tomless pit, and to let out Apollyon and his figurative locusts and we shall find, in exact harmony with the prophecy, that Mohammedism is in reality a sort of corrupted and apostate Christianity. Like the divine religion of the Messiah, it claims to be a revelation from God at the hand of an inspired prophet, to call the world from the vanities of polytheism to the worship of the one true God, and to declare authoritatively a state of future rewards and punishments. Like the Gospel, it professes to build itself upon the Law of Moses; and allows the divine commission both of the Jewish legislator, and of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But, borrowing the peculiar tenet of the fallen star, it pronounces the Saviour of the world to be a mere mortal, and makes void the whole of the Gospel; it contaminates, with licentious impurity the doctrine of future retribution; it presumptuously thrusts the Messiah from his office; and, like its fellow apostacy Popery, it propagates and upholds itself by the sword. It appears, moreover, from a computation which will hereafter be made from the numbers of Daniel, that, like Popery, it is to reign precisely 1260 years; and consequently, since both these apostacies commenced in the same year, that they are both likewise to begin to be overthrown in the same year. Of this period nearly twelve centuries have already elapsed: we are therefore fast approaching to the time of the end, and to the day of God's controversy with the nations. The prosperous duration then of Mohammedism being the very same as the prosperous duration of Popery, and each being considered by the inspired writers as an apostacy or deflection from pure Christianity, we shall not wonder to find them both represented by the very same symbol of a little horn. Accordingly, as we shall hereafter see, Daniel describes Popery, or the western apostacy of the man of sin, under the image of a little horn springing up among the ten contemporary horns of the Roman beast: while he predicts the tyranny of Mohammedism, or the eastern apostacy founded upon the anti-trinitarian doctrines of the fallen star, under the kindred image of another little horn

The reader will of course understand, that I mean Popery properly so called, or the reign of the little born after the saints had been given into his hand.

arising out of the ruins of one of the four Greek horns of the Macedonian beast.*

These two great enemies of the Gospel flourish during the whole space of the 1260 years comprehended under the three woe-trumpets: a third enemy is predicted as arising towards the close of those years, as continuing only a short space of time, and as perishing firmly leagued with Popery at the very time of the end or after the termination of the 1260 years. St. John brings him upon the grand stage of the world with the blast of the third woe-trumpet, and foretells that his open developement should be immediately preceded by the fall of a tenth part of the great Roman city. The miseries, with which he should afflict mankind, he figuratively describes as a harvest of God's wrath which should precede the dreadful vintage of the time of the end; and he sets forth more distinctly the nature of those miseries under the pouring out of a certain number of the seven vials. Daniel describes the same power, as a king or state rising up after the era of the Reformation, and marked by a lawless contempt for all religion. And St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. Jude, concur in describing with wonderful accuracy the principles which should be adopted by the adherents of this power. As for St. John, in addition to what he has said upon the subject in the Apocalypse, he teaches us, that the leading badge, whereby this mon

* Here again I shall strengthen myself with the concurrence of Mr. Whitaker ; and I may here again observe, that my own opinion relative to the little born of the be-goat was formed previous to my knowing what was Mr. Whitaker's opinion on the subject." In the seventh chapter of Daniel there is evidently given the prediction of the man of sin, or the slavery of the Western empire; and in the eighth appears to be described the rise and progress of Mohammed and his followers, or the subjugation of the Eastern. I here use the language of hesitation, not from any doubt, but from a sincere desire to avoid any juft imputation of arrogance in bringing forward an interpretation, in which I am not patronized by any preceding writer. Let however only the latter part of the vision of the Ram and the Goat be seriously considered; and I think the rise, the progress, and the character, of Mohammed will be "fully manifest." (Gen. View of the Proph. p. 91, 92.) Mr. Whitaker would have expressed himself with greater accuracy had he considered the little born as being Mohammedism, instead of Mobammed and bis followers. His present mode of interpreting the prophecy has led him into the error of applying the expression," he shall be broken without hand," (Dan. viii. 25.) to the dwindling away of the Saracenic empire and the personal fall of Mohammed; whereas it relates to the destruction of the little born itself or the Mobammedan religion at the end of the period mentioned in the 14th verse; for, if the king of fierce countenance be the little born, the breaking of the king must be the breaks ing of the born. Gen. View of the Proph. p. 134.

ster whom he styles Antichrist might be known, should be an open denial of the Father and the Son.*

At the commencement of the time of the end which synchronizes with the termination of the 1260 years, when the judgments of God begin to go forth against these three enemies of the Messiah, the restoration of the Jews will commence; and, when God's great controversy with the nations is fully decided, and when not only Judah but likewise the whole house of Israel has been brought back into the land of their fathers, then will begin the long-expected period of millennian happiness. This period, which is styled the reign of Christ and his saints upon earth or the reign of the symbolical mountain, will comprize the space either of 1000 years or of 360,000 years, according as the number predicted be composed of natural or prophetic years. Which of the two be intended by St. John, the event must determine.

These are the principal matters, of which the prophecies relative to the 1260 years will be found to treat. Previous to my discussing them at large, I shall bring together in one point of view the four predictions of Daniel which relate to them, and afterwards briefly state the manner in which I conceive the Apocalypse ought to be arranged.

1. The first of these four predictions is the dream of Nebuchadnezzar with Daniel's interpretation of it.

Thou, O king, sawest; and, behold, a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest, till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, and the brass, the silver and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them and the stone, that

* 1 John ii. 23.

smote the image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream, and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king-Thou art this head of gold. But after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and, as iron that breaketh, all these shall it break in pieces and bruise. And, whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's clay, and part of iron; the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And, as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. And, whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be to other people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."* 2. The second is Daniel's vision of the four beasts, and the little horn of the fourth beast.

"I saw in my vision by night; and, behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse from one another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man; and a man's heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear; and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night

* Dan. ii. 31.

visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns; and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom three of the first horns. were plucked up by the roots and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld, till the thrones were set, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. I saw in the night visions; and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and