The most probable time is to be learned by a combination of re- vealed numbers. Secret things belong to God; but those "things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children, All Antichristian Powers and Hosts ready for the encounter, at the time appointed, prophetically designated by the appellation of The Antichristian hosts prophetically and characteristically des- Preliminaries being determined, the trumpet sounds to arms, accom- The Remnant of both Houses of Israel are next addressed by the The last offer of mercy in an Overture by a flag of truce made by The conditions of peace are rejected, and the door of mercy shut, Predictions of the dreadful onset, victory, and feast of triumph, The Peace resulting to earth from the victory, Predictions of the Millennium, SIGNS OF THE TIMES. LECTURE I. A MURDER Committed. The murderer tried, convicted, and sentenced to the punishment of death. The sentence commuted to imprisonment for life. The subject of this lecture is to show, that the commutation of the murderer's sentence, is a violation of the Divine Law, by an assumption of human power, which belongs to no created being in the universe; to none, but God alone. "Thou shalt not kill."-EXODUS XX. 13. Regardless of this Divine Law, in December, A. D. 1845, Abram Wilcox murdered Samuel McKinster. by stabbing him with a jack-knife. Several mortal wounds were inflicted, of which, the said McKinster died in a few minutes. The murder was committed near Schuylerville, in the town and county of Saratoga, and state of New York, in the light of day, soon after dinner, and in the presence of several competent witnesses. Wilcox was tried by the Circuit Court in Ballston Spa, the spring following. After a most able defence on the plea of insanity, by four celebrated lawyers, the culprit was pronounced guilty of murder by the . 22 AFFIRMATIVE PROPOSITIONS. verdict of an intelligent and inflexible jury. Consequently, the sentence of death was pronounced upon him, by his honor Judge Willard, and the day of excution was fixed, and publicly announced to be on the 28th day of July, then next ensuing. The week before the day of execution, the punishment of death which had been awarded to the murderer by the court, was commuted by his excellency the State Executive, to the punishment of imprisonment for life in a state penitentiary; and the malefactor was removed from the county jail to the place of destination. And, most probably, the commutation of the murderer's punishment has been hailed by many, as a cheering instance of the triumph of enlightened reason, over law, and customs of alleged, barbarous ages of antiquity, when the life-blood of the murderer was required as a Divine penalty for the blood he had designedly shed. But the author of these lectures has no hesitation in making a public announcement of his conscientious dissent from the doctrine of commutation of capital punishment, for the following reasons:— I. That the God of heaven has ordained, and made known his will to man, in a law, penally binding on all mankind, that man shall not murder his fellow-man. II.. That transgressors of this prohibitory law shall suffer the penalty of death, by the hand of his fellowman, in the execution of public justice. III. That by Divine authority, all mankind are expressly forbidden to change the penalty of death into any other mode of satisfaction whatever, for the of fence against public justice committed by the murderer; and IV. That no evidence appears of the repeal of that law, or its penalty, by the Almighty. THE MORAL LAW OF TEN PRECEPTS. 23 The First proposition affirmed, is, that God has enacted a law, binding on all the human race, that man shall not murder his fellow-man. The law alluded to, was given by Jehovah to Moses on Mount Sinai, written on two tables of stone. It was comprised in the original common law, which God gave to the first parents of mankind in Eden; but, when more particularly specified on Mount Sinai, contained Ten Precepts, four of which were written on the first table; having special relation to the duties which man owes to God, viz. to love HIM Supremely, as the Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign Lawgiver of the universe. And the remaining six precepts, were written on the second table, summarily relating to the duties which man owes to his fellowman, viz. that every man is bound to love his neighbor as himself. [Vid. Exodus xx. 1-18.] This law is denominated THE MORAL LAW; or The Ten Commandments; and is emphatically called, "The Law," in various portions of Scripture, to distinguish it from the ceremonial law, which prescribed rites of worship, peculiar to the Jewish nation, all which were typical of Christ, and were fulfilled, annulled, or changed by the advent of Messiah the great Antitype. But, the LAW OF TEN COMMANDMENTS, was in its nature unchangeable, and permanent. It was ordained by the Supreme Lawgiver, as the infallible rule of life to all men; and was hence binding on all men, in every age of the world; in all places; under all circumstances, in every nation, and generation of men on the earth. To the perfection of this law, David testified, Psalm xix. 7. "THE LAW of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." To this law, John the Baptist bare witness when he said, "THE LAW was given by Moses." 24 SUMMARY OF THE MORAL LAW. [John i. 17.] To this law our Saviour had special reference in the following remarkable expression: "Think not that I am come to destroy THE Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but, to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle, shall in no wise pass from The Law, till all be fulfilled. [Matthew v. 17, 18.] On a certain occasion, a lawyer inquired of Christ, thus: "Master, which is the great commandment in THE LAW? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first, and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments, hang all The Law and the prophets. Referring to this Law, Moses declared thus: "Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God is One Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart; and with all thy soul; and with all thy might." And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children; and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house; and when thou walkest by the way; and when thou liest down; and when thou risest up." That Moses had special reference to the Law of Ten Commandments, is evident from the words of our Saviour, in answer to a Jewish scribe, in which Christ quoted the above words of Moses. The scribe inquired, "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commands is, Hear O Israel, The Lord thy God is One Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart; and with all thy soul; and with all thy mind; |