as great attach itself to the watchman, as it would, if, for want of due discernment or diligence of observation, he saw not the sword coming, and therefore gave no warning? It were better that our admonishers should be somewhat too credulous and susceptible of impression, and should a little prematurely disturb the slumbering church and unsuspecting world, than that they should be "slow of heart to believe," too cautious in their silence, or from the habit of previous studies, or too nice a sense of their own reputation, should be waiting for more clear demonstrations, when, perhaps, the alarm will come too late. And surely those, who so confidently and so vehemently deprecate all inquiry on the subject, as presumptuous and indul gent of an idle curiosity, should have "stood in the counsel of the Lord," and ascertained, beyond possibility of mistake, that no danger or scenes of awful trial are at hand, before they had so angrily rebuked those who have taken alarm. Since by their confident denials, they may, in a most awful crisis, be proclaiming to those who are walking in the imaginations of their own hearts: "ye shall have peace, no evil shall come upon you." "To-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant." Besides, whatever it may be to others, the prospect of the speedy coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is full of comfort and encouragement to the afflicted people of God, who "are sorrowing while the world rejoices ;" and should we not wish, if it may be, to the helpers of their joy, rather than arguers for a longer deferred hope? They have been tanght to fix their expectations on the day of His appearing and kingdom as "the sum of all their joy!" To this they look, for the removal of all the ills, and for the redress of all the wrongs they suffer now, or see inflicted on the poor and oppressed part of their fellow creatures, in all the regions of the globe where the human race has been extended. They have, indeed, for them selves a prospect, after a few years more, of a private dismissal from these scenes of wickedness of sorrow and confusion, when they shall "fall asleep in Jesus;" but the Spirit of their heavenly Father has endued them with that zeal for his great glory, and that brotherly-kindness and philanthropy with respect to their fellow creatures, that this does not completely satisfy: nor do they find it to be the topic of consolation commonly held forth to them in holy scripture. They may enter into peace, and be no more themselves, disquieted by what is passing in this present evil world; but they leave the Lord's people still in tribulation, and his holy name profaned, the earth groaning still beneath the curse, and the children of men gathering its fruits in labour and sorrow, all the days of their life, and oh! in what multitudes, each passing hour, returning to the ground out of which they were taken, without apparent hope of the salvation of their souls! Perhaps, too, they themselves must leave behind some tender connections, who will need their help and counsel, or must carry alone a heavier burden when they are removed! The scriptures, they have observed, very uniformly direct the mourners for consolation, not to the day of their departure out of this life, but to the day of the coming of the Lord in glory; to the resurrection of the just; and to the establishment of the dominion of the "King of peace and righteousness" over all the renovated earth. It is with reason, therefore, that they "love the appearing" of "the righteous Judge;" because, though deeply convinced of their own sinfulness, they have been led by the Holy Ghost, to believe "in the righteousness of God their Saviour;" by the same Spirit they have been sacramentally grafted into Christ, and caused to grow in newness of life by the nourishment which a quickening Saviour supplies; they have been sealed by the Spirit of adoption, and have some earnest and foretaste of their being partakers in the resurrection and heavenly glory of their Lord. On these grounds, and on these alone, they humbly trust, though deeply sensible of their infirmities and many imperfections, that "they shall not be ashamed before him at his coming." "Whom having not seen they love; in whom, though now they see him not, yet believing, they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." The same "grace that bringeth salvation," and "teaches them to deny all ungodliness and worldly trust, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world," bids them also to be "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," To persons so minded, and especially in times of private affliction or of public perplexity, no token in the passing events, affording a probable inference, that the coming of the Lord is approaching, will be viewed with indifference, but will be welcomed and embraced as affording a consolatory hope of deliverance. The expectation will be a balm to "the righteous soul, vexed from day to day, with the filthy conversation and unlawful deeds of the wicked: in times, when in the cause of religion and justice, every helper seems to be withdrawn; when "HE leadeth counsellors away spoiled," and "taketh away the heart of the chief people of the earth," when all proclaims. cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils:" and surely, to be admonished of the lateness of the hour, is well calculated to enforce the exhortation of our Divine master: "Work while it is called to-day." "While we have time, let us do good unto all men, especially to them that are of the household of faith." " The watchful Christian may, indeed, sometimes need a caution, lest his fond hopes precipitate his judgment, and he be too soon shaken in mind, or be troubled" by the groundless speculations, or the too hasty and peremptory dictates of some, who inconsiderately thrust themselves forward as the guides of the church in the interpretation of prophecy. It may be necessary to bid such to consider, as St. Paul does the Thessalonians, in a more early stage of the church's expectation of the coming of her Lord, that that day shall not come, except there come something which has been so predicted first. We should, therefore, consider, whether, though much has been fulfilled since the Apostle wrote, there may not be yet some few events, foretold in unaccomplished prophecy, which we know must precede the "coming of the day of the Lord, and our gathering together unto him." And although I believe that that "day of Christ" is now at hand, yet I conceive there are a few things must come to pass first; among which are two events, that stand most prominent in the prophetic vision a previous return of some parts of the natural Israel to the Holy Land, and their quiet settlement there; a spoliation and still further depression of the papacy by the powers who had hitherto upheld its grandeur, and submitted to its exactions. This latter event, indeed, if we examine the present phenomena in the political horizon, may seem very near at hand— the spiritual monarchy of Rome to have passed away already; and the former may not be far off, though we have only heard as yet, some distant rumours of such a rising sign.* For, what will have struck the minds of those who have for any considerable time pursued the study of prophecy, is, the unwonted rapidity with which great political events, disordering all the boundaries and relations of Christian nations, have taken place, and are still taking place in our days. Of this every one is sensible: O, surely! "The day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day * Respecting the present state of the Jews, we read in a recent periodical, "their actual numbers may perhaps not exceed six millionsnumbers, however, probably greater than those over which Solomon reigned;—and of these six millions there may be resident in the contiguous countries of Moravia, ancient Poland, the Crimea, Moldavia and Wallachia, above three millions, except within the countries which formed Poland before its partitions, their population contained in any one European kingdom, cannot, therefore, be great. Yet so essentially are they one people, we might almost say one family; and so disposable is their wealth, as mainly vested in money transactions, that they must be considered as an aggregate, and not in their individual portions. Would |