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the vision refpects the Jews only, or whether it may not alfo extend to the Gentiles.

Be this as it may, it is equally evident on either hypothefis, that nothing in the fate of the Chriftian church or Jewish people has appeared which anfwers to the import of the vifion, and that the great and happy event is yet future. Many divine predictions lead us to expect the future converfion of the Jews to the Chriftian faith, and fome of them feem fully to imply that they shall return to the country of their ancestors and dwell in their inheritance, about the time of their reception of the gospel.

This important event feems to be implied in the prophecy con cerning the army of Gog, and his deftruction, in the mountains of Ifrael, recorded in the chapters immediately preceding the account of this vifion.

This with various other confiderations, would lead us to fuppofe that the converfion of the He brews to Chritianity, and their happy state, in the land of their fathers, in the fervice of God and the enjoyment of his favor, is, at leaft, the primary object of the

vifion.

ture prophecies, that, not far from the time of the calling in of the Hebrews, there will be a general revival of pure Chriftianity, which fhall extend to all nations, and "the earth fhall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

Conclufion.

We close our difcourfe on this divine vifion, with the following reflections.

1. We learn the benefit of an acquaintance with fcripture prophecy.

The predictions of holy fcripture are the fame to us in regard to events which are future, that the facred hiftory is as to the events which are paft, with this differ. ence, however, that paft events derive their principal importance from connexion with the future, and as divine operations advance, the field widens, and the prospect becomes exceedingly interefting and important. It is the object of fcripture prophecy, to reveal to us the ends which God will obtain by all his great works recorded in the bible-history, and the means by which he will obtain them. Creation, the fall of man, the work of redemption, the whole scheme of the moral and providential government of God, and all the dark and myfterious events in all ages will be cleared of their darknefs and mystery, in the accomplishment of prophecy. This is effect

This, however, is perfectly confiftent with the idea that the vifion ultimately embraces the converfion of the Gentiles, and the diffufion of Chriftianity to all nations, in the happy millennium. Such an extenfion of the import of the vifion, is rather agreeable to theed by "the Lamb that was flain.” analogy of divine prophecy, reSpecting the Redeemer's kingdom, which ufually embraces, not one event individually, but a feries of events of the fame kind.

Whatever conclufion may be formed touching the extent or application of this vifion, it is exceedingly manifeft from many fcrip

He has already taken the book and is opening the feals. (b)

Hence it is especially the duty. and privilege of chriftian minifters, who must be able to teach others, and to feed the fheep and lambs of Chrift; to study scripture prophe

& Rev. v. 9.

cies, and be able to bring from that 'diligent and perfevering exertions divine treafure" things new and in the cause of the divine Saviour old." In this courfe we may edi--for the promotion of pure reli fy ourselves and thofe who hear us, gion among ourselves, and in our and be "fcribes well inftructed in- new fettlements, and among the to the kingdom of God." heathen on our borders.

That we may ftudy with fuccefs, we muft ftudy with humility, dependence on divine teaching, an ardent defire to know the mind of the fpirit, that we may honor God and be useful to men; and with humble fupplication for his fanctifying, and enlightening ir fluences, that we may behold the wonderful things contained in his word.

2. We learn the importance of living by faith on the word of God. This applies to all parts of divine revelation, but efpecially, to the prophetic fcriptures. "Faith is the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen." It brings future and diftant events prefent to the mind, and produces effects fimilar to what would exift if they were present.

Hence Abraham, looking, by faith, through prophetic vifion, "faw Chrift's day and he rejoiced

and was glad."(i)

We are encouraged to be inftant in prayer for the fuccefs of the gof pel-for the prefence of God with his minifters-with our Miffionaries, and with all the Miffionary Societies in the United States, and in Europe-for the revival of pure Chriflianity and the fpread of the gofpel to all nations, and efpecially that the Jews may partake in its faving power.

Let

The prophecies and promifes of holy fcripture, lay abundant fourdation for the prayer of faith. our humble fupplications meet and unite at the throne of Grace, that God would gracioufly "remember his covenant with Abraham, and remember the land."

PHILANDER.

The leaft in the kingdom of heaven.
JOHN the Baptift was as great

a prophet as any who, before The effects of divine faith will him, had been born of women. be fimilar in us, and furnish fup- But, faid Chrift, "He that is leaft port and confolation under the in the kingdom of heaven is greatdarkest events and moft trying af-er than he." To me it appears an flictions.

Faith, in proper exercife, will alfo overcome the world, reduce the power of lufts and temptations, and animate us to engage in the moft difficult and trying duties, and to endure to the end.

eafy and natural expofition, to un-* derftand the word prophet, as annexed to the word leafl. The leaft prophet, in the kingdom of heaven, is a greater prophet than John the Baptift.

By a prophet, in this place, is meant an infpired teacher, who had the fpirit of prophecy in the church, after the refurrection and

Let all our ftudies be fubordinated to the faith of the gofpel and a life animated by it, in the fervice of God and man, and in a prepara-exaltation of Jefus Chrift. tion for death and heaven.

By the kingdom of heaven, is 3. This fubject furnishes fub-meant the church itself, under the Santial encouragement for the most new and laft difpenfation of it.

i John viii. 56.

Although Chrift fet up this kingdom, by his own power and

glories of the final judgment, and of the eternal state, than any of the ancient prophets; or even, than John the Baptift.

Whoever carefully obferves the prophecies of the apoftles, and efpecially of John in the Revelation, is fenfibly ftruck with the fuperior

agency; yet he was pleafed to give "fome apoftles; and fome proph ets; and fome evangelifts; and fome paffors and teachers; for the perfecting of the faints; for the work of the miniftry; for the edifying of the body of Chrift." Chrift, therefore, fpeaking of a character fimilar to John the Bap-ity of thefe laft prophets; and it is tift, had reference to the real eafy to fee the declaration of Chrift prophets, which fhould appear in verified, when he was fpeaking of his kingdom, which was then was then the comparative greatness of proabout to be established. phets, that he who is leaft in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than John the Baptift.

Mere teachers may be called prophets; but to fuch, it is evident, Chrift did not refer, when he fpoke of a character, more eminent than that of John the Baptift. And as the apoftle diftin. guifhed prophets from evangelifts and others; fo it is natural to fuppofe, that Chrift did, in the cafe before us: For real prophets were the characters then under confideration.

To me it appears to have been the defign of Chrift, in his difcourfe, to fet forth the peculiar light and glory of his kingdom, on earth, under this new and last dif penfation; and, that he did it, by obferving, that the prophets, under this, fhould be greater, than under any former difpenfation.

This is the light, in which the paffages alluded to in Matt. xi. and Luke vii. are viewed by many; and in this conftruction, there appears to be nothing ftrained, nothing obfcure, nothing inconfiftent with moft obvious truth. Thofe prophets who lived after Chrift's refurrection, and the gift of the Holy Ghoft, and who had been witneffes of what he had done and taught; must have had far greater acquaintance with the nature and glory of Chrift's kingdom, and muft have been led much further into a view of the latter day glory of the church, and of the

From this view of the fubject, we learn, that the glory, of the Redeemer's kingdom is progreffive in this world; and, from analogy, we infer, that the church will rife in glory in the world of spirits till the refurrection of the dead; and appear in fuperior glory at Chrift's right hand in the great, decifive day; and probably, rife and increafe in glory forever and ever.

A. B. C.

On a death-led repentance.
T is very natural for finful creat-

IT

ures to delay the concerns of their fouls, until a future and more convenient feafon. And though multitudes live inattentive to religion, in a time of health and profperity; yet there are but few who difcover no anxiety refpecting their eternal state, when they view death near at hand. And fome, who have spent their lives in wickednefs, have manifefted great remorfe and penitential forrow for their fins, when feized with fome threatening diforder. Amongst thefe, fome have obtained a hope before they left the world, that they had become new creatures---that their fins were forgiven, and that they fhould enter into the kingdom lof heaven. Others have died un.

fomething in or belonging to a per-, fon, which is peculiar to the heir of glory, and cannot be found in any other perfon. That which is common, to those who are fet apart for falvation and to those who have no part or lot in it, can give no fatisfaction, or afford any evidence of a perfon's belonging to the redeemed.

words further clearly teach us, what
that is which actually feals the title
and is an earnest, or fomething giv
en to the believer and heir of glo
ry, to affure him of his heirship;
and that is, the holy spirit of prim-
ife. "After that ye believed, ye
were fealed with that bely spirit of
promife, which is the carneft," &c.
The holy fpirit of promife is cer-
tainly the feal and earnest. It is
that which defignates and affures,
that a perfon is fet apart as an heir
of glory. And this is spoken ef,
as being a mark which is univeríal-
ly applied, as being common to
all believers, and refpecting all
the heirs of falvation.
"After
that ye believed ye were sealed," &c.
There is, therefore, in every
heir of glory, a diftinguishing mark
of heirship. The mark and dif-
tinguifhing characteristic is, the
gift of the holy fpirit of promife.

The inquiry is, what is that in men, which will certainly and infallibly determine them to be heirs of the falvation of the gofpel? That there is fomething of this nature and what it is, I apprehend is clearly taught in Ephefians, chap. i. 13, 14 verfes. "In whom ye also trufted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your falvation; in whom, alfo, after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that holy fpirit of promife. Which is the EARNEST of our inheritance, until the rede, ption of the An inquiry will here arife, how purchafed poffeffion, unto the praife and in what fenfe, is the holy fpirof his glory."--On reading this it of promife given to believers, or paffage, it will appear extremely the heirs of falvation? This, unevident, to the attentive mind, that doubtedly, has reference to fome the believer, who is the only heir influence or operation of the spirof falvation, has a mark, or fome-it of God, on the heir of glory. thing belonging to him, which de- The fpirit of God is given to men, fignates, and is given to affure his in various fenfes. Sometimes as mind, of his title to the gofpel fal- an immediate revealer of truths. vation, till he fhall actually enter Sometimes as an awakener of the on the purchafed poffeffion. He confciences of men.- Sometimes hath fealed them with the holy as a fan&ifier of the hearts of men. Spirit of promife, which is the earn- In the prefert cafe, there is a reet of, &c. The ufe of the feal is, fpcét had to fuch kind of influence to mark and defignate. It marks and operation, as is common and ratifies an inftrument. An believers, and as is peculiar to earneft, is fomething given before them. It is therefore certain, hand, to ratify, bind and con- that the gift of the spirit of firm a bargain. In like manner, promife, refpected in the text, has the apostle, in the paffage under not a reference to fuch influence, confideration, teaches us, that the as contits in an immediate revelableffed God gives fomething before tion of new truths; or awakening hand, to affure the heir of glory the confciences of men; for fuch of his title to the heavenly inheri influences of the fpirit, have been tance, till he fhall actually enter given to wicked men and finners, upon the poffeflion of it. The or unbelievers The gift of the

to

holy fpirit of promife, as a feal and earnest of falvation muft, therefore, have a refpect to him as a fanctifier-to his fanctifying influ ence or operation. This is the only operation, which can be peculiar and common to believers. This was the legacy which Chrift left his difciples. And the apoftle John fays, " Hereby do we know that we dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his fpirit. And hereby do we know that he abides in us, by the fpirit he hath given us." And that the fpirit in his fanctifying influence is meant, is further evident, as fuch in Auences are peculiar to believers, as they qualify for heaven-as they are a prefervative against apoftacy, and as they actually begin falvation in the foul-and carry a foretalte and anticipation of the joys of falvation.

It may be neceffary to obferve further, that the gift of the fpirit, in his fanctifying influence, in the text, has not a refpect to fome tranfient influences of that nature, but to fuch as are permanent-to fuch as are abiding. It means, that the fpirit of promife is given to dwell perpetually with them; or as it is expreffed in the paffage before cited, "until the redemption of the purchafed poff:fion."

The holy fpirit, given in this fenfe, is a moft diftinguishing mark of heirship. It is a mark which fatan cannot affix were he ever fo defirous of it; nor would he do fuch a work, were it in his power. It is a mark which none but God can fer. And all this accords with innumerable other expreffions in facred writ. In this fenfe, the fpirit witneffes with the fpirit of believers, that they are the fons of God. And believers have the witness-the evidence in themselves, that they are the children of God,

It is ftamped upon their hearts. They carry about the witness with them wherever they go.

It follows, from thefe obfervations, that whenever perfons have evidence, that they are the real fubjects of the fanctifying influences of the fpirit of God, they have proportionable evidence, that they are the heirs of falvation; but otherwife, that they have no part nor lot in this matter. And no concern, no joys or comforts carry any evidence of heirship, any further than they fanctify and make men holy.

It may be afked, how can a perfon determine, that the fpirit, as a fanctifier, does dwell within him.

The answer is, in general, in the fame way that a perfon can determine, that the fpirit of this world dwells in him. He would conclude thus, from finding that his heart, feelings and affections center in this world, and from his being principally active in it. the fame way a perfon must and may determine, relative to the holy fpirit of promife dwelling in him. If he is made really holy, if his heart, feelings and affections center in Ged and in fpiritual things; and he is above all active in them, and does live a holy and fpiritual life, he may conclude that the fpirit dwelleth in him.

But, my limits will not permit me to enlarge any further here. On the whole, it appears from what has been faid, that the heir of falvation hath fomething in himfelf, which is abfolutely difcriminating-that he is under as good advantages to determine his ftanding, relative to futurity, as refpecting this world; having "the evidence in himself."

And it appears, from hence, that frequent, faithful and diligent self-examination is a most interest

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