vial, are now passing over us, as the events of Providence do plainly show, and are drawing towards the close; and the seventh trumpet may daily be expected to begin to sound. Who knows how soon the seventh angel with the voice of the last trump shall proclaim, There shall be time no longer-the mystery of God is finished? O solemn sound!

in the original.) Mr. Mede conceives it to be, names of men, for men of names. Now by men of names is meant, men of office, title, and dignity." In Numbers xvi. 2, those two hundred and fifty men in Korah's conspiracy, who were princes of the congregation, are called men of name. Now as those, for their enmity against Moses and Aaron, were consumed by fire, so "these, for having killed the witnesses, themselves are to be killed (haply) by being bereft of their names and titles, which are to be rooted out forever, and condemned to perpetual forgetfulness."

"Now which of these ten kingdoms, or of the ten states in Europe, and what tenth part thereof, shall first have this great privilege, as a blessed handful to the rest that follow, is not hard to conjecture." "The saints and churches belonging unto the kingdom of France, God has made a wonder unto me in all his proceedings towards them, first and last; and there would seem some great and special honor reserved for them yet at the last. For it is certain, that the first light of the gospel, by that first and second angel's preaching. (chap. xiv.,) which laid the foundation of Antichrist's ruin, was out from among them; namely, those of Lyons and other places in France. And they bore and underwent the great heat of that morning of persecution; which was as great, if not greater, than any since. And besides, the churches of France have ever since had as great a share in persecutions, yea greater, than any other churches. And though it be well nigh five hundred years since they began first to separate from Antichrist, and they still continue a glorious church unto this day, yet they never had that great honor and privilege (which other churches

Set not your hearts upon this world: "for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Shalt thou hear, "O my soul, the sound of the trumpet?" "Prepare to meet thy God."

What if this night the last trumpet should sound! Wo to the unprepared! but glory, and honor, and immortality to the people of God !— So, come Lord Jesus.

have been so blest with) as to have a supreme magistrate professing their religion; but either they have been bloody persecutors and oppressors of them, or else they have apostatized from them. May it not, therefore, be hoped and looked for, that as that kingdom had the first great stroke, so now it should have the honor to have the last great stroke in the ruining of Rome?"*

The peculiar rage of the wars occasioned by the French revolution, and the remarkable pestilences and famines which have accompanied it, greatly support these interpretations, that it is indeed the sound of the sixth trumpet-the second wo; after which there cometh but one more. And behold, the third wo cometh quickly; which is the battle of that great day of God Almighty, in which the wrath of God is fulfilled, and therefore must necessarily make an end of all Christ's enemies. The same things are said to be done at the sounding of the seventh trumpet (which is the last of woes) that shall be done at the pouring out of the seventh vial (which is the last of plagues) as upon the pouring forth of the last vial, there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake, such as never was on earth before, and a great hail, so likewise at the sounding of the last trumpet, there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

* Part II., chap. vii., §5 and 6.

Let the seventh angel sound on high,
Let shouts be heard through all the sky!
Kings of the earth, with glad accord
Give up your kingdoms to the Lord.

Almighty God, thy power assume,
Who wast, and art, and art to come:
Jesus the Lamb, who once was slain,
Forever live, forever reign!

The angry nations fret and roar,
That they can slay the saints no more:
On wings of vengeance flies our God,
To pay the long arrears of blood.

Now must the rising dead appear,
Now the decisive sentence hear;
Now the dear martyrs of the Lord
Receive an infinite reward.

LECTURE III.

THE FIRST RESURRECTION.

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.-PHILIPPIANS iii. 2.

In the verse preceding our text, the apostle Paul summed up the Christian religion, with application to himself, in a most fervent and devout wish-" that I may know him (Christ) and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." This was all he desired for this life still he had an object beyond-a desired object beyond the grave; the hope of attaining which, engaged his heart, and animated every power of soul and body. This dear object is expressed in the text-THE RESURRECTION OF THE

DEAD.

A subject so interesting to the apostle must be of the highest importance. May we all believe in it as such, and be influenced by it as he was. Attending to which, we may

I. Observe by what means the apostle Paul endeavored to obtain his desired end-the resurrection of the dead.

II. Inquire what the apostle must mean, in this place, by the resurrection of the dead.

III. Show the propriety of our subordinating every pursuit in life to this end; and of striving to the utmost, if by any means we may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

I. To obtain his desired object, our apostle strove in a manner that shows what the hope of the resurrection of the dead is capable of effecting in man.

He made a sacrifice of all his advantages, natural, acquired and religious; which were many, and, he thought, equal, if not superior, to any man's whatever. See the 4th verse of this chapter, and the following in connection:

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Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more; circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;" brought up at the feet of Gamaliel; for zeal acquiring great reputation; "touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.'

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless; and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found of him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righeousness