TKE PROCESS AND EMPIRE OF CHRIST ; FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE END OF THE MEDIATORIAL KINGDOM ; A POEM, IN TWELVE BOOKS. By ELHANAN WINCHESTER, BRATTLEBORO". PRINTED BY WILLIAM FESSENDEN. THROUGH the good hand of God upon me I have at length coinpleted this poem, which I beg leave to present to you. I first began to plan it out and write it on the 26th of February 1787, the day after I had preached a serinon from Zech. xiv. 9. I found my heart-lo warmed with the glorious subject, the kingdom of Christ, on which I had been preaching, that I found an inclination to write upon it ; and I immediately took up my pen, and wrote the plan of this poen as it now stands. I had Gnished three books, and written a considerable part of the fourth, whon we came io England, Septenber 21, 1787. About the beginning of the year 1788, I read the four first books to a few friends in the Chope!, Chapelcourt, Borough, and I return my sincere and hearty thanks to those who attended the reading, for the sup. port and encouragement which they gave me on that occasion. Abou: this time I planned out my Lectures on the Prophecies, which I began to deliver the begin. ning of February 1983 in the same place. Since which they have been delivered a second time, and published in four volumes octavo. When I first began this poem, I was ready to imagine it to be ihe labor of some years; but experience corrects our mistakes. I am now convinced that the whole of it might have been easily writters in much less than a quarter of one year ; and as a proof of what I say, I can assure the Reader, that the whole of the ninth book was written in the leisure hours of fix days, between Monday morning and Saturday cvening, in one week last winter. I have however great realon to bless God, that in the midst of many labors and infirm. ities, and after many delays, he has enabled me to finish it; and hath preserved my life to see it published. I return my thanks to the subscribers who have encour |