thor accepted in the beloved. With these desires I send it out into the world, realizing that I am rapidly hastening on the journey of life, and that I must soon make my exit from time into eternity! I implore an interest in the prayers of the reader, if he has access at the throne of grace. Those who have had similar trials know how to sympathize with me when men hate me, because I tell them the truth. If I know my own heart I feel no angry. malicious, revengeful disposition towards any living mortal. If any have injured me, I pray God to give them repentance, free forgiveness and eternal life. If I have injured any, which I undoubtedly have, and sometimes perhaps when not conscious of it, I earnestly entreat forgiveness of God and them. If any should take the trouble to peruse this volume, who never knew the joyful sound of salvation, nor the Saviour's pardoning love, O, may a gracious, and sin-forgiving God make it a blessing to their souls, which are immortal, and which shall never cease to exist. How valuable the soul, how important to be prepared to die! Let me tell the unconverted reader that there is a divine reality in the religion of Christ. It is admitted that many of us who profess to be Christians, dishonor our profession and give the world an occasion by our walk and conversation to conclude that it is all a fiction and delusion. But however this may be, yet after all, the bible is from heaven, there is pure and undefiled relig ion in the world, and God has still a people who are zealous of good works. We must be born again, or never enter the kingdom of heaven, if we die in our sins we shall be miserable in hell forever and ever! The door of mercy is wide open, flee for your life, while there is time. "Behold now is the accepted time;' "Behold now is the day of salvation,"" O that they were wise, that they would consider this, that they would remember their latter end."

It seems to me important that we understand the signs of the times. I consider that there never was a time in which the admonition of our Lord demanded more serious attention: "Watch and keep your garments." I think it evident that awful judgments and

calamities will soon visit the world generally. It is and has been the opinion of many who have made prophecy a study, and I think with good reason, that the sixth vial of God's wrath has for some time been running, the principal effect of which is the wasting away of the Ottoman empire. Do we not see its accomplishment? Perhaps that vial soon shall have run out Then we look for the seventh vial, which will, I think, not consist in some local judgments, affecting some particular nation or empire, but will reach the whole world, and more or less affect all the nations of the earth; or rather the kingdom of Satan universally. It is said to be poured out into the air-Satan is also said to be the Prince of the power of the air, and all men breathe the air. The other vials were more local. This nation has as yet escaped national judgments; but let us not suppose that we shall not yet be visited. I conceive that many have very wrong ideas in respect to the manner in which the latter day glory of the church will be introduced. They seem to plainly imagine that the world will keep growing better and better, and the present inhabitants perhaps generally reformed, and that the benevolent plans of the present day, with additional exertion will evangelize the world and introduce the Millennium. There is no danger, to be sure, of Christians doing too much in spreading the gospel; and they may rest assured that for every exertion from a right motive, to build up the Redeemer's kingdom in the earth, they shall have a rich reward-and they may be the means of saving some. But after all, I think that we are warranted to believe, from the language of prophecy, that the most sweeping judgments await the wicked throughout the whole earth, before the introduction of the Millennial morn, which has ever fallen upon the world since the days of Noah. Now observe the following prophecies, which I will present as they are transcribed by a writer in the Utica Christian Repository, together with some of the same writer's remarks occasionally interspersed, which it seems to me are very appropriate.

"In the 2d Psalm, the Father says to the Son, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." This is usually considered as a promise which relates to the Millennium, and is often quoted in prayer as such; but probably in most cases under the impression of its being a promise that mankind generally shall be converted, and become the willing subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ. But this last conclusion must be drawn without much reflection; for it immediately follows, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." This is not saving, but destroying them.

"The prophecy of Isaiah contains much that relates to the Millennium. From the 60th chapter to the end, that appears to be the principal subject of discourse. In the 63d chapter, the Church asks "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength ?" And the Lord Jesus answers, I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Again the Church asks, "Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine vat?" And he answered, "I have trodden the wine press alone; and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth." The year of his redeemed, the time of their deliverance and peace, is to be introduced by the day of vengeance on his enemies. They are to be destroyed, not converted.

"The same event is thus spoken of in the 19th chapter of Revelation: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And he said unto me, write, blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself: and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and be shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings,

and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." Then follows, in the next chapter, the binding of Satan, and the thousand years' reign of the saints. The Millennium, then, is to be introduced by this great and terrible destruction of the wicked, and not by their conversion.

"The same events are connected together, in the 66th chapter of Isaiah. 66 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her all ye that mourn for her. For thus saith the Lord, behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb; and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. For behold the Lord will come with fire, and his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many."

"The same events also are connected together in the 24th chapter of Isaiah. "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth, and fadeth away; the world languisheth and fadeth away; the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof: because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left." A few are to be left, who shall be the friends of God. The prophet proceeds-"When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall

cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, my leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.— And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare; for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage, and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." They shall be shut up in the prison, where the souls of the wicked are, till the time appointed for the resurrection of the body, and the final judgment, when they shall be visited according to their works, with their full and final punishment. And the prophet adds, "Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." Then, that is, after this general destruction of the wicked from off the earth, the Lord shall reign over his people gloriously, and the church enjoy her millennial state.

"From these passages of scripture, it appears abundantly evident, that the Millennium is not to be introduced, as many expect, by the gradual increase of real religion till it fills the world, and brings all mankind under its influence. On the contrary, the great mass of mankind, at the time of its introduction, will be enemies to God, and will have reached a high pitch of wickedness, and will perhaps have nearly swallowed up the true church of Christ, and have begun their song of triumph at its anticipated speedy extinction, when the Lord will suddenly appear for the deliverance of his people and the dismay and overthrow of his enemies. "As it was in the days of Noah, 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 Noah 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 when the Son of Man is revealed."

66

Behold I come quickly," saith the Lord, let us lay up a good foundation against the time to come!