formation. There are, it is true, many portions of the Bible, which seem to imply an end of the present order of things. Look, for instance, at the following texts. "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. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest, that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." 1 Cor. xv. 24-28.›› Now, as this refers to the coming of Christ, at the resurrection; and, as it speaks of the end of his reign, and the subjection of all things to God, it seems to imply, that the present order of things will be brought to a termination. In Ephesians I find a passage teaching, or rather implying, the same. 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 fulness of times, he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him." Eph. i. 9, 10. There are many passages of this character. Indeed, the promises point to a time when Christ shall have finished the work he came to do; when all death, and sin, and error, shall have been destroyed; and all be peace and joy throughout the whole empire of God. 66 But in all this I learn nothing about the fate of the earth, and, therefore, I offer no conjectures upon it. Neither do I learn any thing with regard to the time when this will be done. The Bible says, "in the dispensation of the fulness of times," and with this I am contented. In all this I see the wisdom of God; for why should he reveal the time when his government shall end, any more than the time when individuals shall die? I cannot sit down without expressing my thanks for the attention that has been paid to these Lectures. It has given me great pleasure to see this place thronged every evening with sincere inquirers after the truth. I trust that these meetings will not be in vain; that they will serve to increase our love for the Bible, and our confidence in its instruction; and show us, that, though the labors of the ignorant and superstitious may bring it into contempt, and cause the infidel to sneer, and the scoffer to mock, it is a divine book, and worthy our undivided regard. NOTE I. Since the delivery of these Lectures, a new edition of Mr. Miller's book has been published, to which the following note is appended: "The author wishes to state, that Lecture VIII. in this work was written twelve years since; and that the authorities he then consulted fixed the NOTE II. In this new edition Mr. Miller has inserted a new Lecture, founded on Lev, xxvi, 23, 24, where God says, he will punish his people yet seven times for their sins. Seven times, we are told, is seven prophetic years, which make 2520 years. But how, you ask, does he know this? That is best known to himself; he gives us no proof in the case. Indeed, he is obliged to contradict the Bible to make it. Daniel foretold, that Nebuchadnezzar should be driven from men, that his dweiling should be with the beasts of the field, and that seven times should pass over him. See Dan, iv. 25. Now, although this was declared to the king while upon his throne, and twelve months before the evil came upon him (Dan. iv. 29, 31), yet Mr. Miller says, it was not a prediction, but a history; and, therefore, while seven times should here be reckoned as seven years, in other places it should be reckoned as 2520 years. (If the reader has any doubt, that this is a prophecy, let him also read Dan. iv. 31, 32.) Thus does he contradict, pervert, and twist the Scriptures. And this is a fair specimen of his whole book. 1 NOTE III. In my third and fifth Lectures, I have examinned the calculations of Mr. Miller, and shown, that no reliance can be placed upon them; that he has 150 MILLER'S THEORY UTTERLY EXPLODED. reckoned days as years, without any authority for so doing. Let us, however, suppose him correct, and that a day, in prophetic language, should always be reckoned as a year. Let us suppose also, that he is correct in regard to his dates, and that 'he has reckoned from the right time; and yet, there is one fact, which utterly explodes his whole theory. It is this, the Jews reckoned 360 days as a year. Hence, in 2300 years, there would be, reckoning 360 days as a year, 828,000 days; but in 2300 years, reckoning 365 days as a year, there would be 839,500 days, which makes a difference of 11,500 days, or 32 years!! Now, Mr. Miller makes no allowance for this! All his calculations go upon the supposition, that we reckon time as the Jews did, whereas there is a difference of five days in a year. Therefore a deduction of 32 years must be made, so that the world should have been destroyed A. D. 1811 !! Perhaps we should reckon, as the Jews did, down to the Christian era. This, however, is equally fatal to Mr. Miller's theory, for since the birth of Christ, there have been 671,200 days, which, reckoned at 360 days a year, make 1864, so that we are living, A. D. 1864, or, according to his calculations, 21 years after the destruction of the world !! It will avail nothing to say, there is a difference of opinion with regard to the Jewish method of reckoning time; for Mr. Miller takes it for granted, that 360 days is a Jewish year. He says 31 years is 1260 years, and that 42 months is 1260 years, so that he reckons 360 days as a year. Hence, it is certain that he is wrong; it is certain that his theory is false. |