But to "the cry of the word" will be added "the cry of the rod," or the visitation of nations with great and oppressive judgments. Before Christ comes, and immediately preceding that event, he tells us himself, in plain words, "there shall be .. upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; . . . men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." (Luke xxi. 25, 26.) As to the kings of the earth that "set themselves," and the rulers that "take counsel together against the Lord," "he shall speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore dis

which they were fulfilled in John the Baptist, there can be no doubt. Mark, in the opening of his Gospel, and the Savior himself, in Matt. xvii. 12, 13, and elsewhere, have settled that point. John the Baptist, however, positively denied that he was Elias. (John i. 21.) The Savior also speaks of the application of these predictions to him as depending upon certain conditions, (Matt. xi. 13,) which were not so evidently complied with as to warrant us in concluding that the promise of Elijah's coming was absolutely fulfilled in him. The language of the angel to Zacharias concerning John was, that he should go forth in the spirit and power of Elias," (Luke i. 17,) which would also seem to imply that he was not the literal Elias, or Elijah, but only filled an office like that which Elijah once filled, and which Elijah in person is yet to fill in a more glorious and wonderful manner. The truth appears to be that the promise respects both a figurative or spiritual Elias, and the real or personal Elias,—the former being John the Baptist, and the latter the selfsame prophet of Tishbe who humbled Ahab and the prophets of Baal in the times of old, and who will again marvellously humble some of the kings of the earth in the times yet future. Compare Rev. xi. 3–13. See also Greswell on the Parables, i. 152-161; and Theol. and Lit. Review, ix. 587-609.

pleasure." (Ps. ii. 2, 5.) "In the last days," says the apostle, "perilous times shall come.” (2 Tim. iii. 1.) There shall be "dreamers, who despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities, and of those things which they know not."- (Jude 8-18.) God says, "I will shake all nations, and the Desire of nations shall come." (Hag. ii. 7.) "I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him." (Ezek. xxi. 27.) There shall be wars and rumors of wars; political disasters and perplexities; civil storms, earthquakes and commotions; and ferments and precipitations in the whole existing order of things. "Nations" shall be "angry." Revolutions shall be rife. People shall rise in masses to overthrow established governments. Ambitious and godless men will spring into places of power, array their followers against each other, trample down all order and just law, and bring in swift destruction. Infidels and socialists of a thousand hues shall combine to disorganize, undermine, subvert, and ruin, with unrelenting vandalism. Schisms and feuds of all sorts shall break forth, to cripple, disturb, and desolate. "Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God," (2 Tim. iii. 2-4,) on which count his wrath shall be upon the children of men. eat powers, which think themselves secure, shall

be suddenly overwhelmed. Great alliances shall be formed, but only the more to entangle and perplex. And the whole earth shall reel and stagger with delirium from the cup of God's anger. All this is plainly written,

And to it all shall be added strange manifestations in nature," signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars,” (Luke xxi. 25,) quite out of the usual order of things, and all combining to make out the great clamor and cry of the text, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh! Go ye out to meet him!"

Not all men, indeed, shall understand this cry. "None of the wicked shall understand," said the angel to Daniel, (xii. 10.) Men shall go on in their folly and unbelief, as they did in Noah's day, and not heed nor know, until the Judge, with fearful doom, is upon them. (Matt. xxiv. 37-39.) "But the wise shall understand." (Dan. xii. 10.) The virgins, though drowsy and asleep, all hear the clamor of the Bridegroom's coming, and at once bestir themselves to be ready to meet him and to fall in with lamps trimmed and burning. Not one of them continues to sleep for a moment longer. They all catch the call, and set themselves to heed it.

"Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps."

You see from this the quickening effect of the faithful preaching of the doctrine of Christ's speedy coming. Other doctrines must also be preached; and other doctrines may serve to make men Christians, but only sleepy and drowsy Christians, whose

It

lamps burn dimly for want of trimming. It is the cry, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh," that is needed to disperse their drowsiness and to set them properly to work to be ready for the great festival. This did for these virgins what nothing else could do. completely awakened them. It set them at once upon a careful and vigorous examination into their preparedness for the event thus close upon them. It gave new life to their exertions, and set all hands to trimming their dim lamps with more earnest anxiety than ever. Ministers may here learn a lesson to improve their efficiency, and to teach them what power to sway the consciences of men they lose by not preaching the certain and near coming of the great Master. Did they but realize it in their own hearts, it would impart a brightness and energy to their testimony which cannot otherwise exist, and give them an advantage in their work which they can by no other means possess. It was with this one truth that John the Baptist electrified all Jerusalem and Judea, and drew forth their multitudes to the baptism of repentance. (Luke iii. 2; Matt. iii. 5.) It was also the subject of Enoch's discourses. (Jude 14, 15.) And the greatest and most effective preachers that have ever lived are those who dwelt largely upon the theme of the near advent of Him "who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification." And if Christians generally would be fully awake to their estate and to the work of making ready to meet their Lord, let them bring themselves near to his coming, and bring that coming

near to them, as a thing ready to occur and impending over them every day. This will rouse them, if any thing will, and impart a sincerity and earnestness to their endeavors which will paralyze temptation and contribute a thousandfold to insure their salvation.

And what if this way of dealing with this subject has been seized upon by unworthy hands and prostituted to unholy uses? What if it has been often the handle of fanatics, schismatics, and lawless separatists from the Church and from the state? What if men uncalled of God, and under no rightful ecclesiastical responsibilities, have made it a- hobby to bring themselves into notice, and taken it as an instrument of gaining adherents to their foolish isms and of casting disrespect upon men much wiser and better than themselves? Are we to relinquish every thing which some in their haste may abuse? Are we to allow fanatics and errorists to dictate and control our teaching by retiring from whatever they touch? Shall we permit them to monopolize one of the great themes of prophets and apostles, because they have chosen to associate it with their weaknesses, errors, and offences against order and law? At that rate, we would soon have Christianity itself wrested from us, and all the sublime peculiarities of our faith transmuted into erratic dreams. Truth is truth, however surrounded, wrested, or misused. And we do injury to ourselves, and are unfaithful to the God of truth, not to cling to it in all its length and breadth, notwithstanding that it may perchance have