For would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." Such are the words of Jesus. And still further, he speaks of days of vengeance on the Jews, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But are approaching judgments confined to them? Nay, far from it. "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." True, the word to the disciples is, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." That which fills the world with. forebodings, inspires with stronger hopes those who have hearkened to the Lord's voice. But even to these, he says "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." How awful are these words! Are any of those quoted from the Old Testament more preg nant with solemn warning and admonition? But how is this? How can men's hearts be failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, and yet this terrible day come as a snare on all them that dwell on the earth? Ah, there is no contradiction here. The premonitory calamities will awaken men's fears, and cause their hearts to fail, just as many hearts did fail, amid the convulsions of a few years ago. But we have evidence all around us of how soon men's fears may be allayed; how a temporary lull soothes all to deeper slumber; slumber, not disturbed, but made still more fatally sweet, by dreams of safety, and prosperity, and peace, and plenty, and all that the heart of man desires to form a paradise here below. It will be at such a time, that as a snare the day of the Lord will all at once enclose them, in the grasp of those terrific judgments from which there is no escape. As Paul witnesses, "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." Want of space compels me to pass over all intermediate testimonies, that we may listen for a moment to the beloved disciple, the prophet of Patmos, and to those wondrous revelations he was privileged to receive and to communicate. What have we as one of the earliest anticipations in his prophecy? "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." Visions of judgment, one after another, are beheld by the Apostle. Seals are opened, trumpets are sounded, vials of wrath are poured out. War, famine, pestilence, persecution of the saints; earthquakes, judgments upon natural objects, judgments upon commerce, and judgments upon all the sources of moral influence by which men are affected; a withholding of the light which had been previously vouchsafed, the letting loose of one horde after another of infernal enemies and tormentors, till men shall seek death and not find it,-shall desire to die while death flees from them: these are some of the woes pronounced in this book, upon the world of the ungodly. The final crisis of human iniquity is pourtrayed, and the principles marked out, of which this crisis will be the full developement. Then we are told of worse judgments still. The vials of God's wrath are to be poured out; poured upon the earth, and the sea, and the rivers and fountains of waters; on the sun, on the seat of the beast, on the great river, then last of all, upon the air. "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices and thunders, and lightnings and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. Then we are told of a plague of hail, every stone about the weight of a talent. We have further details of instruction as to the ecclesiastical apostacy, and the revolt from God of the imperial power of the earth. We have the doom of Babylon, with all its luxuries, delicacies, and refinements, and heaven rejoicing at her fall. A mighty angel taking up a stone like a great millstone, and casting it into the sea, says, "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of : the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." Then finally, heaven opens; a white horse comes forth, and he that sat upon him, called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. He is clothed in a vesture dipped in blood. He has on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. The armies which were in heaven (previously caught up there, as we saw in our last number) follow him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of the mouth of the glorious One goes a sharp sword with which to smite the nations: he is to rule them with a rod of iron: he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gather together to make war against him that sits on the horse, and against his army. The beast and the false prophet are taken, and cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, and their followers are slain with the sword of him that sits upon the horse. Such is the end of the course of this age! Its commerce and its pleasures, its politics and its religion, its philanthropy and its misanthropy, its hypocrisy and its blasphemy, its morality and its open wickedness, all find their termination here. Reader, whoever thou art, if thou hast not been separated from this present evil world, by God's revelation to thy heart of his Son Jesus Christ, this is the end to which thou art hastening. Thou art unconscious of it, it is true, but this makes thy situation not one whit the safer. Thou art like a man in a boat drifting down a rapid stream, with his back to the danger, and entertaining himself, as he looks up the river, with all the gay, pleasant objects which are flitting past him. But as each moment bears him onward to the falls, where he must ere long be dashed to pieces; so my reader, thou art, with the poor world, gliding down to destruction. There is no hope of stopping the vessel; it must perish. God can snatch thee out of it, and rescue thee from the overthrow; and this is the only hope one can have concerning thee. God grant that these pages may be used to this end! Christian readers, what shall we say to these things? The detailed proof that the judgments we have been hearing of, precede and introduce millennial blessing, and that it is the personal return of Christ which brings these judgments is purposely reserved for another occasion. But can we think of such a doom awaiting the world in which we sojourn, and not weep over its guilty, condemned inhabitants? Did Jesus weep over one city, and say, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes," and shall not our hearts melt-shall not our tears flow-for a whole world that lieth in wickedness, and daily ripens for destruction? And shall we be content, my brethren, with shedding tears? The hour of judgment, near as it may be, has not yet come. The door of mercy still stands open yea, as yet it opens into the scene of those heavenly delights, and bridal glories, which Christ and the church shall share, ere he comes forth from the wedding to execute vengeance on his foes. And shall we not use the opportunity to sound forth the gospel of God's grace? If it be true that judgment is at the door, instead of the gradual peaceful introduction of millennial blessedness, shall we on that account be less urgent in our entreaties, less zealous in our labours, less instant and earnest in our prayers? God forbid! Knowing the judgments which await the world around us, knowing that grace has rescued us from those judgments, and that when they are executed, we ourselves shall be with him who executes them, is it possible that we can selfishly enjoy the thought of our own security, and leave the poor world unwarned, the grace of Christ and the Father's love unproclaimed, or poor sinners uninvited-unurged-UNINTREATED to flee to the shelter of his open arms? O for more earnest love to Christ, and deeper compassion for poor souls. Brethren, the time is short. The moments glide rapidly away. Soon will the only opportunity be gone that we shall ever have of confessing our Master, and seeking his glory, in the midst of a world which either rejects him openly, or the more decidedly rejects him in reality, for owning him in appearance and in word. May his own Spirit animate us. May communion with him cause the fountains of compassion for those around us to gush forth. May souls be gathered to his arms of mercy. May his people be stirred up to pray, and watch, and labour. May we humble ourselves, and stir up and exhort one another, and so much the more as we see the day approaching! : LONDON PARTRIDGE AND OAKEY, Paternoster-Row. (Price One Penny.) (Second Edit.) No. 3.] Plain Papers on Prophetic [Mar. 1853. and other Subjects. THE COMING CRISIS AND ITS RESULTS. Scripture testimony to approaching judgments was what last engaged our attention. As to these judgments, three things may be affirmed. First, they introduce the millennium. Secondly, they are the precursors or accompaniments of Christ's second appearing. Thirdly, they are connected with a total change of dispensation. Each of these statements I hope, by the Lord's help, to establish by plain and abundant testimony of scripture. It is to the first and second I would now entreat my reader's attention. The proof of the third will more naturally present itself when some other points have been considered. Judgment has often been executed on the wicked. The deluge, the overthrow of Sodom, the destruction of the Canaanitish tribes, the destruction of Jerusalem, whether by Nebuchadnezzar or by the Romans, the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes and Persians, as well as other similar events, each affords an instance of the execution of righteous judgment on the wicked. What is it, then, which distinguishes this grand interposition of God in judgment which is yet future, (and which we saw in our last to be foretold throughout scripture,) from all other judgments such as have been enumerated? The distinction is in this, that the awful judgments which are fast approaching introduce the millennium; and further, that Christ himself comes in connexion with these judgments. Let us look at the evidence of these things in scripture. But earnestly would I remind my christian readers, that it is not the coming of Christ to earth to execute judgment which is our hope, but his descent into the air to receive us to himself. It was this we sought in our first number to place in the foreground; and so the subject is presented in the New Testament, however D |