general panic. It was imagined that Satan had been bound from the time of our Lord's first appearing, and that, since the thousand years were almost accomplished, he was about to be loosed as a preparation for the last judgment. As the supposed time of this event drew nearer the terror of men became piteous. Some handed over their property to the monkish foundations, and set out on a pilgrimage to Palestine, whither they expected Christ to descend. Many actually bound themselves by solemn oaths to be serfs to churches or monasteries, in the hope that, if they were found acting as servants to the servants of Christ, they would be more gently dealt with at the judgment. Buildings were allowed to fall into decay, since it was supposed that there would be but little further use for them. And if there happened to be an eclipse of the sun or moon, affrighted crowds would fly to the caverns of the rocks, or to any other places which they thought might shelter them from the glory of the dreaded appearing.*

But the year one thousand passed by; nothing happened, and presently the excitement subsided.

Now these alarms, and many others, sprang from crude and baseless arguments which do not for a moment endure the test of intelligent investigation. And their result was something worse than the mere delusion of those who were affected by them, for they caused a general discredit of, and distaste for,

*See Mosheim, "Eccles. Hist." Cent. X., part ii. chap. iii.; Robertson's" History of Christian Church," book iv. chap. v.

the prophetic scriptures; since men are ever ready to cast upon the word of God the blame of that failure which is solely due to their foolish and shortsighted interpretation.

Our duty, then, is to take heed that we be not carried away by vain excitements, of which there are too many in our days; but we must be still more careful to avoid the opposite extreme. It is better to be troubled by many false alarms than to be once taken by surprise. The inhabitants of earth must awake some morning to find that the day of the Lord is present; and as a snare will it come upon all those who have not understood the warnings of revelation. It is, then, our duty to pray for wisdom that we may understand, and for the power of the Spirit that we may watch. Nor could words be stronger than our Lord's injunction upon this point: "Take ye heed," He said, "watch and pray for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye, therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning; lest, coming suddenly, He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch!"

To stimulate obedience to our Lord's command, by tracing out the main streams of prophecy, and endeavouring to ascertain our own position in regard to them, is the object of this book.

And if we dis

cover that the revealed counsels of God place before us the translation of the Church as the next event to be expected; and, still further, that the present bent of human opinion, and the general condition and tendency of the world, are already in the direction of those apostasies, convulsions, revolutions, and judgments, which will affect men after the withdrawal of the Church; then we shall indeed have reason to believe that our age has entered upon its last days, and that those who would be Christ's at His coming have urgent need to keep their garments, lest He be suddenly revealed, and they be found naked, so that all men see their shame.

THE SEVEN DISPENSATIONS.

Why man, immediately after his introduction into the world, should have been exposed to temptation and sin, with all its attendant miseries, we cannot explain. We are altogether unable to decide whether he is now passing through a fiery trial which is intended to humble him and eradicate the rebellious feelings conceived in former ages,* while

We do not mention this to express belief in a previous existence of man, but only in the possibility of it. Should it prove to be an actual fact, the foundation of nearly all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against God would be swept away in a moment. Should it not, God has some far better solution of difficulties, which He may hereafter show to those who love Him. It has been supposed that the description of man's creation precludes the question of his pre-existence, because God is said to have breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. But this expression is not materially different from that which is found in the prophecy to the dry bones, "Behold, I will cause breath to enter

the blood of the Lord Jesus atones for them; or whether some other and, perhaps, widely different cause has shaped the wise and merciful counsels of the Most High in regard to our race. Nor can anything be more foolish than the attempt to unravel a mystery so utterly beyond our ken; for, in spite of our efforts, the secret would remain hidden for ever, unless it should prove the purpose of the Almighty to draw back the curtain with His own hand in some future time, and so to teach those who could trust Him amid the darkness of this life the depths and faultless wisdom of His unwearying love.

Yet, although we may not search into the deep things of God, we cannot but be struck with one feature of His dealings with mankind. For while the government of this world has undergone several into you, and ye shall live." And again, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live " (Ezek. xxxvii. 5, 9). Since, then, the words of this passage are confessedly used of resurrection, it would seem that the verse in Genesis does not decide against the possibility of pre-existence, but must be regarded as neutral. Yet let us not dwell upon this impenetrable mystery; for, while a passing glance may, perhaps, help a weak faith, any attempt to speculate upon it must be fraught with the gravest danger, since there is no revelation. "The secret things belong unto the Lord cur God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever." Oh that there were a deeper reverence among us for the hidden things of the Almighty, which are withheld for our discipline, and that we might be taught to say with David, "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me." And let us ever remember the words of a greater than David, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

changes, which we, following the example of Paul, term dispensations; still, these dispensations, vary as they may in laws and conditions, are ever constant to one main object. They all combine to prove that in no conceivable circumstances are men able to preserve their integrity and save themselves from corruption; that their sole hope lies in a direct interposition of the Eternal, and so miraculous an infusion of His Holy Spirit that an entire change is wrought in their nature. And this fact certainly points to some deep-seated alienation from, and tendency to rebellion against, God, which must be eradicated before peace and harmony can be restored to the human race. Whatever he be, or whatever the mystery which enwraps him, it is at least clear that man has failed to comprehend the lesson of absolute dependence which creation should have been sufficient to teach, and can now learn it only through a redemption more wonderful than creation itself.

In the first dispensation Adam and Eve were created in a state of innocence and entire freedom from pain, toil, or anxiety, and were placed in a garden of delight. As a test of that spirit of obedience to the Creator which is both reasonable and necessary, but one small thing was required of them-they were merely commanded to abstain from the fruit of a single tree in the garden. Easy, nay, imperceptible, as this yoke must have been-for surely nothing but the distempered fancies of pride and self-will could have made them feel it at all-they nevertheless broke it from