ing, says Mr. Miller, three and a half prophetical years, or three and a half times 360, making 1,260 prophetical days, that is years. 2. In verse eleventh, twelve hundred and ninety days. 3. In verse twelfth, thirteen hundred and thirty-five days.

Mr. Miller understands the last of these three periods to end at the same time as his 2,300 years, viz., in 1843, and the other two periods to end 45 years before, viz., in 1798. This 45 years is merely the difference of the two numbers, 1,290 and 1,335. He has nothing now to do, but to "reckon back," by subtracting 1,335 from 1843, to find out the beginning of this period.

1813
1335

508

Mr. Miller informs us, in the following extract from page 103, that Daniel was acquainted with this art of reckoning back.

"Now Daniel," says our author, after alluding to the instruction of the angel, "had all he could ask for; now he could understand the time, and length, and part of every division which the angel had given him in his instruction, so far as to fill up his division of 2,300 years. He has now learned, that to begin and reckon back from the resurrection, (Mr. M. means the resurrection at Christ's second coming,) which he well knew (?) would be 1,810 years after Christ's crucifixion, (that is, A. D. 1843.*) he might find out when

The reader will remember it has been shown, that according to the chronology which Mr. M. follows, the crucifixion occurred A. D. 29; consequently 1,810 years after would be 1839.

the daily sacrifice abomination would be taken away."

Mr. M. supposes that in the year A. D. 508, obtained by the above easy process, "the pagan abomination" was to come to an end. Because there is a difference of 30 years between the two numbers 1,290 and 1,260, he concludes that “the Papal abomination will be set up 30 years after 508, viz., in A. D. 538.” The reason of this operation is obvious. Mr. M., by taking 45 from 1843, had before decided that the 1,260 years must end, or the Papal abomination fall, in 1798. He could not, therefore, commence his 1,260 years in 508, for that would have brought the end of them in 1768. -508 1260

1769

This difficulty, however, must be removed. To effect this, Mr. M. decides, not, as would be most natural, that the two periods 1,260 and 1,290, end 30 years apart, but that they begin thirty years apart, and end together. This of course supplies him with the 30 years wanted to make up the deficiency, thus:

30

508

538

1260

1798

If I am asked the question-As you reject the interpretation Mr. M. gives of these three prophetical times, can you furnish a better? I reply, I do not feel myself bound to furnish any. The

termination of these periods is yet future, and I consider that prophetical times are the best explained by their fulfilment. "What is the precise time of the beginning and consequently of the ending of these three different periods,"―observes a most learned author, with a modesty which I should like to have discovered in Mr. Miller's lectures, as well as what are the great and signal events, which will take place at the end of each period, we can only conjecture; time alone can with certainty discover."(Newton's Diss. p. 321.) I may, however, remark, that instead of the supposition, to which Mr. M. is forced by his dates, that the 1,260 and 1,290 end at the same time, I would much prefer the more natural opinion of the excellent Mr. Scott, who, without presuming positively to fix the dates when these periods shall terminate, (as Mr. Miller has done,) expresses his opinion, that the 1,290 years and 1,260 years are to be calculated from the same commencement, and consequently that the former will extend 30 years later than the latter. "The subversion of the kingdom of the Papal Antichrist, and of the Mahomedan delusion, will probably be at the end of the 1,260 years; thirty years more may probably be taken up, in wholly extirpating every Antichristian power, which completes the 1,290 years; and the last number of 1,335 years, which reaches 45 years beyond that time, may predict the complete introduction of the MILLENNIUM." Well may he be pronounced "blessed" in verse twelfth, who shall wait and live to see that time, if this ushers in the millennium. Not so, however, if it introduces the coming of Christ to Judgment in 1843, (as Mr. Miller supposes,) for doubtless, while there

is a little flock of true believers, out of the nine hundred millions of people on the globe, which may and unquestionably will be considerably enlarged by 1843, to whom the coming of Christ would be a blessed event, yet there will without doubt be many who will be living three years hence, of whom it could not be said, if that solemn event were then to occur, "BLESSED is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand, and three hundred and five and thirty days."

Though, as remarked at the commencement of chapter II., it is not my intention formally to undertake the argument in disproof of Mr. Miller's doctrine of the priority of Christ's second coming to the millennium, I cannot but remark, in passing, that this one passage is sufficient, of itself, to overthrow that unscriptural theory. The scriptures, undoubtedly, inform us that there will be wicked men on earth at the time of Christ's second coming, and Mr. Miller attempts to prove in his first lecture, that such at the second coming of Christ will be destroyed from the earth by fire. Surely such will not be "blessed," though they do wait and come to the thousand and three hundred and thirty-five days! The conclusion is irresistible, that the completion of these years will not be immediately followed by that awful event. Hence it follows, that if the calculation of Mr. M., that this period will be completed in 1813, were correct, (which I by no means admit,) still it would not be the year of the second coming of Christ, but the commencement of the millennium, of which it might truly be said-Blessed is he that shall live to see that time! May the Lord hasten it, in his own time. Blessed be his name! in the appointed time it will come and will not tarry.

The time, times and dividing of a time, or 1,260 days, (years as Mr. Dowling acknowledges,) first demand our attention. Our author, on p. 110, endeavors to cast a slur on Mr. Miller's date for the 1,260 days: "He could not, therefore, commence his 1,260 years in 508, for that would have brought the end of them in 1768. This difficulty, however, must be removed," &c. But we assure Mr. Dowling, we do not find it necessary to remove it by any unfair means, but by plain and unsophistical argument.

We shall now demonstrate that the little horn of Daniel vii. represented the papal power; and that the time, times, and a half, signify three and a half years, of 360 days each, the whole being 1,260 days; and that each day stands for a full year. Also, that those 1,260 years of papal rule have been accomplished, and that his dominion has been taken away.

"A prophecy is demonstrated to be fulfilled when we can show, from unimpeachable authority, that the event has actually taken place precisely according to the manner in which it was foretold."-(Horne's Introduction, Compendium, page 147.)