also, that a seventh part of the Christian church shall not deny the Name of "the holy and true;" of course they refuse to worship the Beast, whose power and works caused amazement in their minds, but no approval of his signs, nor obedience to his wicked laws. I mean the angel (or ministry) of the church of Philadelphia; and refer to the 8 and 10 verses. The expressions in the seventh verse, "he that hath the key of David," announce the speaker's royal character; and the objects of His favour (while the cry continues "behold the bridegroom cometh," &c.) are assured that He who openeth and shutteth the door of the kingdom of God, (look at the 13 c. of Luke, 24-30,) as Sovereign and Judge, will keep the ministry of brotherly Love "from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." The "holy and True" condescends to assign a reason for this grace, which He promises to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience;" v. 10. I understand the word of His patience, who hath the key of David, to signify belief in the covenant and oath of God, which He sware to David, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, God would raise up Christ to sit upon David's throne; and likewise obedience to the Divine command,"wait ye upon me, until the day that I shall rise up to the prey"-go not after any other Christ"wait on the Lord, and put not your trust in princes, in whom there is no help." "Blessed are all they that wait for Him" who hath the key of David. See the word of His patience recorded in the twentyfourth chapter of Matthew, 14 verse. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness, and then shall the end come. "Watch and pray." "This is my commandment,

that ye love one another as I have loved you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. John, 15 chap.

"The hour of temptation" (Rev. 3. 10) I understand is the time of anti Christ's great increase of subjects to his infernal kingdom, by the submission to his will, (in their agreement to give all their strength to the Beast,) of ten great powers, which join the Wicked one, in making war with the Lamb. The angel of the church of Philadelphia is promised that he shall be kept from this power. I know that the opinions of millenarians (generally) concerning this promise of the holy and true, embrace an expectation, that the persons interested in this grace shall be translated, (i. e. caught up. See 1 E. Thess. 4. 17;) and they adduce our Lord's own words, (see John's Gospel, eighth chapter, 51 verse; and eleventh chap. 26 v.) in connexion with Paul's, to prove their right to make the conclusion; and to justify their hope that the translation of the saints will precede the Beast's reign. On this ground I ask, with whom does the Beast make war? See Rev. 13. 7, where it is written that the Beast "overcomes them;" and in the 15 v. it is written, "that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed." I held the sentiments of this adoption of the body without death, by vivification of the "earthly house" of this tabernacle, by Jesus Christ's baptism of fire, as an immediate concern of the message to the Philadelphian ministry, when I wrote Number two, M. T., in time of a fearful judgment. My sentiments have varied from that point, in some degree, since 1832; but I concluded not to alter p. 44, in No. 2, because I still believe in translation, according to Paul's doc

trine, ("we, which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up," &c.) and I am not sure but the words, "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation," &c. v, 10, really mean translation of the ministry of the church of Philadelphia, before that dreadful hour in which all christendom shall reign with the Beast; and that the 7 and 10 verses of the 13 chapter exhibit the completion of that last measure of sufferings in the body of Christ, which is spoken of in the 11 v. of the 6 c., may be fulfilled upon the Philadelphian church, in which case, though deprived of their shepherd's outward care for them, they may solace themselves by the words of our Lord, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Here it is necessary to observe, that the "little flock" are specially instructed by our Lord how to conduct themselves in the terrible hour of the last temptation, "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning.” "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "In your patience possess ye your souls." "Watch and pray." WATCH.

Nothing can be plainer to the understanding of sincere believers in the glory of GoD in the land of the living, by JESUS' personal reign upon the earth, than the testimony of John, concerning the presence of all the martyrs of Christ, (from Abel to Zechariah; and from Stephen to the last witness of JESUs in the Gospel age,) in the millennium. Read the testimony, my red brethren, here it is: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,

"And judgment was given to them."

[These are the twelve apostles of the Lamb. See Matt. 19. 28. "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in

the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."]

"And I saw THE SOULS (Adam was made a living soul) of them that were beheaded for the word of God.

(N.B. All the martyrs under the first testament.) "And for the witness of JESUS"

(N.B. All the martyrs from Stephen to the two slain by the Beast-)

"And they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

"But the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand years were finished.”

"This is the first resurrection."

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be kings and priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign a thousand years."

It is impossible to deny the literality of this testimony, but by "taking away from the words," (see last Chap. 19. verse) their life; therefore let us take heed to our spirits, lest we provoke the Lamb to blot our names from His Book of Life; and banish us forever from the presence of His Glory, in the City of GOD. The last book of prophecy owns a title so sacred, so majestic, and glorious, that we may well conclude our condemnation will be greater (if we reject it) than the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah, or even of Judas himself; for,

"THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST" is the finishing of the mystery of GoD, and Glory of the Ancient of Days. The rebellious and wicked of other times, were broken by falling on this stone, (the Lamb with seven eyes-see Zech. 3. 9.) but we, who have our probation in the time when the fig tree blossoms, may well tremble at His word,

"upon whomsoever this stone shall fall, it will grind -him to powder."

Daniel the prophet, (to whose testimony of the worship of the Beast, our Blessed Lord calls the attention of His disciples in the time of trouble (Matt. 24. Dan. 12.) beheld in the vision which God granted to him, of Nebuchadnezzar's image dream this stone fall upon the kingdoms of the Beast, and they all became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them. The same prophet saw "in the night visions," an exhibition of the worst of all despotisms, (wholly infidel, with personal power,) and he saw its end by judgment on the quick, including the Beast with ten horns, whose body is given to the burning flame.

But Daniel's visions were closed up, till the time of the end. N.B. "the time of the end," I should suppose, signifies the interregnum period between the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, and its restoration by Christ; for Daniel's visions are opened in the last book of holy prophecy, which is entitled THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST; and He sent and signified it, by His angel, unto His servant John, when the latter was "in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and the testimony of JESUS CHRIST." This holy book came into the possession of the christian church at the commencement of "the time of the end;" and it contains a full testimony of the reign of anti Christ, and his destruction by the Redeemer of Israel, so that we are sure of this fact, that the Royal Jew holds the master key of all prophecy, (which is the spirit of truth,) and THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST is a display of the Glory of GoD in the land of the living, when the seed of the woman bruises the serpent's head, the