ambitious schemes and enterprises; and the Lord is sealing his people, pouring out his Spirit, and gathering in his elect. Verily we must be blind indeed, if we cannot discern the signs of the times.

The judgment of the Ancient of Days, for aught we can tell, may have already begun to sit in Heaven, and the signs in the sun, moon and stars, distress of nations, &c., may soon be transferred to earth. Already we hear the roaring of the sea and waves; the breaking forth of popular commotions; men's hearts begin to fail them through fear, in looking after those things to come upon the earth; and the powers of the political heavens, or constitutions of governments, begin to shake. All these things have been transpiring, in greater or less activity, ever since A. D. 1792, when, very probably, the twelve hundred and sixty years ended, and the seventy-five years, for the time of the end, commenced; and if so, then lift up your heads, ye saints, for your redemption draweth nigh. The Lord's coming in the clouds of heaven is fore-signified by all these things, and is even at the doors.

Fellow Christian! it is your privilege to rejoice. You shall enter into the joy of your Lord. But, impenitent reader, the report of the coming of the Lord should strike you with terror. Prepare to meet your God! "Be wise now, therefore, oh ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”*

* Ps. 10-12.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE SKEPTIC'S OBJECTION.

"THERE shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."* The phrase, "last days," is used in the Sacred Scriptures; sometimes, indefinitely, to denote futurity; sometimes the general period of the dispensation that should succeed the Mosaic-the gospel days, as we say; and sometimes the period of that dispensation when it is drawing to a close. In whatever sense we understand it here, it is a prediction, that the idea of the second visible and glorious coming of Jesus Christ would be rejected with ridicule and contempt, and that men would justify their infidelity on this subject, by their appeals to an alleged uniformity and perpetuity in the laws of

nature.

The prediction receives, at this day, a remarkable accomplishment. During the entire period of the present dispensation, there has been more of incredulity in the world, and of a disposition to scoff at the idea of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God, than there was before its introduction. Previous to his first coming, not only were the Jews, but

* 2 Peter, 3. 3.

the whole world, in expectation of the appearance of some great and illustrious personage, who should impart knowledge and diffuse happiness among men. Whatever men thought of their several systems of religion, and however multiform was their idolatry, this was a favorite idea, entertained and inculcated alike by poets and philosophers, priests and people. Since that day, the spirit of scoffing infidelity has presumed much on the ground of the Saviour's outward carriage, and humble spirit, and ignominious death. Perhaps at no period has there been more indifference and practical infidelity on the subject of the second coming of Christ than of late years. The spirit of infidelity has fortified itself by means both of mental and physical science. The event, with its immediate and necessary attendants, as set forth in the Sacred Scriptures, seems to be so entirely miraculous, so contrary to all the known and established laws of nature, so unlike anything that has ever occurred within the experience of any now alive on the earth, or who have lived for centuries, that they cannot believe it ever will be.

We will not say, that infidelity on this subject exists precisely in this form in the church; but, it most unquestionably has exerted its influence on the explanations of the Bible, adopted by many learned theologians, taught in the schools, and preached in the pulpits at the present day. The neological writers in Germany, and those in this country, and others who adopt their psychological principles, find it by no means difficult to explain away everything like miracles recorded in the Bible, believing that in so doing they commend it to rational minds; and prophecy itself, after it has been sufficiently generalized, and rendered perfectly vague by the application of false

principles of biblical exegesis, by the misapplication of the true, has been resolved into the sagacious prescience and remarks of wise men;-or rendered so utterly unlike the fulfilment, as to make it difficult to say, whether it is not even more ridiculous than it is vague and fanciful.* Even where neological principles are condemned, and miracles admitted and taught, still a style of exegesis extensively obtains, which throws this grand and prominent event of prophecy in the shade, which destroys the harmony of predictions, which refers the promise of his coming to mere providential movements, secured by the regular action of existing moral, political, and physical causes, and which gives undue prominence and importance to the efforts of man for the conversion of the world, and makes this event, and not the coming of Christ, the grand object of expectation.

Our design in this chapter is, to give due consideration to the objection, against the second personal coming of Jesus Christ, which is founded on the uniform and established action of secondary causes, and its utter inconsistency with the laws of nature, and the experience of the world.

There is a class of objections, commonly urged on this subject, which deserve no answer-such as the following:-This and the other man of learning and piety think differently ;—the weight of public opinion

* We regret to say, that Professor Stuart's "Hints on the Interpretation of the Prophecies,"—especially his remarks about the two witnesses, their death and resurrection, and about the septimo-octavo head of the beast having found its antitype in Nero, and the superstitious fears and belief of many that he had not died, but would re-appear upon the throne,—afford a striking specimen of this latter description of exegesis. The literal system of interpretation, looks for precision, as well as the literality of events, in the fulfilment of prophecy.

is against the doctrine, and has been for centuries ;the great mass of commentators for more than a thousand years have explained the Bible declarations on the subject in another way;-hundreds of fanatics have been made, and led away with the wildest extravagances, by such a belief;-it is a doctrine that strikes at the very root of all industrial occupations, and dispirits from the enterprise essential to great and permanent improvements;-it is inconsistent with the commonly received notions of the day of judgment, a general conflagration, and the dissolution of the globe;-it is altogether ridiculous and absurd ;-it will create excitement and trouble in the church;-it will destroy the spirituality of its advocates ;-it sanctions the old judaizing spirit ;-it will interfere with our benevolent machinery for the conversion of the world; it will destroy the spirit of Missions; it will paralyze Christian effort for the conversion of the world; it will deprive us of the most powerful and efficacious motives, drawn from the prospect of the speedy and universal conversion of the world, by which to induce and stimulate the Christian community to liberal contributions and to active, prayerful effort;-it will derange all our fondly cherished notions, hopes, and expectations about the march of improvement, the progress of civilisation, and the melioration of the world;-it will subject us to the necessity of severer study and closer investigations of the word of God, and to the renunciation of favorite dogmas or positions, which we have assumed and taught, and never for a moment allowed ourselves to doubt ;it will place the Christian church in a very different attitude and relation towards the world, shut us out from active participation in the political contests of human governments, and irritate the wicked;-it will