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most judicious writers on the important subject, he reduced to writing what he concluded was the design and meaning of the predictions and forewarnings of the Prophets, compared with those of Christ himself and his apostles. He then waited to see how far he was warranted in his conclusions by the events which were about to take place, if his construction was right.

To accomplish this he was obliged to keep a short diary of what was passing on the theatre of Europe. The many instances of exact conformity with the words and spirit of the Scriptures, convinced the author that the wonderful transactions daily passing in the kingdoms of Europe, were an exact fulfilment of the predictions of the Sacred record. That the antichrist foretold, as coming on the earth after the Man of Sin, had literally appeared in the new government of France, having Napoleon Buonaparte for her head, can scarcely be denied by any observing mind, who has become acquainted with the late history of that nation since the year 1790, and compared it with the language of holy writ.-The emphatic calls of Christ and his apostles on his Church and followers, to be watching and well prepared for this important era, which was to be of such essential and interesting consequence to their eternal welfare, appeared to the author in so strong a light that he thought it an imperious obligation to continue his attention to the subject till about the year 1798, or beginning of 1799, when he was taken off from the subject by avocations that could not be well avoided. Some years afterwards, his convictions on the subject being strengthened by the continuance of important events, corrobating all his views of the prophetic declarations, he was tempted to communicate his ideas, and the observations he had made, to a few judicious friends, whose approbation encouraged him to think of making them public. But the state of his health and other imposing circumstances, leaving him small hopes of ever seeing them printed, he, for a time, determined to leave them in manuscript to those who should come after him, to act as they thought best.

However, he has lately been prevailed on to make the attempt, from a hope that it will call men's attention to a subject he has convinced himself is all important to the Church of Christ, and to exert himself to do what lay in his power towards completing the work, that it may avail, so far as is plainly and clearly founded on the written will of God.

CONTENTS.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. Fol. 1.

THE Scriptures contain a well organized system through the
whole-It is manifest in all the conduct of the great author-It
can only be accomplished by the establishment of the kingdom of
Christ To this end the apparatus of nature and Providence has-
tens-In this world Christ received insult, sufferings and reproach

In this world also, as mediator, he shall receive glory, homage,

adoration and praise-Hence the earliest dawn of hope to our first

parents was ushered in, with the promise, that the seed of the wo-

man should bruise the serpent's head-Enoch prophesied of his

coming-Noah a strong figure of this event-The promise more

explicit to Abraham-References to the second coming of the

Messiah, in almost every Book of the Old Testament.

David does not explicitly distinguish between the first and se-
cond coming the greatest part of his language, can only apply to
the last-Instances given-The 67th Psalm, a prayer for this
kingdom-As the time hastened on, most of the inspired prophets
speak of this great event, in an explicit manner.

Also gives a prophetic declaration of the second advent of the
Saviour Clearly shews the return of the Jews-God will be their
king, and David their prince-The land of Israel again to be inha-

bited, and become one nation-God will make a covenant of peace
with them-a new temple to be built in Jerusalem, different from
the former one-a new division of the land, differing from that of
Moses and Joshua-God to dwell in Jerusalem, in the midst of the
children of Israel for ever-Just before this great event, uncom-
mon distress to take place, by which God will manifest his glory.

These wonderful predictions are repeated by this prophet, who
lived 80 years after Isaiah-He describes the Messiah and asserts
that he shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem-Points out the time,
ascertained by certain events that will take place-In the issue
God shall come, and all his saints with him-The manner and
means by which this great event is to be brought about-Holiness
to the Lord, to be inscribed on the bells (rather bridles) of the hor-
ses-Elijah's coming as his fore-runner.

There appears a continued series of analogy and design carried
on by divine prescience relative to the second coming of Christ in
glory-Objections of minute philosophers, vain-God's dealings

with the Jews, left on record for important purposes-In general,
divine revelation only regards the actions of kingdoms and na-
tions, so far as they respect his Church and people-The folly of
pretended philosophers-Instances of prophesies actually fulfilled
-The natural conclusion-Sir Isaac Newton's reasoning on it.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE NEW TESTAMENT. Fol. 84.

Birth of Christ-Examination of his life-He and his apostles

have continued the same regular system-Objections answered.

The foregoing predictions confirmed and enforced-Mr. Mede's
opinion-Christ's acknowledment before the high priest.

Establishes the important facts-Our Lord teaches his disciples
the same doctrine in the Lord's prayer-The order of the time of
their approach-Dr. Lykes's opinion-The prediction shown to be
still future.

His advantages-Relates what Christ told his disciples-They
understood these promises as relating to a state of glory in this
world-They ask questions of Christ and he answers them with-
out a parable-Dr. Clarke's paraphrase.

THE THESSALONIANS. Fol. 114.

His subject more particularly leading to this event, he dwells
on it with great earnestness and triumph-he states the doctrine
and its consequences as certain and joyful-and as a sovereign
remedy for all the troubles they were suffering-Warns them
against the idea that it was then nigh at hand-as it could not
take place till after the man of sin was revealed-Mentions a flood
of infidelity as the sign when it is near.

TIMOTHY. Fol. 118.

He is charged before God that he should keep the command-
ments that had been given to him, until the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ-Speaks of it as a day of consequence to all those
who love his appearing.

TITUS. Fol. 119.

The second advent is expressly stated as the great object of the
Christian's hope.

THE HEBREWS. Fol. 119.

The Old and New Testaments connected-The inefficiency of
the legal sacrifices-The all-sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ-
Encouraged to trust in the promise of his coming, which would be
the substance of all their hopes; the evidence of those things they
believed but could not at present see-Reasons for not being more
explicit-Refers them to the example of all the patriarchs-ex-
plains the promises-and encourages them, under the certain ex-
pectation of the final result, as foretold to them.

THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. Fol. 124.

He assures them that the coming of the Lord is drawing (com-
paratively) nigh, meaning in the destruction of Jerusalem.

OF PETER. Fol. 125.

Peter, the chief of the apostles, speaks of it as a certain event-
Must suffer great previous distress-Yet the glory that should be
revealed by the event would be an ample recompense-they shall
certainly come with him and be partakers in his glory-The se-
cond epistle he prefaced with an assurance of the power of Christ's
coming as he had been an eye witness of his majesty-Warned
them of the previous coming of scoffers who should deny the doc-
trine-Of the error of supposing the day of judgment to be the space
of a common day-but of one thousand years-And would come as
a thief in the night-Mr. Mede's observation.

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