the seasons which the Father hath put in his own POWER.' Mark this expression. Are not all things in God's power? Yes; but in a different sense. When God hath once spoken a thing, it is out of His power, in a certain sense, not to fulfil His word. St Paul says of God, "He cannot deny himself.” And it is written, "The Scripture cannot be broken." If, then, a revelation had been given in Scripture of the time of restoring the kingdom to Israel, or the time of the second coming of Christ, God would in a certain sense have put it out of His own power into that of the creatures who received the revelation; and He could not deny His own word: but if He has withheld any revelation of the matter,- -if He has preserved silence upon the point,—if He has given no pledge: then He has kept it strictly within His own power: yet there is no doubtfulness in the mind of God as to the fulfilment of the purpose; it is as sure though He has not given a revelation, as if He had it is His intention, and not His declaration, that constitutes true certainty. There is essential certainty in the mind of God,— revealed certainty in the Word of God. If He has made no revelation, He has the point in His own power. This will explain the saying of our Lord in the 13th chapter of Mark, the 32d verse: "Of that day and that hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." Not the Son, because He is God manifest-the Word of God. In the unity of the Godhead, whatsoever the Father knoweth, that knoweth the Son; but in His mediatorial commu

nications to mankind-His Messiahship, or anointing to a specified office and work, this point is not among the things transcribed into God manifested in the Son, but is reserved in the unrevealed invisibility of the Father.

But it may be inquired, are there not prophetic periods revealed? Do we not read of 2300 days, and then the sanctuary shall be cleansed? And do we not read of 1260 days, and 1290 days, and that blessed is he that cometh to the 1335 days? And is there not much written in Daniel and the Apocalypse, explanatory of these dates? Most true. And those students of God's Word and providence, who examine into these periods, with all the advantages of accurate historical information, and critical acquaintance with the original languages, do well, very well, and are entitled to the gratitude of the Church. Much may doubtless be ascertained, and much that is valuable: but still the precise date of the Lord's advent cannot be known. It is yet a matter of dispute whether the above-mentioned periods of prophetic chronology are to be considered as literal days, or as years of 360 days each. But rejecting as untenable, for many reasons, the notion of literal days, still the periods in question are involved in obscurity as to their commencement, and consequently of course as to their termination.* And even if their com

*This remark applies also to the chronology of the world: so that the exact time of the Lord's advent would be still unknown, even if we could adopt with confidence the interpretation of St Barnabas. "Consider," says the Father of the apos

mencement could be certainly ascertained, there would still be another obscurity, as to whether they were to be taken in sequence, or one involving others. Nay, even if this were overcome, and we knew both their commencement, and that they

tolic age, "consider, my children, what that signifies, He finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this: that in six thousand years the Lord God will bring all things to an end. For with him one day is a thousand years, as himself testifieth, saying, Behold! this day shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, shall all things be accomplished. And what is that He saith, And He rested the seventh day? He meaneth this; that when His Son shall come, and abolish the season of the wicked one, and judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun, and the moon, and the stars, then He shall gloriously rest in that seventh day." -Epist. Barn. § xv.-Archbishop Wake's Translation.

Many persons feel disposed to place much reliance upon the statements of the primitive Fathers, as being the most competent interpreters of the mind of the apostles. I know not how the above passage will fare with such persons; whether they will deem it decisive in the way of scriptural interpretation, and of course adopt it; or whether they will adventure an exercise of private judgment, arraign it at the bar of Scripture, and deny that there is any sufficient foundation for it—as we presume to do with another statement in the same epistle of St Barnabas :-" Understand, therefore, children, these things more fully, that Abraham, who was the first that brought in circumcision, looking forward in the spirit to Jesus, circumcised, having received the mystery of three letters. For the Scriptures say that Abraham circumcised three hundred and eighteen men of his house. But what, therefore, was the mystery that was made known unto him? Mark first the eighteen, and next the three hundred. For the numeral letters of ten and eight are I H; and these denote Jesus. And because the cross was that by which we were to find grace, therefore he adds three hundred; the note of which is T, the figure of the cross. Wherefore, by two letters he signifies Jesus, and by the third

were to be taken in sequence, yet still, we could not date the advent with precision; for the Lord says, "The last days shall be shortened;" and we nowhere read how much.

In entering upon this subject, therefore, I altogether disclaim every attempt to fix the period of the world's history, at which the second advent of our Lord is to take place. I earnestly press this point on your attention, because I am persuaded that much injury has been done to a good cause, by vain endeavours to determine the precise time. But I beseech you, my brethren, in giving your attention to it, to discriminate between the importance of the subject itself, and the zeal (in this particular indiscreet) of those warm and faithful defenders of it, who have so far mistaken their office.

2. Another aspect under which we may consider the time, is relatively to other events. On this point we have much light. The event which in this connexion is of most importance, is the establishment of that glorious period of blessedness which is predicted to take place over all the earth, when the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of God, and of His Christ; when men shall learn war no more, but beat their

his cross.

He who has put the engrafted gift of this doctrine within us, knows that I never taught to any one a more certain truth: but I trust that ye are worthy of it."—Ibid. § ix.- Wake's Translation.

The writings of Paul and Barnabas are as different in tone and character, as if many centuries had intervened between the two men. The reason is obvious. Paul was kept from Judaising by special inspiration of God. Barnabas was not.

swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; when all shall know the Lord, from the least unto the greatest, when they shall not hurt nor destroy in all God's holy mountain,— for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the seas. Such a period, you are well aware, is plainly and repeatedly predicted. Now I wish to show you, that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will precede and usher in that glorious state of blessedness on earth.

It will precede it, for at the time of the Lord's coming, the earth, instead of being in a millennial state of holiness, and happiness, and harmony, will be in a state resembling the wide-spread wickedness of the days of Noah and of Lot. This is precise and plain, as you learn from the 17th chapter of St Luke: "As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man : they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, also, as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all: even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." You have a further corroboration in the Epistle to the Thessalonians. "Yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night; for when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden de