GENERAL AND CONNECTED

VIEW, &c.

THE events of every history be come proportionally more interesting, as the chief catastrophe to be related, approaches. And when the tranfactions thus grow more important, the ardour of the reader encreases; and with redoubled application he perufes those pages, that immediately precede the

confummation, to the knowledge of which he is haftening. Now fenfations like thefe, with which, I may venture to say every reader is acquainted, and with which none is acquainted, without being pleased, cannot, furely, be unknown to thofe who attend to the prophetick Hiftory of the Church, Far advanced in its completion as the whole line of Prophecy is, every appearance of further accomplishment carries our thoughts rapidly forward to that glorious confummation, in which all the predictions meet; rendering us more anxious not to fuffer any incident to pass unnoticed, which by the place it holds in the course, would announce to us the ftill nearer approach of our redemption: and augmenting in our breafts the joyful hope of the speedy eftablishment of that kingdom of righteoufnefs, in which alone we can be bleffed with the enjoyment of happiness unalloyed. To

promote this vigilance among their brethren, by reminding them of what the prophets and apoftles of the Lord Jefus have declared, should precede his return, is one important duty of the minifters of the church; in performing which, I am perfuaded they will both do what is highly grateful to all who have already any measure of this glorious hope; and perform a work, which (by the bleffing of God on the discharge of a duty he hath enjoined) might have a moft falutary effect on the minds of many, who now treat the gofpel with neglect, merely from not being informed of that perpetual and encreafing teftimony, which is borne to it by the regular accomplishment of prophecies, and by the additional light almoft daily thrown on thofe which yet remain to be fulfilled, through the more manifest probability of events, which are either A 2 openly

openly foretold, or appear to be prefignified in them.

UNDER the perfuafion I have thus ftated, it is, that I proceed to make public the following fynopfis; conceiving that the confiftency, and uniformity exifting among numerous prophecies, delivered by different perfons in different ages, which are fo ftrong as to make the whole but one scheme, of which the earlier prophets only sketched the outline, and the laft perfected the picture, muft be fufficiently ftriking to attract the attention of any, who do not lie under a natural imbecility of understanding, or are not rendered adverse to reflection on fubjects like these, by the consciousness, that a proof of the approach of judgement is little else than a demonstration, that their own condemnation lingereth

not.

THE

THE questions put by his apoftles to our Lord, "What fhall be the fign "of thy coming? and of the end of "the world?" have in fubftance been repeated by multitudes of christains in every fucceeding age: and the answers given to these questions have by the mercy of God been fo limited, as to prevent, on the one hand, the mischiefs which would naturally arife from completely fatisfying human curiofity: and on the other, that defpondency which might have invaded the breafts of the faithful, had they been left, through all the ages that have intervened fince our Lord's afcenfion, unfurnished with any Symptoms of the gradual approach of their deliverance.

An author of our own age and nation, whom I shall now have frequent occasion That the indifolu

to cite, has ftated,