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accomplished at the time of the end. The three first verses of the 12th chapter also relate to events which are to take place during the time of the end; but they are yet in futurity.

GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE.

Dan. xii. 1-3. "And at that time, (the time spoken of, chap. xi. 40,) shall Michael stand up, (commence his reign,) the great prince, which standeth for the children of thy people, (the people of God, Jew and Gentile ;) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was, since there was a nation, even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever.'

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:. None of these events have as yet taken place; therefore the time of the end" has not ended; nor will it close until the end itself, when the righteous shall be everlastingly glorified.

The great time of trouble, verse 1st, is the same as that spoken of by the Savior, Matt. xxiv. 21. Both affirm it to be a time of trouble, such as was not from the beginning to that time; and the Savior adds, no, nor ever shall be. I think I shall be able to prove, here, that those who refer the trouble spoken of by Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem, are in error.

1. Both Daniel and Christ predict such tribu

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lation as never before was known. of that tribulation is placed by Daniel subsequently to the fall of Buonaparte, and prior to the resurrection. Hence it is in futurity. The time spoken of by Christ could not, therefore, have been when Jerusalem was destroyed. For the Lord Jesus declared there never should be another such time as that spoken of by him. But Daniel's is to be such as never was before. They must, therefore, both refer to one and the same time: a period just prior to the resurrection of the just. It will be, probably, after the Lord Jesus leaves the throne of grace and commences the work of judgment; when "the dead (Rev. xx. 12.) will stand before God, and the books be opened, and another book be opened, which is the book of life, and the dead will be judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works." Then, too, "Ye shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." The Lord will "give his angels charge" of his people, and they shall "not be afraid of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day. A thousand shall fall at their side, and ten thousand at their right hand, but it shall not come near them; they shall only see the reward of the wicked." The Lord "will spare his people as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Then will follow the resurrection of the just.

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THE WORDS AND BOOK CLOSED AND SEALED.

Dan. xii. 4: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." It is often brought as an objection to the advocacy of the views here presented, that "others have written on the subject, and they have discovered nothing of which you speak. If these things are so, why did they not find it out?" Has any new revelation been made to you, that you know so much more than the wise and good who have gone before you?" To this it is replied, No; I do not profess any new revelation on the subject. And as an explanation of the reason why the wise and good" have not discovered these things, I will direct the inquirer to the text quoted above. The prophecy was, by divine command, closed and sealed, even to the time of the end. How then could the wisest or best of men understand what God had closed and sealed? But I have proved that the time of the end has come, and has continued from 1798 to the present time. And are we not authorized to look for an increase of knowledge at the time of the end? Most cer

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tainly. And we have it: for the last forty years there has been more said and written on the prophecies, and more light reflected on them, than for centuries before. And light continues to increase. And those who can be persuaded to give up the old tradition of a temporal millennium, and search the Bible for themselves, see the light. But how can those "believe who seek honor one of another, and not that honor which comes from

God?" But the seal is now evidently broken; and many run to and fro; and knowledge on this and all other subjects is increased.

Verses 5-7. A new scene is presented, and two celestial beings were heard conversing; one inquired, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" The wonders are the events foretold in the 11th and first three verses of the 12th chapter. The other replied, and lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter* the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."

That the first part of this text has been fulfilled, has been already demonstrated. (See the third division, the kingdom of God at hand.) That the latter part is in a rapid course of fulfilment, all who know anything of the state of the world at the present time, I think, will acknowledge. What is meant by scattering the power of the holy people? Daniel exclaimed, "I heard, but I understood not. Then said I,

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O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" The time when they should be accomplished had already been stated. But he did not understand the meaning of the concluding event, the scattering the power, &c. It was replied to him, "the words are closed up and sealed, even to the time of the end." As much as to say, it was not for him to know the full meaning; that was reserved for others. But an intimation of the nature of the event was given.

*The word "scatter" should rather be rendered "disseminate," or "spread."

Verse 10: Many shall be purified, and made white and tried." There shall be a great revival of religion at the time of the end, and many shall be converted. "But the wicked shall do wickedly." The wicked shall still hold on their wicked course. 66 The wise shall understand." Those who believe God's word will understand the Scriptures and the signs of the times. none of the wicked shall understand." They who remain enemies to God shall be overtaken as a thief.

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The scattering of the power of the holy people is the extension of the gospel. The term should rather have the idea of spreading attached to it. It is the same event as that promised by the Savior, Matt. xxiv. 14: "This gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. Then shall the end come."

That this work is rapidly going forward, and that God is succeeding it in a very gracious manner, by pouring out his Spirit on all flesh, is too manifest to need proof. Never before were such efforts made for the spread of the gospel. And never before were the heathen so eager to receive it. What is done by England and America is but a part of what is being done in this work. God is raising up laborers by hundreds, where but yesterday, as it were, all was the darkness of the grave respecting the gospel. Is not the end, then, evidently near?

Verse 11: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1290 days." "The daily sacrifice," we have

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