thine elect be gathered, their bodies raised, thyself admired in thy saints, and the transient glimmerings of this distant glory issue on seeing thee as thou art, and being ever with thee, O Lord. O Jesus, thou King and Saviour of thy Church, accomplish the number of thine elect; finish the days of conflict; destroy the works of Satan; swallow up death in victory; manifest thine own glory, and may we soon be with thee in that glory for ever and ever,'

Such is the second advent of Christ, which is before his Church. It is full of terror to all his enemies, for he shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. O reader! be not, for all that this world can give, among those enemies. It is full of consolation to his people, for he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe. reader! may you and I be numbered among his believing saints.

CHAPTER X.

ON JUDGMENTS

CONNECTED WITH THE COMING OF CHRIST, AND THE STATE OF MIND IN WHICH THIS SHOULD BE VIEWED.

IT is the general opinion of those who have most diligently studied the word of prophecy, founded on such passages as Daniel ii. 35, and the general burden of prophecy, that those judgments which have, for the last forty years, more or less, been pouring out upon the seats of the four universal Empires, will be continued and increased, till the utter destruction of all Antichristian powers, and the full and final establishment of the Redeemer's Kingdom at his coming. Respecting the nature and extent of these judgments, and whether their full issue as it respects the seats of the Universal Empires, be not an overwhelming destruction like that of the deluge, only by fire, as well as respecting the nature of the coming and Kingdom of Christ, and whether that coming be personal and visible, or merely the infliction of these judgments, and the establishment of his kingdom; there are greater

dfferences of opinion; but assuredly there is enough of clear prediction to awaken the most careless mind, that does indeed believe the Bible to be the word of the living God, and enough of danger and excitement in the actual state of the nations, to give the Christian remarkable signs of the times, and a watchful and prayerful spirit.'

1 It is striking to observe the manifestation which the public press of our country, without any idea of illustrating prophetical views, is giving of those characters of the age which are delineated in the word of God. We have continually brought before us specimens of judgments on the countries, workings of infidelity, and the decay of Mahomedanism in these last days.

It is fully admitted, that there is a considerable danger of overestimating passing transactions; but there is also a parallel danger of disregarding the signs of the times.

Two descriptions, one characteristic of the state of a leading Papal country, and the other of the Mahomedan states are subjoined, from leading periodicals.

In the account given in the Quarterly Review for November, 1834, of "Paroles du Croyant," a French work, recently published, we have the following description of it :

"An attempt to amalgamate Revolution with Religion, and to preach rebellion and regicide in scriptural phraseology-has created a sensation on the continent which appears one of the signs of the times." It is said that it has run through 15 Editions, been translated by the zeal of the Radical Propagandists, into almost all the European languages, has been answered by at least a dozen pens,-denounced in Episcopal charges, and interdicted by the Pope. It affects in its form and phrase to be a kind of serious parody of the prophetic Scriptures and more particularly the Apocalypse. It opens with a transcript of some passages of Holy Writ,- "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen."-"He who has ears," &c.-" He who has eyes let him see, for the time cometh." In one part it brings in the seven men crowned, drinking foaming blood out of a skull, and saying, "Maudit soit le Christ, qui a ramené sur la terre la liberté." It is, in short, described as containing 40 chapters of impiety, sedition, jacobinism, and incomprehensible absurdity, com. bined with religious expressions from the Scriptures. What a com mentary on 2 Timothy iii. 1—5 !

The drying up of the River Euphrates (Rev. xvi. 12.), is equally illustrated by the following statement from the Edinburgh Review of October, 1834, of Conolly's Journey to North India:

"A curious part of the volume before us is the vivid picture which

The judgments to come upon the earth, concern both the church of God, and the world. As to the CHURCH, they must be viewed, as far as concerns real Christians, as chastisements. (1 Cor. xi. 31, 32.) It appears from various expressions of prophecy, which we may justly suppose to refer to these times, (Dan. xii. 10; Rev. xiv. 12, 13), that times greatly to exercise the patience of God's servants, and of suffering to purify them, are at hand. Our Lord, when announcing his second coming in glory, has again and again said, (Mat. xvi. 25; Mark viii. xxxv.; Luke ix. 24, xvii. 33) Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it ; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it. In the words of the late Mr. Cecil," The church has endured a Pagan and a Papal prosecution; there remains for her an infidel persecution, general, bitter, 'purifying, cementing."

Interpreters have much differed respecting what is meant by the two witnesses, Rev. xi. 3. The most generally believed opinion is, that they are the whole

they casually exhibit of the internal disorganization-the demoralized state and want of social security in every country of Asia in which the Author travelled. All other accounts tend to the same conclusion. It should seem that at this moment the Mahommedan states all over the world are in a worse condition than at any former period; and not only worse, but also more hopeless. They not only have no prospect of any favourable internal change, but have given up all expectation of it. They are suffering a visible and rapid decay. They are ill governed and wretched within, and weak without. The star of the Moslem is visibly on the descent. They are now arrived at a great crisis. Turkey so long the stronghold of the faith and the terror of Europe, exhibits every symptom of imbecility. The states of Barbary, Egypt, Syria, Greece, the country beyond the Danube, and large provinces on the Black Sea, have been virtually or really wrested from her. The other Mahommedan states are in a similar condition. India, another bulwark of the faith, can no longer yield it any support. Persia is a prey to divisions; and if it ever was as weak before, never was placed near so dangerous a foe."

body of faithful Christians, composed of Jews and Gentiles.'

It is yet a serious question whether these two witnesses have been slain, (Rev. xi. 7—16.) Some of the most able of modern commentators, as Cuninghame, Faber, and Frère, think that they have, and that the chronology of parts of their systems require this. But they differ as to the events by which the prediction was accomplished. Many different events have indeed been supposed to realise this prediction, and this necessarily increases the doubt whether it be yet accomplished; so that to others there does not appear to have occurred any event in the history of the church yet, on which the mind can rest with unmingled confidence, as having realised this period; and the author is compelled to lean to this opinion, in which he is strengthened by the general statements of Dr. Cressener in his judgments of God upon the Roman Catholic church, though he applied it to events in his day. Whether it be accomplished or not, let us be prepared for trials; and let us remember that all these uncertainties, in no way interfere with the positive duty of being among the wise virgins, ready for their Lord, whensoever he comes.2

Some refer them to the Albigenses and Waldenses; others to the Old and New Testaments, and others to individuals yet to arise. See the appendix to "Homeo on the Millennium," recently republished.

2 It is singular to observe how some of the most serious trials that have befallen faithful Christians have lasted about three years and a half. Brown in his "Harmony of the Prophecies," notices these thus:

"After the council of Constance had laboured about three years and a half to ruin them, the Bohemians in 1418 took arms in their own defence, and marvellously prevailed. After the Lutherans of Germany had lain about three years and a half in a most ruined condition, Maurice of Saxony, who had chiefly reduced them, took arms in their favour, (1551), and procured them an imperial establishment