And when Antichrist does the same thing, it seems the same result will follow; "all the world will wonder after the Beast, and will worship him, and say, who is like the Beast, who is able to make war upon him ?” for, as they preferred science to revelation, they shall be confounded on scientific principles. Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, "FOR THIS CAUSE," says the text, "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie," the lie of Antichrist, "that they all might be damned who believed not the truth,” (i. e., the Scriptures of truth,) "but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

"It is indeed awful," says a certain writer on this subject, “to think of such a consummation, and, at the same time, to see how possible it is to conceive of its accomplishment even now, and the merging into it of all the systems of error, however opposite to each other. To see high-toned orthodoxy joined with deism and infidelity in the worship of Antichrist, and nominal Protestantism and Popery find a common ground in the service of His temple."

Do you say, impossible? I answer, nay, but most possible; for, independent of the power that sends the delusion, all that faith which stands on reason and external evidence will soon yield, on its own principles, to the more substantial evidence of signs and lying wonders. And how much of such faith have we now in Christendom? Deism, and its twofold offspring, skepticism and indifferentism, will believe in Antichrist for the same reason that they reject Christ; and even the atheist will become a worshiper for the sake of consist

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ency. "I think I see," he adds, "the preparations already too forward for the coming of the wicked one: would that I were mistaken." When we see what absurdities obtain currency among men, what superstitions are embraced by them; what blasphemous pretensions, by false apostles and cunning deceivers, are acknowledged by multitudes; the vagaries of Swedenborgianism, the fooleries of Shakerism, the licentiousness of Mormonism, and the occult trickery, or something worse, of spiritual rappings, it seems as if Satan has been practicing for some time past upon the credulity of mankind, to prepare them gradually for that last grand delusion which he intends to play off in the person of the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition, who shall be worshiped as God. The delusions of the day are but the antecedents and foreshadowings of that still greater one yet to come. The Father of Lies seems to have opened a new school of deception and fraud, and has already many pupils in the different departments, going about by cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; and inducing men to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, or doctrines concerning demons, or departed spirits. If ever there was a time when Christians needed to study the word of God, and fortify themselves in its teachings, it is at this present day, when the attacks upon that word are of the most artful and insidious, and therefore dangerous kind. The enemy has changed his tactics, and instead of the open infidelity of the last century, like that enunciated by Voltaire and others, has exerted his inventive faculties to contrive new systems, professedly derived from holy Scripture,

but really most hostile to it; and has infused into them some of those elements of mysticism and mock philanthropy which are generally very taking with the multitude. Under the name of Christian and religious sects, doctrines the most subversive of the Christian religion are widely circulated, and received with favor. Whole denominations, who deny the Lord that bought them, are still classed among Christ's followers; and such is the spirit of the age-that spirit of false liberality and indifference to truth-that it is denounced as narrowminded bigotry to call even in question the Christianity of all these heresies and delusions. This is the state at which things have arrived, and how favorable to a still further advance in error and superstition, you will all form your own judgment.

Now the only protection against the great delusion which, according to the word of Prophecy, is coming on the earth, is, first, to know and believe that it is coming; second, to understand the character of the delusion; and third, to have our minds so fortified with Christian doctrine, and to be so rooted and grounded in the faith of the gospel, that Satan, with all his powers of delusion, or arts of magic, shall not be able to remove us from the foundation on which we stand. To place you on this strong rock of security and defense is the great work and effort of the ministry of Christ, and the chief object we have in view in the publication of these discourses. Being forewarned, may you be forearmed; and if, in the providence of God, any of us should live to see that "time of tribulation which shall come to

try all them that dwell upon the earth," may we be enabled to pass through it unscathed, and in the name and faith of Christ resist the Antichrist until he shall be destroyed by the brightness of His coming and the spirit of His mouth.

LECTURE V.

THE TWO WITNESSES.

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three-score days clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and two candlesticks standing before the God of the whole earth, and if man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies, and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will; and when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and overcome and kill them, and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified; and they of the people, and kindred, and tongues, and nations, shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suf fer them to be put in graves, and they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry, and shall send gifts, one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them who saw them, and they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither, and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them; and the same hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand, and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven; and the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever."-REVELATIONS, xi. 3–15.

GREAT and marvelous are the signs and wonders which the Most High hath reserved to be shown to the chil