obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. 3o

The devil's being cast down, shows that he is constantly. losing in this warfare, because all who believe in the Son of God, and obey the word of God, are delivered from Satan's dominion. They are saved from sin and death, and obtain at last the crown of immortal life.

The time and times and a half a time spoken of in the fourteenth verse, is the same as the time given to the little horn spoken of in Dan. 7: 25. The same period, one thousand and two hundred and threescore days, is spoken of in Rev. 12: 6. It is the 1260 days of papal darkness. The woman, or church of God, fleeing into the wilderness, represents the great distress of the church of God during this time. The Lord nourishes, or sustains, his people through all this tribulation. Although thousands fell under the cruel persecutions, thousands of others stepped forward to fill their ranks. They were willing through sufferings to

win the crown of glory.

At last the persecution became so intense that it appeared as though the people of God would be rooted out entirely. The persecution raged like a mighty inundating flood, which carries away everything, and destroys everything as far as it comes. 33 But the earth helped the woman and swallowed up the flood. Through the Reformation, friends were raised up to the people of God among the mighty princes of earth. They protected them and stopped the stream of persecution in a great measure.

34

The Last War of the Dragon against the Church of God.

"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 35

Here the last great persecution is mentioned.

32

I Peter I: 22.

34 Verse 16.

33 Rev. 12: 15.

35 Rev. 12: 17.

Three great persecuting powers are named: The dragon, the first beast, and the second beast, and three different persecutions are instigated by these powers. The first took place under pagan Rome; the second under the papacy; the third will take place under the two-horned beast. With this closes the sad drama which is performed, if we may be allowed to say so, in three acts. Then Jesus comes to overturn and destroy all earthly kingdoms and powers, and to bring his people eternal redemption.

In the last great war, the dragon is no less enraged than in the previous struggles. Many have left the state churches in order to serve God in harmony with his word. In the United States of America there has never been any state church. The different societies have had equal privileges. Also in other countries dissenters have obtained greater privileges. The world has smiled upon them, and some churches have been greatly honored. This has been more than the churches could bear. In proportion as the world has favored them, they have yielded to the world and have tried to obtain its friendship. Thus it has always been. Satan has destroyed more souls by flattery than by persecution.

Since the churches have endeavored to please the world, more and more unconverted people have joined them, until the great majority in many societies are people who have never been converted to God. This was also the case at Rome in the days of Constantine. The church became catholic, common, or universal. It became the church of the world instead of the church of Christ. The Christian life disappeared; the form only remained; and even this deviated more and more from the original.

The next step taken by these worldly minded churches, is an effort to gain the favor of the government, and to get the laws to favor and confirm their unscriptural doctrines and ceremonies. And in this direction the Protestant Church in the United States has already succeeded won

derfully. Those who choose to keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ in preference to the commandments and testimonies of men, become objects of hatred and persecution. Then the last great war against the church of God will take place. Blessed is he who overcomes. He shall sit with Jesus on his throne.

The Commandments of God.

The woman spoken of in Rev. 12: 17 is the church of God. The remnant of her seed is the remnant of the people of God, those who live in the last generation. It is with those the dragon is wroth and makes war. The main characteristics whereby they are to be known, are that they "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

A brief sum of the commandments of God is found in the ten commandments, because they are in the highest sense the law of the Almighty. They are distinguished from all other laws. The Lord spoke them with his own voice. He wrote them with his own finger on two tables of stone. 38 And he separated them from every other law by depositing them in the ark and placing the ark in the most holy place in the sanctuary. 39

37

Of this law our Saviour says: It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." And the apostle says: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law."" That the apostle speaks of the law of ten commandments, is clearly seen in Rom. 7:7, where he speaks of the law whereby sin was made known to him. "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."