in successive events; the last of which is his literal appearing to judge the world.

These different fulfilments of the coming of Christ, are to be viewed as distinct; are not to be blended togeth er. We are not to apply things to one of them, which exclusively belong to another. Should we apply the literal resurrection, the personal appearance of Christ, the commencement of the final judgment, or the conflagration of the world, to the coming of Christ at the destruction of Jerusalem; or to his coming in the revolution at Rome; we should greatly err. And why not as really err, to apply them, or any of them, to the coming of Christ in the destruction of Antichrist? It is true, the figures used to predict this latter event, are strong. And so were those used to predict the coming of Christ in the revolution at Rome; and in the destruction of the Jews. They appeared to predict his last coming, at the end of the world; and will then receive their final accomplishment. It is true, the prediction of the destruction of Antichrist, under the seventh vial, as given in Dan. vii, 9, 10, 11, appears like a prediction of the end of the world; and may perhaps be viewed as "the mother text" from which some of the apostles' descriptions of the end of the world are borrowed. But we can no more infer from this, that the final judgment then commences; than we can infer from the predictions of the above noted ancient instances of the coming of Christ, that every event of the final judgment then commenced. "And I beheld till the thrones were cast "down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose gar"ment was white as snow, and the hair of his head "like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, "and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued "and came forth from before him: thousand thousands "ministered unto him; and ten thousand times ten thou"sand stood before him. The judgment was set, and "the books were opened. And I beheld then, because "of the voice of the great words, which the horn spake, "I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body "destroyed, and given to the burning flame." The last verse here decides, that this coming of Christ is at

the destruction of the last head of the Roman Beast with his Papal false prophet, at Armageddon, just before the Millennium. But none of the numerous predictions of the same event gave an idea, that the final judgment commences at that period. Daniel speaks of the books being opened. But St. John, Daniel's best interpreter, tells us when the books shall be opened for the final judgment; that it shall be after the thousand years of the reign of Christ; and after the destruction of the final, mystical Gog and Magog. Rev. xx, 11, 12. Then, and never till then, the great white throne of judgment is erected; and the dead, small and great, stand before God. This will be immediately preceded by a literal resurrection of all, good and bad. Here the predictions of the coming of Christ will meet their ultimate accomplishment. This is called the second coming of Christ; called thus in relation to his first coming in the flesh. "So Christ once suffer"ed to bear the sins of many; and unto them, that look "for him, shall he appear the second time, without sin "unto salvation." (Heb. ix, 28.) "This same Jesus, "who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come "in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts i, 11. Here is the literal, and personal, the second coming of Christ. But to imagine, as some have done, that there will be a personal appearing of Christ, and a commencement of the final judgment, at the battle of that great day of God Almighty, which precedes the Millennium; I think is very incorrect; and involves the subject in great obscurity and error.

3. We are presented, in some of the predictions noted in the preceding pages, with the sameness of the char acters and judgments of the most notorious enemies of the Church, in the different ages of the Gospel day. For they are designated by the same appellations, and are spoken of as though the same things were again and again repeated. The infidel Jews were antichrists, because they were of the same spirit of the great Antichrist of the last time. (1 John ii, 18.) And they were destroyed under a coming of Christ. The primitive Pagan Rome, laboring to destroy the Church of Christ,

was symbolized by a great and terrible Beast. The infernal agent, who managed this Beast was symbolized by a great red dragon, of seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads, laboring to destroy the Church. The revolution in the Roman empire from Paganism to Christianity, is represented not only by the wounding to death of the sixth, the Imperial head of the Roman Beast; but by a coming of Christ, as before noted. The new system of Papal corruption and opposition, which rose upon the same ground, under the Christian name, was symbolized by another Beast of two horns like a lamb, but who spake like a dragon; i. e. was really under the influence of the same infernal agent, with the preceding empire; and accordingly was said to exercise all the power of the first, the Pagan Beast; and to make an image to him; because the essence of the same idolatry was established; though under the Christian name. And the judgments of God upon Papal Rome consequently, were to be no less terrible, than those on Pagan Rome. Her seat or throne was to be subverted, and her kingdom filled with darkness, under the rise of Antichrist; and her broken remains, under the name of the false prophet, are to go into perdition with him.

The infidel French Empire is symbolized by the last head of the old Pagan Beast; the eighth numerically; but specifically one of the seven, viz. the sixth, the Imperial, recovered from its deadly wound given under Con stantine. It is represented as this sixth head thus recovered, as well as by a new Beast of seven heads and ten horns, from the bottomless pit; (Rev. xvii,) on account of the similarity of the character and object, of the French Empire, with those of ancient Pagan Rome, in its persecuting Imperial form. And they are represented as under the management of the same great red dragon, of seven heads and ten horns, and seven erowns upon his heads, laboring to destroy the Church, and who gives to this newly healed head, his power, and seat, and great authority. And the destruction of this last head of the Beast, under the seventh vial, is represented as an awful coming of Christ to judgment.

Also the apostasy over the face of the world, at the close of the Millennium, and the new attack then to be made on the cause of Christ, are represented as the resurrection of these former wicked powers, the kingdom of darkness on earth; particularly Antichrist under his appellation of Gog and Magog; in whose fall the cause of the kingdom of darkness is lost. Under these same names the wicked cause is represented as rising again, at that period, on account of the similarity of the character and conduct of the world of Infidels, who will then arise, with the character and conduct of Ezekiel's Gog, or Antichrist preceding the Millenni

um.

Thus powers of Infidelity and of heathenism, of different ages and nations, are represented as essentially one and the same power, raised up from time to time, and falling under the same judgment, the coming of Christ. This strikingly indicates the similarity of their characters. To the same point it might here be noted, that the great infidel Power of the last days is mystically identified with the notorious enemies of the Church under the Old Testament. He is Edom, Bozrah, and Babylon. And many of the judgments denounced against these ancient enemies, are to have an ultimate accomplishment in the destruction of Antichrist.

And for the same reason, all mankind, of whatever place or nation, who are of the same infidel spirit, belong to the same family; and may expect similar judgments from God. Should they not belong politically to Antichrist; if they belong to him spiritually; partake of his sins; they may expect to receive of his plagues. In this sense, the class of the children of perdition is vast. Their characters are fast maturing; and their prospects are dreadful! O my soul, come not thou unto their secrets! Unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united!

SECTION IV.

The Chambers of Imigary.

THE Jews, for their idolatry and wickedness, were under divine judgments. A part of them were carried captive to Babylon. And the other part were in a feeble state in Judea. Ezekiel was among the captives in Babylon. After he had been there, probably in private life, for several years, he was called to the work of a prophet.

In the viiith and ixth chapters of his prophecy, we find things singularly interesting;-a description of wickedness in the chambers of imigary; God's setting a mark upon those, who sighed and cried for this wickedness; and destroying the rest.

The vision of the chambers of imigary may be view. ed as both historical, and prophetical. The Jews, then in Babylon, were here furnished with a symbolic representation of their own wickedness while in Judea, which had occasioned their captivity. In the picture was figuratively exhibited likewise the wickedness of the Jews then at Jerusalem, for which they should be destroyed. And the passage also predicts events then far future.

In these chapters we no doubt have representations, interesting to all men, at all times; and peculiarly to the wicked. In the chambers of imigary is given a portrait of the depraved human heart, in its vain, covetous, impure, subtile and wicked imaginations. This part of the word of God, as well as others, "is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." It is designed to "cast down imagination, and every high thing." "For, as in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man." And the ixth chapter gives a lively representation of the Most High's setting apart the Godly for himself; sealing his chosen to the day of redemption; of their being thus secure against the sword of divine justice; of all others being cut off in their sins, and lost; and that divine judgment will be peculiarly severe against hypocrites. These are solemn truths, applicable at all times.