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CONCLUDING REMARKS.

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ever may have been the means, the facts are undeniable, that the visible Church of God, at the present period, is very greatly divided in sentiment and practice; that the spirit of division is rapidly increasing ; that by the scattering of the Church, the cause of Antichrist is strengthened and encouraged; and that, on account of all the above-named existing facts, all evangelical Christians are clothed in sackcloth.

The fact that the visible Church is divided in sentiment and practice, implies, that in the Church are both real Christians, and those, also, who are Christians only by profession. This has always been the state of the Church. The Gospel net gathered good and bad. The ten virgins were half of them foolish. Among the twelve apostles of the Saviour, there was a Judas Iscariot, known by the Searcher of all hearts, to have been "a devil from the beginning." All mankind by nature are born under sin, and are rebels against God. All real Christians are made so, by the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit; and they evince that radical change of heart, by gracious affections, and holy obedience to God's requirements. All such are proper subjects for Church membership. All who become members of Christian churches without the grace of regeneration by the power of the Holy Ghost, are carnal-minded, under the dominion of sin, and under the curse of God. Their profession is like the foolish man's house, "built upon the sand."

But how comes it to pass that thousands of mankind join themselves to evangelical orthodox churches of Jesus Christ, and profess all that real Christians possess and enjoy, when they are destitute of every grace that is essential to salvation? Why is it that so many who are in a natural unregenerate state, possessing carnal minds full of enmity to God, haters of holiness

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ALL HYPOCRITES ARE ANTI-CHRISTIANS

and lovers of sin, should become members of churches founded on sound Bible doctrines, governed by principles of Gospel discipline, and under the pastoral charge of pious, devoted, godly ministers?!!! The whole mystery is explained, and the reason is obvious from the knowledge of the fact, that it is a stratagem of the Adversary of all good, to scatter the Church of God, for the purpose of rooting out true religion from the earth; and that the scattering, division, and plotted desolation of the church, is the work satanically assigned to anti-Christian instrumentalities and influence. of wicked men on the earth. Satan has work for all the counterfeit professors of religion that ever existed, or that now exist, whether members of evangelical churches of the Lord Jesus, or members of the numerous anti-Christian combinations of churches, so called by misnomer. Hypocrites find means, through the influence of anti-Christian policy, to give the outward signs and tokens of admission, and thus become members of evangelical churches, for the same purpose that Judas was an apostle. He was permitted to belong to the family of Christ of his own accord; but he was Satan's agent, sent there to do Satan's work, by betraying Christ, that he might be put to death.

Thus all hypocrites profess Christianity without possessing a single saving grace, as agents of Satan, to do his work. Clad in sheep's clothing, and admitted into evangelical churches, they manage, if possible, to increase their party to a majority of number or influ ence in the church; and thus prepared, they sow discord; root out godly ministers; supply their places with popular men-pleasers, whose secret Diploma is their text-book instead of the Bible; and thus the flock, whose names are in the Lamb's book of life, are divided, weakened in numbers, scattered, clothed in

IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.

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sackcloth, and often left to hunger for the word of God.

Hence the fact is evident throughout all Christendom, that the anti-Christian spirit from the bottomless pit is NOW engaged in scattering, dividing, and seeking to destroy the Church of God and the religion of the Bible from the world. And amid all the holy encouragments of Zion, the desolating work of the Adversary is rapidly increasing. On every appearance of awakening among evangelical Christians, counterfeiters flock to assistance, to fill the church with hypocrites, and thus prepare the way for scattering and desolation in the final result. And hence the true Church of God is clothed in sackcloth, and will be thus clothed while Antichrist is thus permitted to prevail.

The Gospel Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, evidently comprises God's holy people on the earth at the present period of time. The Signs of the Times as evidently indicate, that the power of the Church to do good, is enervated in proportion to the time and talent wasted in the polemic contests of evangelical Christians about creeds, and modes, and forms of worship, not expressly nor impliedly forbidden nor required in the Holy Bible, and consequently not essential to the salvation of the soul, nor to the glory of God. Hence the scattering of the power of God's holy people, is a work of the adversary; first, to divide, and second, to destroy the Church, which God alone can overrule for his glory and the perpetuity of the Church.

LECTURE VIII.

ANTI-CHRISTIAN influence on Religion and Morals, now existing in Christendom, evinces conclusively that Scripture predictions are in progress of fulfilling, in preparation for the great battle-day of the Lord.

It is believed that the sounding of the sixth trumpet, which was the second woe trumpet mentioned in the first division of the Apocalyptical predictions [ch ix.] and the pouring out of the sixth vial of the seven last plagues, recorded in the second division of the book of Revelation, [ch. xvi.] both alluded to simultaneous events which were to come to pass in the latter ages of the world, between the Protestant Reformation in Europe and the overthrow of all anti-Christian powers just before the Millennium. In accordance with this chronological computation, predictions of prophets and and apostles have been made, which are now evidently coming to pass in this generation, and will continue in progress, fulfilling during generations yet to come.

In the Revelation of God to John on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle heard a loud voice proclaiming, "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” That rage of the adversary is now manifest. Satan has taken to himself his great power by usurpation, at the head of anti-Christian powers, over the diocese of all

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Christendom, to promote his new counterfeit religion, and fill the world with its bigoted adherents. His preachers are ranging “to and fro in the earth,” crying, "Lo here! lo there!" multiplying professors of the Christless religion in thousands, all of whom give evidence, by opposition to God's truth, that they possess the spirit of Antichrist; that they belong to auxliary churches of Antichrist; and, that the great object of their religion is to root out orthodox evangelical Christianity from the earth. By them, Bible doctrines, which are essential to promote the glory of God, and man's salvation, are frittered down and explained away, till their signification is lost; and traditionary ceremonies of human origin, (if not of Satanic invention,) are substituted in their stead, as better adapted to please the carnal mind, and multiply anti-Christian professors of religion.

Paul predicted, [2 Tim. iv. 3, 4,]" For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." That predicted time has evidently come when all who are in favor of Antichrist, “will not endure sound doctrine." Satan's proselytes uniformly "turn away their ears from the truth, and are turned unto fables." Fabulous preaching suits the carnal mind; but sound doctrine is its abhorrence. Anti-Christian influence has already taken such deep root, that thousands of professed preachers, and millions of their carnal-minded followers, will not endure "sound," discriminating, heart-searching, conscience-condemning, God-exalting, man-abasing, orthodox Bible doctrines of man's depravity and salvation by grace, such as the following. "Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is

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