arate nation, restored to their own land, and converted to the faith of Christ. (Jer. xxx: 10, 11; xxxi: 10; Romans xi: 25, 26.) VIII. I believe that the literal sense of Old Testament prophecies has been far too much neglected by the Churches, and is f ar too much neglected at the present day, and that undei the mis- taken system of spiritualizing and ac- commodating Bible language, Christians have too often missed its meaning. (Luke xxiv: 25, 26.) IX. I do not believe that the pre- terist scheme of interpreting the Apoca- lypse, which regards the book as en- tirely fulfilled; or the futurist scheme, which regards it as almost entirely unfulfilled, are eitherof them to be im- plicitly followed. The truth, I expect, will be found to be between the two. X. I believe that the Soman Cath- olic Church is the great predicted apos- tasy from the faith, and is Babylon and Antichrist, although I think it highly probable that a more complete develop- ment of Antichrist will yet be exhib- ited to the world. (2 Thess. ii: 3-11; 1 Timothy iv: 1-6.) XI. Finally, I believe that it is for the safety, happiness, and comfort of all true Christians to expect as little as possible from Churches or governments under the present dispensation, to hold themselves ready for tremendous con- vulsions and changes of all things estab- lished, and to expect their good things only from Christ's second advent. I am well aware that the views I have laid down appear to many persons very gloomy and discouraging. The only answer I make to that charge is this: Are they Scriptural?—Things to Come.
not to convert all mankind. It does not surprise me at all to hear that the heathen are not all converted when missionaries preach, and that believers are a little flock in any congregation in my own land. It is precisely the state of things which I expect to find . . . . This is a dispensation of election, and not of universal conversion. (Acts xv: 14; Matt, xxiv.13.) IV. I believe that the second com- ing of the Lord Jesus Christ is the great event which will wind up the pres- ent dispensation, and for which we ought daily to long and pray. " T h y kingdom come," "Come, Lord J e s u s ," should be our daily prayer. We look backward, if we have faith, to Christ dying on the cross, and we ought to look forward no less, if we have hope, •to Christ coming again. (John xiv: 3; 2 \ i m o t h y iv: 8; 2 Peter iii: 12.) V. \ I believe that the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will be a .real, literal, personal, bodily coming; and that as He went away in the clouds of heaven with His body, before the eyes of men, so in like manner He will re- turn. (Acts i: 11.) VI. I believe that after our Lord Jesus Christ comes again the earth shall be renewed and the curse re- moved; the devil, shall be bound; the godly shall be rewarded, the wicked shall be punished; a i d that before He comes there will be neither resurrection, judgment, nor millennium, and that not till after He' comes shall the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. (Acts iii: 21; Isaiah xxv: 6-9; 1 Thess. iv: 14-18; Rev. xx: 1, etc.) VII. I believe that the Jews shall ultimately be gathered again as a sep-
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