in appearance seeming to be two important doctrines of the gospel, or of Christ, but only so in appearance. They are not in fact the two horns of a lamb, but they are really two horns of a ferocious, destructive, and unclean animal; an animal speaking in effect the language of a dragon, or of the dragon or accuser, while it affects the countenance of a lamb; its power, its ability to delude, depending upon its appearing to have two horns like the Lamb.

We have a key to the character of this beast, which we lack in the description given of the other. The two-horned beast throughout the remainder of the book is uniformly termed the false prophet, and this so manifestly in connection with the first beast that there can be no mistake respecting him. This false prophet, (as we feel no difficult in averring,) must be a false interpretation or construction; consequently, his two horns are two doctrines, or doctrinal powers, peculiar to, and growing out of this false construction. As the horns of an animal emanate from its head, so these two doctrines emanate from the leading principle of the false construction or misinterpretation of revealed truth, represented by this second beast. The power of the first beast is exercised through the agency of the second; so we suppose the exaltation and deification of self to be the result of a certain misconstruction of revealed truth; and as we may suppose the second beast could not act his part without the instrumentality of his two horns-his only weapons-so this misconstruction, or false interpretation, could not effect its blasphemous exaltation of self, nor cause its marks of subserviency to be inflicted upon the subordinate elements subjected to its control, if it were not for these two pseudo doctrinal powers-powers having the appearance of two important and leading doctrines of the gospel, but in reality widely differing from them.

have seven horns and The Spirit of God we power of God. These

§ 320. The real Lamb was seen, Rev. v. 6, to seven eyes, declared to be the seven spirits of God. suppose to be an expression nearly equivalent to the seven spirits then are powers (§ 137) qualifying the Lamb for opening the sealed book. The horns of the Lamb might indeed be considered powers of salvation; but we cannot suppose the salvation of the sinner through Christ to be effected by seven distinct powers, or even operations; we may, however, consider the one power of salvation exhibited and illustrated by seven different operations, all resulting in the same effect. These horns of the real Lamb may be considered seven different powers of illustration, by which the mystery of Christ's salvation is exemplified and brought home to the understanding of the disciple. They may be properly considered the weapons or instruments by which he developes the contents of the sealed book, and may be thus appropriately styled doctrinal powers. Christ, is the only way of salvation, and the only way of being saved is to be in Christ,-to be

contemplated by God as in Christ; but there may be seven different modes of illustration, by which this one way is to be made familiar to the human mind. The process of atonement, redemption, or vicarious sacrifice, may be one of these modes or symbols; that of burial with Christ by baptism, and subsequent resurrection, may be another; union, as by marriage, may be another; communion, as in a participation of flesh and blood, another; adoption, another; regeneration, or the new birth, another; and sanctification, or setting apart, another. These are not distinct operations, but seven different figures, all resolving themselves into the one operation, of substitution in Christ. Provided with these, the true Lamb appears prepared to open the sealed book,-to develope the divine plan of salvation.

The false prophet, as the second beast exhibits himself, has two horns only, carefully avoiding even a simulation of the other five organs of revelation. These two instruments of indoctrination appear to be two of the horns of the real Lamb, and by the aid of this similarity of appearance the impostor is able to perform all his wonders. As a false prophet he operates by misinterpretation, putting a false construction on the language of revelation; but this operation owes its efficiency to the two doctrinal powers, so much resembling certain gospel powers, and perhaps in human estimation entitled to bear the same appellation. By these two simulated doctrines we suppose the whole gospel system to be so perverted as to represent the disciple in a position of dependence upon his own merits; as much indebted to his own self for his eternal salvation and future happiness, as if no redemption had been wrought out for him; making him in effect a worshipper of self; causing him to fabricate in the imagination of his heart an idol of his own pretended righteousness; looking to this image as an object calling for his devotion and gratitude, and necessarily stamping all his actions of mind or body with the characteristic of a mercenary and selfish motive; virtually denying to God the Saviour-the Lord our righteousness-the tribute of gratitude due to Him, and to Him alone; and tending to deprive him of that glory which is not only his, but is that in which no other being can be permitted to participate.

Without pretending to point out definitively what two doctrines are contemplated, as counterfeited in this figure of the horns of the beast from the earth, we assume as such, for illustrating our views, the two last named of the seven doctrinal powers above enumerated; and we do this, because the genuine doctrines are justly, and almost universally considered, with all denominations of Christians, as of the utmost importance, and because of the seven they are most liable perhaps to perversion. We mean the doctrines of regeneration, or of the new birth; and of sanctification, or of holi

ness.

The process of regeneration, and that of sanctification, according to the

Scriptures, are both of them indispensable to the salvation of man; and yet their agency cannot be inconsistent with the all-predominant truth, that Christ only is the efficient cause of the sinner's redemption, that there is no other name given amongst men than the name of Jesus, whereby we can be saved, and that this salvation through him is of grace alone.

§ 321. We shall first show what we apprehend to be the Scripture doctrine of these two powers, and afterwards in what manner we suppose them to be so misrepresented as to be attended by the errors of faith depicted in the operations and delusions of the second beast or false prophet.

Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is the language of him, who declares himself to be the life of the world; who became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Can it be that, notwithstanding this vicarious work of the Redeemer, the sinner is lost unless he undergo a certain change within himself, making him almost, in a literal sense, a new creature?

We have somewhere read of the custom of a barbarous nation, by which a captive taken in war is not only spared as to his life, but is also taken into the family of the captor, and adopted in the place of a member of that family whose life has been lost in the same contest in which this captive has been taken; not only so, the ceremony of this adoption is that of celebrating the birth of a child;—the adoption of the captive by this act of grace on the part of the captor, being esteemed equivalent, in the apprehension of these barbarians, to a new birth of the favoured individual.

Whether this custom has been correctly detailed or not, it answers the purpose of illustrating our views. We suppose in the meaning of divine revelation no difference to exist between adoption in Christ, and regeneration or a new birth. We do not suppose the disciple to be first adopted, and afterwards born again, but rather that the two figures represent the same process-a process also identic with that of regeneration. This process we contemplate as an act solely of the word, or purpose of God-an act of sovereign grace, not only freely pardoning the sinner, but also receiving him in the place of a beloved son, looking upon him as in the face of the Anointed. In Christ,-thus substituted in the place of Christ, in God's account,―the disciple is a new creature, recreated or regenerated in a spiritual sense; a change by which the redeemed sinner is made to participate by imputation in the purifying power of his Saviour's atonement, and in the justifying efficacy of his righteousness. Such a regeneration effects, as we conceive, the appropriation of the great vicarious sacrifice of the master to the disciple, in whose behalf the offering is made. Without this process the offering could not be so appropriated, neither could we see the

connection between the sacrifice and the sinner; and yet there is nothing in this arrangement inconsistent with any portion of the scheme of God's salvation through Christ by grace, in the strictest sense of the terin ;—the declaration, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, being equivalent to declaring, that except a man be accounted by God to be in Christ, he cannot participate in the benefits of redemption, not being in the position spoken of as the kingdom of God.

"Without holiness no man shall see the Lord," (Heb. xii. 14 ;)—or, as the word translated holiness here (paoμós) is rendered in five other passages of the New Testament, without sanctification no man shall see the Lord. This is the declaration of an apostle, who, of all others, points out the salvation of Christ most distinctly and explicitly as a matter of grace, in contradistinction to one of works. Can it be then that all this grace, and all the work of Christ are of no avail, unless there be in the disciple a certain portion at least of some intrinsic good quality termed holiness; upon the existence of which, as a condition, he is to ground his hope of appearing in the presence of his God? and if so, how much of this good quality is necessary to qualify a man for the privilege contemplated? It is not said, however, 'Without some degree of holiness, no man can see the Lord,' nor is there any idea of a partial good quality, or of a sanctification in part at all implied. Whatever this holiness is, it must be something whole and entire.

We take the term holiness or sanctification here as we have taken it elsewhere, to be a term of position; the result or effect of a setting apart of the person or thing said to be sanctified; this setting apart, if effected at all, being something entire and complete. The gold of the temple was not sanctified in part, neither was it changed in its quality, by being attached to the sacred edifice. The offering upon the altar was not sanctified in part, nor was it changed in essence by being placed upon the sacred pile, but it was sanctified by its position. So the holiness or sanctification of the disciple is not an intrinsic change of quality in him, but it is a change of his position; he is sanctified, or set apart, or made holy in Christ: and this not partially, but altogether. In Christ he is regarded, in divine estimation, as being taken out of his position by nature and placed in a position of grace. In Christ, and in him, (as by adoption,) he is in that position which will qualify him for seeing God; as, in Christ, under the figure of being born again, he is in the same divine estimation a new creature. Moses was enabled to see God, not by a change wrought in himself, but by being placed in a cleft of the rock. So, likewise, the Corinthians were sanctified or made holy in Christ, and called (termed) holy, or saints, I Cor. 1, 2 ;* no doubt, because they were so sanctified, (paoμérois Ev Xqua

So

* The words to be in this verse have been, as we conceive, unnecessarily and gratuitously supplied by our translators.

rợ Iŋvov, xhyroïs ápíors.) As it is also said of them, (1 Cor. vi. 11,) “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God;" the spirit, as we apprehend, of adoption. They are sanctified in the same way that they are washed and justified; that is, by the word or purpose of God, and they are no more said to be sanctified in part than they are said to be washed or justified in part. So it is elsewhere said in respect to them, (1 Cor. i. 30, 31,) "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us [by imputation] wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification [or holiness], and redemption ;" that is, the means of redemption. Not wisdom in part, nor righteousness in part, nor holiness in part, or redemption in part, but wholly and entirely; and this, for the reason given, that he that glorieth should glory, not in himself, but in the Lord. This apparently could not be the case if the disciple's salvation were due partly to the work of Christ wrought out for him, and partly to a work wrought in him; in which he might appear to be a co-operator with his divine Master.

The word of Christ was sufficient to heal the centurion's servant, and the same divine word or purpose which said, "Let there be light, and there was light," says of the disciple, Let him be in Christ, and he is in Christ; and in Christ he is a new creature. This Divine WORD, or purpose, (2óros,) the Spirit or power of God, we apprehend to be variously spoken of as the spirit of adoption, of sanctification, of regeneration, &c.; the figures differing, but the process in every respect being none other than the act of sovereign grace, justifying the disciple through the imputed righteousness of Christ, and cleansing the sinner through the imputed merit of his Redeemer's atoning sacrifice.

Here these two horns of the real Lamb represent (as may be said also of all of its seven horns) powers of salvation perfectly consistent with the work itself, as of grace, leaving not the shadow of a pretence for the grounding of any portion of the disciple's hopes or claims of, or for, eternal life upon any degree whatever of merit, or righteousness, or holiness of his own.

$322. We will now suppose these processes of regeneration and sanctification, by a misinterpretation of Scripture to be represented as consisting in some intrinsic change in the disciple's own character-his own improvement in goodness and virtue-a certain moral perfection and goodness wrought in him; admitted indeed to be so by divine operation, as he is also admitted to have been created by divine power, but still a change in him, and not in his position; an operation in which he himself is supposed perhaps to perform a principal part. As if it were said, Except you possess a certain degree of moral goodness of your own, you cannot see the kingdom of God; or, without a certain good quality in yourself, termed holiness, you cannot see God. You are to trust not to what has been