First, that the principal passages of chronological prophecy which speak of the future advent of Messiah, do one and all refer to the period immediately introductory to the Millennium-Secondly, that the three nouns substantive which are used to express the advent in the New Testament, do every one of them negative the idea of a spiritual advent, and do necessarily imply that the advent is real, and personal, and corporeal Thirdly, that two of these words conjoined being used to link the advent to an event which by the unanimous consent of the Church precedes in time the Millennium, we are driven to the conclusion, that the advent, which synchronises with that event is the real and personal coming of the Lord to judge the world-Fourthly, that to maintain a spiritual advent is in direct contradiction to the angelic annunciation which was uttered at the ascension of our Lord-Fifthly, that to maintain a spiritual advent of the Man Christ Jesus, includes in it the virtual denial of his proper and complete humanity-Sixthly, that the return of our Lord to this earth at the period of the restitution of all things, which must be identified with the Millennium, may be inferred from Peter's words in Acts iii. 19-21.

A PROPHETIC INQUIRER.

P. S. It will be observed, that in reasoning from 2 Thess. ii. 8, I have stated my argument in two different ways: 1st. on the supposition that the Man of Sin is the Papal power; 2dly, on the simple principle that he is Antichrist, without determining the signification of that term. The last annunciation of the argument is the strongest, being founded on a proposition which even a Romanist cannot deny, that the Man of Sin is Antichrist.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

I AM not able to answer the inquiry of D. D. (Christ. Obs. for July, page 396) as to the basis of the Millennial interpretation of rapovoia, but, the subject having been introduced into your pages, I beg to urge a few observations upon it. Your correspondent is not far from right in his opinion, that Millennarians regard those who do not receive their notions as "perfectly ignorant" persons. I believe, indeed, they take us (for I am one of these ignorant persons) for very moles and bats. Their opinions, however, will not stand instead of arguments; and though, in the language of one of their eminent champions, this new view "maketh winged speed" throughout the land, we are not quite without arguments on our side of the question. My object in troubling you is, through the medium of your columns to call the attention of your readers to the subject, in the hope that some one of the many grovellers, like myself, who are not yet "rapt aloft," will be led, either by a counter-publication, or by a series of essays in your work, to examine and expose the mistaken views and interpretations of modern Millennarians; and to place the circumstances of the Millennium and the Second Advent, as revealed to us in Scripture, before the Church, in (what we conceive to be) the true point of view. Such works have been heretofore undertaken; but we need something adapted to the present times, and with an especial reference to several recent publications.

From some observations, with which I have become acquainted in this matter, I am led to believe that some Millennarians consider our ignorance and blindness in such a light as almost to doubt whether we expect a resurrection of the body at all, because we do not expect two distinct resurrections, separated by a period of at least one thousand years;-whether we really look for

the second advent of a glorified Messiah, because we expect Him at the end of that period instead of the beginning; whether we believe that the sons of God will be indeed manifested, because we think we must slumber in the dust 1000 years longer than these interpreters calculate before that manifestation;-whether we be verily animated by the hope of reigning as kings and priests with God and with the Lamb, because we look for the enjoyment of the high, the supreme bliss, which is thus figuratively described, in the heaven of heavens, after the utter destruction of this earth, instead of a reign in the city to be literally let down out of heaven; and to be, in some unknown, undefined, and mysterious way, connected with the earth, and with the flesh and blood, by which, during the Millennium, it is to be inhabited.

The subject requires a comprehensive and patient mind to give it the necessary investigation, and I trust that the hints which I have suggested will not be in vain. Our pulpits, in many parts of the country, are now teeming with the modern Millennarian doctrines; and they pass current, almost as matters of faith, with many poor and unlearned believers, who readily and unsuspectingly receive all that is uttered by their instructors.

Ω.

FAMILY SERMONS.-No. CCXXVI.

1 Cor. viii. 3. If any man love God,

the same is known of him.

WHEN we look around on the immensity of the creation of God; when we contemplate the sun, the moon, and the stars which he hath made; when we endeavour to sum up the innumerable tribes of the animal and vegetable kingdoms which owe their existence to his power, and require to be supported by his never-ceasing care; we may naturally feel disposed at the reCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 310.

membrance of our own littleness and feebleness to inquire whether, amidst the magnitude of the universe, we can expect to share much of his providential regard. Like the devout Psalmist we may exclaim, "Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him; or the son of man, that thou visitest him?" A knowledge indeed of the infinite power of God, his presence in all places, and his knowledge of all events, will dispel such an apprehension from the mind. But, still, another apprehension may justly remain. True it is, we may say, that God beholds and knows all things; that "his eyes are upon the ways of man, and that he seeth all his goings;" that even "hell is naked before him;" but this very consciousness is itself a source of disquietude; for where is there a heart that will bear his inspection? If the very heavens are not clean in his sight, "how much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water?" His eyes, which are in every place, behold the evil as well as the good: he searcheth the heart and trieth the reins, that he may give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings; and he will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. But man has offended this all-wise and allpowerful Being by his sins; and "his wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man;" so that, far from wishing for his presence and strict inspection, there is nothing which men by nature so much dread; and, at the last day, when he shall appear to judge the world, even those who have been hitherto most hardened and impenitent, will then say to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb." The great subject of inquiry therefore is,

Seeing that God knows us, even infinitely better than we know our4 H

selves, how may we obtain a well grounded hope, that his acquaint ance with the secrets of our hearts will not be accompanied by his everlasting displeasure? We can not, if we would, dissemble our transgressions before him; but is there no way of obtaining the par don of them? How may the Divine omniscience become to us a source not of disquietude, but of satis faction and repose? How may his knowledge of us be attended with complacency instead of wrath, and this notwithstanding we have no thing in us to attract his approbation, but every thing to call down his anger? Now our text, if rightly considered in its connexion with the dispensation of mercy revealed in the Gospel through the merits of a crucified Saviour, will lead to a most satisfactory explanation of this difficulty. It tells us, that "if any man love God, the same is known of him; " known not merely in the scrutiny of his infinite wis dom, but with favour and paternal regard. Two important questions then arise from this consideration; first, what it is to love God; and secondly, in what manner those who love him are known of him.

I. Our first inquiry then is, what is meant by loving God. This in quiry may indeed be thought by some unnecessary; for who, it may be asked, would refuse to love a being of infinite benevolence, the fountain of every perfection, the source of all that is truly good? Now if mankind were in a state of purity and innocence, like that in which our first parents were created, thus to love God would be a na tural dictate of the heart. We could not do otherwise than love him: his service would be our high est delight; and to be deprived of his presence and favour would appear to us the greatest calamity which could befal us. But the introduction of sin into the world has banished these holy feelings from the unrenewed heart. Men may dread the power, and tremble at

the justice, of God, but by nature they do not truly love him. Even as respects his infinite goodness, they are careless and insensible: they do not habitually. keep in mind the favours which they ac knowledge that they have received from him; they are not duly grateful to him for their creation, their preservation, or the multiplied bless ings of the present life; nor is it the first wish of their hearts, or their constant effort throughout their conduct, to live devoted to his glory. Even admitting that they express some occasional emotions of gratitude when they reflect upon the blessings which their Creator has bestowed upon them, yet even this amounts not to true love to him. They may love a being of their own imagination ;—a God whom they have despoiled of all the attributes of his Divine nature except their own perverted notion of his goodness; a goodness which would allow of all that is sinful, and in the end most injurious to his creatures themselves, without any expression of disapprobation; or who, if he disapproves, is too lenient to punish; who can allow his laws to be broken and his authority to be trampled upon with impunity; and who, even after declaring judgment against the transgressor, is slack to mark iniquity, and never intends to execute what he has threatened. They may love a being, thus fashioned by their ignorance or self-flattery, to reward them for their supposed virtues, and to forgive all their offences;— though even in this partial view they stand condemned for not having devoted to him the homage of their hearts and lives;-but do they love the only true God as he has described himself in his own revealed word? Do they love him when they view him as a being of infinite purity, of inflexible justice, of unchangeable truth? Perhaps, indeed, they are almost as ignorant of themselves as of the character of their Creator: they have never seri

ously thought upon their own sinfulness and danger: they have imagined that their hearts are good, their lives, if not innocent, at least not grossly evil; and therefore they have cried, "Peace, peace, though there was no peace." Thus, by a fatal blindness of heart, they may have deceived themselves into a supposition that they love their Maker because they conclude he loves them; and this, notwithstand ing that their character is wholly opposed to all that he has commanded and approves. But do they love him when they consider the manner in which they really stand related to him? when they reflect upon what he has enjoined? when they contemplate their violations of his law and his just anger against them, on account of them? Do they truly and supremely love a being who "searches the heart and tries the reins;" who is of "purer eyes than to behold iniquity," and whose commandments, like himself, are "holy, just, and good?" Do they love him who declares that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God?" Do they love him so as to be willing to sacrifice all other things for his sake? Surely not; for who can love all that is most opposed to his feelings, and tastes, and wishes, and passions? who can love a being of Almighty power, and wisdom, and justice, whom he views only as "a consuming fire?" Most truly, therefore, do the Scriptures affirm that "the carnal mind is enmity against God;" for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

But the description given in our text of those who are known of God, is that they love him. This is the character of every real Christian; for love to God is an indispensable mark of true religion. The Apostle, in the chapter before us, shews that knowledge itself is of no avail without love. "Knowledge," he says, "puffeth up, but charity

edifieth."" If any man," he con tinues, "think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know;"" but," adds he, contrasting love to God and to man, with a mere speculative know ledge, "if any man love God, the same is known of him" or as some commentators think the passage means, "hath attained the true knowledge of God:" he is instructed by him; so that while the exercise of the most exalted understanding, without the affections of the heart, would be in vain for obtaining an acquaintance with the character of the Almighty; those who, from à principle of love, are desirous of "doing his will," shall know of the doctrine" which he has revealed in his word. "The meek shall he guide in judgment; the meek shall he teach his way."

Now this love to God, which our text speaks of as a mark of the true Christian, is not, as we have seen, natural to the heart of man since the fall of Adam. It is not a love originating in a mistaken view of the character of God, supposing him to be favourably disposed to wards us, when in truth he has declared himself to be " angry with the wicked every day." But it is a love which is compatible with ạ knowledge of his true character, and which even grows out of that knowledge. It is a love to him as a reconciled God and Father in Christ Jesus; a love to him because he first loved us, and gave his Son to die for us. In addition to those temporal manifestations of his goodness which have been already noticed, it superadds, above all, the pardon of our sins, and our restoration to his favour through the sacrifice of his beloved Son; with "the means of grace and the hopes of glory." It is a love which includes gratitude for past mercies, and a desire to dedicate ourselves to his service in future. It is a love which makes us delight in his law, and endeavour, though, alas!