encounter and overcome them, but those who love not their lives unto the death; for the accomplishment of which triumph, over the malice of Satan, that heavenly ministry shall proceed from the heavens, symbolized by the three angels in Rev. xiv., to support, and strengthen the Church, in her final conflict with the powers of darkness.

There shall be no escape in that warfare; for the days of lukewarmness, indifference, and neutrality are ended, and every man shall then be compelled either to range himself under the standard of Christ, or that of Antichrist; and he must be prepared to maintain his fidelity, and witness his testimony by sealing it with his own blood for the Church, shall in that day, be exposed to the fearful alternative that, if any man will not worship the image of the beast, he shall be killed (Rev. xiii, 15); or, if he does, he shall be made to "drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb."

We propose to treat of the mystery of this final confederacy of iniquity in our succeeding

number.

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APPENDIX.

A CORRESPONDENT has drawn our attention to the prophecy of the 2,300 years of Daniel, as of too much importance to be treated as a mere postulate; and, certainly, in a work where such momentous and immediate issues are so deliberately contended for, the premises from which such conclusions are drawn ought not to be left in any uncertainty. The full and unreserved credence we yield to the proximity of those stupendous events, which are involved in our argument, forbids any diversion or hindrance from the main object of the work by the discussion of points, which we consider as already fixed; yet, inasmuch as we think the full interpretation of this celebrated prophecy has not hitherto been insisted on, we submit the following observations to the serious attention of our readers.

This prophecy appears to us to involve, in its mystery, a far more important event than that which is its ostensible object-the cleansing of the sanctuary of Jerusalem from the Mahomedan oppression, by the restoration of the two tribes of Judah, to which prophecy it is generally supposed only to have reference; but which prophetic event, is but as the outward casket, in which is enclosed the gem of inestimable price. The restoration of the two tribes of Judah, should rather be regarded as the outward and visible form, which shadows forth the spiritual reality-the sign, which conducts the spiritual discernment of the Church, to the deeper mystery-the attendant pomp and circumstances which indicate the august presence of the Sovereign himself—even the ap

pearing of that "BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE, THE KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

If our readers will attentively and closely consider the eighth and ninth chapters of the prophet Daniel, they will entertain no doubt but that the apparently two visions are, in fact, one, and that they must, on no account, be separated, though they may not be continuous as to the time when they were exhibited to the prophet; for the "man Gabriel" (chap. ix. 22-3), expressly connects the prophecy he was then about to give Daniel of the seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, at the expiration of which Christ should first come, with that which had preceded, "at the beginning," as recorded in the eighth chapter; wherein Daniel, who was looking for the deliverance of the Jewish people from their seventy years' captivity, at Babylon, was astounded with the vision of a long protracted oppression of his nation, which was to last two thousand three hundred years; and that the sanctuary should not be cleansed from this defilement until its expiration; and, moreover, that this judgment was to extend till the last end of the indignation (chap. viii. 14). Now, Daniel expressly informs us (v. 26-27) that though the vision was true, yet that it was shut up for many days; and though he "was astonished at the vision, yet that none understood it ;" and it is in direct reference to this want of understanding on Daniel's part, that the "man Gabriel" informs him, as recorded in the subsequent chapter (ix. 22), that he was then come forth to give him skill and understanding in that vision which had preceded, which the prophet himself declares he did not understand; and the "man Gabriel" is made to assure Daniel, in plain and intelligible words, that the vision which is about to follow, is for the purpose thus giving him skill and understanding which he had

of

not before, and that such ignorance of the purport of the vision, had consequently produced in the prophet's mind so much distress and perplexity. So that, for these reasons, it is impossible to separate the vision of four hundred and ninety years from the vision of two thousand three hundred years; for, if the latter had not immediate and direct connexion with the former, and if it was not given for the express object of conveying "skill and understanding" to Daniel, the message to Daniel was a mere mockery; so that we are driven to the conclusion -even if we could discover no connection whatever be tween the two prophecies-that, nevertheless, an close connection does exist, and that Daniel himself understood the prophecy of the seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, as having reference to his previous want of understanding, and, if understood, as the fanswer to the enquiry, "how long," &c.; and also as containing the consolation, calculated to relieve his mind from the distress and astonishment, which the contemplation of such a long captivity of his people had occa sioned.

ནཛནྡྲ་ལ་

The question may be naturally asked, how another vision of dates could administer consolation, or convey skill and understanding to the prophet? For it is im possible to deny that it was a direct answer to the question, "how long shall be the vision, concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?" Daniel knew that when the final deliverance of his people should take place, the time was come when Michael, the great prince, should stand up for the children of his people : he knew, as well as all the prophets, that the final deliverance of his nation should only be effected by the appearance of Shiloh; but the prophecy of

the seventy weeks, whilst it covertly enclosed in its mystery (only to be revealed in the last days) the hidden secret of the two thousand three hundred years, at the expiration of which the Messiah should be revealed in His glory, yet conveyed to the prophet a truth which should be previously manifested at the expiration of the shorter date, viz., that Christ must first suffer, and then to enter into His glory; so that the prophecy of the seventy weeks, when Messiah should be cut off, as having reference to the preceding prophecy of two thousand three hundred years, may be thus paraphrased :-thou, Daniel, art looking for the glorious coming of Messiah, at the expiration of the two thousand three hundred years, for the deliverance of thy nation, and requirest to know the time; but learn another truth, that, ere that glorious period arrive, Messiah must first come to suffer; and this shall be at the end of the seventy weeks; and that, in the midst of the last of the seventy weeks, he shall be cut off; and now learn that when Messiah is cut off, in the midst of the last week, so much of the two thousand three hundred years has expired; and thus the period fixed by the fact of Messiah's death furnishes you and your people, and the nations of the earth, with the true knowledge that so much of the two thousand three hundred years have expired!

So that these two prophecies of four hundred and ninety years, and two thousand three hundred years, do, in point of fact, directly refer, the one to the coming of Christ in humility, and the other to His coming in glory; and that the former, as is the invariable custom with all prophecy, is the primary fulfilment given expressly for the object of acting as an assurance of the latter.

Indeed, if the prophecy of the four hundred and ninety