[fn23 Paul in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians appears to say, as he affirms "by the word of the Lord," that the second coming of Jesus to do all this, should take place during the life time of the generation to whom he was writing, for he says 1 Thess. ch. iv, 15, speaking of the Christians who had died before he wrote, "this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ should rise first. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
The Gospels represent Jesus as saying, that there were some of that generation who should not taste of death till they saw him come in the manner that Paul describes. For Mark, in the xiii. ch. of his Gospel, after representing Jesus as prophecying the destruction of Jerusalem, says that his discourse at that time went on as follows.
"But in those days after that tribulation, (i. e. after the siege and destruction of Jerusalem) the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. And, the stars of Heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in Heaven shall be shaken. "And then shall they see the son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory, and then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part the earth to the uttermost part of Heaven. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Mark, xiii. 24, &c.]
[fn24 after "was" insert "according to Mr. Everett,">[
[fn25 Mr. Everett has produced some authorities which make it doubtful whether the genuine reading in this place was "thy saints or thy pious ones," in the plural, or thy "saint, or thy pious one;" in the singular. The matter is not worth disputing about, if it be made evident that the Psalm refers to David.]
[fn26 Mr. Everett p. 87. of his work: in trying to prove that the original word signifies "corruption," has unhappily produced a passage which not only proves nothing in his favour, but a great deal in mine. "Therefore, says Daniel, I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption ("the word here in the original is from the same root as that, in the 16 Psalm translated by me destruction?") and I retained no strength." Dan. x. 8. Most commentators on this passage, I believe, suppose that Daniel meant to signify that he was petrified at the sight of the angel; and that his physical faculties were suspended through terror. Does Mr. Everett suppose, that the prophet meant to; signify that he was actually putrified at the sight of Gabriel?]
[fn27 for "Acts 4. 45" read "Acts 4:25">[
[fn28 "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand. To execute vengeance upon the nations, and punishments upon the peoples: To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written; this honour have all his saints. Praise ye Jehovah. Ps. cxlix. This passage alludes to the same doctrine: there are many in the psalms and prophets of the same import. It is but justice however to the Hebrew prophets to add, that they hold the balance of justice between Jew and Gentile very fairly, in representing that on account of the superior light vouchsafed to the former, God would punish them "double for all their sins;" and that before they shall be advanced to the eternal supremacy promised them, the most terrible trials and severities shall exterminate the wicked and worthless from the nation.]
[fn29 Which is of the same family as the religion of Thibet. The Christians believe that God became incarnate in the infant Jesus. The Thibetians and Chinese believe that God is incarnate in the person of the Grand Lama. And each of them considers the other as "ignorant and deluded idolaters.">[
[fn30 All the Christians throughout the world, except the Protestants who do not constitute more than a fifth of the Christian world, kneel and pray before the crucifix, images, and pictures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. Their churches are crowded with images and pictures, before which they burn lamps, tapers, and incense. The great toe of the right foot of an ancient bronze statue of Jupiter, christened St. Peter, in the magnificent Church of St. Peter at Rome, is nearly worn off by the devout kisses and rubbings of the worshippers of that Saint, If the spirit of the Unitarian Jew Peter, could animate that statue, I believe that the foot of it would have long since kicked the teeth down the throat of some of his worshippers. See Appendix, G. G.]