knowing, as they do, that at its coming all Christ's enemies will be destroyed. If it is the prayer, which means desire, of their hearts that his kingdom may come, then it will give them joy to know that their desire is soon to be answered. 2 Pet. iii. 12.

Secondly. If it is unpleasant to think the generation of evil-doers then living are to be destroyed, it is correspondingly pleasant to think there will be no future generations, to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath. Could the friends of temperance be assured that all who do not reform this year should die at its close, but there should never be another drunkard world without end, would not the contemplation of the second promise balance, ay, more than balance, the horror of the first? One thought more. Nearly all the impenitent in this generation will die in sin; and, as regards their future destiny, it will be no worse should they be all cut off to-morrow; on the contrary, they would have fewer sins to answer for. There is, therefore, no reason for wishing the world to stand one moment after the subjects of the kingdom have all been sealed. If we knew it would end to-morrow, the thought on the whole, should be rather pleasing, even as it respects the impenitent. Those now living would be beaten with no more stripes than they will be if the world stands, perhaps a less number; and THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY OTHERS seduced into a similar rebellion, and destroyed by the great adversary.

Thirdly. "Our knowledge or ignorance of the event cannot hasten or delay it, and, therefore, such knowledge cannot add to the misery of those to be destroyed." Neither can our ignorance of their danger make that danger any the less; on the contrary, it makes it much greater. This brings me to a consideration of my second main position, that an intimation to Christians, when the end draws near, is desirable, II. On Account of Sinners. James v. 20; Ps. l. 13; Matt. v. 13—16.

If we knew nothing of their danger we should not

make such efforts to rescue them as we should if we saw their true condition;—and their salvation depends mainly on the efforts of Christians to save them. But if" we knew that probation would end in one year, many would go from house to house, and from street to street, to pull sinners out of the fire, who now supinely fold their arms, because they know not that the time is so short. Were a relative or friend condemned to be executed, or had he a threatening disease, should we not make greater exertions for his salvation, than if there was the usual chance of his living out the life of a man? We certainly should-this is human nature. A knowledge of the event then seems to be desirable for their sakes. It is moreover desirable on the Christian's account, for this additional reason, that in consequence of the peculiar exertions he will make to save souls, he will probably be the means of more conversions, and thus have more souls as crowns of his rejoicing in the great day of the Lord."

Objection. It is objected that little reliance is to be placed in conversions which take place in the prospect of impending death, and that such prospect unfits men for making the necessary preparation. If, however, this objection is valid, "the Ninevites would never have repented at the preaching of Jonah, the thief would not have repented on the cross, nor would the judgments of God be so prominently presented in his word as an inducement to repentance. But would men be any more likely to repent and prepare for an impending event, if it is taken for granted that such event is at a distance? Or would such woes be pronounced upon watchmen who neglect to give warning when they see the sword coming, if such warning would unfit men for such preparation? With such views, Noah would not have warned the inhabitants of the old world, nor would Lot those of the cities of the plain, nor Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar. We are commanded to repent lest we 'likewise perish.'" in Joel ii. 1, we read, "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the

Also,

inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Ezek. xxxiii. ; Dan. iv. 27; Luke xiii. 3.

CONSIDERATION VI. We also infer it from such texts as the following: "The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will be teach his way. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and his covenant to make them know it." Ps. xxv. 9, 14, margin. "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [who had the same Bible] it is not given," [because they did not apply to the right source for wisdom to understand it.] Matt. xiii. 10 to 12, 34, 35. If they have not a teachable spirit, their very light becomes darkness. What they seem to have of revelation is taken away—is sealed. See also Mark iv. 11, 13. They "know all parables" by having "Christ made unto them wisdom," as he was on this occasion.⁕

"That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge.—Who of God is made unto us wisdom," &c. 1 Cor. i. 5, 30. Wisdom in what respect? Why, in every respect in which we need wisdom—in understanding the Providence of God, as well as his Word—in discerning the signs of the times, as well as the plan of redemption.

"And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" Gen. xviii. 17. Abraham was not in Sodom; neither had he time to send to Lot. The reasons why this thing was not hidden from him are given, to wit: his integrity, and his being the father of a mighty nation—of believers. All his true children are thus given to expect that God will not hide from them judgments that are to come upon the earth. "His secret is with the righteous." See also Rom. xiii. 11-14; from which we learn that Paul knew in

* See also Ps. lxxviii. 2 to 8; cvii. 40, 43; Prov. i. 5; ii. 1 to 9; ill. 32; xxviii. 5; Hos. ix. 7, 8; Matt. xi. 25; Luke viii. 10, 18; x. 21; John vii. 17; XV. 15; 1 Cor. ii. 9 to 16; 2 Pet. iii. 17; Rom. xi. 7.

what period of the world he was living, and why should not other Christians?

CONSIDERATION VII. We also infer it from the fact that ignorance of former "times of visitation" is spoken of as sin; and this "is recorded for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world have come."

God has designedly spoken of "the times of visitation" in parables, or "dark sayings;" so that those only who have an humble and teachable spirit—a spirit that leads them to him, saying, Lord, explain to us this parable—may understand them.⁕ They must have this spirit, or the knowledge would do them no good. Now read such texts as the following: Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord." Jer. viii. 7. If there is any force in this rebuke, it is by implication that the time appointed for judgment may be known, if we are only as attentive to the signs of the stork, the crane, the swallow, and the turtle. We may certainly suppose then that this will be true when the greatest of all judgments is about to come.

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"O, ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matt. xvi. 3. This is equally applicable to all periods of time that are indicated by signs. And no one will deny that Christ has given us signs to precede his second coming.

Read also Matt. xiii. 10 to 15; Luke xix. 44; Is. xxix. 10 to 14; Rom. xi. 7 to 20; Prov. xxviii. 5.

That these things were recorded for our admonition, is evident from the fact of their having been preserved in the Bible; as also from the tenor of the arguments used, and from Rom. xv. 4; 1 Cor. x. 11; Ps. lxviii. 2 to 8.

*Matt. xi. 25; Luke viii. 10, 18; x. 21; John xiv. 17; Cor. ii. 14.

CONSIDERATION VIII. We infer that the time may be known from the careful record of chronology found in the fifth chapter of Genesis.

Dr. Weeks says we have no means of getting a true chronology that Providence has wisely hidden it from us. But does Gen. v. favor such an idea? Now, I ask, why has this record, so carefully exact, of a period anterior to any of the prophetic periods, been given? Not merely to satisfy vain curiosity; for that is not the object of the Bible. Of what use, then, can it be to mankind, to know just how long it was from the creation of man to the flood,—a use so great as to lead God to make a special revelation of the matter? Let our opponents answer. For my own part, I can see no use whatever, except the single important use of assisting the humble believer in determining about when the end shall come by knowing the age of the world. Herein we see it can be of great use; and if we cannot discover that it answers any other end, we conclude that it was intended for this.

In connexion with this, let us consider the fact, that the belief of the churches founded by the apostles, and of the church generally to the present time, has been that the present order of things will be changed at the end of six thousand years. This Mr. Dowling admits. In addition to his testimony we give the following:

"Thomas Burnet, in his 'theory of the earth.' printed in London, A. D. 1697, states that it was the received opinion of the primitive church, from the days of the apostles to the Council of Nice, that this earth would continue six thousand years from creation, when the resurrection of the just and conflagration of the earth would usher in the millennium and reign of Christ on earth. He also states that many of the Fathers believed that the world was then near its end: but that such belief was founded upon the chronology of the Septuagint, according to which the world was then near the end of the six thousand years. See book 3, page 24."—S. Bliss.

Barnabas, supposed by some to be the companion of Paul, though by others to be another individual of the same name in the primitive church, writes thus: