and be made drunk with their blood." The nations must drink, of the wine, of the wrath of God, which shall be poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and they will be trodden in the great winepress of the wrath of God Almighty. And the great whore which has drunk the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, will have blood to drink; for she is worthy. The sword of the Lord has two edges; it will cut off the offending limbs of the Church, and destroy her enemies. The fire of the Lord will purify his saints, but utterly burn up the wicked. "He whose fan is in his hand will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Although the earth is thus to be desolated, and the nations destroyed, yet the saints of the Most High 66 A shall possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." "And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints, of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Dear brethren, these events are rapidly rolling in the fiery wheels down the descent of time; and although the nations must first drink the vials of divine wrath; and the battle of God Almighty must first be fought; yet the time is at hand, when we shall no more hear the sound of war, and of garments rolled in blood; for man will cease to be the enemy of man; and every one will sit quietly under G his own vine, and under his own figtree; and there will be nothing to hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain: and the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the channels of the mighty deep. 11 Dear brethren, is it not "high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand! let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." And let us pray with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, for all men, not only for ourselves, our families, our friends, and the church of God; but for a dying world that God would in infinite compassion, cut short these days of dreadful calamity for his elect's sake; and in the midst of deserved wrath, remember mercy. { 1 "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches. To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." 25, 3d 26, 9th read unspotted from. for Bazrah, read Bozrah. for my anger, read mine anger. for my anger, read mine anger. for all kinds of wars, read all kinds of war for take the field, read takes the field, [will. for equipments, read equipment. 28, 8th line fr. bottom, for discharge his will, read discharged his "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and re"pent." Title page of "Mediat. Kingd." &c. : No apology is deemed necessary for the publica tion of the following Letter, as the author of the pamphlet to which this is a reply, and his friends, have expressed a hope, (Med. Kingd. p. 3 and 4.) that the subject of that pamphlet might be called into notice." A wish to gratify that hope, together with a sense of duty, has, for a long time, urged this undertaking. A belief is indulged, that clear evidences of a "candid and diligent examination of the Scriptures, with a view to ascertain and practise the truth," (p. 3.) will be found, by the Christian reader, in the following epistle. And should it be made to appear, that the author has not been solicitous to reply to arguments, as to examine and illustrate the truth," (p. 4.) it will afford him much pleasure: he will not only have discharged his duty, but complied with the particular desire, (p. 4.) of the Christian brother whom he has addressed. SO |