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" The gxexi day of the Lord is St hand and
hasteth greatly."

Coming of Christ

In 1883-4.

BY JA^^ES CALEB ;McINTOSH,

Author op

•'%n5 0/ /A' /7w6\^^" ^' MarA-8 of the Bcim-r' <' 7V^e F/'o--
'p'h.aii: Voice of Ood;' '• 7\mr,::f Theology,'' eia^ etc.

iV-«

1880:

CENTRALIA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

i'RTNTED BY WHITE & CARRICKi AT THE "REFLECTOR" CHEAI^
PRINT]»VG I' STABLISHMENT, EXETER, ONTARIO^

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PREFACE

:(o):.

lliiADjiR, I have an important message to you, in the fol-
lowing pages. Whoever you may be you have tht) deep-
est interest in it. It matters not whether you are young
or old, bond or free, learned or ignorant, you hrave more
concern in it than anything you can imagine besides. —
t/esu-^ Christ, the Son of God, has plamly and unequivociil-
ly declared, that, when certain specified ai/^ms should i-ie
seen^ his people might know that his second coming was
7iighj even at the doors. I think myself iible to show you
that these loretold signs are nearly all fulfilled. The
Avhole Bible — old and new — is God's will to man. Lot us
esteem it, love it, value it, read it, and above all, let us
obey its divme injunction. Peter says, and we do well to
take heed, '^Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
Scripture is of private interpretation." Prophery is the
anticipation ot events. It is the history of events given
in advance of their occurrence. Prophecy is given as a
promise, threatening or warning. All promises of future
blessings are prophetical in their nature, and we antici-
pate them through unfulfilled prophecy. We are never
restrained from wicked acts, on account of threatened
punishment for those acts, only when we gain a prophet-
ic knowledge that such punishment is impending. All
warning of approaching danger is necessarily prophetical,
for how can we know that danger is lying in our pathway
unless we first understand something about the circum-
stances producing the danger. One important object of
proph^ cy is to produce and establish faith in ita author

I !

4 TUB COMIXO 0^ CHRlSfi

Udd has revealed himself as tho croator and ruler of this
World, and has shovn that tho principles and laws by
which he governs are fully comprehended and measured
by him, therefore he Can anticipate and determine theii'
tlclion, and events resulting therefrom so as to be able to
I'eveal and state them to all wiio may be profited by that
revelation. The great object to be accompUahed, is evi'
dently tho enlightenment and salvation of men. Tfio
design of our Creator in grading the constitution and ma-
king tho endowments he did to man, was pre-eminently
glorious and praiseworthy. A correct knowledge of the
future is of vast importance to men, for their hopes and
fears are controlled by their understanding of it, and as
our acts are governed by our hopes and fears, a correct
Understanding of the future exerts a controllin;: inliuencc
over our lives. God's revelations are always manifested
by divine authority, either by the working of miracles or
the signal and unmistakable fulfilment of the prophecy^
and are always manifestations of love and good will to-
wards those to Whom they are made either as a warning
of danger or the unfolding of attainable blessings, and
should be received with praise and thanksgiving. I solic-
it, kind reader, that y3u will peruse the following pages
without prejudice, for they contain food's promises to
Abraham, and our blessed Saviour's promise to his faith-
ful children. My desire for it, or your opposition to it)
will neither hasten or retard tho Event. 'Hie first chapter
is, dealing with God's promises to Abraham j the second
chapter deals with the time when Abraham and all his
coed shall have the full realization. Amen«

THE COMING OF CIiniST.

CHAPTER I.

<'Tnn IIkavkns ark tub Lord's ; nux the E)»iitii iiath ue
liivEX TO THE CriiLDKKX OF Men."— Psalms, CXV., 10.

Reader, the final destiny of our planet is a question
which has interested its inhabitants in every aj?e. Science
and philosophy have been invoked to furnish an answer
to the problem, l)nt, while they aflbrd much deej)ly inter-
esting ana apparently reliable information concerning
earth's past history, for the future they can only otter var-
ied and uncertain conjectures. And while the theories of
pome scientists allow the world but a comparatively brief
space of time before its dissolution in migiity convulsions
others announce a destiny of glorious progress through
untold ages to come. But whilo philosophei's are reason-
ing from analogy, or torecasting tlie future from observa-
tion of physical tacts, and thus constructing their hypoth-
oses, the C'hristian asks: ''Does not Revelation furnish
us with some delinite information on the subject?*' But
liere, too, we find that investigation (or more properly
misdirected investigation) has led to varied theories of
God's intentions concerning the earth. The generally Vi.
ceived hypothesis may be stated as follows : — In dealh
mankind bid an eternal adieu to this mundane sphere ns
a place of residence, and at the last day all the good will
be finally gathered out of it, to enter upon a state of eter-
nal blessedness in heaven, which is thought to be in or
beyond the skies, and then earth will return to its origin-
al chaos, without form and void. But iome are unwilling
—'and among such is the writer — to endorse the above
view. Through the gospel glasf— -the telescope of faith —
we think vre can behold a different destiny for the world

1 f , I
4

: 1

I f
I

( I

I »

% IBB COMINGOF CIIUIST.

ov^cjr whose organization "all tho sons of God shouted fo»
joy,'' and glimpses of the prophetic vision have awakeneo.
a longing desire to know all that may bo known concern,
ing earth's promised blessed and glorious age to come.--
Sov wl'l it be easy to suppress the spirit of investigation
thus awakened by assertin<? the popular opinion tha
nothing definitely can be known, or that any eflbrt to gai
such knowledge is a sign of heresy. Man has an inbor
desire toknow the future, and a taste, by faith, of th
powers of the world to come, is calculated to siir this pa",
sion to its very depths. Nor has God ever reproved th^
anxietv of his creatures to know the future, but. rather
encou!;j.ged it. To tiio antediluvian? and to tlio patr.
arch,-; lie imparted promises, which, it they were some-
limes u)y>.t,oiious in their v/ording, were, neverthelei-SjWel
caiculnt^'d to awaken bright anticipations cf the future.—
'i'o hsru'-'I he gave not only '' Urim und Tliinnmim, ' bu<i
revealed tilings to come by means oT visions and dreams.
And, wliile the fir.-^t is lost and the latt<'r have ceased t:i
convey rcli.ible or authoritative rovelnti )us of tho Divin(
will, va; !':ive m th«;ir place the vnltti^n \V»)rd, the recor.'j
o'i fhe [iromi-^es ol -Jchov^ih. witi) tlie ulterancos of '^ lioly
men of God, who spake as thoy wore moved by tlie Holy
spirit." 2 Feter, I 21 , 'i'lds volume dispels the glooni
(){ the future wiiU uo uncertain light. Xor cun
we recall any instance where God hay rebuked the desire
for knowledge of coming events. If we are told that it is
not tor us to know tlie times and sea^-jons which tbe Fath-
er hath put in his own power, or tir.-.t si^cret things bo-
long to tho Lord, it is with a promise of luturc light, cr fi
reference to existing revelations furni;shing material for
our utmost pov»^ers of reseaich. Deut., XXIX , 29, Acts I,
7,8. Our Heavenly Fatiier has no r-proache*^ for those
who long to possess the treaRures of vrisaom, yet he sharp-

TUK COMING OF CHRIST.

ly rebukes tlioso who seek for knowledge of coming
events by illegal or delusory channels 5 and, while, he do
nounoes those who go after fumihar spirits and wizird.-i
that peep and mutter, while he reprobates the practice ol
the living who seek for instruction from the dead, he asl^s :
<♦ Should not a people seek unto their God f To the hr.v
and to the testimony ; if they spoak not according to thi-;
word, it is hejause there is no light in them." Is. VIII.,
ly, 20. We accept the test. To it wo submit our own
doctrine ; by it we propose to try the teachings of ctiKM-,
and to ascertain the Bible theory of earth'i destiny. Do '• t!.i-
scriptures of truth ' contain definite information of God >
purpose concerning our world :^ Does J To intenii tiiat it
shall biing forth thorns aiKlthi-tloo f"revor ? Will it co!\-
tinu.'\l]y emit poisonous mi;iBraa .■ Is it.s atniosp!i(»re al
ways to be impregnated with dir,ease and death? Is iN
bosom always to be an open sepulchre; ? Aro convulsioris
and storms to succeed each other tiu'ougli unending [i^i'>^?
Or is chaos, or annihilation, as some suppose, to Imj it-
doom / ^lowever much men may diiTc-r in their rms.vtTs
to these queries, all are a^rrcol in dissatisficiion \vitii
earth m its [)resent condition, and in hope of soinethinj;
better in tlio futurO; either bore or elsewhere. And, mo.-f.
expect to enter the '• splieres above' or into a spirit Ian I,
or, as tlie poet sings^

'■ EcyoTifl tlio bounds !»f tiinr and .-^p;! CO,
Look forward to R li^'iivn;] J- i)lac^ —

The t^iiintft' S!,'C'uro abtulo." . •

But by the test wo liavo ind^'aied we siiall shn-A-
that those who cherish such hopes are d^-'stincd to disap
pointmfitnt. For we have the clearest testimony that ti 1;
enjoyment of tlie future life is to bo not above bat undci'
the whole heavens, when the earth is regenei-atod. Ar.d
that this glorious ncv/ earth, with an immortal life to en-

THB COMING OF CHRIST.

i ; '

joy it, is to bo given to all the people of God when tlie
•Saviour comes to earth the second time. What a blessed
hoi^e I Reailer, prepare for it j it is soon coming. «< In
the beginning God createa the heavens and the earth." It
belongs to him. ^<The earth is the Lord's and the iulness
thereof." It is flis, for He made it, and we find no record
that He conveyed it to the devil — or ungodly — that it
should be at their will or disposal. lie who introduced
ijin and misery into our world will, as all his dupes, exper-
ience that '< sin when it is finished bringeth forth death,"
James I., 15. Destruction final and complete awaits all
those that have usurped the earth from the rightful heirs,
unto whom it was intended. Theretore the usurper's
reign here will be brief. The mighty Maker has^ by pro-
mise, conveyed the earth to certain ones who are called
•* heirs of God," of whom Christ, the Son of God, is chief.
Kom. VIII., 17. As yet the conveyance rests in promise
only, none of the heirs having received possession. But
while they wait their title is made sure by both the prom-
ise and oath of Almighty God. For it is with reference to
the promise given to Abraham concerning the saint's in-
lieritance that it is said : ** Wherein God's will, more abun-
<lantly to show unio the heirs of promise, the immutabil-
ity of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two im-
mutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie,
we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for re-
fuge, to lay hold of the hope set before us." Heb., VI.,
J7, 18. If the promise fails it will be because there is no
God to fulfil it, '• for as truly as I live," He saith, ««all the
earth bhuli be filleu with the glory of the Lor<l." Num.,
XIV,. 2.. Let us then laying aside our every prejudice. pro-
c-^ed to a consifieration of the promises thus anchored to
the throne of the Eternal. The germ of all the promises
of the Bible, concerning a future state is found in the ser-

THE COMING OF CHRIIT.

penVs doom (Gen., III., 15), "I will put enmity between
thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed; it
shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." 8a-
tan, the unregenerate, is to achieve a partial success, but
ultimately Christ is to triumph in his total destruction. —
For it is the heel only of the promised seed of the woman
that is injured — a temporary hurt — , but it is the head of
the serpent that is bruised or crushed ; the injury is raor-
tal and invol/es the death of the victim, lleb., II., 14.
The promise involved in this anathema is indefinite ; its
terms convey no information as to how, when or where it
will be fulfilled, yet it affords a basis of hope to the race of
Adam —the enemy is not always to triumph j his worlc
shall be undone. In searching for the promises of God re-
lating to the future inheritance, we come next to the cov-
enants that God made to Abraham, of which we find two
notable ones : one relating to temporal, the other to eter-
nal things j the former including only Abram's natural
seed, the latter embracing Abraham and his seed. The
Scriptures introduce the story of Abram in the following
language: ** The Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of
thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house, unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make
of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy
name great. And I will bless them that bless thee and
cursa him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families
(peoples or nations) ol Ihe earth be blessed." Gen XlL, 1
3. This promise had no relation to the final conversion of
all the nations of the earth to the Abrahamic faith, as
many have supposed, but, as we shall show, relates to th«
gathering out of all nalions of a numberless multitude to
dwell forever in the Abrahamio possession. In obedience
to the Divine call, Abran^ (lor hit name had not yet re-
eoivod the ligoificant change) came into the land of C^

Ill

THE COMI..G OP UIIRISTr

:!•(

ijlli

iiaan, bringing With him his nephew Lot. But in the
course of time circumstances demanded a separation* The
story is a famihar one. Lot's selfish choice proved a curse
to himself and his family, while Abraro's noblo. conduct
brought a blessing. For, after Lot had chosen tho best
part of the land, and had removed into it, <' the Lord said
unto Abram, lift up now thine eyes and look from tho
place where thou art, northward and southward and east,
ward and w^estward, for, all the land that thou seest to
thcc will I give it and to thy seed forever. And I will make
thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man number
the dust of the earth then sh;ill thy seed al o be numbered.
Arise, walk through the land in tho length of it and in tho
breadth of it, for I ivill gice it unto thee.''' Gen XIII. ,14, 17.
\Ve conceive the fulfilment of the above promise lo involve
the following prouoaitions: (1) The rosurroction of tho
dead ; (2) Tlie gift of im;nortalUy to Abraham and hii>
heirs; and (3) 3n oternal iiilieritanco by thom of tho
earth. Vy'liether or not these are legitimate conclusion:-!
will be seen in the progress of the argument. To the first
and second propositions we shall only make a passing re-
ference ; it is to tlie third point wa are to give special at-
tention. But wo remark that Stephen testifies Ihat Abra-
ham rev^eived of the promised lanvi, ''no, not so much a3
to set his foot on." Acts Vir., 5. And ns Abraham

is dead ho must bavo a resurrection, and inherit
the land, else the promise will fail, and, as tho possession
w:is to be hi.s forever, he must not only rise, but rise to an
immortal life. It cannot be claimed that this reasoning
is either original or new. It orij^inated in tho 8cripturo
(Luke XX., 37), and was well known to the fathers, albeit
it has fallen into disuse since the introduction of the pre-
sent popular system of interpretation. Says tienry JDunn
Ward : <'I confirm this view of the premise made unto

THE COMIXG OP OIIKiST.

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the fathers by certain opinions of learned Rabbis, going
to show that they also received tho promise in the sense
it 1« expounded here. The promise is of the inheritance
of the land forever. Rabbi Eleazar, who lived just after
the second temple was built, writes thus: < As I live, saith
the Lord, I will awake you hereafter in the resurreclion ot
the dead, and will gather you with all Israel into the land
of Israel.' " Jonathan, the i'arahpraist, who lived before
the Christian era, says on IIos. XIV., 8 : '<They shall b(3
gathered from iheir captivity j they shall live under tho
shadow of Messiah : the dead shall rise, and good shall in-
crease in the earth, etc." Where does the (Mosaic) law
teaoii tiio resurrection of tho dead / Truly, where it
stiys : (Ex'>. VI , 4) '• An-! I have also estabhshod my cov-
enant Willi the;>i th:it 1 v/ill give to them the Ian 1 of Ca-
naan," for it is said not to you bat to them. Again, tiie
Sadducees asked Ribbi Gamaliel (Paul's teacher) v/lience
ha couid prove that Godcojld raise the dead. Nor would
they rest until ho had brought them this verse : (Deut.
XL, 21) '* Which hind the Lord sware to your father.-:> tfiat
fie r.-oidd give ikeni,'^ God covenanted with Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob to give tliem the land in which they v/ere
strangers for an inlieritance, and, not having received tho
inheritance, they must needs live again; or, m respect
to them the promise has or will fail, which is Impossible-
Rabbi Kinchi, on Obadiah, says, <• When Rome shall be
laid waste tliere shall he redemption for Israel." And on
U. XXIV., 19, ''The holy blessed God will raifie tlie d-ad
at the time of deliverance." And on Jer. XXill,
20, <' In that ho saiUi yo shall consider it;" and
not they shall consider it, he intimateth the resurrection.
Dr. Gill furnishes the following (I Cor., XV., 54) '' When
the King Messiah comes, the holy blessed God will raiso
upthose that sleep, as it is written, he shall swallow up

•iff

TDE OOMIXO OF CHR13T.

i1 ' ■

!! '

■ i )

;
I

death in victory/* On Matt. XXIf., 31, « The holy bios-
sed God promised to our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Ja-
oob, that he would give them the land of Israel. We
learn from hence that they shall be raised and that God
will hereafter give them the land of Israel/' It will
greatly' increase our interest in the Prophets if we observe
from Moses to Malachi, that the promises and threaten «
ings are directly to you and to us, who read and hear, and
not to them who may come after us, until they are inter-
ested. In all the glorious prophecies of Israel's restora-
tion, scattered up and down the sacred pages, the word is
to you, and is not to them ♦ the word is spoken to you in
the second, and not to them in the tiurd person ; and, in
order to be fulfilled to the persons to whom it has ia past
ages been spoken, they must revive and come out of the
grave and live agam, which assuredly they will at the
coming and Kingdom of Christ in the resurrection of the
just d?ad. In the fifteenth chapter of Genesis we find the
promise of tlie inheritance renewed and confirmed by nn
oath, and a pledge is given whereby the fuliilmexit of tem-
poral promises is made the assurance that the promii© of
eternal things will be realized, also. In this chapter it is
recorded, the Lord said unto Abram, ^' I am Jehovah,who
brought thee out irom Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee
thi4 land to possess it. And he said, Lord Jehovah, where-
ly shall I know I shall possess it?*' And the careful read-
er will agree with us on reading the answer to this ques-
tion, thnt this entire transaction was not for the benefit
of Abram alone or his imm'^diate posterity, but that all
who nhould live after might •< through patience and com-
fort of the Scriptures, have hope.'* Rom. XV., 4. Thia
view is confirmed by the fact that most of the items
whereby Abram's inheritance is made aure, were to b« fu^
filled after bis death* Preparatory to giving tho dcsitred

tntt co4it^ ov cti&iRT.

«< whdfdby/* the Lord commanded Abram to arrange; ac-
tsordmg to an ancient custom, for a solemn covenant. Ac
K3ordingIy be took a heifer three years old, a ram three
years old, a she- goat three years old, a turtle dove and a
young pigeon. The animals he divided in the midst, lay-
ing the pieces the one over against the other, while
the birds >rere placed opposite to each other without be.
ing divided. " And it came to pase that when the sun
went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace
and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces."—
Thus did God make oath to Abram, that ho would fulfil
his covenant, and give him all the land to possess it.'' For
the force of this solemn ceremonial was this : the party
taiaking the oath, passing between the pieces of the
slaughtered and divided animals, said by this act, <' So let
it be done to me if I keep not my covenant," and the vi-
olation of such an oath was considered a most inexpiable
sin. Jer. XXXlV., 18, 19. In connection with this oath
there was a renewal of the promise to Abraham's natural
seed, first found in Gen. XLI., 7 — '*Unto thy seed will 1
give this land," but in much more delinite language, as
follows: *' In the same day God made a covenant with
Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this lami, from
the river of ICgypt unto the great river, the river Euph-
rates, the Kenites and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmon
ites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Reph.
aims, and the Amorites, and the ^Canaaniteaf, and Qigash-
ites, and Jebusites." Wq think even the casual reader
inust observe that this is a distinct promise from that giv-
en in Gen. XIII., 14, 15, and referred to in chap. XV., 7,8.
In the one case the terms employed indicate an indefin-
itely extended or boundless possession* '< Look north-
ward, southward, eastward and westward— all that thou
%QQsi4Gih:e will I g4veU, and to thy seed forever.'' But

>'M

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

■'I

m chap. XV. 18, 21, the land covenantetl is accurately
bounddd, and iU limits dedned a^ being the territory then
held by certain nations, which are named. Also, in the
^rst case, the promise includes Abram and hia seed j in
the second, it is to his seed alone.

Moreover, the latter covenant wa«i conditional in its na-
ture, while That including both Abram and h;s seed is
strictly unconditional, as will hereafter appear.

It will not be disputed that the natural seed of Abram
were a typical people, or that Canaan was a typical land,
however much controversy there may be as to what are
the antitypes prefigured by them. Nor will it be denied
that the Jews typified the true Israel of God— all his peo-
ple; or, that Cauaan shadowed the saints' eternal iaheri-
tance, be it what or where it may.

We are, therefore, naturally led to inquire,

First— lias /Ae ^?/;;e been fullil led ? And, in answering
this question, we will include an inquiry into the other
items of the '' whereby " which Abram asked and received
of the Lord.

While the Patriarcli watched the animals he had pre-
pared, according to the direction of Jehovah, keeping off
the birds of prey, as the sun went down a deep sleep and a
horror of great darkness fell upon him, signifying, doubtless,
that he must pass int^ the state of death previous to real-
izing the promises. Then God said, <' know of a surety
that thy seed shall be a stranger in a strange land that is
not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict
them four hundred years." There has been some dispute
concerning the fulfilment of this passage. That his seed
continued pilgrims and strangers till the time of Moses
none dispute, but some have applied the period of four
hundred years to the Egyptian bondage alone, while oth-
ers have regarded it as a " round number/' covering all

TUK COMlXa OF CHKIST.

uratelv

py then
in the
d J in

ita na

eed is

A.bram
.1 land,
at are
denied
IS peo
iatieri-

wenng
other

oeived

id pre-
ng ofi
) and a
ibtless,
o real-
surety
hat is
afflict
isputo
3 seed
Moses
►f four
©th-
ing all

r . . .

*be fcimo of the sojoarn from the call of Abraui to the ex-
>dui. The true application is to the seed of Abraham.
.;ad the date of its commencement is the mocking of Ish-
•nael at the weaning of Isaac, ending with the four hun~
(rod and thirty years of Gal III, 17. *' At tho exodus,"
i'lys Dr. Clark, on Exo. XII, 4, '< tho S.miaritan Penta-
teuch in all its manuacrii^ts and printed copies, roads the
place thus: ' Now the sojourning of the children of Israel
and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land oi"
Canaan, and m th^ land of Egypt, was 430 years.' Tlio
same sura is given by St. Paul, (Ga!. KI, 17,) who reckons
from the promise made to Abraham, when Cod command-
t*d him to go to Canaan, to the giving of ihe law, which
^oon followed the departure from Egypt 5 and this chron-
9logy of the Apostle is concordant with the Samaritan
Pentateuch, wiiich, by preserving the two passages, they
and iheirjcdhcrs, and iit the land of Canaan, which are lost
ol tho present copies of the Hebrew text, has lescued
this passage from all obscurity and contradiction. It may
be necessary to observe that the Alexandrian Septuagint
his the same reading as the Samaritan. The Samaritan
Pentateuch is allowed by many learned men to exhibit
the most correct copy of the five books of JMoses, and the
Alexandrian coi)y of the Septuagint must also be allowed
to be one of the most authentic as well as most ancient
<?opies of this version which we possess.

As to St. Paul, no one will dispute the authenticity of
his statement ; and thus in the mouth of these three
most respectable witnesses, the whole account is most in-
dubitably established. That these three witnesses have
the truth the chronology itself proves j for, from Abra-
ham's entry into Canaan to the birth of Isaac was 25 years,
iien. XII., 4; 17, 1, 21. Isaac was 60 years old at the birth
of Jacob. Gen. XXV., 20. And Jacob was 130 aJ his go .

lin

THIS COMING or caKisf .

Sng down into Egypt (Gen. 48, 9), which three sums mUke
215 years. And then Jacob and his children hating con-
tinued in Egypt 215 years more the whole sum of 430 years
is regularly completed. '< And that nation Whom they
shall serve will I Judge.'^ The fulfilment

of this prediction in the Egyptian plagues
has passed into a proverb. The Water turned in-
to blood, the frogs, the lice, the files, the slaughter of the
cattle, the bluins and boils, the hail^ the locusts, the dark-
ness to be felt, the death of the lifst-borti^ and finally the
destruction of Pharaoh and his hosts, form a chapter of
judgments without parallel. *^ They shall come out with
greut substance;" The record tersely says, " they spoiled
the Egyptians," ''Thou ahalt go to thy lathers in peace j^
thou slialt be buried in a good old age." Wo are told,
*♦ And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life
which he lived, a hundred and three score and fifteen
years. And he died in a good old age, an old man and
full of years, and was gathered to his people." Though
not an aged man as compared with his fathers, he was an
old man ni V.:?, own generation. The Words ** of vettrs''
do not occnv i.^. the original. The sense ib*, rather, old and
satisfied with lilo.

'< In the fourth generation they shall come hither
again." This passage is explained by the previous term
given to the wanderings o! Abraham's seed — four hun-
dred years. When this time expired they were to return.
We now come to the evidence that the promise of the typ-
ical land to the typical seed has been fulfilled. _ ,

But we first remark, that it is not contended that the
original covenants or promises, and the first allusions to
them, are iri themselves perfectly clear. They are often
obscure, andf like other prophecies, purposely so. They
are aometimes mingled, as the painter mingles the ob

J«1
bi

spl

ani
th

jects of a landBcape in hiu iirsi ouiiineB upon the canv.is.
but, a8 htli^subsequent skilful touches bring out the pro-
spective .'in(i assign each object its relative position, so
subsequent revelation assigns type and antitype, snadow
and substance, to their respective at^es with a precision
that need nut be mistaken.

Thus we find the land of Canaan sometimes spoken of
m the Old Testament as the heritage of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. But when the clear liuht of the Gospel shines
we have no more such allusions, but are told in plain
woriie that the promise to Abraham was that * he should
be heir to the world j "the field is the world,' ^' the
meek shall inherit the earth, an<( the promised restit •-
ution of "all things ' is found to be in the New Marth.
2 Pet., Hi, Rev. XXI.

Canaan being the type of the full inheritance, and in-
cluded in it, could in the times of types and shadows,
while the promises were still involved in some obscurity,
be most properly spoken of as the inheritance of the fa-
thers. It is on precisely this principle that the sacrifices
of goats and calves and bullocks are spoken of as making
an atoni3ment for sin, although we know that it is impossi-
ble that it should do so. Heb X., 4.

They were jowerless in themselves, yet by a common
tigure of speech were spoken of as accomplishing that
which they lould oi^jly typify — the true atonement

Returning to our subject, we first prove the promise «tf
Canaan to the literal Israel was conditional, by the fact
that of the generation which waa delivered out of Egypt,
according to the word of the Lord to Moses, only two en-
tered the land of promise, Caleb and Joshua. And tiie
reason why is plainly stated : it was because of a failure
to fulfil the conditions. They refused to believe God, and
the fiat went forth that because of unbelief they should

1 1

THK (!OMIN(; OF ('HRIST.

l» '

not, enWr m. Hob HI., 18, 19, See also Ex. IH., 8,!6,I7;
Xl!l,5: XX[[I 2:J33; Num. XIV, 27-;il. But^llliDUgh
tliosf to whom it whr Hrst promised failed to 'nter the
land the purpose of God was not foiled, their ehildren en-
tered in '.\vn\ possessed it.

Therefore, Joshua testifies ( rum.XXrV , 8-1 13) <»And
I brought you into the land ol the \morites, which dwelt
on the other si<le .lord.in and they fought with you and 1
ga^'e them into your hands, that ye might possess their
linds: and f destroyed them before you ♦ * ♦ • ■<•
And ye went over fordan and came to lericho ; and the
men of Jericho fought against you, the Araorites and the
Perizzites and 'Janaanites and tn*^ ilittit«s and the fJir
gashites, the Flivites and the Jebusites: a/i7 I dfilive.'cd
fh^'.yn hifo i/our han / * * And 1 htre r/h)en t/oii (i land

for which yp did not Jahnr"

This testimony of Joshua is confirmed, and the tact es-
tablisherl beyond any controversy, that the type, the pro-
mise of Gen. XV, 18-21, has been fulfilled by the testim-
ony of Nehemiah (ch. IX, 7,8) <' Thou art the Lord the
God who didst choose Abram, and brought him forth out
of Uy of the Chaldees, ind gavest him the name of Abra
ham, and foundest his heart faithful before Thee, and
madest a covenant with him to give hitn the land of the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites and Perizzites and
Jebusites and the Girgashites, to give it to his seed, and
HAST PERFORMED THY WORDS 5 for Thou ^art righteous."

Reader, mark the language. Naming the very Can-
aanitish nations of which God spake to Abram, he says of
their land, that God promised *' to give it I say (not to him
but) to hi": seed ;" ns if he desired to be understood
that this promise did not include A brah am himself, but
only his natural seed. And then he adds the unimpeach-
able testimony that God performed his words. The type

TIIK COMING OK (MIRIST.

,!6,I7;
hougli
»r the
en on

<'AnH

tiwelt
and 1

thoir

<1 the
lul the
B fiir
zJive.'ed
a land

tact es-
he pro
testim-
I'ci the
th out
A bra
and
of the
3S and
\d. and
us."
'y Can-
says of
bo him
rstoc^d
11, but
peach-
3 type

lb complete.

1'assin.g h'oni thn l> po to anti-type, wc nKpiire :

(1) VV hat Wiis the territory molud^d in the promise <»l
(ien. Xlil,, 14, 15? And we insw^i-, it was thj eartli —
this globe renewed in the restitution ol' ull tilings 8pok(jn
by the mouth of holy pro[>hets. Acts (II, 21. We liave
alreatiy con ;lu<ied iha.t the promises vvfie not io be ful-
tilled to Ab. aham in a state of mortality.

In this view we are contirmetl by the vpostie Paul, who
says, that when A'»ram was called to go out into a place
he sliould alter receive for an inheritance, he obeyed, and
by faith sojourned in the land ol promise as in a strange
country as also did Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him to the
same promise.

»* For he looke(' f r a city which hath foundations whose
builder and maker is God.' Heb. XI, 8, 9, 10. I'hese,
with countless others, ' died in faith, not having received
the promi es, but confessed themselves strangers and pil
grims upon the ea.th. ' Yet they declaictl plainly they
sought a country and desired a better country,ct.vjyt ./ iicao-
en'y. Mark, they neither sought nor expected heaven,
but a heavenly country.

' Wherefore." says the record, *' God is not ashamed to
be called their God (because they had laith in his prom-
ise, through Abram, of a country; for He hath prepared
for them a city,' as Abram expected. And Taul contin-
ues the long list of worthies embraced in the A'brahamic
covenant, who looked to the immortal state for their re-
ward, including tliose who »< were tortured, not accepting
deliverance, that they might vbla/u a heller re^urreciion,'^
and concludes by saying that th -se all, from Abel down,
having obtained a good report by taitu, received not the
fulfilment of the promise, <' Go i having promised some
better thing for us, that they wUhnit an shuii'd not be nuide

THK COMING OF CHRIST.

';)*
W'

perfect.*'

Our conclusion from the record tkat the promise to
Abram and his seed, related to the immortal and not to
tlie mortal state, thus confirmed, is still further strength-
ened, or we may say is established as truth by the testi-
mony of Stephen (Acts VH, 1-5), who declares explicitly
that Abraham received no inheritance whatever in this
earth. *^ For he .4;ave him none inheritance in it, no, act
so much as to set his foot on. Yet He promised that He
woul i give it to him for a po:»session and to his seed after
him."

So it [ippears that all the estate Abraham ever got or
held in this T/orld was the common inheritance of Adam's
children a burial place. An I yet Paul explicitly de-
clares that the promise was <• th;i,t he should bo Hjh- of
th- Woiid'^ — the KOSMOi- the physical globe. Rom.lV',13.
The pron>ise will be fulhllod ; but Abraham will not be
made perfect without ' us,'' savs Paul lo the church.—
Heb. XI., 39-40

Who can doubt ?

2. We next inquire. Who are included in the expres-
sion, •• To thee and thy seed ?"

Can thia '♦ seed ' be -he same spoken ot as destined to
crush the h ad of the serpent;' Gen. III., 15.

Can it be the great •* seed'" of David, destined to reign
without end on tite throne of Israel? Luke 1, 33.

Let us again hear Paul :

<* Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises
made (the promises involving eternal redemption). Ho
saith not, and to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to
thy seedj which is Christ " Gal. 3, J6.

This is the key to open tne Abrahamic gospel. The
bars of obscurity in prediction are turned aside by the
key of inspired Interpretation.

THE COMING OF OHRIST,

id to

The
the

I.et us, thi^n, not interpret interpretations, hut receive
and behevc them. ^Ve find, then, that thr^ part'es ti this
covenant are Abr.iham anri (,'hrist. Abraham is included
aa the chosen progenitor of the typical people, of vvhoui
is salvation, for from them sprung the Messiah, anci of
whom we real : ** I say the truth in Christ ; I lie not, my
conscience al-^o bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
that 1 have great h ^aviness and continual sorrow in my
heart. For I could wish that myself were aocur8e<l from
Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the
flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adop-
tion, arid the glory, and the covenants, -ind tho giving of
the law, and the service of God, and the promises ; whose
are the fathers, and of whom us concerning the flesh
Christ came, who is over all, God blessel forever. Amen '
Rom. IX, 1-5.

If this were all in this connection it might be urged
that the Jews had broken the covenant and brought the
whol' scheme to naught. But j'aul only introduces this
language in order to meet this very objection.

He wishes to show that however their bacRsliding
might afiect them and their relations to the. promises, it
could by no means destroy th* promise of God in (/hrist.
Anct whv •/ Because it is *<not as though the word of God
had taken non-ett'ect. For they are noi alt Isr ;cl which are
of Israel', neither because they are the seed of Abraham
are they g,ll children : i)Ut in Isaac shall thy eeed be called.
That is, they which are the children ot the flesh, these are
not the children of God, but the children of promise are
counted for the seed." Rom. IX, 6-8.

Can any explanation make these words clearer ?

Paul haa been talking of the promised resurrection,
restitution and glorification. The natural seed, or chil-
dren of the flesh, are noi all children or heirs of God, joint

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

hoirs with (Jhrist to the promises, but they belong to a

cImss called " the chilaien oT the promise.
Who are they 1

Let Paul answer, * Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are
the children of promise." Gal. IV, 28. Not * born after
the flesh, but chih^^en hy faith.'' liut the scripture hath
concludeci all under sin. that th« promise by iaith of Jesus
Christ might be given to them that believe. (Comp
Rom XI, 32.

There is neither Jew nor Greek ; there is neither bond
nor free j there is neither male nor female ; for ye are all
one in Christ Jesus. And it ye be Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. '

The foregoing language shuts us up to the faith
that neither sex, condition nor nationality have any
weight in determining who shall be partakers in the pro-
mises ot God in Chiist Jesus. To be Christ's, or to be the
children of God through faith in Oim is the sole test of
participation.

'< The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that
we are the children of God ; and if children, then heirs }
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we
sutler with Him tSUt we may also be glorified together. ' —
Rom. VIII, 16-17.

It was '* afar off" in point of time, that Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob beheld the fruition of the promises ; but each
succeeding generation has brought the people of God
nearer the time when, reigning over the redeemed earth,
*' Christ shall sit upon the throne of His glory," Ills peo
pie of every age and clime redeemed and glorified toge-
ther with him.

The Seer of Patmos caught a glimpse of this scene. He
says, ** I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no mm
could number, of all nations, and kindreds and peop'e, and

THE COMINtJ OF CHRIST

to a

ks, are
1 after
I hath
Jesus
Z)omp

' bond
we all
are ye

faith
e any
le pro-
be the
test of

it that

heirs ;

hat we

er. * —

I, Isaac
It each
if God
earth,
[s peo-
toge-

|e. He

m in

tongues, stood ber)re tho throne and bo for • the Lamb,
clothed with white robes, and palnus in their hands; and
cried with n loud voicp, saying. Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon the throne an«l unio the Lamb. And
all the angels -tood round about the throne, un(i about the
Elders an<l th( four beasts, anci fell before the throne on
their faces, and worshippe^d God saying, Amen, blessing
and glory, and wisdom and t lanksgiviniz and honor and
pover and might, be unto our God i"V ever and ever. —
Amen. And one of the elders ans^wered, saying unto me,
What are these which are arrayed i»; white robes, and
whence came they? And I said unto him. ."^ir thou
knowest. And he said to me, these are thev which came
out of great tribulation, and ha\e washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Tiierefore
are they before the throne of God, and seive Him day
and night in His temple j and He that sitteth on th ».
throne shall dwell among them. ': hey shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light
on them nor any heat ^".)r the Lamb which is in the
midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them
unto living fountains ot waters, and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes." Rev. VII, 9 17. The Psalms
and Prophets

Having trace! the Abrahamic covenants, we will next
adduce testimony from the Prophets.

In the second psalm the following language is recorded
as an address of the Father to the Messiah. : Ask of
Me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inherit-
ance, and the uttermost i)art8 of the earth for thy posses-

sion

This passage is often quoted by the Protestant sects as
indicative of the conversion of the world. But, unfor.u
nately for this popular unfounded theory, the context

1 '
1

THE COMING OP OHRIST.

^*ff

connects the fulfilment of this prophetic promise in Ian.
guage ttiat nee<i not be mistaken with the judgment and
destruction of the impenitent. For the Prophet says in
the next verse, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of ironj
thyn shalt dat^h ihtm in pieces like a potter's vessel, "which
is lulfilleii, not in the conversion ot the nation , but in
their perdition -'♦ the treading of the wine-press of the
Heiceness and wrath of Almighty God." (Revelations
XiX, 15).

In Psalms l XV 1 6 we read that the heaven, even the
heavens, are the Lord's, but the • arth hath He* given un-
to the children oT men." and in another place the Psalm,
ist tells us who of the children of men are to be heirs to
ihis glorious inheritance, and how long they are to con-
tinue in possession.

Seven times in the thirty-seventh Psulm, is the eartU
promised to the meek or righteous tor an eternal abode.
"Trust in the Lord and do goo<l : so shalt thou dwell in
the land (earth) • * ♦ Evil aoers shall be cui off; but
thost that w;iit upon Thee, O Lord, they shall inherit the
earth * • ♦ The meek shall inherit the earth, and
shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace * *

The Lord knoweth the days of the upright and their in-
heritance shall be forever.

For such as be blessed of him shall iniierit the earth.

The righteous shall inherit the land (earth) and dwell
therein forever.

Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and he shall ex-
alt thee to inherit the land ] when the wicked are cut of}'
thou shalt see it." f his last passage fixes the period
when the inheritance of which the Psalmist has been dis-
coursing will be conferred.

£t IS not m this life, not at death, but after tlie punish
ment or ' cutting off" of the ungodly, who are ^'reserved

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

iiT in-

th.
[well

In ex-
it off
leriod
dis-

Inisb
rved

unto the day of judgment to be punished. '

By no fair rftasonmg can this seven times repeateii pro-
mise be applied this side of the day of judgment, conse-
quently it must refer to the new earth, wherein only the
righteous shall dwell, which Peter and Kevelator saw be-
yond the burning day.

In harmony with this view the wise man, in his \ roverbs,
(eh. II, 21), exhorts tc holy living: ''For the upright
shall dwell in the land (earth), and the pe^-fect shall re-
main in it ; but the wicked shall be cut oH' from the earth,
and the transgressor shall be rootea out of it."

JSor can this language, more than that of the Psalmist,
be by any consistent exegesis applied to the two < lasses
in this present world. Here the vvicke<i often flourish
like the green bay tree, while the righteous are prema-
turely cut off. But there ib a time and place appointed
for the adjustment oi the inequalities of this life, and it is
doubtless with reference to this, that Solomon says, again,
that the '' righteous shall be recompensed in the earth '^

much more the wicked and the sinner." Prov. XI, 18

God made the earth for man, and man to live on the
earth. Here he lives ; here he dies ; here he will receive
the appointed penalty, it a sinner j and here he will live
forover, if a partaker of the promises of 3od in Christ
Jesus.

Isaiah is pre-eminently the prophet of the restitution. —
Our limits forbid ua to quote at large the glowing num-
bers in which he treats ol that land whose »< inhabitants
shall not say E am sick," whose d^^illers '* shall be forgiv-
en their iniquity."

By him God says : ^' Behold I create new heavens and
new ^arth, and the former shall not be remembered nor
come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that
which 1 create j tor behold 1 create Jerusalem a rejoicing,

!•

THE COMIXO OF CHRIST.

and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerudalem
and joy in my people ; and the voice of weeping ohall no
i.iore be heard in her, nor the voi ce of crying."

There is no mi staking thi^ imagery.

Its features are identical with the new heavens and
earth, or New Jerusalem of the Apocalypse. It is the re-
stitution, the re-genesis of our now sin-burdehed earth.

We pass over other more or less distinct allusions of
the prophets, and take up the New Testament, which we
shall find not only corroborating, elaborating and clearly
defining the Old Testament doctrine of ♦he saints' inheri-
tance.

In our Lord's first public discourses he reaffirms the in-
spired utterance of the Psalmist: "The m<^ek shall in-
herit the earth."

Why attempt to spiritualize, or figure away an affirma-
tion which in its literal construction harmonises perfectly
with so many other passages of the Word, including the
Saviour's teachings elsewhere/

For having taught the doctrine of the inheritance in lit
eral terms, he also sets it forth in a parable found in Matt
XIII, 44 : <' The Kingdom of Heaven is likened mito a
treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found he
hideth, end for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he
hath and buyeth the field. '

We know this language is applied to the conversion of
men. but we are convinced that this is a serious mistake.
Can those who when they have exerted their utmost are
only '< unprofitable s rvants, ' purchase salvation ? And
with this view what does the field re present ?

In the parable he who buys parcbases the field for the
sake of the treasure hidden in it *

Is religion a hidden ireunurey accidentally discovered P —
Is it not, on the contrary, offered to all openly and freely.^

the

May not whosoever will have it without money and with-
out price f

Let us, therefore, look for a more exegesis of the para-
hie. We find a key to this, as also to a number of the
parables, in the explanation of that immediately preced-
ing the one under consideration.

'' Thefipld is the worldy^ says Jesus j not the aion, but
the EOSMOS ; that which Paul asserts was embraced in the
Abrahamic promise. Kom. IV., 13.

And is there a treasure peculiarly precious to our Re-
deemer hid away in the bosom of earth f

Let Macphelah answer. Yea, let the waiting ones in
SHBO'., sleepers in the du?t of the earth (Dan. XII, 2), from
righteous Abel down, reply :

The gatps of hades are not to prevail aiiainst the Church
of God. rhry are a ransomed, yea. a redeemed people. —
It was JeBU« Christ who left the glory he had with the Fa*
thei' before the world was (Phil. IT, 6 8 j John XVII, 5),
and although he was rich, yet for our sake forsook all and
became poor (2 Cor., VIII, 9), took part of flesh and
blood, or our mortal nature, that he might die for us, and,
pourmg out his blood, he '* purchased the Church of God."
Acts XX, 28.

Yes, he was dead ; but he rose a conqueror, bearing in
his hands the keys of hades (Rev. I, 18), with power to
fulfil the words of the Prophet — <' I will ransom them
from death ; O, death, I will be thy plagues ; grave, I
will be thy destruction." Hosea XIII, 14.

Then shall this mortal put on immortality ; then death
fihall be swallowed up in victory. I Cor. XV., 51-54. We
cannot be mistaken.

The field of the parable is the earth j the treasure Is
that " peculiar people, that <' holy nation " (2 Peter II, 9)
who are <' sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which

TH!<: COMING OF CHRIST.

tf*

(»■•,

IS the earnest of our inherifance (the earth made new), un-
til the redemption of the pxirv flawed possession J unto the
praise of liis glory." Eph I, :3 14

Our hearts burn within us while we commune with the
holy men, whom God inspired to write such heavenly,
blessed and glorious promises.

Kind reader, bet'ori* 1 bring this fi^-st chapter to a close,
I shall refer to a few passages of deep interest, bearing on
the joy and endless felicity of the saints in the kingdom
of God. The Apostle Peter, after describing the dissolu-
tion of this heaven and earth, says: •♦ Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new
earth; wherein dwelleth righteousness."

From this languago of the Apostle we learn that God
has promised to give us a new Heaven and a new earth.
And we find this promise recorded in Isaiah LXV. 17 : —
'* For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and
the former (that which ve have now) shall not bo remem-
bered nor comejnto mind. But be glad and rejoice for
ever in that which I create, for, behold, 1 create Jerusalem
a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And 1 will rejoice in
Jerusalem and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping
shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. —
And they shall build houses and inhabit them^ and they
shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They
shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant
and another eat ; for as the days of a tree are the days of
my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the wor!; of
their hands. 'Ihey shall not labor in vain (blessed prom-
ises to induce the chri>tian here to diligence), nor bring
forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessed of the
Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come
to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they
are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

shall tee(i togetlier, and the lion shall <i;it straw liko the
buUocU, and dust sJull be the serpent's meat 'Hi^y shall
not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountnin, saith the
Lord"

Jf the foregoing language froai the lipsof lehovah is not
sufficient to warm tho hearts o every true Christian. I
know not what.

Again, *'And it shall come to pas« in that day, Ilia a
man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep ; a*ul it
shall come to pass, for the abundance of mil ; (hat tliey
shall give h© shall eat butter, for butter an<i honey
shall everyone eat thai is left in the land ' (Dr new earth)
Isaiah VII, 21-22.

«• The wolf also shall dwell with th^ lamb and the leop-
ard shall he down with the kid, an i the calf and tlio
young lion and the fatling together, and a little child
shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed j
their young ones shall lie down together j and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall
play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child sliall
put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not
hurt nor destroy in all my holy mount:un,for the earth shal
be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters over
the sea." Isaiah XI, 6-9.

The sublimity — heavenly — glorious— joyful —blessed in-
telligence imparted unto us, in the above language from
Jehovah, is sufficient of itself to make Clod s children long
for the coming of Christ, when they shall be put in full
possefision of the promises. Amen. Again

For brass 1 will bring gold, and for iron 1 will bring sil-
ver, rfnd for wood brass, and for stones iron I will also
make my officers peace, and thine executors righteous
ness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wast-
ing nor destruction within thy borders, but thou s halt call

0\j

THE COMING OF CHRIST

^♦•fc.

thy wallsjSHlvation ;jnd thy gatos praise. The sun shall
be no more thy light by <lfiv ; neither tor brightness sliall
the moon givo light unto thee :but I ho Lor 1 shall be thino
(iverlasting light, nnH the days of thy mourning shall be
ended. Thy people also shall he all righteous, th<*y shall
inherit the land (new earth) for ever, the branch of my
planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. —
A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a
strong nation : I, the Lord, will hasten it in His time." —
Isniah, LX, 17-22.

''That our sons may hi as plants grown up in their
youth, tJuii our daughters may be as corner stones, polish •
pd after the similitude of a palace. That our garners may
be full, attording all manner of store. That our sheep
may bring forth thousands and ten thousands m our
streets. That our oxen may be strong to labor. That
there be no br^akmg in nor going out. That there be no
complaining in our streets, Flappy is that people, that is
m such a case : yea, happy is that people whose God is
ihe Lord "—Psalms CXLIV, 12-15.

'< And thoujh the Lord give yo ji the bread of adversity
and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be
remove I into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see
thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind
thee, saying This is the ^ay, walk ye ih it, when ye turn
to the right hand, an I when ye turn to the left. Then
shall he give the rain of thy seed, and thou shalt sow the
ground withal j and bread of the increase of the earth,and
it shall be fat and plenteous : \n that day shall thy cattio
feed in large pastures. The oxen likewise and the young
asses that eat the ground shall eat clean provender^which
hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.--
And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon
every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of

THE COMING OF CiL.LST.

1 shall
s shall
thino
lall be
y shall

of my
•ified.—

one a
irae.*' —

n their

f polish*

ers may

r sheep

in our

. That

e be no

that is

God is

iversity
lers be
all see
behind
re turn

Then
ow the
rth^and

cattle

young
•^which

fan.—
I upon

day of

th) gr. at slaughter, when the towers (or churchtjs) f 11.
Moreover the light of the moon shtill be as the li^'hl of
the sun (or the night there as brlgnt as our days aie at
at present) And the liiiht af the sun shall be sevenfold,
as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord wind-
etit up the branch of his people, and healeth the stroke of
their wound." isaiah XXX, 20-2 '..

''In that pay will I raise up the tabernacle of David ihat
is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will
raise up his ruins, and 1 will build it as in the days oi' old.
That tney may possess the remnant ot lildom, and oi all
the heathen, which are cailed by my name, saith ihe Lord
that doeth this. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that the plowmen shall overtake the i^aper, and the
treader of grapes him thot soweth soed ; and the moun-
tains shall drop sweet wine, and the hills shall melt. And
1 will bring again the captivity of my people oi Israel, anrl
they shall build the west cities and inhabit them ] and
they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof;
they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit ol them.—
And I will plant them upon their land (new earth), and
they shall no more be pulled up out of their land (or new
earth) which I have given them saith the Lord thy God."
Amos IX, 11-15.

The reader, by reading Ez-^kiel, chapter forty-eight, can
see the land divided amongst the twelve tribes of the
children of Israel. And as Christ sprung from the tribe
of Judah, every Gentile con veri shall have their inheri-
tance among that tribe.

It can also be seen that the name of the metropolis will
be from that day the Lord is there. Who can refuse to
comply with the Gospel of the Son of God, having such
flawing, blessed, heavenly, glorious, sweet and cheering
promises giren us to stimulate to holy living.

THE COMrO OP CHRIST.

A young man came to Christ, and inquirod : « Good
Mastor, what good thing shall I do that I may havo eter-
nal life .' And ho said unto him, why callegt thou me
goo(i f them is non«s good but one, thai is (iod 5 but if thou
wiU ent*r into life keep the commandments. lie saith
unto him, Which? Jesus said Thou shalt cio no murder,
Thou shalt not commit adultery,Thou shalt not steal, Thou
shalt not bear false witne^s, Honor thy father and thy
mother, and ihou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The
young man said unto him. All these things have I kept
from my youth up, what lack 1 yot :' Jesus said unto him
If thou wilt be pertect— what everyone should be, and
what everyone must be before they can be possessors of
the New Earth Go and sell what thou hast and give to
the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and
come and follow me."

This young man, truly, was exemplary.

Where is the person that can say they have kept God's
commandments from their youth up? • ?'

And yet there was a lack, which if he rtfused to com-
ply with, will shut him out of the kingdom.

God help the reader to obey God from the heart, and
come out from all sectarianism — Papist and Protestantism.
For they all say, <that no one can keep the command-
ments of God ' ■'••'■'' ' • ' •

And 1 say, on the authority of God s word, that when
we say we love God, and keep not his commandments, we
are " liars and the truth is not in us." The command-
ments of God are the line of demarcation. The children
of God keep them, and are owned and blessed for so do-
ing.

The wicked and sinner break them, and the fiery in-
dignation which shall devour them, consume them, burn
them up — root and branch — , will ere long prey upon

« Good
^^o eter-
hou me
t if thou
le saith
murdorj
3al,riiou
md thy
If. The

I kept
nto him

be, and
ssors of
give to
en, and

>t God's

to com-

trt, and
tantism.
mmand-

.t when
ents, we
immand-
children
• so do-

iery in-
m, burn
y upon

THE COMINO nv CHRIST. 33

tlipm. •

A certain woman said to our Saviour. *' Blossod is the
womb that l)are thoe and tho pap winch thou liast sucked.
Rut lie said, Yoa, rather blessed arc they that hear thf
word of God, and keep it "

Search from GeieKis to llevolation, and yon will lind
that there is no salvation j-hort of keepi ig (lod's com-
mands and tho faith of Jesus.

Although the reader is conversant with ^he law ot iod,
yet I shall renew his memory by brmging them promin-
ently to his notice. They are but ten m numbei, ;• id the
only writing we have in the handwriting of Jehovah Him-
self. Read them, they are blessed m their entirenose.

•' And God spake all the^e words, saymg, 1 am the Lord
which have brought thee out of the land of E.uypt, out of
the house cf bondage. Thou shalt have no other Gods
before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness ot anyikUnj that is in heaven above
or that IS in the eiirth beneath, or that is in the water un-
der the earth. Thou shalt not bovt down themself to them
nor serve them, for I the Lord thy God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity cf the fathers upon the children, un-
to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me
and keep my commandments."'

This blessed second commandment is almost universal-
ly violated.

Go where you please you will find the artist with his gal-
lery, ready for the commandment-breakers to come in and
have their likeness taken. Go to the general run of hou-
ses, there you will find a large volume called an album. —
This is their Bible. Yea, I fear this is t'leir God. Who
doubts it ? I don't. -

'< Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in

i ■

i HE COMING OF CEIHIST.

vain, for the Lord Wiil not hi fid h'wn guilth^ss that titketh
his r nne in vain. Ren.'.^mber the Sabbath clay to keep it
lioly. Six (lays shalt thou labor and do all thy work, bcU
the Seventh day is tlie Sabbat-ti ol the Loi'«i thy God. ! < it
thou shalt not lO any work thou nor thy son nov thy
daughter, tliy man servant, noi thy maid servant, nor thy
ofittle, nor tny stranger that is within thy gates. tor in
six days the Lord made heaven and eartii ihesea and all
that in them is and rer.edthe seventh day, wiierelbre Liie
Lord blessed the Sabbadi «!ay and iialloweu it.'

Reader, thjs cornman(iment. like tiie second, is broken
all over the earth, and the busie t lay o\' the vhole week
IS the Sabbath.

And for it wo have the institution of the Church o^^
Rome — the Pagan Sunday — com nonly caiied the first day
of tne week. Tne Church of Rome makes laws, and the
Protestants keep them *Viih (jeiteot submisbion, and «uso
bey the Creator of heaven and earth. >

Oh, woef li times.

'' Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may
be long upon the la.ul (new earth), which the Lord thy
Coa giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not
commit adultery. Thou sh^yi not steal. Phou shalt not
bear false witness against ihy neighbor. rh*)U s^alt not
covet thy neighbor's house ; thou shalt not cove, thy
neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his
maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor .mything that is
thy neighbor's.

The above are God's divine commands. Keep them all
faithfully, the one as well as the other, for in the keeping
of them there is great and eternal reward.

In conjunction with God s ten commands we must also
keep the faith of Jesus.
The faith of .Jesus ie as follows :
First, repentance ; 2nd, baptism by immersion; third,

THE COMING OF CHlliST.

?>')

t;jketh
> keep it
•rk, bat

>d. I:, , t

lor th}

nor thy

Koi' in

tore the

broken
i vve ek

rch of
sf clay
d the
d <iiso

may

thy

not

nof

not

thy

his

hilt is

*mall

ing

also

hird,

the Lord's upi)«r: fourth, t'eot vvisliing: til'ilj. that vve
love one .mother

And, remade! , to en^.oiirage y'>u in ihis heiivenly work.
see Kev. XIV \2 \ ' Here is the penanoc of the ^-.'lints :
here are they thut keep the comtnandni'Mits ol ;0(1 Mid
the faith of lesus. '

80 you ean see there is a, remnant — not \\\ ny — that are
strenuously in these evil times keeping both tlin cum-
mandinents of God and faith of Jesus. And m order si ill
to stimulate the intelligent reader^ I will briuj^ to his no-
tice the City of the living (jod, tiie Ne'v Jerusalem, tiicj
city ol the great King.

And we nan have no b'^itm' description of it liian vve
can have from the pen of John tiie Revelatoc, in chapter
XXr, J0d6:

" And h" carried me away in the spirit to a great and
high mountain, and sn')wed ii:e that g;'(:!at city, t .e ii>)ly
•Jerusalem, descending oui of heaven from (iori, having
the glory ot (jlod, and her light wa,: like unto a stone most
precious, even like jasper stone, clear as crystal, and -lad
a wall great and high, and liad twelve gates, and at llie
gates twelve angels, and names written tl^ leon, which
are the names ot the twelve tribts of the children of L^ra.
el. (>n the east three gates, on the north three gates, on
(he south thr^e gates, and on tiie west three gates. And
the wail of the city had twelve foundations, and in
them the names ot the twel\ e apostles of the Lamb. And
he that talked with me had a golden reed to measuie tin'
city, and the gates thereof, antt ihe walls thereof. Ami
the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as largv^ as the
breadth; aufi he measured the city with the reed, twelvn
thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and t e
height ot it are equal.'

"Twelve thousand furlongs," or 1500 miles in '• 1 ugth,

THE COUr.O OP CflRIS T.

1!'

breadth and height."

It we leave oue-haU' tor tti().^t> g<»h,h?n streets, \hica are-
as ' transparent glass, ' we divide tlie remaini-g portion
of the city into rooms 16 feet square, and the same in
height, it would contain 6), j43, 687, 500,000,000 rooms, that
is sixty quadrillions, six hundred and forty-three trillions,
six hundred and eighty seven billions, tive hundred mil
lions. Wuil might our Saviour say: "in my Father's
house are many mansions."

It we allow but 25 years to a generation and could su[«
pose th;it during each generation there had lied 1,200,
600,OUO persons, we would have only :'^88, 144,000, 100 :
hence, if a room of the dimensions we have given were as-
signed to every indivi iual who has Uvea on this earlh,
there would yet remain in our Father s h')use— the New
Jerusalem, the Glorious City of our Uod— more than 60,643
39 J, 356, 000,00 ; rooms unoccupied. VVtdl might all the
faitbtul with Abraham, say : " For he looked for a city
which hath foundations, whose builder and raai;er is God.'
Well might King D tvid say, '' As we have heard, so have
we seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts in th" city of our
God: God will establish it forever. Selah. We have
thought of thy loving kindness O God, in tho insist of thy
temple According to thy name, O God, so is J y praise
unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of right-
eousness. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of
Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. Walk about
Zion, and go aroundabout her ; tell the towers ttiereof. —
Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye
may tell it to the generation following. '

In view of such glorious blessings who would not ex
ciiim, Glory to God ! and walk crcumspeotly, redeeming
the time, as the days are few and full of evil.

THE OOM!V(} OF CiiaST.

Peter says, •' But as lie wliicli liath called us is holy so
be ye holy in all manner of conversation, ! ecause it is
written, Be ye holv for 1 am holy. And if ye call on the
Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according
to every man's wo^k, pass the time of your sojourning
here in fear " 1 Pet.. I, 151S.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that
ye may be able to withstand m the evil day (or time of
trouble— three months before the Lord's commg),and hav-
ing done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate
of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparanon
of the gospel of peace, above all taking the shield of
f.'iith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked.

For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we
look for the Saviour — the Lord Jesus Christ-, and re-
joice in the Lord always, and let your moderatian be
known unto all men.

The Lord is at hand.

<' rinaliy, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatso.
ever tliinga are honest, whatsoever things are just, what-
soever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any vir-
tue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. '

Beware lest any man spoil y ou through vain philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rud
ments of the world, and not after Christ.

Mortify therefore your members who are upon the
earth-^fornication, uncleanness, mordinate affection, evil
con<'upiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry.

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

Twill leave this first nhapter with the intelligent rea<I-
er, in its present shape, ."or his stu(iy and contemplation
and proceeed toshow th ^ evi'^ence of the coming of
rhriit in '8834 as given in the blessed Bible. ' * ^

-• \

read-
'lation.
ing of

CHAi'TER I J

■fHBCoMiNO OF Christ in Olory. with ai.i, IU.s IIoiy
Anoels, to Raise the DludSaixts, axd ciianue thu r,n'.
ivo Saints, when they au, shall be put in Possession of
<Ji.ORY, Honor and I mortality— Eternal Life.

That Christ has beei once upua earth, some 1850 years
ago, and that iJe will come again th.^ second time, a great
many beheve, but that his coming vvrii ,,e known to anv
there are but ;i lew believe

r thmk an^l vrily believe to be able to show to the sa-
tisfaction of all that take the Floly Soriptur.s for then-
guide, the lime that Christ will come the secoivl time,
without '' sin-offering unto salvation."

But only on condition that we " look for Him, and love

His appearing,' that He has promised to come and save
us

r cannot see nor do 1 t.elieve that any person can be ..
<^hristian, and not love the appearing of Christ I know
there is a great profession now-a-days. but ivhen we com.
pare their action and conduct lo their profession, we fear
that they are like Belshazzar, and when weighed in the
balance, shall be found wantiuiT.

The disiples of Christ, when Be informed them that
lie was going to leave them, were grieved and troubled in
their mmds, tor losing a blessed -kind-and affectionate
^•aviour,said,^*Let not your heart be troub ed; ye believe in
<^od, believe also in me. In my Father's house are manv

«■'

I' ■

■ ■fii.

THE I'OMINTr OF CHRIST.

mansions ; it if icerc not so I would have tolc' you. I ^'O to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare. a placn
for you I will come again, and receive you unto myself,
that where I. am, there ye may be also. Christ did go away
and lett thei.!, ' while they beheld, He was taken up: and
a cloud received him out of sight." When (Jhrist t/ont
away, he went away from the mount of Olivet, and at his
return, his feet will stand again on the same mount. See
Acts T, 9 12. Zech. XIV, 4. Reader — there are two texts
as they stand in our Bibles, that nre made great use of by
the — so called — saint, and sinner. One is to be found in
Acts the first, and 7th verse : * It is not lor you to know
the times o.* the seasons, whi di the Father hath put in his
own power. ' Here, kind reader, those mockers, stop,—
but we shall read the next verse. Acts 1, 8. " But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you. and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jer-
usalam, and in ad Judea, and in Satnarie, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth." Truly, there is nothing in
the scotter's quotation in this place. For at the time our
Savio-r told them it w^s not for them to know; the Rev-
elator, the Holy Spirit, was not given ; but after, the Holy
Spirit came. He giveth all information — but only to the
true servants of God— none else.

The next text that is in the mouth of every person, is :
'' But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but
the Father." The reader can perceive in this
place, that Christ spake in the present tense ; He does
not say no person ever should know ; had he done so, I
would give it up. What benefit would it be to the discip-
les of Christ, 1850 years ago, to know the day and hour of
His coming — nor the next fifteen generations after them,
inasmuch as Christ well knew that his coming would not

THE COMING OP CHRIST.

^^o to

lyselt,
) away
> ; and

tvont
at his
. See
> texts
^ of bv
unci in

know

b in his

stop,-^

But ye

is come

in Jer-

to the

ling in

me our

le Rev-

e Holy

to the

3n, IS :
no, not
but
in this
le does
[e so, I
discip-
lour of
them,
lid not

be in them all? It is only to the generation that is living
on the earth; at the time of hiscominc, who must be warn-
ed of that great event. Noah was not sent to preach the
flood to the generation that preceded him. nor yet Moses
one hundred years before the time of deliverance, to the
children of Israel. So with the Angels to Abraham and
Lot the warning was not given in either case to a genera-
tion that was not interested, but to the very generation
that witnessed the described scenes, and was caught and
destroyed for their sins and unbelief.

So it will be done to this generation, with ten-fold sev-
erity, inasmuch as the evidence of Christ's coming is
fifty-fold.

For, since 1840, there are men in all parts ot the globe,
and all are agreed as to time — that the event is at the
very door.

And suppose we admit that the day and hour will never
be known — that is only twenty-five hours. I, for one, pro-
fesa to know nothing of either the day or the hour that
Christ will come, and I think no one else does as yet. If
there is I would like to see them and know their evidence.
We must not conclude from this that we are to know no-
thing of the event, whatever, until we find Christ here
amongst us.

This view i- false in every respect, whoever will take
it.

Whatever is given in the Bible is for our benefit and in-
struction. And let as all be sufficiently teachable and
tractable to receive it as such.

(jrod is not ohinged, but is the same yesterday, to-day
and forever. He gave the an tedel avians warning and
time for repentanc**, through the preaching of Noah. He
gave the Sodomites warning through Lot.

To Nineveh He gave warning through Jonah. To the

k»'

Tlir: COMING OF CHRIST.

Egyj>tiiins tlirougii M«^sos.

[las God /'orgotten this gencraticini, and loft us to groi>e
in the dark ?

lie has jriven ns inoi-e dates anil periods, signs and tol<-
ei,8 that need not bo mistalcon. But he will nevor force
us to b'dieve against oui* will.

Christ says, • search the scriptures. " !.• doui^' this 1
come across th»? following plain and truthl'ul t<'Xts - << ttir
wiee shall understand. Din. XII, 10 •' A wise man's
heart discernetb both time and ju<lgment." Ecc. VIII, 5.
'' The tsecr'^t of the Lord IS with them that fear him, a^d
He v^'ill show them His covenant.' i's.,XXV, 14.

*' For the forward is abomination to the Lord, but His
secret is with the righte^is.' Prov., IL, 3?.

'^Evil men understand not judixments (or time of thf
judgment), but tiiey that seek the Loid undersland all
things." Prov. XXVIII, 5.

'' The secret ihiii .., biloiig unto the Lord our God, but
those^,'////i(7.s' ivhich <ve revealed hdong unto us and to our
chd iren for ever. Deu, XXIX, 2J.

' Behold the former things are come to pass, and new
thmgs do I declare ; before they spring forth I tell you of
them. Isaiah, XLII, 9.

''The days of visitation are come, the days of recom-
pense are come (and that is at the resurrection); Israel,
(or true child of God) shal kn )w it.' Hosea IX, 7.

'' Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.'' —
Ileb. X, 25. ,

"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as a thief. ' 1 Thes., V. 4.

''Knowing this, first, that no prophecy of the scripture
is of any private interpretation.'' 2 Peter, I, 20.

" All scripture i;< given by inspiration of God, and is pro-

THK OOMiNG OF CIIUIST.

4;:;

:> grojte

nd loU-
r force

tliis 1

-'' ttlc

man's
VlUJy
tn, ii'Ml

ut IJis

and all

d, but
to our

d new
you ot

re coin -
Israel,

;elher,

it dav
ipture
is pro-

litabJe lor do<;trino. for r^^proof, lor oorre tioti. Dr instruc-
tion ni righteousr.ess. ri,at th.. ,nan off^o I may he per-
('•ct, throughly furnished unlo all good w.nks."

1 could multiply witnoss^'s troui 'he scripiuri' of trutl),
10 show even the sceptic; and scolter that the cluidren ol
Ood will know the time of Christ s co.uing.as vv can know
the cotning of summer, when ho trcn-s put forth thvir
leaves in the spring of the year.

The fact i.s/Jhnsfs coming has been preache.Kpublished.
an(i declared arnoui; all nations, and canvass>-d thorough-
ly, and will not oeaso until the work of salvation is done.
The follow ng scripture had to be Jullilb^d. and il dod
could not find men in this world to give the messu-.', tiie
tmibers in your houses would speak out.and give th^ loud
cry '' Beliold Me cometh, go ye out to me t Him. Ful-
luwing are the messages:

" Blow ye the trumpot in Zion, and sound an alarm in
my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants ol tiie land
tremble, for the day of the Loni cometh, for il Is nigh at
hand." Joe! II, 1.

'• And he sent his servant at su^ i)er time to say to them
that were bidden. Come, for all things are now ready. And
they all with one consent began to make excuse.^ the
first said unto him, I have bought a p ece ot groun :, and I
must needs go and see it, I pray thee have me excused :
and another sai<i, I have bought five yoke ol oxen, and I
go to prove them, I pray thee ha e me excused ; and an-
other said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot
come. So that servant came and shewed his lord these
things. Then |he master of the house being angry said to
hi8 servant. Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of
the city, and bring in iather the poor and the maimed,
and the halt and the blinrl. And the servant said. Lord it
IS done as thou hast cornmanded and yet there is room.—

THE COMING OF CHRIST

'J'

'■ti

.■J

'l*^;

!}»%*'

An<l the Lor.l said unto the servant, Uo out into the high-
ways and hedges 'in<l compel them to come in, that my
house muy be tilled. For I say unto you that none of
these men that were bidden shall taste of my supper. ' —
Luke XIV. 17-25.

"And 1 saw another angel fly m the midst ot he ivon,hav
mg the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell
on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue
and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give
glory to 11 im, for the hour of His judgment is come, and
worship him that made heaven and earih, and the sea,
and the fountains of water. And there followed another
angel, saying, Babylon is fallen that great city, because
she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying
with a loud voice, If any man worship the be »8t and his
image, and receive his ja;^rk in his forehead or in his
hand the same shall drink of the wine ot the wrath of God
which is poured out without mixture into the t;up of his
indignation 5 and he shall be tormented with fire and
brimstone m the presence ot the holy angels and in the
presence of the Lamb. "Rev. XIV, 6-11.

Here are three special messages in Revelation, Luke
and Joel.

Joel gives his without any detail, whereas Luke and
John give specialty to the same message.

When the proclamation vvas made in 1843, in large cit
ies, to promiscuous crowds, they flocked from all the'
churches in the land to hear the message of the coming
of Christ — preachers and their congregaii^s — , and in-
vited those engaged in the message to go to their churches
and give the evidence of the Lord's coming.

But the moment the time passed Babylon closed their
doors and began to smite their fellow-servants, and say.

\Q high-
lat my
ono of
per. '—

i3n,hav
,t dwell

tongue
i<i give
ne, and
»he sea,
another
because
:i of her
, saying
md his

in his
lot God
) of his
re and

in I he

, Luke

ie and

ge cit
,11 the"
oraing
nd in-
lurches

i their
id say.

THE COMING OF OHKIST.

ing, my Lord delayeth his coming. Matt, XXIV, 48.

When we found Babylon closed against us, the second
angel's message was given inviting and beseeching all the
people of (iod to come out of Babylon, at the call of*
Christ, for Cln'ist says, some out of Babvlon, my people,
and says again, my »heepwill hear mv voice and follow
me, and a stranger's voice they will not follow.

We conclude from ihis that all the people of God did
oome out, and that nothing is there now, but, as John says
\n Rev. XVIII. 2. *' And he cried mightily with a strong
voice, sayin g Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and %
become the habitation of devils, R.nd the hold of every
foul spirit, anil a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.'

This tp'ily, is the condition of all our protestant sects at
tills moment, when the judge ol all the earth is at the
door ■ "

I shall now proc^^ed to ^iive what I perceive to be con-
clupive evidence of the near approach of Christ.

There are six prophetical chains, given by Moses, Dan-
iel and Christ, commencing at a given time, and all end
ing at the second Advent. .j uv^ii k. ' Jv.=^*Tjjr;r • j^k-'w

Usher's chronology, ended Moses' seven times, or 2520
years from (i77, in 1843 See Lev XXVI, also Daniel's 2300
years, chapter VIII; 13-14, ended in 1843, beginning them
according to the date of the chronolgy, in 457 j see also
Daniel s 1335 years, commencing them in 508 A. D., enti-
ed them in 1843. Here, where it comes in fitting, time is
still going on, but those periods, according to Usher's
(jhronology, terminated in 1843. Kver since is the tarry-
ing time of the vision, and thus it must to fulfil the V\ ord

How could the following scriptures have a fulfilment if
' hrist had come in 1843 r
" And while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered

THK OOVINQ OF OHRIST.

and slept."

•« Who then is a t'Hithfui and wise servant whom his lord
bath made a ruler over his household, to i{ive them meat
In due season/'

Thii meat spoken ot is nothing more nor less than giv
iag the evidenoe of the Lord's coming, when the evil ser
vant is smiting him for so doing. See Matt. XXIV, 45*51,
also Matt XXV, 5, also Habakuk II, 12.

'< I will stand upon my w itch, and set me upon the tow-
er, and will watch to see what he m\\ say unto me. and
what I shall answer when 1 am reproved. Aod the Lord
answered me and said, write the vision, aud make it
plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth. or the
vision is yet tor an appointed time, but at the #end it
shall speak and not lie ; though it tarry wait for it, be
cause it will sur*>ly come ; it will not tarry/'

You Will perceive that this proph<^t gives a clear ac-
count of the tarrying since 18 13. \r Paul in Heb. X,
35-37:

'< Cast not away therefore your confidence, whioh hath
great recompense of reward. For ye have need of pa.
tience. that, after ye have done the will of God ye might
receive the promise. For yet a little while an<l he shall
come, will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall
live by faith, but if any man dra.v back my sou) shall have
no pleasure in him.' , :,[ y ■,.

The Apostle Paul, through the spirit, looked down
through the stream of time, and saw those engaged in the
message of Joel, Luke and John proclaiming the Lord's
coming, and how the time would fail.

Ele admonishes them not to cast away thoir faith, for it
will bring its glorious reward.

The Apostle James, in chapter fifth and seventh verse,
speaks m the same strain. ._ ; , ,

THE OOMINQ OF 0HUI3T.

his lord
n meat

lan giv
BTil «er
V^, 45.51,

he tow
ne, and
1© Lord
lake it
or the
end it
it, be

ear ac-
leb. X.

ih hath

d of pa.

) might
e shall
t shall

all have

i down
li in the
I Lord's

;h, for it

.. 1.
h verse,

Be pati<>nt, therefore, brethren unto the coming o\' the
[jord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious
fruit of the earth and hath lon^ patience for it, until he
receive the early and Utter rain. Be ye also patient ;
stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth
tiigh/'

Ue»*e is a perfect picture drawn by the Apostle, and
shows the beautiful comparison there is between those
that were engaged m giving the message of the Lord's
coming and the farmer that puts in his seed in the Spring
of the year, and waits tor the return of his labor.

The Prophet Isaiah discovered the tarrying promment,
and says in chapter XXVI, 8-18 :

«* Y* a, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we
waited for tUee ; the desire of our soul is to Thy name,and
to the remembrance of Thee. We have b en with child,
VV6 have be'^n .n pain, we have as it were brought forth
wind, we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth,
neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen."

And again, in chap. VIII, 16, 17, 18, 20, says :

'^Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disci-
ples. And I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face
from the house of Jacob, and i will look for him Be^j^'ld
I and the children whou\ the Lord hath given me are for
signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts,
which dwelleth m Mount Zion."

This is just the position the^ie occupy that have, are, and
wili preach the second coming of Christ. The thing is
clear yea, like the noonday.

There is one other prominent passage bearing on the
disappointment m the Lord's coming in 1843, which we
shall refer to. It is found in Ezekiel XII, 27-28 :

<' And the woxd of the Lord camt> unto me, saying. Son
of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of

THE COMING OP CHRIST.

( ■.*!•

I*^

,4^.

Israel, saying, the day6 are prolonged, and every vision
taileth. Tell them, therefore, Thus saith the Lord God, I
will mak<' this proverb to cease, and they shall no more
use it as a i)roverb in Israel, but say unto them. The days
are at hand and the •fiect of every vision. For there
shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divinatiori
within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I r/ill
ipeak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass ;
it shall be no more prolonged, for in your days rebelli-
ous house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith
the Lord God.-' . - ■ *' ; ' * ^'

if this prophet vtere here, and would listen to the jeers,
scofl's , mockery and derision that F wit'i others was and
am subject to, it could not be better explained. —
We set the time, it passed, and the howl of professors,
sceptics, scoffers, and all was raised against us. Never-
theless, God says that in the very generation that used
this proverb the evont will take place, yea, the Lord will
come. Amen,

I will now turn the reader's attention to Daniel, Christ,
and John, and from their words, glean all the informaiion
required on this matter. ' •^- ' '^^ '^*"^ '

The prophecy of*Daniei, exposition ol chapter II, 31-44
or Nebuchadnezzar's dream U'e most solemnly believe
that God designed that his word should be understood, biii
not without searching the .Scripiuren, comparing one por-
tion with another, and earnest prayer for that spirit to
guide into truth, which at first in^pired holy men to
write. ^'4 :«?»*

In order to come to the knowledge of the truth we
must possess a teachabl<) spirit, then pray much for div-
ine aid. The blessed Saviour said, ♦» I thank thee, O Fath-
er, Lord of he«;ven and earth, because thou ha&t hid these
things from the wise and prudent, and bast revealed them

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

vision
i God, 1

o more
he (Jays
r there
vinatiojTi
I r/ill
;o pass ;

rebelli-
t, snith

le jeers,
as and

ine<i

'f'essors,
Never-
it U8e4
I'd will

Christ,
maiioii

, 3144
relieve
od, biii
e por-
irit to
en t?5

h we

• div-
Kath.
these
them

unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in
thy sight. Matt. XI, 25-26.

We do not jxgree with those who s.iy the prophecies
cannot be understood. Revelation is something made
known, and of course to be understoo i. A man may say,
in truth, that he does not understand the prophecies, but
to assert that they cannot be uiilerstood, is quite another
thing, and'he who s,'<^'s it must be inti<lel in liis princi{)les.
N*>t that he rejects the whole of Revelation, but he vu'tu-
ally denies that a part of th<' Bible is a Revelation. Some
men who denounce inddelity with an unsparing hand tell
us that-we cannot understand i he prophecies.

This is the height of infidelity.

In calling attention lo the prophecies we are some-
times accused of prying into the secrets of the Almighty,
i^^rom this charge we want no better vindication than the
language of Moses, in Deut XXiX, 29 :

*The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but
those things which are levealtdj belong unto us and to our
children forever."
Prophecy belongs to that portion of the Bible which may
properly be denominated a revelation. It is designed to
reveal to us thing of which we could not in any other
way gain information. We should humbly, and in faith,
seek tor the aid of the Holy Spirit of God to guide us to
a right understanding of the Scriptures ; to know what
was the mind of the Spirit that inspired the prophets to
write, and we shall not search in vain.

We will now examine the second chapter of Daniel, and
for the sake of brevity begin with verse 31 :

Verses .^1-36 —''Thou, King, sawest, and behold, a
great image. This great image, whose brightness yvas ex-
cellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was ter-
ble. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

his arms of silver, IjIs belly Jinii his thighs of brass, iiis
legs of iron, his feet part oi'iron and part of clay.

'' Tliou sawest till that a sboDe was cut out without
hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were ul'
iron a. id clay, and brake them to pieces. .

•' Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver an(i
the gold bro. en, to pieces together, agd became like the
chati'ol the summer thresiiing-ti sors, and the wind c&rried
them away, that no place was ionnd for them, and the
stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and
tilled the wliole earth.

' This 18 the dream, and we will tell the interpretation
thereof bef'oi e the King." ... •

We wish here to inquire, Vhere did the stone strike
the image ?

Answer — Upon his feet.

We shall have occasion to refer to this again. * *.

Verses 37*38 — '< Thou, King, art a King of Kings, for
the (7od of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and
strength and glory. And wheresoever the chihJren of
men dwell the beasts of the tield and the fowls of the hea-
ven hath ht' given into thine hand, and hath made thee
ruler over them all. -

•< Thou art (or thy kingdom is) this head of gold."

Babylon was the first kingdom oi universal empire. It
was founded by Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah. See
(jen. X, 8-10. It lasted n- arly seventeen hundred years :
sometimes called Babylon, sometimes Assyria, and some
times (Jhaldea It continuerl from the time of Nimrod to
that of Belshazzar, who was its last king. „ ^

Veive 39— first part— • And after thee shall arise anoth-
er kingdom inferior to thee."

What kingdom succeeded Babylon /

See chap. V, 28 :

THE COi\IiN(; OF CHI I8T.

;) 1

It
See
ars :
t)tne
d to

oth-

'< Thy kingdom (Babylon) is divided and given to the
Medes and Persians."

Then the Medo-Peivsian kingdom was the second univ-
ersal kingdom, represented hy the breast and arms oi" sil-
ver.

"Verse 39 — last part—" And einotlier third king<loni of
brass, which sliall bear rule over all the earth."

What kingdom was this?

See c'lap. vm^ 5, 7^ 21. Elere we learn that Girccia
conquered tlie Medo-Persian Kingdom, and became a
kingdom of universal empire This took place under Al-
exander. Here, then, we ha^e the thirrl kingcjom. which
is repres 'nted by the hrass of the image.

Verse 40 — " And the fourth king<lom shall be strong as
iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth
:iil things, and as iron that breaketh all these shall it
break in pieces and bruise.'

What kingdom is tiiis?

It is generally admitted to be the Roman kingdom ; it
IS a universal kiniidora that is to break in pieces all that
went before it. Rome alone answers the descriptive
mould. That did have universal empire. iSee Luke II, I.

'' And it came to pass in those days that there went a
decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
taxed." ' ^

Who was this Ctesar Augjstus? A Roman emperor.

Here, then, we have the fourth kingdom represented
by the legs of iron.

Verse 41 — first part — '' And whereas thou sawest the
feet and toes, part of potter's clay and part of iron, the
kingdom shall be divided."

What kingdom shall bo divided.'

Answer — The fourth kingdom.

The Western empire of Rome, between the years A, D.

THE COMING OP CHRIST.

356 and 483, was divided into ten kingdoms or divisions: —

1, The Huns, in Hungrry, A. D. 356 ;

2, The Ostrogoths, in Mysia, 357 ;

3, The Visigoths, in Panonia, H78 ;

4, The Franks, in Franoe, 407 5

5, The Vandals, in Africa, 407 :

6, The Suevesand Alans, m Gascoignc and Spaiji, 4 7j

7, The Burgundians, in Burgundy, 407*,

8, The Heruli and Rugii, in Italy 476} .^

9, The ;-■ axons and Angles, in Britain, 476 j .
10, The Lombards, in Germ;iny, 483.

Thus the kingdom was divided as designated by the ten
toes of the image.

Vers.^s41-43 — beginnmg with last part of verse 41 —
' But there shall be in it of th<^ strength of the iron, for-
asmuch as thou savvest the iron mixed with miry clay. —
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron ^nd part of
clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly
broken And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry
clay, they shall mingle thv3mselves with the seed of men ;
but they shall not cleave one to another,even as iron is
not mixed with clay. '

riiis language, is descriptive of the state of the king-
doms into which the fourth empire should be broken up.
Some of them should be strong as iron, and some of them
feeble as chiy.

Yet, as iron cannot be [»ermanentiy welded to clay, so
^he stronger kingdoms shall not be able to annex the
weaker to tliemsi-lves in a permanent union. Nor shall
the intermarriage of the reigning families succeed in cau-
sing these kingdoms to cleave together.

Verse 44 — ' And in the days of theae kings shall the
God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be de-
stroyed : and the kingdom t^haJl not be left to other p<'0

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

ions: —

4 7 •

the ten

3 41 —
on, tor-
clay. —
part of
partly
h miry
r men ;
iron is

) king-
en up.
t' them

lay, so

3X the

)r shall

in cau-

ill the
' be de-
*r pro.

pie, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stund forever " We shnll do well
to notice with care,

1. What kings or kingdoms are her<^ referred to ?
Most certfimly they are the ten kings of the divided

fourth kingdom, for they are the subjects of discourse ;
and

2. The Kingdom set U[).

It is the fifth universal Ringdo',ii, and is neyer to bn de-
stroyed and left to oihei people. It is, therefore, the im-
mortal kingdom. The subjects will not pass from one set
of rulers to another, as has ! een the case with the four
previous kingdoms. ^. ,

In regard to the fifth kingdom, set up by the God of
heaven, there are at least two ireneral views One is that
it is the kingdom of grace, which was to increase till it til-
led the whole earth, <'for,'' say they who hold this view,
<^ the stone was to roll and grow till it became a great
mountain, and filled the whole earth." Unfortunately
for this view, however, there is not a word ot Bible tv^sti-
mony to sustain it.

The otLx. r is the Bible view, as follows :

'Thousawest till that a stone was cut out without
hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of
iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the
iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken
to pieces togethei, and became like the chati'ot the sum-
mer threshing floors ; and the wind carried them avfay,
that no place was found for them ; and the stone that
smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the
whole earth." Cnap II, 34,33 . * .

Mark well the evonts here stated. The stone breaks
the image, and it becoues like the ohaff of the summer
threshing-floors, and the wind carries it away so that no

'j-m

'"i

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

::3

jl^ir

places is found for it — all earthly kingdoms are broken and
cease to exist. '! hen the stone becomes a great moun-
tain and tills the whole earth.

Tliis view of the subjeci Is in perfect concord with the
testimony of the Old and New Testaments. And we would
enquire ol' those who taach th it ihe kingdom of grace
was set up by our Lord J(»sus Christ 1850 years ago, '' Had
God no " Kingdom of grace '' befrre the first advent of
Christ; If rfot, then Enoch, Xoah hot, Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, xVIoses and all tbe prophets, have perished without
hope, far certainly no peison c in be saved without grace.
But let us look at this subject a little further.

Where did the stone strike the image when it smote it?^
Not on the hea 1 — Ijabylon ; nor on the I reast and arms-
i?d.edi I and Persia; nor on the belly and thighs —Grecia:
nor yet on the legs -Rome Pagan, as it should have done
if the king iom was set up at Christ's first advent. ->
Where then did the stone smite the image .'
Answei — '' (J on his feet."

Now it couid not smite tbe feet before thev were in be
ing, and they did not exist until sevetal hundred years
after Christ's crucifixion, till the fourth or Roman king-
dom was divided, which we have stated did not take place
till b tween the years A. D. 35;] and -183. But that the
kingdom was not set up at certain periods tpoken of in
the New festament will appear from the examination of a
few passages. It was not set up when our Lord taught
his followers topray^ 'Thy kingdom come," it must have
beea future then. .

Again the mother of Zebedee's children understood it

to be future when she desfre i our Lord to grant that her

two sons might sit, '' the one on the right hand and the

other on the lelt, in thy kingdom." '

It was still future when our lord ate th© last passover.

THE COMING OF CiJI'lST.

He it:?

ecia:
done f

See Luke XXII, :8: ..

'<Isay unto you i will not drink of tlie iVuit of tlio
vine until the kingdom ot God shall come.'

So il had not thei come. But di 1 he not set it up be
fore hi3 ascension to heaven . .'-ee Acts I. 6:

" Lord, wilt thou at this lime restore again the kin^^dom
to Israel?"

Not aone yet. Now see 1 Cor. XV, 50 :

•» Now this, 1 say, brethren, that ilesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of (Jod."

This settles the question that the kingdom of God is
not set up till the saints pt't on immortality, or not till
they enter ths immortal state, which Paul tells us, verse
52, is '' at the last trump," and the apostle tells us, 2 Tim.
IV, 1, that ' the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick
and the dead at ills appearing and his kingdom. '

Again he tells us, Acts XIV, 22, that " we must throu^'ii
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God, ' and
this address was made to those who were already Chrii
tians, and shows that the kingdom ot God was stiil fu-
ture in the apostle's estimation.

The kingdom is a matter of promise.

Harken, my beloved brethren, liath not God chosen
the poor of this worM,*^ich in faith, and heirs of the king-
dom which he hath promised to them that love Him .'" —
James II, 5. ' > . .

It is yet to come. ^^ • .

" Fear not, little tlocic, it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom."

The miniature exhibition of the kingdom of God at the
transfiguration, Matt. XVI, 27,28, XVII, 15. is designed to
show the nature of tlie kingdom, and Tvhen it will be set
up. '• For the son of man shall come in the glory of his
Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every

il '

.' t

' 1J

'1^

r,fi

THE COMING OF CHRIST

man ji'Cor.ling to Ins works. Verily I say unto you there
be some standinsz here which shall not taate ol death until
they see the Son o' man ootinng in his kingdom.' (*• Till
they see the kingdom of (Jod " Luke IX, 27)

This promise was shortly fulfilled on the mount. 'And
.d'tHr six days, Jesub t;tketh Pel er, James and Jonn his
brother, and bringeth ihem up into an high mountam
apart, and was transfigured before tnem ; and his face i\ui
shine as the sun and his paiment was white as the lig? t.
And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias
talking with hira. Then answered Peter, and said unto
JesuB, Lord it is good for us to be here ; if thou wilt let un
make hero three tabernacdes, one for thee, one f.>r Moses,
and one for FJios. While he vet spake, b*'hold a bright
cloud overslia lowed hem, and behold, a voice out of the
cloud, which said. This is my beloved Son in wh >m I am
well pleased; hear ye him." - '*^ *? li-.^-r ;> :

1. Jesus Christ appeared there in his own personal glory.

His countenance >hone like the sun, and his raiment was

white as the light.
-. The glory of the Father was there. It wai a ** bright

cloud ' of the Divine L-lory, out of which camo the Fath

er's voice.

3. Moses and Elias appeared, the one the representa
tive of those saints Who shall be raided at Christ s coming,
and clothed with glory ; the other, Elias, the representa
tive of th(»se who will be alive i*nd be changed at the ap
pearing of Christ - •

4. The use the apostles made of the scene. The Apos-
tle Peter was one ot the witnesses, and in view of tht; im-
portnnce of the kingdom of Chrii<t, he in his second epis
tie, has given the church of all coming ages instruction
how they may insure an abundant entrance •' into the ev
erhisting kmgdoni of our -Lord Jesus Christ. "For we

THE COMING OF CIIKIST.

r,7

there
until
- Till

r ■

'And

n his

ntain

ce <hd

lig! t.

Elias

unto

let w«

Closes,

bright

of the

I am

glory,
it vras

bright
Fatl'

senta
ming,
senta
e ap

Apos-
'■ im-
epi8
5tion
e ev
• we

have not followed cunningly rlovi&e.l fables when we made
known to you the power and coming of our Lord .i«sus
Christ, but were eye witnesses of his mMJesty."

This he says was » when wo were with him in the holy
mount. ' 2 I'eter, 1, 16-18. This scene was a demonatra-
tion of Christ's second comin;.'. and personal glory; and
shows that the kingdom will be immortal when set up and
that it will be set up at the penou of the second advent
and lesurreotion of the just. But it is urged as an objec-
tion to the view here presented, that our Lord said, '» I he
kingdom of God is within you."

But notice the party addressed. ' And w^ien he was do
manded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should
come, he answered them and said, the kinj^dom of God
coineth not with observation (outward show). Ntiirher
shall I hey say, Lo, here ! or Lo tliere ! for the kingdom of
God is within you " (among you). L'dce XVII, 20,21.

Did our Lord moan to say that the kingdom of God was
within the Pharisees? Certainly not. He says of them,
Matt XXIIl, 13, ' Ye shut up the kingdom of heavon
against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer
them that are entering to go m.

But di<i our Lord inten<l to t»'ach that the kingdom was
then among them / If so why did he speak a parable in
chap. XIX, 12, and onward, to disabuse the minds of the
people, " because they thought tiiat the kingdom of God
should immediately appear?"

rfe clearly teac^-es in that parable that they were not to
expect the kingdom of God till he should return from
heaven, at which time he would reward Uis faithful ser-
vants, but will say at the -ame time, '< Those, mine ene-
mies which would not that I should reign over them, bring
hither and slay them before me.' «

We understand our Saviour to teach, Luke XV 1 1, that

THp; COMING OF CHRIST.

» .,1

to the unbelieving world, nn<l that whilo those who hold
the spiritual views or this subject shall be saying, <' See
here I or see there !' thetirst thoy know it is upon them :
the whole heavens bUze with his glory and the earth
trembles at his pres«^nce.

*' And they shall s ly to vou, " Sei' her» 1 or see there !
go not after them nor follow them. For as the lightning
that lightenerh up the one part under heaven shinetb up-
to the other part under heaven, so shall also the Sot* of
mHn be in hit day/' Verses 23,24. '^ * . ^.,j«. .

Christ preached the kingdom of heaven at hand. Matt,
IV, 17. Mark I, 15.

But * at hand ' in these pa8sag<*s is from the Greek
wordEGGiKBE. which signifies '* has approached, drawn
near." — Robins m. . • ■ . .7.

It was then at hand in the sense of being next to come.

What kingdom was at hand when Babylon was in
power? '■" V -»-• , ^., • ,^ :

Answer -The Medo-Persian. '

Why 1 Because it was next to come.

What kingdom was at hand when the Medo- Persian was
in power?

Answer — Grecian. Because i^ was next to succeed it.
What kingdom was at hand whenGrecia was m power 7

Rome. Because next to come as a kingdom of univer
sal empire. *' *^ ' ' .'

What kingdom is at hand when Rome is in power ?

God's everlasting kingdom.

Why? Because it 11 the next kingdom of universal em-
pire.

Now oomes the inquiry : ' : f : ^-

" Watchman, what of the night ?" •

In what period of prophecy are we now ?
His coming and kingdom will not be with outward show

«<

ir(

iver

am-

THE COAIINO OF CIIUIST. . '^^^

Are wo in the kingflom of Babylon under '* the hoatl of
golHv' . , . '

No. Thut has passed long n^o.

Are WQ in the Medo- Persian empii'^ /

Jjong since that kingdom was numbered with things of
tlie past.

Are we in Greoia ?

That, too, was numbered and tiniahed more than two
thousand years since.

Are we in Rome in in un livi 1^ I -;r;Ue, or in the 'legs of
iron?"

No. Long since that omoire fell.

Where are we then f ■

Answer— Down in the feet and toes.

How long since these divisions came up which constit-
ute the feet and toes ?

Nearly fourteen hundred years. Almost fourteen hun-
dred years we have travelled down in the divided state of
the Roman empire.

Where does the stone strike the image?

«Upon his feet."

Where ure we now? In the feet.

Wiiat takes place when the stone smites the image /

It is all broken to pieces, and becomes like the chatt* of
she summer threshing floors, and the wiinl carries it away
that no place shall be found for it. Then will the ever-
lasting kingdom of God b© set up.

We shall give you a brief exposition of Daniel, chaptar
VII.

In communicating instruction to the children of men
God is pleased to give a " line upon line, precopt upon
precept, here a little and ther^ a little. '

Revelation has not only been progressive, but the same
truths have been repeated again and again, under difier-

THE COMIVG OF CHRIST.

ent Hgiires, emblems and toriuB of apeech. Asa kind pa-
rent enforces important truths upon the minds of his off-
spring, illustratinir and repeating, to make the deeper mi
prossion, so om* heavenly Father labors to imjTess our
rumds with truths connected with and, having a bearing
on our eternal de8tin\ , and necessary to establish the
faith of his people, and inspire in them confidence in his
Word. He has given them waymarks lo determine the
truth of His Word, and to m.irk thi> period of the world
ill which they live

To illustr ate- t^uppoee }0U wrre trnveljing a road with
which you were unacquainte<l. You inquire of a stianger.
lie tells you that road .eads to a blessecf anci glorious city.
filled with every good thing, govern -d by the most lovely,
mild and benevoient Prince that the world ever sawj thnt
in that city there is neither sickness, sorrow, pain nor
trouble. He then proceeds to tell you what you may ex
pect to pass on the road, and which will mark Hhe prog-
ress you have made.

First, then h tells you, after leaving him and travelling
awhile you will come to a monument that can be seen at a
great distanc ; on the top of it you will see a 'Mion " hav-
ing '< eagle wings." At a distance beyond that you will
come to another monument, having oa it a ''bear" with
'< three ribs in its mouth ;" passing on still, you will at
length arrive at a third monument, on the top of 'vhich
yoi will behold a ''leopard'' having "four wings of a fowl,"
and ' four heads." After that, you will come to a fourth,
on which is a « beast '< dreadful and terrible," with -'great
iron teeth," and " ten horns." And lastly, you will
come to another place, where you will see the sam^
beast, with this difference, three of its first horns
have been plucked up, and in the placo of them has come
up a peculiar horn, having '<eyes like the eyes of a nan.

TUB OOMINO OF CHRIST.

nd pa-
is off-
er im
ma our
oaring
I the
in his
o the
world

)a(l with

ranger*

us city,

lovely,

iw J thnt

ain nor

may ex

le prog.

availing
9en at a

" hav-
ou will
r" with
will at
which
A fowl,"

fourth,
1 "'great
lu will
3 samv
horns
ts come
a nan,

and a mouth. ' ! he next thing you will look for^after pas-
sing the lust mentioned sign, is the city.

With these diiections you commence your journey
* What do you look for first? The lion. At length you
see It. i hat inspires in you some faith in the person's
knowlfilge and truth, who had directed you.

Having passed that sign, the next thing you expect to
see, as maiked n the direction, is the bear. At length
you come in slight of that. There, say you is the second
sign he gave me. He must have been perfectly acquaint-
ed with this road, and has told me the truth. Your faith
increases as you travel on.

What next do you look for? Not the city, certainly.—
No J you look tor the leopard. Well, byand-bye you be
hold that in the distance. There it is, you cry; now I
know he has told me the truth and it will come just as he
said. ^ .•'''..■■. t .—

Is the next thing you look for the city ? No j you look
for that terriMe beast with ' ten horns." You pass that,
and say as you pass how exactly the man who directed me
has described everything'. Now your faith is so confirmed
that you almost see the city ; but say you, there is one
more sign to pass, VIZ.: the horn with *<eyeB;" then the
citv comes next.

Now hope is high, and your anxious eyes gaze with in-
tense interest for the last pign. That comes in view, and
you exclaim m raptures, there it is ! All doubt is now re-
moved } you look for no more signs ; your longing eyes
are tixe<f to gaze on the glorious city next, and probably
no man now, however wise he might profess hlmself,could
make you discri^dit what your director has told you. The
city — the city — is fixed in your eye, and onward you go,
hasting to your rest.

Now, if we find, on examination, that all the events or

THB OOMINO OF CHRIST.

1 i

.Y:**:

'mat,

signs that f^od hns given us, which were to precede ihe
judgment day and the aettin^-up of his everlasting king-
dom bave aotually transpire- i or come to view what are
we to look for next ? The judgment of the great day. •

Let us, then; examine the chapter before us

Verses 1-3 — < In the first year of Belshazzar^king of Bab-
ylon, Dnniel had a dream, and vibioi^s of his head upon
his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sam of
«the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw m my vision
by night, and behold the four winds (denoting commo-
tions) of the heaven strove upon the great sea (\vaters de
noting people ; see Rev. XVII. 15), and four great beasts
came up from the sei, diverse one from another. '

rbeiije four beasts are explained by the angel to be four
hings. Vetse 7.

In verse 23, they are said to bo four kingdoms, which
shows that the word king in these vi^ons signifies king
iJom.

Verse 4—' The first was like a lion and had eagle's
wings 'j I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and
it WAS lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the
feet, as a man and a man's heart was given to it "

Babylon, as described m this vision, is here fitiy repre-
sented by a lion, the king of beasts, denoting the glory of
that kingdom and corresponds with the head of gold in
chap. 2.

The eagle's wings represent the rapidity of its d^nquests,
and the soaring pride of its monarehs. *' For k>, I raise up
the Chaldeans (Babylon); they shall fly as the eagl« that
hJksteth loeat" Beb. 1,M. The^ plucking of hiff wings
oaay re^r to the humiliation of the proud monarch of
B»bylot%; ohap IV. 37 ; or, the cowsi-dioe ot Beivhai&zar,who
instead of riving away his foes like a lion,8hut himself up
in the city, feasting and drinking with his lotds, till he

THE COMING OF CHftlST.

de the
I king,
lat are

ftv. •

of Bab-

upon

1 am of

vision
omoio-
ers de

beasts

e fotll"

which
king

agle'fl
, and
n the

epre-
py of
>ld in

ests,
le up
that
ingfl
Ishof
who
f up
Ihe

was Jsuled, and the kingdom was given to the Medes an«l
Persians.

Verse 5—* And behold, another beast, a second, like to
a bear, and it raised itself li I > on one side (repres<*nting
two lines of kings, one much longer than the other), and
it had three ribs in the mouth of it, between the teeth of
it^ and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.'
We have already seen that the Medo Persian kingdom suc-
ceeded Babylon. » • , f . ; ; ■;

it isciearJy the kingdom here described, I', was noted
for cruelty and thirst for blood.

' Ihe three ribs in the mouth oi this bear vvk\3X^t\y sym-
boliee the t hree great powers conquered by the Greco Per-
sian kingdom, viz: Babylon. Lydia and Egypt.!' See Rol-
lins Ancient History. It subdued many and populous
kingdoms. Ahasuerus, or Artaxerxes, reigned over one
hundred and twenty seven provinces. , 8ee Esther I,^ 1 ,
verse b, << After this I beheld and lo, another like a leop-
ard, which had upon tho back oi it four wingf of a fowl ;
the beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to
it. " ,,,..,

There can be no doubt or dispute, with respect to this
being Grecian four wings denoting the rapidity of its con-
quest under Alexander; the four heads, its division into
four parts after A exander died and his posterity were
murdered . *

Verse 7 — *^ After this I saw in the night visions, and he-
boid a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong ex-
ceedingly, and it )iad great iron teeth; it devoured (ind
brake in pi«eee, and stamped the residue with the feet of
it; and it wa« diver&e from all th«' beasts that wer before
It, and it had ten horns.' >,

Verse 8 -'M considered the horns, and itehold, there
came up among them aootber little horn, before whom

■-^Wr

THE COMING OP OURIST.

'I'd

''"•so

three of the first horns were phicked up by the roots j and
behold, in tola horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a
mouth speaking great things." '^ "'

Verses 9, 10 — ' 1 beheld till the thrones were cast down
and the Ancient ol days did sit, whose garment was white
as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool ; his
throne was like the tiery flame, and his wheels as burning
fire. A tiery stream issued and came forth from before
him ; thousand thousands ministered unto him ; and
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him ; the
judgment was set, and the booksVere opened."

We have here a most vivid description of scenes con-
nected with the Judgment, if not, it cannot he found in
the Scriptures of truth.

Verse 1 1 — *» I beheld, then, because of the voice of the
great words which the horn spake j I belield even till the
beast was slain and his bod} destroyeu and given to the
burning flame. ' '

Nothing is said of *' the dominion ' of this beast being
♦*taken away. ' as is said of the others. The others lost
their dominion after a time but their subjects survived
and were transferred to the succeeding governments but
the very bndy (subjects)of this fourth kingdom is destroy-
ed and given to the burning flame. This is the final des-
tiny of the Roman kingdom.

Verse 12 "As concerning the rest of the beasts they
had their dominion taken away : yet their lives were pro-
longed for a season and time."

Babylon. Media and Persia, and Grecia. successively
lost the dominion, but the lives of the respective nations
were piolonged, being merged into the 8U(*oeeding gov-
ernments.'

Verses 13, 14—' I saw in the night visions, and behold
one like the Son of rntin came v\ :th the clouds ot heaven.

3oi8^ and
an, and a

nes con-
found in

THE COMING OP CHRIST.

6')

«'

e of the
D till the
n to the

Bt being
ers lost
survived
mts but
destroy-
nal d ea-
ts (hey
Bre pro-

essively

nations

pg gov-

behold
lieaven,

and came to the Ancient of days, iind they brought him
near before him And there was given him dominion and
glory and a kingdom, that ail people, nations, and lan-
guages should serve him ; his dominion U an everlasting
dominion, which will not pass away, an<i his king<io<n that
which shall not be destroyed. '

Thus we see the kingdom of Grod is not set up till the
Judgment; hence no room for a temporal millenium be-
fDre the kingdoms of this world are destroyed.

Verses 15 18 — " I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the
midst of my body and the visions of my heart troubled
me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and
asked him the truth of all titis. .:o he told me, and made
me know the interpretation of the things. These great
beasts, which are four, are four kings, which Hhali rise out
of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take
the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for-
ever and ever. '

Mark well the tate ot the totirtii beast — Rome. tie is
utterly destroyed. And the saints of the Most tligh take
the kingdom, and possess io. not, a tliousand years only.
b\xi for ver^ LCti f^ i\,oey and evev.

Verses 19-25'—'* riien I would know the truth of the
fou ^h beast, which was diverse from all the others, ex-
ceeding dreadful whose teeth were of iron and his nails of
brass, which aevoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the
residue with his feet • and of the ten horns that were m
his head, and of the other which came up, and before
whom three feL j even of that horn that had eyes and a
mouth that spake very great thingti, whose look was more
stout tnan tua fellows. I beheld, and the same horn (po
pery) made war with the saints and prevailed against
them, until the Ancient of days came, and judgment w?.i
given to the saints of the Most tligh, anfi the time came

"'1l

■ \

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

-•i-

ii.Uil

.Jt£ *il

days, clothed in sackcloth/' ' "

The reason why they were clothed in sackcloth is, be-
cause Popery would not allow the Bible to be read by the
people.

Thus the cruel little horn, or popery, continued from A.
D. 5.^8 to 1798, to slay the innocent child of iiod — just
1260 years. How kind Jehovah to his people in giving
those periods to cheer them in their troubles and guide
m the way \ ^ -

The Papacy lost their jiower to kill since 1798, and will
only have one hour more — or fifteen days in which to
display their venom-rjust bt^fore the coming of Christ. —
See Rev. XVII, 12, 13, 17 .

The <haractfr of Daniel's litt'e horn. First, il speaks
great words against the Most High ; and second, it makes
war with and wears out the saints. The same character is
elsewhere lescribed.

See Rev. XIU, 6,7. ''And he opened his mouth in
blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his
tabe nac'e, and them that dwell in heaven And it was
given unto him to make war with the saints. and overcome
them ' ^

Daniel aays He previiled against them."^''' ' ..«. 'a^

Now see 2 Phes.. II, 3,4. — '< Phat day shall not come ex-
cept there come a falling away first, and thit man of sin
be revealed, the eon of perdition, who opposeth and ex-
altetb himself alxive all that is called God, or that is wor-
Hhipped: so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is (to i."

Daniel 8 « lit tie horn '" Paul's *<man of sin," and John's
" blasph^moufl beast ' are clf*arly identical.

A clear exposition — truthful, accurate account—could
not be given of the nature— presumptive , arrogant power,
•^he Papacy assuming to itself- th n is given here by the

r;''«V.

THE COMING OF. CHKIST.

is, be-
by the

rem A.

d — just

giving

1 guide

id will
hich to
[irist. —

flfteaks
makes
icter is

uth in
nd his
it was
^pcome

ne ex-

of sin

d ex-

wor-

God,

ohn's

could
ower,
the

that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, the
fourth beast shall be diverse from all kingdoms upon
earth, an«] shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread
it down, and brake it in pieces. And the ten horns out of
this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another
shall aiisH after them, and he shall be diverse from the
first, and he shall subdue three kings. And ho shall speak
great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the Most High, and think to change times and
laws ; and they shall be given into his hand (thai is the
saints) until a time and times and the dividing of time. '
Or 1260 years.

This is the time Popery ruled with unmitigated cruelty
over the saints of the M-O^l : li :h — 1260 years. I'his peri-
od of triumph for Popery is ::iven three ways: and five
times in Scripture.

The one we gave in chap Xll, 7, ''That i i shall be for a
time, times and a half."

Again, Rev. XII. 14, " And to the woman (or church ot
(Jhrist) were given two wings of a great eagle, that ihe
might fly into the wilderness, into h(»r place, where she is
nourished (or fed by the truth) for a time and times and
iialf a time," or 1260 years.

Same chap., 6th verse, ** \nd the woman fled i-ito the
wilderness, where she hath a place prep ired of God, that
they should feed her there a t huusand, two hundred and
three score days," or 1260 years.

Chap. XIII, 5— Popery. •' And there was given unto
hi:n a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies ; and
power was given unto him to continue forty and iwo
months," or 1260 years

See Rev. XI, 3 — ' And I will give power unto my tffo
witnesses (the O d an i the New T- stanients), and they
shall prophecy a thousand, two hundred and threescore

THE COMING OF 0HRI3T

If**

Prophet Danidl, Paul, and Jotin the KHVelator.

What can we think of a worm of th(3 <iust styling him
self Lord 'rod the Pope I Remember, this Papacy was to
think, to cause times and laws to be cliaage<i.

It is a well-known fact that one of the Popes changed
the Christian ers four years uhea<i, and took away the se-
cond commandment, that God wrote with 11 is own lingers
— changed the blessed Seventh day— Sabbath - into the
first day of the week, and changed Adult Baptism into
Infant Sprinkling, and profess to pardon and forgive sins
before they are committed.

I have now, my kind reader, brought you down two pro
phetic chams, in the second aad se^^enth of Daniel, aadt I
thmk, in each case, show i that CHrist's kmgdom and
coming are at the door.

There is another period in Daniel, chap. XLI , but I pass
on to the 24th chapter ot Matthew, to show the signs that
Christ said utero to prece<le his second coining m glory/'

<<And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives the disciples
oame unto him privately, saying, rell us when shall these
things be, and what shall be rhe lign of thy coming and
of the end of the world ?"— MaU. XXIV, 3. ^

We are told that there should be signs in the sun and
in the moon, and in the stars ; and upon the earth dis-
tress of nations with perplexity ; the sea and the waves
roarmg; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for look

ing after those things which are comitiff on the earth.

Luke XXL 26.

We are also taught by the oracles of God to believe that
there will be so clear a demonstration of the immediate
coming and kingdom of Christ, that we can know his com.
ing is at hand just as we know that summer is . nigh wh^n
the trees begin to put forth leaves. Luke XXI, 30, Mark
XIII, 28, Matt. XXIV, 32.

THE COMING OF OHKIST.

ig iiim
r was to

shanged
the 86-
iingers
to the
m into
ive sing

wo pro-

andt I

fm and

1 1 pass
:ns that
;iory."
sciples
1 these
g and

in and

;h dis-

waves

look

rth.—

e that
idiate
t com-
wh^n
Mark

U'e lire not only taught to believe tiiat we c.in know it,
hut we areas positively oommaiided to know it as we are
to believe ihut Josu9 16 Mie Son of Go<i. Matt. XXIV,
33. Mark Xlll, 29. Luke XXI, 28.

And why sboul<l not this be a cominandmeni, since the
evidence of his second coming is given in the same way m
which the evidence of 11 is being the Son of Gotl is receiv-
ed .' And since one (»f God's holy prophets has declared
eventful history. D-a-ing the liv years whicii Adrian
that the wise shall understand, is it not as much lo the
glory of God that his people understand as lo believ ti in
his son, fur noi only the word ot his prophet, but that ot
his son i Matt. V,18)also,must fail it we do not un lerstand?

Ad the promise if the remission of sins is only to thoe
who believe Jesus to be the Son of Go I, so it is only unto
'< them who look for him ' that he haa promised to '< ap-
pear tiie second time without sin untosel aiion.'' Heb. IX
28. As ii is said He his became the author of eternal sal-
vation to those who obey him so it is said there is a crown
of righteousness laid up for all those who '* love his ap-

PEAKING."

It IS I'requentiy and sneeringly remarked, by^ both ti e
so-called saint and sinner, that we can know nothing
abouL the time, and they say this with as much confidence
and assured ''safety,' I Thes V, 3, as if 'Ur not knowing
the time satisfied them that ^'hrist cau never come.

It is true *' none ot the wicked shall unilerstand.' but
it is equally true the wise shall understand." Uan. XII,
10. It is true our Lord sai<i to ilis disciples, »• It i- not
tor you to know " for at that time the vision of Daniel was
''closed up and Baled '* but it is equ.illy true that fie
promised, saying : »• Ye shall receive power after that the
Holy Spirit is come upon you,'' (Acts I, 8), for at the time
of the end the < wise shall understand.'

THE COMING OP CHRIST.

i -4

It is true "that the* <l.»y of tlio Lord 8o comiHIi as a thief
in tl)o night,' bui it is equally true that * ye brethren aro
not in darkness tliat that day should overtake you as a
thief, ( 1 hess V, 3 4). for his coming as a thief* is only on
the con(iiton that we do not watch flev. Ill 3. It is true
that whde tho hook ol Daniel was ♦ closed up and sealed,*
nur JjOrd could say unto Ids disciple's, •* of that day and
hour knowoth no man '■ but it is equally true that he did
positively coinmaiid them to know after the signal signs
shad have appeared. Matt. XXIV, 33. Then at the crush-
ing of Popery, in 1798, the seals were taken ott* the book
of Daniel, for the wise to understand

It is nowhere said in the Bible that ^e are to know no-
thing as toj^the time of ' ('hrists coming," but in the ex
pressioij, ' As ye see the day approaching,' Heb X, 25
we are taught that we are to know. '

In Matt XXIV, 3, we are told thai after our Saviour
had been speaking of the ruin oi' the temple, his discip-
les inquired of him ^^aying : '' Tell us when shall these
things be and what shall bp the signs of thy coming, and
ol the end of the world?"

To underst md this chapter the reader must observe
that u is an unbroken chain of history, commencing at the
time from which the Apostles proposed the ^uo8tions,and
continuing tc the second coming of Christ *' in the clouds
of heaven, with great power and glory/'

This most sublime history gives its ovin dates as it pas.
ses on through coming time.

Verses 4 to 20 reach from the time these words were
delivered, in A. D. 30, to the commencement of. the war
at Jerusalem, or the year A. D 65 j and from verse 21 to
28. we have the history fro;n the commencement of this
war it Jerusalem to the year 1780.

The whole his lo

o d is ;:iven in a few words

THE COMING OF CHUIST.

7 1

H tliief
Hvn urn
Du as a
only on
t is true
sealed,'
iay iind

he did
I signs
» crush-
le book

low no-
the ex
X, 25

Saviour

i discip.

these

g, and

•bserve
: at the
>ns,and
clouds

it pas.

were
e war
21 to
f this

words

— it was to be a time of • firent tribulation, and those
who have read the record knov^ it to be tru«'-. Modern
historians cover the same time with about tlin uatue num-
ber ol words; they call it the' Dark Age." Krom verso
24. the history is continued troin 1780 to 'hrists second
coming, '• in the clouds of heaven.'' We are now brou>^lit
to consider whethei* th*^ signs have yet appeared, which
we shall do briefly.

The first question asked by the apostles was :

•* When shall these things be .' That is, when shall
Jerusalem be «le-troyed /

First — When the <»^'ospel ' shall have been 'preachel
in all the world. ' (verse 14)

Second — < When ye see Jerusalem compassed with ar-
mies." (Luke XXI, 20 ; . :.

<* And What h'hall be the sign of thy coming and of the
end of the world? '

tirst — "The sun shall be darkened."

Second — ♦< The moon shall not give her light."

Third—" The stars shall fall.'v

And now aa the Cl>ristians knew t hat the destruction of
Jerusalem was at hand when the designated signs appear-
ed, so we are taught to know that the second coming of
<;hrist IS at hand when the signs, as here givea, shall ap.
pear. Then ought wti not to keep a watch, that these
signs may not pass unobserved, and Christ, coming' sud-
denly, find us asleep? (Mari. XIIL 36).

Let us, thi refore, take heed, for our not knowing the
time is never given as an excuse for indulging in idle
repose, but is always urged as a reason why we should
watch. (Matt. XXIV, 42).

We will now inquire whether the sun has yet been dark-
ened , and as the exact cfate at which it was to be dark-
ened is also given, it will be necessary first to find the

THE COMING OF CHIJST

f »*•'

date beforo we can learn whether this sign has appeared.
A« I'-ording to our Siiviour, it wns to happen immediately
after the •♦tribulation of tlirse days*' (Papal tribulation or
the 1260 yea 8), Matt. XXlV,29, and by relorenco to verse
21 we learn that the tribulation here Hpoken ol commer-
ced with the war at Jerusalem, and by its commencing
with the Jewa we learn that it ih a tribulation which was
to befall them, so that it only remains no.v to fin<l the par-
ticular time nt which this tribulati n ended, to ascertain
Ih'' date of the darkenin-i of the sun. To do tliis, we must
trace the history of tiie Jews from that time until we find
the end of the tribulation. •' . . ;?

We now approach a crisis in their history which is truly
painful to contemplate — that over which our Saviour wept:
♦ Oh, .Jerusalem, .Jerusalem, thou ti. at killest the proph
et- and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gat' red thv children toiz'^ther. even as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would
not." *♦ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For 1
say unto you ye shall n(>fc^e3 me henceforth till ye shall
say, Blessed is ho that comech in tne name o! the Lord.'
Matt. XXni, 37-39.

In vieTv of the dark cloud of horror which hung over the
city, he admonished his little flo k to flee to the moiin.
tains (Luke XXI, 21), <• for, ' says he, •* there shall be great
distress in the land, and wra«h upon this peO[>le (the
Jews). And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and
they shall be led away captive into ail nations, an«i Jeru
sa em shall be trodden «lown of the Gentiles, until the
times of the Gentiles be fulHlled." (Luke XXI. 23-24)—
•< For these be the days of veng<^ance, that all things
which are written may be fultilled. ' (Luk XX, 22).

Fleetwood, in his * History of the Jews/' thus speaks
of their ' tribultttion :"

THK COMING OF CHRIST.

)earfMi.
Jiatcly
tion or
) ver8e
nrner
encing
h Was
e par-
ertaiii
must
^e Hnd

truly
' wept:
3roph
often
as ;i
woulfl
For 1
shall
jord.'

iv the
noun-
/ireai
(the
, and
Jeru

the
24)^

lings
eaks

•< Whon Titus Moooinplishe'i the (lestrmtiou ol Jeruria
lem, the political existpnc of the Jewish nation wnsanni-
hilated. We now see the tenvph' srnouhlering in ruins,
and the high prie-^thool huried un'ler its rubhish. Those
who <iid not perish during that war were made captives,
and were dispersed to the four winds of heaven. And now
to give a narrative ot the Jews, we must follow tlnMu do -
spised, persecuted and forsaken as they were, into almoFt
every part of the world, and colle'^t Irom the histories of
the nation- tlie broken and soatteie<l details of their
eventful history. During the five years which Adri in
spent it) avenging the Romans we are inform*»d that five
hundred and eighty thousand Jews were butchered. Now
indeed they were nearly exterminated. Thf^y seemed to
have reached the very extrenies ot degradation, sutfering,
and wretchednes^<." ' '

"This " says Edward Robinson, wa^ tne final war and
catastrophe ot the Jewish nation It was a catastrophe
tar more terrible than that of the destruction of Jertisa
lem, though the latter, in consequence of the vivid de-
scription ot it by Josephus, has come to b. usually consid-
ered as the last act in ^his great tragedy. Such, however,
it was not.'* . *'

This proves that tlie time of trouble, such as never
should be again, is not to be r stricied t> the narrow lim-
its of the war at Jerusalem. (Matt XXIV, 2 )

Tertullian, during the reign of Severus, thus describes
them:

"Dispersed and vagabond, exiled from their native soil
and air, they wandered over the lace of the earth, without
a king, either human or divine; .and ')ven as strangers
they are not permitted with their foots .ps t> salute their
native land.*'

Fleetwood says : — ' For many centuries the Jews beheld

"^v.

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

in the Church of R'»ine their worst ,iin<l most cruel tormen-
tors. The Greek general, Relisarius, put to death every
Jew, male and female, that he could Hnd. During the
reign of his master, Justinian, many Jews were murdered,
and their property confiscated.

** Jt is truly Sicl<ening to think of the misery the Jews
suffered from the crusaders. Men were seen murdering
their own children to keep thorn from falling into the
hands of their eneiuies. 'vVomen would bind their chU-
dren to iheir own bodies, and plunge into a watery grave,
to esaape a more cruel end. This dreadful carnage spread
to all the cities on ihe Maine and Danube. The blood of
the Jews marked the footsteps of the Crusaders «vherever
they went. ^ ,.

^< On the 14th of February, A. D. 1198, the Jews were in
their synagogue at Paris. Suddenly they were surrounded
by the troops. Their property was confiscated They,
their Wives and children, destitute of clotlies, provisions,
or means of travel, were all compelled to depart the king-
dom."

In the twelfth cenlury persecution raged in England.

** When Richard went off to the Crusade the people rose
and murdered multitudes of Jews. The intention was to
murder every one in the kingdom. About fifteen hundred
of them retired to York, and tried to defend themselves
but were overpowered. They first offered to ransom their
lives with money, but there was no mercy in the relentless
mob. They then deliberately killed their wives and chil
dren, and retiring to the palace they fired it, and thus be-
came their own executioners, as their brethren at Bither
had done, under the persecution of Adrian more than one
thousand years before.

** During the year in which Spain was enriched with the
discovery and possession of a new world, A. D. 1492, the

Itormen-

eveiy

I'lng the

irdered,

were in
ounded
They,
naioDB,
e king-

and.
le rose
was to
indred
tselves
1 their
^ntiess
d chii
us be-
Bither
n one

h the
% the

THK COMING OF CUUIST.

Inquisition was committing' the most dieadful outrages on
the Jews. 'I he number of Jewish inimbitants in Spain at
this time is eslimated at eight liundred thousand. '1 hey
were uriven irom Spain, and fccatteicd in rverv direct.on
Mafjy perished on the ocean. Multitudes perished with
rtvmine. < [Jappy,' says a Jewish writer, 'would they have
been it grass had been plentiful." Multitudes, also, were
eaten by the wild beasts in Africa.''

Compare the suffering with what they were threatened,
for violation of th#» law of God. See Deuteron. XXVIII,
15,46. • .

On one occasion, in Lisbon, the murderers came into
the streets, with crucitixes in tlieir hands,, exclaiming,
*' R('V»'nge ! Revenge ! Down with the heretics I Root
them out! Exterminate them I ' Jt is said they even ot-
tered as a reward to every one that would kdl a Jew that
his soul should remain but one hundred days in purgato-
ry. ■ ' •/ -i

From 1663 to 1666 the murder of the Jews in Persia be-
came general. .

Up to the commencement of the ;8th century the world
scarcely afforded them a refuge. For seventeen hundred
years every man's hand seemed againfct them. A ^en-
eial gloom overspread their affairs, with onl.v here ana
there a gleam of light that served, not to guide their foot-
steps, but to bewilder them in (he way. lu the beginning
of the eighteenth century the condition of the Jews began
to improve. ^ :

♦< During the reign of Queen Anne,the Jews began to be
viewed as human beings in England, and an Act was pas*
sed to facilitate conversions from Judaism. In A. D. 1753
a bill was passed, in the time of George II, for the natura-
lization of the Jews.'

We have now traced the sons of Abraham through the

THE COMING OP CHRIST.

tli^

if***-'

appointed titne of their tribu'ation. And as a <lark and
doleful night giving placo to the morning' light, we see
this once despise 1 and suffering people now (Considered as
human beings, and elevate<i to the highest honor in Great
Britain. Look at Disraeli, Premier of Engianl! ^

In the year I78l), the I'liperial ivant-couner of the Rev-
olution, Joseph H, ascended the throne. Among the first
measures of thi- restless and universal reformer wa« a
measure for the amelioration of the condition of the Jews.
He published his edict of toleration, by which he opened
to the Jews the schools and the universities of the empire,
an'^ 'fave them the privilege of taking degree? as doctors
in philosophy, medicine an I civil law.

'Reader, we have followed the sons '>t Abraham from the
destruction of Jeruflalera, in A. D. 70, till we find them
since the year 1780 in perfect equality with mankind.—
The allotted timoot trouble witli the rest of the s;unis of
(jod — 1260 years -is ended, since 1798.

Since then we are in the ''tinieof the eid,'' when 'many
shall be purified and made white, and tried, but the wick*
ed shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall under
stand ; but the wise shall understand '

We shall now draw your attention to what Christ said in
Matt. XXIV, 29 :

*' Immediately after the tribulation of those days the
^ sun shall bo darkened, and the moon shall not give her

* light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the pow-
ers of ihe heavens shall be shaken ; and then shall ap-

** pear th.; sign of the Son of Man in heaven j and then
"^'shall all tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the

• Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power
^' and ;:reat glory.'

Let us now inquire whether the sun was darkened, and
*' learn a lesson of wisdom therefrom. The sun wasda.'ken-

irk and
we see
ered as
I Great

e Rev.
I»e first
was a
?. Jews.
>pened
tnp.ire,
looters

)m the

them

:ind.—

ms of

'many

I wick>
Jnder

laid in

i the
e her
B pow-

II ap-
then

Re the
power

, and
rken-

THE COMINU OF CHKK>*T.

i i

•d in-a supernatuial manner, tiie 19lIi oI May, 1780. It
was not an eclipse of the sun, lor tht' m on wan nearly
at the full ; it was not owing to ;i thickness of the atmo-
sphere, for the. stars were been. The (Jurkness began
about 9 A.M. , and coniniued through the day. 8ueli was the
darkness, however, that work w.ta susp ndod in the field
and shop : beusts an<i fowls retired to resi, and houses
were iliumnmted at (lini}.er-tiiiie » ♦ • Hie sun was
supernaturally darkened Irom morning till night, having
the same appearance as when totally eclipseil.

'* ^N'e have no evidence " says the objector, '• that this
was a universal d >rknerfs, shrouding the wiiole globe in
the blackness of night ; and, even if it ha<i been, we have
seen other dark days.' * *

In answer to this, we ask, who said this was to bo a
universal «larkness, or that it was to b(^ the only dark day
that the world should ever witness ;

Shall we first imagine what ought to be, and then r«^*
solve that if the prophecy does not accord vvith our sup[>o-
sition we will not cr-^-dit it?

Who has given us authority to prese.ribe for (Jod what he
ought to do ? Surely it is enough for us to behold, with
wonderand reverence, his rrord literally lulfilled / It is
the precise dale .-it which the sun was to be darkened
that proves this to be the one our Saviour meant. Had
the sun been darkened twenty years ear'ii^r, it could not
have answered, for the tribulation had not then reached
Us end. N^her w )Ul<l it verify his prediction were it to
become today as black as the darkest night, for the tribu-
lation has long since ended, and he declares tilftt it was to
be immediately after the tribulation.

From the above premises, it is impossible to reconcile
the three evangelists, except by placing the darkening of
the sun in 1780. According to Luke, the Jews were to

THE COMING OF. CHRIST.

*» tall by the edge of the sword, and sliall be led away
captive into all nations; and Jeriis;ilem shall be trodden
down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be
fulMUed."— Luke XXI, 24.

Novv, there is nothing in Luke which forbids placing' the
darkening of the sun at the end of the lime of the Gen-
tdes. The pir^Uel passage in Mark , however, shows ihat
it connot be as low as the time of the Gentiles. I.ut must
be looked for within »' those days ;ifter the tribulation. ' —
Mark XIII, 24. The only limit to which we are restricted
by Mark is, that it must be found between these two
points — that is, between the end of the tribulation and
the end of the times of the Gentiles ; but according to
Matthew wo can look for it nowhere else but ' immediate-
ly after the tribulation of these days." (Matt. XXIV, 29).
VVere it not for the expret^sion in '[atthew and Mark, the
tribulation of*' those days shall be shortened " — that is,
shorter than the time of the Gentiles — , wo could evade
the precise time to which Matthew confines us by making
the expression, << tribulation," cover the whole of Luke's
'< times of the Gentiles. '

But MarU draws us back to some period tvUhin thnae
'luK'S' . and as soon as we are within those limits, Matthew
restrict, us to the period immeditle'i/ '* after the iribnlation
of those days."' Therefore, the only possible way to avoid
placing the darkening of tho sun at the year 1780, is to
show that the tribulation of the Jews and Christians has
not yet ended. When the present conditfhn of the Jews
IS compared with their past, we are compelled to place
the darkening of the sun when it did take place, in the
year A. D. 1780.

It is an acknowledged fact in history that the sun was
darkened in that year, to fulfil the words of Christ.

The next sign is, thai the " moon shall not give her

THE COMING OV CHRIST.

away
xiclon
es be

thnae

tthe A

ilation

avoid

18 to

s has

► Jews
place

> the

1 was
) her

light."

*'At the lime of the dark day. May 19, M'SO, there was a
full moon, or nearly so (the moon fulled the I8tli), yet the
night was as dark as Egyptian darkness; 'Ihe moon did
not give her light.' Tlie darkness of the following even-
ing was probably as gross as has ev^r been observed since
the Almighty gave birth to light. I could not help con-
ceiving at the time that if every luminous body in the uni-
verse had been shrouded m impenotrable darkness, or
struck out of existence, the darkne>;3 could not have been
more complete, A sheet of white ^taper held within a few
inches of the eye was equally invisible with the blackest
velvet.' — Litch\: Extracts from liev. Ttnny.

IJeader, what could fulfil the words of Christ better than
this?

The third sign was, that<<tho stars shall fall from Heav-
en. '

Having seen this literally fuldlled, November 13, 18 ;3,
the writer is lot dependent on another for testimony. —
Prof. (Jlmstead, in his work on ialling stars, speaks of this
phenomenor. as follows: —

• 'Those who were so fortunate as to witness the exhibi-
tion of shooting stars on the morning of November 13th,
1833, probably saw the greatest display of celestial fire-
works that has ever been seen since the creation of the
world, or at leait wiihin the annals covered by the pages
of history.''

We now ask the reader to consider whether this be not
a fulfilment of our Saviour s prediction :^ If it is not, in
what way can it ever be fulfilled ? Are we to expect the
great planets to fall^ The stars were to fall to the earth
'<as a fig-tree castetli her untimely tigs, when she is shaken
of a mifl(hty wind" (lie/, VI, 13), which those planets be-
ing larger than our world, could not do, for more than

It*

THE COMING OF CHRIST

ill**

one could not strike tlie earili. Surely, that could be no
sign to us of the imme'liate coming of Christ, for no one
would be left h,live to know by this sign that liis coming
was *' near, e¥^n at the very doors.'

After o ir Saviour has brought us down this far, lie
says, ' Now learn a parable of the fig-tree j when his
branch is a« yet tender*, anfi putteth forth leaves, ye know
that summer is nigh ; so likewise ye, when ye shall see all
these things, A-/io/ ' ilun it (lie) is naar, den (it the doors —
Verily I say unto yo}i^ Thi- f/cneration sha'i not i»ass till nil
the c ih'ngfi bejuljil'erl^^

Those three prominent signs — the darkening ol the sun,
and moon, and falling ol the stars — are all that will be
had in [»robation. ,

rhe next sign, when given, is, h»^ Christian nations of
the earth to have a universal war, that is what is called
" powers of the heavens shall be shaken." This is the
« midnight cry."— Matt. XXV, b.

Matt. XXIV, 33 — •' Verily I say unto you, this genera-
tion shall not pass, till all these i igs be fulfilled; " and
remember, that His own coining is included, The gener-
ation, then, from the darkening of the sun, May 19th,
178 , according to what Hod lias said, would bring us to
May 19th, 190*. But bear in mini ihe Savicur said, the
generation would • not pass ' before Ills coming. Hence
the event is within the limits between now, December,
1879, and May, 1900, (lod having reduced the age of a
generation to 120 years.

Hear Him, Gen VI, 3, < And the Lor ' My spirit

shall not always strive with man, for tli le also is flesh,
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years ' Here,
then, is where our Saviour ha& left ui.wit' in twenty years,
next May, of his own blessed fivA I'lonous S(^cond Coming
and King.Jom. When the ' powers, rn' ho-^^von is shaken,'

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

8 J

there is no mrjrcy tor the human family.

But Hod's people are overwhelmotl with llis Holy Spirit
to prepare them for the " time of trouble, sucii is never
was. ' At th« very time when this takes place the *tbur
nngels " of Revelation VII 1 shall let «o tlieir hold, and
all the nations of the world will war with each other. .

Those <»four anpels" are, England, France Prussia nnJ
Russia, and I understand th^Mn to ho the ' powers of the
heavens," or the controlling spring of all nvtions. He.ir,
therefore, and understand what I shall show you : that
when the 'powers of lieaveii shall bo shaken " is the sure
and true fulHlment of the following soriptares:

«< Speak to Zerubbabel (or a stranger at Babylon), gov
ernor of Judah, saying, 1 will shake the heavens and the
earth, and 1 will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I
will 'lestroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen,
and I will overthrow the chariots, an^ those that ride in
them J and the horses and theii* riders shall come down,
©very one by the sworl ol his brother." (llaggai 11,21,22)
This will take place on the 24th day of the ninth
monfih,. somewhere about this time of the year. Then will
the Seven Last Plagues commence to be poured upon
the impenitent of the earth. Just three months and
twenty dhye before the saints are delivered — when the Sa-
viour comes. See Rv. XVI, 1-12. , ,v

This is the time the <* midnight cry " is sounding — the
clank of war through ih«2 whole earth,everyone against his
neighbor.

« And at that time shall Michael (Christ) stand up, the
great prince which standeth for the children of thy peo.
pie; and there shail be a time of trouble such as never
was since there was a nation even to that same time ; and
at that time thy people (or,j^ll the children of God) shall
be delivered, o/ery one that shall be written in the book."'

THE GOMI U OF«CHRIST.

, 1

I'd

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'►•%.

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This is the period that fulfils the following :
*< I liavo smitten you with blasting and mildew ; when
your gardens and your vine-yai Is and your fig-trees and
your olive-trees increased, the palmernorin devoured
them J yet have ye not returned unto me sailh the Lord.
I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of
l^gyp^ 1 your young men have 1 slain with the sword, and
have taken away your horses ; and I have made the stink
of your cam[)S to come up into your nostrils j yet have ye
net returned unto me saith tlie Lord. And also I have
vvithoMen the lain (grace) from you, when there were yet
three months to the harvest," and harvest is the end of
the world.- Amos IV,7 -10, VUl, 11-14.

* Behold the days come (tl;;ee months before Christ's
Coming) saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in
the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirnt for water, but
of hearing the words of the Lord (this is the time of the
foolish virgins)^ and they shall wander from sea to sea, and
from the north even to the east, they shall run to and tro
to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

'' The harvest is pabt, the summer is ended, and we are
not saved."— Jer. VIII, 20.

'' And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil
(faith), for our lamps are gone out.' —Matt. XXV, 8.

In this three months it is said, '' he that is unjust let
him be unjust still ; and he that is righteous let him be
righteous still; Mnd he which is filthy let him be filthy still;
nnd he that is holy let him be holy still."— Rev. XXII, 11.

Thii shows conclusive evidence that there is no mercy
for the sinner during the time the * Seven Last Plagues '
are pouring i ut- or three months before the Second Com-
ing of Christ.

As our Saviour has left us, within twenty years of his
Advent, and aft all the Prophetic Chronology of the Biblo

THE COMING OF CHIilST.

has failed, we shall enieavor to hunt by the rule oi" com-
parison the time of Christ's second coming. Christ hath
said ''Search tho Scriptures ;" try the type and antitype
shadow and substance, piocept upon precept, hne upon
line, here a little and there a little, and tiiis is what we
shall do. There is no one can deny but the ancient Israel
was a type, nnd the true child of God ; now the antily^ e.
lience we enquire about the type and antitype.

It is evident that the lO^iyptian ptagnes was a type, and
the seven last plagues, the antitype. So, also, the Pas-
cal Lamb whs a type ot the Lamb of God. The forty
years wandering of the children of Israel was a perfect
type of the wandering of the true Israel after they came
out of Egypt, or, Babyloni m churches, in 1843 4, and to be
antityped to the jot and tittle, in 1883-4.

Die propl^et Micah, through the revelation of God's
Holy Spirit, seen the same forty years. » According to
the days of thy coining out of the land ol Egypt'" (this
was 40 years) '< will I show unto him marvellous things."
Chap. VII, 15.

I can testify to the marvellous things that I have seen
since 1843-4, while the great proclamation of the coming
of Christ has brought to pass. At that time, the churches
were deserted, the members flocked to hear the evidence
jiiven for the coming of Christ, merchants, tradesmen ,
farmers and from all crafts men went forth to give the
message of Rev. XIV, Matt. XXIV, 45, Luke XIV, 17-25.
And when the set time past they went back again tj Bab-
ylon, and became mockers and scotfers : tiiis is truly mar-
vellous.

Again, this same 40 years in taken notice of, by Eze. IV
5-6, here, this prophet, is told to *' lie on thy left 8id%>, and
lay the iniquity of the house of Israel unon it according
to the number of the days, t'lree hundred anJ ninety

THE COMING OF CHRIST.

l*"*^

days ; 80 slialt thou bear the iniquity of the house of
Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie a^ain
on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the
houfieofjudah forty dnys ; I have appointed thee each
day tor a year."

The former period of 390 y« nrs is applicable to the Jews
only from the tiniahin.' of their temple to Christ's tirst
Advent. Iho forty years, 1 t»tink, belong to those who
are looking for Christ since 1843-4 ; and, 1 am satisfied,
will brmg his blepsed coining and kingdom in 1883-4 This
is my firm l)elief, and on this my faith rests

Take notice, also, that between now, 1879, and 1883-4,we
shall have fearful times. A mighty famine — a mighty
plagues — II mighty hailstorms— a mighty fiaods — a mighty
whirlwinds— a mighty fires — fearful crimes — wickedness
on the increase - to be like the days of Noah and Lot j
'' the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked
shall understand ; but the wise shall understand." — han.
XII, 10.

The next three years will fulfil the following prophecy :
Alasl for the day ; for the day of the Lord is at hand, and
as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Is not
the meat cut olt before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness
from the house of our '^Jod ? The sea is rotten under their
clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken
down ; for the corn is withered. How do the beasts
groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed b3<ause they
have no pasture ; yea, the flockfi of sheep are made deso«
late < / Lord, to thee will 1 cry ; for the tire hath devour-
ed the pastures of the w^ilderness, and the flame hath
burned all the trees ot the field The beasts of the tieJd
cry also unto thee ; for tli© rivers of water*- are dried up,
and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

-Joell, 15-20. , . . .

TM& COMING OP GIIIflST.

10 of

the
^aoh

And now, my kind reader, I have given you what I be-
lie Vf^ to be the unsophistioated truths of the Bible; my
limits would not permit me to enlarge as I might, hence I
sh ill leave you to look over the passages I have furnished
for your candid consideration.

God says if we see the sword coming and warn not the
wicked) he »hall die in his sins, and his blood will be re-
quired at the watchman's hands Remember, therefore, that
1 warn you of the coming of Christ in l883-4,and wish you,
and want you, to make your peace with (iod, ere this fear-
ful time will come.

<' Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is
in heaven." till which glorious advent the earth must
continue to be the '<ha)>itation of cruelty."

No man of sound mind can pretend that it can be so
done by a sinful race, whose very essence is <* enmity
against Qod," in a sinful world, which is under the power
of Satan the ungodly. Hence, the ungodly and all their
works must first be destroyed before that time can arrive,
yet our fond dreamers do imagine that they can tame the
devil and his angels-^ priests, preacherB,and those that are
duped by them — , and release the worFid from its present
bondage and corruption, and reduce the human race to
the obedience of the gospel by their missionary exertions
and historical evidences.

The diversified and atrocious wickedness that is in the
world, the vices and crimes — secret and undisguised — ,the
fraud, hypocrisy, deceit and violence, the strife, conten
tion, hatred and cruelty, the tyranny, oppression, lawless-
ness and rebellion, the impiety, superstition, atheism and
blasphemy, the intemperance, extravagance, drunkenness
and debauchery, the covetousness, avarice, extortion and
overreaching, the pride arroganoy, unfaithfulness and
treachery, the hardships and sufferings of poverty, the ig-

«()

TIIK COMING OK CHRIST.

'H^

noranoe ami brutality — so iiiuoli rortultin;i; from exceHsivo
labor and vicious iiidnlgeiioes — , tho miseries of man Irom
tlie numberloss disensed entaihul on him bv sin, tbt^ hard
conditions under which he obtains his daily food, the u>-
dious and painful steps by which it is prOvlu(5ed and pro-
pared ; all these things aid many more ou;j:ht surely to
convince any one how blt^s^ed and dosirable an obj(3c^t the
kingdom ot God must bo, under which these '< former
things shall not be remembered nor come into mind."

Dear reader, make the best of your time you can — make
your peace with Ood — beware of being deceived the
Beast and his image C Papacy and Protestantism) are yet
to work wonders, an-l deceive all but thi^ .Saints.

The last train will soon be here for Glory The Beast
and his Image are seniling by express; destmation. tho
Lake of Fire. Farewell.

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A HYMN.

Behold, on flying clouds he comes,

His saints shall bless the day ;
While they that pierced him sadly mourn,

In anguish and dismay.

I am the first and I the last,

Time centers all in me.
The Almighty Lord who was and is,

And ever more shall be.

How happy every child of grace

Who knows his sins forgiven ;
..This earthshe says is not my home.

With Christ I want to dwell.

A country far from sinners' sight.

Yet oh I by faith I see ;
The land of rest, the saints' delight,

New earth prepared for me.

G what a Messed hope is ours,

While here we jpuitiey on ;
We fully taste the amazijig love,

And feel His coming near.

Christ our blessed Lord win 'i^omei

To raise His saints from th' grave ;

His living saints shall change,

And bring them all to home. V 1 „

James Ca^bb M.cIntos».

•■tK'-

cIntosh.