Religion Exposed," I was informed that it had long since been out of print! "Then are you not going to reprint it?" I enquired. I enquired. "Oh, no: "Oh, no:" I received for reply, "this class of theology is now never enquired for"! Then I say, the more the pity: and the greater the shame. Not long after this, I purchased a beautifully, and even expensively, bound copy of Archbishop Leighton's whole works in 5 vols., at a second-hand bookseller's, for 7s. 6d., when he offered me a magnificently bound copy of Owen's whole works, in 21 vols, for 22s.! And I actually saw another complete copy of Leighton's works, offered in another bookseller's catalogue, for 9d.! All these things are truly signs of the times; and they indicate but too clearly the end to which we are drifting. And all this apparent show of Gospel earnestness and success, and the circulation of so much supposed Gospel knowledge and instruction, only serves to blind people to the true nature of the dangers to which we are exposed: for they induce people to think that things are becoming better, instead of worse; and that the Gospel is making progress in the world; and as some vainly even still imagine, will ultimately convert it to Christ! although the Scriptures plainly inform us, that "God at the first did visit the Gentiles" only "to take out of them a people for His name."1 1 Acts xv. 14. The so-called "Holiness movement," likewise, which in many cases is but the teaching of the lying doctrine of "perfection in the flesh;" and the Israelitish craze that we are Moreover the "more sure word of prophecy," which is intended by the Holy Ghost, to be "a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day-dawn, and the day-star arise," has been so corrupted by the false glosses and unsound systems of men; that, in many cases, it is being used rather to "hide counsel without knowledge," than to enable men truly to "discern the signs of the times." 3 How often, for instance, have the false prophecies of "the time of the end," occasioned by the belief in the unscriptural doctrine of the year-day system, been "a snare and a trap" to the unwary; and by thus throwing contempt upon the Prophetic Word, have resulted in some minds, not only in a disgust of the whole subject, but in the rejection of that Word as any guide in the matter whatsoever! I remember several years ago reading a work by a Captain Baker, entitled “The Day and The Hour;" in which he predicted that the last day would be on the 20th of September, 1878 !—a day which has already passed,—and the day of judgment on the 11th of February, 1922! He also predicted that the Queen would abdicate on the 9th of October, 1867; and the fall of Rome would take place on the 6th of December following; while the resurrection of the saints was to occur about 1 a.m. on the Israelites, and must therefore be blessed as such, are likewise working much mischief amongst Christian professors. See the Writer's tractate, "Christian Perfection, so-called: shewing what it is, and what it is not." S. W. Partridge & Co., 2d. 1 2 Peter i. 19. 2 Job xlii. 3. 3 Mat. xvi. 3. night of 24-25 January, 1875! Time, therefore, has already proved him to be a "false prophet." Nevertheless, there are such prophets amongst us still; who, notwithstanding the positive assertion of our blessed Lord, that "of that day and hour knoweth no one," ovdeìs, "no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only," still dare to predict the very day and hour itself, when the Lord Himself shall come! What mischief, likewise, has resulted from the socalled "secret rapture" theory: for which there is not even the shadow of a text in proof, in the Divine Word. For the belief in this false doctrine, by inducing professing Christians to think that they will of course escape all the evils that are coming upon the earth, has led them to look upon the persecutions of the days preceding, as well as those during, the reign of Antichrist, as things which could only affect other people, and with which they could not possibly have anything to do: although the Scriptures most positively assure us that Antichrist is to "make war with the saints," i.e., as such, and to "prevail against them ; UNTIL the Ancient of days," i.e., Jehovah Jesus, came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the Kingdom." Hence the study of the sub 66 1 Mat. xxiv. 36. 2 See the Writer's "Can the Parousia of the Lord be separated from His Epiphaneia, or from His Apokalupsis?" S. W. Partridge & Co., 1d. 3 Dan. vii. 21, 22. See also Rev. xiii. 7. ject, in this connexion, has assumed quite a sensational aspect; and numbers of people, instead of approaching it with the awe and reverence that is due to it, and which it ought ever to awaken in the heart of a Christian, can read about these things, and even converse upon them, as "coming wonders;" as they would read or converse upon the stirring incidents of a novel! Numbers of little tracts and books likewise, some of them most offensive in their details, depicting as in a drama, what the writers think would be likely to take place on earth, &c., after the rapture of the church, &c., are eagerly read and circulated, by such persons: while those religious periodicals, whose editors entertain these erroneous views, and parade them before their readers in the most sensational manner, have a circulation in what is called the religious world, which is truly astonishing! Not long ago, I saw an announcement that a Company had been formed to purchase from the Editor one of these periodicals, and two others of the like character, also owned by him; whose capital was to be £70,000! And how terrible will be the effect upon the minds of deluded professors, who believe in these things; when they are undeceived by the taking place of the events themselves! Well would it be for such, if they would even now take heed to the warning cry of the Holy Ghost in Amos v. 1820. "Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah ! to what end is it for you? The day of Jehovah is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" 1 Truly such things as these have intensified the evil of these days, by shutting people's eyes to the real nature of the coming crisis: so that they do not see where we are in the prophetic chart; and not clearly "discerning the signs of the times," are much more liable to be caught in the "snare," which our Lord has told us, "shall come on all them that dwell," Kaoημévovs, literally, are "seated," i.e., settled, “on the face of the earth." Let us then, who are but "strangers and pilgrims "2 in the land, take heed to the solemn warning, which He gives us, in connexion with this subject, "Watch Ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." 3 "Ye, therefore, beloved," says the Apostle, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest YE also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.' 4 7. And now, am I asked, in conclusion, "What remedy, then, do you propose for the evils, which you 1 Mat. xvi. 3. 2 1 Peter ii. 11. 3 Luke xxi. 35, 36, |