"to the Little Horn," only THREE YEARS and an HALF. But although they agree that "a time, times, "and the dividing of time," is three years and an half, yet that fource of innumerable errors in the interpretation of the prophecies, a too great eagernefs to apply every thing wicked to the Pope, has led them to reduce the three years and an half into months, the months into days; and finding there are 1260 days in three and an half of Jewish years, and then taking each day for a year, they have fixed upon 1260 years, as the period during which the faints were to be "worn out" by the Pope, merely because that period is fixed upon in the prophecies for the continuance of the power of the church of Rome, and for its depreffion of the church of Chrift. I fay merely, becaufe I cannot find any thing in this chapter, nor in any other part of the prophecies, that countenances this interpretation. We are told, indeed, that the "beaft of the "fea," which all proteftant commentators agree is the great type of the church of Rome, was to "continue forty and two months *;" that the fame Power fymbolized in "the court which is without "the temple, and given to the Gentiles, was to "tread the holy city (or the faints and true believers "in the revealed word of God) under foot forty and "two months;" and that the "two witneffes "of God," (or the true believers in his holy word, revealed in the two TESTAMENTS), were to prophecy 1260 years in fackcloth," or in a ftate of depreffiont. And there is no doubt, but that these numbers refer to the fame period of the duration of the papal power, and the depreffion of the true church. *Rev. xiii, 5. † Chap. xi. 2. Ibid. 3. But 66 But I can no where find the leaft intimation in Scripture, that" the faints of the Moft High fhould "be worn out," or utterly deftroyed, during fo long a period; nor that the figurative expreffion of "a "time, times, and the dividing of time," refers to the Pope; nor that he was to "wear out," or entirely to deftroy, the faints. I grant it is faid, that he"fhall have power to make war upon the faints, " and to overcome them, and lead them into captivity" and this he already has done, during a fpace of almost 1260 years. But, furely, there is an evident difference between "overcoming and carrying "a people into captivity, and utterly deftroying, "or wearing them out." Befides, it is exprefsly foretold, by the prophet, that "God will give power unto the two witneffes, and they fhall prophecy one thousand two hundred and threefcore "days (or years) in fackcloth ;" and this during the continuance of the power of the Pope, and his depreffion of the faints and church of Chrift. Now if they were to be "worn out," or utterly deftroyed, during this long period, they could not "prophecy, even "in fackcloth." And thus, by putting this conftruction upon the words, "a time, times, and "the dividing of time," commentators have involved the two greatest of the prophets in a manifeft contradiction to each other; for it makes Daniel fay, that the faints fhall be "worn out," and deftroyed; and St. John, that they fhall not be deftroyed, but be carried into captivity, and prophecy in fackcloth," during the fame period. Can both these propofitions be true? But to place this injudicious conftruction in its true light, they agree, that "a time" is a prophetic year, and, of courfe, that feven times are feven * Rev. xiii. 7. years. years. Now let us fuppofe, for a moment, that thefe feven years are prophetic years, as they have fuppofed the three years and an half; for they have nothing but fuppofition to found their interpretations upon; and then let us reduce thefe feven years into months, as they have reduced the three years and an half, and the months into days, and then take each day for a year, and we fhail extend the period of Nebuchadnezzar's infanity, from the time it must have commenced, and which took place ups wards of 500 years before Chrift, to 2520 years; and even beyond the age we live in. The reader, I truft, now perceives that the mark of a time, times, and the dividing of time," was not intended by the prophet to refer to a period of 1260 years, nor in any refpect to the church of Rome; and, confequently, that it muft refer to fome other power. Let us then endeavour to find out the true prototype of this mark from the 'event itfelf, the most certain clue to the truth of prophecy. It is certainly a mark of a determinate period, during which fome wicked powers fhall wear out the "faints," or utterly abolish the Chriftian religion : and we have, as I have before fhewn, feen the faints, or the profeffors of Chriftianity, and every trace of the Gospel of Chrift, "worn out," and utterly abolished in France. How long this abolition was to continue, I humbly apprehend, the prophet informs us by the prophetic numbers of "a time, times, and "the dividing of time." Taking then certain late events, which have come to país in France, as my guide, I am led to interpret thefe numbers into three years and an half: a conftruction, not only juftified by the text, but clearly fupported by the events. For if we date the beginning of this period at the time of the laft dreadful decree for the exile of the clergy, and its murderous executions, and its end at the time of the decree granting to the Christians who remained in France, and had, through the mercies of God, been wonderfully preferved, a free toleration of their religion, we shall find it "a time, times, and the dividing of time," or exacly three years and an half. The decree for the exile of the clergy paffed the 26th of August 1792, but the murderous execution of it was not finished until the latter end of the following month. From that time no perfon in France dared to mention the name of God, or of his bleffed Son Jefus Chrift, but with difrefpect and contempt; or, if he did, he was fcorned and infulted, and put to death as a fanatic. This is, therefore, a proper epoch from whence to date the giving up "the faints into "the hands of the Little Horn," or the then horrible government of France, whofe power was then styled "the reign of terror and of death." As to the end of this prophetic period, the event is equally demonftrative of it. For from the end of September 1792, when the clergy were imprifoned and maffacred (for they were not permitted even to go into exile), the diftreffing fate of the Chriftians in France furpaffes defcription. Death, the most horrible, was continually ftaring them in the face. The guillotine, the cannon, mufket, and national baths, were in conftant exercife; and the minds of every man, woman, and child, profeffing Christianity, were fmitten with the dread of immediate death. In this dreadful state (a ftate in which, according to the literal fenfe of the text, they were "given into the hand" of the French government) they remained until the latter end of March 1796, when, glutted with Chriftian blood, the atheistical demagogues paffed a decree, granting a full toleration of all kinds of religion, which virtually repealed all the decrees against fanatics, and delivered the the Chriftians out of their hands.. Now, if we cal culate the time between the latter end of September 1792, and the latter end of March 1796, we fhall find it, in the language of prophecy, "a time, times, "and a dividing of time," which, when interpreted, is exactly a period of three years and an half. Thus, taking the events as a clue, and comparing them with the text, we have unraveled its myftical meaning, and arrived at the truth. There is an eighth, and not the leaft important, mark of the Little Horn, which remains to be confidered. "There were to be three of the first "horns pluckt up by the roots before him," or, as the angel explains it, "he fhall fubdue three "kings. Here kings mean any ftates, be the forms of their government whatever they may; and I have before fhewn, in my humble opinion, that the ten horns, or ftates, are Great Britain, France, Holland, Germany, Pruffia, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, and Naples. Now the ten horns were to rife out of the head of the fourth beaft, which all commentators agree is the western, or the Roman empire, in its papal ftate; and the ftates I have juft mentioned have rifen out of, and do now occupy the territory of that empire. The "Little Horn" was to "rife after the ten horns." The revolutionary republic of France has "rifen "after" the ten ftates. Again, the "Little Horn was to come up "among" the ten horns. The republic of France has come up "among among" the ten kingdoms and states, and even out of one of them, the kingdom of France. The "Little Horn" was to pluck up by the roots, or fubdue, "three of the first horns.' The republic has plucked up by the roots, and utterly fubdued three of the first ftates, namely, the kingdom of France, the Stadholderate of Holland, and the Helvetic Union, or EE 2 Swifs |