant, nor ever changed; his thoughts, actions, sympathy, are as loving and as sure to us now, as they were; as he spake whilst on earth he speaks to us still, "Ye are my friends." As he prayed for his disciples, he does for us, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on me through their word." John xvii. 20. Is real, holy friendship the greatest blessing upon earth? Such is especially that of the Lord Jesus Christ; the best on earth may fail in wisdom, kindness, fidelity and power to help, it must, should death supervene, but that of Christ, who ever liveth," will never fail; he is " the same yesterday, to-day, and

for ever.

We have also communication of secrets; this is ever associated with friendship. Suspicion, reserve, concealment, will make friendship die. God, when he would destroy the cities of the plain, revealed his plans to Abraham, "his friend." It is written, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenants." So the Lord Jesus-" Henceforth I call you not servants; for a servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

Many Christian experiences are secrets; they are hidden from the world. The believer's feeling, when he says, "When I am weak then am I strong." The enjoyment of peace in the midst of outward tumult; the glorying in tribulation-the felt forgiveness-the promise too of the hidden manna, and the white stone, indicating the soul's refreshment by faith, and her consciousness of divine friendship with Christ; these are secrets; things of the Spirit of God which the natural man perceiveth not. "I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." Our Lord did to his disciples, and has through them to us communicated the things which the Father had made known unto him. Moreover, he has, in conformity with his promise (John xvi. 13), through his Spirit, shown us things to come." This he is more particularly doing at the present time, and we may well expect that he who never brought any fearful judgment upon the earth without giving warning thereof, as he did to Abraham in the case of Sodom, and to Noah in the catastrophe of the deluge, will give increasing light in these last days concerning the great tribulation, and unseal to the wise the words which were closed up till the time of the end. (Dan. xii. 9.)

We have also reproof. This is another duty and privilege of friendship. It is a good test of friendship, both to be able to give and be willing to endure reproof. There may be painful feeling at the moment, but calm consideration will acknowledge such to be for good. No true friend would willingly give pain-"Faithful are the wounds of a friend." The Lord Jesus gives us this. He did often to his immediate disciples. So also to us, through their writings; and especially we receive his kind and loving reproots in the letters to the Churches (Rev. ii., iii.); which contain his promises and admonitions to his people now. They undoubtedly outline the prophetic history of the professing Church; and we seem to have reached that state and period when he thus addresses us, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." It is just now an important question, Is not the professing Church entering in to the Laodicean state? or has she

!

not? is it not becoming more perceptible daily? The Philadelphian period would seem to have passed, or be passing away-when to the Church an open door was set, and at home and abroad the gospel was freely preached. Is not the professing Church rapidly growing cold ? What a small amount of spiritual-mindedness! What inactivity. How much of the mere form of godliness, whilst the power is denied; business and pleasure allowed to predominate; little faith in the efficacy of prayer, consequently few assemble for that purpose. We are in "perilous times." The last few years of the present dispensation have surely set in. The faithful ones cry, "Watchman, what of the night?" The reply is made, The morning cometh, and also the night."

"Yes, soon shall come the moment,

When brighter far than morn,

The sunshine of his glory

Shall on his people dawn.”

Ay, now, at any moment, the waiting ones may be summoned into the presence of him who will immediately prepare them to take action in his kingdom. Yes, the time is nigh for the manifestation of the Prince of Life, and the setting up of his kingdom upon earth. But the Prince of this world first comes-first the night with its terrible tribulation; and now the nations are preparing for fearful convulsions; "The lion of the thicket” is preparing to spring; the veritable Apollyon is at hand; the floods are lifting up their voices-the cry is, "What are the wild waves saying?"

Some of the Lord's servants are like Noah, forewarning the world; but the world laughs them to scorn; some cry, "My Lord delayeth his coming," and the result of such teaching from the pulpit is very fearful. Many are departing from the faith-giving heed to seducing spirits, and the doctrine of devils. (1 Tim. iv. 1.) Many young people, alas! in connection with our congregations, are imbibing the spirit of those who deny the substitutionary work and death of Christ, and the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. Such things only indicate the coming fulfilment of the Saviour's words. Let not the true believer be discouraged; dangers thicken, yet are we not left in darkness; everything indicates the rapid coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: it is in this the Laodicean period and state of the present dispensation that he says, "I stand at the door."

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The Lord Jesus plainly declares that his friends will carry out, practise, his instructions: a glance at the Greek text will show that by "Keep my commandments,' he in effect said, Attentively or narrowly observe my instructions." Again, by "doing" them, he in effect said, "practise them. Every true friend will seek to do this to the letter; he will not select some of his friend's instructions to the repudiation of others, or desire to dictate, but rather to fulfil all his wishes; especially to the great Master and Friend will say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Whilst we regard our Lord as referring to all his instructions, there are some we would suggest of special interest, and also conveying appropriate warning for the present day.

His sermon on the Mount. (Matt. v.-vii.) Those who love Christ will strive to obey it in letter and spirit, they will approve it, desire to be conformed to its holy rule, and zealously press forward to its attainment. Intellect and heart will yield to its truthfulness and beauty, and yearn for

the time when in the kingdom that will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The Saviour's parables (Matt. xiii.), which outline the successive periods of Christendom.

The important doctrines of humility and forgiveness. Matt. xviii.

His warning voice to the Jews and to his Church, concerning his Parousian call to the latter, and Epiphaneian signs to the former. Matt. xxiv., xxv.

These, together with the letters to the Churches (Rev. ii., iii.), are the most prominent, interesting, and instructive, both as it regards the dispensation of grace, now nearly run out, and the dispensation of wrath, which is imminent; and they moreover plainly inform us what the Christian's state must be, and what his spirit, that he may have an abundant entrance into the Lord's kingdom. Let us then examine ourselves. Are we the friends of Christ? Do we love his instructions and do them? then we cannot possibly dislike the thought of his coming. Some timid believer may be somewhat fearful, and shrink from consideration of it, dreading something startling and appalling at his summons; there is not real ground for this; in the twinkling of an eye thou art changed, and the smile of thy Friend is on thee, no need to fear.

But should conscience say, "I fear I am unworthy. I have sinned." Hear him. (Rev. iii. 19.) It is the utterance of true friendship, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten;" answer in the language of the Psalmist (vi. 1), "Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure." He will not, the day of his wrath is not yet come; now it is the day of mercy and of grace; now he says, If any man hear my voice." O listen, hear, and your soul shall live, "If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me;" here is the promise of intimacy and friendship, as eating together was ever its symbol. Let me in, saith Jesus, and thou shalt be my friend, and enjoy fellowship and communion. Does his last reproof (ver. xvii.) meet the case of any one of us? give heed then to his last counsels to the Churches (ver. xviii.), ask of him, and he will give the gold of faith, his own imputed righteousness, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, his enlightening and sanctifying power. Then shall we see and know him to be our true friend. Christ will love us, we shall love him, with a love all constraining to faithful service, a love powerful, progressive, pre-eminent, and permanent. Exeter. E. H. TUCKETT,

WE

THE TWO WITNESSES.

E are now approaching one of the most interesting topics of these eventful times, the career of the two mysterious witnesses. And as the subject is involved in considerable obscurity, let us be the more cautious and tread with most wary steps, but only where God vouchsafes to guide us. May our findings be in the strictest accordance with the mind of the Spirit.

Let us first premise that the tenth chapter of this Apocalypse is prefatory to the eleventh; which recites the history of the two mysterious

LOct. 1, 1868.

witnesses. We shall also be forcibly struck with a resemblance between the vision of the prophet Ezekiel at the waters of Chebar, and this to St. John by the surges dashing against his island prison. There is the "bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain;" there is the brightness of fire round about; and in the midst of this excellent glory is the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon the throne. 'Tis no other than "the appearance of Jehovah's glory" (Ezek. i. 27, 28), the Son of man, the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 'Tis even he whom this very apostle had seen upon the holy mount, when he beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, when the transfigured face of Jesus did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light itself. 'Tis even he who had once before burst upon the gaze of this ravished apostle with his own message to his own sevenfold Church, and who had spoken out his ineffable name, "I am the first and the last," he that liveth and was dead, and am alive for evermore, the Amen, who holds the keys of Hades and of death. 'Tis no other than Jehovah-Jesus, the brightness of his Father's glory, the express image of his person. He is clothed with the cloud; the rainbow is his glorious coronal; his face shineth forth even as the sun in the noontide of his glory; his feet are as pillars of fire. Well might our Saviour say, as he looked upon his beloved disciple, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, there be some standing here, who shall not taste of death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. He holds in his hand the little book opened, 'tis sealed no longer; the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne hath broken six of its seven seals; we have witnessed its unfoldings, its disclosures of woe.

This Mighty Angel, even the Almighty Messenger of the everlasting covenant, whose voice is as the sound of many waters, speaks yet once again, and the seven angels with their utterances of thunder, take up his wondrous words. O for the pen of the ready writer, to record their sevenfold testimony, but no! these divine revealings are not to be told forth until the times of the end. The voice from the excellent glory, from which is no appeal, bids that they be sealed up until the time appointed, for the time shall not be yet; at the time of the end shall be the vision: they are to be sealed up in the mystic secresy of ages, until the mystery of God be at an end, until it shall be unsealed in the terrible disclosures of these last times. In the burdens of prophecy, so little understood, so little cared for, have these been perpetuated from century to century; each age leaving to its successors an heirloom of mystic wonders; their perusal has been ignored in the services of the sanctuary, and in the retirement of the closet; their proclamation has been shunned by the preacher, and would have been deprecated by the hearer, but at the solemn close of earth's momentous scenes, when the last contents of the volume of the book are about to be enacted, then all shall stand out in the bold relief of an exact fulfilment. Like the roll of Ezekiel, it was full of lamentation and mourning and woe; like that roll also it was to the taste sweet as the honey, but in the belly bitter as the wormwood.

The word here used in the Greek text, for little book' is a diminutive of a diminutive. It is not βιβλίον, the diminutive of βίβλος; nor is it βιβλάριον ; but βιβλαρίδιον. Hence we must infer that it can scarcely be employed by the Holy Spirit to designate the Book of books, the book par excellence, the Bible. Nay, so diminutive is the term, that it might be