tilence, nation fhall rife against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, distress of nations, with figns in the heavens and earth, the feas roaring,and men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after thofe things which fhall come upon the earth; and because iniquity fhall abound, the love of many fhall wax cold: these things are taking place at the prefent time. What people ever faw fuch a day as we fee in this year, 1808. View the nations of the earth; fee their diftrefs, by reafon of the prefent wars, famines, peftilences, earthquakes, and other troubles; fee the perplexities of many, on account of the prefent fituation of the feas, fearing their property will fall into the hands of others, by reafon of the commotion among the European powers.

One thing more is worthy of notice among all thefe figns of the coming of the fon of man, that is, the fituation of the Jews; in other wars they were great fufferers; now the government of France favours them, and I think it altogether likely that the French nation will be forward in leading the Jews into their land before long; that they may be ready to receive their Messiah when he comes. I have formerly thought that wickedness would almost be banished from the earth when Christ comes; but I do not think this will be the cafe ; when he came before, the whole world lay in wickedness; and when he coms to the mount of Olives, the whole world will be as it was in the days of Noah or Lot; given over to fenfual delights; while but few will believe what is reccorded in fcripture concerning Chrift and his gofpel. Jefus has faid this will be the fituation of the world when he

comes the fecond time. Matth. xxiv, 37, 38, 39, "But as the days of Noe were, fo fhall alfo the coming of the fon of man be: For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giv ing in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; to fhall also the coming of the fon of man be." Luke xvii. 28, 29, 30, "Likewife alfo, as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they fold, they planted, they builded; but the fame day

that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimftone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus fhall it be in the day when the fon of man is revealed."

How plain! how folemn and important is this account of the coming of the fon of man? When Jerufalem was taken, the Jews and the world in general were not in fuch a fituation as this; neither was there a deftruction on earth like this, for multitudes on the earth were at that time believers and lovers of Jesus; but at the time when Christ comes, there will be but few believers in the world. See Luke xviii. 8, "Nevertheless, when the fon of man cometh, fhall he find faith on the earth?" Many think that the knowledge of God will fill the whole earth before the coming of Chrift; this is one thing which he will do when he comes to be king over all the earth. As to the day and hour when he will come,no one knows; but we may know the figns of his coming, and if we only look to the heavens and earth at the prefent time, we may fee figns in great abundance.

It is thought by fome, that when Chrift comes he will remain in the air 24 hours, that all the earth may have a view of him; fuch things I leave to the curious; it is at prefent, enough for me to know that he will appear the fecond time, and that I fhall fee him as well as Job, and appear with him in that glory which he will come in; may I but know this; while I live, and when I die; I ask no more,for to fuch, the first refurrection, and thoufand years to reign with Chrift is fure.

From all these fcripture teftimonies I feel certain that Jefus, who once fuffered on earth, will hereafter be honered on earth, beyond what my tongue or pen can defcribe.

Having mentioned the prophecies which fpeak of the fecond coming of Chrift, the figns of it, and the state of the world at that time, I shall in the next fermon men. tion fome things that will be done at that time.

SERMON VIII.

"WE HAVE ALSO A MORE SURE WORD OF

PROPHECY," &c.

IN this fermon I fhall mention, feveral things which will take place when Christ shall appear on the earth the fecond time.

IN former years when hearing fome tell of the

coming of Chrift to reign upon the earth in perfon, I concluded that it would not be, because it would be too humiliating to him, who is now highly exalted and has a name above every name; this difficulty is now removed out of the way; it is not fo low a stoop in him to reign on the earth, as it would be to be of no reputation on the world.

If it is below Jefus Chrift to reign on the earth, a thoufand years after his exaltation in heaven, then certainly it was too much to be on earth, without where to lay his head, and in this way of reafoning we must conclude he never was on earth at all. This will not do: Jefus was once on earth to do that work which could not be done any other way, and he has work on earth to be done which will not be accomplished until he returns.

1. The first thing which Chrift will do when he comes, befides deftroying the great army of Gog, and delivering the Jews from their diftrefs, will be to raise the dead faints and change them that are alive that they may live with him on the earth a thoufand years.

Bishop Newton fays,that the christian writers, who liv ed foon after the apostles, held to the refurrection of the

faints, to reign upon the earth a thousand years before the rest of the dead lived, and that the idea was laid a fide by a wrong use fome-made of it.

People in general think that the righteous and wicked will all be raised at once; at the end of the world, but this is a mistake. The New Teftament mentions the refurrection of the juft, this will be at the beginning of the thousand years, that of the unjust after the thousand

years.

Christ mentions this refurrection of the juft: Luke xiv. 14, "For thou fhalt be recompenfed at the refurrect ion of the juft." This in Rev. xx. 6, is called, “The first refurrection." This refurrection of the juft is mentioned in feveral places in the new testament. Acts xxiii. 6, "Of the hope and refurrection of the dead I am called in queftion." Phil. iii. 2, "If by any means I might attain unto the refurrection of the dead." Heb. xi. 35, "And others were tortured not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better refurrection."

Jefus Chrift has defcribed this first refurrection in a

moft glorious manner. Luke xx. 35, 36, "But they

which fhall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the refurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more; for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the refurrection."

The order of the resurrection of the dead, is mentioned by Paul, in 1 Cor. xv. 23, 24, "But every man in his own order; Chrift the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming; then cometh the end, when he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the the Father; when he fhall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power." The refurrection of Chrift as the first fruits is paft, the refurrection of the faints will be at his coming to reign on the earth. This refurrection. of the faints when Chrift comes to reign on the earth, is mentioned, in Philippians iii. 20, 21, "For our converfation is in heaven, from whence alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus, who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fafhioned like unto his glorious body, ac

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cording to the working, whereby he is able even to fub> due all things unto himself." Here Paul tells us that they looked for a faviour to change their vile bodies; by that power which he has to fubdue his foes; likely Paul here has reference to the great army which Christ will destroy when he comes to raife the faints. That Chrift will at his coming raife the faints at the beginning of his reign of a thousand years on the earth, and that the be-ginning of this thousand years will be dated from the day of their refurrection, is plain from Revelation xx. 4, 5, 6, "And I saw thrones, and they fat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I faw the fouls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jefus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beaft, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Chrift a thousand years; but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished; this is the firft refurrection. Bleffed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on fuch the fecond death hath no power; but they fhall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.'

Some who allow that there will be a refurrection of the faints at the coming of Chrift, deny the refurrection to any except fuch as were put to death for Chrift's fake; but it is plain from the new teftament that all the faints will rife at that time, and that all the faints who are alive when Chrift comes, will be changed and live with the reft. This is mentioned by Enoch who spake of the coming of Chrift; Jude 14, "Behold the LORD cometh with ten thousand of his faints." Paul fays, 1 Cor. xv. 14, "For if we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, even fo them alfo that fleep in Jefus, will God bring with -him." This includes all the faints that fleep in Jefus, or die in the Lord. Zechariah fays, that the Lord will bring all the faints with him; Zech. xiv, 5, "And the Lord my God fhall come and ALL the faints with thee."