tact with Messiah the Prince, occupy any space on the prophetic map. From this' it also follows that prophetic allusions to, denunciations against, or descriptions of dominions, states, or territories, how extensive soever, which come not directly in contact with the kingdom of the Messiah, are not to be found on the pages of prophecy, further than this-that they all shall one day become the kingdoms of the many-crowned Prince of Peace.

Amongst the most distinguished interpreters of prophecy a distinction has obtained entitled to some attention, especially preliminary to an analysis of the prophetic writings. Prophecies are by some divided into the “discursive” and “historical.” The discursive are those which, regardless of the conditions of time and place, of our moods of thought, and all our associations of ideas, array before the mind future scenes in quick succession, not in the usual connexion of cause and effect, not coincident with our trains of thought, our views of order, and methods of time and place; but in connexion with the unity of purpose and effect, and similarity of character accordant to the laws of the divine mind. All this is well expressed and set forth in the peculiar style of one of the latest of the interpreters:

"The prophetic harp," says he, "in the hands of those most lofty of the prophets, is continually employed, as it were, in playing the variations of the same divine piece, whereof the various notes are the acts of God's providence, and the harmony, the heavenly harmony, is the concert of those acts with the attributes of the Divine Spirit, whether in his own personality, or present in the souls of his people. This harp is awakened by some great event about to happen to the earth, and being awakened, it plays through the compass of all the strings, a melody to the glory of God, and the salvation of the church out of the hands of all her enemies.

"Which figures and similitudes my discourse affecteth not, but they present themselves as giving the only intelligible idea of that method of discourse which God employs, in the mouths of these discursive prophets. Hence all events seem confused and blended together, one eclipseth another with its greater glory, and is straightway swallowed up in the greater glory of a third. The first coming and the second coming of Christ; the first destruction of Jerusalem, and the second; the first redemption by Cyrus, and the second by Christ, and to those who receive him, a third greater redemption and deliverance, which hath not yet arrived; a first pouring out of the spirit, and one infinitely surpassing it; a first blessedness and consolation to the earth in the coming of Christ, and a second, whereto the first is but as the shaking of an olive tree, and the dropping of grapes before the vintage is come; all these great events of God's providence to the earth pass before us in the prophetic discourse, with a sublime glory, which is almost inconceivable by the powers of the natural mind, though Į believe it to be natural to the spiritual mind, were it redeemed and set free from the conditions of time and place, and the sequency of cause and effect, into the view and comprehension of the mysteries of God

"To take the example of one prophet, which will answer for any other, Daniel and John excepted, such a discourse flung off, as it were, in one mood of the Inspiring Spirit, and assimilating to itself all kindred events till the end of the prophetic dispensation, is contained in the first five chapters of Isaiah; and another such carries us to the 13th chapter; where another such begins, with several particular burdens for its text, and carries us forward to the 36th chapter, if it be not broke in twain at the 28th; and thenceforth to the end, the prophet seems altogether out of the conditions of time, and delivered from the ordinary conditions even of prophetic discourse, sailing freely in the ocean of his revelations, as if a portion had been given to him of God's own comprehension, which comprehendeth things with no respect of time, but with respect to his own eternal holiness, and combineth them not by any sequence of cause and effect, but delighteth in them as the offspring of his all-comprehending and all-creating WORD."

All the prophets, with the exception of Daniel and John, are of the discursive character. These two are historical prophets. They deliver to us not in artificial language, but in a natural or emblematical language, that it might be more universally intelligible to the wise of all ages; and comprehend under the expressive symbols of objects in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, in a short compass, the great outlines of all the fortunes of the church in its connexions with this world, and with an exact reference to our arrangements of things, in respect to time and place, and all their circumstances. These two *prophets, Daniel and John, set forth the history of the church in the most picturesque symbols in reference to time and place, and lay down upon a map, graduated upon the scale of a day for a year, the great events of all future times. The meridian line of this map shall presently call for our attention.

As yet preliminary to our attempts to set in order certain parts of these historical prophecies, according to our modes of thinking and speaking in the 19th century, we would observe that, although attempts of this sort are brought into disrepute because of the abortive efforts of many sanguine spirits, who, buoyed up by some peculiar fervors in reference to some passing events, great in their eyes, but too small to merit even a location on the chart of more than half the flight of time, have committed blunders and fallen into the most palpable mistakes which have been notorious to all, it neverthe Tess does not follow that all the labors of past interpreters have been vain; nor do the clashings of them in respect to certain parts of these prophecies, at all weaken or impair their conjoint testimony, or concurrence in the great burthen of Old and New Testament predictions.

If we could not add a new idea to those already entertained, and If we should pass over in silence the most profound the points on which contradictory views have been expressed; yet, in our opinion, a service of much value to the saints would be performed if we should only exhibit to them in order the great outlines on which there is a much greater concurrence of opinion than in what constitutes "the

standard orthodoxy in the essentials of christian doctrine." Men of the first order of intellect, education, literary and scientific fame, though of opposing creeds and opinions on the affairs of church government, and christian doctrine, have admirably concurred in the interpretation of many of the master prophecies of Daniel and John. And so long as the reputation of Mede, Vitringa, Moore, Owen, Daubuz, Whitby, Bengelius, Chandler, Hurd, Bishop Newton, and Sir Isaac Newton, lives in the memory of man, no one can say that only men of inferior or ordinary minds have turned their thoughts to the interpretation of prophecy. A host, of gigantic stature, of which those named are but a sample, have not only shed a very brilliant light upon the prophetic symbols, but have concurred to the admiration of all in the more prominent groups which occupy the high places in the prophetic field.

The meridian line of prophetic events with which we wish to commence, is that vision of Daniel found in the 7th chapter of his prophecy. This we select on three accounts-first, because it was interpreted by an angel to Daniel; in the second place, because of the almost universal agreement of all commentators in understanding it; and, in the third place, because it is both the most comprehensive and particular view of the whole series of events detailed in all the other prophecies of Daniel and John, and serves as the corner land marks of a great plantation, by which we trace all the intervening lines. This carries us forward in a straight line from the first year of the reign of Belshazzar, king of Babvion, to the end of time.

The vision of the image given to Nebuchadnezzar, and interpreted by Daniel, chap. ii. exhibits the same view of the four great Pagan empires, until the time of setting up the kingdom of Jesus under the figure of a little stone, which, while a little stone, before it became a mountain, broke the image to powder. The second vision represents the same four empires with reference to the papacy, or the empire of the little horn, and the Millennium. Thus the golden head of the first vision, and the lion with eagle's wings of the second vision, represent the Assyrian empire. The silver breast and arms of the first vision, and the bear with three ribs in its mouth, denoting its three conquests over Lybia, Arminia, and Babylon, represent the Medo-Persian empire. The brazen body and thighs of the first image, and the leopard with four wings of a fowl and four heads, denote the fleetness and rapid division into four parts, under separate heads, of the Macedonian kingdom. And the iron legs, with feet part of iron and clay, of the first vision, and the non-descript fourth beast, dreadful and strong exceedingly, with iron teeth which brake in pices and stamped the residue with the feet of it, having ten horns, of the second vision, represent the Roman empire, its haughty and destructive power, crushing all the prophetic earth, and its final dismemberment into ten kingdoms by the incursion of the northern hordes. As in the first vision the four metals constitute one image, it is indicated that the political power of the first four empires would be actuated by one and the same principle. Hence they were all pagan empires. The

new power, purely mental and moral, indicated by the little stone, rises while this pagan power was in its zenith. Its future increase, its perpetual existence, and ultimate triumph finish the outlines of the first vision.

But the second vision exhibits its fortunes and destiny under new symbols and with remarkable minuteness and perspicuity. The fourth beast, which arose out of the sea, emblem of the political commotions whieh gave birth to these great empires, is described prospectively as having ten horns, indicative of the ultimate subdivisions of the Western Roman Empire. After it had assumed this form, the prophet saw a little horn arise, which plucked up three of the former horns by the root. The little horn is then described as having human powers, eyes like a man, and speaking great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. This 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. This depotes the papal power, which "speaks great words against the Most. High, and wears out the saints of the Most High, and aims at changing times and laws." The dominion of this power is next described as continuing "a time, and times, and the dividing of a time." The wasting away of this power and its ultimate total extinction are next foretold, and then "the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, is given to the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Thus the second vision carries us forward to the ultimate and universal triumph of the christian cause and kingdom.

The other two visions of Daniel concerning the Mahometan and Infidel powers, run parallel with a part of this most comprehensive vision; but having chosen this as an exact and comprehensive outline, we shall confine ourselves to its details until we have arranged under it such prominent parts of the prophecy of John as illustrate it, and are illustrated by it.

I will only add, that, a few Roman Catholic writers excepted, there is a universal agreement amongst all the interpreters in the above outlines of these two visions. Concerning the dragon, the ten-horned beast, and the two-horned beast of John, we shall offer some remarks in our next. EDITOR.

INDIAN SPASMODIĆ CHOLERA,

THIS terrific pestilence, from recent developements, both contagious and epidemic, has at length visited England on its progress westward and northward In the year 1817 it first appeared within the Delta on the Ganges in the month of May or June; though it seems not to have attracted much notice till the August following, when it appeared in Jessore, a city 90 miles north-east of Calcutta. In the first seven years of its progress it travelled over ninety-one degrees of longitude and sixty-seven degrees of latitude, an area about 6000

miles in length and 4000 in breadth. During this period it visited many cities and islands, and cut off about six millions of human beings. As a specimen of its ravages take the following:-In Shiraz, the population of which was 40,000, there died 16,000 in a few days. In Bassora 18,000 died, of which number 14,000 died in two weeks. In the Isle of Bourbon, of 267 persons attacked 178 died. At Benares, in two months 15,000 persons died. In 1818, when it reached the grand army of India, under Marquiss Hastings, consisting of 10,000 troops and 80,000 followers, in twelve days from its first appearance nearly 9000 fell victims to it. A change of the location of the army having taken place, 50 miles to the south-east, and to higher ground, this pestilence declined. Its ravages in Canton and Pekin in China cannot be estimated. Coffins and funeral requisites were furnished by the public treasury. Many died walking in the streets, in a few minutes after the first attack. Some died as soon as attacked. It is said that "at Billary a tailor was attacked with the cholera, and instantly expired with his work in his hands, and in the very attitude in which he was sitting."*

It travelled in some places at the rate of only two miles an hour; while in others, at the rate of from twelve to eighteen, not covering the whole country, but attacking spots here and there in various directions, pretty much in the current of the winds. In a single season in one country it has visited places distant from each other 500 miles.

In 1823 it invaded Russia and progressed even to the frontiers of Siberia. Its ravages seem not to be affected by the degrees of latitude or longitude. In the torrid zone, and in the Isle of France, Archangel, and Petersburg, in the cold regions of the North, in summer and winter it rages with equal fury. Even at Archangel, out of 1200 cases there were 800 deaths. In 15 days after its arrival in St. Petersburg, there were 3076 cases, and 1311 deaths. Out of 8130 reported cases in Moscow, 4385 perished. We cannot go farther into the details. In seven years' progress through Russia and all the surrounding coun tries it has swept as many millions off the stage, as in the first seven years of its history. It has commenced in England with equal malignity, having appeared in Sunderland in November last. Up to the 30th December, there had died in Sunderland 196 persons. Thence it spread to New Castle upon Tyne. Reports up to the 27th December, give of cases in New Castle, 246; of deaths, 93. In North Shields, of the first 13 cases, nine died. In Gateshead, where it appeared on the morning of Christmas day, in two days there were 89 cases and 32 deaths. The number of human beings which have been carried off by this disease are variously estimated from 15 to 50 millions! In Alexandria there died about 800 per day, and in Smyrna the population by death end flight was reduced in a few weeks from 80 to 30,000! It follows the course of all the great rivers in the countries which it has visited, and seems at home on land and sea-on all coasts and shores, having been equally destructive along the Ganges, the Nile, the Vistula, the Volga, along the coast of the Caspian Sea, the Medi terranean, and the German Ocean. EDITOR.

THE IMPUTATION OF UNITARIANISM repelled,

As offered by Bernard Whitman.

WE have hastily glanced over a pamphlet of 60 pages, 3d edition, printed at Richmond, Va. by Bernard Whitman, a Unitarian Minister of Waltham, Massachuset s; being “A Letter to an Orthodox Minister on Revivals of Religion," May, 1831.

It would be saying but little in commendation of this pamphlet to state, that it is worthy of a candid perusal from all the actors, aiders, abettors, and advo cates of the popular excitements called "revivals of religion." The writer *" Journal of Health," from which we have collected most of the fucts in this sketeh