The Gospel Day Foretold.

With prophetic eye the seers of old foresaw a better day-a day of salvation. That which they enjoyed in type and shadow was to reach the substance in Christ, who would usher in the most propitious age of grace and glory the world would ever see. Thus Isaiah foretold it: "In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee." Isa. 49:8. Paul, after quoting this language of the prophet, makes the application. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. This great day of salvation was ushered in by the coming of Messiah to save the world; and its end will be when Christ is revealed from heaven to judge the world.

Since the beginning of time one long age has followed another, in which God "at sundry times and in divers manners in time past spake unto the fathers by the prophets," but in "these last days" hath "spoken to us by his Son" (Heb. 1:1, 2). These days, then, which go to make up the gospel age or day are the "last." This is why Paul denominates the gospel age "the

dispensation of the fulness of times" (Eph. 1:10); that is, the dispensation when time is full. "Little children, it is the last time. . We know that it [the present age] is the last time." 1 John 2: 18. Time is a measured por

tion of duration.

The gospel age is frequently in Scripture termed a day. The prophets in speaking of things that were to occur in the current dispensation said, "It shall come to pass in that day." They foretold the coming of Christ, the setting up of his everlasting kingdom, his glorious reign of peace, and the beauties of his great salvation. Even Abraham foresaw these things. As Jesus expressed it, "your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad." John 8:56.

The Morning Light is Breaking.

While the world was shrouded in darkness, and no prophet's voice could be heard; while Israel, with a few individual exceptions, was engulfed in sin and idolatry, forsaken of God; while the then known world was under the rule of pagan Rome, and heathenism held sway in the hearts of men everywhere-suddenly there appeared "one crying in the wilderness" and saying, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." After four hundred long years of silence, a prophet appeared, yea, more than a prophet. John, the looked-for Elias, the harbinger of a new day, was now preparing the way for Messiah to begin his ministry. "There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light." John 1:6, 7. Of John and his work, the angel told Zacharias this: "And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke

1:16, 17. Zacharias said of him, "And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins." Luke 1:76, 77.

This was the dawning of a new day, the breaking forth of earth's most glorious day— the day of salvation. The prophets foresaw this, and spoke of it as a clear morning. Isaiah foretold it in these words: "The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come." Isa. 21: 11, 12. Dumah signifies silence. This was the time of silence from Malachi to Christ. The inquirer asks, "What of the night?" namely, What time of night is it? The watchman cried, "The morning cometh." This morning was the clear morning of the Christian era. "For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,

and kings to the brightness of thy rising." Isa. 60: 2, 3. This time of darkness was the night of Judaism. But it was foreseen that the Lord would arise and that his glory would be seen. This refers to the ushering in of the better dispensation. The coming of Christ was to be a beautiful sunrise, and the Gentiles were to come to the brightness of his rising. "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves in the stall." Mal. 4:2.