of the times ;" another indication that we may at least be approaching the time of the end; that the way is preparing for the revelation of that wicked one, that lawless one,* (the term is critically correspondent with the term in the text) which, the Apostle has predicted, "shall be revealed in his time, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness and unrighteousness in them that perish; whom the LORD shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and destroy with the brightness of His coming."

* 2 Thess. ii. 8. ò avoμos.

BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD FOR A WITNESS TO ALL NATIONS; AND THEN SHALL THE END COME.

In these latter times an opinion has extensively prevailed that this Gospel dispensation, under which it is our great blessing to live, is to issue in the conversion of all nations to the Christian faith. Sometimes, indeed, this expectation expands into a more glowing character still. It is supposed that not only will all nations become Christian in the ordinary sense of the word; but that all will be con

verted to a true, hearty, evangelical obedience; that all shall not only profess Christianity, but actually live as Christians ought to live, in love to God and man. It is believed that notwithstanding temporary discouragements and partial failures, the time will come when our efforts to extend the Gospel will be crowned with complete success; "the knowledge of the glory of the LORD shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea ;" and "they shall have no more need to say one to another, Know the LORD; for all shall know Him, from the greatest to the least."

Now it is remarkable that previous to our LORD's first Advent, the Jews had formed a somewhat similar opinion of the success of their dispensation, and of the blessedness of the world in which it was to issue. They thought that when MESSIAH should come, He would "restore all things;" that He would come as the glorious and triumphant King to exalt Israel among the inhabitants of the earth, to establish the mountain of the LORD's house on the top of the mountains, and

that all nations should flow unto it.* They could quote abundantly from Holy Scripture in support of this expectation. For the Scriptures do clearly predict a time when these things shall be, when it shall be said to Israel, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. . . And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." Where then lay the error in this expectation which the Jews indulged?* Chiefly in this, that they overlooked what was to

* Isaiah ii. 1-4.

+ The literal fulfilment of prophecy to the Jewish nation is a subject too wide and too important to be discussed here incidentally. One observation, however, I may make on some arguments of recent writers against the literal application. They show clearly enough that the Christian Church is the true spiritual Israel, according to the express testimony of S. Paul, "If ye be CHRIST's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. iii. 29. Hence they argue that the literal Israel is clean passed by. The prophecies are fulfilled to the spiritual Israel, and therefore they will not be fulfilled to the literal Israel. But is this conclusion at all obvious? may not the prophecies be fulfilled in both applications? and does not S.

intervene before these glorious prophecies were to be accomplished. They were dazzled with the glory, and overlooked the humiliation that was to precede it. They could only see MESSIAH's glory, not His humility,-plainly as that was revealed.

And so, when CHRIST came in another form than that in which they expected Him, they could not receive Him. "They stumbled at that stumbling stone." It was not that their expectations were altogether untrue, but they were misplaced. And so our LORD found them utterly unprepared for Him. They rejected the counsel of God against themselves. They crucified the King of Glory -their own MESSIAH-as if He had been a malefactor.

Now, as I have said, a misapprehension in many points similar to this seems to have seized on the minds of Christians at

Paul's testimony (Rom. xi.) favour that hypothesis? ver. 11, "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? GOD forbid." Ver. 23, "GOD is able to graft them in again." Such seems to have been the view which Bishop Butler took of these prophecies. Vide "Analogy," Part II., ch. vii., ad fin.