*

they are yet to be fulfilled, I might ask again for the proof. I deny the doctrine of double fulfilment, as having no authority from Scripture; as a doctrine which has been exploded by one of the first Biblical scholars of the day, in a work to which no answer has ever been vouchsafed. (Dissertations on Prophecy, by Dr. Lee, Regius Professor of Hebrew in the University of Cambridge.) I can here speak with the greatest confidence, and am disposed likewise to speak strongly, because I believe that it is the same absurd double interpretation which is at the bottom of the thousand-and-one different doctrines of the day, all of which doctrines, we are told to believe, are equally and alike the truth of God. I would, to prove this, call to your remembrance how often you have heard preachers, especially what are called "Calvinistic experimental preachers," give a double interpretation, a primary and a secondary sense, of Christ's promise to his about-to-be inspired apostles, "Take no thought how or what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; for it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost." How often have you heard the ministers of the day apply this to themselves; and yet one of these ministers (Arminian) is "able to gainsay and resist" the other (Calvinist), not on a matter of mere ceremony, but the very vital doctrines of Christianity itself.

Again, to show the absurdity of double interpretation, I may mention, that I remember reading a review of a sermon which I published in the times of my ignorance, in which review there was a passage to the following effect:-"It will rejoice us to find the author'led into all truth.' Now, according to the religious belief of the reviewer, so far from being led into all truth, I am, doubtless, in his estimation, the upholder of the "vilest heresy that has ever appeared in Christendom." Behold, then, in this scripture, the application of what belonged to an inspired ministry; and in the reviewer's expressed wish, behold the assumption of the miraculous gift "of trying the spirits, whether they be of God," and in the failure of that assumption, behold the absurdity of double interpretation; and, as the originating cause of the above absurdities, behold the assumption of apostolic succession by those who would be horror-struck if you told them that they believed in that doctrine as firmly, but not by any means as honestly, nor as wisely, as the poor despised Roman Catholic. Our view, which we believe to be scriptural, is this:-The Old Testament is typical of the New, and, as typical, contains all that is in the New: but the New Testament is neither typical of another New Testament, nor yet of itself. The commonly received view is the reverse of this, and the inevitable consequence of such view is that which the Mormonites have arrived at. We must have a further revelation, to explain that which is already in our possession: we must, if any prophecy of scripture is yet to be fulfilled, have a ministry to give us the infallible interpretation of such prophecy therefore, by consequence equally inevitable, there being none of these requisites visible, God is charged with imperfection, with beginning a work, and not being able to finish it; or, if this be preferred, God is thought to be even such a one as ourselves.

We might thus proceed to our proof of the past second coming, from the 24th and 25th Matthew; and in the proof we might bring in

* See Note A.

с

the other three Gospels, and the Apostolic Epistles, by way of confirmation; but this would extend the address further than our limits allow. I choose, for the present, to adopt the diagram method of dealing with the Scriptures-for many reasons, chiefly because of its simplicity. A plan of this kind deals with particular passages of scripture according as they fall under different states or dispensations: a plan of this kind preserves that right division of the Word of Truth which Paul, in sketching the character of an inspired bishop, enforced upon Timothy, and exhibits that beautiful scripture in a glorious fulfilment, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This method of dealing with the Scriptures, moreover, as has been justly observed, addresses both the eye and the ear, and thus appeals to an objector, requesting him, as might well be done in a public lecture, to point out what he may consider to be erroneous.

Diagrams, showing the order of divine revelation, abound in Scripture, and are to me a convincing proof that "the hand which wrote it is divine;" that the same Almighty Being who spread the starry heavens, who " appointed the moon for certain seasons, and the sun to his going down," is He who has declared, "Out of Zion, the whole perfection of beauty, God shineth clearly." (Compare Psalm 1. 2, with Heb. xii. 18, 24.) Diagrams, attended with this glorious consequence, abound; take, for instance, the diagram presented to our notice in the first chapter of Genesis, as an illustration of the above remarks. We find therein the scriptural account of the creation of the world, solely intended, I am inclined to believe, for the purpose of exhibiting a shadow of the different dispensations in the church. I allude to the division into days. How read we? "The earth was emptiness and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep;" but there ensued, as we are told, the distinct operations of God in his creation work; which work is described by the division of successive days, each day's work being distinct, and each day's work complete. The chaos is reduced to order at the end of the sixth day there ensued the Sabbath, or rest; and “God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good." These days, we observe, were shadows of the dispensations, and the rest was a typical rest, the antitype being a rest in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was to remain for the people of God. In the light of these days we are satisfied to behold the creation of "a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness;" which believers of the apostolic day were looking for (2 Peter iii. 13), and for which they were exhorted so to run that they might obtain," but which, if modern doctrines are true, they have not yet obtained, and are looking for still. We are persuaded that the last day in which it was lawful for a man to work even his own salvation, with fear and trembling," was that of the apostles; that this preceded a seventh day, a "Sabbatismos" (Heb. iv. 9) of a finished work, of rest- "rest," as Paul observes, "with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels" (2 Thess. i. 7); and that this revelation was at the cessation of their ministry and apostleship, that is, when the Lord came to the destruction of Jerusalem, and was "glorified in his saints, and admired by all them that believed;" while the adherents to the Jewish house

out "

were "punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power," as it is to this very day. We are persuaded that then was the eternal Sabbath-keeping ushered in, into which we have entered, most, if not all of us, after a weary pilgrimage through the dispensation work, as though that were to be enacted over again in our own individual person. This is our belief.

On the other hand, according to religious systems, there is no such beautiful arrangement as the above at all; being ignorant of God's distinct dealings, being ignorant of God's righteousness, which is the righteousness of a new heaven and new earth, and not of Moses-being unable rightly to divide the word of truth, they look upon, and virtually make, the Bible to be a book without form and void. -a chaos of unutterable disorder, and have reduced it, in the estimation of thinking minds, to the degraded position of the most inconsistent, absurd, and contradictory system of religion that was ever devised.

Again, I take another diagram -The descendants of Abraham went down into Egypt, and Moses (a prophet like unto Christ,) was sent to deliver them from the bondage to which they had been subjected, the seed of Abraham having been promised an inheritance in the land of Canaan. Here again we have a diagram, which is presented to us in the following order :

1st. The redemption from Egypt.

2nd. The journey through the wilderness.

3rd. The possession of the promised land.

This was typical, and the same order is antitypically observed in the New Testament :

1st. The redemption from spiritual Egypt, or the bondage of Moses' law.

2nd. The journey through the trials and tribulations of the Apostolic state.

3rd. The land, rest, inheritance, or new heaven and earth manifested and obtained at the second advent of Christ.

No one, I think, can object to this arrangement; it is a comparison of type and antitype, which recommends itself to every unprejudiced mind at a single glance. No one will quarrel with the arrangement, but very few will be disposed to agree with me as to the time of type receiving fulfilment in antitype. Into this, then, I will most patiently enquire.

I presume that it will be admitted on all hands, that the first of these three typical representations was accomplished on Calvary, when Jesus said, "It is finished!" that spiritual Israel was then redeemed from the bondage of Moses' law, as literal Israel had been from Egyptian slavery; that the mild invitation of Immanuel then indeed began to take effect, "Come unto me, all that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" that " grace and truth" were then introduced, with a yea and amen" witness, to supersede the law that came by Moses. I suppose none who call themselves Christians will deny this; so far from that, I believe there are few but would in words carry that redemption further than I should myself; for I do not view it complete in salvation until the appearing again the second time. I pass by this as granted by all parties, and come to the second typical representation,

ness.

"The journey through the trials and tribulations of the apostolic state, answering to the journey of the Children of Israel through the wilderThat there were trials and tribulations in the Apostolic state, needs no Apostle of this day to prove; nay, so far from want of proof, if men would but be honest with themselves, and had "such an heart in them" as seriously to resolve upon examining the pretensions of their several ministers and pastors, they might weigh them in the balance of Apostolic suffering alone, and find them, one and all, to be utterly wanting. If Christians of every denomination would but contrast the temporal reward of the "ministers of Christ," with that of those who have assumed their office, with the hireling labourers of the day; if they would but examine the testimony of an Apostle, and hear him show forth this his apostleship; "We both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace, and labour, working with our own hands (though the labourer was worthy of his hire); being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things to this day"-" unto this day;" if Christians would but seriously resolve whether that "unto this day" is visible now; if they would bring these matters, in their true and scriptural meaning, to bear upon their self-styled ministers, the whole fabric of the priesthood must soon be tumbled to the ground.

be;

That there were trials and tribulations in Apostolic times is granted. The testimony above quoted is decisive. But we need not leave the matter here. It is written, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;" and religious systems say that it is exactly the same now. It may but in order to know whether it be the Scripture persecution, I must know what it is to "live godly in Christ Jesus;" and to know this, it must be resolved to me what the words"in Christ Jesus" mean. I go round to one body calling itself Christian, and they give me their definition of what it is to be "in Christ Jesus." I go to another, and another, and another, and I receive their several interpretations. I expect that they will all "speak the same thing," "be of the same mind and judgment." I open them, compare, and to my distress and perplexity I find that their sentiments on the subject are so various and discordant that it would be a hopeless task to attempt to make anything of them. I therefore reject their preaching, and believe that for any of them to say, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," is a mere assertion, unsupported by a shadow of proof. It was not so in the Apostles' day. These inspired teachers had no disagreement as to what it was to be "in Christ Jesus;" and, being of one mind in the doctrine, we receive their persecution as persecution for truth's sake.

I

Again, it is written, we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts xiv. 22), but then religious systems deny that the kingdom is yet come. And again, it is written of the 144 thousand, "the remnant according to the election of grace," the "all Israel," saved in that day with an everlasting salvation, it is written of these, and "the number which no man could number," "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." But

religious systems say that this is true of every Christian now living, after departing this life; and truly if it be affirmed of any coming out of tribulation now, we need not travel far for an example, in one whose name has been cast out as evil, by those who not long ago could address him as a "dear brother in Christ Jesus." But no matter. Religious systems say that there is this tribulation still, as preparatory to an entrance into the kingdom of God. How do they prove it? Oh, the answer is in a moment, from such systems as pretend to this part of Apostolic succession-Oh, it is said, look what a sinner passes through before he finds peace; remember a law-work upon the conscience-a horrible dread of eternal misery-doubts and fears as to the soul's everlasting welfare-and so forth.

Is this the tribulation of which Apostles speak? Nothing of the kind; the Apostles knew better; they preached the gospel with demonstration of the Spirit and power; they preached the glorious doctrine of the assurance of faith; "Whosoever loveth is born of God, and knoweth God; and if we should say we know him not, we should be liars, like unto the world." Is this the tribulation of the kingdom journey, then I grant there is plenty such like at the present hour. But then, we ask, "Who is the author of it, and whence its origin ?"The very systems themselves: they have "darkened counsel with words without knowledge;" they have buried Christianity under a heap of "wood, hay, stubble, gold, silver, and precious stones;" they have set up, each for himself, a "standard;" they have made poor enquiring souls their "hewers of wood, and drawers of water;" and, having done all this, they call it Apostolic tribulation. Apostolic tribulation was of heaven, and not of men. It was because of the existence of that Jewish economy which was in their day called "Satan transformed into an angel of light;" which was "Satan going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour;" (compare 1 Peter v. 8, with Psalm xiv. 4,) which was Satan raging because the time was short; all which is proved on a reference to the Acts of the Apostles, where we find Satan going about seeking whom he might devour, in the person of the Jews persecuting the Christians from city to city, because, as was averred, they "spake blasphemous things against Moses, the law, and the holy place." This was the originating cause of trouble then, from the man of sin, Antichrist, flesh, (the law, see Romans viii. 8,) the carnal mind, which was attached to the law, whose strength was sin, which was the sting of death, the wages of sin, of which death the devil had the power. The religious systems of the day have taken up "the body of this death;" they have dressed and decked out the loathsome corpse; they have called the same Christianity. There is no beauty in it that men should desire it, and in trying to fancy it, to love it, to fall down before it, and worship it, there is trouble superadded to all the ills which "flesh is heir to;" and what could you expect but trouble? The truth is, systems attach their on meaning to the scripture tribulation, and that is a meaning which has no reference to the times and seasons, and is quite independent of God's meaning.

Having offered these remarks upon the word tribulation, I might go on at great length to prove, from the Apostolic Epistles, these wilderness trials of theirs, in connexion with the typical trials of Israel of