Thirteenth. "And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey; and he cried, and said, yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Jonah iii.

Fourteenth. The destruction of Jerusalem was foretold, in Matt, xxiii. and in Luke xxi.; and it was added, "Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation." Our opponents are very fond of referring to the destruction of Jerusalem, and descanting upon the flight of the Christians as soon as they saw certain signs foretold by Christ. Perhaps their fondness for this subject will be somewhat diminished, when they see what its analogy leads us to expect before the final destruction, not of Jerusalem merely, but of the world.

Fifteenth. Another analogy is to be found in Matt. xxiv. 15, 16, &c. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth let him understand;) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountain," &c. If the event referred to here, is the same as the preceding, viz., the destruction of Jerusalem, the argument from analogy remains the same. If, however, as some think, Papacy is referred to, then we have an additional argument.

Sixteenth. The woman was to be fed in the wilderness twelve hundred and sixty years. Rev. xii. 6, 14. Seventeenth. Power was given unto the Beast to continue forty and two months. Rev. xiii. 5.

Eighteenth. The holy city was to be trodden under foot forty and two months. Rev. xi. 2.

Nineteenth. The two witnesses were to prophesy in sackcloth twelve hundred and sixty days. Rev. xi. 3. Twentieth. The saints were to be given into the hand of the power designated by the "little horn," for twelve hundred and sixty years. Dan. vii. 25, and xii. 7. I do not say that these are all different periods. They may be the same period, described in different ways. If so, we have but one argument. If they are different periods, we have so many different arguments. Twenty-first. The symbolical locusts, which came

upon the earth at the sounding of the fifth trumpet, were to have power to hurt men five months. Rev. ix. 10.

Twenty-second. The four angels in the river Euphrates were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year. Rev. ix. 15.

Twenty-third. At the end of twenty-three hundred days the sanctuary was to be cleansed. Dan. viii. 14. If, as many suppose, the sanctuary here means the earth, and its cleansing means its purification by fire at the last day, this text affords more than an argument from analogy; it is direct proof. Any other interpretation will give an argument from analogy.

Twenty-fourth.

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From the time that the daily shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days." Dan. xii. 11.

Twenty-fifth.

"Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." Dan. xii. 12. If this does not refer to the restitution of all things, it at least strengthens the argument from analogy.

Twenty-sixth. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Joel ii. 1.

Twenty-seventh. Satan is to be bound a thousand years. Rev. xx. 2.

Twenty-eighth. The event of death. Perhaps Death sometimes overtakes his victims without warning;*

*No one can prove that this is ever the case. When a person dies in apparent health, or is killed by accident, we often hear the friends and relatives tell of an impression the deceased had that death was near. I am not sure that some direct or indirect warning is not always given, except where the person unwarrantably exposes his life, as in a battle, or the like. If the deceased had been a true Christian, I believe it will be found that for some time before death, he or she had been growing brighter in faith and more meet for glory. Be this, however, as it may, all admit that death usually admonishes of his approach; and that makes the analogy in our favor.

but all must admit that he USUALLY admonishes of his approach.

"During our whole existence, unless we are of those who will be changed at Christ's coming, death stands before us as a certain event, while we know not how far it may be from us. As we approach the verge of life, pains and disease admonish us that probably death is very near. As our disease gains the mastery, we know that the time has come when we must shortly die, and soon we are informed that we have not a day or hour to live, and then we close our eyes, and all earthly scenes fade forever from our mortal sight." "The analogy' therefore to be found in the event of death would teach us, that while the end of time is far in the future, we should only be enabled to know that it is a certain event which will one day, we know not how soon, overtake the world; but, as the event draws nigh, evidence would be exhibited which would convince us of the probability of its being near; then would be seen the signs by which we might know that it was nigh even at the doors; and then we might realize that time had nearly reached its farthest limit.'

"Thus from the analogy to be found in other great events under the government of God, and especially the event of death,' we argue that the righteous will not be in darkness that that day should overtake them as a thief.' We also argue, that all who are thus overtaken, will be like those who would not heed the warning of Noah and Lot--who despised, and wondered, and perished."

CONSIDERATION IV. Not only does the mere fact that the time for other events was known beforehand, furnish an argument from analogy; but there is also a declared analogy in the events of the flood, and the destruction of Sodom. Matt. xxiv. 37—39; Luke xvii. 20—30. If analogous in surprising the wicked,

At the end of the world, not a few, but a vast number, will die; and it is probable that, before their death, they will be warned, as the vast majority have been up to that time.

and nothing is said about the righteous, we may certainly infer that the analogy holds good in respect to them. Moreover, although the wicked "knew not until the flood came and took them away," they might have known; for Noah had for a long time been preaching the event, but they would not believe. Our Saviour's words, therefore, lead us to infer that, before he comes, the doctrine will be preached, but it will not be believed. The wicked will not know, for the same reason that they did not in the days of the flood. But if the doctrine is preached, those who preach must have some way of knowing it to be true.

CONSIDERATION V. That the church in the last day can know about the time for the end, seems probable also because it appears desirable. I do not say it would be desirable for those to know it who shall stubbornly continue in sin, and at last perish. But, let the revelation be ever so clear, such persons will not believe it, and so any objection growing out of a consideration of their case fails. Moreover it would be an equal objection against preaching to them the terrors of the Lord at any other time.

Let it be recollected that the time is appointed, and our wishes cannot delay or hasten it. We are not arguing whether it is more desirable that the end should come at one time than at another; only that it is desirable that Christians should have an intimation of it before it comes, both on their own account and on account of sinners.

I. On their own Account. Ps. xxxiv. 10; lxxxiv. 11; Luke xxi. 28.

The happiness of such as are ready will be greatly increased. For, from the time they ascertain that the end is near, they will "lift up their heads and rejoice, because their redemption draweth nigh." It affords them pleasure, also, to think that probably they shall not die, but be changed; knowing that, even should there be violence in that change, it is to take place in a moment—in the twinkling of an eye,—and, as soon

as they are aware of any, their sufferings will be forever past. Again, as they love Christ, it must give them peculiar pleasure to think, not only that they are soon to see and be with him; but that he who became poor for our sakes is soon to "see of the travail of his soul," and have "the joy that was set before him :" that the Bridegroom is soon to receive his bride; and the kingdom to be given to him whose right it is; that he is "to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe." And, perchance, they have friends sleeping in Jesus, whose dust shall be collected, and vivified, and clothed upon with immortal glory at the sounding of the mighty trump. Is not this a thought that must fill them with pleasure?

But many Christians are unprepared—having "left their first love." It does such good to know the Bridegroom is coming, before the command comes to go forth and meet him. They become "watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die." David prayed, "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am." Ps. xxxix. 4. And again, in Ps. xc., "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." It was also profitable to Hezekiah to be told that he should die. Is. xxxviii. Indeed, how few Christians are really ready, when their last sickness overtakes them! And have we any more reason to believe that they will be better prepared at the end of the world without a warning?

Objection.—But it is asked, "if, so far as Christians are concerned, the prospect were all pleasure, would it overcome all their regard for others, whom it threatens with imminent destruction?"

I answer, First. "They ought to regard the glory of Christ as of more consequence than the happiness of the entire human race, who can be miserable only because they refuse the offers of mercy of this same Saviour." Otherwise they could not " haste unto the day of the Lord," and pray, "thy kingdom come;"