though not perhaps exclusively.

But even if this

were not the case- even supposing they were not so immediately connected as we believe they are the remarks which we are about to make on them would in no way be affected by this circumstance. The two last-quoted passages - viz. Isai. lxiv. 1—4, and Micah i. 3, 4 are undoubtedly connected, that is, they both relate to the same great event1, viz. the descent of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth at His Second Advent. In the former there is a prayer that He would do this; in the latter, a prediction that He will do so.

What, then, let us now ask, will be the effects of His coming upon the localities on which He will descend? His "presence" will be that of Jehovah, seeing that He is "one with the Father” (John x. 30), and in "Him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily." He is "the brightness of the Father's

'Micah i. may have reference to some prior events as well; but that, in its ultimate bearing, it relates to the period of the Second Advent, the identity of the matters predicted in the fourth verse with those described in Isai. lxiv. 1-4, which relates solely to that period, is abundantly sufficient to prove. And this is still further confirmed by Ps. xcvii., which relates to the same time, and in the fifth verse of which we have the same identity of expression and of circumstance as in the other cases, "The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth.”

glory, and the express image of His person," and what holds true of the one may be predicated also of the other. What was true of Jehovah's descent to earth, will be true also of Emmanuel's. What, then, we again ask, will be the effect of His coming, as predicted here and elsewhere?

It will be soon seen that there is a wonderful harmony throughout the whole of the inspired Record on this subject; a subject of the greatest interest as well as sublimity. We speak not now of the Advent generally, nor of the great assemblage of events which will tend to make it so awful and sublime, but only of the physical effects that will be produced upon natural localities by the presence of the Son of God. Let us notice some of the phenomena which will be caused by that presence.

"Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens," is the intensely fervent prayer of the Spirit speaking by the mouth of one prophet-"Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil." (Isai. lxiv. 1, 2.)

"The mountains shall be molten under Him,"

is the prediction of the other prophet,

"And the

valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place." (Micah i. 4.)

From these declarations, therefore, it appears, that when the Divine presence of the Saviour reaches earth, the very rocks will be rent, and the very mountains will be molten under Him. The manner, too, in which the latter circumstance will take place is shown; it is compared to the flowing of "water down a steep place," and to that of "melted wax." Let us see whether we can obtain a fuller insight into this subject, or learn any more with regard to it, by bringing other passages to bear upon it; and also by comparing the predicted phenomena with some which Science has shown us have already taken place.

There are many other passages which speak on this subject, and which serve to throw much light upon it. One, already quoted, viz. the third verse of Isaiah lxiv. is exceedingly important in this respect, for it refers to a similar event in times then past, to that which, in the preceding verses (ver. 1, 2), is foretold as about to take place in times then, and, we believe, still, future, and it thus supplies us with a key to

the future one. Reference, it will be observed, is made to the descent of the Divine presence on SINAI, and to the EFFECTS which were produced on that occasion; and these, it will be further observed, are precisely the same as those which are looked for as about to accompany the future descent of Jehovah to earth. "When Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, Thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at Thy presence."1

So in other

places this is declared to have taken place.

Thus,

"LORD, when Thou wentest out of Seir, when Thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped

1 "When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, Thou camest down," &c. How full of meaning are these words! As if he had said, If Thou didst such things when we had no reason to look for them, seeing that they had not then been promised, how much more wilt Thou do them hereafter, now that they are expressly the subjects of promise." This reasoning must not be overlooked. For, in the first place, it determines the necessity of applying a principle of literal interpretation to the subject; seeing that the things expected in the future are precisely the same as those referred to as having been experienced in the past; and no one doubts whether the latter were literal, literal facts of a physical nature; e. g. the trembling of the earth, the melting of the mountains, accompanied by lightning, and smoke, and flames of fire. (Ex. xix. 16-18.) And, in the next place, this serves to show us how unreasonable and unjustifiable is our incredulity and "slowness to believe" that such "terrible things" as these shall take place hereafter, "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire,' seeing that they are now the subjects of repeated prophecy. If they were done in past times, when "looked not for," not having then been promised, how much more surely will they be done hereafter, now that they are expressly foretold?

water. The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai, from before the LORD God of Israel." (Judg. v. 4, 5.) "His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth." (Ps. xcvii. 4, 5.)1

Let us, then, endeavour to discover, as nearly as we can, what we are to understand by these oft-repeated expressions. They are very remarkable, and the idea they convey is very sublime. Perhaps there is nothing like it throughout the entire Bible. It exceeds every other thought upon the subject. It is doubtless in allusion to it-to the fact, namely, that even the very mountains were melted by His presence that it is declared elsewhere, "Our God is a consuming fire."

How, then, was the fact alluded to accomplished ? Were the entire mountains destroyed? or, was the entire mass of Sinai fused, so that it flowed down like "water," or like melted "wax"? We have certain proof that this was not the case. Sinai still exists,

This Psalm has undoubtedly reference to the future, and to the Second Advent; but it is clear that, in the language here used, the description of the future is founded on the experience of the past, and is alike applicable in both cases.