and describes a place of refuge having been provided for the church, during this its period of depression and sorrow,

SECOND. Another peculiarity of this period of 1260 years is, that, in a similar way to the "First Period," it has more than one duration assigned to it. IT HAS THREE DURATIONS: these are, 1260, 1290, and 1335 years (Dan. xii. 11, 12), which will be found considered under the "" Second Prophecy" of the FIRST ASPECT. THIRD. The last peculiarity which requires to be noticed is, that this period is distinguished, like the Third and Fifth Periods, by having a DOUBLE COMMENCEMENT and a DOUBLE CORRESPONDING TERMINATION..

The former six Periods, which have been already considered, have chiefly had a reference to the Jews, or to the Eastern church. They have spread over the whole of the Jewish history, from the call of Abraham and the deliverance from Egypt, to the overthrow of the kingdom of Israel-to the Babylonish captivity-to the death of Christ, and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. They have from thence extended to the era of Israel's and Judah's restoration, and the cleansing of the Sanctuary; and, finally, have described the total extinction of Christianity in the East by the arms of Mahomet and his successors. The present Great Period-a period whose prediction is given at

so many different times, and in so remarkably circumstantial a manner-proceeds to describe the apostate power of THE WEST; connecting it in the most surprising manner, in the various aspects under which it is presented to our view, with the former predictions respecting the Jews, and with the fall of Mohammedanism and Infidelity.

Thus beautifully do all the dispensations of God towards his church, from the earliest ages to the present, harmonize in one great plan; -thus exquisite is the connection between the events of history, and the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments-events of the most dissimilar cast, connected with distant nations, and to a common observer destitute of all but a local interest; -and thus, however little such an object may be contemplated by the great actors in the politics of nations-thus is the wisdom of God displayed in overruling all events to the advancement and glory of the great scheme of salvation, by the blood and righteousness of Christ! And this great end of the Divine government in the world shall yet be triumphantly accomplished; the distinguishing doctrines of the Gospel shall yet receive their due honour over the pride, wickedness, and infidelity of the human race; and Christ, the eternal Son of God, and God man Mediator, shall reign, till He hath put all enemies under his feet.

(PERIOD VII.)

First Aspect-First Prophecy.

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CONTENTS.

Popery as prophesied of by St. Paul-The Western Apostasy-The grandeur of ancient Rome-Its emperors-Its downfall-Its division into ten kingdoms-Their names -Rise of Popery among them-Its blasphemy-Its persecutions-Time of its continuance-Its gradual riseConstantine-Theodosius the Great-Valentinian III.Justinian-Edict of Justinian-Edicts of Gratian and Valentinian-Edict of Phocas-Meridian of PoperyDarkness of the Middle Ages-Arianism-The French Revolution-Double commencement of Popery-Establishment of the Papal nations-Its date-Papal assumption of infallibility-Gibbon's account of the reign of Justinian.

THE PROPHECY.

"In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagles' wings : I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl: the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I con- ⚫ sidered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of

So he told

them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws and they shall be given into his hand, until A TIME AND TIMES AND THE DIVIDING OF TIME. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." -DAN. vii.