Second advent library

|$ Lxcrun x.will close, the _udgment will set, and the books will beopened ; the hypocrites will be spued out of the church,and the sanctuary cleansed.Will the situation of the church, the~ character ofChristians, the doctrines taught, and the signs oi! thetimes warrant us to believe that we live in the Laodiceanof the church? Let us for a moment examine theageevidence and see.lst. The situation of the church, enjoying peace inand among the kingdoms of the earth, all theenjoyingprivileges of citizens without persecution, making greatand many improvements in her worldly concerns, rich inthis world's oods, having at her command mandy milliorlof funds, and'almost swaying the destinies of e world;great, leamed and rich men enlisting under her banners,controlling the fashions, customs, and laws of the day,swaying a mighty influence over the education of ouryouth, and giving a general tone to the literature of theworld, increasing her demands for power, establishingbishoprics, presbyteries, national and state conventions,conferences, councils, associations, consociations, societiesinnumerable; and all these controlled almost exclusivelyby her clergy.May we not say truly, " he is richand increased in goods? But is this all? No. Lookat her colleges, theological schools, academies, depositories,public edilices, presses, theological writings andpublications, in almost every nation, kingdom, state, andterritory, and in this country in almost every county andtown; and all this by contributions. Well may it besaid, she has need of nothing. These things, too, amongall sects and denominations, one cannot outdo anotherapparently, yet each is striving for the me stery.2d. The characters Q/' Chnlstians Ingenerally. speakmgofthe character of our brethren, it becomes the speakerto be very careful and unassumin God has not,made him a judgeover his brethren. '§herefore, to judthis oneisright, and that one wrong, we shall leave ig'theseat of Christ But on a general scalefudgment sure y we may be allowed to examine and comgglre ourselveswith the prophecies. In all ages back, C `stians,when living godly, have been a poor, despised, persecu-