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tremble at the gathering blackness, and threatening aspects of a universal storm, to uproot and overthrow kingdoms of earth, by the whirlwind of French Atheistical power of arms, till no other religion or government on earth should exist or be acknowledged. The appearance of that approximating tempest, was like the bursting forth upon the world of a fearful tornado, accompanied with blazing streams of lightning, in quick succession, through the atmosphere, followed with almost simultaneous claps of tremendous thunders, roaring in seven-fold terrific peals at once, shaking the earth to its centre. So did the horrors of the "Reign of Terror" thunder forth the bellowings of the war-spirit from kingdom to kingdom, till it rolled across the waters of the Atlantic, causing the western world to tremble at the sound of a trumpet-voice from the mouth of the tyrant of Europe, vociferating with thrilling majesty, the domineering proclamation of Atheistical power, uttered in one laconic sentence," America shall not be neuter." Thus, during a quarter of a century, the Atheistical war spirit of the "Reign of Terror" prevailed, until the raging element was checked by the counteracting flames of Moscow, and was totally extinguished on the ever memorable field of Waterloo. There the clarion of war was hushed, after millions had fallen victims to its power.

How vain is the human project to abolish God's Law of CAPITAL PUNISHMENT!!!

6*

LECTURE V.

ANCIENT PROPHECIES fulfilled in the existence of Popery, Mahometanism, and Infidelity.

Hence, their very existence proves, incontestably, that the Bible is true, and that Infidelity is fallacious.

One of the numerous evidences in support of the authenticity of the Bible, is the fulfilment of prophecy.

Now it is certain that ancient prophets, both of the Old and New Testaments, foretold the existence of the three combined Antichristian powers which have been described; also, the peculiarities of their distinctive characters respectively, the duration of their obstinate continuance, and the time, manner, and certainty of their final overthrow; all which circumstances were then future events to the prophets.

I. The Prophet Daniel foretold the existence of Popery more than 550 years before the advent of Messiah, in his first vision of a "little horn," recorded in the seventh chapter of his prophecy. In that remarkable vision, the prophet saw and described a "little horn," which came up among the ten horns of a terrible beast. The little horn plucked up three of the horns of the great beast by the roots. The little horn had eyes like a man, and a mouth speaking great things. All this was divinely explained to the prophet to signify, that in a subsequent period of the world a terrible kingdom would arise, which would "devour

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the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces." This was evidently a figurative description of the rise, extent, and power of the Roman Empire in its glory, claiming the dominion and levying a tax upon "all the world." The ten horns of the great kingdom were explained to signify ten subordinate kingdoms that should arise. The little horn that was seen in the vision to rise up among the ten horns and subdue three of them, was explained to the prophet to signify the rise of a kingdom or power that would be diverse from the others; that it would speak great words against the Most High; that it would wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and that the continuance of this power would be "a time, times, and the dividing of time," or half a time, which, according to ancient prophetic computation, would amount to twelve hundred and sixty years. Thus, a time, prophetically, one year of ancient calculation, 360 days of years, i. e. each day a year. Times, the lowest plural, would be double that number, amounting to 720 days of years. And the dividing of time, or half the number of days in a year, would be 180 days of years. The three numbers added together, viz., 360+720+180=1260 years duration.

The whole history of Popery would amount to nothing less nor more than a practical comment on the above described vision of Daniel's prophecy, proving incontestably, that Popery is the power predicted. The four great beasts which the prophet saw in vision coming up from the sea, which were divinely explained to signify four great kingdoms or powers of earth that would rise to domination, were evidently, 1 the Chaldean Empire; 2. the kingdom of the Medes and Persian; 3. the Grecian Empire; and 4. the Roman Em

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pire, exceeding in power and tyranny, extent and duration of its dominions, all preceding kingdoms of earth. Among the ten horns, i. e. the ten subordinate kingdoms of this superior empire of the earth, was the gradual rise of another horn, or kingdom, of inferior appearance at first. But having a peculiar visage in its features, especially the eyes and mouth, led the holy prophet to inquire more particularly of his celestial informant respecting the characteristical designations of that singularly appearing "little horn." To give the prophet the information requested, was evidently the principal design of the whole vision contained in the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel. Hence in the divine interpretation of the vision, the little horn was thus described to the prophet: “He shall be diverse from the first; he shall subdue three kings; he shall speak great words against the Most High; he shall wear out the saints of the Most High; he shall think to change times and laws; and they (the saints) shall be given into his hand, until a time, times, and the dividing of time."

This prediction was made by the Prophet Daniel, one of the captive Jews in Babylon, in the first year of Belshazzar's reign, which was 557 years before Christ was born. Seven hundred and fifty-six years after the birth of Christ, this prophecy of the little horn began to be fulfilled. And it is now affirmed, fearless of contradiction, that all the specifications of the divine interpretation of Daniel's vision, as above stated, as recorded in the seventh chapter of his prophecy, have been fulfilled by the existence of the Papal power from the period when Popery was constituted a secular kingdom to the present time.

It should be particularly noticed, that the vision of the prophet, emblematically, was an apparent variety of

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huge beasts of diverse descriptions, the fourth, and most dreadful of which, had ten horns; and that all the beasts in the catalogue were explained to the prophet by his celestial instructor, as symbolical representations to signify secular kingdoms of the earth. Thus Daniel declared, "The visions of my head troubled me. I came near untò one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told 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. 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 of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell. 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." This last mentioned is the kingdom of the little horn seen in the vision, and explained to signify a kingdom, for kings and kingdoms are synonymous words in the prophecy, which mean the same thing. Hence we are to understand the "little horn" to signify a kingdom of the earth; a secular, ruling power, which would come up, or rise among the ten subordinate kingdoms of the vast Roman Empire.

The Papal secular kingdom was gradual in its rise. The prediction is, that among the ten horns of the great beast, "a little horn came up." The following are known to have been subordinate kingdoms of the Roman Empire, in its ancient glory: viz., Italy,