of the earth, the elect of God, who are not caught up to meet him in the air. The Scriptures by no means intimate that all then on earth, who shall ultimately be saved, shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, upon the manifestation of his second. advent. A special reward is spoken of, in that day, to be given to "all them that love his appearing," 2 Tim. iv. 8.—"To them that look for him," Heb. xi. 28." To those who are clothed, that the shame of their nakedness do not appear," Rev. iii. 18.-" To them that watch and keep their garments," Rev. xvi. 15. "To them that may be accounted worthy to escape the things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man," Luke xxi. 36.—“To those servants whom their Lord when he cometh shall find watching,"-Luke xii. 37.-What can be inferred from these and many similar passages, but that some servants will not be found watching? that some of the Lord's people will be found sowing to the flesh; and that some, thinking that the Lord "delayeth his coming," when he doth indeed come, will be found in the very act of smiting their fellow servants, and eating and drinking with the drunken? See Matthew xxiv. 48, et seq. It is no explanation of these Scriptures to assert, as many have done, that the persons here spoken of, cannot be of the Lord's people; they are called his servants in express terms they are

spoken of as being of his household; and further, in reply to Peter's question in Luke xii. 41. our Lord answers that these things are said expressly to his followers, his disciples; adding, as in v. 45 and 46, that the Lord of that evil servant, who thus transgresses, will come upon that servant when he is not aware, and will cut him off, (see margin,) and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. This servant is not an unbeliever, yet he hath his portion appointed unto him, even with them. The word of the Lord, notwithstanding, abideth for ever, and it is written, "he that believeth shall be saved;" and it is again written, in reference to that day, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," Acts ii. 21.

May it not, therefore, be inferred, upon a comparison of these Scriptures, that they who are not found watching and walking worthy, will not be allowed to attam the blessed privilege of being caught up to meet the Lord in the air, but will be left in their mortal bodies in the world, to take their portion with the world for a season, and until it shall please the Lord to deliver them? Some may perhaps think that still heavier judgments are signified.

The parable of the Talents was perhaps intended, amongst other things, to shew the judgment that shall,

in that day, overtake the unprofitable servant, who has neglected to use, and to improve, that which his Lord hath given him. It seems to intimate, that those who, during the state of the Church militant, have been faithful over a few things, shall be made rulers over many things, when Messiah the King reigneth. But that the wicked and slothful servant, who "knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;" (see Luke xii. 47.)* or, according to the words of the parable, shall be cast into outer darkness, (amongst them who are without the pale of the Millennial Church) where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."-Matthew xxv. 30. The parable of the virgins confirms this view of the subject. All the ten virgins went forth to meet the bridegroom, and while he tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Upon the cry at midnight, that they should go out to meet him, the foolish ones found, too late, that they had no oil for their lamps, and while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. The others came afterwards, and said, Lord, open unto us, but he answered, "I know you not." In Luke xiii. will be found a corresponding Scripture, in the reply which our Lord gives to the inquiry, "Are they few that be saved?" He cautions them to strive to enter in at the

strait gate, for "many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, when once the Master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door." He adds, they shall then begin to stand without and to knock, saying, Lord, open unto us. But he shall tell them he knows them not-they shall urge, that they have eaten and drunk in his presence, and that he has taught in their streets; "but he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are, depart from me ye workers of iniquity:"Surely these are they, who have not kept their garments; and are not found walking worthy. The two next verses make it evident, that the time of the second advent is particularly spoken of in this passage, for they who thus stand without, are described as seeing Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, whilst they are themselves thrust out; and whilst many come from the east, and the west, and the north, and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. The passage has, doubtless, a primary or incidental reference to the gathering of the Gentiles into the gospel Church, from which the Jews were excluded, and so it has been explained figuratively by commentators; but the direct reference is to the Millennial Church, in which the risen Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, with the apostles, elders, and all faithful servants of the Lamb, "shall live and reign with

Christ a thousand years," Rev. xx. 4, which is explained to be "for ever and ever," as a WYas TWY alwvwv unto the ages of the ages-Rev. xxii. 5. To confirm this, it should be remembered that the gospel Church is, in many things, the type of the Millennial Church; even as the dispensation of the law under Moses, was "the figure for the time then present, having a shadow of good things to come" in the days of the gospel, and of the Millennium; and therefore the Scriptures which refer to the one, must ́necessarily, at the same time, speak also of the other, and they will be found applicable alike to explain circumstances which belong to each. Taking, then, these Scriptures as they stand, and following them in their obvious signification, in reference to the reward promised at the time when Messiah cometh, the exhortations unto good words, which abound in every part of the Sacred Volume, acquire an additional importance.

If the gospels and epistles are carefully examined, it will be found, that exhortations unto good works are most generally given with some reference to the second advent, and as if conveying a special promise to them whose walk shall be approved at that time.' In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul exhorts, iv. 1. "I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation, wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meek