the Scriptures are now darkened by a sackcloth covering? Even the Roman church, who so long suppressed its translation and circulation, are now translating, and circulating too, the Bible in many languages. Then, indeed, must the twelve hundred and sixty years have ended. And you may inquire, When? I answer, When the pope lost his dominion, and Italy was made a republic; when free toleration on religious opinions was given by the power of the French; and when the Bible was permitted to be read and published in any language under the whole heaven,-in the year of our Lord 1798. Then, from the year 538 to the year 1798, was the twelve hundred and sixty years completed, and the word of God fulfilled. Roman bishops may jeer at these calculations; but one thing is true,-the wounded bird will always flutter. So, my dear reader, when you see any of our wouldbe great men, whether protestant or catholic, begin to laugh or sneer at the writings of a poor old man, believe me, there is a wound.

THE TWELVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS OF THE CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS.

Revelation xii. 6, 14:

fled into the wilderness, a place prepared of God,

"And the woman where she hath that they should

feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." By the woman, we must

understand the church; by the wilderness, we must understand, driven away from the great city which rules over the kings of the earth." Revelation xvii. 17. Or, in plain English, it is the true church of Christ, separating herself from the abominations and communion of the old mother of harlots and abominations of the earth; the Roman church being the only church which has reigned over kings, especially the ten kings of the Roman empire.

The time specified is twelve hundred and sixty years, the same time Daniel's "little horn" and John's "mother of harlots" were to reign over the kings. Of course, the church of Christ must have separated herself from the mother church at the time the church of Rome obtained her power to reign over kings, in the year 538, when the Arian kings were subdued and made to yield obedience to the orthodoxy of the bishop of Rome, from which time many schismatics, as the historians of the Roman church tell us, separated themselves from the catholic church, as they call her. And Moshiem tells us, that in the beginning of the sixth century, many who professed Christianity, opposed the worshipping of saints and images, and many of the unmeaning mummeries of the Roman church.

Then twelve hundred and sixty years would bring us to the year 1798, when free toleration was given to all churches, of

whatever sect or denomination, to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, or their own sense of religious duty; even in Italy, the very seat of the beast, and in France and other kingdoms, which had, for ages, held a rigid and iron sway over the minds and consciences of men, and had persecuted and driven away, outlawed and beaten, every church not in fellowship with the Roman bishops and priests.

I ask, can we be mistaken in the fulfilment of this prophecy? Is the church now, in the wilderness? And if you should respond, she is,-I ask you, when then was she out? Not in the apostolic age: for she was not more free then, than now. And then, let me inquire, where is your twelve hundred and sixty years? It can have no meaning. O, Christian! I beg of you, believe in the word of God; do not, I pray you, discard time, any more than manner. Is it not selfishness in us to discard the set times which God has fixed, and not man? Where is our faith? Why are we so slow of heart to believe? Three times we have witnessed,— yes, in the lifetime of some of us,-the fulfilment of the "time, times, and an half," in the accomplishment of the "forty-two months," in the completion of the "twelve hundred and threescore days," and yet, O God, we refuse to believe! Shame on that professor who will not open his eyes! They tell us we cannot understand pro

phecy until it is fulfilled. But here it is. three times fulfilled in this day we live. What excuse have you now, O ye heralds of the cross? Ah! say you, that is your construction; we are not bound to follow your explanations. No, no. But for ages you and your fathers have been telling us that these prophecies were true; and you have told us that when they come to pass we should know what they meant; and although ages on ages have rolled their rapid course, yet nothing has transpired, as you will own; and we, if we should search, and find, as we believe, the prophecies fulfilling, and tell our reasons, you then can taunt us with a sceptic argument," this is your construction,"-and then not dare to tell us what it means! Awake, awake, ye shepherds of the flock! Come, tell us why these things are not fulfilled. Deceive us not. You stand upon the walls, both night and day; then tell us what it means? We have a right to ask, "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?" An answer we must have; or you must leave your towers. It will not do to answer us, like Dowling, "I am under no obligation to tell you." Has Zion no better watchmen on her walls than this? Alas! alas! then we may sleep, and sleep, until the trumpet's dreadful blast shall shake our dusty beds, and the last angel raise his hand and swear, "that time shall be no longer." Why are you thus

our

negligent and remiss in duty? If I am not right in my construction of God's holy word, pray tell us what is truth, and make it look more plain, and will we not believe? Thus you will cleanse your garments from our blood, and we must bear the shame. What time of night? Come, tell us plainly. There are portentous clouds hanging over heads; we hear the murmurs of the fitful winds; we see sad omens of a dreadful storm; and where is our watchman's voice? Your silence gives us fears that we are betrayed. Awake, awake! Ye watchmen, to your post! It is no false alarm. There are judgments, heavy judgments, at the door. "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people." How shall the fearful stand in that great day, when heaven and earth shall hear his mighty voice, and they that hear must come to judgment? Where will the unbelieving scoffer then appear? When God makes inquisition for the blood of souls, and when the under-shepherds stand with their flocks around the "great white throne," to have each motive, thought, word, act, and deed, brought out to light, before a gazing world, and tried by that unerring rule "the word," -I ask you, scorner, jester, scoffer, how will you appear? Stop, stop, and think, before you take a fatal leap, and jest away your soul!