machinery, both heavenly and diabolic, (*) by which the actions of men are mysteriously fashioned and made to work out the allotted share of this planet in the vast drama of Providence.

Concealment in a clothing of metaphor and hieroglyphic, () was not only conformable to the style predominant in the ancient and still in the Eastern world, but was a necessary attribute of prophecy the accomplishment of which mankind Ishould not be able to claim as their own purposed doing, () yet which should be perfectly clear in historic application when

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But these

the time of fulfilment arrived. enigmatic predictions were not necessarily to lie unstudied till their obvious realization forced itself upon public attention, and attested the Divinity of their Author; neither were they designed to be read by the Church for ages merely as incomprehensible mysteries which time might one day clear up, or as awful wonders for the imagination, yielding only impressive general lessons for our spiritual life. Occupying a large portion of the holy oracles, and addressed to the people of God, (") the unfulfilled prophecies must have

and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.—Job i. 7—12.

I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. -And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?-Daniel iv. 13, 17, 34, 35.

(4) Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince-Daniel x. 18, 20, 21.

Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.-Daniel xi. 1.

And when the servant of the man of God was risen carly, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha -2 Kings vi. 15-17.

Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?" And one spake

saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.-2 Chronicles xviii. 18-21.

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.-Revelation xvi. 1.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.-Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.-Revelation xii. 7-9, 12.

(1)I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.-Hosea xii. 10.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.-Proverbs

XXV. 2.

(n) I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.-Isaial xlviii. 3-7.

(n) Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me. -Ezekiel xi. 25.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then B 2

their use and value; (2) they come to us with Divine permission and command for examination; (2) they are accompanied by sample interpretations in various places; (4) and a blessing is distinctly promised to the faithful and devout student of God's shadows of things to come. (")

But while we have a Divine injunction. to seek for the import of the signs, allegories, and symbolic imagery of the prophets, (8) a caution is also given that "no prophecy of the Scripture is its own interpretation ;"() predictive announcements are to be understood only by comparing them with the whole scope of the prophetic writings and with the gradual unfolding of events. Neither is it intended for men to pry too closely

he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel vii. 1.

And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. -Revelation x. 11.

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.-Revelation xxii. 16, 10.

(0) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.-Revelation xix. 10.

(p) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. -John v. 39.

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. -Habakkuk ii. 2, 3.

(4) The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden caudlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.- Revelation i. 20.

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.--And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.Revelation xvii. 12, 15, 18.

()The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those

into the ordained times and seasons of the future. (")

Still there are encouragements for believing that, if we enter upon the contemplation of the visions and utterances of the holy seers with due moderation and freedom from preconceived theories and expectations, we may decipher enough of unfulfilled prophecy to perceive the true bearing of events transpiring in our own times. Daniel knew that the close of the Babylonian captivity was nigh, by understanding from the book of Jeremiah the number of years it was to last. (") The scribes knew from the prophecy of Micah, and told Herod, the name of the village where the Messiah was to be born. (w) Christ

things which are written therein for the time is at hand. -Revelation i. 1-3.

And he said unto me, These savings are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.Revelation xxii. 6, 7.

(8) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. -Revelation xiii, 18.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand :) then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains.Matthew xxiv. 15, 16.

(t) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.-2 Peter i. 20.

(u) When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.-Acts i. 6, 7.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.-Matthew xxiv. 36.

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.-Deuteronomy xxix 29.

(v) In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. -Daniel ix. 2.

(2) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet.-Matthew ii. 3-5. But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little

born.

reproved the Jews for not discerning "the signs of the times;" implying that, had they compared with the Scriptures the events they witnessed, they would have apprehended the significance of the Gospel days they had lived to see so blindly. (*) In entering on His ministry, He appealed (it would seem) to the near expiry of Daniel's seventy weeks, saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." (") And to prophecy both the Saviour and His apostles referred for an explanation of His sufferings and subsequent glory. (*)

Indeed, it may be that new discoveries of the meaning of obscure predictions may yet break forth; as they did in the days of Paul concerning the admission of the Gentiles to the salvation of Jesus. (a)

But clearly there are prophecies waiting for fulfilment in these latter days; (') and in the unerring light of the history unfolded in the Book of God, "coming

among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.Micah v. 2.

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?-John vii. 40-42.

(x) He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?-Matthew xvi. 2, 3.

And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? -Luke xii. 54-56.

(y) Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.—Mark i.

14, 15.

(2) Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.-Luke xxiv. 25-27.

But those things, which God before had shewed by the

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events" may indeed "cast their shadows before." Since the Christian era, history has exhibited a world moving on through ages of barbarism and bloodshed, -one empire succeeding another only to become. a more hostile and rampant enemy of liberty and godliness. And so far from the many revolutions and changes having gradually. approximated toward an era of peace and rectitude, for anything history can teach to the contrary, the world might have another eighteen hundred years of war and convulsion, of the domination of a Papal or infidel Antichrist, still before it. But the Holy Spirit has not left us comfortless. The course of Providence to the end of time, and more particularly the career of the great Antichristian apostasy, are revealed for the caution and safety, and for the hope and consolation of the Church. () The inspired predictions shed a radiant light upon the prolonged scene of

mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.-Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.-Acts iii. 18, 24.

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.-1 Peter i. 10-12.

(a) Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.-Romans xvi. 25, 26.

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.-Ephesians iii. 5, 6. (b) Ezekiel xii. 21-28.

(c) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.-Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. -2 Timothy iii. 1, 12, 13.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great sigus and wonders; insomuch that,

violence and suffering; they tell us of the certain appearing of a better day, (d) when all Christ's enemies shall be destroyed;() and that, in relation to the invisible world, the delay is really short, though to us apparently so protracted. (f)

We are also informed what shall be the ominous premonitions of that catastrophe which will overtake an evil world; (') and if an era of unparalleled trouble is to precede Messiah's reign over a universe of righteousness and glory, Christians may learn to descry the signals of its approach, and, already forewarned, rejoice through tribulation in prospect of the blessedness to follow. (")

Again, prophetic study enables us to perceive with what exactness and regularity the great cycles of decreed providence are performed; how the repeated assaults of

if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.-Matthew xxiv. 24, 25.

(d) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star anise in your hearts.-2 Peter i. 19.

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God bath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.-Acts iii, 20, 21.

(e) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.-Hebrews x. 12, 13.

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. -1 Corinthians xv. 25,

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.-Hebrews ii. 8.

(f) This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.-But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.-2 Peter iii. 1-4, 8, 9.

(g) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in mar

Satan against the Redeemer's cause are permitted to prosper for limited and predetermined seasons. We can assign to every act in the long record of our world's doings, its place in the ordained progress of events, and distinguish the special end it was intended to accomplish.

In short, by a wise and temperate use of the sublime revelation given of God's plan of dealing with our race, we can penetrate the otherwise inexplicable mystery of evil predominant for long ages in the very realm purchased by the Son for His own inheritance; while a new display of the Divine power, wisdom, and goodness is opened up to our contemplation in the mighty scheme which is working the progressive ruin of the arch-adversary and the ultimate prosperity of a redeemed world.

riage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.-Matthew xxiv. 38, 39.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.-Luke xvii. 28-30.

(h) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.-Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.-Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.-Matthew xxiv. 21, 29, 30, 32, 33.

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the carth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.Luke xxi. 25-31.

BIBLE prophecy, while delineating the entire course of time, does not relate beforehand the history of the whole earth. Except incidentally, or by implication, the greater portion of the lands and peoples of our mighty globe is omitted from specific mention. The antique and exclusive heathenism of the myriad inhabitants of China; the degradation of teeming Hindoos, who bear truly, in their insignia of caste, "the mark of the beast upon their foreheads; the revolutions among wild Tartar tribes; the bloody annals of European aborigines and slaughtering Northmen; the dark and miserable history of races secluded within the African continent; the past and future of that half of the globe discovered in the North and South Americas, with all their native and colonised nations; the career of prosperous populations in the Australian continent, that future Europe of the South; the growth of island kingdoms peopling the wide Pacific,-all are well-nigh wanting, if not totally unrecognised, in the geography and chronology of the prophetic writings. Indeed, mere vastness of territory and multitude of inhabitants have not made countries eminent in the plan of Providence; events of rare magnitude, and distinguishing epochs among men, being left unmarked by the inspired seers as governing features in God's management of the human family. The ancient

prophets foretold things to come concerning the then known world-chiefly limited to that division of the earth's surface included under the great monarchies of Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. While all other lands are passed by as of minor importance, the course of the world's history, from the Deluge to the Millennium, is represented as being interested in and determined by the part played by mankind upon this one particular sphere of empire; just as a single region of Western Asia concentrated upon itself all the great features of history throughout the long period preceding the Flood.

But the ages revolve upon a still narrower centre than this. The keystone of the mighty political systems which have arisen within this fundamental territory is the, humanly speaking, comparatively unimportant nationality of Israel. For, when God made known His wondrous plan of salvation, it was not to fallen men indiscriminately; but, after preserving a knowledge of Himself in a wicked world by transmission through a line of devout patriarchs, He employed one nation to be the practical exponent of His will to all the rest. We shall therefore find it to be actually the fact that the fortunes of the world at large have been regulated by the circumstances, characteristics, and comportment of the Hebrew Hence, also, the revelations of pro

race.