for a late dinner in Edinburgh that same day—if I had said so thirty years ago, I should have been set down as a very wild dreamer indeed—yet it is the every-day fact. And what is very remarkable as confirmatory of the supposed improbability of any such result, Voltaire, the great sceptic, speaks of Sir Isaac Newton, who wrote a commentary upon the Book of Daniel, as having taken to the study of Christianity in his old age, and to show how the study of Christianity, he adds, in that stupid book the Bible, weakens one's mind, Voltaire is reported to have said, Sir Isaac Newton actually predicted that a time would yet come when people would travel at the rate of thirty miles an hour, and Voltaire laughed at the very idea as absurd. But who was the dreamer? Not the great Christian philosopher, but the scoffing sceptic; for what Sir Isaac Newton guessed, if I may use the phrase, as a probability, has become an actual and literal fact.

Then, "I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in white linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." To what era this applies it is perhaps difficult to ascertain; but when we compare the parallel passages, we find it stated in the seventh chapter that

some great apostasy was to overshadow the earth; that it was to be sustained by one who should speak great words against the Most High, and who should think to change times and seasons; and that the saints should be given into his hand, and that they should continue in his hand—that is, under his iron despotismfor a time, times, and half a time. That chapter exactly explains this "that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." I told you before that the period called "time" is 360 years; "times" twice that-720 years; 66 half a time" 180 years, making a period constantly occurring in the Bible— 1260 years. Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, Joseph Meade, the most learned writer perhaps that ever wrote, and Mr. Elliott, of Brighton, with many others, all seem to concur in thinking that that great period began in 532; if so, it would expire in 1792, at the end of which period this great apostasy should lose its absolute domination, and the Christians whom it had persecuted should escape from its grasp, and should go on increasing in prosperity, while it decreased in power daily till the time of the end. If we interpret prophecy by the facts that have taken place, it was in 1792 that the celebrated Code Napoleon came in, when all the policy and laws of Europe were altered; it was then that the great power of Rome throughout the whole of Europe was almost shattered; it was then that the saints—that is, the Christians, if you like, the Protestants-emerged from the grasp of Rome, and began their missionary operations throughout the world, the Baptist Missionary Society, the

Church Missionary Society, the Bible Society, and various religious societies, sprang into existence about that time; and from. 1792 to the present day the empire of superstition has declined, and the empire of truth and righteousness has spread and developed more and more.

CONCENTRIC LIGHTS.

Ver. 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Heb. i. 14.

The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one-and-twenty days; but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. There is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael, your prince. Dan. x. 13, 21.

Michael the archangel. Jude 9.

There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was there place found any more in heaven. Rev. xii. 7, 8.

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place, to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. Isa. xxvi. 20, 21.

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Jer. xxx. 7. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth let him understand); then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains; let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day: for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be

shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but, for the elects' sake, those days shall be shortened. Matt. xxiv. 15, 17, 20, 22.

All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. xiii. 8.

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment ; and I will not blot out his name before my Father, and before his angels. Rev. iii. 5.

Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Luke x. 20. Other my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life. Phil. iv. 3.

Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin -; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. Ex. xxxii. 32.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. Ps. lxix. 28.

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I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works, and the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works. Rev. xx. 12, 13.

Ver. 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beanty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me. Ps. xlix. 14, 15.

He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of