the world. Let me give the reader Dr. Hammond's note on this verse; "In the fourteenth verse, where death and hades are cast into the lake of fire; that is, death and the state of mortality utterly destroyed, (O death I will be thy death,) it is added, this is the second death; that is, mortality is utterly destroyed, there shall be no more death, the life shall be eternal; so xxi. 8, the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone (the utter, irreversible destruction, such as fell on Sodom, called aiariov nug, eternal fire, utterly consumptive) is called the second death, into which they are said to go, that are never to appear in the church again." See comment on Rev. xx. 6. This phrase, the lake of fire and brimstone," is a figure of speech drawn from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities were situated on a low plain, and when burned by fire and brimstone from God, out of heaven, appeared to those who saw the conflagration from the mountains as a lake of fire. So the burning of Moscow appeared to Napoleon, who described it as "an ocean of flame." The site of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was once a lake of fire, is now a lake of water, called the Dead Sea, so complete was the destruction. From these events, to be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, became a strong figure with the Jewish writers, to signify utter destruction. It occurs in the following places only; Rev. xix. 20; xx. 10, 13, 15; xxi. 8. And in the verse before us, death and hell were cast into the lake of fire; that is, there shall no more remain of them, than now remain of Sodom and Go-. morrah. This is the second death, the death of death, the utter destruction of death, and all that bears that name. This was accomplished at the time to which we refer the passage, inasmuch as the Gospel was then set up; Jesus was crucified, he died and rose from the dead; and thereby destroyed death, and him that had the power of it. Then the resurrection of the human race was shown to be certain, and death was shown to be infallibly, triumphantly, and utterly done away. "O, the burst gates! crushed sting! demolished throne! Took wing, and mounted with him from the tomb. Was then transferred to death; and heaven's duration, This child of dust." Ver. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire." Here again we have the same figure, and it is man, not death and hell, that is cast into the lake. We must be careful not to give it such a construction, as will make it contradict what is declared in the preceding verses in the twentieth chapter, and in the beginning of the twenty-first. It is probable, that the "book of life" signified the roll of the followers of Christ. Any one, wishing to consult all the passages in which the phrase occurs, will find them subjoined; Phil. iv. 3; Rev. iii. 5; xiii. 8 ; xx. 12, 15; xxi. 27; xxii. 19. The person whose name was not found enrolled among the faithful, or in other words, any one who was not a faithful follower of Christ, was cast into the lake of fire. It was so. The Jews were the enemies of Jesus, and they were cast into a lake of .fire; that is, they were utterly destroyed. This punishment, this utter destruction, is described under a variety of figures by the different sacred writers. Ezekiel describes the Jews as being thrown into a furnace of fire (xxii. 17-22); and our Lord borrows from the prophet the same figure (Matt. xiii. 42, 50). They are compared to burning chaff (Matt, iii. 12). When the Gospel is represented under the figure of a marriage feast, given in the night, in an apartment splendidly lighted, the unbelieving Jews are said to be cast into outer darkness, where they weep and gnash their teeth for anguish (xxii. 13). All these figures signify the same thing, viz. that the Jews were broken up, destroyed, and rendered utterly and irrepar ably extinct for their sins and unbelief, as much so as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; and in this sense they were cast into a lake of fire. At this time, let it be remembered, the religion of the Jews, the first covenant, passed away, and the kingdom of God came with power. Such a vast change in the moral affairs of men is described in the boldest figures by the New Testament writers. Their metaphors are of the most striking character. The heavens and the earth pass away, and there is no more sea. The elements are said to melt with fervent heat; and because of the tumult among the nations, they pass away with a great noise." 2 Peter iii. 10. It is with such glowing imagery, that the twenty-first chapter of Revelations breaks in upon us. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. A new city descends from heaven. "And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." All agree, that this relates to the introduction of the gospel upon the earth; and we feel justified, therefore, in applying the events described at the close of the twentieth chapter, as having a close relation to the opening of the better dispensation. And what did heaven proclaim should be the result of the introduction of the gospel? Listen; "I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying; Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall-wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." The Gospel is the tabernacle of God, He dwells in it, and in that Gospel he dwells with men. By this covenant, he is their God, and they are his people. By means of it, he will wipe away all tears from their eyes; he will utterly destroy death; all sorrow, and weeping, and pain shall be ended, for the former things shall pass away. This is the grand result of the Gospel. It shall be so. The word of God, that word which cannot fail, is pledged for it. hath sworn by himself, because he could swear by no greater, and pledged his infinite perfections for the fulfilment of his word. Glory to God in the highest ! XCIV. Rev. xxi. 8. God See remarks on Rev. ii. 11, and xx. 12–15, Sections XCI. and XCIII. of this chapter. XCV. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. xxii. 11. The following remarks, which we copy from the "Magazine and Advocate," are commended to the candid attention of the reader. "This passage is supposed, by many, — and is often adduced for that purpose, to prove, that there can be no change in the moral condition of man after death, and those who die in a state of rebellion and irreconciliation to God, must eternally remain so. But does the text declare any such thing? or, can such a sentiment be fairly deduced, or even inferred, from the passage, taking the whole context into the account? We think not: There is nothing said in the text or context about death; nothing said about any resurrection ; nothing said about another state of existence; nor any thing that would naturally lead the reader to suppose any other state but the present was at all referred to. whole scope of the context would lead to the supposition, that the events spoken of were then about to transpire. John was forbidden to seal the book, for the very reason, that the time was at hand. The "It is a well known fact, that, when important events revealed through the prophets or inspired men of old, were not to be fulfilled or accomplished till some very remote period, or for a long time after the prediction was made, the prophets were commanded to seal up the book, or the sayings thereof, because the time of fulfilment was distant. Thus, in Dan. viii. 26, Gabriel says to the prophet, 'The vision of the evening and the morning, which was told, is true; wherefore, shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many days'; that is, its fulfilment is to be at a remote period. Again, xii. 4, 9, 12, 13; Thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.' Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed, till the time of the end.'. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be ; for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.' ' "On the other hand, where the events were to take place immediately, or very soon, the prophet was forbidden to seal the sayings of the book; as in the events spoken of in the text and context, on which we are now remarking. In the verse preceding the text (10), it is said; Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand. Then, after recording the language of the text, 'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still,' &c., it is added (ver. 12), ' And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.' That is, there is a coming judgment, now at hand, that will find and deal with all, according to the several parts they have acted, the sides they have taken, the deeds they have done, and the characters they have formed, whether that of an enemy or a friend to the cause of Christ. "We know there is a difference of opinion as to the time when this book was written, and most Christians date it as late as the year 96. But we are inclined to the opinion, that it was written considerably before that time, even before the destruction of Jerusalem; that that important event was then about to take place; that many of the metaphors, figures, and frightful scenes, |