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a work that you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it." To such we are a savour of death unto death. The Lord slays these with the word of his mouth. And, when all these despisers are slain, and the sword of the Spirit returns to its scabbard, a universal dread and fear will go through the world; for even the most daring despisers of the witnesses will dread the witnesses they have despised; for they will see these enter the marriage-chamber, and themselves shut out. And I believe this weddingchamber, in which our Lord will present his church to himself as a glorious church, having neither spot nor wrinkle, will be this new earth promised to us, in which the Bridegroom and his bride will enjoy each other a thousand years. Then, then shall be brought to pass these sayings, that are written: "Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more," Joel iii. 17. "And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts," Zech. xiv. 21.

But before all this takes place the wonders wrought in the Red Sea will be re-acted in a future period. The 14th chapter of the Revelation describes the destruction of Mystery Babylon, and the victory of the Lamb over her is expressed by a wine-press of blood, and her dreadful end by the smoke of her torments ascending for ever and ever, Rev. xiv. 11, 20. Upon the destruction of Pharaoh at the Red Sea the song of Moses was sung. The subject matter of the song was God's power and

glory, their own deliverance, and the destruction of their enemies. All this is yet to be sung again in truth, as the former was in type. "And I saw as it were a sea of glass, mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb." These are some of the contents of the book of the wars of the Lord, and of what he did in the Red Sea.

And, if I am not much mistaken, there will be a repetition of the wonders performed at the brooks of Arnon; for the next country which Israel took in the same war was all the regions of Argob, Deut. iii. 4. And these two kingdoms bear the names of Gilead and Bashan: "And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon: all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan." There is a singular prophesy to the inhabitants of Gilead and Bashan: "Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitary in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old," Micah vii. 14. For, as the new earth is to be given to the saints, who can tell but that part conquered by Israel will be the chief paradise, and Christ receive the highest praises where he suffered the greatest shame? The prophet's request is, that the chief Shepherd, with his

crook and sceptre, would feed the flock of his heritage in Gilead and Bashan as in the days of old, when he gave Israel all that country, and the treasures of it. And true it is, that the Lamb in the midst of the throne will feed them, and lead them to living fountains of water; and when we are thus fed we shall be perfect in knowledge, and able to comprehend the contents of this book of the wars of the Lord; and what he did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon. Until then, the good Lord the Spirit direct our hearts into the love of God, and into a patient waiting for Christ!

IV.

THE INHERITANCE OF THE WISE, AND THE PROMOTION OF FOOLS.

PROVERBS iii. 35.

"The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools."

near.

THERE is no greater folly than to put away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come The beginning of wisdom with us is when God brings our sins and his law, death and judgment, home to our mind and conscience, and sets them all before our eyes. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" These things brought home and deeply impressed on the soul, are attended with great consternation and fear; and although this fear is coupled with much bondage and slavery, yet it is attended with a desperate war against sin, and with a departing from it, and from all our companions in it. "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." And to this agrees the wise man; "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; but the fool rageth, and is confident."

The next step that the wise man takes is to

search the scriptures, to see if there be any ground of relief, instruction, encouragement, or hope; which he most earnestly desires, because he is deeply sensible of his need of these. "Through desire a man having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom." And as sure as the word of God becomes his study, so sure will the saints of God become his chosen and

most favourite company. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but the companion of fools shall be destroyed." All convictions that come from God by the Spirit will be complied with and yielded to by the convicted sinner; he will and must come to the light of truth, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God's power, and under God's influence. The word is a light to our feet, and a lamp to our path; and the scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus, 2 Tim. iii. 15. All soul trouble which does not drive us to the light, to the word of God, to the ministry of it, to the servants and saints of God, is sure to leave us where it finds us-both fools and blind. "Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?" Jer. viii. 9. By the word of God preached, read, or meditated on, is wisdom conveyed to the soul; hence the word is called the word of wisdom, 1 Cor. xii. 8; and that part of it which is called the gospel, is the wisdom of God in a mystery, 1 Cor. ii. 7. When the Spirit of God opens up, and applies the pro

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