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ends, for which it was given, till the earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and all the inhabitants of the world shall learn righteoufnefs [d].

These uses are general, and concern all men: The

III. Next, I fhall mention, is more especially addreffed to thinking and inquifitive

men.

When the view of things, exhibited under the two preceding articles, has raised our admiration, to the utmost, of the divine councils in contriving, preparing, and at length executing fo vaft a fcheme, as that of Chriftianity, for the benefit of mankind; we are led to expect that the effect will correfpond to the means employed, and that a ftriking change will, at length, be brought about in the condition of the moral world.

But, in furveying the hiftory of this new religion, the theme of fo many prophecies, and the great, the favourite ob[d] Hab, ii. 14 If. xxvi. 9.

ject,

ject, if I may fo fpeak, of divine providence, "fome are not a little fcandalized to obferve that nothing hath come to pafs in any degree equivalent to fuch an expence of forethought and contrivance; that, for a season, indeed, virtue and piety seemed to triumph, in the exemplary lives of the first converts to this religion, and in the overthrow of Pagan idolatry; but that this golden age was foon over; and that, now, for more than fourteen hundred years, the paffions of men have kept their usual train, or rather have expatiated with more licence and fury in the Chriftian world, than in the Pagan; that idolatry, in all its forms, has revived in the bosom of Christianity; and, as to private morals, that this Religion has even made men worse than it found them, or, at best, of corrupt fenfualifts, has only made them intolerant and vindictive bigots; that, in a word, the kingdom of heaven, as it is called, has, hitherto, neither ferved to the glory of God, nor to the good of mankind; at

least,

leaft, to neither of these ends, in the degree, that might have been expected from fuch high pretenfions."

The colouring of this picture, we will fay, is too ftrong: but the outline, at least, is fairly given. The corruptions of the Christian world have been notorious and great; and though they are indeed the corruptions of men calling themselves Christians, and not the vices of Chriftianity, yet he who the most difpaffionately contemplates fo fad a scene, can hardly reconcile appearances to what must have been his natural expectations.

Here, then, the prophecies of this book, I mean, of the Apocalypfe, come in to our relief. This book contains a detailed account of what would befal mankind under this laft and fo much magnified difpenfation. It foretells all that history has recorded. It fets before us the corrupt state of the Chriftian world in almost as strong a light, as that in which our indignant fpeculatift himself has placed it. But it,

likewise,

likewife, opens better things to our view. It fhews, that the end of this dispensation is to promote virtue and happiness; and that this end fhall finally, but through many and long obftructions, be accomplished. It represents the cause of righteoufnefs, as ftill maintaining itself in all the conflicts, to which it is expofed; as gradually gaining ground, and prevailing, through the fecret aid of divine providence, over all oppofition, till it obtains a firm and permanent establishment; till the Saints reign (not in a fanatical, but in the fober and evangelical fense of that word, reign) in the earth [e]; till the Lord God omnipotent reigneth [f].

So far, then, as these prophecies appear to have been completed, they reconcile us to that disordered scene, which hath hitherto been prefented to us; and give repose to the anxious mind, in the affured hope of better things to come. The

worst, that has

[e] Rev. v, 10.

happened, was foreseen;

[f] Rev. xix, 6.

and

and the best, that we conceive, will hereafter come to pafs. Thus, the reasonable expectations of men are answered, and the honour of God's government abundantly vindicated.

IV. The last ufe, I fhall fuggeft to you, is that which immediately refults from the study of the Apocalyptic prophecies concerning Antichrift; I mean, The fupport, that is hereby given to Proteftantifm against all the cavils and pretenfions of its adverfaries.

For, if these prophecies are rightly applied to Papal Rome, and have, in part, been fignally accomplished in the history of that church, it is beyond all doubt, that our communion with it is dangerous; nay, that our separation from it is a matter of ftrict duty. Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues [g]- are plain and decifive words, and, if allowed to be spoken of that church, bring the con[g] Rev. xviii. 6.

troverfy

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