The Conference is not for the organization of a new sect, party, or society; nor for assailing others of any party or sentiments dif. ferent from our own ;-but we meet for general edification and instruction on the Second Advent, that we and others may be quickened by the doctrine, to a full and speedy preparation for the coming of" that great and notable day of the Lord."

HENRY JONES, In behalf of Gen. Con. Com. of Correspondence.

HENRY DANA WARD,
Secretary of the Com. of Arrangements.

This call was personally addressed to the clergymen of the city and vicinity, accompanied by the following note:

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Accompanying this is a general notice, to which we respectfully invite your special attention. In his last conversations, our Lord promised to be absent but a "little while;" and the last words of his mouth, before his ascension, testify: "It is not for you to know the times;" and the last words of Revelation assure us: Behold, I come quickly." The primitive ages of the church expected him; the age of the Reformers and puritans looked for him; the martyrs in all ages have anxiously waited for him. Do we faint, because his chariot-wheels delay? Do we doubt whether "he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry?" The Holy Word is sure; and we, in the faith of the Word, invite you to meet in conference, that the hands of the faithful may be strengthened by discourse, and all hearts may be humbled in "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God."

H. D. WARD,

Secretary of Preliminary Meeting.

H. JONES,

One of the Committee of Correspondence.

New York, Oct. 16th, 1841.

At the opening of the Conference in the Vestry of the Tabernacle, Rev. Henry Jones, of New York, led in the services of singing, reading of the Holy Word, and prayer, which manner of opening was followed in all the sessions of the Conference. Mr. Jones then gave a discourse on THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO COME ON EARTH,"

included in this work.

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The Rev. J. V. Himes, of Boston, addressed the Conference, in a train of eloquent, solemn, and highly interesting remarks, enforcing the doctrine, and giving it a practical application to the heart, in the spirit of inspiration: "Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." Mr. Himes also spoke of the prevalent coldness of the church toward this faith, and her depar

ture from sound doctrine to embrace a vain hope of this world's conversion to the gospel.

Mr. Henry Dana Ward called attention to the fact, that during the first three centuries, the church watched anxiously for the coming of her Lord, being much of that time in the agony of persecution; but when imperial dominion suddenly came into her hands through Constantine, and she was dandled upon the knee of royal favor, she cooled in the ardor of her desire for the coming of her Lord, until she fell away into the arms of the Roman bishop, and into the enjoyment of the kingdom of this world.

The exercises were concluded with singing and prayer by the Rev. J. V. Himes.

Tuesday, P. M., Oct. 26. At two o'clock, many were assembled for prayer and exhortation. At three o'clock, the regular session of the Conference was resumed. The religious services were conducted by the Rev. Josiah Litch, of Boston; and an address on "Israel and the Holy Land," by Henry Dana Ward: the aim of which was to prove that the witness of the Old Testament and of the New Testament is to one and the same thing, called by different names, Israel and Christians, Canaan and the kingdom of God; but mainly intending one and the same people, who are found worthy to attain that world of promise, and are the sons of God by the resurrection of the dead. Three axioms were guides to the doctrine of the discourse. 1st, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," whether in the Old or New Testament. 2d, The Old Testament ought to be interpreted in holy conformity with the New Testament. 3d, The Old Testament ought to be under stood on the subject of the resurrection in harmony with the Phari sees, and not with the Sadducees, whom our Lord put to silence The address admits of the return of the natural seed to Palestine, if it may please the Lord; but shows that no return in the flesh can fulfil the literal promises made of God to the Fathers, save by THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. It freely discusses the vexed question of the Jews' return, giving reason to believe that the Holy Land can only be found, where it was once lost, amid the purity and immortality of Paradise, unto which the second Adam will restore his followers in the regeneration.

Tuesday evening, Oct. 26. Meeting for prayer, at half past six. The regular session opened at half past seven, with religious services, conducted by Rev. P. T. Kenney, of Willimantic, Ct. Sermon by the Rev. Josiah Litch, of Boston, upon the vision in the seventh chapter of Daniel, as fulfilled (especially in regard to the fourth beast) by the history of the Roman empire, from the days of the Cæsars through the period of its unity, and of its division into ten kingdoms, and of its submission to the sway of the Roman Pope. The preacher showed himself a master of his subject, and chained the attention of a large audience, by the simple exhibition of divine

truth, in proof that the days of the fourth and last brutal form of empire are almost numbered and finished; and the coming of that kingdom which shall never pass away, nor be given up to other people, nor be destroyed, is nigh, even at the doors. Rev. Mr. Himes followed in pertinent remarks of thrilling interest, and concluded the meeting with singing, and the usual benediction.

Wednesday, A. M., Oct. 27. Religious services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Wait, of Newark, N. J. Mr. Bruce read a communication from some of our brethren in Boston, advocating the literal return of Israel according to the flesh, in a well studied article, maintaining the previous coming of Christ to lead them to the Holy Land. Rev. Mr. Himes, of Boston, also read a communication from Rev. Mr. Fleming, of Newark, N. J., full of encouragement to the hope of the Conference, which the author could not himself pronounce through the failure of his voice, (given in this work.)

Wednesday, P. M., 3 o'clock, Oct. 27. At the close of the prayer-meeting the session of Conference was resumed. The religious services were conducted by Rev. J. Litch, and an address on "The hope of Israel" was given by Henry Dana Ward, (found in this work.)

Conference, Wednesday evening, Broadway Tabernacle, Oct. 27. The last session of the Conference was held in this spacious and beautiful place of congregation, amidst a much larger audience than at any previous meeting. At half past seven o'clock, the Rev. John Lindsey of this city, by request, took the chair. The services were opened by singing, reading of the Word, and prayer. The Rev. John Lindsey then announced the following religious

sentiment:

"THE KINGDOM OF GOD PREACHED IN THE GOSPEL, IS A FUTURE DISPENSATION NEAR TO COME."

Mr. Lindsey then introduced to the audience the Rev. Josiah Litch, of Boston; Mr. Litch said, the kingdom of God is not a dispensation which has existed, or which does exist; but it is a sinless, glorious, and eternal kingdom to come, into which all the people of God will be gathered out of every kindred, tribe, and people in the end of the world, and in the resurrection of the dead. It is absurd to suppose, as many do, that this kingdom is come in the gospel dispensation, that the church visible is the visible kingdom of God: for certainly the proud and hypocritical are sometimes in the church, and in the gospel dispensation; but such cannot enter the kingdom of God. The Lord said of John the Baptist that he was the greatest of men, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Many, therefore, supposing this dispensation of dispensation of the kingdom, also suppose that

the gospel is that

the least in the church is greater than John the Baptist. John, who was, by the Judge of all, ranked above Enoch that did not die, and above Noah that was saved in the flood, and above Abraham the father of all them that believe, and above Moses that conversed with God face to face, and above Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, and all that ever were born, he is supposed by such to be less than the least, trembling, halting, stumbling Christian; because this church dispensation is the kingdom of God! But the idea is absurd. The kingdom of God is that glory which is to be revealed in the end of this world, and which Christ displayed to eye-witnesses in the mount of transfiguration. Christ had said some were standing there who should, before death, see the Son of man coming in his kingdom; and then he took Peter, James, and John with him into the mountain, and showed it to them, that they might have strong assurance of faith in his coming with power and great glory, to dispense righteous judgment to all, in the kingdom of God. How excellent is the majesty in view of which the apostles were overcome! Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but those only who by patient continuance in well doing, attain unto the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and in him unto eternal life in the Paradise of God.

The Rev. J. Lindsey next introduced to the audience Mr. Henry Dana Ward, of the city of New York, who said the kingdom which had been described was a future dispensation, following the present, or gospel dispensation, as the gospel followed the Mosaic dispensation, and that the patriarchal, and that, before the flood, and that, the dispensation of Paradise before the fall. The kingdom of God will be a future state of immortality in the close of the gospel dispensation, like unto, but more glorious than that of Adam in Eden: it will be the dispensation of the fulness of times, in which all things in heaven and in earth are to be gathered in one, even in Christ, and he will make restitution of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began. Some suppose this kingdom began on the day of Pentecost; but then it should seem as if Peter might have quoted the word of our Lord and Master sooner than that of the prophet Joel; and have drawn strong assurance from the fact that here they saw the kingdom of God come, which the Lord Jesus had told them was at hand; whereas, Peter makes no allusion of this sort, but says this is what Joel foretold should come before the great and notable day of the Lord, when he will come to judgment in his kingdom: and the dread of this coming to judgment alarmed the people, and made them, in view of the precursor of that notable day, cry out: "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Some think it wrong to expect the Lord personally to reign on the earth yet they pray daily, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as in heaven;" and when this prayer is answered, as un

doubtedly it will be, sin, which is the transgression of the law, must cease; (for there is no transgression in heaven;) and when sin ceases, death dies, and they that are dead in Christ, rise from the dead. An entire and unlooked for change will come over the earth, when the Lord's prayer is answered, rendering it an abode worthy of the saints, and of the Lord from heaven. This is no fanatical doctrine, but one which that sect among us least fanatical is most forward to countenance. Mr. W. said his fathers were Puritans, and he is not to be supposed partial to episcopacy; but whoso says the Episcopal church are in the lead upon this doctrine of the Lord's coming, says true; and while adhering to their prayer-book and the Bible they must be forward in the work. Mr. W. closed with the reading of extracts from an Episcopal letter, whose Rev. author has recently returned from England, describing his observations among the established clergy and the Dissenters, and his confidence in the hope of the near coming of our Lord.

The Rev. John Lindsey next introduced to the audience the Rev. Joshua V. Himes, of Boston, who said it fell to him to speak of the times of the kingdom of God preached in the gospel, that it is a future dispensation near to come, and as he conceived, very near. He is shut up by the near termination of the prophetic periods, to the conclusion, that the days of this world are drawing towards a close. He is not ashamed to own his faith in the word of God, and should the event prove he is now mistaken, as to the time, it cannot make him ashamed of the ground on which he rests his belief. The 2300 days of the prophet Daniel, the time, times, and a half of the same prophet, and the seven times, or double of the time, times, and a half, the three and a half years, the forty and two months, the 1260 days, are all taken for definite periods; and with the addition of the forty-five years, and in Daniel on the right numbers, they terminate all in one and the same year. (Some few were going out.) The theatres are not out yet. It were better to be found here at the Lord's coming, waiting in holy expectation of his approach, than to go with the scoffers who mock at his delay. How glorious if he should find us engaged in his honorable service, waking up the slumbering virgins with the midnight cry: "Behold the Bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him!" With the overthrow of the independence of the Ottoman empire, when the sultan became the creature of the Christian powers, the sixth trumpet ceased to blow. The seventh is about to sound. All the types of the Sabbath, of the Jubilee, and of the times, terminate in the end of the sixth millennium; and in the consummation of all things, when the last trumpet begins to sound. The signs of the times, the wars and rumors of wars, and the Laodicean state of the church, all indicate that the consummation is near. Christ will soon have the heathen for his inheritance, not to convert them by his gospel, but with the rod of his power to dash them in pieces, like a potter's