there "one thousand two hundred and threescore days;" and again, in mentioning the Antichristian power, and using, concerning it, the very words of Daniel, that he had "a mouth speaking great things," and, according to Paul," blasphemies," he says, power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."

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As Nebuchadnezzar had beheld in his vision the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, break the image in pieces, and driving it away like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; as Daniel, on the appearance of the "Son of Man," had seen the "Beast slain, his body destroyed and given to the burning flame;" and as Paul had declared, that the Lord would consume that wicked one with "the spirit of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming:" so John at length witnessed, in vision, the majestic procession of the Son of Man, whose "name is called the Word of God"-the KING OF KINGS, AND Lord of LORDS," followed by the heavenly hosts going forth to the last conflict with the Beast, and with the kings of the earth who were also ranged against him, whom *he cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

Immediately afterwards John says, "I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years; and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little sea

to Nebuchadnezzar, delivered by Daniel, and, at the distance of about six hundred years, completed by the apostles Paul and John! It presents a sketch of all the great events of the last three or four thousand years, and of those which are yet to happen to the end of time. First, we have the succession of the four great heathen powers of the world from Daniel's time; then the division of the last into the ten kingdoms; the springing up of a power among them, apparently of little comparative strength, but which, by art and cunning, gains the ascendency. This Papal power is entirely different from any other that ever was in the world; and it has extended its dominion further, and, in its zenith, reigned with more absolute sway, than ever did Pagan Rome. Next we have the period of the duration, and afterwards an account of the total destruction of this power, involving that of all the kingdoms which support and stand connected with his usurped authority. This will be the commencement of a thousand years of peace and prosperity to the church of God.

Of that glorious period, the peaceful and prosperous reign of Solomon appears to have been a type. Then after many violent and bloody contentions with enemies, both within and without, a universal peace was established. The Temple was erected and finished, the instituted worship was completely observed, and all the promises to Israel of temporal prosperity were fulfilled in their utmost extent.

In like manner, the present otherwise unaccountable and disordered state of things among the people of God, represented in prophecy by the figure of a woman, who has fled from the face of her mortal enemy into a wilderness, shall be brought to an end. Satan, who at

present goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, who is styled the god of this world, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, shall then be bound for a thousand years, during which he shall not as formerly deceive the nations. The stone cut out of the mountain without hands, shall strike the image, and break it to pieces, and shall become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth. That kingdom, which is to "stand for ever," shall then occupy the place of all other kingdoms. The blessing of Abraham, in its fullest import, shall come upon all nations, of which the Jews also shall then partake. "As it is written, there shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." And, "if the casting away of Israel was the reconciling of the world, what shall be the receiving of them but life from the dead?" The people of God shall be all brought out of Babylon. Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands to God. The most hostile nations shall be reconciled to Him and to each other. "In that day shall there be a high way out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of Hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance." Jesus shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. For from the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, his name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto

his name. In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth. All the predicted blessings to Zion, already fulfilled in part, shall then be fully accomplished. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the carth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." These happy consequences of Messiah's peaceful and righteous government, when it shall become universal, and take full effect, Jews and Gentiles submitting themselves to it, are minutely described in a variety of other prophecies.

Regarding these predictions, there has been a substantial agreement among Christians, and the disputes among them, which relate chiefly to dates, in no degree affect the evidence arising from prophecy to the truth of revelation. In what is past all admire the fulfilment of His will, who is mighty in power, as well as wise in counsel. In what is to come they view the same grand objects, although differing about dates and certain circumstances. In the present aspect of the world, they see the approach of wonderful events. The history of the Roman world appears to be hastening to a grand consummation. The nations of Europe are shaken to their centre. Ancient institutions are passing away, and men's minds are agitated with the expectation of still greater changes. The question, however, of the exact period of the termination of the 1260 years, continues still to be agitated, and probably will not he finally settled till it shall have arrived. Some consider it as near at hand, others regard it as more distant. Owing to this variety of opinion, people of the world, who have never examined the subject, hearing of such disputes among Christians, and at the same time knowing that figurative language is used in the pro

phecies, turn from them with contempt. But it is the contempt of ignorance.

This contempt, however, is increased by over minute applications of the prophecies to present times, which, when discovered to be unfounded, lead many to suppose that they are justified in paying no attention whatever to the predictions contained in the Scriptures. But while the danger of being dazzled with what takes place in our own time, should make Christians cautious on these subjects, the great outlines of the prophecies are sufficiently clear. They are calculated, long before their accomplishment, to awaken expectation, to excite hope, and to animate the people of God in the darkest periods. When they produce these effects, and are regarded as evidences to the truth of the Gospel, their legitimate end is attained. But there is one error against which Christians should be on their guard. However clear, in any respect, the prophecies may be, they ought never to be considered as a rule of duty, for which they are not intended.

The commencement of the Millennium, it has generally been calculated, will take place about the year 2000. The rise of the Anti-christian power is thus dated from near the middle of the eighth century, to which, adding 1260 years, we are brought to the above period. Present appearances favour this opinion. Much remains to be done, but much is doing. Knowledge is increasing, and the late extraordinary discoveries in arts and sciences, are preparing the means of fulfilment to all the predictions of God. Circumnavigators have explored the remotest parts of the world. To them, as well as to the distant colonies that belong to Europe,