Page images
PDF
EPUB

system, it is as hostile as ever to the civil and religious rights of men, and still remains under the curse of God. The palpable change which has taken place is not in it but in us, and is only another reason to dread the weight of God's avenging justice. The more intimate our connection with the See of Rome-and there is reason to fear our apostasy will be yet more obvious the deeper must we drink of that cup of wrath which shall be filled to the brim, and the contents of which shall be without mixture.

But it is not merely on account of sins in the national administration, that the justice of God will be vindicated in the infliction of His righteous judgments. The state of society in general is alarming in the extreme. Disease of a deep and deadly nature has overspread the land. Infidelity has made fearful progress in the world. In the church, the power of religion has sadly declined, and iniquity seems coming in like a flood. To what an alarming height has drunkenness increased, both in the world and in the church! Impurity has greatly gained ground. The sanctity of the Sabbath is more grossly profaned and its ordinances more lightly prized. There is now little of that thoroughly devotional spirit which so eminently characterized our holy men of old. Instead of the stern uprightness of decided religion, the Church is pervaded by a spirit of temporizing, which would sacrifice all proper principle to the views and wishes of worldly men. Formerly, Christians dreaded conformity to the world as a certain symptom that their hearts were not right with God. Now, every thing which would indicate separation from the world must, if possible, be avoided; and this consummation is often obtained at the expense of proper moral principle. But the worst feature, in our case, is the want of a due sense of the evil, and of proper feeling with respect to our declension. Oh, what an accumulation of guilt, of public national transgression, stands in fearful record against us! "Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this." Jer. v. 29. We do not, we dare not, desire the evil day, but what ground is there to hope for escape? Instead of expecting any permanent relief from the present increasing distress, we fear it is only the commencement of overwhelming calamity. Preparation is evidently being

made for the restoration of Israel by the downfal of the Ottoman empire; and coeval with it is the period of unparalleled distress. It is matter of thankfulness that God, for His elect's sake, shall shorten these days of awful "tribulation." Still, how long they may continue, before the coming of the Lord, or what time may be occupied in the work of overwhelming judgment after his return, it is impossible to say. The ablest commentato of opposite opinions with respect to Christ's premillennial advent, seem to agree in believing that the commencement of general happiness, after the utter overthrow of all Christ's enemies, will take place about the year 1867. Were their opinion correct, with respect to the nature of the blessing pronounced (Dan xii. 12.) on him " that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days," from the rise of Antichrist (of which, however, we have some doubt,) it would still give us no certain information respecting the precise period of Christ's return, which must be some time before this happy era, as He must first "be revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance" on His enemies. But at his coming, believers shall be removed from all subsequent troubles, being caught up to meet Him. "I tell you," said the Saviour, "in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other shall be left." Luke xvii. 34. In the hope of being fellow-heirs of this glory and blessedness, "the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ." 2 Thess. iii. 5. "Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning; lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." Mark xiii. 33-37. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching." Luke xii. 35-37. "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged

66

with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke xxi. 34-36. "For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." 1 Thess. v. 2, 6. "The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.' 1 Pet. iv. 7. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness: Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." 2. Pet. iii. 9-14. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. vii. 1. "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Phil. iii. 20, 21. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. v. 23. "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be

66

blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1. Cor. i. 7,8. Keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords." 1 Tim. vi. 14, 15. "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things." 2 Tim. iv. 1-5. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus ii. 13. "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.... Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Heḥ. x. 23–25, 35—37. "And now, little children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John ii. 28. "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Rev. xxii. 20.

THE END.

ALEX. GARDNER, PRINTER,

« PreviousContinue »