large a portion of the books of Daniel and the Apocalypse, lie at the foundation of the whole controversy and it may justly strike serious Christians with fear, in what light the Great Disposer of all things may view the abandonment of a Church, which is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the head corner-stone, for a system, which is marked out in prophecy as one of the greatest corruptions of religion, which the world can ever know; and whose rise, whose power, and final destruction is described in this prophecy, in characters so awful! It is one object of this work to direct the attention of Christians to these prophecies; to exhort them to compare them with the history of the Papal Church in its different ages; and more especially at the present day in that unhappy country, in which the Protestant Faith is exposed to trials as afflicting, and persecutions as grievous, as it has ever experienced in the worst days of the Papal power; to consider well, that the grounds, on which our forefathers separated from the Church of Rome, involve the fundamentals of the Christian faith; and what a degree of guilt they may incur, who betray a trust so sacred; and one which has been committed as a sacred deposit to our charge by the great Author and Finisher of our faith'. The

1 I am happy in being able to strengthen these remarks, (remarks, I may add, which have been forced upon

me by an attentive study of these pro

phecies,) by the following striking and impressive passage from Bishop Burnet's Introduction to his History of the Reformation. After remarking, upon

some

application of these prophecies to Papal Rome is a question of Scripture, and of Scripture alone: and I do not know why such a view of them can either be charged with bigotry, or need impair the feelings of charity which we entertain towards any human being. It appears to me, that we have a model for our imitation in those Apostles, who have set before us an example, at once of firmness and of meekness, in "contending for the faith which was once delivered to the saints"." For though St Paul, on one occasion, which involved a compromise of the great principles of the Christian Faith, "withstood to the face" the chief of the

some important circumstances connected with the Roman Catholic Faith, and the Papal power in his own time, (circumstances to which it would not be difficult to find a parallel in the present day,) he thus proceeds: "By this we see, that how much soever we may let the fears of Popery wear out of our thoughts, they are never asleep, but go on steadily prosecuting their designs against us. Popery is Popery still, acted by a cruel and persecuting spirit: and with what caution soever they may hide or disown some scandalous practices, where heretics dare look into their proceedings, and lay them open; yet even these are still practised by them, when they know they may safely do it, and where none dare open their mouth against them; and therefore we see what reasons we have to be ever watching and on our guard against them."

"This is the duty of every single Christian amongst us; but certainly those Peers and Commoners, whom our constitution has made the trustees of our laws and liberties, and of the legal security of our religion, are under a

more particular obligation of watching carefully over this sacred trust; for which they must give a severe account in the last day, if they do not guard it against all danger, at what distance soever it may appear. If they do not maintain all the fences and outworks of it, or suffer breaches to be made on any of them; if they suffer any part of our legal establishment to be craftily undermined; if they are either absent or remiss on critical occasions; and if any views of advantage to themselves prevail on them to give up or abandon the establishment and security of our religion, God may work a deliverance for us another way, and if it seem good in his eyes he will deliver us: but they and their families shall perish, their names will rot and be held in detestation; posterity will curse them, and the judgments of God will overtake them; because they have sold that which was the most sacred of all things, and have let in an inundation of idolatry, superstition, tyranny, and cruelty upon their Church and country. Pp. 47, 48. Ed. Oxon. 1816.

2 Jude 3.

b

Apostles, "because he was "because he was to be blamed'," and denounced, in language so awful, those, who either assailed or corrupted the great doctrines of salvation; yet it did not chill the warm benevolence of a heart, which had been first touched by the love of his Redeemer: nor, though St John branded him, who corrupted the one doctrine relative to the person of the Saviour, as "a deceiver and an antiChrist," did it subdue that meekness and tenderness of spirit, which, we may collect both from his writings and from history, dwelt in the breast of the "disciple whom Jesus loved;" and which doubtless, in no common degree, commended him to the love and affection of his Divine Master.

2. Another reason, which gives additional interest to the study of the Apocalypse at the present period, arises out of the peculiar circumstances of the world, and more particularly as they are connected with the interests and prospects of religion.

Whatever doubts may exist in the minds of many persons with regard to the interpretation of particular prophecies of the Apocalypse, it is evident that we are living towards the close of that period of 1260 years, which is so expressly pointed at in the prophecies of Daniel and St John, for the overthrow of the great anti-christian confederacies; the conversion and restoration of the Jews; and

1 Gal. ii. 11. 2 1 Cor. xvi. 22; Gal. i. 8, 9. 3 2 John 7; 1 John ii. 22.

the universal preaching of the Gospel in glory and This is evident from the signs of the

in power. times; from the spread of the Gospel amongst heathen nations, beyond what has been known at any former period, since the age of miracles has ceased; from the intentness, with which the minds of men are directed to this important subject; and, above all, from the indifference and dissatisfaction, which the Heathen and Mahometan nations are beginning to shew with regard to their own superstitions. These indications of the approaching fulfilment of prophecy, cannot fail to strike every reflecting mind: and it is from the study of those prophecies, which are connected with these great events, that Christians, in this interesting period of the world, must learn their duty and their obligations. But this is more particularly necessary, in an age, when the unsettled state of men's minds; the restless eagerness, which we behold on all sides, after new speculations; and the unsettled condition of the nations of the earth, fill many sincere Christians with terror and dismay.

It is probable, as far as we can collect from Scripture, that those great changes in religion, which, we are led to expect, will either precede or accompany the universal establishment of the Redeemer's kingdom, must be in some measure effected by great commotions amongst the kingdoms of the earth. But, amidst these causes of doubt and alarm, the

Christian fixes his hopes on the sure promises of God: he knows, that "the Lord is King, be the people never so impatient; he sitteth between the cherubims, be the earth never so unquiet':" and, amidst the clouds which overhang the prospect, he beholds all things working together for good with a view to the accomplishment of the purposes of God. Whatever discredit may have been thrown upon the study of prophecy, by the injudicious speculations of some inconsiderate persons, it is still worthy of the finest intellect; and one, which, not to mention examples from Scripture, has exercised the devout contemplation of the most powerful minds. It was in these studies, that the holy Daniel, amidst the gloom of captivity, the ruin of the Temple, and the prostration of his religion, refreshed the sorrows of his soul and it is in noble and animating contemplations like these, that the Christian will add warmth to his devotion and vigour to his faith; while he dwells upon those sublime and mysterious dispensations for the everlasting happiness and salvation of man, which are a continual source, of the greatest delight, and the most rational happiness to the Christian here; and will constitute to the saints in light, the subject of unceasing gratitude and endless praises to the great Author of their salvation, in the glories of heaven hereafter.

Psalm xcix. 1.