chapter of Daniel (in a passage which it would seem the Apostle had in mind in his prophecy of "the Man of sin" in Thessalonians, so close is the parallel), thus describes the end of his career (ver. 45)," he shall "plant the tabernacles of his palaces between the seas "in the GLORIOUS HOLY MOUNTAIN, but he shall come to "his end, and none shall help him." There, in the temple of God, upon Mount Zion, he will presumptuously assert the impious pretensions of the Anti-Messiah, aim at being "like the most High," and "shew himself that he is God:"—and in that same spot he shall meet with his end: he and his confederate hosts there meeting with a discomfiture and defeat like that of his type Sennacherib of old when invading and threatening the destruction of the holy city. While that " Armageddon" designates a place in the land of Palestine is unquestionable, and confirmed by the name being here given "in the Hebrew tongue," in which it signifies "the Mountain of Megiddo," a town mentioned in Scripture history, adjacent to which is a vast plain remarkable for the overthrow of the armies of Canaan under the command of Sisera, celebrated in the song of Deborah (Judges, v. 10),-another signal type of the last catastrophe; and made further memorable since on more than one occasion, as stated in the following notice of it by a well known traveller :- - This plain, called by way of eminence "the great plain" in Scripture, and else"where" the great plain or field of Esdraelon,"—" the 'field of Megiddo"-" the Galilean plain,"-we found one vast meadow covered with the richest pasture.

U

'It has been a chosen place for encampment in every 'contest carried on in this country from the days of 'Nabuchodonosor, King of Assyria, unto the disastrous 'march of Napoleon Buonaparte from Egypt into Syria. 'Jews, Gentiles, Saracens, Christian Crusaders, and 'anti-christian Frenchmen, Egyptians, Persians, Druses, 'Turks, and Arabs, warriors of every nation that is ' under heaven, have pitched their tents on the plain of Esdraelon, and have beheld the banners of their 'nations wet with the dew of Tabor and Hermon.' (Clarke's Travels.) So much in illustration of what shall yet come to pass when the confederate armies of apostate Christendom, under the last Antichrist, shall assemble to meet their end and overthrow in this so celebrated spot!*

* It would seem that, if anything be certain, it is the fact here stated, that the "Armageddon" of this prophecy is in Palestine. Yet it is painful to notice-as another instance of the little regard had to the words of Scripture, even when most express, and of the reckless speculations which are the result of the modern system of treating the prophecies--that more than one publication appeared, during the late Crimean war, attempting to prove Sebastopol to be the Armageddon of the Apocalypse! from an assumed agreement in meaning between the names, which, among others less known, Dr. Cumming mentioned in his Lectures, as 'an ominous fact;' without, however, offering any proof of it. In connexion with which also was predicted, as the result of the war the supposed "Battle of Armageddon"-the immediate downfall of the Russian Empire, &c., &c. Nor is it enough that the peace has falsified these predictions, and consigned to oblivion these ephemeral publications: the evil effects of them will long remain— in deterring many from attending to the true predictions of the Word of God, and observing its true omens, which will be set down as like fanciful conjectures. And then-what a triumph to the infidel, who, these very authors tell us, is to be convinced by "the wonderful fulfilments of Prophecy" so interpreted!

Then follows the seventh and last Vial (ver. 17-end), of which I have only to observe, that the proclamation with which it is announced, " IT IS DONE," as well as its results" a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth," in consequence of which 'every island fled away, and the mountains were not "found," identical as they are with the results of the Sixth Seal-confirm the statement before made, that the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Vials all issue in the same great consummation. While the special mention of the judgment on "great Babylon" (ver. 19), further identifies this vision of the Vials with the Prophecy next preceding, of chs. xii.-xiv., in its issue where, it will be remembered, the fall of Babylon was also mentioned in the same connexion-as one of the events to precede "the Harvest" and "Vintage," the emblems there of the Lord's Second Advent. But of this more in next.

:

LECTURE TWENTIETH.

THE FALL OF BABYLON.

REVELATION, Chapters xvii. and xviii.-"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3. So he carried me away in the spirit to the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5. And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns: 8. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and

they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest on the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

Chap. xviii. "And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. 7. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her; for she