A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

1. We have […] reason to conclude from the scriptures, that just before this work of God begins, it will be a very dark time with respect to the interests of religion in the world. It has been so before those glorious revivals of religion that have been hitherto. I• was so when Christ came; it was an exceeding degenerate time among the Jews: and so it was a very dark time before the Reformation. Not only so, but it seems to be foretold in scripture, that it shall be a time of but little religion, when Christ shall come to set up his kingdom in the world. Thus when Christ spake of his coming to ••courage his elect, who cry to him day and night, in L•ke xviii 8 he adds this, "Nevertheless, "when the Son of […] cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Which seems to denote a great prevalency of infidelity just before Christ's coming to avenge his suffering church. Though Christ's coming at the last judgement is not here to be excluded, yet there seem• to be a special respect to his coming to deliver his church from their long continued suffering persecuted state, which is accomplished only at his coming at the destruction of Antichrist. That time that the elect cry to God, as in Rev. vi.10. "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" and the time spoken of in Rev. xviii.20. "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy Apostles, and prophets, fo• God hath avenged you on her," will then be accomplished.

1. We have 〈…〉 reason to conclude from the scriptures, that jus• before this work of God begins, it will be a very dark time with respect to the interests of religion in the world. It has been so before those glorious revivals of religion that have been hitherto. I• was so when Christ came; it was an exceeding degenerate time among the Jews: and so it was a very dark time before the Reformation. Not only so, but it seems to be foreold in scripture, that it shall be a time of but little religion, when Christ shall come to set up his kingdom in the world. Thus when Christ spake of his coming to courage his elect, who cry to him day and night, in Lke xviii 8 he adds this, "Nevertheless, "when the Son of cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Which seems to denote a great prevalency of infidelity just before Christ's coming to avenge his suffering church. Though Christ's coming at the last judgement is not here to be excluded, yet there seem to be a special respect to his coming to deliver his church from their long continued suffering persecuted state, which is accomplished only at his coming at the destruction of Antichrist. That time that the elect cry to God, as in