to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to God the judge of all, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.

The fact, therefore, that the kingdom of Christ in its future form is always associated with the personal appearance of Christ, the resurrection of the righteous dead, the change of the living, the destruction of the wicked, and the conflagration of the earth and atmosphere, and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth, may be regarded as proof positive that the mountain, millennial, and glorious kingdom of God cannot be received and inherited by men of the flesh, whether Jew, gentile, or christian, but by the glorified only. Finally. When, then, will the Lord Jesus come to set up his glorious kingdom?

Some answer that a millennium or a thousand years interposes itself between us and that event; but this is an error, for Christ is never represented as coming after a millennium.

Others say that the return of the Jews is an event which imposes itself between us and the coming of Christ. If it is, the New Testament does not say so, for whatever the xi. chap. of the Romans says of their conversion, surely it alludes not at all to their return, and indeed could not, for they were not then scattered, but living in Canaan.

Again it is supposed that although they may not return to the Holy Land, they must be converted before Christ comes. And as proof of this, many passages in the Old, and some in the New Testament have been adduced by learned persons who favour the idea-as Faber, Scott, Bickersteth and others. In answer to the quotations from the prophets, it is said, all the Old Testament prophets, except Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, prophesied before the return from Babylon, and even the first two of these flourished seventy-nine years before the return of a large body who came up with Ezra. As for Malachi, he does not prophecy of a return at all, and if he speaks of their conversion, it is of their conversion at the first advent of Christ. It is further argued by those who do not believe in the return of the Jews, that the promises of the Old Testament all respect the true Israel who are to be raised from the dead and made the inheritors of the true Canaan.

Touching Romans, xi. chap. observe: 1st. It respects not the return of the Jews, because they were not then scattered. 2nd. It respects, then, their engrafting; but then this is spoken of as wholly depending on their faith; "If they abide not in unbelief," says the apostle. But see-there never

was a clearer case of unbelief made out against any other nation under heaven. They have not believed, they have not been grafted in." They will not be grafted in, unless they believe; the question then is, Will they believe? The apostle does not answer this question. Mark that, Paul does not say they will believe, but that they will be grafted in if they do. I ask again then, Will they believe? Do the scriptures say they will?

If is a little word, but it sometimes is very significant. Jesus once said of John, " If I will that he tarry till I come again, what is that to thee Peter?" and John says that some of the disciples took occasion from this saying of the Lord's, to report that John would never die; but John explained and assured them that Jesus said not that he should not die, but only, "If I will that he tarry till I come," &c. We should remember that Paul has not said they would be grafted in, but only that they would if-" if they continue. not in unbelief." If, then, Paul has not absolutely said they shall be grafted in, far less has he said that they shall believe. The event alone can prove the truth here. They have not believed, they have not been grafted in, and the dispensation is now about to close; the fulness of the times allotted for the gentile governments and the gentile dispensation is about come, for these will end at one and the same time, when all the true Israel of God will be saved by the Redeemer who is coming to Zion.

When will he come? Those interpreters who bring this event nearest to us, seem to me in all things the nearest right. It looks to me as if history had almost exhausted prophecy, and that we are on the eve of the greatest change the world ever saw. How careful then ought we to be to put all things to right! how careful to have our lamps trimmed, full of oil, and burning! Reader, set your house in order. Be clothed with humility. Reform thoroughly in all things. Be perfect. Be vigilant. The Son of man cometh in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Take care that you lose not both your soul and body. You had better slacken your hold of this perishing world, and prepare to meet your Judge. "Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him."-Evangelist.

W. S.

"THE influence of true religion is mild and soft and noiseless and constant as the descent of evening dew on the tender herbage, nourishing and refreshing all the amiable and social virtues- not rattling as the summer shower, rooting up the fairest flower, and washing the richest mould in the pleasant garden of society."-- Ch. Pub.

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THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

THE time when he will come.

I will give the calculation made by Mr. Miller and others in the east; and leave the matter to be determined by the public. It is a subject worthy of all attention.

1. They begin their calculations from Dan. viii. 14. And he said "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." By the sanctuary they understand the church, as Heb. viii. 1-2. In the next chapter, (ix. 24,) Gabriel explains to Daniel this period; seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, &c. till the death of Messiah. Now according to universal agreement, a prophetic day is a year-two thousand three hundred days are so many years; and seventy weeks are four hundred and ninety years. Now from the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem was four hundred and fifty-seven years before Christ was born, and from his birth to his death was thirty-three years,-this number added to four hundred and fifty seven, makes four hundred and ninety, the time of his death.-Four hundred and ninety taken from two thousand three hundred, leaves one thousand eight hundred and ten, and thirty-three years from his birth to his death added make one thousand eight hundred and forty-three. At this time the sanctuary is to be cleansed. The wicked shall be destroyed, and Christ's second advent is to take place.

Or, from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years to the death of the Messiah. From the birth of the Messiah to his death is thirty-three years. This subtracted from four hundred and ninety, leaves four hundred and fifty-seven; this last number of years before Christ, taken from two thousand three hundred, leaves one thousand eight hundred and forty-three. The time when the sanctuary shall be cleansed.

2. The man of sin, and the little horn in Dan. vii. 25, mean the same thing, the papal power. This power was to continue a time, times and a half, equal to three and a half years, or one thousand two hundred and sixty days or years. At the expiration of this period the judgment was to sit, and they shall take away his dominion. To consume and to destroy it unto the end, when the everlasting kingdom is to be set up. They commence the beginning of the one thousand two hundred and sixty, at the time when Justinian by

decree constituted the Bishop of Rome the head of all the churches. This was in the year 538, after Christ. Add this last number to one thousand two hundred and sixty, and they make one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight. In this very year, Berthier, a French general, entered Rome, abrogated the whole papal government, instituted in its place. a republican government, and carried the pope a captive to France, where he died the next year. Thus was fulfilled this prophecy.

The objection may be made, the papal system yet exists, and therefore the prophecy has failed. They answer, that it is not said that at the end of the one thousand two hundred and sixty years that popery would cease to exist; but that they should take away his dominion, (this was done by Berthier in 1798) and to consume and destroy it unto the end. Popery, like a person in a consumption, has been ever since consuming, and will continue in this sickly state till it shall be utterly destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming.

The wound inflicted on the pope, or the first beast, in 1798, was a deadly wound. But Bonaparte healed the deadly wound by decreeing that all should make an image to the beast which had the wound by the sword, and did live. (Rev. xiii. 11-17.) Bonaparte was the beast with two horns, or two governments, being crowned emperor of France, and king of Italy. He restored popery, and made it the religion of his dominions. Popery is called an image of the beast; because it is, ever since 1798, but an image of what it once was.

It is objected that the Mahomedan power must be put down before Christ's second coming.

Answer.-In Rev. ix. the angel of the bottomless pit was Mahomet, as all agree. To the power of Mahomet, it was given to kill all that had not the seal of God in their foreheads, but not to hurt the grass, nor any green thing, meaning the saints; but even over them was given power to torment them five months or one hundred and fifty years. The commencement of which period was when they had one king, which was Othman, the founder of the Ottoman or Turkish empire. This empire was established in 1299 A. D. to which add 150, it makes 1449. In this year the Greek empire expired, or become dependant on the Ottoman empire. The duration of the Ottoman empire over the Greek is limited to an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, equal to three

hundred and ninety-one years and fifteen days. Now as the first period, 150 years was fulfilled, being the onset of the Ottomans on the Greeks, July 27, 1299, the second will be fulfilled in August, 1840. This calculation was made by these brethren in the year 1839. Now in this very month and year, all know the Ottoman empire ceased from its independence, having resigned it into the hands of the christian powers. Thus they have answered the objection against their views. It is at least plausible. Let all attend to these things, for they are important, and demand our most serious attention. B. W. STONE.

THE BODY OF CHRIST.

A DISCOURSE. BY A. G. COMINGS.

"There is one body." Eph. iv. 4.

"I am the vine, ye (Apostles) are the branches." John xv. 5. "Neither pray I for these (Apostles,) alone, but for them also which believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." John xvii. 20,

WHEN We open the scriptures, for the purpose of obtain ing all possible information relative to the duty and destiny of man, we are forcibly impressed by the simplicity and beauty of those figures which are used for the purpose of conveying to the disciples of the Great Teacher, the most perfect ideas of truth, relative to the nature, order, and design of the mission of the Messiah into our world.

We are at one time pleased with a reference to the vine, extending its branches for the production of fruit; and we hear the Great Teacher addressing his apostles, saying, "I am the vine, ye are the branches."

At another time our attention is drawn to behold the church compared to a house, and the Lord Jesus represented as the builder of the house.

We catch another comparison, from the writings of an apostle, in which the Lord Jesus is represented as a "chief corner stone in the foundation of a temple, into which all his true followers are builded as parts.

Again we look, and the human body is placed before us, representing the church of Christ. From this imagery we draw a subject for discussion; viz.

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

At this point we discover a necessary distinction of parts;