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until it be so, the argument stands good.

And

does not the Apostle's language seem as if intended to exclude the element of time, and to fix attention upon the event itself, as one which was on the very edge of bursting forth, and which, like a pent-up river, would in an instant burst forth so soon as a certain barrier should be removed? And farther, was it not the intention of the Spirit of God, even in predicting dates, to exclude this element as much as possible? Was it not for this end, that we read always of times, and days, and months? The shortest periods are selected, as if to prevent man from introducing an element which would have the effect of ungirding his loins, and saying, "My Lord delayeth his coming." Are not all the prophecies so worded as to prevent any age of the Church from saying, The crisis cannot be in our day? And does not this peculiar construction of prophetical language proceed upon the principle that an interposed period must destroy vigilance, but that an interposed event does not ? That event was so predicted, that being known to be already in motion, its crisis might arrive at any time. And thus, while the Church was kept ever watchful for her coming Lord, she was also kept with her eye fixed upon the workings of that apostasy, not knowing but that in a moment the explosive and combustible materials might kindle,

and with their hellish blaze, wrap Christendom, if not the world, in flame.

Is not this the position in which we now stand ? The apostasy has been working these 1,800 years. It has more than once in successive ages appeared to come to a crisis; yet the crisis has not yet arrived. The Papal apostasy is by far the likest thing to the crisis that the world has yet seen; but there is one beyond it, more fearful than any hitherto; in which shall be concentrated not merely many of the elements of evil that have formerly shot up in other days, but all the different forms of evil, apostasy, rebellion, idolatry, superstition, infidelity that have broken loose upon the earth since the days of Cain. It is for this that we are now looking. We see the intermingling elements. We mark the rapid fermentation. We are startled with the swift career of action in each event, starting from the goal but yesterday, and finishing its race to-night. We are horrified at the giant stature which every form of sin reaches in a single day. It would seem as if some tropic sun of hell were glaring down upon us, ripening evil before its time; and preparing for us a vintage of iniquity, almost before "the sour grape is seen ripening in the flower."

But, besides all this, let us remember,-and this with glad solemnity,—that it is before the mighty

crisis that the saints are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Christ's first action after leaving the Father's throne, is to raise his dead saints and change his living ones. He comes no doubt to destroy Antichrist, and to pour out the terrors of fiery judgment upon an apostate and blaspheming earth. But in these acts of final vengeance his saints are associated with him: for "this honour have all the saints ;"* and this is that to which our Lord referred when he tells us, that "two shall be together in the field, one shall be taken (caught up) and the other left." These scenes of vengeance we shall behold; but only afar off. Among them we shall not be. We shall have already entered our chambers and have shut our doors about us until the indignation be overpast. Safe hidden in the clefts of the rock we shall look out and see far beneath us the havoc of the wasting storm, and mark the swellings of the fiery flood as it rolls its red billows over earth, swallowing up city and village, tower and temple, in the advancing current, hushing alike the roar of its tumult and the "noise of its viols," till, as, amid the deep vapour, we discern the smoke of "that great city Babylon," we take up the song of Moses and of Miriam, and call on heaven and earth to rejoice with us over the ruin of that habitation of devils whose power and

Ps. cxlix. 6-9.

† Matt. xxiv. 40.

pomp and glory in one hour have perished, laid waste like Sodom, swallowed up in that abyss out of which no second Babylon shall arise.*

If these things be so, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? For what is there now between us and the coming of the Lord? What is there to lead us to suppose that He is not nigh, even at the doors? If, even before the last crisis bursts upon the amazed earth, we are to be caught up out of it and taken away from the evil to come, then it is high time to awake out of our sleep. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand." The Judge standeth before the door. "WATCH therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh."

But a few years,-it may be less,-and we shall be beyond the circle where sorrow enters, beyond the ebbing and the flowing of human vicissitude, seeing Him face to face whom not having seen we loved; our battles fought, our wounds all healed, our toils forgotten, and our tears all wiped away.

* See Dr. Candlish's statements on this point in his work on Genesis, p. 190, and in his letters to Mr. Elliott, p. 88.

CHAPTER VII.

PROOFS OF A PRE-MILLENNIAL ADVENT.

THIS is purely a question of interpretation. The order in which events are to occur must depend entirely on God's eternal arrangements; and our knowledge of that order must depend upon our right understanding of what God has written in his Word concerning it. Man's theories cannot aid us here; nay, they may hinder us much. Let us listen to the voice of God. Let us calmly and simply interpret his Word, throwing aside all bias, and being willing to learn of Him alone.

How often have human systems perverted the spiritual judgment, and unfitted us for listening to what the Spirit saith unto the Churches! How often have systems been used as an instrument for corrupting the simple Word, and explaining away its natural meaning! And how often, when departing from the plain sense of the words, has our only reason been, that if interpreted thus, they would be irreconcileable with our system. Had system not been in the way, the simpler view

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