the King of Egypt, the dread incarnation of the Sun Serpent. His staff is transformed into a serpent. He flees before it: but, at GOD's word, seizes it by the tail, when it becomes once more a crook in his hand; thereby exhibiting the impotence of the Serpent in the presence of JEHOVAH. The succession of plagues, in like manner, doubtless derived their peculiar meaning in the eyes of the degraded Egyptians, from the fact of their being severally directed against their numerous subordinate, animate and inanimate, divinities. So that their very deities were made instruments of their chastisement, in order "that they might know that wherewithal a man sinneth, by the same also shall he be punished." (Wisdom xi. 15, 16.)

So potent, seductive, and demoralizing had been the influence of Egyptian idolatry upon the Israelites, that we find them, notwithstanding the grinding tyranny to which they had been subjected, and the signal and ever recurring manifestations of Almighty Love and Power which they experienced throughout the whole of their pilgrimage, yet ever yearning and sighing after the land of their bondage. Their evil hearts preferred the idolatrous and debasing rites of the scene of their captivity to the service of JEHOVAH. The last manifestation of Divine Power in connection with the events of the Exodus" was in consequence of this evil longing. At the very close of their forty years' wanderings we find them saying, "Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." (Numb. xiv. 3, 4.) Mark the retributive nature of their punishment. They would forsake the free worship of GOD for the miserable ophiolatry of the land of slavery, whereupon "the LORD sent fiery serpents, and they bit the people." To arrest their fatal ravages Moses is commissioned to make a Brazen Serpent, and set it on a pole.

Mr. Groves rightly apprehends the bearing of this emblem. The common idea that the Serpent represents the Person of our Blessed LORD that the distinctive badge of Satan is designed to picture the Divine Redeemer is manifestly repugnant to all symbolic propriety. The symbol represents the Serpent impaled, vanquished, degraded. And how was this act of degradation to be hereafter brought about? By the corresponding voluntary degradation, Crucifixion, and Death of his Divine Victor, Who by Death would destroy Him that had the power of death. Hence the emblem pointed onwards, through its primary reference to the humiliation of the Serpent Seducer, to that mysterious Act of Divine humiliation whereby the former should be effected.

But it is time that we turned to the Second part of this Volume, in which the writer proceeds to the examination and elucidation of certain portions of the Apocalypse.

He introduces his Second part with a chapter on the fundamental contrast subsisting between the Beast and the Harlot Rider, i. e.

Egypt (which he identifies with the Beast) and Babylon. The Author is undoubtedly correct in insisting upon the essential contrast between the Beast and the Woman. But when he affirms that the former is the symbol of infidelity, and the latter of superstition (on the antithetical contrast between which he has some valuable remarks)—although plainly on the right track, still he appears to us to fail in apprehending the precise ideas respectively embodied in these opposite emblems.

There can be no question that the Beast is, in its broadest sense, simply the Godless God-defying Power of the World; here, as ever, associated with its subtle spiritual ally, or false Prophet, the earthborn, natural, infidel wisdom of the World. The Woman, on the contrary, impressed with the titles Babylon (i. e. confusion) and 'Mystery,' is, as indubitably, a type of the Church, demoralized and secularized by the seductive influence of the World ;-the Church become worldly; or (in our LORD's words) "My FATHER'S House" converted into "a house of merchandize." The primary and leading idea therefore conveyed by the symbol of the Woman, Babylon, is not exactly Superstition (although this is plainly included), but general unfaithfulness to GOD, and worldly-mindedness. And she is invested with the title "Confusion," from her exhibiting a sacri, legious commixture of things sacred and profane, CHRIST and Belial, GoD and the World: espoused to JEHOVAH, yet prostituting herself to the Beast: in one aspect Jerusalem, in another Sodom and Egypt; the "City of GOD" and the "bloody city;" founded upon the "Holy hills," yet seated on the " seven mountains" of worldly eminence and dominion: once "clothed," by virtue of her Heavenly origin, "with the Sun," and yet ❝clothed in purple and scarlet" and the gaudy trappings of earth: the sworn guardian and keeper of the Faith, and yet the destroyer of the Faith; vaunting to hold it fast in its uncompromising integrity, and yet (allured by the False Prophet) refining upon it, developing it, abstracting from it on one side, adding to it on the other, little by little mutilating the perfection of its Divine symmetry, at last abandoning it: commissioned to teach all nations the health-giving truths of the Gospel, yet drugging them with an intoxicating chalice of adulterated doctrine: the nurse of Saints, and the mistress of abominations: the professed foe of the Beast, and his loving ally: the instrument of his death, and the instrument of his terrible resurrection: the once spotless Mother of CHRIST, and yet the hideous mother of Antichrist.

Mr. Groves quite loses sight of the oecumenical character of the Harlot Babylon, as the carnal Jerusalem of the New Dispensationthe visible Church of CHRIST fallen from the Faith and become apostate (2 Thess. ii. 3); and adopts the common but most inadmissible interpretation which confines the symbol to the Church of Rome. He makes a similar mistake in regard to "the Beast" or

World-Power, identifying him sometimes with Pharaoh, sometimes with Antichrist, sometimes with the Pope, but never appearing to apprehend the fundamental idea embodied in the symbol, or its comprehensive scope.

The Beast, in the Apocalypse, signifies generally the Godless World-Power in its abstract totality; and particularly, the human representative of the last phase or "head" of that Power, during the short-lived domination of which head, the true character of the Beast, its innermost essence and nature, shall reach their highest development, and most intense and demoniacal manifestation. The successive heads of the Beast signify the successive GOD-opposing Dynasties, or universal empires of the world. Of these Egypt was the first, and Rome, the regnant Power in S. John's day, the sixth. In this head the whole Beast was wounded to death, i. e. died qua Beast; became harmless and Christianized, and, instead of the ruthless persecutor, the sworn friend and supporter of the Woman; who, in turn, flattered by his obsequious attentions, gratified by his homage, allured by his plausible overtures and advances, by little and little gave her heart to him, became worldly, "put her trust in the strength of Pharaoh," and provoked to anger the "Jealous GOD." Here then ensues the long interregnum, still continuing, the "parenthetic non-existence" of the Beast, during which he "is not," or "is wounded to death," his throne being occupied by a Christianized world, and a worldly Church. At last the demoralization of the Woman becomes more flagrant: the "Light of the world," long dimly flickering in the socket, expires-the "Salt," wherewith the world was to be kept from corruption and putrefaction, loses its savour, and becomes good for nought save to be cast out-the visible Church becomes wholly apostate-the Restraining Power (the Presence of CHRIST) is removed; and the seventh head, emphatically designated as "the Beast from the abyss" (as indicating the new Diabolic vitality wherewith the Monster, long seemingly dead, shall be suddenly energized-the old bestial spirit of the world reinforced with seven other spirits" from the bottomless Pit) shall rise to power, and Christendom not only become Heathen once more, but be possessed by a heathenism as much more hideous and Satanic than that of old, as the Light of the Glorious Gospel of CHRIST, from which it will be a fall, is more bright than the light either of nature, or of GOD's previous Revelations, from which the various phases of ancient heathenism had respectively been apostasies.

With regard to the present state of the Christian Church, it is needless to remark how utterly inadmissible it is to speak either of the whole, or of any part of it, as fulfilling the type of the Apocalyptic Babylon. That appalling description will only then be realised, when "her sins have reached to Heaven." True it is that, in successive periods of her history, this Babylonish spirit of

faithlessness to her espousals has manifested itself with varying degrees of intensity; and that in certain of her Branches it may be even now recognised with more unambiguous clearness of expression and ominous distinctness, than in others. But "the end is not yet." And it is not the custom of the Apocalypse to picture intermediate stages and processes, but to pass on at once to the final manifestations of the varying antagonistic principles of good and evil, which are now striving together on the great sea " of human destiny, and to the ultimate results to which the course of events in the world and the Church is now imperceptibly but inevitably tending.

But we are digressing from our Author, and from the immediate subject which the second part of his treatise brings before us, viz., the Egyptian features which characterise the symbolism of certain portions of the Apocalypse.

The Egyptian allusions, according to Mr. Groves, commence with the twelfth chapter; between the mystical narrative contained in which, and the events of the Exode, he institutes an ingenious and interesting comparison.

The Sun-clothed Woman has her counterpart in the early Jewish Church. The great Dragon, or Nile Crocodile, is the King of Egypt, described of old by Ezekiel as the "great Dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers." The Man-child is Moses, type of our Blessed LORD, as the Dragon is of the Devil. The mystic birth points at once to that of Moses in Egypt, and that of CHRIST in an unbelieving world-the personal representatives of the Dragon being in the one instance Pharaoh, and in the other Herod. After the parturition and supernatural rapture of the Child, the Woman flies into the Wilderness, (c. xii. v. 6,) a statement which is repeated, though with an important verbal alteration in v. 14. In the sixth verse we read that the Woman "fled (puyev) into the Wilderness." Then follows the description of the great spiritual encounter between "Michael and his Angels, and the Dragon and his Angels." After which we read, "To the Woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly (lva xéτnTa) into the Wilderness." Is this change of expression emphatic? Undoubtedly: the two successive verses apparently referring to two successive stages of her flight.

cr

Devyw is to flee or run from danger: Téroμai to fly with expanded wing. In the former instance the Woman does not fly as a bird, but flees in ordinary manner on her feet; in the latter she is borne on eagle's wings. The first portion of her flight is natural, the second supernatural."-Pp. 259, 260.

The historic parallel to this Mr. Groves discovers in the escape of Israel out of Egypt. The first stage of flight he conceives to correspond to the journey of Israel from Goshen to the Red Sea.

Here their flight is interrupted. They are hemmed in on all sides and thrown on supernatural aid. At this juncture occurs the great celestial encounter between the hosts of Michael and the Dragon. And such an invisible conflict between Principalities and Powers, involving in its issue the fortunes of God's chosen people, we may well imagine to have taken place at the all-decisive crisis of the Exode, of which an earthly shadow and response was seen and heard in the terrestrial combat; the hosts of Israel and Egypt being but "subordinate actors in the sublime drama-visible indices portraying the phases of a dread and invisible struggle between higher antagonistic Powers;" "The LORD shall fight for you." Up to this period Israel's journey had been only a flight,' an escape from a relentless and dreaded enemy. enemy. The enemy now no more; "his chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea." Henceforth their journey is simply a supernatural "pilgrimage." (Vide pp. 267, 271.)

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The Christian's course presents a spiritual counterpart to this. There is first the hard bondage of the natural man, the galling slavery to sin. Then there is the secret longing after holiness through the preventing impulses of the HOLY SPIRIT, the earnest but irregular and ineffectual struggle after deliverance, the incipient flight (ovy) from a still living and all-powerful adversary. Then comes the divine interposition ("the LORD shall fight for you,") and the "victory through our LORD JESUS CHRIST." The enemy is engulfed in the baptismal waters; he and his hosts are "drowned in the Red Sea." Then ensues the supernatural Christian life; the pilgrimage through the wilderness. The dragon, though vanquished, will persecute his escaped victim; but persecution can never harm a faithful soldier of the Cross; it will but complete his victory, deaden him to the world, and cause him to soar higher and higher above the earth to those heavenly places which the Captain of his salvation has "opened to all believers." But may we not discern the primary reference of all this in the history of the Church?

She

Ancient Jerusalem had well nigh filled up the measure of her iniquities. In her we see a realization of that City "spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also our LORD was crucified." has become Egyptianized: and the holy souls within her who belong to the spiritual Zion, "groan within themselves being burdened," "waiting for Redemption in Israel," sighing for some "better thing," yearning after that "liberty wherewith CHRIST" alone can "make free."I The Infant Deliverer is born. Secure

1 Cf. Jer. iv. 31. "I have heard a voice as of a Woman in travail; and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her First Child, the voice of the daughter of Zion that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers."

The great difficulty in the interpretation of this Vision of the Dragon and the sun-clothed Woman arises from the fact of the symbolic narrative having unequivo