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unbelief and ungodliness.

Thus will be ushered in

those more glorious and abiding "times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord," which the "sure word of prophecy" warrants us to expect.

In pursuing the inquiry, in pointing out some of these "times of refreshing," vouchsafed by God to the Church in days of apostasy and darkness, and others yet to be anticipated, the author will probably be found to differ from some on certain points of unfulfilled prophecy and ecclesiastical polity. He by no means deprecates the study of unfulfilled prophecy; this would be to contravene the design of God in the prophetic revelation of future events for the encouragement and guidance of the faith of the Church. To understand, and rightly to interpret prophetic Scripture, is required higher qualifications and more extended knowledge of symbolic language, of history, chronology, geography, and of the primary sense, and connexions of certain passages, than many possess, who rush rashly into this field of inquiry. Prophecies, yet unaccomplished, are for the most part, and for obvious reasons, veiled in figurative and symbolic representations; yet the events, to which they point, are revealed as certain, and with that degree of clearness, to inspire faith and hope in their sure accomplishment. "It is not for you," said Christ, "to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." * It often happens to the Christian contemplating these sublimi

Acts i. 7.

ties of revelation, as to the traveller who gazes on the sublimities of nature. Yonder glorious range of Alpine mountains appears near; to reach which many weary leagues must be travelled, and many hills climbed. As the traveller nears that glorious mountain range, new landscapes become revealed, which he saw not before, unfolding unexpected wonders and beauties to his gaze; the character of the whole is diverse from what he imagined or expected. Thus it is with regard to unfulfilled prophecy, when the time of its accomplishment draws nigh. "God is his own interpreter, and He will make it plain." It becomes us to believe and wait. "In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee." "I will stand upon my watch tower, and watch and see what He will say unto me-for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”*

As it regards ecclesiastical polity, there is abundant room for the exercise of mutual charity and forbearance among Christians, and the strongest motives for prayer that God will "inspire continually the universal Church with the Spirit of truth, unity, and concord," -seeing every system of Church polity, in the framing and working of which imperfect humanity has to do,— will have its incongruities and imperfections. It is the duty, and will be the happiness of all Christians, more to regard what is essential than what is circumstantial *Habakkuk ii. 1—3.

and indifferent. Instead of agitating the points of disagreement, which occasion bitterness and disunion, -"to follow after the things which make for peace," -"to hold the faith in unity of Spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life." Thus will be accomplished the prayer of the Redeemer,-"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee; that they all may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me !"*

* John xvii. 21.

CHAPTER II.

TIMES OF MESSIAH-THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION- -"TIMES OF REFRESHING."

THIS phrase," times of refreshing," contains a beautiful description of the times of Messiah, comprehending in them the entire dispensation of the Gospel from its commencement to its close at the glorious Second Advent of the Redeemer. This agrees with the cherished expectations of the Jews, who looked forward to the coming and reign of their Messiah as a period of repose from war and oppression, of great prosperity and glory to their nation, and of universal peace and blessedness to mankind. Understanding, as Understanding, as they did,

the glowing descriptions of these times by their prophets, in a literal and worldly sense, we cease to wonder that they overlooked the spiritual glories of Messiah's reign, and fondly looked forward to times of national greatness and grandeur, when the lost glories of the days of David and Solomon would be restored to their Church and nation. The predictions of their prophets, like stars shining with brightening lustre in the dark nights of Jewish history, sustained the faith and hope of the faithful in Israel, in a coming deliverer, and of

better days; these, like the devout Simeon, "waited for the consolation of Israel." This expectation was not confined to the Jews, but had spread widely among the surrounding nations. The extended intercourse and commingling of the Jews with the Gentiles, their frequent dispersions, and with them of their sacred writings, will account for the latter fact. As the time of the Saviour's advent drew nigh, the feeling of the need of some special Divine interposition for the enlightenment and regeneration of the world was all but universal, especially among the reflecting part of mankind. A slight and transient view of the state of the world, both Jewish and Gentile, strongly demonstrates the necessity of this. On all those great and essential points on which serious and reflecting minds pant for information, and which alone can impart satisfaction and comfort, as the existence and true character of a Supreme Being caring for man, and in whom man can confide; the way of forgiveness and peace with God, whom he is conscious of having offended; and the certainty of a life after death, the strong aspirations of which he feels within him ;-on all these and other important inquiries Grecian and Roman philosophy left the world in doubt and darkness. There was no power in the various systems of polytheism or philosophy, which prevailed over the Gentile world, to guide and sanctify the people; but, on the contrary, the character of the "gods many," the patrons and embodiments of vice and cruelty, and the prevailing and debasing

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