its dead, and they were brought into the land of their fathers, their temple was rebuilt by order of Cyrus, their theocratical government was established, and they lived once more as a nation before God.

SERMON XXVIII.

THE SECOND DEATH ILLUSTRATED.

[Concluded.]

WE are now to prove, that the events recorded in our text took place at the destruction of their second temple, when their government was again demolished, and they as a nation were destroyed and dead before God.

In order to bring this part of our subject plainly before you, we shall have to make a pretty extensive appeal to the Scriptures; and I harbour but little doubt, that I shall abundantly satisfy my hearers of the correctness of my views on the second death.

The Jews, though subject to the Romans, were nevertheless permitted to enjoy their own theocratical government, and all their modes of worship in the temple. John xviii. 31. "Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law.

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John xix. 7.

have a law, and

"The Jews answered him, We by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." From these scriptures it it is evident, that the Jews had a government distinct from the Romans. But they had killed the true prophets, made void the law of God through

their traditions, worshipped idols, and made their children pass through the fire to Moloch in the valley of Hinnom. They were filling up the measure of their fathers, the day of vengeance was approaching when all the blood shed upon the earth, from Abel to Zacharias, should come upon that generation. Blind to approaching ruin, they slept as it were in carnal security in the grave of iniquity and darkness, were dead before God in their sins, and rejected their promised Messiah.

From this state of security and blindness, they were to be suddenly roused to a state of national condemnation and death at the coming of Jesus Christ in his kingdom, which was at the destruction of their second temple, when Titus, the son of Vespasian, led the Roman army against them, demolished their government, and led them captive among all nations. This was their second death, called a lake of fire. God's judgments upon the Jews, we will presently show, were represented by fire.

We will first establish the fact, by concurrent scripture testimony, that our text has reference to the second scattering of the holy people at the destruction of the second temple, when the daily sacrifice, there offered up, should be taken away. Daniel ii. 44. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall

A

not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Here is proof positive, that the mediatorial kingdom was set up in the days of the Roman kings, and of that kingdom Christ then took the throne. Let us now examine if the opening of the books, and the judgment mentioned in our text, did not then take place. Daniel vii. 9-14. "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set, and the books were opened. . . . . I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

In the language of the prophet above quoted, there can arise no misapprehension as to the time when this judgment should set. He plainly de

clares, that it should be at a time when the kingdom should be given to the Son of man; when he should commence his reign; that then the judgment should set, and the books be opened. This is almost in the language of our text.

Now it is certain, that this language of the Prophet can have no reference whatever to a general resurrection of the literally dead, nor to a judgment day at the end of time; for all denominations grant, that Christ, instead of receiving his kingdom at the immortal resurrection, and then commencing his reign, will deliver up his kingdom and terminate his reign.

And in support Paul in 1 Cor.

of it, they adduce the words of xv. 24. "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." How, then, "in the name of common sense,' 99 can the judgment in our text, and the opening of the books, have the least possible reference to what people call the last judgment day? To contend for this, is not only flying in the face of Scripture, but is contradictory to their own opinions. If our text refer to a fancied judgment at the end of time, then Christ cannot receive a kingdom, nor be crowned king, till that period arrives; still they grant that he now possesses a kingdom, and is himself Kings of kings. But we have proved, that