we are able to fearch the Scriptures, thofe divine oracles of unerring truth, for ourselves; for this we are commanded to do by Chrift himself *. Here we may find many texts which, in their description of "the last days," fupport the doctrine. I fhall, however, confine my inquiry to the declarations of St. Paul, St. Jude, and St. Peter, refpecting the ftate of the world in "the laft days and times," and compare them with the correfponding features of the prefent age. Thefe Apoftles concur in defcribing. thofe days as more depraved and finful than any that had preceded fince the flood; and each of them gives different figns, by which they may be known by the true believers in the word of God, when they fhould arise.

1. St. Paul, after exhorting Timothy, his "dearly, "beloved fon," to "be ftrong in the grace that is "in Jefus Chrift" and to "inftruct, in meek"nefs, thofe that oppofe it," that they may

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cover themselves from the fnares of the devil," intimates in the next chapter, that in "the laft days" more perilous times fhall come, in which men fhall be fo defperately wicked, and fo obftinately 'finful, that they fhall perfevere in their fins to 'their own deftruction,' although " their folly fhall "be manifeft to all men."-" Know this alfo," fays he, "that in the last days, perilous times hall "come;" meaning times more abandoned, and therefore more perilous, and more difficult to be refifted by the true believers than thofe in which he lived. He then proceeds to give a minute defcription of thofe times in thefe ftrong and too defcriptive words §: "Men fhall be lovers of themselves, "covetous, boafters, blafphemers; disobedient to pa

* John, v. 39. Chap. in. 1.

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«rents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection; truce-breakers, falfe accufers; incontinent, fierce, de-' "pifers of thofe that are good; traitors, heady, highminded; lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of "God for of this fort are they which creep into "houses, and lead captive filly women laden with fins, led with divers lufts, ever learning, and "never able to come at the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres with"flood Mofes, fo do thefe refift THE truth. Mēn of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning THE faith: "but they fhall proceed no further, for their fo folly "fhall be manifeft to all men." Such is the apoftolic account of the degeneracy and corruption of men in the "laft days;" and in which he feems to labour in finding phrafes of adequate description. It includes every vice, every crime from the smallest dégree of immorality up to the extreme of blafphemy, which the depravity, of man can commit against himfelf, his fellow-creatures, and, above all, his God! Still there is not a vice mentioned by t by the Apoftle in all his dreadful catalogue, which the pious and confiderate obferver does not fee" worked "out," though not "with fear and trembling,” by all ranks of men, and even by whole nations, in the prefent day.

The paft annals of mankind exhibit no such scene. We read, indeed, that, before the flood, "God faw that « the wickedness of man was great in the earth* But there is no intimation that can induce. us to believe that this wickedness, although great, had arrived at the fin of atheifm, or a general denial of the exiftence of God. And fince the flood, no hiftory whatever gives any account, in which the wickedness of man will bear any comparison with

** Gen. vi. 5.

that here described by St. Paul, or with that of the prefent times: on the contrary, we learn that all nations, down to this period, whether Pagan or Christian, have been convinced of the utility and abfolute neceffity of embracing, and openly profeffing, fome moral principle, and fome kind of religion, founded on the belief of one fupreme God, the Creator and Governor of the univerfe: the firft, as a rule of right and juftice towards mankind, and the other, as the law of gratitude and obedience to the great Author of their existence. Hence it has come to pafs, that in all former ages, the nations of the earth have been preferved from falling into that extreme of libertinifm, blafphemy, and atheism, defcribed by the Apostle.

If, then, no former age bears any resemblance to the apoftolical description of the last days, let us inquire, whether it does not apply to the present times. A few years only have elapfed fince it was a doubt, whether the reafon of man could fo far be corrupted, as to believe there is no God, the Creator of the universe it was thought the immenfe volume of demonftrations inceffantly prefented to the mind of man, rendered that perfuafion impoffible. Indeed, among all the falfehoods within the limits of human invention, this feems to be one of the most weak, the moft abfurd, and most palpable; and therefore it has heretofore been difcredited and rejected by all nations, in every age of the world. But in the prefent days, we have feen kings, princes, nobility, and other great men of the earth, with multitudes of the lower ranks of mankind, perverted from faith in God, and his eternal Son, to the blafphemous doctrines of French philofophifm and atheifm; that fum total of all fin, that "mystery

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"of iniquity *;" and, if I understand that tremendous paffage aright, the exprefs blafphemy "against "the Holy Ghoft," which fhall" not be for"given." We have feen a whole nation, computed at thirty millions of people, establishing this horrible doctrine as an effential part of its ftate polity; and refolving to compel every other nation to drink of the fame deadly poifon, or to extirpate them from the face of the earth. To effect this fatanical purpose, they have fent, from their revolutionary. Pandemonium, innumerable emiffaries to all the four quarters of the globe; who, forming themfelves into focieties for that exprefs purpofe, have fpread their peftiferous doctrines among mankind, with inconceivable fuccefs. We have seen this fame power, where the arts, temptations, and bribes of their agents have not altogether fucceeded, without the leaft provocation or offence, and in direct violation of the moft, folemn treaties, overwhelming other nations with blood; in order to compel them to embrace the blafphemous falsehood: and we have feen thefe republican and atheistical monfiers, thus fpread over the world, teaching, and living, and feducing others to live," after the

lufts of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the "pride of life" giving themfelves up to the unbounded gratification of every paffion, and the perpetration of every crime: living" without God in "the world §." So it is they have endeavoured to break the chain which unites man to the great Author of his being; to diffolve all the focial and reciprocal obligations of prince and fübject, of parent and child, of hufband and wife, and of man to man; and establishing in their ftead the wild anarchy and unbridled licentioufnefs of atheism.

2 Theff. ii. 7.

1 John, ii. 16.

Luke, xii. 10. Matth. iii. 29. § Ephef. ii. 12.

This enormous and deftructive system of fin and blafphemy, we have feen generated in France, with its dreadful confequences; and within the compass of a few years, extended by its arts and policy to the four quarters of the earth. How far it shall please the God of infinite power and mercy, to fuffer its peftilential influence to infect the minds of those who have hitherto escaped the contagion, who can foresee? However, bleffed be his facred name, he has not left the true believer in his holy word deftitute of hope, that He will stop its progrefs in his own time: for we are affured by the Apoftle, at the conclufion of his description of the last days *, "that they shall "proceed no further; for THEIR FOLLY SHALL BE MANIFEST TO ALL MEN.' Does not this unexaggerated defcription of the prefent times come up, in every refpect, to the finfulness and blafphemy marked by the Apoftle? Is there one phrafe, chofen by him, to defcribe the depravity and confufion of the laft days, which we do not fee profeffed and practifed in an eminent degree, by a great part of the world at prefent? Are not then these "perilous times" indeed, to the believers in the word of God, who are the particular and marked objects of atheistical deftructive machinations and vengeance? Are they not more" perilous" than those of any other past period, of which any history gives an account? fo "perilous," that even the good and the righteous cannot promise themselves a momentary fafety, but in the providence and protection of an ALMIGHTY AND MERCIFUL GOD?

2. This interpretation refpecting the present times, feems to be further countenanced by St. Jude, who, in the beginning of his epiftle, gives us feveral figns to induce us to believe they are the last days" re