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"His lightnings enlightened the world, the earth saw and trembled" (Ps. xcvii. 3, 4). "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice" (Ps. 1. 3, 4). Now, mark one point in these passages; it is the most solemn feature of the whole. A living PERSON is in the centre of all this terror and glory, even as in Ezekiel's vision (chap. i. 26). One "whose eyes are flames of fire, and His feet like unto fine brass," is there. He is come to scrutinise, to judge, to separate. He is come to save and to destroy, to vindicate and to condemn, to receive to Himself and to put away for ever from hope. "Who may abide the day of his coming? or who shall stand when he appeareth; for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap." Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." Then the dross shall be destroyed. All tinsel will perish. "Wood, hay, and stubble," must be consumed. Then reality alone will survive; all disguises will be swept away. False professors will be detected, and true believers manifested, being then perfectly purified and fit for the abiding presence of Him who is the "HOLY ONE."

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In the prospect of that day of disclosure, and while looking for the revelation of the Son of man, let us give good heed to the loving counsels of one who saw His glory and loved His appearing. "And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed. before him at his coming." Let us watch against making ought our portion, or rest, or employment, which “the day" will disclose to be naught, and the Lord's coming consume. If we look, indeed, for His glorious appearing, we must not "mind earthly things," but have our citizenship in heaven, and ever seek grace to act here as those who belong to a heavenly country, and who are travelling home to the possession thereof. And surely the thought that this great inheritance is the provision of infinite love, while our desert is the lake of fire that our title and meetness are all of grace-and that the Lord's glory stands connected with our holiness and devotedness, should be all-sufficient arguments why we should be a peculiar people zealous of good works.

Notes on Scripture.

SKETCHES OF PROPHECY, NO. V.—Psalm II., QUOTED IN ACTS IV. 25, 26, XIII. 33, Heb. I. 5, V. 5, Rev. II. 27, XII. 5, XIX. 15, AND PROBABLY REFERRED TO IN MATT. III. 17, XVII. 5.

Contexts in quotations, Matt. iii. 13–17, xvi. 27–xvii. 8; Acts iv. 23-30, xiii. 23-33; Heb. i. 4, 5, v. 4–6; Rev. ii. 26–28, xii. 1-5, xix. 11-21.

The speaker, Jesus the Son of God, Ps. ii. 7; Luke i. 35.

The decree, Ps. ii. 7.

God's everlasting purpose of exalting Messiah, His Son, Prov. viii. 22, 23; Eph. i. 20, 22; Matt. xxviii. 18.

And His people, in Him, Eph. i. 4, 11; 1 Pet. i. 3, 4.

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Fulfilled in Jesus, Matt. iii. 17; Heb. i. 5.

When baptized with the Holy Spirit, Matt. iii. 16; Dan. ix.

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God's approval of Jesus, Matt. iii. 17; Ps. lxxxix. 20, 27. Fulfilled in Israel, Jer. xxxi. 9; Ex. iv. 22.

God's approval of Israel, Ezek. xx. 40, 41.

In Jesus, Jer. xxiii. 6.

Made known to them when baptized with the Holy
Spirit, Ezek. xxxvi. 25–28.

Fulfilled in believers, Eph. i. 5; 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18.

God's approval of believers, Eph. i. 6.

In Jesus,

Made known to them when baptized with the Holy
Spirit, Rom. viii. 14-16.

The invitation, Ps. ii. 8.

Jesus' confidence in it, John xi. 42.

The believer invited to ask, Matt. vii. 7.

His confidence, 1 John v. 14, 15.

The promise, Ps. ii. 8, 9.

Predetermined, Rev. xii. 5; Ps. viii., with 1 Cor. xv. 27.

Yet in answer to prayer, Ps. ii. 8; Ezek. xxxvi. 37.
Jesus to reign universally, Ps. ii. 8, lxxii. 8, 11; 2 Sam.
xxiii. 3.

to inherit, Ps. ii. 8; John iii. 35; Matt. xxviii. 18.
to possess, Ps. ii. 8; Gen. i. 26, iii. 17–19; Col. i. 20;
Eph. i. 14; John v. 27.

to destroy enemies, Ps. ii. 9; 2 Thess. i. 7-9; Rev.
xiv. 19, 20; Isa. lxiii. 1-4.

Believers to reign with Jesus, 2 Tim. ii. 12.

to inherit, 1 Pet. i. 4; Ps. xxxvii. 9; Matt. v. 5.
Because, being in Him, they are joint-heirs with
Him, Rom. viii. 17.

to possess, Heb. xi. 39, 40; Rev. vii. 15-17.
to destroy, Mal. iv. 3.

The exhortation, Ps. ii. 10-12.

Jesus the true wisdom, Prov. viii. 1, 23; 1 Cor. i. 30.
The believer is wise, 1 Cor. iv. 10.

Because in Jesus, 1 Cor. iv. 10, with i. 30.

Made so by reception of truth, 2 Tim. iii. 15.

Service of God is wisdom, Ps. ii. 11; Job xxviii. 28; Ps. cxi. 10.
Through the Son, the Mediator, Ps. ii. 12; Isa. ix. 6.

God's Son revealed of old, Ps. ii. 12; Prov. xxx. 4.
Believers to rejoice in service, Ps. ii. 11; Phil. iii. 3.
Through the Son, Ps. ii. 12; Rom. v. 2.

The warning, Ps. ii. 12.

Anger of the Son, Ps. ii. 12; Rev. vi. 16.

Destruction in consequence, Ps. ii. 12; John xii. 48; 2 Thess.

i. 9.

The rejection, Ps. ii. 1-3.

Of the anointed, Messiah, God's Son, Ps. ii. 2.

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Throughout this dispensation, Isa. liii. 3; Luke xix. 14;

1 Cor. i. 23.

At second advent.

By Gentiles, nominal Christians, Rev. xvii. 12-14;

Luke xviii. 8; 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4.

At end of millennium, Rev. xx. 8, 9.

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Trust in Messiah while absent, Rom. x. 11.

To be exercised until His return, Matt. xxv. 13.

Believers do trust in Him, Phil. i. 6; 2 Tim. i. 12.

The destruction, Ps. ii. 4, 5.

Because of refusal, Prov. i. 24–28; Eph. v. 6.

In wrath, Mal. iii. 2; 2 Thess. i. 9; Rev. xiv. 18-20, xix. 15,
XX. 9.

The reign, Ps. ii. 6.

According to promise, Ps. ii. 8, 9; Matt. xvi. 27–xvii. 8.

The king, Ezek. xliii. 7; Isa. ii. 3, xxiv. 23,

The shepherd, Ezek. xxxvii. 24,

With believers.

Kings, Rev. v. 10, xxii. 5.

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Rev. xii. 5.

Shepherds, Rev. ii. 26, 27 (оμaveî).

The glorified man, Matt. xvii. 2; Rev. i. 16; Ezek. i. 26-28.
The Son of God, Ps. ii. 7; Matt. xvii. 5.

The Righteous One, Matt. xvii. 2, with Rev. xix. 8, and
Jer. xxiii. 5, 6.

The Just One, 2 Sam. xxiii. 3.

The Mediator, Matt. xvii. 7.

The mission, Ps. ii. 10–12.

Jews the missionaries, Isa. lxvi. 19, xl. 9.

The world converted, Zech. viii. 23, Hab. ii. 14.

LUKE XXIV. 53.

"And were continually in the temple praising and blessing God." He means, that from the day of the Lord's resurrection forward, until they received the promise of the Father (during which time they were commanded to remain at Jerusalem), they openly frequented the temple and offered their praises and thanksgivings to God. A striking effect of the grace of Christ! They no longer closed the doors when they met, for fear of the Jews.*

* It is remarkable that when the disciples assembled on the eighth day after the Lord's resurrection, the apostles are not represented as having

Although they were known to be the disciples of Jesus, and were surrounded by His enemies, and theirs for His sake, they appeared without disguise, in that very place where they could not fail to be seen and known.

Those who limit the application of this verse to the short interval between the Lord's visible ascension and the day of Pentecost, leave us to conjecture what were the emotions. and employments of the apostles during the forty days following the resurrection. But no violence is done to the language by extending it, as we do, to the whole interval between the day of the Lord's resurrection and the Pentecost. On the contrary, it is the plain and obvious interpretation, and the only one which adequately represents the power of Christ over the minds and hearts of the apostles.

JOHN XXI. 1.

"After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself."

The manifestations before spoken of were made in Judea, and in or near Jerusalem. That of which the evangelist now speaks, occurred in Galilee. The time of it is not stated, but we may infer that the feast of the Passover was ended, and that the disciples generally had left Judea for their homes in Galilee, where the Lord had promised to meet them (Matt. xxviii. 7, 10, xxvi. 32; Mark xiv. 28).

It would be fruitless to inquire why he appointed Galilee as the place of gathering for all His disciples. Perhaps He did it because most of His disciples were from that province (Acts ii. 7). It is not improbable that the apostles mentioned in this chapter had gone thither in obedience to this command, or were on their way from Jerusalem to the mountain Jesus had appointed (Matt. xxviii. 16). The manner of the Lord's appearance on this occasion, and the circumstances of it, are related with much particularity, for some reason not explained. It does not fall within the scope of these notes to enter minutely into the contents of the chapter, the style of which is very peculiar. We observe in general that John, who was present, and an eye-witness of what he relates, is the only evangelist who mentions this appearance. Thomas, the doubting disciple, was one of the party. Nathanael, it is probable, is the apostle elsewhere called Bartholomew. Peter, and closed the doors of the house or apartment where they met, for fear, but rather, as we may suppose, for privacy. The reason why the evangelist mentions that the doors were shut on this occasion, is to shew the surprising manner of the Lord's appearance to Thomas. It was one of the things which convinced him; and it agreed perfectly with the manner of His appearance a week before, an account of which he had no doubt heard. Accordingly, in describing the first appearance, the evangelist tells us explicitly, that the motive for shutting the doors was fear of the Jews, but in describing His second appearance he assigns no motive for the act, yet mentions the fact as in itself important for the reason already suggested.

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