The disciples of _Quetzalcoatle_, the Mexican Saviour, expected his second advent. Before he departed this life, he told the inhabitants of Cholula that he would return again to govern them.[239:3] This remarkable tradition was so deeply cherished in their hearts, says Mr. Prescott in his "Conquest of Mexico," that "the Mexicans looked confidently to the return of their benevolent deity."[239:4] So implicitly was this believed by the subjects, that when the Spaniards appeared on the coast, they were joyfully hailed as the returning god and his companions. Montezuma's messengers reported to the Inca that "it was Quetzalcoatle who was coming, bringing his temples (ships) with him." All throughout New Spain they expected the reappearance of this "Son of the Great God" into the world, who would renew all things.[239:5] Acosta alludes to this, in his "History of the Indies," as follows: "In the beginning of the year 1518, they (the Mexicans), discovered a fleet at sea, in the which was the Marques del Valle, Don Fernando Cortez, with his companions, a news which much troubled Montezuma, and conferring with his council, they all said, that without doubt, their great and ancient lord Quetzalcoatle was come, who had said that he would return from the East, whither he had gone."[239:6] The doctrine of the millennium and the second advent of Christ Jesus, has been a very important one in the Christian church. The ancient Christians were animated by a contempt for their present existence, and by a just confidence of immortality, of which the doubtful and imperfect faith of modern ages cannot give us any adequate notion. In the primitive church, the influence of truth was powerfully strengthened by an opinion, which, however much it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, has not been found agreeable to experience. _It was universally believed, that the end of the world and the kingdom of heaven were at hand._[240:1] The near approach of this wonderful event had been predicted, as we have seen, by the Apostles; the tradition of it was preserved by their earliest disciples, and those who believed that the discourses _attributed_ to Jesus were really uttered by him, were _obliged_ to expect the second and glorious coming of the "Son of Man" in the clouds, _before that generation was totally extinguished_ which had beheld his humble condition upon earth, and which might still witness the calamities of the Jews under Vespasian or Hadrian. The revolution of seventeen centuries has instructed us not to press too closely the _mysterious_ language of prophecy and revelation; but as long as this error was permitted to subsist in the church, it was productive of the most salutary effects on the faith and practice of Christians, who lived in the awful expectation of that moment when the globe itself and all the various races of mankind, _should tremble at the appearance of their divine judge_. This expectation was