point in our second Lecture. Besides, Peter's prediction is not applicable now. Christians are not saying, "our Lord delayeth his coming." They have not been expecting him, and no disappointment is felt. Mr. Miller's converts, and Mr. Miller himself, will no doubt, at the end of 1843, begin to say, the Lord delayeth his coming. Our author will unquestionably then feel the same shame and mortification that all those have, whose example he is imitating, when it was found that their predictions or calculations were false. We hope he will not share the rough fate which some of them have; and we would invoke the mercy of those he is now deceiving.

Paul's prediction in 2 Tim. iii. 1 – 7, is said to apply to this age of the world. But what particular peril now exists? What great danger attends the church? The papal beast, he says, is dead, and kings are peculiarly friendly to the Gospel. In what, then, do the perils consist? Besides, the very characters of which Paul speaks, such as traitors, lovers of pleasure, false accusers, lived in his own day. Hear him. "Now as Jaunes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further; for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was." 2 Tim. iii. 8, 9. So do these also resist the truth; that is, these traitors, deceivers, &c. &c. By last and perilous times, therefore, Paul did not mean our times, but his own times. How absurd, then, for our author to say, Paul was describing the present times. We challenge him to show a particle of

proof to sustain this. By last days, he meant the days of the evil characters he described, and which he says existed in his own times. Thus he agrees with Peter and John and Jude in saying, the last days of the Jewish dispensation were the last times. What is quoted from 1 Tim. iv. 1-3, refers to the same times, and this every reader would see, if the quotation were complete. What sect has lately risen up forbidding to marry What commanding to abstain from meat? We wonder our author did not refer to Graham. It is sufficient to say, that the Eneratiles and Marcionites very early taught that marriage was wrong, and to these Paul referred. Our author "The Roman Catholics forbid to marry." says, Wonderful! The end must surely be nigh!

Is not this sign rather old?

?

Then

Our author quotes 2 Pet. ii. 1-3, to prove that the world is about to be destroyed. If the reader will supply the word, now, which he has omitted, he will see the misapplication of the text. it will read, "Whose judgment now for a long time lingereth not." Will Mr. Miller read Rev. xxii. 19?

Dan. xii. 7, is said to be now fulfilling. But are the Christians now being scattered? According to the first and second signs given by our author, this is an age of great spiritual light, when the church is reaping a great harvest of souls, and when kings and the papal power have been wonderfully kept in check. Now really he must have a most treacherous memory, for when he reaches the 15th sign, the church is in a lamentable condition, divided and distracted by heresies! What contradictory signs!

The 16th sign given by Mr. Miller is indeed a great wonder! He finds it in Rev. xvi. 12–16. "The three unclean spirits spoken of are three political parties, which exist in every country." This he knows because one comes from the mouth of the dragon, one from the beast, and one from the false prophet! But which are the three parties of America? And which party came from

the mouth of the dragon? which from the beast? and which from the false prophet? We hope our author will enlighten his country on this subject; and while doing this, will he inform us, how he makes just three parties in every country? We thought America had only two parties; and had he said two we should not have stopped to dispute the matter with him; for we could readily subscribe to the idea, that two have at least the spirit of the dragon and the beast.

There is only one sign more which we wish to notice; and that is the last sign given. See 1 Thess. v. 2, 3. "For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.' This, we are told, means the Universalists. They cry peace and safety when sudden destruction cometh. Mr. Miller seems to hate, most inveterately, all who believe, that God is the Saviour of the world. While speaking of them he becomes as furious as the Papal beast, and he denounces with as much bitterness as was ever manifested by the Pope in his fulminations against the Reformers. But he would not thus abuse and denounce them, if he could refute what they

have said against his absurdities. We will not detain you by offering any remarks upon the text here quoted, having shown, in our first Lecture, that it referred to Christ's coming at the destruction of Jerusalem.

Such is the way Mr. Miller applies the predictions of the Bible, to prove, that we live on the eve of time! Nothing could be more unreasonable. He contradicts the express testimony of the prophets! What they said was occurring in their day, or should immediately occur, he says, is now occurring. Besides, there is no agreement between the predictions and the events now occurring! Indeed, out of the twenty-six signs mentioned by Mr. Miller, there is only one which is any more suited to this age of the world, than any other, since the days of Christ; and that is the steam engine sign!

Such, then, are the arguments on which the theory is built, that, in 1843, the world will come to an end! How surprising, that one can be found, to believe a theory so utterly destitute of truth!!

LECTURE V.

PROPHECIES OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." Rev. i. 1.

ii. 10.

In the book of Revelation we have various pre`dictions which designate the time of their fulfilment. Thus it is said, "The devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days." "And to them it was given, that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months." ix. 5. "And they had tails like unto scorpions; and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months." ix. 10. "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men." ix. 15. "And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." xi. 2. "And they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves." xi. 9. "And after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw