Son of man receives "dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages, should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Dan. 7. 13. 14-compare with Luke 1. 32, 33; Psalm 45. 2. 6, 7; Psalm 72; Isaiah 9. 7; Matt. 25. 31; Rev. 11. 15. and 1 E. Tim. 6. 15.

This Holy of holy books of prophecy, was *excluded from the sacred canon of scriptures for a space of time beyond the number of years which are reckoned for a millenary. Horrible act of "the concision," which likewise changed the ordinance of the Lord's Day, by removing the sign of the covenant, from the holy Sepulchre, and making a Rest of the resurrection. Take notice that the angel of the church of the Laodiceans is reproached by the Amen (i. e. The God of truth in Christ, The Truth of all types, shadows, symbols, promises, performances, and results connected with the word REDEMPTION,) for his stupidity, ignorance, and arrogance, or spiritual pride. He had fallen into "the snare of the devil;" and was threatened with the same condemnation, because he had proclaimed that he was "rich-increased with goods; and needed nothing."

In the fourth century of the Gospel era (opened by Christ's first Advent, for the spiritual era commenced with Enos- "Then men began," &c. Gen. 4. 26.) the church of the Laodiceans virtually denied that JESUS was the Christ, "the Holy One of Israel;" and "Lord of the Sabbath day." The spirit which prevailed in that council of "the concision," was the serpent, who beguiled Eve-even the spirit of anti Christ; and the two notable evidences of "'usurpation and blasphemy (rejection of the Apoca

*In the council of Laodicea A. D. 360. See Maunder's Treasury of Knowledge.

lypse, and alteration of the Sabbath time,) resulting from that council, illustrate Paul's doctrine of God's judgment upon the Gentile church, if it should "boast against the" original "branches of the good Olive tree;" of which the "first fruit" was holy, of course "the lump" (i. e. the nation of JESUS Christ, who was both the root of David, and the righteous branch from GOD.)

If the city and tower of Babel ("which the children of men builded") is a type of the anti Christian kingdom in the last days, where is the date of its commencement in the spirit of apostasy, which is a show of wisdom above what is written? Is not the foul mark upon the council of Laodicea? Read the testimony of the Lord God, recorded in the 22 c. of the Apocalypse, and nineteenth verse.

"if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this Book." Now read the message of the Amen to the angel of the Laodiceans, and then come back to the 11 chapter of Genesis. Babel is the name of the tower which the children of men builded. Babel means confusion; and the name of the city was given by the sacred authority of the Lord who confounded the speech, which was contrary to His Word. Compare with the judgment, "I will spew thee out of my mouth." It is the spiritual apostasy from Truth now under consideration. The primitive church Her miniswere "all of one heart, and one soul."

ters saw eye to eye, (by the power of one Spirit,) that the Lord would bring again Zion, and appear in His Glory. The Day (which is the day of judgment, wherein restitution should be made to God, and to man, by the True Seed which is Christ,) was exhibited to a minister of this church of the circum

cision; and he was commanded to write the things which he had seen, (N. B. John had not written his Gospel at that time,) the things which were connected with the opening of the mystery of the seven stars; and likewise of events appendant to the concerns of the seven churches in every revolution, to the finishing of the mystery of God.

The "great voice" as of a trumpet commanded his servant to write what He saw, ("Behold He cometh," v. 7,) even the glorious Epiphany of the Lord, &c.; and to send the Book unto the seven churches which were in Asia, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. A special message was addressed to each Star, which the First and the Last had in his right hand. Six of the seven stars had exhibited signs of falling from their original heavens, (the heights and glories of redemption;) and one of them had no true light at all, although he was held in the right hand of truth; and was set in a golden candlestick, which belonged to the true tabernacle of witness, which is the Lord JESUS Christ. This star was the angel of the church of the Laodiceans. It appears that he rejected the message; and his candlestick was removed from the presence of the Glory of the Prince of the peace of Israel, the first begotten from the dead, and Zion's King; for there was conspiracy of the prophets (teachers) in the church of the Laodiceans, "like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they took away the treasure, and the pleasant things: they devoured souls," by daubing them with untempered mortar: they have violated the law of God, by profaning His holy things; and have hid their faces from the Great and Glorious Sabbath of the Lord. These things have they done, and the Lord kept silent a long time, in which poor Laodicean teachers have thought He was altogether such an one as them

selves, forgetting His covenants with the fathers, and His promises to their children, that the latter should inherit the Lord's land in the Day of Glory. Oh! this journeying from the east-turning the back on the rising Sun, who came out of Joseph's tomb a glorified body, though still veiling His Glory! Oh! this preference of a plain in the land of Shinar ("change of the city") to the mountain of the Lord: this building brick for stone, and slime for mortar: this building a city and tower (by the children of men) to reach up to heaven, and give it a name— Millennium-What has it done? It has provoked the Lord to confound the one language that was original in the church, when like a dove in the spring she warbled Zion's holy songs, "Behold He cometh," &c. See Song of songs, 2. 9, 10. The confusion of voices in the religious world, will cease only with the persecution that shall prevail, in the short time of satan's great wrath in the earth. In that bewitching and hateful era, there will be ONE testimony for Jews and Gentiles; and "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, "Behold I stand at the door, and knock"-"my head is filled with the dew, and my locks with the drops of the night." Open to me, my sister, my spouse, my elect-Lift up your heads, O, ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.-And to the Laodiceans He calls, "if any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me.-But hark! that solemn voice sounds through the world, "Babylon is fallen, that great city." Listen again-"A loud voice" proclaims if any man (Jew or Gentile) worship the Beast, and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, The same (N.B.man) shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which

is poured out without mixture, into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Rev. 14. 9-11. What a forcible testimony to warn of certain judgment unto everlasting misery in the age of satan's imprisonment in the bottomless pit, with the additional horrors of the second death after the last judgment, which falls upon the fearful, the unbelieving, and the abominable, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars; for these shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. See Rev. 21. 8. "Wine of the wrath

of GOD!" not mixed with water-the latter in the Scripture is symbolical of vexation, disturbance, difficulty, and severe afflictions, as well as a figure of grace, mercy, and peace. It is never put for an expression of vengeance on the part of God, nor for the extremity of wickedness on the side of rebellious man. Therefore the wine of the wrath of God, "the wine of the fierceness of His wrath," "poured out without mixture," are expressions which only concern the "strange act"'strange work of that God, who gave His beloved Son the cup filled with our bitter sins, that we might be saved. If we will, we may drink of the water that Son alone can give; but, if we choose the wine of Sodom, or Babylon, depend in the cup which we fill, (impenitence, pride, unbelief, &c. &c.) there shall be filled to us double of the strong wine of the fierceness of the wrath which burneth like fire, when it is poured without mixture into the cup of Divine indignation; for the latter is "the sin which