transcribed into God manifested in the Son, but is reserved in the unrevealed invisibility of the Father.

But it may be inquired, are there not prophetic periods revealed? Do we not read of 2300 days, and then the sanctuary shall be cleansed? And do we not read of 1260 days, and 1290 days, and that blessed is he that cometh to the 1335 days? And is there not much written in Daniel and the Apocalypse, explanatory of these dates? Most true. And those students of God's word and providence, who examine into those periods, with all the advantages of accurate historical information, and critical acquaintance with the original languages, do well, very well, and are entitled to the gratitude of the Church. Much may doubtless be ascertained, and much that is valuable: but still the precise date of the Lord's Advent cannot be known. It is yet a matter of dispute, whether the above-mentioned periods of prophetic chronology are to be considered as literal days, or as years of 360 days each. But rejecting as untenable, for many reasons, the notion of literal days, still the periods in question are involved in obscurity as to their commencement, and consequently of course as to their termination.* And even if

*This remark applies also to the chronology of the world: so that the exact time of the Lord's Advent would be still unknown, even if we could adopt with confidence the interpretation of St. Barnabas. Consider, says that Father of the Apostolic age, consider, my children, what that signifies, he finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this: that in six thousand years the Lord God will bring all things to an end. For with him one day is a thousand years, as himself testifieth, saying, Behold! this day shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, shall all things be accomplished. And what is that he saith, And he rested the seventh day? He meaneth this; that when his Son shall come, and abolish the season of the wicked one, and judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then he shall gloriously rest in that seventh day.-Epist. Barn. § xv. Archbishop Wake's Translation.

Many persons feel disposed to place much reliance upon the statements of the primitive Fathers, as being the most competent interpreters of the mind of the Apostles. I know not how the above passage will fare with such persons; whether they will deem it decisive in the way of scriptural interpretation, and of course adopt it; or whether they will adventure an exercise of private judgment, arraign it at the bar of Scripture, and deny that there is any sufficient foundation for it-as we presume to do with another statement in the same epistle of St. Barnabas:- Understand, therefore, children, these things more fully, that Abraham, who was the first that brought in circumcision, looking forward in the Spirit to Jesus, circumcised, having received the mystery of three letters. For the Scripture says that Abraham circumcised three hundred and eighteen men of his house. But what, therefore, was the mystery that was made known unto him? Mark first the eighteen, and next the three hundred. For the numbered letters of ten and eight are I H; and these denote Jesus. And because the cross was that by which we were to find grace, therefore he adds three hundred; the note of which is T, the figure of the cross. Wherefore, by two letters he signified Jesus, and by the third his cross. He who has put the engrafted gift of this doctrine within us, knows that I never taught to any one a more certain truth: but I trust that ye are worthy of it.-Ibid. § ix. Wake's Translation.

The writings of Paul and Barnabas are as different in tone and character, as if many centuries had intervened between the two men. The reason is obvious. Paul was kept from Judaising by special inspiration of God. Barnabas was not.

their commencement could be certainly ascertained, there would still be another obscurity, as to whether they were to be taken in sequence, or one involving others. Nay, even if this were overcome, and we knew both their commencement and that they were to be taken in sequence, yet, still, we could not date the advent with precision, for the Lord says, The last days shall be shortened; and we no where read how much.

In entering upon this subject, therefore, I altogether disclaim every attempt to fix the period of the world's history, at which the second advent of our Lord is to take place. I earnestly press this point on your attention, because I am persuaded that much injury has been done to a good cause, by vain endeavours to determine the precise time. But I beseech you, my brethren, in giving your attention to it, to discriminate between the importance of the subject itself, and the zeal (in this particular indiscreet) of those warm and faithful defenders of it, who have so far mistaken their office.

2. Another aspect under which we may consider the time, is relatively to other events. On this point we have much light. The event which in this connection is of most importance, is the establishment of that glorious period of blessedness which is predicted to take place over all the earth, when the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of God, and of his Christ; when men shall learn war no more, but beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; when all shall know the Lord, from the least unto the greatest, when they shall not hurt nor destroy in all God's holy mountain, for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the seas. Such a period, you are well aware, is plainly and repeatedly predicted. Now I wish to shew you, that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will precede and usher in, that glorious state of blessedness on earth.

It will precede it, for at the time of the Lord's coming, the earth, instead of being in a millennial state of holiness, and happiness, and harmony, will be in a state resembling the wide-spread wickedness of the days of Noah and of Lot. This is precise and plain as you learn from the 17th chapter of St. Luke: "As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man: they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, also, as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all: even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." You have

a further corroboration in the Epistle to the Thessalonians. 'Yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night; for when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." Now if the world is to be as it was in the days of Noah, or as the cities of the plain in the days of Lot, in a state of ease, peace, and fancied security, until suddenly the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the voice of an archangel and the trump of God; then it appears, that instead of coming when the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, namely, at the end of, or during, that period of blessedness; he comes at the beginning, and while the earth with its inhabitants are in the condition in which you see them: for at this present time, the world is as it was in the days of Noah, they eat, they drink, they plant, they build, they marry, and are given in marriage, -they do not care for God, they do not trouble themselves about his appearing. "Where is the promise of his coming?" say they, the scoffers of the last time; "for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." "Be not afraid," they continue, strengthening themselves in their reckless disregard of the word of God;" "be not afraid, there is no danger; we are doing no more than others have done before us, for centuries. And as to this second coming of Jesus Christ, it is only the interpretation of intemperate enthusiasts. There is no such thing to be apprehended." Thus, as the associates of Noah made light of the threatening of the approaching deluge; and the sons-in-law of Lot treated as idle tales his warning of impending destruction: so it is the essential characteristic of the world now, practically to despise as an idle tale, the plainest sayings of the word of God, respecting the coming and kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They are saying, peace and safety, promising themselves stability, and enjoying their idols. "Their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures: their land is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots." Their land also is full of amusements, "and the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operations of his hands." Therefore, behold, the day of the Lord of Hosts shall come suddenly upon them, and the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low; and upon all the cedars

of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.*

The force of this argument, however, is lost upon some minds, or at least weakened in some degree, by an idea collected from the 20th chapter of Revelations, the 7th verse: "When the thousand years are expired," namely, the thousand years of blessedness previously described-"Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." The objection is this: here is a description of wickedness again, at the end of that period of blessedness; and therefore, the world might then be, in consequence of that reviving wickedness, in a state similar to that of the times of Noah and of Lot, and then is the time of the coming of the Lord; so that although Christ should not come till after the period of blessedness, yet, still he might find the world in a state of wickedness when he does come. Now, in reply to this, I observe:-first, that the passage does not describe such a state as that of the world in the days of Noah and Lot, a state of planting, and building, marrying, and giving in marriage; or, as it is described in the Epistle to the Thessalonians, a state of fancied peace, and safety, and carelessness about God; but, on the contrary, a state of conflict just commenced, which is soon put an end to by the immediate power of God. Therefore there is no ground for the supposition that the world will then go back again to a condition of carelessness and ease, similar to its present state, or its state in the days of Noah and Lot. Furthermore, supposing the passage did imply this; supposing it did afford foundation for saying that the world subsequent to the Millennium would be in that condition; still the objection would not hold good against our argument; for I proceed to shew you, not only that the world shall be in a wicked state at the coming of the Lord, but that it shall continue in such a state till the Lord come.

The mystery of iniquity which worked in the Apostles' time, and which has manifested itself still more since, is described

* Isaiah ii. and v.

under its last form as the man of sin, as continuing to work till it is banished and destroyed by the brightness of the Lord's coming, consequently there shall be no interval between the time of the Apostle and the coming of our Lord, during which, the mystery of iniquity shall not be at work, and no Millennium, therefore, between the creation of the world and the second coming of Christ. This agrees with the parable of the tares, Matt. xiii. 24: "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say unto the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn." Our Lord's interpretation is in the 37th verse. "He that sowed the good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world:" the word translated "world" here, is not the same as in the other verse: it is av in the former it was Kour, signifying the whole planet, whereas this [a] signifies the age or dispensation:t the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Let him hear and understand, that the children of the devil, the tares; and the children of God, the wheat; are both growing together till the harvest; and at the harvest, the Lord appears with his angels, the reapers; so that there shall be no period previous to his coming, in which there shall be an unmixed holy converted world, clear of tares. That is, there

* 2 Thess. ii.

+ The field is é Kesμcs, the world-38. The harvest is UT TOU alaves, the winding up of the age-39.