ally considered what has been brought forward on this subject in the second part of the foregoing pages. From the most attentive review of the history of the Turks (who' are allowed to be the instruments of the judgments here referred to) there is reason to conclude that this woe has been past more than a hundred years. For, seeing that the Ottoman empire was founded about the year 1300, and that the Euphratean horsemen were prepared for a year, and a month, and a day, and an hour, (this is, in mystical time, about 396 years) to kill, in their political capacity, the men of one of the three-fold divisions of the Roman empire, and which was completely effected by the entire conquest of the Greek empire, (heretofore the eastern præfecture,) towards the end of the last century; and seeing that soon after this their conquests entirely ceased, and they received such a blow from the western powers, to whom they had also been so terrible a scourge for ages, that they have never since been able to make any effec tual head against them, but have been verging fast to destruction ever since, it is highly reasonable to conclude, that, as a woe, their appointed time is long past.

Thirdly, Did the seven thunders (Rev. x.) utter their voices between the close of the second and the commencement of the third woe, as appears next to certain from the place which the vision occupies? And, seeing that thunder is the well-known symbol of war, is it reasonable to conclude that these seven thunders signified seven wars, or periods of war, in the territory of the beast, the scene of the vision, after the Turkish power began to decline, or after the second woe, and previous to the grand attack on the Babylonish kingdom? There have been, in Europe, since the Turks passed the acme of their power, at the close of the last century, just seven periods of war, as the reader has seen in the second part. Whether the reasons there stated in support of this interpretation are satisfactory, every one must judge for himself, but I have the pleasure of learning that the first biblical scholars in this country, and in others, think the interpretation just, and the ar gument sufficiently conclusive.

The fourth prophecy concerning the accomplishment of which we must be satisfied, before we can conclude the third woe to be arrived, respects the slaying of the witnesses, Rev. xi. 7. They were to be killed, not literally, (though many of them, in this sense, suffered death) but figuratively, or politically, agreeable to the idea held forth

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of the state of the Jewish people by the prophet Ezekiel (chap. xxxvii.) who brought into a state of bondage, are politically dry bones, destitute of all civil life. Thus those called God's two witnesses, were, towards the conclusion of the reign of the beast, to be killed, and to lie dead in the street of the great city, in one of the ten kingdoms of the mystical Babylonish empire, especially; for it is said, When they shall have finished (or rather shall be finishing) their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city. Not streets, but street, and this the platea or principal street, or square, or open place, of great Antichristian city. The reader has seen how we have endeavoured to explain, and illustrate, this prophecy in the First Part. Never was there so general and cruel a persecution of the witnesses against Antichristian corruptions and oppressions as towards the close of the last. century, when the Protestants, of all the popish countries where they were numerous, were deprived of all their rights and liberties, civil and religious, and made to suffer all sorts of miseries and deaths; and no where more than in France, the platea, or principal kingdom of Europe, the country where they always most abounded, where they enjoyed the most privileges, and where there were now more faithful witnesses for truth and liberty, than in almost all the other popish countries put together. And where, though in the other streets of the great city, the duration of their death is not noticed-they were to lie dead just three days and a half. Whether the fulfilment of this scripture prophecy appears to the reader clear or doubtful, I cannot tell, but it is certain that the most learned and enlightened men among the sufferers, as well as many others who witnessed their sufferings, thought that this was the slaying of the witnesses, as here predicted; and it appears to me that if all subsequent circumstances agree. such as their resurrection, &c, there can be no reasonable doubt but that they were right. Of this we shall be better able to judge if we attentively consider the

Fifth Scripture prophecy, respecting the fulfilment of which we must be satisfied, before we can make up our minds as to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which brings the third woe. It respects the fall of the tenth part of the Antichristian city, and the circumstances which attend it, Rev. xi.. 11.—13. And after three days and an

half, the spirit of life from God entered into them; and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them that saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither; and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the ci'y fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand; (or rather 7000 names of men) and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. Here I must entreat the reader to turn to the First Purt, and weigh, attentively, what has been brought forward in support of the conclusion, that this part of the prophecy has had its accomplishment, in the wonderful revolution which has lately taken place in France.

Here occurs but one difficulty of consequence. As to this resurrection of the witnesses, every one will allow that it may mean a figurative, or political, one, a restoration to their rights; and no one, at all versed in the Jewish style, can be at a loss to understand what is meant by the spirit of life from God entering into them. Heaven, we know, in the symbolic style, signifies the ruling power of government, either in the political universe, or in a single kingdom or country, as the scene is laid; a cloud, without any tokens of a storm, always denotes what is good, and implies success; to ascend to heaven, therefore, in a cloud, signifies to rise to power, or to a more dignified state. An earthquake, in the style of the prophets, is the well-known symbol of wars and civil commotions; of great revolutions and changes in the political world, whether in the governing or governed parts; for the Greek word geopos, translated earthquake, is often used for any sudden or violent shaking in any part; even of the heavens, as well as the earth, as may be seen in Joel ii. 10. Hag. ii. 21. Heb. xii. 26. As to the seven thousand names of men (as it should be read) which were slain in the fall of the tenth part of the city, the abolition of titles and of religious orders, is easily to be understood. The city, the great city, and Babylon the great, so often mention in this book, evidently stand in opposition to Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the true church of God; and we have here, under another symbol, the same Antichristian territory, or people, signified as by ten horns of the apocalyptic beast. Here, instead of a beast with ten horns, we have a city consisting of ten streets -for this we shall see to be implied, if we compare ver. 8, with verse 13. for it is doubtless the same tenth part of

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the city in which the witnesses both lie dead and rise, and which afterwards falls.-Every one, I think, who attentively considers the subject, must acknowledge, that, in these particulars, the prophecy and the circumstances of the French Revolution, without any aid from fancy, may in perfect, and manifest, conformity to the well known meaning of the symbols used, be considered as wonderfully agreeing.

But, there is one particular, which, perhaps, has struck the reader as attended with some difficulty. It respects the time that the witnesses were to lie dead; three days and an half. Days, in the mystical language of prophecy, and particularly in this book, generally signify years. But if that be their meaning here, an essential agreement is wanting; for the time, from the repeal of the edict of Nants to the French Revolution, was about 10 years. What has been brought forward, on this subject, in the foregoing pages, and especially in the notes, has, I hope, been well considered. If so, I flatter myself the difficulty has vanished from the reader's mind. Terms of time among the ancients, as we have seen, were ambiguous. Days, months, and years, had not always their proper signification," for months," says Artemidorus," are "sometimes denoted by years, and days too; and years "and days by months; and months and years by days.' It was the subject, or the rule of proportion, which determined the meaning of the terms. Hence Daubuz observes respecting the terms of time in the symbolic language. "Terms of time being thus ambiguous amongst the an"cients, they must, in the symbolic language, be by the "rule of proportion determined by the circumstances."Prophecy concerning future events is a picture, or re"presentation, of the events in symbols, which being "fetched from objects visible at one view, or cast of the 66 eye, rather represent the events in miniature, than in "full proportion; giving us more to understand than "what we see. And, therefore, that the duration of the " events may be represented in terms suitable to the "symbols of the visions, the symbols of duration must " also be drawn in miniature."

Days, then, may stand for months. And we may here see the reason why the witnesses are represented as lying dead three days and an half rather than three months and an half, or 105 days. The duration of events must be represented in terms suitable to the symbols of the visions. The

symbol is, dead bodies lying in a street. How monstrous would it be to represent dead bodies as lying in such a situation for 15 days! The time of their lying dead is, therefore, drawn in miniature, suitable to dead bodies ly ing in a street; and these days, or months, are to be calculated in the same manner as the forty-two months in ver. 2. Thus, 3×30+5=105 years; the time which elapsed from the repeal of the edict of Nants to the French Revolution, when the protestants were restored to their religious rights.

On the whole, wherein consists the absurdity of concluding, that it is highly probable that all these prophecies have had their accomplishment in the events to which we have applied them? On the contrary, may we not challenge the world to point out a like number of prophecies, depending upon and growing out of each other, that have been more clearly illustrated by their events? I think the proof of their fulfilment is next to a moral certainty. And if we are right, then the probablity is, that the third woe, which is speedily to lay in ruins the whole Babylonish city, is commenced. For, as on the conclusion of the seven thunders (chap. x.) the angel swears that there should be delay no longer, but the seventh angel should sound, and the mystery of God be finished; so, on the fall of the tenth part of the city, it is declared, (chap. xi. 14.) The second woe is past, and behold the third woe cometh QUICKLY.

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II. But, are there several reasons to induce us to conclude that it is highly probable that the seventh angel has sounded his trumpet, for the ruin of Antichrist and his ty? This remarkable æra must doubtless be marked by some singular calamities, which will determine its arrival, Here then, some other inquiries present themselves. What posterior evidence is there that we are entered upon the woe which this trumpet brings? Great calamities are to follow; and from the nature of the symbol, it is most likely that these are such as arise from wars and revolutions; and, as they are designed for the overthrow of the Antichristian church, and of those states and kingdoms which have given their power to the beast, they must fall, chiefly on the Antichristian party.

These calamities, as has been shewn are evidently signified by the seven viuls (or libation bowls) of the wrath of God (chap. xvi.) which are poured out by seven angels, (or instruments of God's vengeance) upon the earth, the sea, the rivers and fountains of water, the seat of the beast,