flict the real Christian can entertain no serious apprehensions: but its effects, as it advances, may be awefully tremendous, and such as may justly appal the heart with fear, on 66 looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Certain it is, that no engine will be left untried, no weapon unemployed, which subtlety can invent, or power, wherever it exists, can furnish, to undermine the Christian's faith; to arrest the march of heavenly light; and to uphold and perpetuate the reign of universal darkness. May the professed followers of the Lamb be strengthened and preserved in these days of peril! May they take heed, lest, being deluded "by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive," they fall from their own steadfastness, and so at last be found among the hostile ranks of Christ's devoted enemies! And whatever diversity of opinion may prevail on the interpretation of any particular parts of prophecy, may "The Signs of the Times" be so clearly discerned and practically understood, that the number may be daily increasing of those, who habitually comply with the spirit of the divine admonition, "Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as you think not of, the Son of Man cometh!" Hamstall Ridware, PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. In preparing a Third Edition of the Crisis for the press, the Writer has endeavoured, by a careful revision of the work, to render it more deserving of the Public notice. Profiting by several suggestions, with which from various quarters he has been favoured, he has made considerable additions to the prophetical part of the publication; has omitted some few statements, which did not immediately fall within the line of his argument, as it now stands ; and in two or three instances, has preferred a different interpretation from that which he formerly adopted. But with respect to the general outline of his ori ginal exposition, his sentiments continue not only unchanged, but unshaken. In fact, the more fully the subject has been hitherto discussed, the stronger at present appear to him the probabilities in favour of that application of the prophecy, to which the discussion has principally referred. He cannot, indeed, but be of opinion, that with respect to many of the strictures which have been made on his work, there has been a great and obvious deficiency in the mode of considering the point under discussion. His application of the prediction of "the King who shall do according to his will,” to the late Emperor Napoleon, has been viewed in too detached and insulated a manner, instead of being contemplated in reference to the station which it occupies in the general scheme of prophecy and to its connection with it. prophecies relating to the latter days, in order to be rightly understood, must be viewed as a whole and every attempt to interpret a part, without duly considering its particular bearings on the whole, must prove defective and unsatisfactory. If a person, confining his atten tion to any particular movement in some The large and complicated piece of machinery, should venture to give his judgment on the movement in question; should find fault with its construction and application; should pronounce it to be inadequate and misplaced; and, without regarding, through ignorance or inadvertence, its relative position and its general adaptation to the purposes and objects of the machinery of which it formed a part, should direct it to be taken away, and, perhaps, to be fitted to some other place by such a proceeding he would not only evince his own incompetency for the office he had undertaken, but, by his misjudged interference, would impede the very operations which he designed to facilitate, and would throw far greater obstacles in their way than those which he might be attempting to remove. Very similar to such conduct, as it appears to the writer, is that of many of those persons who hesitate not to pronounce a judgment on some proposed interpretation of prophecy. They either seem not to be aware that |