fociety of Jefuits, though they might be justly ftyled the Janizaries of the Papal authority; and when we farther confider, that politicians in Popish countries begin to esteem the feveral religious orders as ufelefs burdens upon the state, if not abfolute nuifances to fociety.

SECTION V.

The fall of the Ottoman Empire.

The fame hour in which the witneffes arife, and an earthquke overturns the tenth part of the city, it is faid, Rev. xi. 14. " the fecond wo is

(6

paft." Now, by the fecond wo, or fixth trumpet, is meant the Ottoman empire. Whether it fhall fall fuddenly, and in confequence of the fame revolution which dethrones the Pope, or if it fhall gradually wafte away, and finally ceafe to exift at the fame time, though unconnected with that revolution as the caufe, the accamplishment of the prophecy only can determine. They are reprefented clearly as contemporary events, but the expreffions do not neceffarily imply that they fhall both be produced by the fame caufe. I find fimilar expreffions ufed (Rev. ix. 12.) concerning the Saracen empire, "One wo is paft." But the Saracen em

pire gradually wafted away, and at length wholly disappeared about the time the Turks were in four small dynasties on the banks of the Euphrates, ready to push their conquefts weftward. Juft fo the Ottoman empire may gradually decline and receive several humiliating blows, before the fall of the Pope's fovereignty; but at that time it shall wholly ceafe to be a fcourge to mankind in general, or to Chriftians in particu

lar.

CHAPTER III.

Of the Events which take Place from the founding of the feventh Trumpet, to the fifth Vial, or the Deftruction of Rome.

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WHEN thefe three remarkable events are accomplished, they may be confidered as evident figns of the famous æra folemnly announced to the prophet Daniel, chap. xii. 6. 7. "And one "faid to the man cloathed in linen, which was 66 upon the water of the river, How long shall "it be to the end of these wonders? And I "heard the man cloathed in linen, which was "upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand, and his left hand unto hea66 ven, and fwear by him that liveth for ever, "that it fhall be for a time, times, and an half: and when he fhall have accomplished to fcatter the power of the holy people, all these "things fhall be finished." The appeal to heaven by a folemn oath, intimates the certainty of the promised deliverance, in the appointed feafon, that the united efforts of earth and hell cannot prevent it, nor any unforeseen circumstances delay it, a moment longer than God has appointed

appointed. The continuance of the preceding distress is measured by time, times, and an half, three prophetic years and an half, or 1260 years, calculating from the beginning of Antichrift's reign, formerly reprefented by the little horn, whofe duration is measured by the fame numbers, Dan. vii. 25. At the close of which, God fhall put an end to the perfecutions of Antichrift, which previously fcattered the power of his holy people, fo that they never could appear either in force or in numbers.

The fame æra, with fimilar circumftances of folemnity, is represented to the apoftle John, Rev. x. 5, 6, 7. "And the angel which I saw "ftand upon the fea, and upon the earth, lifted 66 up his hand to heaven, and swear by him that "liveth for ever and ever, who created the "heaven and the things that therein are, and "the earth and the things that therein are, and "the fea and things which are therein, that "there fhould be time no longer, (that the "time should not be yet). But in the days of "the voice of the seventh angel, when he fhall "begin to found, the mystery of God fhould "be finished, as he hath declared to his fer"vants the prophets." Here the æra of deliverance is fixed at the founding of the feventh trumpet, but that event takes place immediately after the remarkable events already mentioned. In the fame hour that the witnefses

neffes arife from the dead,-that an earthquake overturns the tenth part of the city,-that the second wo is past,-behold the third wo cometh quickly. What is meant by that wo we learn from what follows: "And the feventh angel "founded," then the glorious deliverance effected by his founding is laid before us in general terms: " And there were great voices in "heaven, faying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and "of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and "ever;" Rev. xi. 15.

This period may be properly called the æra of prophecy. The completion of Scripture prophecy which before this period was like the dawn of the morning, evident only to a few, fhall now fhine with the refulgence of noonday and appear convincing to every intelligent and unprejudiced mind; it shall therefore prove the great mean in the hand of God, of giving fuccefs to the gospel among the benighted nations of the world, and breaking down the remaining bulwarks of fuperftition and idolatry; from thenceforward, "the teftimony of Jesus

fhall be the fpirit of prophecy.

At this period likewife, the dates annexed to the feveral remarkable events, may be calculated with certainty. By going back 1260 years, the beginning of Antichrift's reign may be difco