OBS.In reference to the way and manner, as well as to the time and place, appointed for the introduction of the Sacraments in the order of salvation, the following principle is deduced from the preceding statements. In the case of pagans and others who were originally unconnected with Christianity, Baptism (and after it the . Lord's Supper also) is administered with propriety, as soon as they have obtained, through the preaching of the Word and religious instructions, a knowledge and conviction of their own misery, and of the grace of God in Christ, and accordingly apply for admission into the Church. (See Acts 8: 37; 16: 30-33, &c.) But it is proper and necessary to adopt a different course in the case of Christian children; the circumstance that they are born of Christian parents already shows that they are appointed to be members of the Church (1 Cor. 7: 14.) As the administration of Baptism constitutes the first step which can be taken in their behalf, it consequently becomes a duty to administer it, for it would be an unjustifiable course to deprive a Christian child designedly of communion with its Lord and Saviour until it is of full age. But the reception of the Lord's Supper already implies a more mature knowledge and consciousness both of ourselves and of God, for without these we cannot satisfy the demands of the apostle, namely, "to shew the Lord's death, to examine ourselves. - and to discern the Lord's body." (1 Cor. 11: 26-29.) Hence the administration of the Lord's Supper within the Church is preceded by Confirmation, by which rite the young Christian who has received appropriate religious instruction, and made a confession of faith, is declared to be spiritually of full age.

§ 194. The Development and Limits of this Period. The close of the present period still belongs to the future; it will arrive after the Gospel shall have been preached to all the world, and an opportunity shall have been afforded to all men to appropriate the great salvation to themselves. The tares which the enemy sowed are, in the mean time, growing together with the wheat until the harvest, according to the word of the Lord. (Matt. 13: 24, &c.) For it is not the kingdom of God alone which proceeds onward until it is fully and completely developed, unfolding successively its glorious blossoms and fruits, but the kingdom of that prince (John 12: 31,) who is a ruler of the darkness of this world (Eph. 6: 12), is also necessarily approach

ing a full and complete development, and its accursed fruits will also reach their maturity, in order that it may itself be ripe for judgment and condemnation. Hence both salvation and ruin are drawing near at the same time, and the opposition between the two, and their irreconcilableness are more and more distinctly and positively set forth. The Church is therefore continually engaged in a warfare during this period, but it is firmly and immovably established on the rock of salvation. The Church exhibits many fluctuations in its external condition during this warfare, but always conquers even when it seems for a season to be overcome. At one time it prospers externally and gains splendid victories over the power of error and darkness—it is thus externally strengthened and enlarged, as a type of its last and complete victory; at another time, it is oppressed and persecuted, in order that it may not become lukewarm, but be exercised and endowed with firmness by its struggles and trials, and that it may gain new inward vigor.

OBS. -The special development of the kingdom of God on earth during this period, as far as it has already proceeded, does not belong to Sacred History, which is occupied with those materials only that are furnished by the Scriptures in their historical and prophetic portions, but to Church History, ? 6. 2.* Those predictions (Rev. ch. 6-19), which relate to the development still belonging to the future (and abounding in glorious triumphs and heavy calamities) are expressed in the hieroglyphic terms appropriated to prophetic imagery; they contain so many mysteries that any special interpretation which is attempted previous to the fulfilment, seems to be presumptuous, and hence the Church is obviously directed to content itself at present with the rich treasure of general instructions, warnings, consolations and edifying lessons, which Prophecy already affords.

* See the [author's] Lehrbuch der Kirchengeschichte, Mitau, 1852, and [his] Handbuch der allgemeinen Kirchengeschichte, 3d edition, Mitau, 1853.

CHAPTER IV.

THE ULTIMATE CONSUMMATION OF SALVATION.

§ 195. The Circumstances on which the ultimate Consummation depends, and the Signs which precede it.

1. THE time of the last or final consummation is hidden, according to a wise decree of God, from all creatures—both angels and men (Mark 13: 32, 33). The Spirit of prophecy has, nevertheless, given certain intimations which both enable the Christian, like a watchman of the holy city of God (Isai. 21 : 11), and also render it his duty, to discern the signs of the times (Matt. 16: 3), and distinguish the approach of that day (Matt. 24: 32, 33). For the holy Scriptures have revealed the general conditions or circumstances on which the momentous close of the present process of development depends, and also the tokens and signs which precede it. It is true that the determination of the time and the hour depends directly and primarily on the wise and omnipotent will of God (Acts 1:7); but it is, at the same time, connected with circumstances, the control of which has been committed to men, particularly, with the preaching of the gospel in all the world (Matt. 24 : 14); and hence the coming of the last times will be accelerated or delayed, in part at least, in proportion to the missionary zeal which Christians display. With this fundamental condition, the necessity of which is obvious, another is immediately connected, namely, that the fulness of the Gentiles should come in, and that then, after the last shall have become the first, all Israel also, should be saved (Rom. 11 : 25, 26, § 119).

OBS. When the circumstance is considered that the Gospel must be preached to all men, before the end can come, a question arises concerning the condition, in this respect, of the many millions of pagans, who have died without obtaining any knowledge of Christ. Before a scriptural answer to this question can be given, it is necessary that two preliminary points should be admitted as firmly established first, that God will have all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3 : 9), and, secondly, that out of Christ there is no salvation

either in heaven or on earth (Acts 4: 12), for "he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2 : 2). Now if it is equally clear and certain that man can appropriate this salvation to himself by faith alone, and that faith comes by the preaching of the Word (Rom. 10: 13, &c.), it seems to follow necessarily that the Gospel will yet be preached in Hades ( 156. OBS. 1) to those who, without any fault of their own, obtained no knowledge of Christ in this life, in order that they too may adopt or reject that Gospel. But here the truth cannot be overlooked that the mind of God is not controlled by the inferences which the human mind may draw, and that he can easily cause these pagans to ripen, according to their own decision, either for the judgment of life or the judgment of condemnation. Still, if we are informed (1 Pet. 3: 19, 20), that after Christ descended into hell, he preached to the unbelieving spirits in prison, and if the same apostle immediately adds (4 : 6), that the gospel was preached also to them that are dead, in order that both the dead and the living might be judged, the inference above seems to be justified in express terms. And it does not, in the least degree, diminish the great importance and necessity of Missions, nor impair the obligations of Christendom to sustain them.

2. As soon as these conditions are fulfilled, Christianity cannot fail to pour out once more its greatest and richest blessings over the whole earth and the inhabitants thereof; this result will appear in the millennial period (Rev. ch. 20). The power of darkness will, at the same time, be brought, without fail, to its highest development; it will, for the last time, exert all its remaining strength, and the Church will once more experience a season of affliction, exceeding in severity all that preceded it, but thanks be to God, it can be only of brief duration (Rev. 20: 3, 8, &c.; Matt. 24: 22). Then false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many (Matt. 24 : 5, 11, 24), the kingdom of darkness will collect all its strength under Antichrist, its visible head (2 Thess. 2: 1-10), and misery and wretchedness will abound — injustice, rebellion and war, in the life of the nations, pestilence, scarcity, and earthquakes, in the life of nature (Matt. 24: 7). But then, too, certain signs in heaven and on earth (Matt. 24 : 29, 30), will announce the speedy coming of the Son of man, and the day of judgment and redemption will arrive suddenly and unexpectedly.

§ 196. The Millennium.

1. Rev. 20: 1-6. After the Church shall have passed through many severe trials and afflictions, which will be, probably, aggravated towards the close of the preceding period, it will, at length, celebrate its most glorious, extensive and enduring earthly victory. For it is indispensably necessary that the results which Christianity can produce in this present life, should at a certain time really be made visible without hinderance or diminution—it must at length be made manifest that the labors and efforts, as well as the afflictions and victories of the Church, although all seemed to be fruitless, were by no means unproductive of results. Hence, the prince of darkness with all his power will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit, till a thousand years shall be fulfilled. The influence of Satan, his temptations and snares, his cunning and malice, will all cease to be felt. The holy martyrs of the truth, belonging to every age, will have part in the first resurrection (which perhaps already began with the events described in Matt. 27: 52, 53), and will live and reign with Christ a thousand years. This reign does not imply, it is true, a visible, terrestrial and secular government, as ignorance and folly (Chiliasm) have often supposed, but one that is invisible and celestial; heaven and earth will not then already have attained a perfect end and consummation, death will not yet have been abolished, and the final judgment, when the evil will be separated from the righteous, will not yet have taken place. Nevertheless, the results and influences of this invisible reign, will be visible, terrestrial and secular. Christianity will gain a complete external victory, will be unconditionally recognized by all rulers and governments, and will exhibit a most glorious development in all the relations and circumstances of life, in art and science, and in all the employments and interests of men; the loftiest and the most lowly relations of life will be established and sanctified in the Lord (see, for instance, Zech. 14: 20, 21).

2. But this consummation is still of a terrestrial nature, and is, consequently, not yet complete. The Evil one is deprived of