ordained, and disclosed to us. If the time is fixed, why should not Christians believe this? God also has fixed the period of each man's death; no man will die before that time; but can it be inferred, that the care of health and life is idle? Does not the same infinite wisdom, which contemplates the end, contemplate also the means?

The true way of stating the case may be this: The command of God binds Christians to the most strenuous efforts, and the most fervent, importunate prayer for the universal establishment of the kingdom of Christ in this world. This is their duty, whatever may be the time for the commencement of the millennium. Such was the obligation, resting on the primitive believers 1800 years ago. Such is the obligation which now rests upon believers.

But, although the duty be the same at all periods, yet the encouragement, the animating motive to Christians is greater, if they see the signs of the near overthrow of the enemies of the church, and of the near triumph of Christ's kingdom. And as the immense work of communicating the gospel to three quarters of the inhabitants of the world is a prerequisite to the reign of Christ,—is the indispensable means to this end ;—and as the work must be accomplished by human agency and not by the agency of angels; what believer, who is persuaded that the millennium is nigh, will not be roused to energetic toil and importunate prayer? It is now the crisis of the battle. The blow may now be struck; the enemy overthrown and put to flight. Who shall prove himself the traitor? Who shall shrink away from the contest? Who shall not go on with the great army, under Him, who goes forth "conquering and to conquer ?" Who would not join the most certain shout of triumph?

There are some who regard it as an idle employment to attempt a true explanation of the numbers, given in the prophecies. But surely it was not an idle employment for the ancient Jews to endeavor to understand the meaning of the "70 weeks" of Daniel, beginning with the command to rebuild Jerusalemn, and ending with the coming of the Messialı, Dan. 9, 25. By this prophecy the Jewish people were induced to expect the Messiah at about the time when he appeared.

Even God recommends or commands a diligent inquiry on this subject. "Here is wisdom. Let him, that hath un

derstanding, count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred, threescore and six." Rev. 13: 18.

If it should be admitted, that the explanation of Irenæus, who found the number 666 in the Greek word, Aarεivos denoting the Latin or Roman Antichrist, is erroneous, and that the number has not been counted to the satisfaction of reason; yet it may be counted hereafter, so as to exclude all doubt. On the supposition, that a clear, unquestioned explanation should be given, and that the precise period of the rise of Antichrist, generally believed to be at some point between the year 600 and 752,-should be found; then by the addition of 1260 years the precise time for the overthrow of Antichrist will be known. If there is a strong probability, that the origin of the persecuting power of the beast is to be dated somewhere from 600 to 752; then in the near approach of the millennium we should find cause of effort and grounds of hope. Even if no certainty on this subject should be obtained until the actual overthrow of Antichrist; yet, if then the mystery should be cleared up, and the light of certainty should strike every mind, all believers would thus be led to adore the infinite wisdom of God, who "declares the end from the beginning," and whose purposes are accomplished throughout all the earth.

In conclusion, the following schemes are proposed for the consideration of the reader:

First, we may date the rise of Antichrist in the year A. D. 606, when Phocas, then on the throne at Constantinople, constituted Boniface the third, (the bishop of Rome,) the universal bishop and supreme head of the church.

Or we may fix this date at A. D. 610, about which time Boniface IV. received from Phocas the Pantheon, at Rome, and converted it into a church; retaining, however, the pagan idolatry. "Here Cybele was succeeded by the virgin Mary, and the pagan deities, by Christian martyrs. Idolatry still subsisted, but the objects of it were changed." This, too, was about the period of the rise of Mohammedanism.

If we add to these dates the period of 1260 years, then the overthrow of Antichrist will be A. D. 1866, or 1870.

Next, we may date the rise of Antichrist in the year A.

D. 666. This is the precise number which the wisdom of God has communicated as the number of the beast, Rev. 13:18. As Irenæus found this number in the Greek word Aarewos, denoting the Latin or Roman Church, so it is remarkable, that in the year A. D. 666 Pope Vitalianus ordained that all public worship should be in Latin. It is also very remarkable, that down to the present day the Roman Catholic liturgy, or established public service, is, in all countries, in Latin, whether the people understand it or not. By adding 1260 to 666, the period for the overthrow of Antichrist will be A. D. 1926. If with some writers we suppose, that the 1290 and 1335 days of Daniel mean years, by adding to 1926 the 75 years (by which 1335 exceeds 1260) it brings us to A. D. 2001, the first year of the millennium. "Blessed" indeed is he, "who cometh" to that period.

One other scheme is this: that as the pope received from Pepin, king of France, the Exarchate of Ravenna about A. D. 752, and became then a temporal prince, that year is to be regarded as the rise of Antichrist. Of course he will be overthrown-this scheme being supposed to be true-in A. D. 2012.

I am not just now prepared to maintain the truth of any one of these schemes, although I doubt not, that one or the other of them is true; but this to my mind is very evident, that inasmuch as God has communicated the number of the persecuting beast, and calls upon the man of understanding to count that number, or to ascertain the very power described in prophecy and the commencement of the reign of Antichrist, the time will assuredly come, when the church will understand that number. The knowledge of this will be a key to unlock the mystery of the 1260 days of the Revelation. And then, doubtless, as the now obscure prophecy will stand forth in a blaze of light, the wisdom of God will be adored by the whole church.

In the meantime, in the absence of certainty, and while waiting for the light, which is yet to be shed upon the subject, every careful inquirer will be disposed to yield his opinion to the greater probability. If, then, in past events we cannot find any clear and exact fulfilment of the important prophecies concerning the equivalent periods of 3 1-2 times, 42 months, and 1260 days, the conclusion is, that in all prob. ability the accomplishment or termination is yet future.

As those prophecies describe the rise and continued existence of a persecuting power, and the depressed state of the church generally, or of the church in some countries, during the period just mentioned; and as the antichristian and persecuting power of Rome began to indicate its character about the year A. D. 606, being in this year made universal bishop, and as the pope was crowned and made a temporal prince in the year A. D. 752,-and has ever sinee, down to the present day, held an unrighteous sway in opposition to the kingdom of Christ,-it seems altogether probable, that the overthrow of this persecuting power will occur at some period between A. D. 1840 and A. D. 2012. They, who think the years A. D. 606, and A. D. 666 are most worthy of consideration, will of course expect the overthrow of Antichrist in A. D. 1866 or in A. D. 1926, that is, in about 30 years or about 90 years from the present time. In either case the wondrous, long-expected day is near, when the delusions of miserable men shall pass away, and it shall be said to Zion,-"Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord hath arisen upon thee!" On either supposition an immense work is to be performed by the church,-a work of such appalling magnitude, as to discourage all labors but the labors of faith and heavenly zeal. To communicate the gospel to three quarters of the whole family of man ;-to gain access to the understandings and the consciences of four or five hundred millions of uninstructed and prejudiced men, idolaters, wedded to their idols ;-to break their strong habits of sin ;-to send the Bible to every family on the earth;and to train up half a million of preachers of the glad tidings of salvation;—is not here work, more than enough for a century of strenuous effort on the part of the church? Is there not occasion also for trust in God's promise, for reliance on his almighty power, for all the fervency and impor tunity of supplication?

5*

ARTICLE III.

THE ASPECT AND POSITION OF THE MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE, PARTICULARLY IN THE ORIENTAl World.

By the Rev. George B. Cheever, pastor of the Allen-st. Presb. Church, New-York.

THE instability of human things is a proverb; the causes of it, though equally clear, are not so proverbial. Yet the most superficial observer must be aware of a great principle in God's dealings with this world, the principle of revolution and change, till the world becomes holy. In the nature of things this principle must prevail, for there can be no more peace or permanence to a wicked world than to a wicked man. If we are not greatly mistaken, it is declared, as a rule, that God's providence in the world is to go on overturning, and overturning, and overturning, till it shall bring all into subjection to Jesus Christ. A truly philosophic mind, philosophic in the Christian sense, would always keep this fact in view in the world's history; for it is the business of a true philosopher to discover, as far as possible, the purposes of God, and the end to which human things are tending.

To a spiritual mind the science of history, pursued, as for the most part it has been, without reference to the providence and designs of God, is as devoid of truth as the science of astronomy with the earth, instead of the sun, considered as the centre of our system. Our historical studies are on the Ptolemaic instead of the Copernican scheme, and man, instead of God, is put at the centre. We need the application of some devout and comprehensive mind, to erect history into a science, and tie it to the throne and providence of God. We need a Newton almost as much to tell us why an apple falls in God's providential government, as we did a century ago to tell us the reason of that simplest fact in God's material universe.

There is, at the present day, a wide and strong impression among Protestant Christians of almost every name,