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CHAPTER VI.

Approach to the Triumval Arch-The Marble Sculpture on its summitThe Palace-Its wonderful Architecture-Its three vaulted Chambers— Magdalena enters the highest one, sits down, and has a Vision-God's Everlasting Decrees-The Ancient Settlements of Grace-The Unfolding of the New Covenant-The Dawn of the "Day Star" seen through the Glass of" Beggarly Elements"—Glimpses of Redeeming Love.

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By this time Deborah, who had paid great attention to the subject of our conversation, now desired me to look up at the entrance of Robe Town. We passed under a lofty, triumval arch, on the top of which was, in white marble, the likeness of One altogether lovely, the chief among ten thousand, Who having been stung to the heart by Death, rose up by His own power from the grave, and holding the sting between His finger and thumb, in one hand, shewed it to the "King of terrors," (a) who wept for rage that he could not spring at those, whom his former Victim shaded and guarded with the other hand, and exercise all his malice on them. The love and gratitude depicted on the deathstricken countenances of this group of saved men, was finely made to struggle with mortal fears at the sight of the grim tyrant. They knelt; their Deliverer stood;-and the King of terrors was in a bending posture, his head reclining on his bony hands, as if to hide his tears. The inscription under this fine piece of sculpture was, "The Sting of Death is sin. () O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory?"

After remaining a short time to look at this noble subject, we drove up at once to the Palace, which is a wonderful edifice, constructed with "stones of fair colours," of which "the windows were of agates, and the gates of carbuncles, and all the borders of pleasant stones." (c) It was of a prodigious length and height, and consisted of three halls or rooms, the whole extent of the building, one at the top of the other, the ascent to which was by means of a circular white marble staircase, edged with a curious and noble balustrade of bright red coral, the thickness of a man's arm. We first ascended into the highest room of all and

(a) Job xviii. 14.

(b) 1 Cor. xv. 55, 56.

(c) Isaiah liv. 11, 12.

entered it. The utmost stillness and silence prevailed. We took our seats, of which there were many, and most of the party feeling deep sensations of awe, began to shut his eyes and cover up his face with his hands, wrapt up in the visions of his soul. And here let me remark, that what others saw I know not, but that I know what passed within myself, and I desire never to forget the joy which the sight of these mysteries produced, the subjects whereof are a source of comfort to me even unto this day; for, as our LORD said, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries" which are revealed, " of the kingdom of heaven." (a)

And first "a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof, in thoughts from the visions, as a deep sleep falleth on men. Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, Shall mortal man be more just than GOD? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He chargeth with folly: how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth ?" (b) "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God besides me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me. I form the light, and create darkness. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it." (c) "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am GOD, and there is none else." (a) "There is no GOD else beside Me; a just GOD and a SAVIOUR; beside Me." (e)

there is none

"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest? for all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor spirit, and trembleth at My word.”(ƒ)

and of a contrite

(a) Matt. xiii. 11.

(b) Job iv. 12-19.
(e) Isaiah xlv. 21.

(c) Isaiah xlv. 5, &c.
(f) Psalm lxvi. 1, 2.

(d) Isaiah xlv. 22.

Keep silence before Me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak : let us come near together to judgment. Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. But thou, Israel, art My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy GOD: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." (a)

"Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is He which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire He shall destroy them." (b) "For this purpose the Son of GOD was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" () before thy face. "So shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee." (a) "For ye wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (e)

"Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy GOD hath cast them out before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land; understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righte ousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people." () "A good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and

(a) Isaiah xli. 1, &c. (b) Deuter. ix. 3. (c) 1 John iii. 8.
(e) Eph. vi. 12. (f) Deuter. ix. 4, &c.

(d) Deuter. ix.

fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil, olive, and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it." (a) "Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day." ()

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded." (e) "Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (d) "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD, which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." (e)

"GOD hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions."() "He looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek GOD. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."(9) "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help."() "I looked, and there was none to help, I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me.") "I have made a covenant with My chosen. I have laid help upon One that is mighty: I have exalted One chosen out of the people. My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with Him, and in My name shall His horn be exalted. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and My covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. Once have I sworn by My holiness, that I will not lie unto David.”(%) "Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD, behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation." "The LORD hath founded Zion, and "I will open my

the poor of his people shall trust in it."(m)

(a) Deut. viii. 7, 8, 9.
(e) Jer. ix. 23, 24.
(i) Isaiah lxiii. 5.

(b) Deut. x.
(f) Eccl. vii. 29.
(k) Psalm lxxxix.

(e) Rom. iii. 27.

(9) P's. xiv. 2, 3. (1) Isaiah xxviii. 16.

(d) 1 Cor. iv. 7. (h) Hosea xiii. 9. (m) Isaiah xiv. 32.

mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."(a) "I have chosen you out of the world;") "blessing you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in CHRIST JESUS. According as I have chosen you in Him before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame, before Me in love, having predestinated you unto the adoption of children, by JESUS CHRIST, unto Myself, according to the good pleasure of My will, to the praise of the glory of My grace, wherein I have made you accepted in the Beloved. Wherefore the GOD of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Father of Glory, gave unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you might know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,(e) in hope of eternal life, which GOD, that cannot lie, promised before the world began ̧(a) And if ye call on the FATHER, who, without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here with fear, forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish, and without spot who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world; but was manifest in these last times for you."(e) "Elect according to the foreknowledge of GOD the FATHER, through sanctification of the SPIRIT, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of JESUS CHRIST.”(ƒ) “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of CHRIST, who through the Eternal SPIRIT offered himself without spot to GOD, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Gon? And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For, finding fault with them, "Behold, saith the Lord, the days come when

(a) Matt. xiii. 35. (b) John xv. 19. (e) 1 Peter i. 17, &c.

(f) 1 Peter i. 2.

(c) Eph. i. (d) Titus i. 2. (g) Heb. ix. 13, &c.

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