Second advent library

284 Lzcrnu xxx.and greater signs from heaven. Christ had, and wasthen performing miracles which no man on earth couldpprform, and they ascribed it to the power of Beelzebub.o evidence had or could be presented, which theywere not ready to evade or deny; and yet they claimedall the learning, all thewisdom, and all the piety of thatday. This was the character of those whom Christ callshypocrites, and to whom he addresses the question, " Butcan ye not discem the signs ofthe times?" And happywould it have been for us, who live in this day of gospellight, when the gospel shines with greater effulgencethan at any other period of time since the world began,if hypocrisy had died with the Pharisees and Sadducees;but it was not so.Any man, of commoncapacity ofmind, who can divest himself of prejudice, or who willtry to see the character of man as developed at the presentday in matters of faith, will discover the same unbelief,the samedisregard, the same tauntin , temptingspirit, concerning the second coming of the §essiah, asthe Pharisees and Sadducees manifested in their conductand conversation with our blessed Redeemer. Andthe question may with equal and I fear with'tenfold force, propriety, be ut to us at this ay, if Christ was here,as then. And I have much reason to fear, that manymay be found among our great, learned, and teachers ofdivine things, who would receive from our divine Masterthe same repronf§were he as then a teacher among ust"Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, lest hefall." I shall, then, in treating on this subject, use mytext as a reproof to us.l. I shall show a number of signs which the Jews hadin that day, as evidences of Jesus being the true Messinh.II. Show the signs that Jesns Christ, the prophet; andapostles have given us of his second coming,now fulfillingin this day in which we live.Under my tirst head, the signs of Jesus being the trueMessiah, were,l. The universal peace at his birth. Of this Isaiah3, 4, had prophesied 760 years before, " And manypeople shall go and say, Come ye, and let usgo up to