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of solid ice. Even the robust forest trees were unable to withstand the fury of the tempest. The hail was composed of enormous solid and angular pieces of ice, some of them weighing from eight to ten ounces.' (Encyclop. Brit. French Revolution). If such was the hail-storm under the first vial, what will be "the plague of the hail" under the seventh ? We are told that every stone will be "about the weight of a talent."

The hail-storm in 1788 is as inferior in destructiveness to that in 1987, as the horrors of the French Revolution are inferior to the tremendous judgments denounced upon the Papacy before its final extermination. Between the year 1987 and the year 2001 will be the Battle of Armageddon, the Battle of that great day of God Almighty and the Supper of the great God! (Rev. xvi. 14, 16; xix. 17). In the year 1987 the judgment will sit, and they shall "take away "the Pope's" dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end." (Dan. vii. 26).

CHAPTER XX.

THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES FULFILLED. THE CHURCH OF ROME CAST OFF, AND THE JEWISH CHURCH GRAFTED IN. CONVERSION OF THE JEWS AND RETURN TO THEIR OWN

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AND POWER WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM TO CON

TINUE (PRACTISE) FORTY AND TWO MONTHS." Verse 5.

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THE downfall of the Papacy is intimately connected with the conversion of the Jews, and their restoration to the favour of God. "Power was given to the" Pope "to practise forty and two prophetical "months." For the same space of time the Jewish nation is to be trampled under foot. "The Holy City is to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles forty and two months." (Rev. xi. 2). "The power of the Holy People is to be scattered for a time, times and a half." (Dan. xii. 7). Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke xxi. 24). Thus we have the express testimony of our Saviour, of Daniel, and St.

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John, that "Jerusalem is to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles," for a period of 1260 years, which period is denoted by three different expressions all denoting the same thing" the times of the Gentiles' -"a time, times and a half""forty and two months." To these testimonies we may add that of St. Paul:-"Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Rom. xi. 25). The phrase "the fulness of the Gentiles" appears to be an elliptical expression for "the fulness of the times of the Gentiles." This was a delicate subject to mention to the Romans. Accordingly the Apostle is careful to hurt their feelings as little as possible. He cautions them "not to boast"—" not to be wise in their own conceits "not to be highminded, but fear." He foresaw that the Church of Rome would claim to be "the only true Church, "the Mother and Mistress of all Churches; " he foresaw that the Bishop of Rome would claim superiority over every other Bishop, and, "as God, would sit in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." The mystery of iniquity did already work. The Church of Rome boasted against the Jews, as if the Jews were cast off for ever, and the Church of Rome were the favourite Church of Heaven. "I say then," says the Apostle, "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid!....Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well because of unbelief they were broken off;

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und thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity but toward thee, goodness; if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olivetree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive-tree; how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree? For I would not brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (Rom. xi. 1, 18—26).

The Church of Rome has fallen into apostasy, and will at the conclusion of the next century be cast off for ever. But she has not fallen without a warning. As long as she stood, she stood "" by faith;" but, wishing to invent some other method of standing, she fell. The fundamental doctrine of justification by FAITH ONLY is the key-stone of Protestantism. It is the brightest jewel of the Reformation. It is the glory of the Church of England. 'We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not

for our own works and deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by FAITH ONLY is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.'-Article XI. But this doctrine, though most wholesome and very full of comfort, is unpalatable to the Church of Rome. It strikes at the root of all her abominations, her doctrines of purgatory, penances, indulgences, pardons, works of supererogation, works of merit, masses, &c. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. v. 1.) "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. vi. 23.) But Roman Catholics will not receive eternal life as a free gift; they must do something to deserve it. Like the Jews of old

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they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge; for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God." (Rom. x. 2, 3.) The assertion of St. Paul is most express: "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW." (Rom. iii. 28.) Perhaps a Roman Catholic will contend that the ceremonial, and not the moral, law is meant. But the two following arguments will prove that the moral law is meant, or, at least, included.

First, St. Paul has proved Gentiles as well as Jews "that they are all under sin, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. (Rom. iii. 9, 19.) But the law, which con

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