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munities. The univerfal church, as a community, is invisible, in order to be "fafe from the "face of the ferpent." Which implies, that when a member of the univerfal church becomes visible as a fociety, fhe fhall not be safe, but be corrupted more or lefs by the fame artifices which overwhelmed the great body of profeffed Christians, and raised among them the antichriftian hierarchy.

Now, focieties may feparate from those already established ad infinitum, but the spirit of Antichrift will pervade all; a spirit of ambition and covetoufnefs in the rulers, of fenfuality and hypocrify in the members, will in fome degree infect every community, during the currency of the 1260 years. But when these come to a period, the univerfal church fhall again become visible as a community, extended over the whole earth, "clear as the fun, fair as the moon, and "terrible as an army with banners."

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CHAPTER II.

Of future Events which fhall take Place betwixt the prefent Period and the founding of the feventh Trumpet.

I PROCEED NOW to explore the regions of futurity. Regions covered with a gloom impenetrable to human forefight, but rendered visible by the light of truth.

O Thou who art the Father of Lights, who giveth wisdom to those that ask it, feeing Thou haft deigned to reveal things future, for the confolation of Thy church and people, "make dark"nefs light before me, and the crooked places "ftraight," in exploring what Thou haft revealed. Guard me against the illufions of fan. cy, and the bias of paffion, and grant me the entrance of Thy Word, which giveth light.

There are two remarkable events to be accomplished within the 1260 years of Antichrift's reign, a gradual wafte of his kingdom, and the death of the witneffes. The former is progreffive; it has already commenced, and runs coeval with the remaining years of this period. The latter coincides with the clofe of it.

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SECTION I.

A gradual waste of the Kingdom of Antichrift.

This is laid before us in thefe expreffions of the apoftle, 2 Theff. ii. 8. " And then shall that "wicked be revealed, whom the Lord fhall con"fume with the Spirit of his mouth." These not only imply a waste of his empire, but likewife the manner in which it fhall be carried on, not by force of arms, but by the influence of the truth, called the Spirit of the Lord's mouth. God is the author of truth, taken in its most extenfive fenfe, not only of revealed religion contained in his word, which is termed the truth, John xvii. but likewife of natural religion, of truths refpecting found morals, good government' and useful arts; of truths difcovered by the fpirit of adventure, and the refearches of philofophy. Now the prophecy intimates, that the knowledge of thofe truths extenfively diffused, which regard the happiness of mankind as individuals or members of fociety, fhall gradually confume the empire of Antichrift, founded an ignorance, fhall certainly, but gently, unloofe the chains wreathed round mankind by delufion.

Were

Were I to judge from prefent appearance only, I would readily conclude, that the tyranny of Antichrift would come to a period before the close of the next century; but the reasons already advanced, for fixing the commencement of his reign, induce me to believe, that the 1260 years allotted for it, fhall not be finished until the clofe of the twentieth century.

SECTION II.

The Death of the Witnesses.

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ABOUT the year 1994, another remarkable event fhall take place, namely, the death of the witneffes. This event is laid before us, Rev. xi. 7. 10. "When they fhall have finished their

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teftimony, (when they are about to finish "their teftimony) the beast that ascendeth out "of the bottomlefs pit fhall make war against "them, and hall overcome them and kill "them'."

The

(1) Some have fuppofed, that this prophecy has been repeatedly accomplished in the death of those perfons who witneffed again ft the corruptions of the church of Rome, during the currency of the 1260 years, and that there was as frequently a refurrection when perfons of a fimi

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The application of this prophecy to any event already paft, must be erroneous; for the death is followed by the refurrection, which coincides with the close of the forty-two months of the beaft's reign, and the end of the sixth trumpet. While, therefore, the Pope reigns, and the Ottoman empire is in existence, we may rest asfured, that the refurrection intended here has not taken place, fo neither has the death which immediately precedes it.

The death of the witneffes must be understood in a myftical fenfe, to make it conformable to the refurrection which follows it; so it signifies

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lar fpirit arofe after them. But that the prophecy points to a particular time, namely, the close of the 1260 years, and can apply to no other, is evident, on the following grounds 1, The expreffion orαY TEACσ, when they are about to finish, refers to the clofe of the time allotted for their mourning prophecy: 2d, They continue dead for a determined time, three days and a half, which cannot apply to every perfon put to death during the currency of the 1260 years: 3d, Their death is followed by their refurrection; now their refurrection is defcribed in fuch terms as can only apply to the clofe of the 1260 years: Thus they are called up to heaven, to exercife their office, by the voice of public authority. It coincides in point of time with the fall of the tenth part of the city, and the end of the fecond wo; but if the refurrection is limited to a precife time, fo muft the death that precedes it.

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