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if in many testimonies there is an appeara.ace of too much brevity, or more at least than some might wish, the reader will at once perceive the reasonableness of the same on this ground. The method of presentation is somewhat peculiar, and is chosen for the sake of presenting a wider range of mind. The compiler has spoken himself as seldom as practicable, but has chosen rather to make use of the language of others, and instead of permitting one to relate the whole as is usually done, he has preferred that all should testify, and thus each and every mind be mirrored on the page in harmonious support of the same grand truths. He has endeavored in most cases to let the witnesses speak for themselves, and though but briefly in numerous instances, yet enough is given to exhibit the constant hope of the faithful in all ages.

And the names herein presented are no mean and insignificant ones. They are the names of the men who under God have controlled His church on earth, and led her in the hour of conflict and in the fight of faith. They are many of them not only enrolled high on the lists of human fame, but which is far better, are doubtless also "written in the Lamb's book of Life." And though but frail and feeble men, they are not to be despised. The doctrine of the personal reign of Christ in the new earth, is of the Bible, and in presenting the combined testimony of a "cloud of witnesses" in its favor, to bear upon the church in this century, it is not with the view of promulgating novelty. We are no innovators. Pre-millennialism has had its advocates among the orthodox in all ages. We seek the old paths, feeling assured they are the safest and most desirable. We have taken our position. To oppose Post-millennialism and its kindred errors we feel bound, and here we throw down the gauntlet. Being strongly impressed with the nearness of that day when the everlasting kingdom of God shall be established in the renewed earth, and the whole human race broken up and strangely

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and forever separated; under this solemn conviction strengthened by every passing event, we send forth the present volume of testimonies, fraught with many a gem of truth, and many a thrilling cry, to awaken, if possible, in all our readers, a deeper interest on the momentous subject of the speedy and visible coming of the Son of Man.

Time is short.

us be active.

The season of toil is well nigh spent. Let Every Christian in this day should be a missionary in earnest. We are not against missions. Rather do we wish there were an army of five hundred thousand missionaries like Brainard, and Wolffe, and Judson. Let this gospel of the kingdom be "preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations," and then let the end—the kingdom, come. There are thousands of Pre-millennialists in the Protestant churches of Great Britain and America, and Mr. Lord affirms that among missionaries of all denominations that go abroad, there is as great a proportion of them Premillenialists as among the ministry who stay at home.

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And surely the extensive travels and writings of Ben Ezra, in South America; the unremitted toils of Joseph Wolffe and Rev. Dr. Poor in Asia, for a long series of years, who preached the speedy coming of Jesus; the happy results of the labors of James McGregor Bertram, the peace," on St. Helena, in South Africa, and elsewhere, who not only preached the gospel of faith and repentance, but also urged upon all the consideration of Christ's soon coming; the preaching of L. D. Mansfield, in the West Indies; of many others in Newfoundland; the extraordinary efforts of Gonsalves, Dr. Kalley, and Hewitson, on the Madeira Islands, resulting in the conversion of hundreds; the Christian labors of H. W. Fox, missionary to the Teloogoo people, with many other instances we could name, now unnoticed and unknown, are sufficient proofs that Pre-millennialists are not opposed to missionary efforts, and lack none of the mission. ary spirit. They labor as did the great apostle to "save

some" from wrath to come,-yea, almost come. "I have a strong anticipation," wrote the pious Fox, "that the time is not far distant." So Pre-millennialists labor. And their faith and hope is acknowledged to impart to their preaching greater earnestness and power. And why should it not? May God speed every effort to win souls from remediless woe, for oh! how solemn, how terrible to be found among the eternally lost.

Commending our volume, with all its imperfections, to the candid and careful perusal of every Christian, we send it forth with many a prayer and tear that it may be blessed to the everlasting good of all who read its pages. It is the congregated cry of a great multitude, saying, with a loud voice, The King cometh. The kingdom is at hand! Are we ready? Oh, that reader and writer may so live and act that the stern disclosures of the day of Eternity shall not give the lie to all the fond anticipations of Time. Blessed is he that watcheth!

ROUSE'S POINT, N. Y., 1855.

DANIEL T. TAYLOR

CHAPTER I.

DEFINITION OF TERMS THE GREAT QUESTION WHEN IS THE MILLENNIUM TO OCCUR ?-PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION.

ILLENNIUM (Latin) Mille, a thousand, and annus, year. A thousand years; a word used to denote the thousand years mentioned in Rev. 20; during which period Satan will be bound, and holiness become triumphant throughout the world. During this period, as some believe, Christ will reign on earth in person with his saints.* "MILLENNIUM. Thousand years; generally taken for the thousand years in which some Christian sects expected, and some still expect the Messiah to found a kingdom on earth full of splendor and happiness."t

"MILLENNIUM, thousand years: generally employed to denote the thousand years during which, according to an ancient tradition in the church, our blessed Saviour will reign upon earth, after the first resurrection, before the final completion of beatitude. The time when the millennium will commence cannot be fully ascertained, but the common idea is that it will be in the seven-thousandth year of the world." "The seventh chiliad (or 1000 years) from the creation. All sober commentators take this literally."§

"MILLENNIARIANS or CHILIASTS. A name given to those who believe that the saints will reign on earth with Christ a thousand years."||

* Webster's Dictionary.

† Encyclopedia Americana.

Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge.
Buck's Theological Dictionary.

Cottage Bible.

It is generally conceded by the Christian world at the present time, that the Apocalyptic millennium is yet to occur in the future, and to commence immediately upon the expiration of six thousand years from the creation of the world, it seeming to be more decidedly proper and Scriptural thus to chronologically locate it: but as there have been and still are some who deny this, and as those who maintain its futu-rity are divided both in regard to the manner of the events and the events themselves, which are to introduce and occupy the millennial era, manifestly composing at least three classes of millennial believers; to avoid a multiplicity of terms and introduce simplicity, it has been thought proper in the following pages to classify under three heads, all who have at any time written concerning the millennium of the Apocalypse; denominating them severally as follows:

ANTI-MILLENNARIANS, or Anti-M., all those who deny that the Apocalyptic millennium is in the future, or those who locate it in the past, though not denying the future personal reign of Christ on earth.

POST-MILLENNIALISTS, or Post-M., all those who hold that the Apocalyptic millenninm is in the future, and who postpone the personal advent of the Redeemer, and literal resurrection of the holy dead till its close, thus denying the personal millennial reign.

PRE-MILLENNIALISTS, or Pre-M., all those who hold that the Apocalyptic millennium is future, the seventh thousand years, and that it is to commence with, and be introduced by, the personal advent of Christ, and literal resurrection of the just: thus affirming the personal reign of Christ on earth.

These terms are frequently varied throughout these pages and others in common use are substituted, as Temporal Millennialists, Post-millennialists, Whitbyans, etc., to denote the second class; and Literalists, Pre-millennialists, Chiliasts, etc., to signify the third class, whose view or

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