Extract from "A Minute Interpretation of the fourteenth chapter of the Apocalypse," relative to the period of the seventh Vial.

"Having brought the history of the Church to a close, with "the interpretation of the fourteenth chapter of the Apoca"lypse, it remains to be observed, with respect to our present position in prophetic history, and our future expectations, "that now, upon the theatre of Italy, is about to be solved "that interesting problem, formerly discussed,* whether the imperial tyrannical reigns of Rome and Austria will be for

any space of time contemporary, that is, whether the last Anti"christ who must shortly be raised to the throne of Rome "by the development of the present continental revolution, "will be so with the consent of, or in opposition to Austria. "The time of the destruction of all the kingdoms of the world "is involved in this question; for, as the attack made by the 66 emperors of Austria and Russia upon Antichrist, thus mani"fested in his last form, is described in Dan. xi. 40, as almost "the immediate precursor of the battle of Armageddon, if "there be no period after his rise during which he will reign "in Rome in friendship with Austria, that final act is even now "almost close at hand. If, from the prophetic civil history, we "turn to the ecclesiastical, we shall be confirmed in the idea "that the battle of Armageddon is not far distant; for I can "have but little hesitation in saying that the movement now "manifesting itself in the Church, distinguished as it is by the "characteristics of prayer for the nation, in reference to the present awful crisis of our affairs, and by the act of the sepa

See Combined View, edit. 1826, pp. 486, 487.

"ration of the Church of Christ from his enemies, is the com"mencement of that harvest of the earth, which immediately

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precedes the vintage of wrath. We therefore find to be united "in the events of the present day, the last political sign of the "effusion of the seventh vial, and the last ecclesiastical sign of "the separation between the servants of Christ and his enemies;

combining to prove that the great crisis is near at hand. Nor 66 can we suppose that when Antichrist shall be raised to the "throne of Rome, virtually, by so strong a principle as the revo

lutionary excitement now pervading the whole continent, the "period of his comparative quiescence or of the contemporary "reigns of Rome and Austria, can, under any circumstances, be "of long duration; neither can the harvest of mercy be supposed "much to precede the vintage of wrath. Whether, however, 66 a longer time occur, or whether, as in former cases, the "separation of the people of God only takes place on the very

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eve of the infliction of the judgment, it becomes all to be "watchful that they may be found prepared for that great day, "when Christ shall manifest himself in wrath towards his ad"versaries.

Referring then once more to the typical history, which we "have endeavoured to illustrate, we may affirm, that the "seventh circuit of the seventh day hath already been made "round the walls of the modern Jericho: the voice is to be "considered as having already gone forth from the mediatorial "throne, saying, 'It is done:' and the Church in general who "have been comparatively silent upon the subject of the "judgment coming upon the world, as revealed in prophecy, "until the time of the end,' or period of the seventh vial, "has during the last few years, in which the prophetic voice "has gone forth, been loudly heard; as, at the corresponding period, was the voice of the hosts of Israel, who were com"manded not to speak, nor make any noise with their voice, "neither to let any word proceed out of their mouth, until they were bid to shout on the seventh circuit of the seventh day.

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"The times of the Gentiles being" at this time" expired, * "it may now be said of all the kingdoms of the divided Roman Empire, as was once announced to the ancient Babylon, its prophetic type, that their days are numbered, and finished. "They have been weighed in the balances, and have been "found wanting. With respect also to this country in par❝ticular, the time of our preservation as the Protestant nation,

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standing in the situation of the ancient Israel, the peculiarly "favoured people of God, is drawing to its close; and the re"establishment of the literal Israel in their former supremacy "is at hand; while we have already begun to cast off our Protestant character, which has hitherto been our shield and "protection; and blasphemous acts of impiety, and open "defiances of Christ, are perpetrated in our metropolis, sur"passing even those which distinguished the first period of "revolutionary and infidel impiety in France. Indeed, the "interesting question which now alone remains to be decided "with respect to this country is, to what extent the deliverance of individuals may be vouchsafed, in that time of general trouble which is fast approaching? So far we know, "that the believing Church is, under all circumstances, called upon to rejoice, and never more than in times of difficulty "and trial, when she may expect peculiarly to enjoy the mani"festation of the presence of her Lord; and the time is come "that, in conformity to the type which we have considered, "her voice should be united as the voice of one man, to pro"claim with a triumphant shout, THE LORD HATH GIVEN US "THE CITY,' the walls of which now tremble with the poli"tical earthquake of the seventh vial, and shall ere long fall "down flat; when the saints of the Most High shall take the "kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever

*The words in the pamphlet published in 1831, from which this quotation is made, are as follows, viz. "The times of the Gentiles being nearly expired," they are altered in this place to render it applicable throughout to the present date, 1848.

" and ever,' and the joyful acclamation shall be heard through"out the universal heaven, saying, The Lord God omni"potent reigneth,' (Rev. xix. 6,) and of his dominion, king"dom, and power there shall be no end. Even so, Amen.'

July 12, 1831.

These Letters having been written during the time when the seventh vial was supposed to occupy the twenty-five years of Daniel, from 1822-3 to 1847-8, the French Revolution of 1830 was almost necessarily considered to be the commencement of that great continental revolution predicted as to take place within its period; and, at the same time, a remarkable movement going on amongst the members of the British and Foreign Bible Society, wifh the object of effecting a change in the form of their proceedings, by commencing them with prayer, to the exclusion of Socinians, together with the simultaneous establishment of "meetings for prayer, in reference to the awful and critical state of the Church and nation," seemed also to indicate the incipient fulfilment of a contemporaneous event predicted in the history of the Church under the symbol of "the harvest of the earth."

The revolutionary evil spirit which then manifested itself amongst the continental nations; and the spirit of prayer and separation from unbelievers which manifested itself at the same time in the Protestant British nation, may justly be considered as connected with, and the precursors of, those more advanced events, the formation of the Evangelical Alliance in 1846, and the breaking out of the great continental revolution of the year 1848; but prophetically I must consider the revolution of 1830

* See "Eight Letters on Prophecy," viz., Letter VIII., containing "A Minute Interpretation of the Fourteenth chapter of the Apocalypse, as illustrative of the type of Jericho,” pp. 77—80, 1831.

as distinct from that of 1848, as having occurred in a different prophetic period; it is also distinguished in itself, both from the present revolution and that of the year 1792, to which two events the symbol of an earthquake appears to be exclusively applied, by its not having like them terminated in the establishment of a republic.

Our supposed position in prophetic history in 1831 being found to be our actual position in 1848, the anticipations written at the former period, and quoted above, (having been founded on the text alone,) are precisely applicable, when considered as referring to the present time.

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