to be true from experience and observation, together with all the rest of the thinking world, more or less; but also, I believe, (which perhaps the rest of the world do not) that the most important of them is, the manifestation of divine truth, the revelation of Jesus Christ to the soul! But how? I reply, by opening figurative passages of Scripture, and symbolical prophecies in particular*.

chap. i.

For instance, St. John says, Revelations, "Behold, He (Christ) cometh with "clouds." The two angels in the first of the Acts, the Prophet Daniel, the Evangelists, and our Lord, say the same. Did the reader never see the sun break forth suddenly through openings of dark clouds, and dazzle the world with unexpected glory? But, these are only natural clouds, they are not the clouds of that heaven, in which " the Son of man" (spiritually) "cometh." Christ is figuratively the sun of our heaven; and our heaven is figuratively the word of God, more especially the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. What then are the clouds

As a ladder which reacheth from earth to heaven. Genesis. And, as a golden reed. See note on the analogies of matrimony, both spiritual and natural. Page 110, and following, of the Narrative. Also, Rev. xxi.

The natural sun, and the natural heavens, are only types of the spiritual anti-types.

of our heaven ? Let "the stewards of the "MYSTERIES of God" answer this question.

David says, Psalm cviii. " Thy truth reacheth "unto THE CLOUDS. But the natural clouds of this earth are a very short range for that truth which pervadeth all the worlds! To compare small things with the greatest, as well might an artillerist tell us that a twenty-four-pounder cannon, loaded with a full charge of powder, will throw its ball six feet! All reflecting men would see the absurdity of such a statement immediately: I therefore venture to say, as a paraphrase, that the truth of the word of God shines gloriously to the eyes of our minds, until it is obscured or lost to our sight, in the " MYS"TERIES of the kingdom of heaven." But our Lord tells us in the thirteenth chapter of St. Matthew, that His parables contain "THE MYS"TERIES of the kingdom of heaven! When these dark sayings, these clouds are opened by analogy, then the sun of righteousness appears in His glory, through the medium of faith-†.

But our Lord says also, in chap. xviii. of St. Luke, "When the Son of man cometh, "shall He find faith on the earth ?"

Fourth of Corinthians.

+ See all the parables of our Lord; and all the Proverbs of Solomon, which are a book of clouds. Also, the Psalms, Also, 2 Peter, ii. and Jude, verse 12.

Every reader must answer this question for himself. Does he think, that if he suddenly beheld the Lord Christ revealed in glory from behind a natural cloud, together with His mighty angels, in flaming fire*, with the sound of the trump of God, that he could possibly disbelieve the evidence of his senses? If he says, no, it is impossible that I could disbelieve that, then he will be constrained by truth to confess, that the clouds of heaven above spoken of, and the coming of the Son of Man in those clouds, must be spiritual, intellectual, and moral; and not visible, literal, and natural; and consequently, that there will be a coming of the Son of Man, when He will only be seen through the medium of faith.

If this be granted, the next thing required, will be to discover some spiritual clouds of the spiritual heaven; more likely to be meant by the inspired writers, than those of its mysteries.

Under this view of the subject, if any reader denies the reality and importance of an universal analogy, he will very probably be the man who will be found to have no faith when the Son of Man cometh: for, He cometh, first, in the plainest parts of the Gospel; and after

* 2 Thessalonians, i. and 1 Corinthians, xv.

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wards in the clouds, of the mysteries*, or parables of the word of God; but when they are truly opened by the analogy of faith, then those who read, or hear, but perceive him not, in spirit, have either not faith, or not sight.

That there will be a literal visible advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, the writer, after mature consideration, does not find it difficult to believe; for perhaps nothing less will convince the world at large, full as it is of learning and philosophy, co-operating with impiety, to compose an intense freezing mixture for the soul; and stirred up by three unclean spirits of devils, viz. superstition, infidelity, and anarchy. But He will then appear to sight I presume, and not only to faith; for faith implies the absence of sight. He will then come to judge, to reward and to punish; but not as an object of faith, I apprehend.

At the same time, the writer does not here

* Doubtless, they are more blessed and acceptable who believe on the simple evidence of the plainest parts of Scripture; yet since it has pleased the abounding grace of God to grant the additional testimony of the knowledge of opened mysteries, which speak the same things as the plain parts by analogy, ought we not to receive them with lively gratitude?

+ I am ready to give up these three evil spirits, if any other three worse can be found; but these seem to be predominant in the world at present, and afford no mean proof that Mr. Faber may be correct in thinking that we are now under the influence of the sixth vial.

mean to allude to the last judgment, but to the asserted supposed coming of the personal Word of God on the white horse, to destroy the beast and the false prophet, and to establish the millennium*.

The controversy which has lately sprung up, between the advocates of a merely spiritual advent and reign upon earth, of Messiah, during one thousand years, and those of a literal and visible advent and reign, has unawares led the writer into these remarks; or at least, into this application of the subject of an universal analogy, which hitherto he has not ventured openly to make, though he has for many years believed it to be a real truth; that is to say, that it opens figurative prophecy, like a master key, "the key of knowledge," and " of David."

He believes, that there will be, in the first place, a merely spiritual advent of the Son of Man, in the spiritual clouds of the spiritual heaven; of which advent, the doctrine of a universal analogy will be the vehicle, at least in part. He believes, that the time of this ad

*Though the writer ventures to think it probable, that this advent may be, in some measure, personal and visible, yet he cannot imagine to himself any cause, that can induce a necessity for a personal, visible, human, reign upon earth, during a thousand years, of our Lord Jesus Christ. And as every such passage is necessarily ambiguous, so he must receive that sense which seems most reasonable to him.