Page images
PDF
EPUB

ruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." Verses 51 – 53.

When the dead are thus raised, and the living thus changed, the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory," will be fulfilled. Where is this saying written? Turn to Isaiah Xxxv. 6, 7, 8, and you have the answer. "And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it."

[ocr errors]

In these words, the prophet first speaks of the provisions of grace, and declares, that they are made for all people, by which Christians now almost universally understand the whole human family. Calvinism is too cruel and partial for this benevolent age. In the next place, the prophet shows who will partake of the provision; and, in doing this, he, uses the same broad terms that he employs in teaching the number for whom the provision was made. His language is, "He will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations; and wipe tears from all faces." Thus all will partake of the feast. And when this is done, death will be swallowed up in victory; the redemption of the world will be accomplished. Now we know we are right here; for Paul has applied this language

to the resurrection, and shown its fulfilment then. He says, when the dead shall be raised, "then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

This agrees with what is said respecting the reign of Christ: "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." 1 Cor. xv. 24 - 28. Christ's warfare is against sin; and he only gains the victory, when the sinner becomes his friend. Hence, to make his enemies his footstool, or put them under his feet, is the same as to reconcile, subdue, or subject them. Therefore, when all are subdued, God will be all in all. But he cannot be all in the rebellious; and, therefore, all will be in willing subjection.

Let not the objector cavil at the expression, "every man in his own order"; for it is immaterial about the order. If all are made alive; if all are subjected; if all are incorruptible and immortal; if all are in the kingdom of God; if God is all in all; and if death is swallowed up in victory; it is enough!

Such, hearer, will be the condition of man at the final coming of Christ. Where now is our

author's theory? Where are his wild speculations? and where his contradictory calculations? Shall we place his visionary scheme, established upon assumed dates, against the positive and unconditional declarations of God?

LECTURE III.

MR. MILLER'S CALCULATIONS EXAMINED AND REFUTED.

"Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. viii. 13, 14.

IN this Lecture I am to consider the calculations made from the prophecy of Daniel, by which we have been told that the world shall be destroyed, A. D. 1843. As our author has several Lectures on this subject, and as he has very extensive references to the histories of individuals and nations, it will not be expected that I shall follow him through all he has said, and attempt to refute all his statements; it will be sufficient if I show him wrong in his principal calculations, and also wrong in his applications of the predictions. Though so large a portion of his Lectures is devoted to the prophecy of Daniel, I doubt whether one in twenty who heard them delivered can give any distinct idea respecting his calculations. They know that as he has summed up his reckonings, the world will end in three years from this; but that is about all.

The arrangement is exceedingly bad; or rather, I should say, there is no arrangement. He has the same calculations over again and again; and

they are so blended together, that it is difficult always to get at his meaning. Indeed, you almost need some one specially illuminated, as Daniel did, to explain the vision, even when you have the book before you. I have been obliged to read it over several times to get all of his calculations, and classify them, so that I could place them in order before you.

I make these statements about the want of order and arrangement, not for the purpose of finding fault, but because I cannot take up the Lectures in the order they come; since matters that are not discussed in order, cannot be referred to in order.

The 2300 days

His theory is as follows. mentioned in our text, are so many years, and comprise the whole period of time embraced in Daniel's vision. These 2300 years commenced when Artaxerxes gave a decree to Ezra to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem; which decree was given 490 years before the death of Christ. These 490 years were predicted in the vision of the 70 weeks, at the end of which the Messiah should be cut off. His next calculation is from the crucifixion of Christ to the time of taking away the Pagan abomination, which he makes 475 years. After the overthrow of this, the Papal abomination is set up, which lasts 1260 years, or till the year of our Lord 1798. According to this, the Papal abomination was overthrown just 42 years ago, or 45 years before the end of the world.

Here then we have, first, the calculation of 2300 years to be considered; and, second, the various calculations in regard to the different periods

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »