Eleventh; there are no dates given in Scripture by which we may determine when these momentous events will occur. In the language of the Westminster Confession, Christ “will have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen. " We only know that He Himself describes the condition of things as going from bad to worse during the continuance of the kingdom in mystery, or previous to its manifestation at His appearing. Only one- fourth part of the seed will take effect, (Matt. xiii. 1-23); the tares and the wheat will grow together until the end of the age, and the former in such abundance that they can not be rooted up, (Matt. xiii. 24-30);¹ the birds, that is, as He explains in the preceding parable, the wicked one, will lodge in the branches of the great tree, (xiii. 31, 32);² and the woman hides leaven, always the symbol of evil, in the three measures of meal, the mystery of iniquity already at work, (Matt. xiii. 33;³ 2 Thess. ii. 7).⁴ With this agree the messages to the seven symbolical churches of Asia in Rev. ii. and iii., where we find the last state so bad that the professing body is spewed out of the mouth of the Lord. With this agree also all the allusions in the New Testament to the last days:

Matt. xxv. 1-13. Luke xvii. 26–30.—And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is Revealed.

Luke xviii. 8.—I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Luke xxi. 34-36.—And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Rom. viii. 23.—And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to-wit, the redemption of our body.

I Thess. v. 3.—For when they shall say, Peace and safety: then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

I Tim. iv. 1, 2.—Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

II Tim. iii. 1-13; iv. 3, 4.—For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to them selves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

II Pet. iii. 3, 4.—Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the prom ise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Jude 17-19.—But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit.

Every thing both in the Church and the world indicates that the end is very nigh, and that we are certainly in the last days. The Holy Ghost nowhere testifies that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth during the present dispensation, but it is declared both throughout the Old and the New Testament that judgments shall usher in that time of universal blessing. But while Scripture abounds with prophetic testimony touching the world's judgment, it is equally explicit in asserting the terrible apostasy of the professing Church:

Luke xviii. 8.—I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Rom. xi. 22.—Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

II Tim. iii. 1 Pet. ii. Jude. Rev. iii. 15, 20.—I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art Lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed; and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Be hold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Rev. xvii. 1-6.—And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters; with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her fore head was a name written, MYSTERY, BABY. LON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

1) Matt. xiii. 24-30.—Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him; Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

2) Matt. xiii. 31, 32.—Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

3) Matt. xiii. 33.—Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

4) II Thess. ii. 7.—For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.