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should be sealed, the latter rain of grace descend, and God's purposes completed concerning this latter day? Here, then, we have a clear and visible sign that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

3. Many running to and fro. This is another important and evident sign of the end. Daniel xii. 4, " But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro." Whether the prophet means to be understood "many shall run to and fro" in a religious sense, or in a civil or temporal sense, or whether he means in both, is perfectly immaterial for my purpose. All must acknowledge that this text is remarkably fulfilled in this day, in either point of view. If it means missionaries of the cross, no man can dispute the fulfilment. See the heralds of salvation crossing and recrossing on every part of the habitable globe. If it means common travelers, or the rapid means of travel, still our text holds good, and the fulfilment obvious. No man, unless he is wilfully ignorant, can deny that this sign is not actually and literally fulfilled.

4. The great increase of knowledge, given in the same text as above. "Even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." View this in any point you please, whether theological or scientifical, it is literally true in this day of invention and improvement, knowledge increases. What of the fifty dif ferent moral societies which have become general in the christian world? Is there no increase of knowledge in our bible societies, Sabbath schools, tract societies, temperance societies, and a catalogue of others for moral reform? What can we say of all the inventions in the arts? What of all the improvements in science? In all this is it not very evident that this sign is now fulfilling to the very letter?

5. The great increase of riches, and desire for laying up worldly treasures, as described by James v. 1-3, "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you: your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth eaten: your gold and your silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." When, since the writers of this epistle was on our earth, has there been such an increase of gold and silver and treasures of this

life, as at this day? Our rich men are laying up their gold, silver and treasures in abundance. But as though this individual exertion for riches would not completely fulfil our text, they have entered into all manner of companies and monopolies to "heap treasure together." When, in the history of the world, can there be shown so many banking institutions as now? When so much insurance capital as is heaped together at this day? Are not our rich men perfectly infatuated with stocks of all kinds? and monopoly is the order of the day. To grind down the poor and heap treasure together for the last days. Can any man who has any knowledge of these things deny that this sign of the last days is not evidently accomplished? Go to, ye rich men, weep and howl, for your miseries are come upon you.

6. The unwillingness of men to hear sound doctrine, taught us by Paul, II. Tim. iv. 1-4, "I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." My brethren, need I say one word on this passage? There is none of you so blind but you see that this passage does actually describe the most fashionable preaching at the present day. How many thousand do run after that kind of preaching which is only relating fables, and that doctrine which gives all power to man?

7. Scoffers saying where is the promise of his coming? as Peter informs us in his II. Epistle, iii. 3, 4, "Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." A right understanding of this text would show us at once that many of us who fancy we are in the highway to heaven, are belonging to this class of scoffers. First they walk after their own lusts, that is after their own carnal notions concerning the coming of Christ. They say all things will continue as they were from the creation; they must have a temporal millenium; man must be married and given in marriage; the world will not be burnt, and my Lord delayeth his coming, some say a thousand years

and some say 365,000 years, and all the moral change that takes place on our earth will be performed by the agency of man. Therefore many scoff and ridicule the idea that scripture tells us of the second coming of Christ, the manner, object and time. And many are willingly ignorant, will not hear or read on this subject.

8. Perilous times, as described in II. Tim. iii. 1-7, "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For inen shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having the form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowl edge of the truth."

What better description of domestic and public society could we expect from the most close observer of private characters, domestic circles and public societies of our times, than is here given? One would conclude, had he found this in any other book but the bible, that it was a modern writer, well acquainted with the human heart and the generations now on the earth.

9. Departing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbiding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats." Thus Paul tells Timothy, I. Epistle, iv. 1-3, "Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith," &c. This, we must acknowledge, has been and is now fulfilling. The whole almost of the christian world have departed or changed their faith within fifteen years; seducing spirits are evidently at work, hypocrites are multiplying among us; Roman Catholics, Shakers, Pilgrims, Fanny Wright, Owen and others forbid to marry. Roman Catholics and many others among us are teaching to abstain from meats and drinks, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

10. False teachers making merchandise of the gospel.See II. Peter, ii. 1-3. But there were false prophets also

among the people; even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction; and many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of, and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not." The apostle then goes on to show that as it was in the days of Noah and Lot, so it would be in the days of these false teachers, one generation would not pass off before the judgment would overtake them, who make merchandise of the gospel, and like Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness.

11. Jude gives us a sign, 4 to 19 verses inclusive, "How they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts; these be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." Some preachers deny the agency of the Spirit in regeneration.

12. Christ gives a sign in Luke xxi. 25-28, " And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring: men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking for those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.

13. Christ gives another sign in Matthew xxiv. 23, 24, "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect." There can be no doubt of this sign being fulfilled.

14. The fulfilment of the parable of the ten virgins-the midnight cry has gone forth from every quarter of God's moral vineyard, Behold the bridegroom cometh." The world has been and are now "trimming their lamps;" witness the bible translated into all languages, the bible societies sending bibles to every nation and family on the

earth, the Sabbath schools and bible classes studying its sacred precepts.

15. The scattering of the holy people and division of sects, as prophecied of by Daniel xii. 7, " And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." This prophecy is now fulfilling in a remarkable manner. Not one sect who profess holiness, but are divided and subdivided into contending schisms, and that too, within twenty years.

16. The division of the political world as prophecied of by John. Rev. xvi. 12-16, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, for they are they the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty" and 19th verse," And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell." That these spirits are political is evident from the fact that they come out of the mouth of the dragon (kings) and beast (catholic) false prophet (Mahometan) and unclean, signifying they are not holy things. This prophecy is now accomplishing. What nation within our knowledge is not already divided into three political parties? None which is in any way known to your speaker.

17. The church has fulfilled her 1260 years in the wilderness, spoken of in Rev. xii. 6, 14, " And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days." These days were evidently accomplished in 1798, since which time the protestant church has enjoyed privileges even in the city of nations, the Roman empire, and according to Daniel, forty-five years will complete the whole plan of redemption.

18. The two witnesses prove that the 1260 years are ended; for it is evident that the old and new testament are not now hid nor kept from the common people, but have arose from their dead state, and are now performing the office God designed they should, conveying light to the world. They are not clothed in sackcloth, but through the missionaries of the cross and bible societies are testifying to the world of Christ and his second coming.

19. The civil power of anti-Christ is destroyed, and the 1260 years in which she was to rule over kings and tread

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