approaching; for the course of things appears, even at the present time, to be preparing for it, with no ordinary signs.

2dly. Those very remarkable and awful representations, which St. Paul has given of " the Man

of Sin," and of the Apostacy of the latter days ; and St. Peter, of " the Scoffers of the last times." These are really prophetical descriptions, which have been amply verified by the page of history, and by the experience of mankind. They are, therefore, to be ranked among the bulwarks of Christianity; and are of the greatest importance to the Church of GOD.

They have likewise an obvious reference to certain periods noted in "The Revelation ;" and may tend, in no small degree, by their correspondence, to throw additional light upon many passages in that book.

3dly. To the same class must also be referred those epistolary addresses, in which the Holy Spirit, through the ministry of St. John, after exposing to their own view the respective states of the seven Churches that were then in Asia, looks forward to the future; and pronounces what would be the conditional fate of each in succeeding times.

These last, however, though apparently only particular, are, in effect, general Epistles: for

b They will be found in 2 Thess. ii. 1—12; 1 Tim. iv. 1—5 ; Coloss. ii. 18, 19. 21-23; 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4; and 2 Pet. iii. 3.&c.

in them are contained instruction and admonitions, warnings and encouragements, which may be of the most essential benefit to the Universal Church of Christ, to the latest period, during which she may be "militant here on earth." And this is indeed implied in every one of these Epistles themselves; for as "the whole state of Christ's Church," thus militant, necessarily consists of a great number of particular Churches, therefore each of these Epistles concludes with this general exhortation,-" He that hath an ear, "let him hear what THE SPIRIT saith unto the "Churches."

SECTION II.

OF THE PARTICULAR PERIOD, DURING WHICH MANY OF THE EVENTS, PREDICTED IN THESE PROPHECIES, HAVE BEEN EXPRESSLY APPOINTED TO TAKE PLACE.

In the writings of Daniel and St. John, we meet with these designations of time,-" a time, times, and the dividing of time;” “a time, times, and a half;" "one thousand two hundred and sixty days;" and "forty and two months." But all these various denominations of time will be found to point out one particular period, and one only. It may be well worth the while, therefore, in this place, to give a general view of all those prophecies, whose fulfilment is said to

occupy precisely the same interval: for this will be a proof, how nearly all these prophecies are connected with each other; and that the particular trains of events, to which they relate, must also be contemporaneous.

They are as follow,

1st. The little Horn of the fourth great Beast, or of the Roman Empire, was to "wear out the Saints of the Most High," "until a time, times, and the dividing of time." Dan. vii. 25.

2dly. "To the end of those wonders,” which Daniel had predicted under this reign of impiety and superstition, the Angel assured him the duration would be "a time, times, and a half." Dan. xii. 6, 7.

3dly. "The holy City was to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles;" that is, as it will appear, the Church of Christ was to be oppressed by the persecution of idolatrous professors of Christianity in the West, and of the disciples of Mahomet in the East, for the space of "forty and two months." Rev. xi. 2.

4thly. "The two Witnesses" were to have power given to them "to prophesy in sackcloth," "a thousand two hundred and threescore days." Rev. xi. 3.

5thly. Power is given unto the Beast, (the Roman Empire, or fourth great Beast of Daniel, under the influence of his little Horn)

"to con

tinue forty and two months." Rev. xiii. 5.

6thly. "The Woman," symbolical of the

comparatively pure Church of Christ, was to be "nourished in the wilderness," to which she had fled "from the face of the DRAGON," "a thousand two hundred and threescore days." Rev. xii. 6.

7thly. She was to be nourished in the same wilderness "for a time, times, and half a time," "from the face of the SERPENT." Rev. xii. 14.

Among the portions of time above described, the "time" evidently denoted the interval, which elapses between the commencement of any one season of the year and the return of the same season again, or one complete year: and, therefore, "a time, times, and (a half, or) the dividing of time" will represent three years and a half, or "forty and two months." And, at the average rate of thirty days to the month, the intercalary days being omitted, on account of the small number of the years alluded to, the same period will also be the "one thousand two hundred and threescore days" above mentioned: for 30 days × 42, or 360 days × 3 = 1260 days. But the "days," “months,” and “ times,” are all prophetical; and, therefore, a day will stand for a year, a month for thirty years, and a time for 360 years; the years in question being natural© years.

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"A single year," says Mr. Faber, most justly, "might be reputed to contain no more than 360 days, and the small "collective sum of three years and a half might be reputed to "contain no more than 1260 days: but, unless we calculate "numerical prophecies after a manner wholly unknown to the "Israelites, any large collective sum of years, 1260 years for

But I shall defer saying any thing further concerning this remarkable period, till I come to treat of the date of its actual commencement, and of the particular events comprehended within it.

SECTION III.

A GENERAL VIEW OF "THE REVELATION" OF ST. JOHN,
ACCORDING TO THE VARIETY OF ITS SUBJECTS.

AFTER the magnificent introductory description of the awful sanction, under which "the words of this Prophecy" were written, and which occupies chapter i. ; what the Apostle was commanded to write to the Angels of the seven Churches in Asia, is arranged as follows:

To the Angel of the Church of

← instance, most contain the very same number of days, and, “ therefore, be precisely of the same length, as the corresponding sm of matural years." The Sacred Calendar of ProPhoty, Vol. L. Chap. ii. page 57.