Page:The Last Judgement and Second Coming of the Lord Illustrated.djvu/249

 this love and capability would be surrounded. Flight in the winter, signifies removal from the Church in consequence of the obscurity of truth induced by indifference and coldness; and flight on the Sabbath-day, denotes removal from the Church, in consequence of the sanctities of religion retaining nothing but their outward forms. To pray against these things, is to make efforts to prevent them. "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be," denotes that the highest degree of perversion to which the principles of the Church can be exposed will then be realized. This perversion is its great affliction, and the profanity of its character being completed, it is described to be such as had never been experienced in the Christian Church; for this is the "world" respecting which the prediction is delivered. "And," therefore, "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." The shortening of those days, denotes the removal of those perversions, without which it may be evident the means of salvation would be destroyed; but for the elect's sake they shall be shortened; that is, for the sake of those who live well, those evils will be removed. Those who love truth and goodness are called the elect. The means by which those blessings are to be accomplished involves the contemplated coming of the Lord; thereby He will cause discovery to be made that evils and errors have entered into the Church, and, by promoting their expulsion, He will provide for the continued salvation of all who live righteously and well. To such the Lord said, "If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not," to guard them against the acceptation of what is false. False Christs are false doctrines concerning Him, and false prophets are those who teach them. Of these it is predicted