second Adam, or covenant Head of an elect body, as recorded by Isaiah: "I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish (or raise up) the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages."1

As the apostle Peter speaks of all the holy prophets since the world began, we will endeavour to consider them, first, from Adam to Moses, and then from Moses to Christ, in order to ascertain what reference they have made to one or other of the advents of the Lord.

"ENOCH, the seventh from Adam," is the first prophet to whom we refer; and he speaks clearly of the second advent of the Lord, as the Holy Ghost testifies by the pen of Jude. "Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all," &c. On which prophecy we have the following, among some other, good remarks by Dr. N. Homes: "Perhaps there is a meaning in the circumstance, that he is numbered a seventh from Adam; he may be a type, that Christ should come in the seventh millenary, or thousand, of the whole age of the world. Now Jude allegeth Enoch, that the Lord shall come, after Christ's ascension: he doth not say that He shall go away to heaven, but that He shall come from heaven; and how? As a Judge,

Isa. xlix. 8.

2 Ver. 14, 15.

to convince and punish all that have persisted to utter hard speeches against Christ; viz. against Christ himself, or against Him in his saints. And this must be before the ultimate day of judgment; or what privilege is it to the saints, and how is Christ's power vindicated before He lays down his power?"

2

NOAH was "a preacher of righteousness," and in that sense a prophet; but having spoken, on one recorded occasion, as he was moved by the Spirit of Christ which was in him, he is, strictly speaking, one of the prophets. In those few words we find a declaration of the purposes of God, respecting a church on earth, from the call of Abraham to the second advent of Christ. "The sons of Noah that went forth of the ark were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth; and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah, and of them was the whole earth overspread." Concerning these sons, as representatives of every nation under heaven, the inspired patriarch spoke. He excluded Ham, or those who should spring from him, from the blessing which he foretold to be designed first for Shem, and next for Japheth, i. e. for the seed

'See the Resurrection Revealed, p. 47, by Nathaniel Homes, D.D., first published in 1654, reprinted by the editor of the Investigator, who remarks, "We think we may safely say, that there is no work extant on general prophecy, superior to that of Dr. Homes for learning and lucid exposition of the prophets."

2 Gen. ix. 25-28.

of each. The lapse of ages has unfolded God's purpose as contained in this concise, but most comprehensive, prophecy. Hence we find, that, whilst Jehovah left all nations to walk in their own ways, He first chose the seed of Shem, and called Abraham, (descended from him in the line of Arphaxad, Salah, Eber, &c.,1) as the father of the faithful, with whom, as a typical head, He entered into covenant, and amongst whose seed He set his name.

But the blessing thus exclusively promised to, and for a season bestowed upon Shem, was not to be his continually. A time was to arrive when God would "persuade Japheth," and he should "dwell in the tents of Shem."2 And this time did arrive, when, having "denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto them, and having killed the Prince of life," the seed of Shem was cast off, and the seed of Japheth persuaded, by the preaching of the Gospel, to dwell in their tents. Then commenced the latter part of "the times of the Gentiles," or the last days, or times; and these shall continue until the time to favour Zion shall . arrive; for so long she shall be trodden under foot. But, when these shall have run out, and Japheth, as surrogate Israel, shall have occupied

1 Gen. xi.

3

2 Gen. ix. 27.

3 See Mede's Apostasy of the latter Times, pp. 70, 71, 2nd Ed. 1644.

her tents for the appointed season, then shall the children of Israel and the children of Judah be gathered together; then shall they look on Him whom they have pierced; then shall his tabernacle be with them; yea, He will be their God, and they shall be his people. Thus in Noah's prophecy both the advents of our blessed Lord are necessarily included.

ABRAHAM is the next holy man of old whom I bring forward, being "one of the prophets," and "the friend of God;" and, being his friend, Jehovah would not hide from Abraham the things which He was about to do, but revealed his mind to him respecting future events.2

In the promises of God made to him of the land of Canaan for himself and seed, the second coming of Christ is necessarily involved, for " by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, (which place he should after receive for an inheritance, ver. 8.) dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." That this refers to the Jerusalem which is above, which is free, and the mother of us all, is I think clear: the stability of

1 Zech. xii. 10; Ezek. xxxvi. 27.

2 In Genesis xx. 7, Abraham is specially called a prophet; and Abimelech's being warned not to harm him is also evidently referred to in Psalm cv. 2-15, in which he is again called a prophet.

which, as the resting-place of the glorified saints during their glorious reign on earth, seems to be set forth in the contrast of his dwelling in tabernacles in that place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, and, whilst so dwelling in tabernacles, looking for a city which hath foundations, i. e. the heavenly Jerusalem.1 Of this W. Sherwin, minister of the Gospel, A.D. 1676, thus speaks:

"First, Abraham, the father of the faithful, had the said promises and covenants for the land of Canaan, and the chief city in it, for his natural seed, in the type; but as for his own interest, he looked for a city that was then afar off, at the first resurrection, (with his spiritual seed,) that hath foundations, whose maker and builder is God, which God (saith the apostle) had prepared for the fathers, who without us also shall not there be made perfect,2 (or "perfect in one,"3) in the New Jerusalem as the Lamb's Wife. For as Abraham saw Christ's day, first and last, by faith; so it is not to be doubted but he saw that city of a heavenly excellency, (though it will be in the world then, as our fifteen reasons, approved by the learned and judicious, sufficiently manifest,) and so the covenanted confirmations to the like purpose made unto Isaac and Jacob." That, however, to which I chiefly refer in this

1 Heb xi. 1-10.

3 John xvii.

2 Heb. xi. 10, 16, 40.

4 Rev. xxi. 2, 9.