begun to take away her dominion," and others. "ftand afar off, and bewail and lament for her, faying, Alas! alas! that great city Babylon, that mighty city ' !"

The confutation of her Falfe Doctrinesthe detection of her Impoftures-the abolition of her Spiritual Tyranny-the deftruction of her Monaftic inftitutions-the panic of her Adherents, and above all, the progrefs of a Power which feems peculiarly fitted to execute the wrath of God, point to her fate with more than common clearness.

Scepticifm, Infidelity, and Atheism, throwing off the mask of diffimulation which they wore in former times, now boldly avow their principles, and show themselves to the world in all their horrors, for the day of their power is come."-They call upon the world to worfhip the Image they have fet up; and whilst herefies divide the Church, they attack its foundations with infernal art and fury.

"The controverfy with the nations" feems to be begun, the facrifice in Bofrah" is preparing" the time of trouble is at hand.”

Rev. xviii. 10.

Thus

Thus we appeal to the PRESENT STATE OF THE WORLD for the confirmation of Prophetic truth. We point to a wide display of permanent and confpicuous miracles, not confined to a few witneffes who lived in distant times, but open to the view of the men of our own generation, even to as many as have eyes to fee what is immediately paffing before them, and curiofity to enquire into what is at this inftant tranfacting in the more diftant parts of the globe.

By the comprehenfive ftudy of the Prophecies we are enabled to find a standard of reference to the different parts of the vast defign which now are paffing before us in too rapid fucceffion to be otherwise understood ; and the aggregate teftimony of facts thus linked together will afford fresh evidence to the truth and order of the mighty Scheme.

We fee that many great and extraordinary plans of Providence remain ftill to be executed but the certainty of their accomplishment rests upon the foundation of Eternal Truth."Hath he said, and will he not do it ?" The Ages as they roll are charged to execute the high commiffion; and the past afford a certain pledge for the accomplishment of those future

events, which are as clearly predicted, as those already fulfilled.

The multitudes, who fit in the darkness of ignorance and fuperftition, shall see the light of Truth-the delufions of Mahometanifm, and the corruptions of Popery, fhall vanish before the glorious light of Christianity, when it shall shine forth in perfect day. Infidelity. and Atheism shall fink into annihilation before the presence of the Lord and of his Christ,. when he cometh to take poffeffion of his promised kingdom. For the Religion of Christ fhall be extended over all the world; "The Heathen shall be his inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth his poffeffion." 66. His dominion thall be from fea to fea, and from the rifing of the fun unto the going down. thereof. When the times of the Gentile Church are fulfilled, the Jews fhall be collected with the Chriftian Church into one fold, under one Shepherd, "which is Chrift the Lord;" and the whole Ifrael of God fhall enter with joy and triumph into the New Jerufalem. Then fhall all flefh fee the falvation of God"-" All nations fhall do him honour" for "the earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea." And then will PRO

PHECY

PHECY have completed its full and final work, and shine forth in all the splendour of perfect accomplishment.

It is thus that the CHRISTIAN, from his enlarged views of Scripture and of mankind, fees in their full and proper light, the fublimity, the extent, and the importance of Prophecy and it may be with truth afferted, that the study of Religion is abfolutely neceffary to the understanding universal history. The pretenfions of the modern Philosopher to enlarged and impartial views of things muft then be confidered as falfe and abfurd.-Rejecting the fureft guides of human reason, he wanders through the labyrinths of History as chance directs, refting only in those places which appear to favour his fyftem; and, like the fly upon the beautiful Corinthian pillar, fees nothing but diforder and confufion. The Christian, on the contrary, fteadily following the clue which Religion offers, obferves the connexion of the parts, and their relation to the vaft, the wonderful Plan, which reaches from the creation of the World, to its final deftruction-from Earth to Heaven! Raifed to the lofty station to which Revelation only can conduct him, he furveys as in a widely extended profpect, the paft and present history B b 4

of

of the world-"His eyes are opened" and his conceptions are elevated and enlarged by admiration, gratitude, and hope, while he beholds the Nations of the earth that have carried on, and are now fulfilling the great defigns of God with respect to his chofen people and the Religion of Chrift. He fees the most apparently trivial as well as the most fignal events made fubfervient to the triumph of true Religion, and the eternal welfare of mankind; and the viciffitudes of human life -the vice, the folly, and the misery of man

as tending to one glorious object under the conduct of infinite wifdom, goodness, and power. He furveys the tranfitory glory of antient and of modern ftates, the boafted mo→ numents of art, the attainments of learning, the powers of genius, the light of fcience, and the various employments of human life, not as fubjects of useless speculation, but with a reference to that particular end, which, whether they are collectively or feparately confidered, gives an unfpeakable importance to them all:-Collectively, as they form one fublime fyftem of order in the Divine appointments one long feries of difpenfations-of which we may obtain sufficient knowledge to enlarge our capacity, to excite our wonder and adoration, to quicken our fenfe of depend

ence