CHAPTER 9.
TIME.

St. John 7. 6. "Then Jesus said unto them, my time is not yet come; but your time is always ready," Rev. 10.6, 7. "That there should be time no longer. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God ahould (or shall) be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." Acts 3. 20, 21. "The times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." 1st Cor. 15. 52. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Eph. 1. 8, 9, 10. "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will--That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ."

"All things to their centre tend,

"Things with beginning must have end."

Time in the measure of duration, when unconnected with any other word as a qualifier, signifies a duration relative to mode of being, which has both a beginning and also an end. Time always ends with a change of the condition of all things belonging to its duration. Time referred to in the above passages appears entirely to relate to the gospel dispensation, which is called the dispensation of the fullness of times, i. e. the dispensation for the perfect fulfilment of all that had been prefigured and foretold in former times, under the prece ding dispensation. For in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, which must imply the days of the gospel voice; in these days the mystery of God is to be finished, as he has formerly declared to his servants the prophets, and when this is all fulfilled, then and not till

then, Time shall be no longer. And then as "St. Paul says, "Behold, I show you a mystery;" "we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." &c. Which signifies at the last sound of the gospel the end of time, as to the gospel dispensation, will come, by a sudden and universal change in the moral mode of all subordinate being. Then time will be no longer, i. e. there can never be any more a state of changeable existence allotted to moral beings. But first, under that time, called the dispensation of the fulness of times, Jesus Christ is sent to reign as mediator between God and man; he is sent with a design to restore all unreconciled things to a state of reconciliation. Therefore, when speaking of the times and seasons included under the gospel dispensation, an apostle says, "And he shall send Jesus Christ who before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things," which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Here let it be observed, no doubt seems to be conveyed in the text by the apostle of there being a restitution of all things, as foretold by holy prophets; nor does he appear at all to doubt the certainty of the times being appointed under the gospel reign of Christ for such purpose. The conversion of every individual sinner, is a change, and presupposes one of those times included in the gospel dispensation; and should there be as many times included as there are individuals to be restored, still the duration of Christ's mediatorial reign is but one time of his reigning. He told his followers while he was in the flesh, "My time is not yet come." No, his time to restore all things had not yet come, but now it has come, and still continues to last, and will continue to be until there is no more sin, no more pain nor death. And then, and not till then, shall Christ's time to save, end, and then shall that time which had a glorious beginning, have a glorious end; God will then be all in all. However, during Christ's time, men experience various times and changes suited to their subordinate conditions; but still

Christ their Lord continues to the end; he still remains the same in all his saving power, till all are saved from sin and death. No temporal change with the state of a ny man can change Christ's power to save. The best of men must still advance in grace, and grow from one degree of grace unto another, un I a perfect stature in Christ, all shall obtain. "For, (sa s Paul,) though our outward man shall perish, still the inward man is renewed, day by day." This outward tabernacle must perish, but still the soul remains to be renewed by grace. And if with any sin still abounds, grace shall more abound, till Christ has finished his work. Then time and change shall be no more.

It has already been substantiated in the preceding chapter, that Christ in his Gospel reign is Lord of both the dead and living, hence his time must embrace both this world and the world of spirits, which are both included in or under his dispensation of the fulness of times; so that as it relates to us who are to be restored, there are a plurality of times included in his time who restores mankind. Hence in these times of change with us, there is no time of change in Christ's spiritual reign, until he resigns the kingdom, and then his time as mediator will be no more. And then as it relates to us, réwards and punishments will be no more. For all will be swallowed up in one boundless gift of universal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that all rewards and punishments, as such, belong to time, and can never extend beyond its limits. Both rewards and chastisements have their use as means under the gospel reign of Christ; but could be of no service to God or man, in an eternal, unalterable and fixed estate; as in such a state of being they could produce no effects. For any effect produced always supposes a change in the object effected, which must imply a changeable state of being. Therefore, an unchangeable eternity is superior to a state of rewards and punishments, which are only adapted to an amendatury condition of moral beings. Hence if after this life there are no changes to be expected in that spiritual world whither we are all hastening, why

then, the world to come is eternity, and after death there could be no resurrection, judgment, rewards or punishments, and Christ could have no power there, unless it should be one never to be resigned. But St. Paul says, "If in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable." He also further observes, in the same connection of his subject, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, &c. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death-That God may be all in all." This implies a very important change after this life, and that Christ reigns in the spiritual world, until all who die in Adam are made alive. And then, and not till then, when there is no more death, cometh the end of his gospel reign, which is both the end of the world to come, and the end of time, even when time shall be no more. Then God will be all in all creatures. So that as God inhabits eternity, and will then be all in every man, no sin nor any thing contrary to God can be in any, for God shall be all in every one; hence no nature of change can have a place where the unchangeable God is all. And this will constitute Eternity with man. The nature of time and its final end was clearly revealed to the holy apostles and first christians. Therefore says one apostle, (of God) "He hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one allthings in Christ,both which are in heaven ; and which are on earth; even in him." God, blessed be his name, hath also abounded towards many in this our present day, in the same wisdom and prudence, having also made known unto them, the same mystery of his will, which he hath purposed in himself. And they are made to understand the nature of his dispensation of

grace, as including a fullness of times not restricted to this life alone, but they have hope in Christ beyond the that grave, many of their prayers for the salvation of sinners will be answered in that state of being, as well as in this. They have no disposition to limit the holy one of Israel to the present life of mankind. They can say with the apostles, that they have hope in Christ, as a saviour, beyond this life. They rejoice to see his work go on here, and expect to rejoice in the world of spirits, to see him carry on the same work there in calling sinners to repentance. They have no doubt in their minds, but what all men will finally be saved from

all their sins.

There is a very important subject which belongs properly to this chapter, which I shall now introduce, viz. The nature of that change in time, called natural death, with its attending circumstances, and operations on the intellectual faculties of man. For we must all "pass through the dark valley of the shadow of death." This is that very fearful passage from one world to another, and one very much dreaded by the human family in general; death is called the king of terrors. And although the real christian tears nothing beyond death, and what attends our dissolution, yet he shudders at the thought of dying, and passing the dark valley which is the shadow of death.

And here suffer me to observe, the shadow of a thing, is not the thing or substance itself, the dark shade of a cloud is not the cloud itself, but the shadow it makes. The shade of a tree is not a tree, neither is the shade of death in itself considered, death. Now as a man cannot behold the beauty and full glory of the sun, while he remains in the shadow of a thick dark cloud, even so the soul of a man cannot behold the nature and glory of the son of righteousness, while passing through the dark shadow of death, nor can be have any proper knowledge of the world of spirits until he emerges from the thick mist cast over his intellectual faculties by the stroke of death: and the same is the lot of all, saints and sinners. For the believer here, cannot exercise his faith while in