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 fubject. 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 Chrift's reign. But others foretell the happy day, and several seem to dwell delightfully upon it, and reprefent it as continuing to the end of time; and none give the remotest hint that it is to terminate, andiniquity again to become univerfally prevalent.

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

By the little horn in Daniel's vifion, Antichrift is doubtlefs intended. When at his fall Chrift is to take the kingdom; or it is to be given to his people, it is to be an abiding kingdom. "And there was given unto him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages, fhould ferve him; his dominion is an ev

erlafling dominion, which fhall not pafs away, and his kingdom that which fhall not be deftroyed.

THIS is a prophecy of the univerfal prevalence of true religion in the laft days, after the reign of Antichrift fhall 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 moft high fhall 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, fhall be given to the people of the faints of the most high, whofe kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominion fhall serve and obey him."

THESE reprefentations agree with that made to St. John, who faw the church guarded and protected from infernal power and influence, at the close of the millennium. The only difference confifts in the mention of a few particulars by the apoftle, which were not communicated to the prophets; fuch as the term of Chrift's reign on earth; and fome 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 confider" that which is noted in the fcripture of truth," refpecting the moral ftate of the world before and at the time of Chrift's coming to reign upon it, we fhall find it anfweting to this description.

WE will therefore, first take a general view of the prophecies refpecting the moral ftate of the world, under the gospel difpenfation-Then a more particular view of the great declenfions 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 perfon, and by his Spirit, gave general intimations to the apoftles, 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 teftimony, 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 fword; be led captive into all nations, and that Jerufalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles fhould be fulfilled."

THE Comforter which was to "teach them all things," not only explaining the nature of Chriftianity, and caufing them to understand it, but also to unveil futurity before them, taught them, that after the Jews had rejected the gofpel, 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 ftate of the church, Chrift would come, take the kingdom, and reign on earth.

SUCH were the cutlines of futurity, relative to Christianity, as sketched out before the apostles,

F

But if we defcend to particulars, and examine the prophecies with attention, we fhall 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 arife at different times, and from different fources-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 fubject of another difcourfe.

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 Chrift's coming at the commencement of the latter day glory,hath been alleged in the preceding difcourfe, and feveral confiderations 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 gofpel day. These, we obferved, are of two kinds, one, a corruption of religion, the other its rejection.

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