expected immediately before the coming to judgment; and that therefore it is much more probable, that the last times intended were the last years of Jerusalem and its polity, than the concluding age the religious world.

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The examination of the four remaining passages may be despatched more expeditiously. Two occur in the Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy. In 1 Tim. iv. 16, it is written, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times men shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, &c. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ." Now, in the first place, it appears reasonable, on intuition, that the latter times meant in this place must be, in part at least, contemporary with the people to whom Timothy ministered, because Timothy was to put the brethren in remembrance of what was about to happen. Also the departure of some from the faith, and the appearance of seducing spirits in these latter times, correspond with the signs of the extinction of Jerusalem. And, thirdly, heresies respecting meats and marriage are known to have arisen prior to the year 70. This Epistle was written about the year 64. Thus there is considerable evidence of the times mentioned coinciding with the last days of Jerusalem. The following reason may be assigned for their not implying the era of Christianity. There appears such a particular description given of the people, as would suit only a particular time. There had been instances of the Spirit speaking expressly of apostasy and spiritual seduction, and

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of iniquity in general, occurring before the fall of Jerusalem. There had not been such predictions for the Christian period.

But the same kind of information is afforded to Timothy in the 2nd Epistle, (ch. iii. 1-9, 13; iv. 3, 4,) in which places a similar idea of time occurs. "This know also, in the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves: from such turn away." Here can be no question that the times alluded to were coincident with the life of Timothy; because, not only would it be unreasonable to imagine that St. Paul was so particular in instructing Timothy about them, if they did not concern his ministry; but the wicked characters mentioned as to come in the last days, were to arise in his time, for he was enjoined to turn away from them. This Epistle was written also about the year A. D. 64. Similar observations might be made here as on the passage of the former Epistle, immediately preceding; and a repetition of correspondent instruction relative to the time seems to make it more exclusively referable to the days of Timothy, and to the scene closing on Jerusalem.

The eighth text for our consideration occurs in the 18th verse of the Epistle of Jude. By a reference to verses 4, 12, 16, 19, it will evidently appear that St. Jude was writing of impious persons who had already appeared: and he reminds his disciples that it had been foretold, that there should be mockers in the last time. This clearly fixes the time on the days in which he wrote his Epistle, not long before the year A. D. 70. It may be observed also, that the description of the circumstances of the times is not

unlike the general account of the apostasy forerunning the destruction of Jerusalem; and that the particularity of the description marks it for the times near the date of the Epistle, to the exclusion of the Christian age.

The only remaining passage is Heb. i. 2. From this possibly no evidence to our purpose can be obtained, beyond the fact that some at least of the last days spoken of were those in which the Epistle was indited, or about A. D. 60.

A brief recapitulation of the results of our inquiry into the times signified, will subserve to distinctness.

We discover from Acts ii. 17, that the words used by St. Peter, most undoubtedly referred to the time then passing. In all the other nine instances of the recurrence of the idea in the New Testament, the same reference is apparent. From Acts ii. 17, it is not improbable that the last days intended were the last days of Jerusalem. In two of the nine supposed parallels, (1 John ii. 18: James v. 1—3,) it is almost certain that the last days of Jerusalem were signified, and no other time. In three others, (1 Pet. i. 5, 20, and 2 Pet. iii. 1—3,) a similar degree of certainty is seen in favour of the epoch of the Jewish history; the great difference from the preceding examples being this, that the expressions apply also to the judgment of the world: the idea of the era of Christianity, in its general integrity, appears to be excluded. In two other instances, (1 Tim. iv. 1—6: 2 Tim. iii. 1-9, 13; iv. 3, 4,) the Christian era does not appear to be signified. There are evident signs of the times of the writer, and a probability of their referring to the state of the church, about the time

of the fall of Jerusalem. In the eighth instance, (Jude v. 18) there is no appearance of any time but such as coincided with and bordered upon the date of the Epistle, and the circumstances detailed are very referable to the case of that devoted city.

From the ninth and last (Heb. i. 2,) no argument whatever can be deduced for the period extending through the Christian age.

On the whole, in no one case is it shown in Scripture that the era of Christianity is intended: in eight of the examples-in some of them more particularly it appears probable that that period is not signified, but the last days of Jerusalem; and in all the ten passages, that there are evident indications of time previous to its fall; and, on the ground of uniformity, it may be believed that all the expressions are properly of the same acceptation.

Thus, in conclusion, it would appear that it is untenable to suppose that the terms employed refer to the Christian era, and in a high degree probable that they point to the last days of the capital of Judea. (Note L.)

But other, and perhaps stronger arguments remain in favour of our limitation of the gifts of prophesying in contemplation to the apostolic age. By referring to Acts ii. 16-20, it will be seen that this effusion of the Spirit was to take place, these oratorical powers to be conferred, this conversion of the sun into darkness, and of the moon into blood, to occur in the last days, and before the great and notable day of the Lord. Now the exclusive advocates of the last days of the world, are very apt to imagine and believe, that the "great and notable day of the Lord"

means in this place the day of judgment. The truth is, as I trust it will appear on a little examination, that "the great and notable day of the Lord" is not in one passage to be interpreted by the day of judgment, but the time of Jerusalem's subversion, A. D. 70.

The expressions of "the great and terrible," or "great and dreadful day of the Lord," and "great and notable day of the Lord," have not occurred more than three times in the whole Bible. The words "great and notable day of the Lord," in this particular collocation, are found only in one passage, Acts ii. 20. The 16th and four following verses in this chapter, as quoted by St. Peter, were taken, with slight variation, from the book of Joel, (chap. ii. 28-31). The translations also of the quotation and of the original do not verbally accord. In the pro

phecy we read "the great and terrible day of the Lord." It is evident however, without the least question, that the same day is signified in both places. We may therefore speak of the day as if it bore in both only one of those appellations. And as in the third passage alluded to, the English translation gives to the "day of the Lord" the epithets of "great and terrible," we will investigate the use and signification of the original terms under this title.

But there is a fourth passage, though not exactly like, yet so extremely similar in point of expression, (Joel ii. 11,) that it must be very particularly noticed. It follows an account of a divine visitation given in the early part of that chapter. The day of the Lord" is said to be "great and very terrible." There are commentators of high repute, who con

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