author's theory? Where are his wild speculations? and where his contradictory calculations? Shall we place his visionary scheme, established upon assumed dates, against the positive and unconditional declarations of God?

LECTURE III.

MR. MILLER'S CALCULATIONS EXAMINED AND REFUTED.

"Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?, And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. viii. 13, 14.

IN this Lecture I am to consider the calculations made from the prophecy of Daniel, by which we have been told that the world shall be de'stroyed, A. D. 1843. As our author has several Lectures on this subject, and as he has very extensive references to the histories of individuals and nations, it will not be expected that I shall follow him through all he has said, and attempt to refute all his statements; it will be sufficient if I show him wrong in his principal calculations, and also wrong in his applications of the predictions. Though so large a portion of his Lectures is devoted to the prophecy of Daniel, I doubt whether one in twenty who heard them delivered can give any distinct idea respecting his calculations. They know that as he has summed up his reckonings, the world will end in three years from this; but that is about all.

The arrangement is exceedingly bad; or rather, I should say, there is no arrangement. He has the same calculations over again and again; and

they are so blended together, that it is difficult always to get at his meaning. Indeed, you almost need some one specially illuminated, as Daniel did, to explain the vision, even when you have the book before you. I have been obliged to read it over several times to get all of his calculations, and classify them, so that I could place them in order before you.

I make these statements about the want of order and arrangement, not for the purpose of finding fault, but because I cannot take up the Lectures in the order they come; since matters that are not discussed in order, cannot be referred to in order.

The 2300 days

His theory is as follows. mentioned in our text, are so many years, and comprise the whole period of time embraced in Daniel's vision. These 2300 years commenced when Artaxerxes gave a decree to Ezra to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem; which decree was given 490 years before the death of Christ. These 490 years were predicted in the vision of the 70 weeks, at the end of which the Messiah should be cut off. His next calculation is from the crucifixion of Christ to the time of taking away the Pagan abomination, which he makes 475 years. After the overthrow of this, the Papal abomination is set up, which lasts 1260 years, or till the year of our Lord 1798. According to this, the Papal abomination was overthrown just 42 years ago, or 45 years before the end of the world.

Here then we have, first, the calculation of 2300 years to be considered; and, second, the various calculations in regard to the different periods

within that time. When we shall have considered these, we will inquire, whether events have transpired in accordance with these calculations. By this arrangement we shall have several rules, by which to test the correctness of the matter; and you know when we prove a sum in several ways, we are sure that it is right; so on the other hand, when we cannot prove it in any way, we are sure that it is wrong, that we have not worked it correctly. If the calculations before us will not stand the test of any of these rules, we shall conclude that they are wrong and unworthy of our belief. And,

I. We will inquire, how the 2300 days mentioned in our text, are known to be so many years? The author of the Lectures has endeavoured to prove this from Daniel's vision of the 70 weeks; but to show that this is no proof, we have only to carefully consider this prophecy.

Daniel said, in 70 weeks the Messiah should be cut off; and these weeks being reckoned weeks of years, make 490 years, so that each day stands for a year. This reckoning we have no

doubt is correct.

believing this.

We have several reasons for

1. Daniel made the following division of his 70 weeks.

"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 weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy

the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Dan. ix. 25-27.

Here are 3 divisions of the 70 weeks, one division is 7 weeks; one 62 weeks, and 1 one week. Now these agree very exactly with events as they transpired. From the time Ezra received a command to build the walls of the temple to their completion by Nehemiah, was just 7 weeks of years, or 49 years. From that time to the crucifixion of Christ was 62 weeks, or 434 years. This leaves one week, or 7 years, which embraced the ministry of John and Christ, at the end of which Christ was crucified.

This certainly is a remarkable prophecy, and stands as an irrefutable argument against the Jews who rejected Christ, and all infidels who now reject him and the Bible. It was this prophecy that caused such a general expectation among the Jews, that the Messiah was to come when he made his appearance; and in view of it, I think every man must stand in awe and reverence before the Bible.

The reason why Daniel employed weeks to represent the time of Christ's death is perfectly obvious. The Jews had sabbatic years, by which their years were divided into weeks of years, as in this important prophecy, each week containing 7 years. Thus we read,