to us from the heavens or any changes by the miraculous power of God. This is the sum of the teachings of scientists, of the theories of government and law, and of the popular theologies. Even the faith held by most professed Christians is but the aggregate of changeable and growing sentiments, ever throwing off the old and putting on the new, rather than the fixed literal revelations of God, which are the same for all ages alike. In other words, the heart, pulse and ruling ideas of our times exhibit all the indications of that very apostasy, or "falling away," which Paul fore-announced as the forerunner, beginning, spirit and cause of the Man of Sin and his disastrous revelation. The seed is planted and growing, and meets in our age a congenial season for rapid development and speedy maturity.

Accordingly, also, we everywhere and in all circles and teachings hear about the Coming Man. The idea is treated somewhat jestingly, but it is not a mere fancy, myth or play on words. It expresses something which is inlaid in the theories and principles which, in one shape or another, are governing the thinking and expectations of the great mass of the most active and potent existing mind. The feeling and constant implication in the noisiest as well as the most subtle of modern demonstrations is, that nothing is settled; that the great problems of human life, including society, government, philosophy and religion, all yet remain to be solved; that what has hitherto been taken as final authority is not final, and no authority at all; that there remains to be

wrought out a thorough reconstruction in all earthly affairs on other foundations than those which have served mankind in past ages; and that there must come a new order of the social fabric, with new regulating forces, exhibiting another style of man in all the relations of life. And, as things now go, what the majority ordains and determines will be. But when that Coming Man, who is thus developing, comes, he can be none other than this very Man of Sin, the Lawless One, the Antichrist, foreseen and foretold by the holy prophets; for the final, concentred maturity of human progress, cut loose from the time-honored laws and institutes of Jehovah, is the Antichrist. And with this manifest and inevitable tendency of things before our eyes, and the accepted thinkers of the world, including many among the most influential in the professed Church of God, abetting the conceit as man's great hope, ignoring the proper Christ of our salvation, and virtually denying both the Father and the Son by the philosophies they entertain, what is it that we see but the preparing of the way for the Antichrist and the manifest token of the nearness of his revelation? What the leaders of mankind thus unitedly covet and labor for as the goal of the race must come, and much sooner, perhaps, than they anticipate; but the result will be the sorest plague the earth has ever felt, bringing with it all the disasters of the last great catastrophe. Principles are living things, and must work out what is in them; and when we see them inrooted in all the forces and activities most

potent in human society, we may be sure of what is coming. Only the miraculous intervention of Omnipotence can hinder it. And as God has fore-announced that He will not interfere to thwart these last experiments of the apostate race-that His Spirit shall not always strive with men-nay, that He will take out of the way that which hindereth,-doubt of the near fulfilment of all that the prophets have foretold about the last years of this present world must disappear. Details are needless where the principles are so manifest, so earnestly embraced and so universally pursued.

Yes, brethren, God is about to deal with the earth as He never before has dealt with it, and everything is maturing for the day of trial. Men are busy with their plans, and think to work out sublime results by their endeavors and agencies. They are fondly hoping soon to see the world set right, all social and religious questions gloriously adjudicated, by the growing intelligence of the world. They are joyously expecting ere long to behold all disabilities removed, and

ll the hardships which oppress the many done away, through the ever-improving machinery of education, evangelization, benevolence, freedom and popular legislation. They mean it well, and often throw into it an amount of zeal and devotion which proves that they are sincere. But their hopes are falsely grounded. They reason from a mistaken philosophy. The only regeneration of the world the Scriptures tell of is of a different order and comes in quite another way. This humanitarian rationalizing, which so tortures

the divine word to bring it into accord with human wishes, and all this building on the reforms, efforts and agencies of men, will fail. It is in a line which makes a Saviour for the world who is not the Christ, but the Antichrist. People embrace it for good, and devote themselves to it as the very spirit of the Gospel as distinguished from the rejected letter; but it is the evil genius of our times, by which Satan would deceive, if possible, the very elect. So far from bringing the expected triumph of good and blessedness, it will eventually embody itself in one great head, whom it will take for its champion, who supplants the Christ and introduces all the anarchy and misrule of hell. It is the spirit of self-redemption, baptizing itself with the Saviour's name and usurping the Saviour's prerogatives, whilst it really rejects Him and His glorious coming from its scheme, and with songs of a nearing paradise beguiles to a hopeless perdition. It is the great snare of Satan by which he is captivating the world, and will effectually captivate it to its destruction. It is the last great temptation of God's people, by which myriads on myriads shall be drifted to eternal shipwreck. And this is that Antichrist whereof ye have heard that he shall come. May the Lord save us from his subtleties!

LECTURE FOURTEENTH.

THE FINAL OUTCOME; OR, THE GREAT CONSUMMATION.

WE

Daniel 12: 1–13.

E now approach the conclusion of this Book of wonders. A grand panorama of empires, revolutions, oppressions, deliverances, crimes, punishments and special interferences from Heaven and from Hell -a sketch of all the great mysteries of Jehovah's providence in all time-has been passing in review. before us, and we now come to the last scenes, to the final outcome, to the great consummation of the whole. Brief glimpses of the end have been greeting us at each great crisis in the prophetic narration, for in God's doings the beginnings always include the end, as the end presupposes all that goes before it, but our attention is now to be occupied entirely with that consummation itself.

It is a little unfortunate that this chapter has been severed from what immediately precedes it, since it is really not only the continuation of the address of the same speaker, but the accompaniment and sequel of the same subject. This dividing of the Bible into chapters and verses is, for the most part, the work of modern printers, not of the inspired authors; and bad work has often been made of it. The separation, if