for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniqui ty doth already work only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom, the Lord. shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of righteousness in them that perish;

because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.' 2 Thess. ii: 2-10.

Thus we see the same thing here described, which John calls the mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, the punishment of whom is represented by death and hell being cast into the lake of fire, which took place at the destruction of Jerusalem. Yet many who pretend to preach the gospel, hold that this judg ment, which came upon the Jews nearly eighteen hundred years ago, is still to come, and be visited upon Gentiles, as well as Jews, in the world' beyond the grave; when in fact, the Gentiles were never threatened with any such visitation. These judgments were not to come upon sinners, as the Gentiles were called, but upon the people of God, by whom is intended the Jews, as they are

thus characterized through the whole bible, as every one, moderately acquainted with that book, very well

knows.

CHAPTER VI.

THE ISRAELITES THE DRAGON OF THE WILDERNESS.

ISAAC was forty years old when Jacob and Esau were born. Their mother before their birth, was informed that they would give rise to two nations, and that the younger should rule over the elder, contrary to the established usage of the country. Previous to the death of Isaac, when the time had arrived in which he determined to give up the charge of his family to his eldest son, according to the custom of that country, he advised him of his design, and directed him to prepare him some veni

son, and then receive his blessing. Rebecca heard the aged father when he gave this direction to Esau, and she called Jacob and instructed him to hasten and obtain a couple of kids, and she would prepare such food for his father as he had directed Esau to procure, and thereby obtain the blessing intended for his brother. In this he obeyed the direction of his mother.

Isaac being blind and unable to distinguish persons except by his other senses, Rebecca so disguised her younger son, by putting Esau's garments upon him, and covering his hands and neck with the skins of the kids, as to give him the appearance of being hairy, like Esau. When he came to Isaac he examined him to see if he really was his eldest, which he positively declared himself to be, by feeling of his hands, for in his voice he recognized Jacob. But the condition of his hands pre