be off their watch, slumbering with the foolish and ungodly.

The Lord is coming, according to his word, in a day men are not aware of-at an unlooked-for hour their hearts will be overcharged with the cares of this life, and that day will come upon them unawares. "For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." And especially the wicked will be as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare that falleth suddenly upon them.

Some reasons of the blindness and strange infatuation of the world at this time are mentioned in the Scriptures: one of the chief is, that the sentiment with great assurance should be propagated, and should very generally prevail, that the Lord delayeth his coming:-This event is a great way off. Sudden destruction will come upon them when crying peace and safety. 1 Thess. v. 3.

Another sentiment greatly conducive to the general delusion of men respecting this event is, that prophecy cannot be understood. It is so dark and mysterious that nobody can know anything certain about it. To us it is all sealed up, and is no more a revelation than if it were not written. Only the weak and ignorant will pay attention to prophecies;-and therefore, since the superstitious, whimsical fathers fell asleep, these subjects are laid aside, and all things continue as they were. But, in opposition to all this, John, in the introduction of his prophecy, writes, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things

which are written therein: for the time is a hand."

But though the world in this situation will hear but little of their danger, their sleep will be so sound, and the warning voice so drowned by the cries of peace and safety; yet God's elect will hear the voice of Christ, though it be a still small voice, and will be deaf to the loud cries of peace and safety, and to the scoffs of the world: they will learn the parable of the fig-tree, and will see it putting forth-they will hear the voice announcing the Lord's coming, in season to prepare to flee to the mountains, and to save every man his soul.

We have not pretended to fix directly the time of the coming of Christ, for, though this has often been done, it has been done without any warrant; but, according to the Scriptures, we fix the time by events and signs. We do not say, look for the coming of Christ at such a day-such a year-such a century, or at such a millenary; but when you look for Antichrist to be destroyedfor the Jews to be converted-for the battle of that great day of God Almighty, the Armageddon battle, and for such and such signs and wonders, then look for the appearing of the Son of God for within a very short time from these things beginning to come to pass, all will be accomplished.*

* It is observed, that the angel answering Daniel, chap xii., concerning the fulfilment of his blessed hope, men tioned two numbers of prophetic days, which are years, namely, 1290 and 1335, the last of which is forty-five most; from which some have inferred, that, from these signs beginning to appear, or from the recalling of the

We expect opposition, but know of but one way of successfully opposing our doctrine of the millennium, that is, the way of troping and allegorizing the Scriptures; by which, for a long time, too successful an opposition has been made, not only to this, but to almost every doctrine of divine revelation. By such means chiefly Universalism has been introduced, and old arianism has been revived; as, that eternity does not mean eternity, nor everlasting everlasting-the mighty God does not mean the mighty God, nor the everlasting Father the everlasting Father; and them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, does not mean that those that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Jews, which appears to be the glorious event of this era 1290, there would be so many years to the most glorious event of 1335, which is the first resurrection and completion of the new Jerusalem. And it is thought by some that Christ intimated that about so much time should elapse from the beginning to the end of these things, in his observation, This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. Caleb and Joshua, who saw the beginning of the work of redemption from Egypt, saw it perfected in the settlement of the tribes in Canaan, which was about forty-five years; and they who heard the gospel of the kingdom first preached, saw this dispensation, in the militant church state, perfected by the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and by the settlement of the gospel among the Gentiles; which settlement of the gospel in the organization of the Gentile churches, from the preaching of John, was about the same length of time, forty-five years.

Doctor Goodwin understood these two periods "set as two posts, the one at the beginning, and the other at the

This way of turning the Scriptures into tropes and figures is called explaining them; but it ought rather to be called a way of contradicting the Scriptures. They will tell you, however, for their justification, that Christ spake parables; that some things the apostle Paul mentioned he called an allegory; and that John in the Revelation often introduced, as it were, similitudes. But does this warrant them to make any part of Scripture a parable, or allegory, at discretion, and to insert their own as it were at pleasure? We have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye will do well to take heed, and never leave the literal sense, when the subject-matter will bear it without absurdity or incongruity.

ending of that whole stage of time, which is allotted for the despatch of these great things prophesied of, to fall out afore the kingdom of Christ. The first, twelve hundred and ninety years, shows when the first turning of the course of things for the accomplishment of all should begin. The other, thirteen hundred and thirty-five years, shows the time of the full and final end, and complete accomplishment of all that the angel had foretold:" which end, said he, "shall be the great resurrection, and the thousand years of Christ's kingdom. So that this interim of forty-five years is a time which begins with a resurrection," [the resurrection of the witnesses, in which glorious grace he expected both Jews and Gentiles would share,] "and also ends with a resurrection, and that an infi nitely more glorious one; and in the middle course of which time the greatest things are accomplished that ever were done upon the earth, even the ruin both of the Turk and the pope, the enemies of both, [Jew and Gentile,] which is to be completed by the new Jerusalem, as the accomplishment of all."

And Doctor Mather had the same thought, and expected the time of the end, when Daniel and every other good man is to rise and stand up in his lot, within one century from the fall of the papal empire.

I have written these things with great trem blin; not so much because I know they must be unpopular, and must be considered by this earthlyminded generation as the height of fanaticism and the most consummate folly; and that to all careless, unbelieving, busy worldlings I must seem like Lot to his sons-in-law, as one that mocketh; but fearing most of all lest I should add unto or take from the word of prophecy. Yet I dared not be silent, and see the world slumbering until the day of God break.

I have also experienced great discouragement in thinking to attempt something of this kind, from the consideration that if I am right I shall not be believed; on the contrary, the songs of peace-peace-happy times yet in this worldwill still prevail, and prevail until the end. Deceived the world must be, for the Scriptures must be fulfilled. But the further considerations have engaged me to proceed, that possibly some few may be benefitted, and also what I owed myself to some attempts of this kind by others, which were the means of opening my eyes, that had been held in errors, as I now think them, for a number of years of adult age.

Committing therefore all to the Lord, I shall only add my Amen. So come, Lord Jesus.