down the saints. But who shall take away the daily, and cast down the place of his sanctuary? The host that was given him, (the little horn.)

What two desolating powers, or spirits, have wasted the church? Answer, paganism, under the Chaldeans, Medo-Persians, Grecians, and imperial Rome, and, for a season, under the Gothic conquerors of Rome; then popery succeeded, and desolated the church for 1,290 years. These two spirits have been the two desolating powers.

4. The inquiry was not, "How long the daily should be taken away, and the transgression of desolation continue," but "how long the vision, the daily, and transgression of desolation." How long the vision of the continuance of both! Will Mr. D. contend that the ram was not a part of the vision? or that the goat was not another part of it? If the ram and goat were parts of the vision, then the 2,300 days, the length of the vision, must cover that ground.

The "absurdity," therefore, of dating the vision before the goat had an existence vanishes. That little horn, let it be kept in remembrance, has already been proved to

be the papal power, which came out of Greece, and came up among the ten horns of the Roman empire.

Again, Mr. D. says—

But the reader who has not read Mr. Miller's book will inquire, Does he place the date so far back without the shadow of a reason? I reply, I have read his third lecture very carefully, to discover whether he has any reason whatever for placing the commencement of the 2,300 years at the same time as the commencement of the seventy weeks; and I can discover none, except a most singular inference he draws from Daniel viii. 21-"The man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision, at the beginning, touched me," &c. The inference Mr. Miller draws from the expression in this verse, "the vision," (which, for the sake of emphasis, he has printed in italics seven times in one page, p. 57,) is, that the vision of the seventy weeks and the vision of the 2,300 days are only one vision, and that the former vision of 490 years is a part of the latter. But lest I should be supposed incorrectly to charge Mr. M. with an absurdity which he does not maintain, I will give his own words, to show that I do not misrepresent his views. On page 57, Mr. M. says, "We learn by the instruction of Gabriel that the seventy weeks were a part of the vision." And again: "We think the proof is strong that the vision of Daniel begins 457 years before Christ; take which from 2,300 leaves 1843, when the vision must be finished." And again: "Do you believe the Bible is true?" he asks the objector. "We do." Then, if the Bible is true, Daniel's seventy weeks are a

part of the vision, and 490 years were accomplished when the Messiah was cut off; then 1810 years afterwards the vision is completed, which would be fulfilled in 1843."

To these sage reasonings about THE vision, it is only necessary to remark, firstly, that the vision of the 2,300 days, and the vision of the seventy weeks, were seen by Daniel at two separate times; the former in the third year of Belshazzar; the latter fifteen or sixteen years after, in the reign of Darius; that they refer to entirely different events, and are, therefore, not two parts of the same vision, but two distinct visions: and secondly, that this emphatic THE, upon which so much dependence is placed, is not in the Hebrew. It is in the original merely, "the angel Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision, (Heb. becha-zon,) at the beginning," &c. The Hebrew article (hai, the,) is not there."

On this we remark, 1. Mr. D. has quoted a passage, and put into Mr. Miller's mouth, on which he does not lay any stress, viz., Daniel ix. 21, the vision; whereas the text on which Mr. M. lays his stress is verse 23, "Consider the vision."

2. Mr. D. denies that the Hebrew article hai [the] is in Daniel ix. 21; but will he deny that the points render it just and right to render the word by "THE VISION?" For such a rendering we have high authority; and when Mr. D. denies its correctness, it shall be forthcoming.

But Mr. D. has read Mr. M.'s book over very carefully, but can see no reason why he begins the seventy weeks and 2,300 days together, except that one expression, "the vision," Daniel ix. 21. We are sorry for him, and will try to enlighten him. We confess, however, it is with but little hope of success; and, were it not for the hope that some others might be benefitted by it besides Mr. D. we should have but little courage to proceed.

1. The first reason we give for beginning the 2,300 days there, is, that the vision began in the Medo-Persian reign; but, if it had begun over two years back of where we place it, it would have ended before now, which it has not; for the sanctuary is not yet cleansed; Jerusalem is yet trodden down of the Gentiles. And,

2. Between the fifth and seventh year of Artaxerxes, there was no epoch from which there is any show of propriety in dating the vision. The seventh year of Artaxerxes is, according to Mr. D.'s showing, a period of sufficient importance, in the estimation of Jehovah, to make it the date of the seventy weeks.

3. There is no date between the seventh of Artaxerxes and the end of the MedoPersian reign, from which there is any show of propriety in dating the vision; and, if we leave the Medo-Persian kingdom, and date it at the conquest of Alexander, we throw out an important part of the vision, which we have no right to do.

4. When Daniel had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, Gabriel was sent to make him understand the vision. He said, "AT THE TIME OF THE END shall be the vision.' "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 vision of the evening and morning which was told is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many days." "I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it." From these quotations we learn what Daniel did seek. Gabriel was sent to instruct and give him an understanding of the vision; but he did not understand it, but he " was astonished at the vision." In the first year of Darius, Daniel found by books that the seventy years' captivity of the Jews in Babylon were ended, and began immedi