bracing men of every rank and of every clime under heaven; and when the red, black, and pale horses of the apocalyptical vision of John, (which have intercepted the progress of him who sitteth upon the white horse) with all their riders, the beasts and the false prophets, have run their round of falsehood, licentiousness, confusion, and death-and when Satan is bound, that he shall deceive the nations no more, for a given period-there will be a practical resurrection of the whole of divine truth, in its purity, union, co-operation, and love, for a thousand years. "Ah!" say some of our second advent literal advocates, "Jesus, with all his angels, must descend from heaven-the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, with all the sanctified ones, must be raised from the dead, and be gathered together into one body, before that can be accomplished!" But cannot the exalted Head of the Church accomplish as much for his whole body, composed of all nations, as he accomplished for it in Jerusalem-and that, too, irrespective of miracles? Whether, however, this be His contemplated design prior to the resurrection of the dead, or not, it is certain, that there ought to be as much-nay, even more-union and forbearance in existence in the church at the present time, than there was during the first century of the Christian era. We conclude with the following selection from the records of Ecclesiastical History :

tical forbearance. A person under censure in one church was not admitted to communion by any other; and a person enjoying the fellowship of one, was received to the observance of ordinances by all the rest. Baptism, ordination, expulsion from communion, and the imposing and removing of censure, were acts which determined the station of an individual as much in the remotest church, as in that to which he properly belonged. Whenever a member of any church had occasion to travel, he received from his pastors a letter attesting him to be in communion, and, in virtue of this, he claimed and received fellowship, both in the participation of public ordinances, and in the private offices of brotherly love, from whatever churches, near or remote, he might find in his way. Owing to the private as well as public uses for which a letter of this sort was usually employed, Tertullian, who wrote about the year 200, calls it 'the title of brotherhood,' the communication of peace,' and 'the common mark of hospitality.' All persons in church communion continued, as in the superscription of Paul's epistle, to be called saints;' and they all enjoyed, in connection with the intercommunication of the churches, the high advantages of immediate hospitality and Christian friendship in every region which they might casually visit, or into which they might suddenly be thrown as personal strangers. Their sanctified Christian freema"The churches not only of the sonry, if the use of such a word may same city, or the same district or pro- be permitted, may be aptly designavince, but in the most remote regions, ted the communion of saints.' Simipreserved union and maintained inter-lar practices were in use among the communication. What was transacted in one, was acknowledged as valid by all the others. Though those of one country differed occasionally in some details of worship, or of the mode of observing ordinances, from those of another, they raised no objections as to mutual fellowship, but Some individuals who have been treated one another with perfect prac-excluded from the churches to which

pastors. The bishops, or overseers of particular flocks, were recognized as true ministers of Christ by all the churches, and always used due care, before and at their ordination, to obtain a recognition of brotherhood in the pastoral office."

they belonged in this country, after emigrating, have been received by the churches in America, and have actually taken upon themselves to give letters of recommendation to parties visiting the churches in this country. But these things ought not to be. The congregation in Nottingham have determined not to receive any persons on merely a private recommendation, or upon their own personal testimony. Let the officers of the church to which the party belongs, sign the letter of commendation, and the confidence and love of all is at once secured.

J. W.

cipations of great delight, but as being pregnant with the most important practical instruction; and the more so, that it cannot be very far off from our own times. For practical purposes and guidance, unquestionably has the prophetic narrative been given to us by the inspiring Spirit, and not to gratify an idle curiosity and vain speculation. So, in order to the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb, the wife has to prepare herself.

Who the parties are that chiefly figure in this scene, we cannot surely be mistaken, when we conclude that by the Lamb is meant the Lord Jesus PROPHETIC DEPARTMENT. Christ, and the wife the Church, or

THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.

congregation; and it is well known that the relation of husband and wife, as illustrative of the connection of Christ with the congregation, is not peculiar to this part of scripture, but pervades the whole book.

As to the time when this event shall be consummated, it is evident that it does not precede the overthrow of mystical Babylon, but follows and comes out of it; so that the praises of the multitude in heaven, because of God's righteous judgment having come on the Great Harlot, are merged and commingled with the hallelujahs at the marriage feast! Consequently we must first see Babylon a desolation ere this joyous occasion can be realized. But as it seems to be so intimately connected with it, and immediately to follow it, and the wife having to prepare herself, it must already be high time for all who desire to have a place at the marriage supper of the Lamb, to enter upon this course of preparation.

INSTEAD of giving you my thoughts at this time on the first paragraph of the 20th chapter of Revelation, concerning the binding of Satan, the first resurrection, and reign of the saints with Christ for a thousand years, I shall go back to an event of peculiar interest, stated and celebrated in the xixth chapter. That to which we refer is the marriage of the Lamb, ver. 7, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." This is an event succeeding the overthrow and desolation of Babylon, preceding the millennial reign, and preparatory for it, and so demanding our attention, having first to do with it, supposing we, who are now living, were even to see the commencement of that illustrious period. Marriage is an important event in individual history; but the marriage of the Lamb is interesting to the whole Christian com- Now that we may understand dismunity. As here narrated, we see tinctly in what that preparation conthat it calls forth the joyful gratula- sists, it is necessary to have a just tions of the great multitudes that apprehension of the present position surround the throne of the Eternal, and circumstances of the congregaand forms the subject of celestial tion. Well, then, with the same song. This is an event which ought passage in the 7th verse before us, to be exceedingly interesting to us, with the help of the testimony of the not only as calculated to excite anti-prophet Isaiah in the 54th chapter of

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his book, and Paul as interpreter of presentatives of two institutions—the his words in the 4th chapter of his epistle to the Galatians, we think that this can be made clearly and satisfactorily to appear. Let it be noted, then, that when it is said here, The marriage of the Lamb is come," a previous state of separation or desertation is necessarily implied, styled by the prophet in the very way as a state of "desertion" and "widowhood." Now, considering who the parties in question respectively are, if blame or delinquency is at all in the matter, it must belong to the wife, seeing that unchanging love, untainted purity, and undeviating faithfulness, are the inherent characteristics of her Lord. But though the wife has been as one who treacherously departs from her husband," and has lost her chastity, her gracious Lord has not for ever cast her off, for his loving kindness endureth for ever, and says to her, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you." And many prosperous and happy days are still in reserve for her. For, says the prophet Isa. c. liv. "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the deserted than of her who had the husband." Verse 4, "Fear not; for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more." But it is now time to show the applicability of these things here testified to the state of the congregation as it now exists under the administration of Messiah, both in her widowed condition and in her married state.

The Apostle of the Gentiles, interpreting and applying this prophetic annunciation, declares that reference is here made to two women, namely, to Sarah, the wife of Abraham's youth, and Hagar, her bondmaid, designed in the foreknowledge of God as re

one of law issuing from Mount Sinai tending to bondage, which is Hagar herself and offspring in bondage; the other of favor giving freedom, proceeding from the heavenly Jerusalem, which is Sarah, the freewoman, and her offspring free. Now, without going further into this allegorical picture than what the present inquiry calls for, we are informed that the lives, character, and condition of these two women and their issue are illustrative of the character and fortunes of those under these two institutions respectively. Sarah, the free woman, and wife of Abraham, spent her youth in barrenness and consequent shame, and in the course of her life suffered the greater reproach of being deserted by her husband, when, by her own suggestion, he went in unto Hagar. But afterwards, when old age had overtaken her, and she was dead (as to childbearing) by faith she received supernatural strength, conceived, and brought forth a son-a child of promise, and heir of inheritance-of whom sprang a progeny as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand by the sea-shore innumerable! Even so it was declared it should be with that institution and those under it whom Sarah and her offspring represented. Accordingly, the allegory proceeds-"Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more." What God thus spake by the mouth of Isaiah, has, in his holy providence, been fulfilled, reading the history of the institution of favor from the present time backward to its first promulgation from Jerusalem by the apostles of the Lamb. The season of youth has been spent in comparative barrenness. The kingdom of the Messiah has been but small from the beginning, and unable

C C

to compare with the kingdoms of the earth, having neither local habitation nor name amongst them. As a grain of mustard seed, which, indeed, is the least of all seeds—“a little leaven among three measures of meal"-so has the converted been to the unconverted multitude. As a stone cut out of the mountain-a fragment of rock which one might toss to the mountain from whence it was cutso has the kingdom which the God of Heaven has set up hitherto been. But that stone will yet become "a great mountain, and fill the whole earth" and, like to barren Sarah, who, in her old age, "became a mother of nations," which wiped away for ever" the shame of her youth”so is it destined to be with the institution that is called by her name.

Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity due to Christ." From these words we learn that the congregation was liable to be corrupted and despoiled of her chastity-that Christ had certain claims upon her: he had given himself for her ransom, and had washed her from her sins in his own blood, because he loved the congregation, "he gave himself for it." Thus has he a well-established claim on her, that she should be wholly devoted to him, in simplicity of love, subjection, and confidence. Along with it, "This saying is true, that if we die with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer patiently, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.” As said an old prophet, "The Lord is with you while ye be with him, and if ye seek him he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you," 2nd Chron. xv. ii. These, then, are the stipulations of the covenant between Christ and the congregation. Has she fulfilled her pledge? has she

But what of her widowhood or desertion? This that is said of her by the spirit of wisdom and knowledge, is most appropriately though lamentably true her present condition in the day in which we live, and for a long time past, is a state of widowhood, deserted by her husband. Know-preserved her chastity inviolate ? has ing the eternal and immutable principles of the divine government, and the way in which the church has demeaned herself, it cannot be otherwise with her than to be deserted. Whatever may be said of the attainments and experience of individual persons, or of individual congregations, speaking of the congregation as a whole, as a unit, as the "one body," or one spouse of Christ-in which capacity we are now contemplating her-she has violated the vow of her espousals, and her Lord has forsaken her. What are these principles, and what has she done that such a calamity has befallen her? Paul, in his 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter xi. 2, will show us- 66 For I am jealous of you with a godly jealousy, because I have espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that by some means, as the serpent beguiled

she honored her lord, and kept her integrity? The sequel of her history will tell us. Before the apostles had left the earth, they had to mourn over her corruption even then, so early as in writing to the Corinthians, referred to above. Paul had great reason to be jealous of them, from palpable indications they had already given, that the simplicity of their love and subjection was tainted! And by the time the last of their testimonies was given, in all the epistles to the seven churches, with but one or two exceptions, the Lord "had somewhat against them." But the declension then was insignificant with what it became in after ages, as the same sacred writers testified that an apostacy would appear- a time when they would not endure wholesome doctrine; but, having itching ears, they would, according to their own lusts, heap up to themselves teachers; and

would indeed turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." Even so has it come to pass.

forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more." ~ All that is needful to be done to enjoy the favor and presence of the Lord, it must be remembered, wholly devolves upon herself: the delinquency is all on her side, which corresponds with the word, "The wife hath made herself ready." Seeing, then, that the Lamb has but one wife; that he will own

But it is aside from our purpose to enter further into the history of the apostacy, than to enable us to come to a just apprehension of the present true position of the congregation. Well, then, from all we know from the records of the past, and from all that we see existing in our own times, not two, or three, or, as at present, we do not exaggerate when we affirm perhaps three hundred-to enjoy her that the congregation, taking her in lord she must come into unity-sects the aggregate, has violated the vow must cease the marriage cannot be of her espousals to the Lord. She celebrated while the congregation is has lost her unity: she is defiled by divided. "Come out of her (Babylon) her subjection to the traditions of men, my people, that ye be not partakers and by her conformity to those who of her sins." This call must be obeywalk after the flesh she has left ed, or the consequences will inevitaher first love." And her Lord has bly happen, to receive of her plagues. forsaken her. Yes, and how can it To get all God's people united-to be otherwise, seeing she has gone get all the sheep of Christ sought out, after other lovers, listened to the and gathered into one flock, that have voice of other teachers, and has de- been scattered abroad by hireling based herself by submission to autho- shepherds, in the cloudy and dark day rities to whom she owes nothing--to get the fine gold, the silver, and who were not crucified for her? Her unity is gone. Enquire we now for the congregation of the Lord, where shall we find her? She is broken up and shattered into a thousand fragments. Where is she? She has "fled into the wilderness." How true!

There will she be for the long period of 1260 years, Rev. xii. 6 lost to the world, as a guide and instructress-there has she lost herself, in a wilderness where there is no way-scattered and confounded in a tangled labyrinth of sects. And how can the Lord own and consort with the congregation in such circumstances? It is impossible.

We are now come to be somewhat prepared to say what the congregation has to do in order that the Lord, her faithful husband, may come in to her again, and make her children to increase, in fulfilment of that which is written," More are the children of the deserted, than of her who had the husband," Isa liv. 1. "Thou shalt

the precious stones (the sons of Zion) gathered together, and built up on the ancient foundation which God himself has laid, to form one temple to his praise-is surely the great question of the day. Yet, strange, that it is a matter of so small concernment to the great body of religious professors. Even by the "World's Convention". that most imposing confederation, formed on purpose, one would have thought, for the annihilation of sects among Christians—were not all their deliberations conducted, and all their resolutions moulded and concluded with the most tender solicitude to preserve entire all their denominational and sectarian distinctions? No giving up of what was human-no motion made -no inquiry instituted" to ask for the old paths, where is the good way to walk therein." Yea, even by those who may think themselves entitled to be considered as forming the vanguard of the Christian profession-yea, veri