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TO THE READER.

It is too commonly the case, when we take up a polemical book, which professes to attack any of our favourite opinions, we summon up every feeling of opposition against the writer, and only read his arguments with a view of finding fault, and fondly hoping, at the same time,we shall meet with absurdities in every page, which will furnish us with weapons of warfare with which we may successfully defeat the author, whom we always take to be our enemy. We would fain hope this essay will meet with a better fate.

If the reader is one of the many who believe that the scriptures hold forth that the Son of Man is yet to come with, the clouds of heaven to judge the world, let him suspend his judgment until he has impartially read and examined this essay, and then turn to his Bible and see how many passages he can find where his notion of the coming of the Son of Man is pointed out.

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THE

COMING OF THE SON OF MAN.

THE phrase "Son of Man," was used, originally, to signify a child of mortality: but it was used, in fine, to mean the Messiah. And this is the sense in which it is used in the New Testament, where it so frequently occurs. It appears to be first used in this sense by Daniel :-"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame,and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set and the books were opened. I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."-Daniel vii, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. This personage which Daniel saw in the night visions, was "like THE SON OF MAN." Showing that the Messiah, when he came, was to be of the race of man. At the time Daniel saw this personage, who was like the Son of Man, "he came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought

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him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom," &c. All the New Testament references to the "Coming of the Son of Man," have their direct and exclusive application to the same event as that spoken of by Daniel; and appear to refer specially to that prophecy.And if we wish to know the time of "the coming of the Son of Man," spoken of in the New Testament, we need only ascertain the time alluded to in Daniel, when the "one like the Son of Man" was to come with the clouds of heaven, and receive a kingdom. I am disposed to say, that no one who has carefully examined the prophecy of Daniel, will hesitate for a moment to say, that the prophet alluded to the downfall of the eastern monarchies, and that of the Jewish hierarchy, as connected with the time of the coming of the Son of Man, and consequently by the coming of one like the Son of Man with the clouds of heaven, and receiving a kingdom, he alluded to the time when the Jewish dispensation was to come to an end, and that of the gospel, or the kingdom of Christ on earth, take place. He that doubts this, need only compare this vision of the prophet with his explanation of Nebuchadnezzar's vision, ch. ii, and the explanation given by the man Gabriel,of Daniel's vision, chapter viii, explained chapter ix, commencing with the 20th verse:-"And whiles I was speaking, and praying and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved; therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two

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