same chapter, there is further mention of a faction who will make war with the Lamb; and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

And what two descriptions of people so likely to be pourtrayed by the above verses, as the children of Satan's kingdom, opposed in enmity to the servants of God; or, as will be shown, the children of God's kingdom, descending from Adam and Eve.

The passages from the New Testament may seem premature in this early stage of the inquiry. But it may be useful to produce from some of the prophecies, which relate to the last periods of the world, proofs that they notice a race of men distinct from the servants of God; for although the passages adduced in this preliminary part of our inquiry, may not afford such strong evidence as those occurring in the gradual development will, they, nevertheless, may enable the hesitating reader to perceive, that we are not setting out in this exploring expedition without a prospect in view. That we may reach it, step by step, it will be necessary to return to the first

chapter of Genesis, where we find, at the 27th and 28th verses, that Adam and Eve were, upon their creation, blessed, and ordained to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. Eve, therefore, was subject to child-birth before the curse of the earth; but she did not conceive till after it. Observe, now, the words of the sentence passed upon her, which it would seem must have imposed some alteration in her state, or there would be no penalty inflicted by it. Now her sorrow proves that the sentence did contain an infliction. The first words of it are, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow." Unto the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception: in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children: and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

Eve was the first transgressor; and it was to be expected that her sentence would be severe, and pregnant with alteration and future woe, according to the curse of the earth, whose altered state was now to bring forth thorns and thistles; and, consonant to this, Eve was doomed to great sorrow, and a multiplied conception, while her attachment was

to be to her husband, who would rule over her. But wherefore her great sorrow, and wherein lies her punishment, if we are to make no further interpretation from the denunciation so solemnly passed upon her? To child-birth she was subject at her creation; nor can we suppose that the multiplied conception related to an increase of numbers, because the replenishment of the earth had been also previously ordained. But have we not here intimations of what mingled subjects can be produced, by the multiplied conception, in the master's field? for these cannot be vague words in the mouth of the Deity while passing sentence. Nevertheless, we have hitherto considered the whole of Eve's doom, and sorrow, to have been fulfilled by the pains of child-birth. But the New Testament elaborately shows a much greater cause for sorrow, in the event of bringing forth bad seed, or children of the flesh, as well as children of the spirit, and by the same husband.

Romans, chap. ix. verse 6. "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel:

7.“ Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

8. "That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the ehildren of the promise are counted for the seed.

9. "For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

10. "And not only this: but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac ;

11. (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth ;)

12. "It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger:

13. "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14. "What shall we say then?

righteousness with God? God forbid.

Is there un

15. "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have com

passion on whom I will have compassion.

16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

17. "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout the earth.

18. "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19. "Thou wilt say unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will?

20. "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?

21. "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22. "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to de

struction.

23. “And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,