ing my conversion to the truth pertaining to this subject, the reader must be prepared to credit my sincerity, and my sanity also, if he knows anything of Christian experience, when I affirm, that I can no more reasonably or safely doubt that Christ will come to close up the scene of this world's probation, during the present year, than I can doubt that the doctrine of regeneration is a doctrine of revela

tion.

And here I must say further, that if that experience by which evangelical Christians are assured that their views of the doctrine of regeneration are correct, is not all a delusion, then my testimony in regard to the truth of this doctrine, may safely be relied on. I find it as clearly taught in the Bible, and have had, and do have continually, the same in kind the very same, sealing witness of its truth on my own heart; while the preaching of it, in almost every place, is attended with the same converting and sanctifying power. And now does any one inquire, What

shall you think and what will you do, if after all, Christ does not come this year?" My reply is, I cannot now determine precisely what I should think, or what I should do in such a case. But I am sure of this, that since God has led me to believe that he will come this year, as his word abundantly teaches, and has brought me by his Spirit through this truth to rejoice and confide in him, as I never did before, he will not then leave me,

but will teach me what to think and what to do, if he does not come; and especially am I sure that he will so teach me, that I shall then be saved from treating the Bible, and Christian experience, as they are now treated, by those who are trying to persuade themselves and others that the thousands of devoted Christians who are proclaiming and looking for the coming of the Lord this year, are following cunningly devised fables.

JOHN STARKWEATHER.

Boston, January, 1843.

SUGGESTIONS AND REFERENCES.

Does the reader now inquire, "How can I ascertain, so as to be perfectly satisfied, that these views of this subject are in accordance with the word of God?

In answering this inquiry, let me submit to your serious consideration and careful examination, the following suggestions and references:

1. If the end of all things is so near at hand, it is unspeakably desirable and important that you should know it.

1

Whatever may be said on this subject, every individual knows that if the Lord is coming this year, it would be his duty, and if he were a true believer in the doctrine he would feel disposed to conduct very differently, if not respecting his own spiritual interests, certainly in respect to the spiritual interests of his friends and neighbors, from what he would ever do without this belief. Every one feels that he has a work to do with reference to his fellow-men, when the time has come for the midnight cry to be sounded, which could not have devolved upon him before. And does not the fact that God has made us susceptible of such convictions and

feelings, afford a good and sufficient reason for supposing that he would furnish us, in some way, with information so desirable and important respecting the time of Christ's coming to judgment? In accordance with this reasonable expectation, did he not give information of the destruction of the old world 120 years before it came? Did he not also, seven days before, expressly make known the very day when this destruction would commence? Gen. vi. 3; vii. 4. Yes, if the end of the world is to come this year, you feel that you want to know it now.

2. Do not suppose that these views cannot be in accordance with the word of God, because they are, in some respects, different from those which were entertained by intelligent and pious men in former times.

You will find that the great majority of the intelligent and pious of former times, until the days of Dr. Whitby, who died in A. D. 1727, believed in the pre-millennial advent of Christ. Yet the time of his appearing, and many of the circumstances and events connected with the setting up of his kingdom, were not understood by them as they are now being apprehended; and for the obvious reason, that these are among the things referred to in Dan. xii. 4, 9, where it is said, "The words are closed up, and sealed to the time of the end." "Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end."

3. Believe with unwavering confidence, that

at the time of the end," i. e. just before the Lord comes, the truth in regard to the time of his coming, together with the circumstances and events connected with the setting up of his kingdom, may be understood.

It is indeed said, "Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." But we are nowhere told that no man ever shall know the year during which Christ will come.

If this passage is to be so understood, it makes it equally true that the Son of God himself will not know when he is to come to judge the world, till he gets here! But the passage merely affirms (hat the day and hour was, at that time, known only to the Father. But the same divine Teacher has said, in Matt. xxiv. 33: "When ye shall see all these things," (that is, the signs which he had just specified,) "know that it is near, even at the doors :" and in Dan. xii. 10, that at the time of the end "the wise shall understand." Besides, what a reflection upon the character of God must it be, to suppose that in a professed revelation of future events, the definite and specified periods contained in it, which evidently relate to the time of Christ's coming, are never to be understood!

It is also said in Acts i. 7, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." But in the next verse it is said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon