The Messiah, Or, The Redemption of Man

Exposes hypocrisy by the parable of the pharisee and publican, and
avers that humility only can reach celestial bliss. He pronounces
wo against hypocrites, particularly false ministers, and introduces
the parables of the fig-tree and the vineyard to shew that all who
reject His offered mercy and forgiveness will surely be punished for
their contempt

He now foretels the terrible destruction of the Jewish state and polity,

and forewarns christians to flee from Jerusalem when they see the

Roman armies approaching to besiege it, informing his hearers of

the dreadful slaughter and devastation that would be inflicted upon

the Jews at that awful period for their wickedness and infidelity.

The rejection of the Jews for infidelity, and the calling of the Gen-

tiles, and their acceptance of the gospel are next beautifully illus-

trated by the parable of the marriage feast: but nominal professors

are portrayed by the man who intruded himself to the banquet with-

out a marriage garment, and He gives their dreadful destruction by

the intruder being commanded by the Master of the feast to be con-

signed to eternal punishment

He again declares that His gospel shall finally overcome all opposi-

tion, that He shall descend from heaven to earth invested with

supreme power and in celestial glory, but the time shall not be

made known to mankind until his appearance; but warns all to be

always prepared for it, and illustrates the dreadful consequence of

being unprepared by the parable of the ten virgins, and the absent

sovereign intrusting His servants with His treasure

253

He now gives a particular description of the last judgment, describes 254

His own attributes, declares His divinity, and positively asserts

that He is both Saviour and Judge of mankind; that none shall

enter heaven but through redeeming love, but to all the faithful sal-

vation is secured by Him. He then foretels His resurrection from

the grave, and ascension to eternal glory, and once more strenuously

exhorts all His followers truly to love God and all mankind ......

His spiritual connexion with His servants is illustrated by the pa-

rable of the vine; declares that His personal ministry is finished,

that He shortly shall return to heaven to His father, again declares

that Love is the first duty of christians, and most fervently prays

to His Father to preserve His disciples in their love and duty....

NOTE.

The evening before our Lord's crucifixion, He instituted the sacra-
ment of the last supper, commanding all His adherents, until
the end of the world, to piously assemble together, and eat
bread and drink wine in commemoration that He shed His blood,
and yielded His body to the stroke of death, to redeem man from
eternal misery. But I cannot imagine that the bread and wine,
consecrated and taken at these holy meals, are by any kind of
transmutation converted to the real flesh and blood of our Lord;
but that they are only symbols to remind His servants of His
great love and mercy in suffering an ignominious death to ob-
literate their transgressions, and fix love more stedfastly in their
hearts to him and all mankind.

259

263

BOOK XI.

The Evangelists record our Lord's miracles, His crucifixion, His bu-
rial, His resurrection from the grave, and His ascension into hea-

268

PAGE.

ven, and He Himself institutes the sacrament of baptism. St. 269
Luke declares that He saw Him gloriously ascend into heaven, and
St. John testifies that He many years afterwards saw Him seated
upon a celestial throne, and that He declared to Him from thence
that He was the first and the last, that He lived for ever, and would
come again to judge mankind

Hymns on the Resurrection and Ascension

......

280

BOOK XII.

......

287

......

St. Luke describes the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the wonderful
effects upon the Apostles

The Apostle Paul declares that his Saviour is risen from the grave,

and that He at the last day will call all mankind from that general

receptacle of the dead.

A disciple laments the mortality of the human race; and St. Paul
informs him that all shall surely become immortal

The Disciple believes the soul to be immortal, and St. Paul further

illustrates the certainty of a general resurrection from the grave,

and of future reward and punishment

......

A dying christian, in firm and sure hope of a glorious resurrection from
the grave, takes his last farewell of his Family and Friends.
St. Paul now describes the great Apostacy which would arise among
Christians by the appellation of the Man of Sin.

St. John describes the Roman political Government, from the building

of Rome to its final extermination by the Messiah, by the symbol

of a most ravenous Wild Beast wearing seven Heads and ten Horns.

Then introduces its apostate christian spiritual dominion by the

appropriate symbols of a Murderous Beast wearing two Horns, and

an abandoned Whore riding upon, and guiding the temporal Beast,

portraying her as clothed in regal apparel, and holding a golden cup

in her hand filled with intoxicating wine which allured mankind to

play the whore with her. Then portrays the Popes or Elected Em-

perors of this spiritual dynasty, by an Image erected by the two-horn-

ed Beast for all his subjects to worship. A Disciple now describes

the purity and piety of the Church of Christ before it was united to

state Policy; and illustrates the dreadful effects of this ungodly and

293

296

300

strictly forbidden union. Then displays the dreadful miseries ex-
perienced by mankind through the tyranny of this apostate spiritual
Power, declaring that the devil contrived it and made it his agent to
execute his cursed plans laid for the destruction of man. Priest-
craft, under Satan, conducted and conducts the whole

......

.....

St. John predicts the fall of this Apostate Power, through the preach-
ing of true gospel by the first Reformers under the influence of the
Holy spirit; and introduces them by the symbol of Angels successive-
ly following each other. He then says that all must eternally perish
whose consciences are guided by the creeds of this demonian wor-
ship, and bids all quit it that they may not perish with it; and heaven
and earth, he declares, rejoice at its approaching destruction

Its downfal commenced at the Reformation, and Waldo, Wycliffe, Je-

rome, Huss, and Luther, where the Messiah's selected disciples to

effect it

Infidelity now unites with Apostacy to assist her to prop her falling

grandeur, but ineffectually. St. John next gives the lamentations of

the Harlot's lovers when they behold her final and dreadful dissolu-

tion, and describes the Messiah's grand appearance to give peace and

happiness to mankind; and His conquest of His enemies, and His

happy reign. Then describes His last victory over Satan, who had

raised an innumerable host of infidels to overturn His holy govern-

ment

.......