mos 3:7. And he saith, "I have told you before it
come to pass, that when it is come to pass ye might believe," John 14:29.
When the old world was to be destroyed by water, "Noah, being warned of
God of things not seen as yet, prepared an ark to the saving of his
house," Heb. 11:7. And when the Lord had purposed the destruction of
Sodom, he said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" and
angels were sent to Lot, that he might say to his children, "Up get ye out
of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city," Gen. 18:17, and
19:14. So of the times and seasons of the second advent: while "the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night," he has said to his chosen
ones, "Ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you
as a thief," 1 Thess. 5:1-4. He has condescended to give his people "a
more sure word of prophecy: whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as
unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day
star arise in your hearts," 2 Pet. 1:19. Therefore it was said to John, "I
will show thee things which must be hereafter," Rev. 4:1; which things
were shortly to begin to come to pass,--they being a series of successive
events, commencing near the time in which John wrote, and extending to the
end of the world and the establishment of the everlasting kingdom.

These were shown to John by symbolic representations, in a series of
visions, the import of which was signified to him by an angelic
interpreter. Said the Saviour, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify
unto you these things in the churches," 22:16. And _these things_ were not
to be sealed up, like the words of Daniel; for John was commanded to
"_seal not_ the sayings of the prophecy of _this_ book: for the time is at
hand," 22:10. He recorded the words which God thus gave him,--"the
testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." He has given
us, in graphic language, such descriptions of the visions shown, that we
can easily imagine the symbols which he saw; and we have the inspired
explanations of those which were "signified" to him. Therefore we may
read, and receive the blessings promised to those who keep this testimony
of Jesus.

The Benediction.

"Happy is he, who readeth, and those, who hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep the things, written in it: for the season is
near." Rev. 1:3.

Those who teach that the Apocalypse is a "sealed book," most clea