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 DANIEL'S PROPHETIC NUMBER 
 
 OF 
 
 TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED DAYS; 
 
 AND ON 
 
 C&e Christian's £)utg 
 
 TO INQUIRE INTO 
 
 THE CHURCH S DELIVERANCE. 
 
 BY ARCHIBALD MASON, 
 
 MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, WISHAWTOWN. 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 PRINTED BY YOUNG, GALLIE, & CO. 
 
 SOLI) BY 
 
 M. OGLE; AND A. & J.. M. DUNCAN, GLASGOW: OGLE, ALLARDICE, & THOMSON j 
 
 OLIFHANT J WAUCH, & INNES ; A. BLACK J D< BROWN ; AND T, NELSON, 
 
 EDINBURGH : G. CUTHEERTSON FAISLEY '. W. SCOTT, GREENOCK : J. MEUROS, 
 
 KILMARNOCK : AND OGLE, DUNGAN, & COCHRAN, LONI>OX. 
 
 1820. 
 
ESSAY I. 
 
 DANIEL'S PROPHETIC NUMBER 
 
 TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED DAYS. 
 
 The eighth chapter in the book of Daniel contains the 
 record of an extraordinary vision, which that prophet saw, 
 when, in the third year of Belshazzar's reign, he was re- 
 siding in the palace at Shushan, in the province of Elam, 
 and standing on the banks of the river Ulai. The object 
 which was first presented to his view was a ram, which 
 had two horns; and the two horns were high, but one was 
 higher than the other, and the higher came up last. This 
 ram symbolized the Persian and Median kingdom, which 
 was represented by the silver breast and arms of Nebu- 
 chadnezzar's image ; and by the second beabt, like to a Bear> 
 in Daniel's vision of the four monarchies. " He saw the 
 ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, 
 so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there 
 any that could deliver out of his hand ; but he did accord- 
 ing to his will and became great." This kingdom overthrew 
 the empire of Babylon, and subdued, under its dominion, 
 all the nations of the east. 
 
 While Daniel was observing the appearance and opera- 
 tions of the ram, and thinking on the meaning of the vision, 
 his attention was immediately directed to another object. 
 " And as I was considering, behold, an he-goat came from 
 the west, on the face of the whole earth, and touched not 
 
4 
 
 ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his 
 eyes." The he-goat represented the Grecian Empire, which 
 was signified by the brazen belly and thighs of the king's 
 image, and by the third beast, like a leopard, in the vision 
 of the prophet. The Grecian armies came from the west, 
 under the command of Alexander, who was the notable 
 horn between the goat's eyes. Those armies marched with 
 incredible rapidity, attacked furiously the Persian armies, 
 defeated them completely in a few battles, overturned the 
 empire, and subdued the nations, of which it was composed, 
 under their authority. In this vision the prophet saw, that 
 the " he-goat waxed very great ; and when he was strong 
 the great horn was broken ; and lor it came up four notable 
 ones toward the four winds of heaven." This part of the 
 vision was most minutely accomplished, in the death of 
 Alexander, and in the division of his empire into four great 
 kingdoms; that of Macedonia in the west, the Syrian in 
 the east, the Egyptian in the south, and that of Pergamus 
 in the north. How exactly have Divine predictions been 
 fulfilled ! How perfectly does the Lord know the end from 
 the beginning ! How minutely has he fulfilled in his provi- 
 dence, what he has purposed in himself, and spoken in 
 his word! We may therefore expect the deliverances which 
 he has foretold, and the blessings which he has promised ; 
 for he will do as he has said. 
 
 The prophet's attention was now attracted by another 
 object, which was set before him in the vision. " And out 
 of one of them carne forth a little horn, which waxed exceed- 
 ing great, toward the south, and toward the east, and to- 
 ward the pleasant land. And it waxed great even to the 
 host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and of the 
 stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he mag- 
 nified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the 
 daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary 
 was cast down. And an host was given him against the 
 daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression, and it cast down 
 the truth to the ground, and practised and prospered," ver. 9, 
 
10, 11, 12. This little horn cannot signify the Mahometan 
 empire ; for it did not come out of any of the kingdoms into 
 which Alexander's empire was divided. Neither could the 
 little horn symbolize the Roman empire. This was repre- 
 sented by the legs and feet of the image in the King's dream, 
 and by the fourth beast in the vision of Daniel. Besides, 
 the Roman power had an origin Yery different from any 
 of those kingdoms which came into existence by the division 
 of the Grecian empire. This part of the vision was circum- 
 stantially fulfilled in the person and government of that Sy- 
 rian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, to whose character and 
 conduct, every particular in the foregoing description, and 
 in the angel's explanation of this part of the vision, in ver. 23, 
 2*, 25, will most exactly apply. The object that is called 
 in the vision, " a little horn," is denominated, in the an- 
 gelic explanation ; " a king of fierce countenance," import- 
 ing that he was to be an individual man, vested with royal 
 authority. Antiochus Epiphanes must be considered as a 
 type of the antichristian and popish power of Rome. The 
 angel informed Daniel, ver. 17. " For at the time of the end 
 shall be '.he vision," the full accomplishment of the vision. 
 He adds, ver. 19. " Behold I will make thee know what 
 shall be in the last end of the indignation ; for at the time 
 appointed the end shall be." The angel concluded his ex- 
 planation of the vision, with those words, " wherefore shut 
 thou up the vision ; for it shall be for many days," ver. 26. 
 The time of the end did not come, the last end of the indig- 
 nation did not arrive, neither did the many days expire at 
 the miserable death of Antiochus. Some other power, there- 
 fore, must be signified by this part of the vision, besides that 
 of the Syrian monarch ; and this can be no other than the 
 antichristian and idolatrous church of Rome. The idola- 
 try, the policy and craft, the cruelty and persecution, the ty- 
 ranny and success of this Syrian monster, and his hatred of 
 the church of God, have been exemplified, exceeded, and 
 for a very long time practised by the popes of Rome. The 
 procuring cause of their ascendency over the church is the 
 
same. It was by reason of transgression among the Jews, 
 ver. 12. that God gave them over to the power of Antiochus; 
 and it was because professed Christians received not the 
 love of the truth that they might be saved, and believed 
 not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness, that God 
 suffered them to fall under the delusions of Antichrist, to be- 
 lieve his lies, 2 Thes. ii. 10, 11, 12. To all professed Christi- 
 ans, these are awful warnings. How great should be our 
 concern, and how careful our endeavours, to embrace and 
 improve the truth, by faith and love ; to abhor unrighteous- 
 ness, and to study true holiness; lest the Lord give us up to 
 our own heart's lusts, and then we shall walk in our own 
 counsels. 
 
 After those objects were discovered to the prophet, his 
 attention was engaged by his hearing a voice, " Then I heard 
 one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain 
 saint who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning 
 the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, to give 
 both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot ? 
 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred 
 days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," ver 13, 14. 
 Daniel heard an angel, or holy one, speaking ; and another 
 angel, or holy one asked that angel, the important question 
 which the 13th verse contains, When the angel returned 
 the answer to Daniel, and not to the other angel, it plainly 
 proves, that it was for the prophet's information, that the 
 question was both proposed and answered. The daily sa- 
 crifice, in this vision, signifies the instituted worship of God 
 in the church ; and the desolation and treading down of the 
 sanctuary and the host, means the error, superstition and ido- 
 latry, that were established instead of that worship. The 
 question is an inquiry into the time that must elapse from 
 the date of this number, to the time when the profanation of 
 the sanctuary and the host shall come to an end, and the true 
 worship of God shall be restored. This question is answer- 
 ed in the following words. u Unto two thousand and three 
 hundred days." The answer also describes the event which 
 
will take place at the expiration of those days ; and assures 
 us, upon the veracity of that God whose servant the angel 
 was, of the certainty of that event, " Then shall the sanctu- 
 ary be cleansed." M 
 
 It does not seem possible to apply this number, in a satis- 
 factory manner, to measure the duration of the temple's pro- 
 fanation, by Antiochus Epiphanes. The most plausible and 
 ingenious attempt at this, known to me, is made by Magnus 
 Frederic Roos, a German divine, in the following words, 
 " Now how long did this removal of the daily sacrifice, and 
 the desolation of the temple last ? Two thousand and three 
 hundred evening-mornings. The evening is placed before 
 the morning, agreeably to the Jewish manner of reckoning 
 their days. Two thousand and three hundred evening and 
 morning sacrifices were omitted ; consequently one thousand 
 one hundred and fifty evening sacrifices, and one thousand 
 one hundred and fifty morning sacrifices. If we turn to the 
 books of the Maccabees, we will find that Antiochus Epi- 
 phanes caused the abomination of desolation, i. e. an abomi- 
 nable image to be set on the altar of God, on the fifteenth 
 day of the month Chisleu, in the 145th year of the Grecian 
 era, or B. C. 168; see 1 Mace. i. 54. and that the temple 
 was purged, and the daily sacrifice restored on the five and 
 twentieth day of the ninth month, which is the month Chis- 
 leu, in the 148th year of the Grecian era, 1 Mace. iv. 52. 
 From the one term to the other are three years and ten days. 
 The remaining five and forty days, or ninety evening-morn- 
 ings, elapsed before the erection of the image, as may be con- 
 cluded from 1 Mace. i. 38, 39, 40. it being naturally to be 
 supposed, that the Jews would be hindered by the soldiers of 
 Antiochus from sacrificing, even while the idol was preparing, 
 and before they placed it on the altar of God."* 
 
 Without saying any thing about the method he adopts, 
 in calculating the number of sacrifices, instead of the num- 
 ber of days, by which they are reduced to one thousand one 
 
 * Roos' Exposition of the Prophecies of Daniel, p. 216. 
 
hundred and fifty days; his statement, in other things, is far 
 from being satisfactory. From the Maccabean history, 
 nothing is certain, as to this number, but that one thousand 
 one hundred and five days elapsed, from the day in which 
 the abominable idol was placed on God's altar, and that me- 
 morable day when the morning and evening sacrifices were 
 restored. The manner in which he accounts for the remain- 
 ing forty-five days, or the ninty evening and morning sacri- 
 fices, is all conjecture and supposition. We have no account 
 of the preparation of the image at Jerusalem. The proba- 
 bility seems rather to be, that it was one of the idols which 
 accompanied the army, and that it was placed on the altar of 
 God, immediately after the King's soldiers had most treach- 
 erously attacked, and cruelly murdered many of the inhabi- 
 tants of Jerusalem, and forced a greater multitude to flee 
 from the holy city. The three verses to which he refers us, 
 in 1 Mac. i. 38, 39, 40, contain nothing concerning the 
 ceasing of the evening and morning sacrifices, for the space 
 of forty-five days, prior to the introduction of the heathen's 
 idol into the Lord's sanctuary; and, therefore, this supposi- 
 tion cannot be admitted as a satisfactory proof. 
 
 Whether this number can be applied, in any sense, to the 
 time during which the temple lay under the profanation of 
 the heathen, in the days of Antiochus, is a matter of very 
 inferior importance ; for, we are assured, that the vision will 
 reach to the time of the end. This expression is used twice 
 in the last chapter of this book, as a description of the time 
 at which the numbers that are mentioned there, will termi- 
 nate ; and, we are assured, that they refer to the commence- 
 ment of the Christian Millennium. This number of two 
 thousand three hundred days, is not connected with Daniel's 
 other numbers, which are mentioned, chap. vii. 25; xii. 
 7, 11, 12 ; nor with any of the numbers mentioned by John, 
 in his Revelations. Its commencement and termination are 
 different from the beginning and ending of any of them. 
 The event, which will take place when it expires, is also dif- 
 ferent from the events which will happen when they run out. 
 
9 
 
 It is a collateral number, given to us by the Spirit of pro- 
 phecy, to guide us to the knowledge of the time of the end, 
 and to confirm our belief of Antichrist's fall, and the church's 
 deliverance. This number, therefore, belongs exclusively 
 to the Popish pollutions of the sanctuary. 
 
 Two of the most popular English writers on Prophecy,* 
 of late years, are of the opinion, that this number should be 
 dated from the pushing of the ram ; or from the time when 
 the kingdom of the Persians and Medes exerted itself in 
 war, to enlarge its dominions. They differ indeed about 
 the particular time, or act, of pushing, from which this num- 
 ber should be dated. The pushing of the ram, no doubt, 
 is one important circumstance in the vision. But there is no 
 warrant to date this number from that circumstance. To 
 mark the date of a Scripture number, which has a relation 
 to the church of God, from a circumstance in the vision, to 
 which the number is appended, without any authority from 
 any part of the vision, must certainly be very hazardous. 
 There are other circumstances in the vision which seem to 
 have an equal, if not a superior, claim to that honour. The 
 appearance of the ram, the rising of the second horn, or 
 the union of the two kingdoms under one ruler, may be 
 some of those circumstances. Besides the warlike exertions 
 and conquests of the Persians and Medes, continuing as 
 they did for so long a time, and during the reign of several 
 of their kino's, render it impossible to fix on an indisputable 
 era; and, therefore, it is obvious that each of those writers 
 has fixed on that period, which agrees best with his precon- 
 ceived hypothesis. Since the pushing of the ram was to 
 make him great, so that no beast might stand before him, 
 nor could any deliver out of his hand, but he did according 
 to his will ; it must be very absurd, in one of those writers, 
 to fix, for the date of this number, on an act of his pushing, 
 in which he received a most decisive and ignominious defeat. 
 
 * Messrs. Bicheno and Faber. 
 
 B 
 
10 
 
 Since this number must continue till the time of the end, 
 and the last indignation, it must be equally absurd in the 
 other writer, by cutting off an hundred days from the num- 
 ber, and fixing its date in such a way, as cause it to have 
 expired many years ago. By this method of proceeding, the 
 explanation of the most important things, relative to the 
 prophetic numbers, is regulated by the conjectures of men. 
 We may, therefore, feel ourselves authorized to dismiss all 
 those calculations, as mere human inventions. 
 
 I have lately seen a small Pamphlet, which was first pub- 
 lished in America, by the Rev. William E. Davis, South 
 Carolina, and re-published in 1818, at Workington, in the 
 North of England. This Author asserts that the two thou- 
 sand three hundred days commence with Daniel's seventy 
 weeks, which are mentioned, chap. ix. 29. In this opinion, 
 I am constrained to concur. Though there are some things, 
 in his manner of calculating them, with which I do not 
 agree ; and a number of his speculations, on the three last 
 vials, in which I think he is wrong ; yet, in his opinion, 
 about the commencement of this number, I am persuaded 
 he is perfectly correct. Having mentioned my obligation 
 to this Author, I shall now endeavour to avail myself of the 
 idea which he has suggested. 
 
 The Spirit of prophecy has not said, that the two thousand 
 three hundred days began with the seventy weeks; and, there- 
 fore, positive certainty, on this matter, by express Scripture 
 testimony, is unattainable. But if it can be shown that there 
 is such a connexion between those visions, and that such 
 things are said of them as do authorise us to conclude that 
 the numbers mentioned in them, began at the same time; it 
 will lay a foundation for a judgment or belief concerning it, 
 amounting either to a high degree cf probabilit}', or to that 
 certainty which arises from scriptural deductions. A state- 
 ment of those things is now to be made : — 
 
 This opinion appears to be reasonable. The prophet is 
 directed to give us a number, fixing the fall of popery, near 
 the beginning of the Christian Millennium, a part of which 
 
11 
 
 must expire under the Old Testament dispensation, without 
 giving us any information concerning its commencement. 
 The prophet is also directed to give us another number which 
 terminated exactly at the end of that dispensation, the begin- 
 ning and the ending of which number are clearly revealed 
 to the church. Are we not warranted to believe, that the 
 clearness of the latter number is intended to remove the ob- 
 scurity of the former ; that the seventy weeks are the first 
 part of the two thousand three hundred days ; and that both 
 numbers commenced at the same time ? If we reject this, all 
 things about the beginning and the end of this numher must 
 be uncertain; but by adopting it, every thing about it will be 
 satisfactorily ascertained. The two thousand three hundred 
 days is the only number which is mentioned, either in the 
 book of Daniel, or in the revelation of John, that extends to 
 the time of the end, and begins under the former dispensa- 
 tion. It does not seem consistent with the wisdom and good- 
 ness of God, to leave his church entirely destitute of light to 
 guide her members to the knowledge of the time of the end, 
 by this important and extraordinary number. Most certain- 
 ly, however, this is the case, unless this method of ascertain- 
 ing it is adopted. 
 
 This opinion is also highly probable, beeause the same an- 
 gel, whom the Lord employed to explain to Daniel the vi- 
 sion of the ram and the he-goat, was despatched to him, 
 to make the comfortable revelations concerning the seventy 
 weeks. After Daniel had seen the former vision, and had 
 been told how long it was to continue, he heard, between the 
 banks of Ulai, a man's voice, which called and said, " Gab- 
 riel, make this man to understand the vision." When Dan- 
 iel was finishing his religious exercise of confession, of prayer 
 and fasting, for the deliverance of his people from their cap- 
 tivity, the same angel was caused to fly swiftly, and touched 
 him at the time of the evening sacrifice, and informed him 
 that the promised Messiah should appear, and finish his 
 work at the expiration of seventy weeks. In both ministra- 
 tions, the employment of this angel was the same. With re- 
 
12 
 
 spect to the former, his words are these, " Understand, O 
 son of man, for at the time of the end, shall be the vision. 
 Behold I will make thee know what shall be in the last end 
 of the indignation, Dan. viii. 17, 19. He says in the latter 
 ministration, " I am now come to give thee skill and under- 
 standing. Therefore, understand the matter, and consider 
 the vision," Dan. ix. 22, 23. Since the same angel was em- 
 ployed in these two important services ; since his work in 
 them both is the same; and since his name is not mentioned 
 in any other of Daniel's visions ; it is highly probable, that 
 the visions are intimately connected, and are so far one as to 
 have the same date. They very much resemble the two min- 
 istrations which that same angel performed fhstto Zacharias, 
 and then to Mary, when he intimated to the latter the birth 
 of our Lord, and to the former the birth of his harbinger. 
 
 There is not only reasonableness and probability on the 
 side of this opinion ; but there is something in it very like 
 certainty. Daniel's words, when he describes the angelic 
 messenger who informed him of the seventy weeks, seem to 
 prove the identity of those visions : " Yea, whiles I was 
 speaking in prayer, the man, Gabriel, whom I had seen in 
 the vision at the beginning," ver. 2 1 . The vision which is 
 referred to in those words, is the vision of the ram and the 
 he-goat, chap, viii 16. This was not the beginning of Dan- 
 iel's prophetic visions. Many years before he had this vision, 
 it is said of him, " Then was the secret revealed to him in a 
 night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven," 
 chap. ii. 19. Two years before he saw the vision of the 
 ram and the he-goat, he was privileged with a most extra- 
 ordinary vision, in which were represented to him four beasts 
 symbolizing the four successive monarchies ; the little horn, 
 or papal kingdom, which rose out of the fourth beast, or the 
 Roman empire; the cruelty and prevalence of this horn over 
 the church; the duration of this horn ; the solemn judgment 
 that was held for its destruction ; its awful ruin ; the glory of 
 Christ, the prosperity of his kingdom, and the felicity of his 
 •aints, after this horn had gone into perdition, which d is- 
 
13 
 
 eoveries comprehended all the grand operations of "provi- 
 dences from his own day till the end of the Christian Millen- 
 nium, chap. vii. The vision of the ram and the he-goat 
 was not, therefore, the beginning of his prophetic visions ; 
 and could not, on that ground, be called " The vision at the 
 beginning," The same original word which is used by the 
 prophet, and rendered, a,t the beginning, is also employed by 
 the angel, ver. 23. and translated in the same manner, " At 
 the beginning of thy supplications." For what reason is it 
 called the vision at the beginning ? When Daniel, in givino- 
 an account of his vision of the seventy weeks, calls the vision 
 of the ram and the he-goat, the vision at the beginning, it 
 certainly imports, that the two visions are, in some respects 
 the same ; that there is such a connexion between them, that 
 the first is an introduction to the second, and the second an 
 explanation of the first, and therefore they must have com- 
 menced together; though, on account of the disparity of the 
 numbers which they contain, and the difference in the events 
 which they predict, they cannot end at the same time. 
 
 This will be further evident, if it is considered, that the 
 two thousand three hundred days must have commenced af- 
 ter the fall of the Babylonian empire, and when the Persians 
 and Medes had in their hands the government of the world. 
 Neither the first nor the fourth beasts are mentioned in this 
 vision. This number must have begun after the fall of the 
 former, and before the appearance of the latter. This is the 
 very time when the seventy weeks began. They were to be- 
 gin at the going forth of the commandment to build Jerusa- 
 lem. Now, this commandment was given by one of the Per- 
 sian kings, after the empire of Babylon, which brought them 
 into captivity, had perished from the earth. This also 
 strengthens the proof, that these numbers began at the same 
 time. 
 
 Another consideration which will corroborate this opinion, 
 is suggested by the objects of Daniel's concern, in his solemn 
 exercises of confession, fasting and prayer, when he received 
 the vision about the seventy weeks. After he had confessed 
 
Ml 
 
 his own sin, the sin of his people, and the sin of their fathers, 
 from vet 4th to ver. 15th inclusive; he presented his sup- 
 plication to the Lord, in ihe following words, M O Lord, ac- 
 cord ing to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine an- 
 ger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, 
 thy holy mountain. Now, therefore, O our God, hear the 
 prayer of thy servant; and cause thy face to shin» upon thy 
 sanctuary, that is desolate, for the Lord's sake." Dan. ix. 
 10, 17. He also describes the object of his concern, ver. 20. 
 " Now whiles I was presenting my supplication before the 
 Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my God " As the 
 answer which he received contained much more than he de- 
 sired, it was a most satisfactory reply to his requests. One 
 principal design of the vision of the ram and the he-goat 
 was to predict the desolation and cleansing of the sanctuary, 
 arc] therefore the angel calls it " The vision of the evening 
 and the morning" sacrifice, chap. viii. 26. Daniel's chief 
 concern on the other occasion, was to bewail the desolation 
 of God's sanctuary, and to pray for its restoration. When 
 he, near the end of the captivity, was lamenting over the de- 
 solation of the sanctuary at Jerusalem, praying for the re- 
 moval of the Divine displeasure from his house and his peo- 
 ple, and pleading so earnestly, ver. 18, 19, for the Lord's fa- 
 vour and mercy to them, we may conclude, that he would 
 have a tresh remembrance of the vision he had seen, concern- 
 ing the profanation and the cleansing of the sanctuary, at 
 the expiration of the two thousand and three hundred days. 
 Though those pollutions and purifications of the sanctuary 
 are not the same, yet when both visions have a relation to 
 the sanctuary, and to its defilement and cleansing, it forms 
 such a connexion between them, and presents them to our 
 view with such an identity of object, as encourage a belief, 
 that the numbers belonging to them began at the same time. 
 Besides, the sanctuary desolation which Daniel bewailed, 
 and lhat sanctuary purification for which he prayed, when 
 he received the vision of the seventy weeks, were eminent 
 and special types of that profanation of the sanctuary, and of 
 
15 
 
 that cleansing of it, that were revealed to him, in the vision 
 of the ram and the he-goat. This consideration forms 
 another connection between the vi.-ions. 
 
 It may also be observed, that the angel's words, with which 
 he concluded the explanation of the seventy weeks, describe 
 that very object which is foretold in the other vision, and 
 plainly imply the church's last deliverance, of which that 
 vision assures us. As the angel, in ver. 26, predicts the 
 destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, in those words, 
 " And the people of the prince that shall come, shall destroy 
 the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with 
 a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are deter- 
 mined ;" so, in ver. 27, he foretells the church's desolation, 
 by Antichrist, till the cleansing of the sanctuary, and his 
 words also imply that cleansing, " And for the overspread- 
 ing of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until 
 the consummation, and that determined shall be pour- 
 ed upon the desolate." These words do not refer to the 
 destruction of Jerusalem, for that event is most distinctly 
 predicted in the foregoing verse. In the words, there are 
 the cause — the judgment — the duration of both— and the 
 confirmation of the whole. The cause is the overspreading 
 of abominations, by popery, the mother of harlots; the 
 judgment, or the sufferings of the Christian church, she is 
 made desolate, the inhabitant of a wilderness ; the duration 
 of both, even until the consummation, the time of the end, 
 and the last end of the indignation, at the expiration of the 
 two thousand three hundred days; and the certainty of all 
 this, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. 
 These words also imply, though they do not express, the 
 church's deliverance; for when the work of sin, and the 
 course of judgments are terminated, at the consummation; 
 and when that determined is poured on the desolate, then 
 shall the church be delivered, then shall the sanctuary be 
 cleansed. If this application of the prophet's words to the 
 Christian church is deemed a strained interpretation, our 
 argument will lose nothing of its force, by confining their 
 
16 
 
 meaning entirely to the state of the Jewish nation. The 
 moral and spiritual condition of that people is described, 
 •' Even until the consummation." This is the same with 
 " the time of the end," and " the last end of the indigna- 
 tion," which are mentioned in the other vision. This is 
 the time, and these are the events that shall happen in that 
 period; whether in the Christian church, or among the 
 Jews, will make no difference, in the present argument; for 
 the time and events in the vision of the seventy weeks, extend 
 to the utmost duration of the number, in the vision of the 
 ram and the he-goat. Since the angel, in explaining the 
 vision of the seventy weeks, introduced the duration, the 
 progress, and final results of the vision of the ram and the 
 he-goat ; w r e may conclude that the numbers in both visions 
 must commence at the same time. The time and the events 
 of the former vision, being referred to in the latter, give 
 this vision an interest in the number of the former, and 
 fix a connexion betwixt the numbers in both visions. As 
 the time of accomplishing the prediction of the consumma- 
 tion, or the time of the end, goes far beyond the number of 
 the seventy weeks, there must be another number, which 
 fixes the termination of those events that are predicted in 
 both visions; and this can be no other than the number of 
 the first vision, commencing with the seventy weeks. 
 
 The seasons which the Lord was pleased to choose, for 
 giving to Daniel those important visions, fix also an in- 
 timate connexion between them. Fourteen years expired 
 between the third year of Belshazzer, when he saw the vi- 
 sion of the ram and the he-goat, and the first year of Da- 
 rius, when the vision of the seventy weeks was given to him. 
 The foimer vision could not be longer delayed, nor could 
 the latter be enjoyed sooner. The former vision, i epretenting 
 as it did the PvUclo-Persian conquest of Babylon, as well as 
 the Grecian conquest of Persia behoved to be given before 
 the fall of Babylon ; that the Persian victories over the 
 Babylonian Empire might be the subject of this prophecy. 
 The ether vision could not be given, in connexion with the 
 
17 
 
 prophet's solemn exercise and concern about the church's 
 deliverance from her captivity, till the seventy years had 
 nearly expired, till Babylon had fallen, and the deliverers 
 of the church had obtained the dominion. The vision of 
 the ram and the he-goat was given three years after the war 
 was actually begun, and fourteen years before it was ended. 
 The vision of the seventy weeks was given on the first year 
 after the war was finished, in the total destruction of the 
 Babylonish monarchy. The connexion of those visions, in 
 the wisdom of God, with the beginning and ending of that 
 glorious war, which destroyed Babylon and delivered the 
 church, tends to confirm the opinion that the numbers in 
 them did begin at the same period. The Persian war 
 against Babylon typified the Armagiddon conflict with An- 
 tichristian popery; the destruction of ancient Babylon, sym- 
 bolized the overthrow of Babylon the great ; and the 
 church's deliverance from her captivity, represented the 
 salvation and prosperity of the Christian church after the 
 fall of New Testament Babylon. These are the events which 
 will be accomplished at the consummation, at the time of 
 the end, and at the expiration of the two thousand three 
 hundred days; and, therefore, since those visions are thus 
 connected in the time when they were bestowed, in the 
 circumstances that attended them, and in the matter which 
 they contain, we surely have good grounds to believe in the 
 corresponding commencement of their numbers. 
 
 The seventy weeks contain 490 days. Each day being 
 put for one year, the period extends to 490 years, qhap. ix. 
 24. This period commenced at the going forth of the com- 
 mandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, ver. 25. The 
 decree of the Persian king, mentioned in this prophecy, 
 must be the decree of Artaxerxes given to Ezra, in the 
 seventh year of that monarch's reign. The decrees of Cy- 
 rus and Darius were too early, and the decree of Artaxerx- 
 es, in the twentieth year of his reign, given to Nehemiah, 
 w r as too late, for answering the prediction. Artaxerxes 
 issued his decree to Ezra, in the 457th year before Christ. 
 
 C 
 
18 
 
 If we add to this number 33 years, which was our Redeem- 
 er's age at his crucifixion, we have 490 years. This pre- 
 diction, therefore, was most exactly accomplished. O how 
 perfectly does the Lord confirm the word of his servants, 
 and perform the counsel of his messengers ! 
 
 In his calculations, Mr. Davies takes no notice of the 
 time, at which this number began ; but arbitrarily fixes its 
 termination in the 37th year of the Christian era. He does 
 this from the view he has taken of the seventieth, or the 
 last week, which he extends to three years and an half, af- 
 ter Christ's death. He thinks that the half of the last week 
 reaches to the calling of the Gentiles, by the preaching of 
 Paul, after his conversion, to the people of Arabia. From 
 the two considerations which follow, this opinion, I think, is 
 erroneous: — There are no dates of any of the Persian king's 
 decrees, in favour of the Jews, which answer to this calcu- 
 lation. The want of this is a very material objection to its 
 accuracy. Besides, every one of those most important things, 
 which were to be fulfilled in the seventy weeks, were most 
 completely accomplished at Christ's death. By the infinite- 
 ly valuable sacrifice which Christ, in his death, offered to 
 God for the sins of his people, He finished transgression; 
 made an end of sin; made reconciliation for iniquity; per- 
 fected his everlasting righteousness, by which his people 
 are justified; fulfilled all the predictions concerning himself, 
 in the Old Testament visions and prophecies; and sancti- 
 fied himself by his own blood, for conducting his mediator- 
 ial work, at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in 
 the heavens. Since all those glorious things were accom- 
 plished at Christ's death, and since the fulfilment of them 
 was the sole reason why the seventy weeks were determined 
 on the prophet's people, and the holy city; it must be im- 
 possible that those weeks can be extended beyond this most 
 solemn event. 
 
 These seventy weeks are divided into three parts. The 
 angel Gabriel mentions seven weeks, or forty-nine years, 
 at the expiration of which, the building of the temple, the 
 
19 
 
 city, and the wall should be finished. He also mentions 
 sixty-two weeks, or four hundred and thirty-four years, 
 which reach from the former number to the beginning of 
 the seventieth, or last week. " After threescore and two 
 weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself," ver. 26. 
 When these weeks have expired, Messiah shall be cut off^ 
 in the last week. This week, being the most important of 
 all the rest, is spoken of by itself, and is divided into two 
 parts. " And he shall confirm the covenant with many, 
 for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause 
 the sacrifice and the oblation to cease," ver. 27. This 
 week began " in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar," 
 or the twenty-sixth year in the Christian era, when " the 
 word of the Lord came unto John, the son of Zach- 
 arias, in the wilderness;" and it ended in the 33d year of 
 that era, at the death of Christ. This week contained the 
 public ministry of John, for about three years and a half, 
 and the public ministry of Jesus Christ, for about the same 
 time. This week began with the ministry of John, for he 
 preached the kingdom of God : by instruction and baptism, 
 he admitted members into it; and from his time, the life 
 and power, and the peculiar Divine right of the Old Testa- 
 ment dispensation came to an end. When speaking of his 
 Forerunner, Jesus himself asserts those important truths. 
 M And from the days of John the Baptist, until now, the 
 kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take 
 it by force. For all the prophets and the law, prophesied 
 until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which 
 was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."f 
 Christ also declares him to be more than a prophet, ver. 
 9. The ministry of John was a blessed mean for confirming 
 the covenant with many Jews, for their everlasting salva- 
 tion. Christ's public ministry and miracles, which imme- 
 diately succeeded John's ministry, accomplished the same 
 end. By both the former and the latter, our Divine Lord 
 confirmed the covenant with many of the Jews, even with 
 
 f Matt.xi. 12— I5t 
 
them who believed on his name. It is added in this verse* 
 <c And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice 
 and oblation to cease*" This seems to import that Christ 
 died in the midst of that week. The original word which 
 is here translated, the midst, signifies also the half, and is 
 so translated in many parts of the Old Testament. It ought 
 to have been so translated in this place. And in the half 
 of the week he will cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. 
 Which half of the week is intended, may be easily under- 
 stood from the scope of the verse, from the action, and 
 from its effect, These will guide our view to Messiah's 
 being cut off in the last half of the week; for nothing but 
 the death of Christ could cause the Jewish sacrifices and 
 oblations to cease. All this was effected completely, on the 
 last day of the seventieth week, when Jesus put away sin 
 by the sacrifice of himself, and by one offering perfected 
 for ever them that are sanctified. 
 
 The reason which Mr. Davies assigns for extending the 
 half of the last w T eek beyond the death of Christ, he states 
 in the following words, " The other half of the seventieth 
 week was reserved for the apostles to go on in establishing 
 the covenant, or m preaching the gospel to the Jews, who 
 were first to be converted to Christianity." He asserts that 
 Paul was converted three years after Christ's death, and 
 that he went unto Arabia, and preached the gospel to the 
 Gentiles, three years and a half after the day of Pentecost, 
 and then the seventy weeks expired. The dates he men- 
 tions are uncertain, and the facts he states are not asserted 
 in the Scripture. He has no dates but such as he assumes 
 without proof; they may be somewhat probable, but they 
 are not certain. In the sacred history, there is no account 
 that Paul preached the gospel in Arabia. This is merely 
 a conjecture. This is a way of ascertaining facts which 
 cannot be admitted, especially in matters of such importance 
 as these of which he is speaking, Not to the labours of 
 the apostles, but to the ministry of John, was the half of 
 the last week appropriated, for confirming the covenant 
 
with many ot the Jews. The apostles entered on another 
 ■ scene, and laboured in another field, even in the Christian 
 church, completely and meritoriously established at Christ's 
 death, and its ministrations begun, about fifty days after 
 his death, on the day of Pentecost. That John's ministry 
 confirmed the covenant with many, is expressly declared to 
 his father Zacharias, by the same angel who delivered to 
 Daniel, the prediction concerning it. " And he shall be 
 filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 
 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord 
 their God. And he shall go before him in the Spirit and 
 power of Elias, to turn the fathers to the children, and the 
 disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a peo- 
 ple prepared for the Lord," Lukei 15, 16, 17. The same 
 thing was recognized by his father, ver. 76, 77: " And 
 thou Child shalt be called, The Prophet of the Highest; 
 for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare 
 his way; to give knowledge of salvation to his people, by 
 the remission of their sins." 
 
 It does not appear that the apostles themselves, or the 
 Christian church among the Jews, had any proper know- 
 ledge of this mystery, " that the Gentiles should be fellow- 
 heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise 
 in Christ by the gospel," till Peter saw the vision of the 
 heavenly sheet, " wherein were all manner of four-footed 
 beasts, of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, 
 and fowls of the air;" heard that command, " Rise Peter, 
 kill and eat;" made his objection to the Divine call; and 
 received for answer, " What God hath cleansed, that call 
 not thou common." That the vision might be more satis- 
 factory and convincing, it was presented to him thrice." 
 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto 
 him, " Behold, three men seek thee, Arise, therefore, 
 and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing, 
 for I have sent them." These things prepared the apos- 
 tle for going to the house cf Cornelius, and for preaching 
 the gospel to a congregation of Gentiles," when the Holy 
 
22 
 
 Ghost fell on all them that heard the word." "When Pe- 
 ter returned to Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians contend- 
 ed with him, for going into the Gentiles. After he had 
 given them an account of the whole matter, " They held 
 their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God 
 also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." That 
 this was the first time that the gospel was preached to the 
 Gentiles, seems evident from Peter's words, before the 
 council which met at Jerusalem. " Men and brethren, 
 ye know how that, a good while ago, God made choice 
 among us, that the Gentiles, by my mouth, should hear 
 the word of the gospel, and believe." But this revelation 
 about Cornelius happened in the forty -first year of the 
 Christian era, the eighth year after the death of Christ. 
 If Paul had preached the gospel, and planted a Christian 
 church in Arabia, seeing he came to Jerusalem four years 
 before Cornelius sent for the apostle Peter, joined himself 
 to the disciples, and was with the apostles for some time, 
 coming in and going out at Jerusalem ; How could they be 
 ignorant of God's design, to send the gospel to the Gen- 
 tiles? What need could they have of an extraordinary vi- 
 sion to direct them in this duty? And wliat reason could the 
 Jewish Christians have, when Peter rehearsed the matter to 
 them, concerning Cornelius from the beginning, to exclaim, 
 with wonder and joy, as if they had never formerly heard 
 of any such thing, Then hath God also to the Gentiles, 
 granted repentance unto life ? It may rather be supposed, 
 that it was in Arabia where Paul received from Jesus Christ, 
 his apostolic office, and the full knowledge of the gospel. 
 Accordingly he says, " I neither received it of man, nei- 
 ther was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ," 
 Gal. i. 12. After giving them a view of his life as a Phari- 
 see, and an account of his conversion, he says, ver. 17» 
 " Neither went I up to Jerusalem, to them who were apos- 
 tles before me,'' to receive the apostleship, and the know- 
 ledge of the gospel from them ; " but I went into Arabia," 
 where I received both, by the immediate " revelation of 
 
93 
 
 Jesus Christ" We are assured, that he received those 
 revelations from Christ, at some time, and in some place; 
 and as he contrasts his not going to Jerusalem for this end, 
 with his going to Arabia, it seems probable, that he went 
 thither for that purpose. 
 
 Having endeavoured to fix the date of the seventy weeks, 
 or the four hundred and ninety years, and having shown that 
 the two thousand three hundred days, or years must com- 
 mence with them ; the calculation of the latter number may 
 be ea-ily, and, I hope, satisfactorily made. The two thou- 
 sand three hundred years began four hundred and ninety 
 years before the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and four 
 hundred and fifty-seven years before his birth, at which the 
 christian era commenced. If we substract 457 from 2300, 
 the remainder will give that year in the christian era, when 
 the 2300 years will expire. By this simple operation, we 
 find that this number will end in 1843. In that year, the 
 Lord's sanctuary shall be cleansed, the church and the na- 
 tions will be delivered from the abominations of the Mother 
 of Harlots, and Popery will perish from the earth. This 
 year will not be the commencement of those judgments which 
 will terminate in the cleansing of the sanctuary, as some, to 
 accommodate it to their hypothesis, have explained the 
 words; but, in this year, the work will be accomplished, and 
 the sanctuary will be really cleansed. The Angel said, Then 
 shall the sanctuary be cleansed ; not begin to be cleansed, 
 but the cleansing work shall be finished. 
 
 By our former calculations concerning the prophetic num- 
 bers, in a Discourse on them, and in an Appendix to that 
 Discourse, we were led to conclude, that the one thousand 
 three hundred and thirty-fifth year of Daniel's number, 
 when the church's blessedness shall begin; and the first year 
 of John's thousand years, when the church's reign with 
 Christ shall commence, will both come in the year eighteen 
 hundred and sixty seven. The two thousand three hundred 
 years will expire twenty-four years before that year which 
 
those calculations oblige us to fix for the commencement of 
 the millennium. This difference, 1 humbly apprehend, is 
 absolutely necessary. There must be a very great difference 
 between the condition of the church, when the sanctuary 
 shall be cleansed; and that state to which she will be ad- 
 vanced, when she shall be brought into her millennial rest. 
 The cleansing of the sanctuary, or the destruction of Pop- 
 ery, will not immediately introduce the church into her state 
 of glory and prosperity on the earth. These twenty-four 
 years will be employed in preparing her for entering into 
 her millennial state, for enjoying her millennial privileges, 
 and for singing her millennial songs. Many important 
 transactions must be accomplished, after the fall of Babylon 
 the great, before the church can be made ready for this 
 marriage supper of the Lamb. For perfecting the know- 
 ledge of popish and other darkened nations, for bringing in 
 the residue of the Jewish people, for the reformation of pro- 
 testant churches, for spreading the Scriptures among men, 
 for the powerful preaching of the gospel every where, for 
 the conversion of multitudes through the world to the saving 
 faith of Jesus, for recovering the nations from the dismal 
 effects of the last plagues, and for settling on its scriptural 
 basis the ordinance of civil government, these twenty-four 
 years will be signally appropriated. The lapse of twenty- 
 four days, in another solemn event, may be an emblem of 
 those twenty-four years which intervene, betwixt the fall of 
 popery, and the beginning of the millennium. To repre- 
 sent this clearly, I shall make the following statement, which 
 is mentioned, not as proof, but for illustration. 
 
 The words which the Angel spake, Dan. viii. 14, (C Then 
 shall the sanctuary be cleansed," seem to contain an allusion 
 to a period in the Old Testament church, when a work of 
 the same kind was performed. In his answer, the Angel 
 does not use the words which are contained in the question 
 of the other AngeL He does not say, unto two thousand 
 three hundred days, then shall the vision concerning the 
 
25 
 
 daily sacrifice come to an end; or, then shall the transgres- 
 sion of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host 
 to be trodden under foot, be finished. But he said, Unto 
 two thousand three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary 
 be cleansed. There is no difference in the substance, or 
 meaning of the answer; but the literal difference is both 
 considerable and significant. This expression which the 
 angel uttered would bring to the prophet's remembrance, 
 that solemn transaction which took place in Judah, at the 
 beginning of the reign of Hezekiah. In the xxix. chap, of 
 2 Chronicles, we have a most particular account of this 
 great work. " Hezekiah, in the first year of his reign, and 
 in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, 
 and repaired them." ver. 3. He also brought in the priests 
 and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east 
 street. And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify 
 yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your 
 fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place,, 
 After he had delivered to them a most affecting speech, of 
 which these words are the beginning, fourteen persons, the 
 heads of seven houses of the Levites, obeyed the call. 
 m They gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, 
 and came, according to the commandment of the king by the 
 words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord." ver. 15* 
 In the next verse, the method they observed in performing 
 this work, is clearly stated. " And the priests went into 
 the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and 
 brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple 
 of the Lord, into the court of the house of the Lord. And 
 the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook 
 Kidron." The time that was spent in cleansing the sanctu- 
 ary is mentioned, ver. 17. " Now they began on the first day 
 of the first month to sanctify, and on the eight day of the 
 month came they to the porch of the Lord ; so they sancti- 
 fied the house of the Lord in eight days ; and, in the six- 
 teenth day of the first month, they made an end." The 
 deputation which they sent to the king, to inform him that 
 
 D 
 
26 
 
 they had finished the work, is mentioned, ver. 18, 19. Imme- 
 diately after the sanctuary, or house of the Lord, was cleans- 
 ed, both the king and the people brought offerings and 
 sacrifices, which the priests offered to the Lord on his own 
 altar, accompanied with the songs of praise by the ministry 
 of the Levites, and the religious worship of the whole con- 
 gregation, the account of which is continued to the end of 
 the chapter. In the words of the angel to Daniel, there 
 is such an allusion to this solemn transaction, as will author- 
 ise us to consider it as an emblem of that work, which will 
 be performed for the Christian church, when the two thou- 
 sand three hundred years shall expire. 
 
 In connexion with this, we may also consider the pollu- 
 tion of the sanctuary in the days of Ahaz, as an emblem of 
 the defilement of the Christian church, by the errors, idola- 
 try, persecution, and wickedness of popery. The reign of 
 Ahaz was remarkable for idolatry, cruelty, wars destructive 
 to his people, changing the altar and ordinances of God, 
 cringeing subjection to other potentates, oppressive exactions 
 from his subjects, deserting the house of the Lord, spoiling 
 its treasures, and destroying its holy vessels. Between these, 
 and the conduct of the Romish church, there is a striking 
 resemblance. If the profanation of the temple by Ahaz, is 
 an emblem ef the defilement of the church by popery, and 
 the cleansing the temple by Hezekiah, an emblem of the pu- 
 rification of the church at the expiration of the two thousand 
 three hundred years, may we not also contemplate the so- 
 lemn passover which Hezekiah kept, as an emblem of the 
 Christian millennium ? It was an extraordinary passover 
 from the time on which it was observed. The whole con- 
 gregation, availing themselves of the Divine law, respecting 
 individuals,* kept it on the fourteenth day of the second 
 month. It was extraordinary as to the worshippers. Hav- 
 ing been invited by Hezekiah, many who belonged to the 
 kingdom of the ten tribes, " humbled themselves and came 
 
 * Numb. ix. 10, 11. 
 
27 
 
 to Jerusalem." It was extraordinary in its duration; for 
 the feast of unleavened bread was kept fourteen days. Solo- 
 mon, indeed, held a feast of the same duration. The first 
 seven days, however, were the feast of the dedication of the 
 temple, and the other seven, the feast of tabernacles. But, 
 in this instance, the passover feast itself was prolonged for 
 fourteen days. 
 
 According to the original institution of this feast,* the 
 solemn preparations for keeping it were to begin on the tenth 
 day of the first month. This law of the God of Israel was 
 not forgotten on this solemn occasion. We are informed, 
 chap. xxx. 13. " That there assembled at Jerusalem much 
 people to keep the feast of unleavened bread, in the second 
 month, a very great congregation." In the days of Ahaz, 
 the holy city was defiled, as well as the sanctuary. " And 
 Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, 
 and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut 
 up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him 
 altars in every corner of Jerusalem." chap, xxviii. 24. It 
 was necessary that the city of their solemnities should be 
 cleansed, as well as the sanctuary of the Lord. Accordingly 
 we are told, chap. xxx. 14. " And they arose and took 
 away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars 
 for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook 
 Kidron." This was the work of the congregation. Though 
 none but the priests and Levites could be employed, in 
 cleansing the sanctuary, any person might stretch forth his 
 hand to demolish an idolatrous altar, and carry forth the 
 materials of which it was constructed, to the brook Kidron. 
 This great and laborious work they could not have accom- 
 plished on the day of their solemn feast; and, therefore, 
 they must have performed it, together with their other ne- 
 cessary preparations, on the days which intervened betwixt 
 the tenth and the fourteenth ; for it is added, ver. 15, " Then 
 they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second 
 
 Exod. 
 
28 
 
 month," and celebrated this solemn and extraordinary feast 
 to the Lord, their God. 
 
 There were exactly twenty-four days between the six- 
 teenth day of the first month, when the cleansing of the 
 sanctuary was finished ; and the tenth day of the second 
 month, when the services relative to the passover feast com- 
 menced. If the profanation of the temple by Ahaz be an 
 emblem of the popish pollution uf the Christian church; if 
 the cleansing of the temple, by Hezekiah, is an emblem of 
 the church's purification from the corruptions of Antichrist; 
 and, if Hezekiah's solemn passover be an emblem of the 
 Christian millennium, may not those twenty-four days, 
 which elapsed between the cleansing of the temple and the 
 keeping of that passover, be an emblem of the twenty-four 
 years, which will intervene betwixt 1843, when the church 
 will be delivered from popery, and 1867, when the blessed 
 Millennium will begin? To these ideas I have been led, from 
 a conviction, that, in the words of the angel to Daniel, 
 " Then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," there is a most 
 pointed allusion to Hezekiah's cleansing the house of the 
 Lord, as well as a reference to the cleansing the sanctuary 
 from the profanation of Antiochus, and an ultimate respect 
 to the cleansing the Christian church from the pollutions of 
 " Babylon the great, the Mother of harlots, and the abo- 
 minations of the earth." Since, in the words of the angel, 
 an allusion to Hezekiah's work is plainly made, it cannot 
 be unreasonable to extend the reference to his Father's de- 
 filement of the sanctuary, to his celebration of an extraordi- 
 nary passover, and even to the time which intervened be- 
 twixt his cleansing the sanctuary, and his celebrating this 
 solemn feast, as an illustration, if not a confirmation, of the 
 opini n which I have been constrained to adopt, concerning 
 the commencement, and the termination of this number. 
 
 The view which has now been given of the two thousand 
 three hundred days, furnishes us with much encouragement 
 to believe the truth of the calculations, respecting the other 
 
29 
 
 prophetic numbers. Since the Spirit of prophecy has given 
 us a large number, entirely unconnected with the rest, ter- 
 minating twenty-four years before that year to which the 
 other numbers conducted us for the commencement of the 
 millennium, and, pointing out a different and most import* 
 ant event which must happen before that happy time ; we 
 certainly must have some further grounds to believe either 
 the truth, or the great probability of these conclusions. 
 There is nothing in our former calculations that needs to be 
 corrected, but the time that was mentioned for the termina- 
 tion of the vials. This was fixed for the year 1866, and 
 their duration, from 1792, when it is supposed they began, 
 was stated to be 74 years. From the discovery which Da- 
 niel's number of two thousand three hundred days discloses 
 to us, it is evident that they will end when that number ex- 
 pires, and the sanctuary is cleansed, in 1843, and that their 
 duration will be about 50 years. It is not reasonable to 
 suppose, that after Babylon the great is fallen, and the cor- 
 ruptions of popery are removed, that any of the vials of 
 God's wrath will be poured on the earth. Our former view 
 of the conclusion of the vials may still be deemed correct, if 
 their effects are taken into the account. It may be the year 
 1866, before the nations will be completely recovered from 
 the effects of the last plagues. When any great public ca- 
 lamity is inflicted on a nation, its inhabitants feel the effects 
 of it long after the afflictive visitation has been removed. 
 The judgments of the last vials are represented by such ter- 
 rific figures, as may convince us, that the misery they will 
 inflict on the nations will be exceeding great, and that their 
 effects will be felt for a long time. 
 
 One great difficulty, which opposes our belief of those cal- 
 culations, arises from the shortness of the time that remains 
 for accomplishing those great operations, which may be ex- 
 pected on the earth, before the church can enter into her 
 millennial state. It must be acknowledged, the time is short. 
 From the present time, 1820, there are only 23 years, till 
 the final fall of Antichristian popery, at the cleansing of the 
 
30 
 
 sanctuary; and 47 years, till the millennium's commence- 
 ment. It is not unreasonable to suppose, that this blessed 
 state of the church may begin, in some nations of the world, 
 or quarter of the globe, before it make any extraordinary 
 appearance in some other parts of the earth. 
 
 For the removal of this difficulty, I have nothing to say, 
 but the words of the prophet to the Lord, and the Lord's 
 words to his prophet, concerning the Jews' return from Ba- 
 bylon, and their prosperity in their own land, after that re- 
 turn. " Ah, Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven 
 and the earth, by thy great power and stretched out arm, 
 there is nothing too hard for thee. I am the Lord, the God 
 of all flesh; is there any thing too hard for me?"* If these 
 calculations are correct, which it would be presumption to 
 affirm positively, the Lord can easily accomplish the work, 
 in the time that remains for its performance. But, if there 
 is some mistake in them, we may be assured, that he willful- 
 fill to his church his gracious promise, " I, the Lord, will 
 hasten it in his time." Those scripture calculations are so 
 probable; the means which are now employed, for convert- 
 ing the nations, are so various, extensive and successful ; and 
 the operations of God's providence, in many lands, are so 
 alarming, as to encourage the hope, that some extraordinary 
 things will soon be accomplished among men. Every one, 
 therefore, who has an ear to hear, should endeavour to hear 
 that Divine call, " Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." 
 
 * Jer. xxsii. 17, 27. 
 
ESSAY II. 
 
 CHRISTIAN'S DUTY TO INQUIRE INTO THE 
 CHURCH'S DELIVERANCE. 
 
 It is the duty of Christians, in this generation, to inquire 
 into the things that belong to the church's deliverance. 
 Concerning the empire of ancient Babylon, Isaiah the pro- 
 phet, chap. xxi. had a grievous vision declared to him. 
 With this proclamation, the vision ended, ver. 9. " Baby- 
 lon is fallen, is fallen, and all the graven images of her 
 gods he hath broken unto the ground." As that empire 
 brought the church into captivity, and as the church was 
 delivered when it was brought down ; it was a special type 
 of the Roman Antichrist, who is called by its name, and 
 whose fall is proclaimed in the same manner. " And after 
 these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, 
 having great power ; and the earth was lightened with his 
 glory. And he cried mightily, with a strong voice, saying, 
 Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the 
 habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and 
 the cage of every unclean and hateful bird."* 
 
 After Isaiah had received the vision concerning Babylon, 
 he was favoured with the burden of Dumah, ver. 11, 12. 
 In this vision, a voice called to him out of Sier, u Watch- 
 man, what of the night." To shew the importance of the 
 question, and the inquirer's concern to obtain an answer, 
 the call is repeated. The answer is given in those words, 
 
 * Rev. xviii. 1, 2. 
 
32 
 
 " The morning cometh and also the night." The morning 
 light shall dawn for the deliverance of Christ's church, and 
 a night of darkness shall fall down upon his enemies. An- 
 tichiist's day shall become dark with night; and the church's 
 shadow of death shall be turned into the morning. The 
 last part of the vision contains the Watchman's advice, " If 
 ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come." To this advice 
 it is both our duty and our interest to attend carefully. If 
 we neglect this duty, we will sin against God, that day will 
 come on us unawares, and we will be unprepared, both for 
 the good and the evil which may either precede or follow 
 it. But if we perform this duty, we will be found in the 
 way of the Lord, that day will not come on us as a thief, 
 and we will be enabled to endure the sufferings, and to 
 rejoice in the blessings which may accompany it. In order 
 to excite Christians to this exercise, and to assist them in the 
 performance of this duty, the few following thoughts are 
 submitted to their consideration: — 
 
 Respecting the church's deliverance, there are five im- 
 portant things, which are, to every Christian, legitimate 
 objects of inquiry : — 
 
 They ought to inquire into the nature of this deliverance. 
 It is an appointed deliverance. It has its origin in God 
 alone. It belongs to the things which were fixed in his eter- 
 nal councils, which are faithfulness and truth. It is a predict- 
 ed and promised deliverance. The Divine decree concern- 
 ing it, has been declared to men, in the prophecies and 
 promises of his holy word. It is a blessing which Christ 
 has purchased for his church. By the blood of the Lamb, 
 as the procuring cause, his enemies shall perish, and his 
 friends will overcome. It will be accomplished suddenly. 
 In reference to it, he says, " Behold, I come as a thief." 
 It will be a complete deliverance. From every part of her 
 wilderness sufferings, the church will be set free; and to 
 every part of her promised felicity, she shall be advanced. 
 O ! what a joyful deliverance will it be ; For, in that day 
 
36 
 
 shall this song be sung, « Alleluia, salvation, and glory, 
 and honour, and power unto the Lord our God.'* 
 
 Christians may inquire into the means by which it will be 
 accomplished. These will be mercies and judgments; or 
 the accomplishment of promises, and the execution of 
 threatenings, on their respective objects. By diffusing 
 light in his church, enlarging her extent and numbers, 
 purging away her corruptions, filling her with comfort, 
 blessing her with unity, and sanctifying her furnace of af- 
 flictions, the Lord will deliver his church. In sending his 
 word through the world, bestowing education on its in- 
 habitants/ favouring them with the preaching of the gospel, 
 the pouring out of his Spirit, and the communications of his 
 grace, the Lord will bring the darkened nations into the 
 kingdom of Christ. When God is bestowing those mercies 
 on many, he will, at the same time, execute his judgments 
 on the enemies of his kingdom. As these are the objects of 
 the last plagues, the vials of his wrath will be poured on 
 them. With wars, famine, and pestilence; with earthquakes, 
 revolutions, and strokes from the hand of God, they shall 
 be visited, till they are consumed. This system of means 
 will resemble the pillar of fire and cloud, which stood be- 
 tween the tribes of God and the army of Egypt, when both 
 were marching in the Red Sea. It will beam the light of 
 day on the church of Christ, and will bring the.darkness of 
 the darkest night on his enemies; till the former are highly 
 exalted in honour and privileges, and the latter are brought 
 low into destruction. 
 
 Christians are authorized to inquire into the time when 
 this deliverance shall ue effected. God has given us such a 
 revelation of this in his word, as brightly displays his omni- 
 scient knowledge, wisdom, sovereignty, and goodness, hi 
 its investigation, this revelation calis for the exercise of all 
 our natural, acquired and spiritual endowments. 80 long 
 as our researches are directed by the Scriptures, conducted 
 with prudence and humility, and expressed with moderation, 
 they will be useful to ourselves and others. Since it is a 
 
 E 
 
34 
 
 great blessing to be among the wise who understand tn£ 
 times, and an awful misery to be among those who do wick- 
 edly, and will not understand them; it must be our dtity 
 to acquire that knowledge of them which is competent to 
 us, with respect to things that are future. 
 
 Into the signs which indicate the approach of this deliv- 
 erance, Christians should also inquire. That there will be 
 such signs is evident, from Christ's declaration and pro- 
 mise to his church, " And there shall be signs in the sun, 
 and in the moon, and in the stars ; on earth, distress of 
 rations, with perplexity ; the sea and the waves roaring."* 
 If there were signs of the approach of Jerusalem's destruc- 
 tion, and the slaughter and dispersion of the Jews; will 
 there not be visible signs of the coming of that time, when 
 the Jews will be converted, the fulness of the Gentiles 
 brought in, false religion abolished, and the true religion 
 established on the earth? Our Saviour also illustrates this 
 duty in a short parable, and enjoins it on his followers by 
 a most seasonable advice. " Behold the fig-tree, and all 
 the trees ; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of 
 yourselves, that summer is near at hand. So likewise ye, 
 when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the 
 kingdom of God is nigh at hand*"f A few years ago the 
 earth was still, and none were signally exerting themselves 
 for propagating Christ's kingdom in the world; but now 
 Christians are roused, the world is active, and great, per- 
 severing and successful endeavours are made, in different 
 ways and in every land, to convey the knowledge of true 
 Christianity to the ends of the earth. We have at present 
 no wars, nor rumour of wars, of one nation against another, 
 as in former times; but there are wars, and rumours of 
 wars between rulers and their own subjects, which in their 
 causes and extent, are a new thing on the earth. These 
 are signs, different indeed in their nature, the former de- 
 
 * Luke xxi. 25. f Ver. 29, 30, 31. 
 
B5 
 
 lightful, the latter terrific ; these are signs which the pru- 
 dent will observe, and the wise will understand. 
 
 Christians should also inquire into the effects which the 
 church's deliverance will produce among men. How 
 changed will the heathen nations be, when they shall cast 
 their idols away, and will know and worship the King, the 
 Lord of Hosts ! What an alteration will be produced on 
 the votaries of Mahomet, when they, renouncing the ab- 
 surdities of his system, shall become the followers of the 
 Lamb ! What a change will be accomplished on the fol- 
 lowers of Antichrist, when they shall know and believe what 
 their church has been, The mother of harlots, and the 
 abominations ol the earth ; and when they shall join in that 
 song, " True and righteous are his judgments, for he hath 
 judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with 
 her fornications, and hath avenged the blood of his servants 
 at her hand !" How changed will the seed of Jacob be, 
 when they shall find their Messiah, and shall worship the 
 Lord their God, and David their King ! And what an 
 alteration will appear among the churches of the Reforma- 
 tion, when they shall receive the blessing like life from the 
 dead ! In their knowledge of God, and of themselves ; of 
 Christ, and the way of their salvation by him; of the Spirit, 
 and his operations on men ; of the gospel, and its doctrines 
 and promises ; of the law, in its precepts and threatenings ; 
 of spiritual worship and holy obedience, which they owe to 
 God; of the moral and spiritual relations, in which they 
 stand to one another, as believers in Christ; and of the 
 hope, which is laid up for them in heaven, shall all the na- 
 tions of the earth be greatly changed in that day, " When 
 the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall fill the earth, 
 as the waters cover the sea." 
 
 It is of importance to consider the way in which this in- 
 quiry ought to be conducted. 
 
 We must prosecute this inquiry by searching the Scrip- 
 tures. These are, in every thing, a light to our feet, and 
 
36 
 
 a lamp to our path. By reading them carefully, by fixed 
 meditation upon them, by comparing one part of them with 
 another, and by forming conclusions from them, we must 
 search the sacred oracles If we neglect any of these things, 
 a criminal and hurtful defect will attach to cur searching 
 the Scriptures. In this way we will net succeed in our in- 
 quiry. But when we are actively employed in those exer- 
 cises, some comfortable fruits will be enjoyed, in our per- 
 formance of this duty. Whether the objects of our inquiry 
 belong to the public, the private, or the personal concerns 
 of religion, our searching the scriptures to obtain light from 
 them, in any particular case, must be conducted in this 
 way. 
 
 In the exercise of much prayer, we must inquire about 
 Sion's deliverance. The intent of the parable that Jesus 
 spake, " That men should pray always, and not faint," 
 should be seriously considered. With fervent, persevering, 
 and earnest prayer, we should address the throne of grace, 
 that the Father of lights, may give us light, that Christ 
 may open our understandings, and the Spirit may teach us 
 the things that are freely given to us of God. There is a 
 peculiar beauty in those discoveries which we obtain, either 
 as the answer of prayer, or in the performance of that duty. 
 If we conduct our inquiry into this matter with much prayer, 
 we will pray importunately for this deliverance to the king- 
 dom of Christ. When we are exercised in this manner, 
 the Hearer of prayer may make some discoveries to us con- 
 cerning the things which relate to her deliverance. When 
 Daniel was engaged in fasting and prayer, for the church's 
 liberation from her captivity in Babylon, he was favoured 
 with a glorious revelation concerning the salvation of the 
 church, by the coming of Jesus, who saves his people from 
 their sins. If we would inquire by prayer about the deliv- 
 erance of the church, let us earnestly pray for that blessing 
 to her, that we may obtain the desire of our hearts about 
 the things that belong to it. 
 
 We must also inquire into those things with deep humil- 
 
37 
 
 ity and self-denial. If we come to the throne of grace, in 
 the pride of our own wisdom and research, rather seeking 
 God's consent to our own imaginations, than his counsel to 
 discover to us his holy will; we will greatly dishonour God, 
 pervert this religious duty, and wound our own souls. But 
 if we inquire with self-denial and humility, we will be dis- 
 posed to say, " Surely we are more brutish than any man, 
 and have not the understanding of a man ; we have neither 
 learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the Holy ;" 
 accompanying this confession with the prayer of Job, " What 
 I see not, teach thou me." Gratitude to God for the dis- 
 coveries he has made to us, and a resolution to wait on him 
 for further instruction, belong to the genuine exercise of 
 this humility. Since his judgments are a great deep, and 
 his ways past finding out, we should approach them, for 
 the purpose of investigating them, with humble reverence 
 and godly fear. Were our hearts duly affected with the 
 Divine majesty, wisdom and holiness, and with a conviction 
 of our meanness as creatures, and our vileness as sinners, 
 we would prosecute every inquiry into the things of God, 
 with humility and t elf- diffidence. 
 
 We must conduct this inquiry in the use of those means, 
 to which in the providence of God, we may have access. 
 Our attendance on the public ordinances of Divine worship 
 is one of those means. If we would inquire, we must in- 
 quire in his temple. When the Psalmist was in distress 
 about the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflicted condi- 
 tion of the saints, the public ordinances were the weans by 
 which he obtained relief. " When I sought to know this, 
 it was too painful for me. Until I went into the sanctuary 
 of God, then understood I their end."* If we would suc- 
 ceed in our religious inquiries, either about the church's 
 deliverance, or the prosperity of our own souls, we must go 
 and do likewise. A careful perusal and consideration of 
 what has been published on those subjects, by these men 
 
 * P *.lxxiii.'16, 17, 
 
38 
 
 who have directed their attention to the investigation of 
 thena, belong also to those means. This, however, must 
 be done with caution, lest we be led astray. Christians 
 must try the spirits, whether they are of God, or agreeable 
 to his word, and endeavour to distinguish between good 
 and evil, in human productions. Religious conversation 
 with these Christians, who have made the things that relate 
 to this matter, the object of their concern, is also a mean 
 which should be improved for helping us in this inquiry. 
 " Then tney that feared the Lord spake often one with 
 another ; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book 
 of remembrance was written before him, for them that fear- 
 ed the Lord, and that thought upon his name."* In this 
 exercise, whether stated or occasional, the saints have often 
 received consolatory discoveries, both of the church's pre- 
 sent duty, and promised deliverance. 
 
 In this inquiry, Christians must observe the works, as 
 well as they must search the word of the Most High God. 
 A threatening is denounced against those who neglect 
 this duty. " Because they regard not the works of the 
 Lord, nor the operations of his hands, he shail destroy 
 them, and not build them up."f A blessing is promised 
 to them that perform it. " Whoso is wise, and will 
 observe these things, even they shall understand the 
 loving kindness of the Lord. "J As the operations of the 
 Lord's hand tor the last thirty years have been exceed- 
 ingly remarkable ; so they still continue to be worthy of 
 our most attentive consideration. We must constantly con- 
 sider them as the doings of the Lord, in the execution of 
 his purposes; and must never indulge the athiestical thought 
 that they are a chance that has befallen us. Divine provi- 
 dences ought to be contemplated, in those things among 
 men by which they have been occasioned; in the manner of 
 their commencement, whether sudden, or gradual, unlooked 
 for or expected ; in their nature, whether judgments or 
 
 * Mai. iii. 16. f Psalm xxviii, I. }: Psalm cvii. 43. 
 
39 
 
 mercies to men, from the Governor of the nations ; in their 
 progress, if they are increasing or diminishing; in their 
 tendency, whether they are calculated to weaken or in- 
 crease, either the kingdom of Christ, or that of hU enemy; 
 in their effects, or what events they have already produced; 
 and in the places where they have happened, either in the 
 kingdom of Antichrist, or where Christ's church is estab- 
 lished, either in the dark places of the earth, or among the 
 seed of Israel. Such an observation of Divine providences 
 will both direct and encourage us in this inquiry. 
 
 In the exercise of faith, hope and desire, this inquiry 
 ought to be prosecuted. We must believe that glorious 
 things are spoken of the city of our God. Our faith of the 
 church's prosperity must be founded upon a Divine testi- 
 mony. Many of these are contained in the Scriptures. — 
 From every one of them we may be assured, that the time 
 will come, when the kingdoms of this world will become the 
 kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and when, to our 
 Redeemer shall be given dominion, and glory, and a king- 
 dom, that all people, nations, and languages, shall serve 
 him. Doubts of this may hinder our inquiry; but an as- 
 sured belief of it will quicken us to this investigation. A 
 lively hope of this blessing must also prevail in our hearts. 
 The stedfastness of our hope of the church's deliverance 
 will bear some proportion to the strength of our faith in it. 
 If we truly believe that this blessing is promised to the 
 church, we will earnestly expect its accomplishment, and 
 this hope will influence our minds to inquire after it. With 
 earnest desires of this mercy, we should search into the 
 things which this deliverance contains. Having the faith 
 and hope of any good, it will immediately become the ob- 
 ject of our desire. A mere opinion about this deliverance 
 may exist in our mind, without producing any desire of it ; 
 but the stedfast faith and hope of it, will create and increase 
 vehement desires. As persons inquire into the objects of 
 their desire, so those desires will quicken our inquiry into 
 the church's deliverance. 
 
40 
 
 To conduct this inquiry aright, we must wait and walcli 
 for the salvation of the church. Respecting this great bles- 
 sing, the former of those exercises is mentioned by the pro- 
 phet Daniel, and the latter by the apostle John. " Blessed 
 is he that waiteth, and cometh to the one thousand three 
 hundred and five and thirty days."* " Behold I come as a 
 thief, blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments. "f 
 Those who wait, must wait with patience ; and those who 
 watch, must watch with care. A waiting and a watchful 
 frame, for this coming of the Lord, is the duty of those 
 who inquire after it. To determine us to study this frame, 
 the Spirit of God, both by the prophet and the apostle, 
 declares that those who attain it are blessed. While mis- 
 ery shall fall on those who neither wait nor watch for the 
 church s deliverance ; blessedness shall be on the heads of 
 those who wait and watch for the coming of their Lord. 
 
 If we prosecute this inquiry in an acceptable and profit- 
 able manner, we will endeavour to continue in all those 
 things, unto the end- Every one of them should consti- 
 tute a part of the Christian's habitual employment. Both 
 on the Lord's day, and on the other days of the week ; 
 whether we are engaged in religious duties* or in our law- 
 ful employments; whether we are in the days of youth, or 
 in advanced life; and whether we are in prosperity or ad- 
 versity, either temporal or spiritual, it is our duty and in- 
 terest to prosecute this inquiry. Desisting from it for a 
 time, will darken our prospects, weaken our concern, and 
 strengthen our in< difference about this great and promised 
 blessing. But by a patient continuance in this part of well- 
 doing, Christians will glorify God, and obtain preparation 
 for all the events of providence. 
 
 When Christians are endeavouring to inquire into this 
 object, and are striving to conduct their inquiry in the way 
 that has been described, they must exercise an humble, and 
 constant dependance on their Lord, who has said, " With- 
 
 * Dan. xii. 12. | Rev. xvi. IS. 
 
41 
 
 out me ye can do nothing." Not in their own strength, but 
 in the strength of the grace that is in Christ, they should 
 begin and carry on this inquiry, and all their other religi- 
 ous duties. Let us look to him, that he, by his word and 
 Spirit, may give us direction and success in this matter, 
 encouraged by his own promise, " But the Comforter, who 
 is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, 
 he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your 
 remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." 
 
 There are many things from which Christians should re- 
 turn, if they would religiously inquire into the things which 
 respect the deliverance of the church. 
 
 They must return from all sin in their hearts and lives. 
 The Lord's words to Ezekiel, chap. xiv. 1, 2, 3, verses, 
 prove this truth : — " Then came certain of the elders of Is- 
 rael unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the 
 Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have 
 set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling-block 
 of their iniquity before their face ; should I be inquired of 
 at all by them?" In verses 7, 8. the Lord states this matter 
 again, and adds to it an awful threatening : — M For every one 
 of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in 
 Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his 
 idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his 
 iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire 
 of him concerning me ; I the Lord will answer him by my- 
 self. And I will set my face against that man, and will 
 make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from 
 the midst of my people ; and ye shall know that I am the 
 Lord." These alarming words, which describe the condition 
 of hypocritical and presumptuous inquirers, should assure 
 us that it is sinful and dangerous to inquire into the ways 
 of God, while our hearts are impure, and our lives are un- 
 holy. If we would be accepted in this duty, and profit by 
 it, we must, through the Spirit, crucify the flesh, with the 
 affections and lusts ; and put away sin far from our taberna- 
 
cles. As the Lord is an holy God, and the duty of inquir- 
 ing about his church is an holy exercise ; we cannot have 
 sanctified success in it, if we do not endeavour, by Divine 
 grace, to be holy in all manner of conversation and godli- 
 ness. 
 
 Sincere inquirers into the church's prosperity must return 
 from their neglect of religious duties, If we often neglect 
 the secret duties of the closet, the private duties of the fam- 
 ily, and the public duties of the sanctuary, we cannot, with 
 humble and holy confidence, present ourselves before the 
 Lord, to inquire of him. He who neglects the duties of 
 religion, " separateth himself from God" indeed. If we 
 desire to inquire aright, we must bring all the tithes of re- 
 ligious duties into the Lord's storehouse, and prove him 
 therewith ; and, by making scriptural discoveries to us, he 
 will pour out to us a blessing. These duties are the hon- 
 oured means, by which light comes to us from the Father 
 of lights, in all our spiritual inquiries. Is it, therefore, any 
 wonder if we, in the neglect of those duties, wander in dark- 
 ness, and have no light to guide our feet into the ways of 
 peace and comfort ? Those who wait upon the Lord in the 
 performance of all commanded duty, will obtain from him 
 those discoveries which will give satisfaction to their souls. 
 
 Inquiring Christians must also return from their want 
 of religious exercise, either in their habitual frame, or in 
 their performing the duties of Divine worship. An holy 
 frame is required of us at all times. '*■ Be thou in the 
 fear of the Lord all the day," is a Divine command 
 which binds our consciences. If we are called to the hab- 
 itual exercise of reverence and godly fear ; we must also 
 be obliged, by the same authority, to maintain the daily 
 exercise of every other Christian grace. In the continued 
 exercise of them, true spiritual mindedness consists. By a 
 life of faith, love, hope, humility, godly sorrow, resigna- 
 tion, patience, joy, and peace, we will rank among those 
 persons, concerning whom it is inquired, — " Who is this 
 that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, per- 
 
43 
 
 turned with myrrh and frankincense, with all the powders 
 of the merchant ?" But if this frame of spirit is neglected,' 
 and a wandering, carnal, and untender disposition is in- 
 dulged, how unfit shall we be for inquiring into the deliv- 
 erance of Sion ! If in our daily walk, much more in the 
 immediate acts of Divine worship, we must abandon this 
 deranged and unholy frame of mind. What success can 
 we expect, in any inquiry at the throne of grace, if we pos- 
 sess that degraded character, which is described by the 
 prophet, and mentioned by the Saviour, " Ye hypocrites, 
 well did Esaias prophecy of you, saying, This people draw- 
 eth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with 
 their lips, but their heart is far from me ?"* Against this 
 wretched frame we must watch, and from it we must speed- 
 ily turn away, if we would successfully inquire in the Lord's 
 temple. 
 
 We must also subdue our worldly dispositions, and re- 
 turn from their prevalence over us; if we would religiously 
 inquire after the welfare of Sion. " If any man love the 
 world, the love of the Father is not in him."! God has no 
 complacency in him, and he has no delight in God. To 
 persons in this situation, the church's deliverance cannot 
 be a matter of any spiritual interest. As the prevalence of 
 a worldly spirit disqualifies us for making this inquiry, so 
 it will render us careless about it. If the world is our chief 
 good, we will see no beauty in that object which the pro- 
 phet mentions, " Arise, shine ; for thy light is come, and 
 the glory of the Lord is risen on thee." If the love of the 
 Father is not in us, we cannot love his church, nor inquire 
 about her prosperity. We must, therefore, overcome the 
 reigning power of all worldly lusts, and contemplate the 
 church's interests in all their importance, that we may re- 
 ligiously inquire after her destinies. 
 
 Those who would conduct this inquiry aright, must re- 
 turn from their indifFerency about the accomplishment of 
 
 * Matt. xv. 7,8. f 1 John ii. 1 5. 
 
§4 
 
 Divine promises, concerning the coming of Chrises king* 
 dom in the world. How can we be zealously affected about 
 this inquiry, while we are indifferent to its most glorious 
 results ? The coming of this kingdom will bring such glory 
 to God, such honour to Christ, and such salvation to men, 
 as will justify Christians for having their hearts filled with 
 earnest desires of its approach. The coming of this kingdom 
 will fill the earth with physical good ; the rational creatures 
 with intellectual and moral good; the church with spiritual 
 good; and will bring multitudes in all nations to enjoy per- 
 fect and everlasting good in the world to come. Those 
 who are disposed to say with all their hearts, in their sup- 
 plications at the throne of grace, " Hallowed be thy name. 
 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in 
 heaven," are prepared to inquire about the church's deliv- 
 erance ; but those who care for none of those things, are 
 estranged from this important duty. 
 
 Christians, in their prosecuting this inquiry, must also 
 return from the want of zeal for the fall of the kingdom of 
 satan among men. This kingdom appears in the world in 
 different forms, and in many things. There are existing 
 on the earth the Heathenish, the Mahometan, the Popish, 
 and the Jewish forms of that kingdom. It appears among 
 men in doctrinal errors, superstitious worship, unscriptural 
 administrations, profanity, infidelity, immorality, tyranny, 
 oppression, seditious tumults, and gross ignorance. Our 
 zealous concern should extend to all those abominations, 
 that they may perish from the earth. It was a glorious 
 prospect that Jesus had when he said, " I beheld satan as 
 lightning fall from heaven." This sight will be delightful 
 also to his followers. As they see it, by faith in the pro- 
 mises ; so they long, and wait, and cry that it may be real- 
 ized, by the grace and providence of God. While this zeal 
 will enlarge the Christian's concern about the deliverance of 
 the church ; the want of it will damp the spirits of men, 
 darken their minds, and pervert their affections, with re- 
 spect to this necessary duty. Did we know and consider, 
 
45 
 
 in a religious way, what this kingdom is, either as it pre- 
 vails in the world or works in the heart, we would be 
 ashamed before God for our want of zeal for its ruin. 
 
 When making this inquiry, we must, in our public pro- 
 fession of religion, turn from every thing that God will de- 
 stroy, when he comes to deliver his church. All doctrines, 
 all modes of worship, and all the parts of ecclesiastic admin- 
 istrations, which have not a warrant in the word of God, 
 are plants which our heavenly Father has not planted; and, 
 therefore, he will cast them out of his vineyard. These 
 thinjrs have been brought from the Anti christian soil, and 
 sowed in Christ's church, by an enemy. In that profession 
 we make of religion, we must beware of giving any practi- 
 cal approbation of those things. The Redeemer's honour 
 and our own safety require this. We cannot glorify him as 
 we ought, if we do not observe all things that he hath com- 
 manded, and turn away from human traditions, and the 
 commandments of men. If we retain, in our profession of 
 religion, any thing that is Antichristian, we expose our- 
 selves to some part of her hail, to some concussions of her 
 earthquake, to some roarings of her thunder, to some flashes 
 of her lightning, and to some participation of her plagues. If 
 we are involved in any popish abominations, we cannot 
 make comfortable progress in the great inquiry about the 
 church's deliverance. We have a very alarming and in- 
 structive instance of this, in Ezek. xx. 1, 2, 3. " And it 
 came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the 
 tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel 
 came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. Then 
 came the w r ord of the Lord unto ine, saying, Son of man 
 speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus 
 saith the Lord God, Are ye come to inquire of me ? As I 
 live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you." 
 What is the reason of this most repulsive answer ? In the 
 following part of the chapter, the causes of it are stated by 
 the Lord himself. He mentions the provocations of their 
 
 fathers in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in the land of 
 
46 
 
 Canaan, b}- departing from his statutes and ordinances, 
 and by adopting the corruptions of the nations around them. 
 He also charges that generation with following the ways of 
 their fathers. On this account, he renews the awful de- 
 claration, ver. 31. " And shall I be inquired of by you, O 
 house of Israel ? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not 
 be inquired of by you." In the same way, those Christian 
 churches, which have laid aside some scriptural attainments 
 of their reforming fathers, and have embodied in their sys- 
 tem various corruptions which have originated with Anti- 
 christ, place themselves in a situation, which mournfully 
 resembles the condition of those Jewish elders, and of that 
 generation of the house of Israel. 
 
 Those who would inquire about the church's deliverance, 
 must return from their inattention to death, judgment, and 
 a future state. These are awful and certain things, with 
 which we are all concerned. If our minds are not impressed 
 with them, we must be in a very improper frame for mak- 
 ing this inquiry. If we do not frequently remember our 
 latter end; if we do not consider, with deep interest, that we 
 must stand before the judgment seat of Christ; and, if we 
 do not meditate on the world to come, and prepare for it, 
 we must be in a most deplorable state of incapacity for in- 
 quiring of God concerning the church's prosperity. Un- 
 concerned about our own salvation, how can we either possess 
 or exercise a proper desire, to inquire about the church ? 
 That we may be prepared for this duty, and furnished with 
 right inducements to the performance of it, we must often 
 remember that it is appointed unto us once to die ; that we 
 must receive one of the final sentences, at the last judgment; 
 and that we must go away from the place of judgment, either 
 into everlasting punishment, or into life eternal. Habitu- 
 ally affected with those solemn things, we will live a life of 
 faith on the Son of God, we will study holiness in heart and 
 life, and we will be prepared for this inquiry, and for all 
 other religious duties. 
 
47 
 
 There are several objects to which we must frequently 
 come, that we may successfully conduct this inquiry into 
 the church's deliverance. 
 
 Christian inquirers must come to Christ. Our constant 
 warrant for this exercise, is contained in his own invitation. 
 " Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, 
 and I will give you rest." The daily exercise, which all 
 Christians should study, is found in those words of the apos- 
 tle Peter. " To whom coming as to a living stone, disal- 
 lowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious." 
 This duty consists in the exercise of our faith, receiving 
 Christ, with all our heart, in his person, offices, righteous- 
 ness and fulness. It is the very life of practical religion, 
 when the Christian is enabled " to come to Jesus, the Me- 
 diator of the new covenant ; and to the blood of sprinkling, 
 which speaketh better things than that of Abel." Faith's 
 cleaving to the Lord Jesus is the fruit and evidence of our 
 vital union to him, the happy token of the Father's draw- 
 ing us to him, and the sure proof of the Spirit's saving ma- 
 nifestation of him to our souls. The Christian comes to 
 Christ by faith, either for a general or a particular purpose. 
 It is the former, when he believes in him, that he may be 
 saved in him, with an everlasting salvation. It is the latter, 
 when he receives and rests on him, that his grace may be 
 made sufficient for his soul, in any temptation, duty or trial. 
 As faith is constantly required of us, so it ought to be our 
 daily exercise. Destitute of the actings of this faith on 
 Christ, and of the effects which the exercise of it produces 
 on our hearts, we will not obtain that frame which best pre- 
 pares us for inquiring into the church's deliverance, 
 
 Religious inquirers must come to the throne of grace, and 
 to God, the judge of all, sitting on it. Christ is our way 
 to the Father; " I am the way, the truth and the life; no 
 man cometh to the Father but by me." In every act of 
 our faith on the Mediator, we come to the Father, and be- 
 lieve in him as our God, reconciled to us in Christ. In all 
 their approaches to God, believers enter into the holiest, 
 
48 
 
 and this entry is made by the blood of Christ. " Having, 
 therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the 
 blood of Jesus." When Christians inquire in the Lord's 
 temple, they come even unto his mercy-seat, crying for di- 
 rection, waiting for his counsel, and opening their hearts to 
 receive his merciful communications. At such a time, they 
 are disposed to say, " O send out thy light and thy truth ; 
 let them lead me, let them bring me into thy holy hill, and 
 to thy tabernacles." Abounding in this exercise, believers 
 are well prepared for inquiring after the salvation of Sion. 
 
 Christians must also come to the seven Spirits, which are 
 before his throne. The holy and eternal Spirit, who takes 
 of the things of Christ and shews them to us, guides the 
 saints into the knowledge, belief, and improvement of all 
 truth. Divine predictions and promises were given by-. His 
 agency; " For holy men of God spake, as they were moved 
 by the Holy Ghost." Predictions and promises, respecting 
 spiritual objects, can be properly understood by those only, 
 who are favoured with his teaching and influence. For this 
 reason, he is denominated the Spirit of promise, and the 
 Spirit of prophecy. In all our inquiries into the things 
 which relate to our own salvation, or to the church's deli- 
 verance, we must have our dependance fixed on that one 
 and the self-same Spirit, who divideth to every one severally 
 as he will. Since God will deliver his church, by fulfilling 
 his predictions and promises, and, since the Spirit has in- 
 dited them all, it must be the desire of all who inquire into 
 those things, that the Lord would pour out his Spirit unto 
 them, and make known his words unto them. Careful endeav- 
 ours, on the one hand, to avoid quenching, grieving, or 
 resisting him in his operations; and, on the other hand, to 
 receive, submit to, and Improve his teaching by his holy 
 word, belong especially to the duty of inquiring into the 
 things that relate either to our own everlasting peace, or to 
 the church's prosperity. 
 
 That we may inquire aright into those things, it is neces- 
 sary that we come to God's everlasting covenant. With 
 
49 
 
 thftse Who are still under the bond of the broken covenant 
 of works, God will have no fellowship ; because they are 
 under the curse, and are alienated from the life of God 
 through the ignorance that is in them. With those who 
 are instated in the covenant of grace, he holds communion; 
 because they are accepted in the beloved, and are renewed 
 in the spirit of their minds. We obtain an interest in this 
 covenant by believing in Christ, who has confirmed it by his 
 blood, and has purchased all its blessings, to them who have 
 received him. By a powerful and gracious act of God, in 
 bringing us within the bond of the covenant, and, by our 
 own act of taking hold of it, we become God's covenant 
 children. On the day of their conversion, God makes with 
 his people this everlasting covenant, which is ordered in all 
 things, and sure; and is all their salvation, and all their 
 desire. An interest in this covenant is necessary to our mak* 
 ing such an inquiry into those things, as will be acceptable to 
 God, and truly beneficial to ourselves. Persons, who are not 
 within the bond of God's covenant, may have speculations 
 about those things ; but, to sanctified contemplations of them, 
 they are strangers. As an interest in the covenant qualifies 
 us for conducting this inquiry, so a daily improvement of it, 
 by faith in the Mediator, and in the God of the covenant, 
 will encourage and direct Christians in this exercise. 
 
 In prosecuting this inquiry j Christians must attend the 
 ordinances of God, and worship in the sanctuary. This was 
 David's desire. " One thing have I desired of the Lord, 
 that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the 
 Lord all the days of my life." For what end did he so ear- 
 nestly desire this privilege? " To behold the beauty of the 
 Lord, and to inquire in his temple."* That he might see the 
 glory of the Lord, and the excellency of his God; that he 
 might contemplate the beauty of the Divine perfections, the 
 mysteries of the Divine word, and the glory of the Divine 
 works. Having his soul filled with the majesty of this ob- 
 
 * Psalm xxvii. 4. 
 
 G 
 
50 
 
 ject, it was also his desire to inquire reverentially in the 
 Lord's temple, concerning all those things which were con- 
 nected with the Divine £rlo*7, his own salvation, and the 
 church's peace and prosperity. Divine ordinances are the 
 appointed means, by which we have access to God's pre- 
 sence, engage in his service, and obtain intimations of his 
 love and favour. In them we worship God, hearken to his 
 voice, and pour out our hearts before him In our attend- 
 ance on them, we have an opportunity of inquiring of him, 
 and of receiving his gracious answers. By inattention to 
 Divine ordinances, Christians commit much sin, neglect 
 commanded duty, and deprive themselves of much spiritual 
 enjoyment. If we will inquire into the things which belong 
 to the church ; " Let us consider one another, to provoke 
 unto love, and to good works, Not forsaking the assembling 
 of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but ex- 
 horting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the 
 day approaching."* 
 
 The Christian inquirer must also come to God's holy law, 
 and improve it as the rule of his thoughts, words and ac- 
 tions. Those who make this inquiry, must not cast the mor- 
 al law, in any of its precepts or prohibitions, behind their 
 back, They must meditate on God's law, day and night, 
 and delight in its holy commandments, saying, * Moreover 
 by them is thy servant warned, and in keeping of them there 
 is great reward." Being delivered from the law as a broken 
 covenant, by their interest in Christ's righteousness, they will 
 receive the law from him, as the Ruler in Israel, and use it 
 for regulating their obedience. An interest in the precious 
 promises, and a title to the blessings which they contain and 
 exhibit, through faith in Jesus, will powerfully determine 
 Christians to purge themselves from all filthiness of the flesh 
 and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God. By 
 this purity in heart and life, Christians will be comfortably 
 prepared for inquiring into the church's deliverance. " Bles- 
 
 • Heb. x. 24, 25. 
 
51 
 
 sed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." To the 
 man who orders his conversation aright, God will shew his 
 salvation, both with respect to himself, and to Christ's 
 church. Bin, to those, who are destitute of Christian mor- 
 ality, or gospel holiness, " God saith, What hast thou to do 
 to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my cove- 
 nant in thy mouth ? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and 
 castest my words behind thee."* 
 
 Religious inquirers must come to Christ's church, and 
 abide in hex communion. Those who inquire alter the due 
 order, will join themselves to the disciples, and make the 
 fewer* of the Lord their companions. All the instituted 
 ordinances, they will religiously observe. Till Christians 
 are receivers of all gospel ordinances, they do not fulJy de- 
 clare themselves as members of the church; and, therefore, 
 cannot be considered as manifesting a becoming zeal to in- 
 quire after her deliverance. If they are vitally united to the 
 Head, they should also desire union, in all Divine ordinan- 
 ces, with the members. Till they do this, they neglect one 
 solemn mean of glorifying and enjoying God, of promoting 
 their spiritual edification, and of inquiring into the church's 
 salvation. With respect to every ordinance that Christ has 
 instituted, God has interposed his authority, by express 
 commands, requiring all the professors of his name to ob- 
 serve them. For this reason, all those who would search 
 after the knowledge of God's designs respecting his church, 
 must continue stedfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellow- 
 ship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 
 
 Inquirers into the church's deliverance should come to the 
 public profession that is made of Christ's truths, and to the 
 testimony which is displayed for his cause among men. Since 
 the souls that John saw under the altar, were " the souls of 
 them who had been slain, for the word of God, and for the 
 testimony which they held;" it must be the duty of every 
 Christian, and of every church, to profess all Divine truths 
 
 * Psalm 1. 16, 17. 
 
known to them, to display and hold their testimony on their 
 behalf, and against every thing by which those truths are op- 
 posed. Since God calls his ancient church " My Witness- 
 es;" and his New Testament church, " My two Witnesses;" 
 it must be the duty of Christians to take their s+ation before 
 God as witnesses for his truths, and to abide in that station, 
 till the Autichristian sbomim.tiors shall be no more. As 
 Divine truths and ordinances, which Antichrist has cor- 
 rupted and denied, are the things that God will establish, 
 when the church is delivered, it is both our duty, and our 
 happiness, to maintain them in their purity, while we are in 
 the world and church of God In this exercise, we will 
 stand with the Lamb on the Mount Zion, having his Father's 
 name written on our foreheads. \^ hen the Lord will build 
 up his church in her millennial purity, the wood, hay, and 
 stubbie of errors, superstitions, human inventions, and the 
 commandments of men, in sacred things, will be burnt up, 
 and these who have maintained them will suffer loss. By 
 searching for the knowledge of Divine t: uths, adopting them 
 into our public profession, adhering stedfastly to them, and 
 contending earnestly for them, we will both obey Christ's 
 command, and prove our interest in his promise; " Be thou 
 faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." 
 These Christians, who are holding fast Christ's name, and 
 are not denying his faith; who keep the commandments of 
 God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ; and who en- 
 deavour to overcome, by the blood of the Lamb, and by the 
 woid of their testimony, will be prepared both for inquhing 
 into the church's deliverance, and for welcoming its ap- 
 proach. 
 
 A serious and spiritual inquiry into the nature, the means, 
 the time, the signs, and the effects of the deliverance and 
 prosperity of the church, is an important and necessary 
 duty. Some scriptural knowledge of those things, must be 
 a profitable attainment. The causes of our ignorance 
 and uncertainty about them, are found in our indifference 
 
53 
 
 and aversion to those inquiries. Were we truly concerned 
 for this know-ledge, and diligent in using the means of ob- 
 taining it, we would soon acquire such an understanding of 
 those matters, as would give pleasure and satisfaction to our 
 minds. The qualifications which prepare us for this inves- 
 tigation, are of the purest kind. Curiosity, learning, inge- 
 nuity and diligence, are not sufficient of themselves, to 
 conduct us to a spiritual apprehension of those matters. 
 Curiosity may stimulate us to exertion, learning may fit us 
 for research, ingenuity may qualify us to form and support 
 conjectures, and diligence may keep the rest in operation; but 
 the qualifications, which truly prepare the mind for this in- 
 vestigation, are more noble and precious than these. To 
 persons who do not conduct this inquiry in a religious man- 
 ner; who do not return from every thing that is dishonour- 
 ing to God; and who do not embrace, and improve, for their 
 own salvation, the objects which the gospel exhibits to their 
 view, I may say, Let them not think that they shall receive 
 any thing that is truly good from the Lord. But these, who 
 are experimentally acquainted with those religious exercises 
 which belong to the proper manner of conducting this in- 
 quiry; who endeavour to turn from that which is evil; and 
 who come and cleave to that which is good, they, in this 
 duty, shall obtain satisfaction and comfort to their souls. 
 
 The saint's religious exercises, duties and enjoyments, will 
 not be injured, by a careful inquiry into the church's deliver- 
 ance and prosperity. In this inquiry, Christians are reli- 
 giously exercised, itself is a commanded duty, and, in the 
 performance of it, they often obtain special enjoyments. The 
 more numerous the objects of their exercise, duties and en- 
 joyments are, the more complete and extensive will be their 
 frames, their service, and their attainments. The person 
 who has been confined, from his infancy, to the district in 
 which he was born, cannot have such knowledge of the coun- 
 try, as the man who has often travelled through every part 
 of it The word of God is a wide and extensive region, 
 through which believers should travel; and the more enlarg- 
 
M 
 
 ed their excursions iii it are, the more enriched will they be 
 with its treasures, and acquainted with the objects it con- 
 tains. Every spiritual object, when religiously improved, 
 has its own practical effect on the believer's heart and life; 
 and, therefore, the greater the variety of the^e object? is, 
 about which they employ their minus, the more numerous 
 and diversified will be their exercises and enjoyments. The 
 Christian's concern, then, about the interests of Christ's 
 church, cannot be injurious, but will prove highly beneficial 
 to the prosperity of his soul. 
 
 To take a lively interest in the success of those means, 
 which the Lord is now employing for the church's deliver- 
 ance and enlargement, is the duty of all Christians. This 
 concern will produee sineere desires — fervent prayers — in- 
 quiries about what the Lord has done — thankfulness lor his 
 operations, — and pecuniary contributions lor the support of 
 this great work. 
 
 Christians will sincerely desire that success may attend 
 those means. Their love to God, and his church, will excite 
 those desires. Pity to their fellow creaturo, who are in 
 gross darkness, perishing for v\ant of knowledge, will also 
 produce the same eilect. A sense of duty, by the Divine 
 command, will constrain them to desire this blessing. O, 
 how many and fervent should our desires be, lor the spiritual 
 illumination of men, and the enlargement of the church. 
 
 Earnest prayer must accompany those desires. With- 
 out spiritual desires, there cannot be any fervent prayers; 
 and without prayer to God, there will not be any dutiful 
 expression of those desires. Many are the Divine promises 
 which secure to the church deliverance and enlargement. 
 We must carry them to the throne of giace, in the prawr 
 of faith, and plead for their accomplishment. Admiring the 
 grace of God in giving the promises, we will rely on his 
 faithfulness to fulfil them, and depend upon the power of 
 him, who is able also to pcrtoim. The means uhich God 
 is now employing for the advancement of Christ's kingdom, 
 should encourage us to pray earnestly for this blessujg. U 
 
85 
 
 our fathers prayed fervently for the church's enlargement, 
 when there were comparatively no means in operation to 
 accomplish it ; how aggravated will be our neglect of this 
 duty, when the means that are now used for this end, are 
 so many, so various, so suitable, and so efficacious ? 
 
 An inquiry after the doings of the Lord by these means, 
 is also incumbent on us. Those persons, whose hearts 
 indite desires, and whose mouths utter prayers to God for 
 the church's prosperity, will be filled with an holy anxiety 
 to hear of the success of any of those means, in any part of 
 the earth, and on any class of its inhabitants. Well authen- 
 ticated accounts of these are, to Christians, good news from 
 a far country, refreshing to their hearts, as cold water to a 
 weary soul. With what earnest desire should we seek for 
 information about the doings of the Lord, by those means 
 which are intended to dissolve the kingdom of satan, and to 
 establish the Redeemer's kingdom in the world, and in the 
 hearts of men ! 
 
 When comfortable information is obtained of the success 
 of these means, joy and praise are suitable to the saints of 
 God. Concerning this success, we ought to say, " The 
 Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 
 On a survey of the change which has been produced on 
 many, both in their personal and collective capacities, we 
 have already some reason " to sing the song of Moses, the 
 servant of the Lord, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 
 Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, 
 just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints." Contem- 
 plating this auspicious commencement of the day of light, 
 we may exclaim, with joyous and grateful admiration, What 
 hath the Lord wrought ! 
 
 Liberal contributions for the support of these means, 
 ought also to be made, by all Christians. The pressure 
 and the confusion of the times have placed many, in 
 a situation of total incapacity to do, in this matter, what 
 they have formerly done, and still desire to perform.— 
 For this cause, and for many other reasons, it should 
 
56 
 
 be our earnest desire that those distresses, together with 
 their causes, may be speedily and effectually removed. 
 In proportion as many are disabled For giving assistance 
 to this great work, those whose external circumstance are 
 less affected, should consider that they are under strong 
 obligations to contribute more liberally; that the defalcation 
 occasioned by the present distresses, may, as far as is pos* 
 sible be made up. Never did there pass over any genera- 
 tion a season, in which more urgent calls were fgiven to 
 Christians, or more important opportunities presented to 
 them, to glorify God with their substance, and with the 
 first fruits of their increase. The glory of God, the pros- 
 perity of Christ's church, the comfort of our own souls, and 
 compassion for the souls of others, unite in demanding this 
 pecuniary assistance, from all the lovers of Christ, of his 
 holy religion, and of the salvation of their fellow creatures. 
 To profess that we are friendly to the circulation of the 
 Scriptures, the conversion of the Jews, and the illumination 
 of the darkened nations, and, at the same time, to with- 
 hold our support from those means which are now employ- 
 ed to attain those ends, when this can be done without 
 the surrender of any religious principle, or the approbation 
 of any corrupt system, is certainly a great inconsistency, 
 and a dereliction of a necessary and important duty. For 
 the neglect of this duty, by those who are the enemies of 
 the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god 
 is their belly, whose glory is their shame, and who mind 
 earthly things, it is easy to account ; but how mysterious is 
 the conduct of those who love Christ, and are zealous for 
 his glory, in refusing to those means for promoting the 
 kingdom of their Redeemer, their countenance and aid? 
 Let us all manifest a proper concern tor the church's de- 
 liverance, by supporting those exertions which are now 
 made for causing the wilderness and the solitary place to 
 be glad for them, and the desert to rejoice and blossom as 
 the rose. You are not called to contrive plans, nor to be- 
 gin operations. Schemes have already been devised, and 
 
5? 
 
 operations have been begun ; and the suitableness and per- 
 fection of both, have been clearly demonstrated, by their 
 astonishing success. But you are called to support those 
 exertions, that they may continue and increase, till the 
 Lord's way shall be known upon the earth, and his saving 
 health among all nations. The contributions of the Israel- 
 ites, in the wilderness, for erecting the tabernacle, and in 
 the land of Canaan, during the reigns of David and Solo- 
 mon, for building the temple, are encouraging and instruc- 
 tive examples to us in this great work. Let us go and do 
 likewise. Large sums are collected, for carrying on works 
 of public utility, for executing schemes that are vain and 
 foolish, and even for accomplishing purposes that are im- 
 moral and wicked. Shall the friends of national improve- 
 ment, the lovers of vanity, and votaries of vice lavish gold 
 out of the bag, to fulfil these designs in which they take 
 pleasure ; and shall not the lovers of God, the friends of 
 Christ, and the believers of his gospel, contribute with lib- 
 erality and cheerfulness, for promoting the prosperity of 
 Christ's church, and the salvation of perishing sinners ? How 
 glorious is this object ! How important above all others ! 
 O Christians, set your hearts to this work. Engage in it 
 cheerfully, contribute for it liberally, and continue in it to the 
 end ; that you may prove yourselves to be among those who 
 are earnestly longing for, and religiously inquiring into, the 
 church's deliverance. As the time seems to be approach- 
 ing, when the Lord of Hosts will shake all nations, that 
 Christ, the desire of all nations, may come in the glory of 
 his kingdom ; and as those means are calculated to intro- 
 duce that blessed season ; let us be conscientious in sup- 
 porting them, not with a mere trifle annually ; but with a 
 contribution, corresponding to the magnitude of the object, 
 and to the Divine bounty to us, that he may say to us, at 
 our latter end, on this, and on other grounds ; " Well 
 done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faith- 
 ful arer a few things, I will make thee ruler over many 
 things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.". 
 
 H 
 
5S 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 In the former of these Essays, I have stated my opinio** 
 concerning Daniel's prophetic number of two thousand 
 three hundred days. If it convey to the reader any in- 
 formation about this important prediction, and produce in 
 his heart any pious exercises about the event that will hap- 
 pen at its fulfilment, and about the church's glory that 
 will follow it, my labour will be abundantly rewarded. 
 If what I have said, may be the mean of drawing to this 
 subject the attention of others, who may be enabled to 
 place it in a clearer light, my labour will not have been in 
 vain. The conclusions to which we are necessarily led, by 
 the manner in which the date of this number is fixed, does 
 not invalidate any of the former calculations in the Dis- 
 course on the Prophetic Numbers, or in its Appendix; 
 but has rather a tendency to establish them. 
 
 The number of the beast, 666, distinguished from the 
 number of his name, states the age of the Roman empire, 
 from the time it became an Asiatic state, till the time it 
 identified itself with the great Ecclesiastic apostasy. It 
 is not the number of the beast, but the number of his 
 name, over which the saints on the sea of glass obtain- 
 ed the victory. Neither is it the former, but the latter, 
 which entitled men to a license from the Antichristian 
 powers to buy and sell. Their meaning is totally different. 
 From the year 133, before Christ, when the Roman em- 
 pire became an Asiatic state, till A. D. 533, when the em- 
 peror Justinian constituted the bishop of Rome the head 
 over all the churches, there are 666 years. From the 60th 
 year before Christ, when the Romans had conquered Asia, 
 till 606, when the emperor Phocas ratified to the bishop of 
 Rome his Antichristian supremacy, there are also 666 years. 
 From 533 till 1792 inclusive, we have Daniel's 1260 years, 
 when the judgment began to sit, and the vials to be poured 
 out. From 1792 till 1822, Daniel's number of 30 ye|rs is 
 fulfilled. By adding his 45 years to 1822, we are brought 
 
59 
 
 to 1867. As the last year in this number belongs to the 
 millennium, it must betaken from it, which gives us 1866. 
 When John's number of 1260 years is added to 606, we 
 are brought to the very same year 1866. The last year of 
 Daniel's 1335 years will be the commencement of the mil- 
 lennium; because he assures us, that those who wait and 
 come to that year shall be blessed. The first year of John's 
 1000 years, which immediately follows the last year of his 
 1260 years, will also begin the millennium; and both of 
 these, according to this calculation, will come in 1867. 
 
 Daniel's 2,300 years, commencing with the 70 weeks in 
 the 457th year before Christ, will terminate in A. D. 1843, 
 when the sanctuary shall be cleansed from popish abomina- 
 tions. This is 24 years before the millennium begins ; and 
 during that period, the church will be prepared for enter- 
 ing into her state of prosperity and peace. These conclu- 
 sions are not the effect of human contrivance ; but they are 
 forced upon us by the numbers themselves, viewed in that 
 arrangement in which it is necessary to consider them. 
 
 By the latter of these Essays, the attention of Christians 
 is invited to the religious duty of inquiring into the church's 
 deliverance. Advantageous will it be to the reader, if the 
 call is not made in vain. From the conduct of many pro- 
 fessors concerning Christ's church, it may be said of her; 
 " This is Sion, whom no man seeketh after." With res- 
 pect to many, the Apostle's complaint may be renewed; 
 " for all seek their own, not the things that are Jesus 
 Christ's." From this spiritual lethargy, let us be roused. 
 Let us seriously join in the call which was heard from Seir; 
 Watchman, what of the night ? Let us renew the call, and 
 wait for an answer. Let us be assured that the morning 
 shall come upon the church, and the night upon her ene- 
 mies. Let us seek from the Lord a disposition to inquire, 
 and let us engage in this necessary duty. Let us think 
 upon the things into which we are authorized to inquire. 
 Let us meditate on the particulars which belong to the pro- 
 
60 
 
 per manner of conducting this inquiry, reduce them to 
 practice, and experience every one of them, in our own 
 souls. Let us depart from all the evils, from which we arc 
 called to return, that we, in making this inquiry, may 
 please God, and edify our souls. Let us endeavour to 
 embrace those objects to which we are called to come, that 
 our labour in this duty may not be in vain in the Lord. 
 
 No opinion concerning this duty can be more erroneous, 
 than that which considers it as a work of mere speculation. 
 Every attempt we make to inquire into these things ought 
 to be done religiously, and every discovery we obtain should 
 have a sanctifying effect on our thoughts, words and actions, 
 As the holy Prophets were in the Spirit, when they receiv- 
 ed those visions of God; so should we earnestly desire Di- 
 vine influences, when we inquire into their meaning. As 
 they were deeply affected and enlarged in spiritual exercises 
 after they had received them; so should we be religiously 
 exercised, when the meaning of them is discovered to our 
 minds. In this way, we will honour God, and edify our 
 souls, by inquiring into the Church's deliverance. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 essays on Daniel's prophetic number 
 
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