260 THE LAST JUDGMENT. AND
recognised by those who are contemporaries with its execution.—The reason for this.—The twofold effects of a judgment, affliction and mercy.—Calamities enumerated, and authorities cited.—A blow struck at public disorders in society The abatement of evils in the natural world an indication that their spiritual causes have been arrested.—Improvements in general society which have occurred.— The source of those improvements.—Conclusion.
As the corruptions of the Church would necessarily hinder it from performing those spiritual uses in the world for which it was established; and as the Lord has told us that such corruptions would bring it to an end, when a last judgment would be executed,—it now becomes important to the argument we are pursuing, that we should inquire into the nature of that judgment.
In the preceding chapter it was stated that the conditions of the professing Church, especially about a century ago, were such as to answer all the prophetical descriptions which pointed to its close; and, therefore, it was concluded that a last judgment had been executed. Those who have been taught to expect that the scene of that extraordinary event was to be the natural world, will, most likely, view this conclusion with hesitancy and doubt. But as that expectation was not founded on any correct interpretation of the Scriptures, and as it requires for its fulfilment the existence of phenomena which we have seen the Scriptures do not predict, it may be classed in that catalogue of errors by which the Church has been destroyed. The surprise, therefore, which may be felt at our statement, might properly be attached to that expectation. Nature has not to undergo those disruptions at the accomplishment of the last judgment which the Church has commonly supposed. "The earth abideth for ever;" it is no part of the Divine providence to bring about a cessation of the human race; nor is the resurrection of dead material bodies ever the sub-
