those points more especially which call upon the servants of the Lord to watch and pray. The GENERAL ORDER of our subjects will be as follows: THE STATE OF THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH WHEN THE COMING OF THE LORD DRAWS NEAR. ISRAEL AND ANTICHRIST. THE ADVENT. THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS. THE REIGN OF PEACE. THE FINAL OUTBREAK OF EVIL. THE GENERAL RESURRECTION OF THE WICKED. Perhaps to some among my Christian brethren such a catalogue of subjects bearing upon the Second Advent of our Saviour may seem strange. They have been used to look for a great Day of Judgment to burst suddenly upon the world, in the brief twelve or four and twenty hours of which, all things which appertain to earth are to be brought quickly to an end: the heavens to pass away; the elements to melt; the earth to be burned up; the dead to be raised; the living to be changed; the whole innumerable multitude to rise from out of the midst of the tremendous wreck of nature, and to stand above, in heights unknown, before the Son of Man, that they may there and then be judged, and that upon each soul a sentence may be passed for weal or woe; which being done, the wicked are to go forth accordingly, to the eternal flames of hell, and the righteous into everlasting happiness. It will be my endeavour to look very carefully into Scripture upon the subjects which will come before us. I will ask my fellow Christians to bear kindly with me if my views do not agree with theirs, and to follow me from passage to passage of the Word of God with patience, while I deal, as briefly as I can, consistently with clearness, upon these most important matters. And now let me entreat those brethren who do look for the appearing of our Lord to pray that He will influence the whole Church by His Holy Spirit's teaching, so that all who believe in His Name may be found in the happy attitude of prepared expectation, ready to uplift as with one voice the words foretold, "Lo! THIS IS OUR GOD; WE HAVE WAITED FOR HIM, AND HE WILL SAVE US: THIS IS THE LORD; WE HAVE WAITED FOR HIM, WE WILL BE GLAD AND REJOICE IN HIS SALVATION." CHAPTER II. The World and the Church. "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." LUKE XXI. 34-36. IN the Introductory Chapter I endeavoured to establish the duty of studying the unfulfilled prophecies, and to set forth the manner in which such study should be carried on. I also laid down the general scheme, upon the details of which I will now enter. THE CONDITION OF THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH AS THE ADVENT OF OUR LORD APPROACHES will first occupy our attention. An idea is abroad in Christian society that through the progress of civilization, and the gradual spread of the Gospel, a Millennium of peace and righteousness will be introduced, and this world will thereby be prepared for the Second Advent of our Lord. This is, without doubt, a grand theory, and one which is sure to obtain favour; but it is FALSE. A brief consideration of our own times will, perhaps, aid us in arriving at the truth concerning this. We live in days when science and civilization have arrived at wondrous heights. Men's talents were never so highly tutored; human skill was never so developed: refinement also has attained to exquisite perfection in almost every grade of life. But what of PEACE? It is needful to speak very cautiously respecting it, and to give all our science a direction which concerns the munitions of war. And what of RIGHTEOUSNESS? In every circle of society (clothed indeed in seemly garment, but all the more iniquitous by consequence) ungodliness abounds: Sin grows in presumption, and comes in with gentleness and plausibility, to take possession and to overthrow. Surely we are not making progress towards this visionary excellence. Nay, but it would seem that we are departing further day by day from what is good and holy. I need not surely stay to offer proofs. The facts are patent to the most casual observers of the times. No one who mingles with society, or reads the daily newspapers, can help lamenting that the case is even thus. Let us look, now, at our Bibles, that we may know assuredly what we must expect as time flies on, and the great day of Christ approaches. In the first place, we find that nothing is laid down in plainer terms than that "iniquity shall abound” in a peculiar and fearful manner as the time draws near. Our SAVIOUR'S words are powerful, which in the twenty-fourth chapter of St. Matthew, and elsewhere, foretel some of the wonders of that "end" for which we look. He cheers us, indeed, by the declaration that "The Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations," and by other gladdening assurances: but then, on the other hand, He forewarns us how that as the end draws near, "iniquity shall abound," and "the love of many shall wax cold." He reminds us of the days of NOAH, when the world was totally regardless of the fear of God, and when "every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually," and tells us, "So shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man." He refers, likewise, to the days of Lor, when men were "sinners before the Lord exceedingly," and declares, "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."4 Elsewhere, too, we find Him asking the conclusive question, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth ? "5 3 Gen. xiii. 13. 1 Gen. vi. 5. 2 Luke xvii. 26. 4 Luke xvii. 30. 5 Luke xviii. 8. |