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body of faints will then be found to welcome their Lord, and rejoice before him at his coming.

To this agree the other prophets who treat of this subject. No other limits the term of Chrift's reign; or mentions Satan's being enlarged and permitted any measure of deceptive influence, after the restraints laid upon him at the beginning Christ's reign. But others foretell the happy day, and several seem to dwell delightfully upon it, and represent it as continuing to the end of time; and none give the remotest hint that it is to terminate, andiniquity again to become universally prevalent.

ISAIAH often mentions it, and dilates more largely upon it than any other who lived before the gospel day. From his representations we should expect it to terminate only with time. "I will make the an eternal excellency-violence shall no more be heard in thy land; wasting nor destruction within thy borders-the sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory-the days of thy mourning shall be endedthy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever."

"And

By the little horn in Daniel's vision, Antichrift is doubtless intended. When at his fall Christ is to take the kingdom; or it is to be given to his people, it is to be an abiding kingdom. there was given unto him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages, should ferve him; his dominion is an everlafting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

THIS is a prophecy of the universal prevalence of true religion in the last days, after the reign of Antichrist shall have come to an end. By the ex. planation in the latter part of the chapter, the faints are from that period to have the dominion. It is no more to be taken from them. "The faints of the most high shall take the kingdom, and poffefs the kingdom for ever, even forever and ever-and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the faints of the most high, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominion shall serve and obey him."

THESE representations agree with that made to St. John, who saw the church guarded and protected from infernal power and influence, at the close of the millennium. The only difference consists in the mention of a few particulars by the apostle, which were not communicated to the prophets ; fuch as the term of Christ's reign on earth; and some fruitless attempts of the powers of darkness against his people, after that term shall have expired.

THE coming to judgment cannot therefore be intended in the text. There will then be faith on the earth. But if we consider "that which is noted in the scripture of truth," respecting the moral state of the world before and at the time of Chrift's coming to reign upon it, we shall find it anfwering to this description.

We will therefore, first take a general view of the prophecies respecting the moral state of the world, un der the gospel difpenfation-Then a more particular view of the great declensions which were to take place, with a special reference to the state of religion at the approach of the latter day glory.

THE Savior, in person, and by his Spirit, gave general intimations to the apostles, of the times which were to pass over them, and over his church. When they were ordered to preach the gospel.in all the world, beginning at Jerufalem, they were forewarned that the Jews would reject their testimony, and perfecute them, as they had perfecuted their Lord-that foon after "there would be great distress in that land, and wrath upon that peoplethat they would fall by the sword; be led captive into all nations, and that Jerufalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled."

THE comforter which was to "teach them all things," not only explaining the nature of Chriftianity, and causing them to understand it, but also to unveil futurity before them, taught them, that after the Jews had rejected the gospel, the Gentiles would receive it, and the church grow and become great; that a falling away would afterwards fol. low, which would spread wide, and continue for a long time, till it became nearly total; that when fuch was the state of the church, Christ would come, take the kingdom, and reign on earth.

SUCH were the outlines of futurity, relative to Chriftianity, as sketched out before the apostles.

F

But if we descend to particulars, and examine the prophecies with attention, we shall find that the defections, which were to take place antecedent to the reign of the Redeemer, were to be of two kinds -that they were to arise at different times, and from different sources that one was to be a corruption of religion, the other a rejection of itthat the former was to antecede and prepare the way for the latter.

THIS will be the subject of another discourse.

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SERMON IV.

The Declensions of Christianity, an Argument of its Truth.

LUKE xviii. 8.

When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

THAT the coming of the Son of man, is here intended of Christ's coming at the commencement of the latter day glory, hath been alleged in the preceding discourse, and several considerations adduced in proof. Additional evidence will arife from a view of the prophecies relative to the great declenfions which were to take place in the church, during the gospel day. These, we observed, are of two kinds, one, a corruption of religion, the other its rejection.

THE intimations given of them in the new teftament, are chiefly found in the writings of St. Paul, Peter and John. They are noticed also by Jude. The two former suffered martyrdom under Nero. When the time of their departure drew nigh, they had feparately a view of the then future state of the church; particularly of the declen

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