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of power for the government of the nations of the earth.

Such is the general idea of those who adopt the literal interpretation. As to the nature, order, and succession of events, preparatory and designed to usher in and to establish this kingdom, there are, as has been hinted, some differences; but the following are among the points, or facts, believed by different writers who have pursued their investigations farthest, to be taught in prophecy, viz.: That the Jews will be restored to their own land;-thatthis will become the occasion, or be in the midst of great revolutions and convulsions among the European and Asiatic nations, particularly those that occupy the territory of the Roman empire, embracing Western and Central Asia, and Northern and North-eastern Africa;-that a general dissolution of society shall take place through the spirit of lawlessness and violence, of corruption and revolution, which shall prevail, and be especially promoted by the irruption of Northern hordes into Southern Europe and Western Asia, like a devastating storm of hail;-that there shall be a great conspiracy among the anti-Christian nations, led on by some one

* See Rev. J. W. Brooks on the Advent and Kingdom of Christ; also, his Elements of Prophetical Interpretation. Sermons on the Second Advent, by Rev. Hugh M'Neile; also his Prospects of the Jews. Hon. Gerard T. Noel's Brief Inquiry into the Prospects of the Church of Christ. Cox on the Coming and Kingdom of Christ. Letters by Joseph D'Arcy Sirr, on the First Resurrection, and other works, to be met in the Literalist, published by O. Rogers of Philadelphia-especially Cuninghame on the Apocalypse, and Habershon on the Prophecies and on the Revelation. Also, Frazer on the Prophecies, though not believing in the personal advent, the Investigator, the Morning Watch, Fry on the Second Advent, Mede's Clavis Apocalyptica, and various letters and discourses contained in his works, Begg on the Prophecies, &c. &c.

of the ten sovereignties of Europe, or of some new oriental power to arise within the bounds of the old Roman empire, which sovereignty shall be the Assyrian of Isaiah, the last form of Antichrist ;that this conspiracy will lead to the great war of Gog and Magog predicted by Ezekiel, and the battle of Armageddon, by John, issuing in the terrible destruction of the anti-Christian nations ;—that some time, either previous to, or during these movements, the sign of the Son of man coming in the heavens, shall be seen, and He descending from Heaven into the air, with his saints for the resurrection of their bodies, and catching up the saints alive on the earth into the presence of the Lord; that at this coming, which will be sudden and unexpected, he will inflict dreadful judgments on the apostate nations by means of volcanic and other fires, which will destroy the seat of the Beast, the mystic Babylon, but not all the nations of the earth ;—that while his saints remain for a series of years in the immediate presence of Christ, before He descends from the air to the earth, being judged and allotted to their stations and work, He will be conducting his retributive judgment on the nations of the earth, preparing the way for the full restoration of Israel, and their national conversion, in a manner analogous with his Providence toward them for forty years in the wilderness ;-and that when the work of judgment by various interpositions of His Providence, shall have gone on, and the wickedness of the anti-Christian nations shall have come to the full, at the last signal stroke of Divine vengeance, he will descend from the air, and stand upon the Mount of Olives, utterly to destroy the hosts of the wicked, to change the geological structure of Jerusalem and its vicinity, by a terrible earthquake, and to produce those transformations designed to fit it for being made the metropolis

of the world;-that He will re-establish the Theocracy in Jerusalem in more than its pristine glory, with its temple rebuilt, and rites of worship adapted to the dispensation in which Jerusalem and the Jewish nation are to stand pre-eminent among the nations;-that having concluded his work of retributive justice by various means, through a series of years, to the entire extermination of the wicked on the face of the whole Roman earth, there shall be found remnants of people on whom the abundant and mighty influences of the Spirit of God shall have been poured out, and nations be born in a day, by their thorough conversion and cordial submission to the dominion of Heaven by means of the saints ;-that these powerful effusions of the Spirit, and the dominion of Christ by means of his raised and quickened saints, will bring the heathen nations and the uttermost parts of the earth, the whole world, into peaceful blessed subjection ;-that the risen and glorified saints will be His kings and priests for the administration of the political and religious interests of the nation;-that the Theocracy, with its temple rebuilt as described by Ezekiel, and established in Jerusalem, shall be the nucleus and centre of all political and religious influences, and all the nations of the earth be united to it ;-that while Christ will indeed dwell on the earth, his presence will be displayed but occasionally at Jerusalem as King, according to rites and at seasons appointed by him;-that his constant and immediate presence will be in the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem, not built by the hands of men, but directly and miraculously by God, in which there shall be no temple, but Christ's presence constitute its glory, and the delight of His risen saints;--that while Heaven shall thus descend Ton earth, the saints will have communication with the

nations in the flesh, and the Theocracy be made the channel of Heavenly influence for the happiness of the world;-that this glorious dominion as established at its first epoch, shall last a thousand years, during which time Satan shall be confined, and his power to tempt and corrupt the nations be restrained ;-that although during this period death will still prevail among the nations in the flesh; yet the climates and habits of earth having undergone such a remarkable transformation, by great geological and atmospheric changes, as to be denominated a new heaven, and a new earth, death will not be so common, the age of man will be prolonged like that of a tree, and a hundred years be but the time of youth;-that thus the judgment of Heaven will be prolonged upon the earth, and the righteous be made to triumph;-that at the close of this blessed period, the last act in the great work and day, or dispensation of judgment, shall take place, when Satan shall be released from his confinement, all the nations of the wicked raised from the dead, the Gog and Magog of John metaphorically or typically described by the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel, and be summoned before Christ to receive their final sentence ;—that then, in mad desperation, these hosts of hell, led on by the Devil and his angels, shall make their last and violent assault upon the holy city where Christ and his saints dwell, and think to storm the heavenly city, which shall be but the occasion for the last signal interposition of Divine justice and Almighty vengeance for their eternal destruction ;-and that doomed and hurled to the bottomless abyss by the power of Omnipotence, earth shall be for ever purged and redeemed from the dominion of Satan, placed back again amidst the heavenly worlds-restored to more than paradisiacal purity and glory-death for ever cease in it, and that state of glory and blessed

ness be confirmed in which the dominion of Heaven shall be absolutely, immutably, and eternally established in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and this ransomed, renovated, and recovered globe, shine resplendent in Heaven's brilliancy, never more to be invaded or polluted by the entrance of sin.

Well might the prophets, who caught a distant glimpse of these stupendous glories, be wrapt in ecstasy! Truly, "eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things prepared for them that love God." "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be." Loud and ecstatic shall be the shout of triumph, when earth and heaven shall mingle in full chorus, as "the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!" My heart kindles at the prospect, and is ready to catch the strain of Heaven: Glory to God!

And to the Lamb, who bought us with his blood,
From every kindred, nation, people, tongue,
And washed, and sanctified, and saved our souls,
And gave us robes of linen pure, and crowns

Of life, and made us kings and priests to God!
Shout back to ancient time! Sing loud, and wave
Your palms of triumph! Sing, "Where is thy sting,
Oh death! where is thy victory, oh grave!"
Thanks be to God, eternal thanks, who gave
Us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Harp, lift thy voice on high!-shout! angels, shout!
And loudest ye redeemed! glory to God,
And to the Lamb all glory and all praise!
All glory and all praise at morn and even,
That come and go eternally, and find
Us happy still, and thee for ever blest!
Glory to God and to the Lamb!-Amen!
For ever and for ever more-Amen!

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