the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing : for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rere-ward.” (Isa. lii. 1-12.) "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Ver. 11. "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."

He that overcometh is he that endureth unto the end. To overcome has a twofold meaning. He that overcomes must suffer in the flesh, and that suffering he must endure with patience in God's sight. He that overcomes must suffer at the hands of others, and while so suffering he must forbear threatening; he must not revile, neither return railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Mat. v. 43-45.) It is no easy matter to overcome; it is difficult to show kindness to an erring brother; how much more contrary to human nature to love and do good to those who injure and persecute ourselves. It is the triumph of christian love which our Lord refers to in this passage. Its triumph in a man's heart and life; its triumph over his natural feelings, desires, and passions; its triumph in his conversation and conduct; its triumph in all his behaviour in the church, and towards his brethren; its triumph in all his deportment before the men of the world, and his treatment of them in all circumstances. "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but

overcome evil with good." (Rom. xii. 18-21.) "Shall

"And death and

This is the second

not be hurt of the second death." hell were cast into the lake of fire. death." (Rev. xx. 14.) "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Mat. xxiv. 13.) The second death is no doubt the state of eternal condemnation from which he that overcometh is delivered. But the passage has another interpretation, and which is probably the correct application of our Lord's words. The power of the church is given for edification. It has received a commission from the Redeemer, and its office is to save. The name of the king over the locusts, whose power was to hurt men, is in the Hebrew tongue Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon; in both cases the signification being the Destroyer. Our Lord is forewarning His church that a time of great trouble awaits it. He intimates His knowledge that there are many who say they are christians, and are not. Because of this, and for the purpose of purifying His people themselves, the devil is to be permitted to have power over them, that he may sift them as wheat. His fury will be let loose, and He will go forth to destroy and make away with many. The troublous times are near. The time is now come that judgment must begin at the house of God. "They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake." (Luke xxi. 12.) When the days of the sufferings of the house of God are completed; when Satan and wicked men have filled up the measure of their iniquity in the last great attempt to destroy God's people; then will their fury be let loose upon each other, and then will be destroyed

them which destroy the earth. The first death or destruction is the fiery trial by which believers are to be purified, and made white, and thus become prepared for the great work of evangelizing all nations. This destruction of the flesh is the work of Satan and wicked men. The second death, or the destruction of the destroyers, is the complete overthrow of Satan's power in this world; the uprooting of every institution, the overturning of every throne, and kingdom, and nation, and power, that opposes itself to the Lord Jesus; and the promise given to true christians is, he that overcometh, he that is faithful unto death, he that patiently endureth suffering unto the end, having that mind in him which was also in Christ, shall through that suffering be instrumental in the destruction of him who has the power over it, and shall not be hurt by any of those calamities and woes, by which the death of the destroyers shall be accomplished. "If it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them who obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator." (1 Peter iv. 17-19.)

CHAPTER XII.

CHAP. ii. ver. 12, 13. "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."

Unto the Thessalonians the apostle Paul wrote, saying, "The mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way and then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming; whose coming is after the working of Satan." (2 Thess. ii. 7— 9.) It would appear that Satan had gained a considerable footing in the church at Pergamos. Our Lord says, "I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is;" also," Antipas was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." The church's dwelling was also Satan's dwelling; the meaning of which is, that many of his children were among the members of the church at Pergamos. It is said to be where Satan's seat is, implying, that evil principles had gained a prevalency within