God, which were never discerned before. The great discovery of those things in religion which had been before kept hid, seems to be compared to removing the vail, and discovering the ark of the testimony to the people, which before used to be kept in the secret part of the temple, and was never seen by them. Thus, at the sounding of the seventh angel, when it is proclaimed that "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ," it is added, that "the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." So great shall be the increase of knowledge in this time, that heaven shall be as it were opened to the church of God on earth.

(2.) It shall be a time of great holiness. Now vital religion shall every where prevail and reign. Those times shall be an exception from what Christ says of the ordinary state of the church, that there shall be but few saved; for now holiness shall become general. Isa. 60: 21. "Thy people also shall be all righteous." Not that there will be none remaining in a christless condition; but that visible wickedness shall be suppressed every where, and true holiness. shall become general, though not universal. It shall be a wonderful time, not only for the multitude of godly men, but for eminency of grace. Isa. 65: 20.. "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner,. being a hundred years old, shall be accursed." Zech.. 12:8. "He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them." And

holiness shall then be as it were inscribed on every thing, on all men's common business and employments, and the common utensils of life: all shall be dedicated to God, and applied to holy purposes: every thing shall then be done to the glory of God. Isa. 23: 18. "And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord." Zech. 14:20, 21. And as God's people then shall be eminent in holiness of heart, so they shall be also in holiness of life and practice.

(3.) It shall be a time wherein religion shall in every respect be uppermost in the world. It shall be had in great esteem and honor. The saints have hitherto for the most part been depressed, and wicked men have governed. But now they will reign. The kingdom shall be given into the hands of the saints of the Most High God, Dan. 7:27; and they shall reign on earth, Rev. 5: 10; they shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years, Rev. 20:4. In that day, such persons as are eminent for true piety and religion shall be chiefly promoted to places of trust and authority. Vital religion shall then take possession of kings' palaces and thrones; and those who are in highest advancement shall be holy men. Isa. 49: 23. "And kings shall be thy nursing-fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers." Kings shall employ all their power, and glory, and riches for the advancement of the honor and glory of Christ, and the good of his church. Isa. 60:16. "Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings." And the great men of the world, and the rich merchants and others who have great wealth and influence, shall devote all to Christ and his church. Psalm 45: 12. "The daugh

ter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor."

(4.) Those will be times of great peace and love. There shall then be universal peace and a good understanding among the nations of the world, instead of confusion, wars, and bloodshed. Isa. 2: 4. "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat. their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." It is represented as if all instruments of war should be destroyed, having become useless. Psal. 46 9. "He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth: he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire." See also Zech. 9: 10. Then shall all nations dwell quietly and safely, without fear of any enemy. Isa. 32: 18. " And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places." Also Zech. 8: 10, 11.

Then shall malice, and envy, and wrath, and revenge be suppressed every where; and peace and love prevail between one man and another; which is most elegantly set forth in Isa. 11: 6-10. Then

shall there be peace and love between rulers and ruled. Rulers shall love their people, and with all their might seek their best good; and the people shall love their rulers, joyfully submit to them, and give them the honor which is their due. So shall there be happy love between ministers and their people. Mal. 4: 6. "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." Then shall flourish in

an eminent manner those christian virtues of meekness, forgiveness, long-suffering, gentleness. goodness, and brotherly kindness, those excellent fruits of the Spirit. Men, in their temper and disposition, shall then be like the Lamb of God, the lovely Jesus. The body shall be conformed to the head.

Then shall all the world be united in one amiable society. All nations, in all parts of the world, on every side of the globe, shall then be knit together in sweet harmony. All parts of God's church shall assist and promote the spiritual good of one another. A communication shall then be upheld between all parts of the world to that end; and the art of navigation, which is now applied so much to favor men's covetousness and pride, and is used so much by wicked debauched men, shall then be consecrated to God, and applied to holy uses. See Isa. 60 5-9. And then men will be abundant in expressing their love one to another, not only in words, but in deeds of charity. Isa. 32: 5. "The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful;" but (ver. 8) "the liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand."

(5.) It will be a time of excellent order in the church of Christ. The true government and discipline of the church will then be settled and put into practice. All the world shall then be as one church-one orderly, regular, beautiful society. And as the body shall be one, so the members shall be in beautiful proportion to each other. Then shall be verified Psal. 122: 3. "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together."

(6.) The church of God shall then be beautiful

and glorious; yea, it will appear in the perfection of beauty. Isa. 60: 1. “ Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." Isa. 61: 10. "He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." On these accounts the church will then be the greatest image of heaven itself.

64

(7.) That will be a time of the greatest temporal prosperity. Such a spiritual state as we have just described, has a natural tendency to health and long life and that this will actually be the case, is evident by Zech. 8 : 4. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age." It has also a natural tendency to produce ease, quietness, pleasantness, and cheerfulness of mind, also wealth, and a great increase of children; as is intimated in Zech. 85. "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." But further, the temporal prosperity of the people of God will also be promoted by a remarkable blessing from heaven. Isa. 65: 21. "They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them." Mic. 4: 4.

66

But they shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, and none shall make them afraid." Zech. 7: 12. "For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things." See also Jer. 31: 12,