over a long period of desolation to the "consummation," when that which is determined shall be poured upon the desolator, or Roman power. So it is plain that the instruction of the ninth chapter covers the whole field of the prophecy. But it is confined to the religious events that were to transpire.

In the tenth chapter, he comes again, and announces his design, to make Daniel understand what shall befall his people in the latter days. Verse 14. He then begins with the power then reigning, and gives a detailed account of the successive reigns to the time the last power is broken without hand. Then, he says, Michael shall stand up to reign, and there shall be a time of trouble such as there never was since there was a nation to that time, but all shall be delivered who are found written in the book; the resurrection shall take place, and the wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and those who have turned many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. Daniel is then instructed to shut up and seal the book, until the time of the end. At that time, he is assured, the wise shall understand. But before the close of the chapter, he has two other numbers given him, to enable him to determine the rise as well as duration of the papal dominion, and the period when he shall stand in his lot in the kingdom promised. This brings us again to the end. So we are

carried over this same field three times in the prophecy, and twice in the exposition.

Taking this view of the prophecy, what a book does it become! Grasping a period so vast; stretching over limits so broad; foreshowing, with such accuracy and fulness of detail, the rise, order, character, and destiny of the mightiest kingdoms of earth; foretelling, with such exactness and precision, events so note-worthy and distinguishing as the first and second advent of the Messiah, and the periods and accompanying events of those advents, and then unfolding to view the immortal state—it becomes a book of the highest importance and interest. As a prophetic book, it is incomparable. It gives us an accurate account of the whole road and distance yet to be travelled, as well as those already passed over. It brings to view, and in their order, the great events of thousands of years! It stops not with the changes and events of time; it extends onward to eternity, and affords a view of the scenes of that world! This being the scope and field of the prophecy, its value and interest to the church cannot be estimated.

The Apocalypse, or Revelation, in its prophetic portion, embraces the period of the last or Roman kingdom, from the time John had his vision to the time of its destruction, and gives us, with more minuteness and detail than Daniel, the religious and political events to occur to the end; and it then furnishes us

with a most glowing description of the happy and blissful state succeeding the downfall of the last kingdom, the destruction of the wicked, the confinement of Satan, and the renewal of the earth and heavens. That this is the field it covers, the book itself will show. "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." Chap. i. 19. As the book has, then, properly three parts, the prophetic portion constitutes the third part, being confined to the things that should be thereafter. And, written as it was during the supremacy of the Roman kingdom, and under the first form of it, we should necessarily conclude that it would cover the whole time of its existence, and fill up the outlines furnished by the more comprehensive prophecy of Daniel, and give us more in detail respecting the manner of its destruction, and afford us a fuller and more definite view of the state and glory of the kingdom to follow. All of this it does. It takes us several times over the whole field, and gives us as many views of the different classes of events which were to take place during the period; presents the Roman kingdom in its two distinctive forms, with the proper numbers showing the limits of its duration; describes its rage, opposition, bloody persecution, and fearful destruction of the saints; and then shows the manner of its

overthrow, succeeded by a description of the glory that will follow.

Now all are ready to admit, that if this is a correct view of the field of prophecy, and the points and lengths of the prophetic numbers, there can be no mistake as to the legitimacy and correctness of our conclusions. But in all that is essential in the above view, we have with us the highest and most respected authorities of the whole church. In fact, in almost every point raised by our opponents, we have been supported by the expos itors. In the very few instances in which we have not their direct support, we have their general views and reasonings to sustain us, and the direct testimony of some of the first and most judicious of their number. This I will proceed to show.

Seven points of doubt or dissent have been raised, in reference to the above view, by our opponents. These points I will specify. 1. The fourth kingdom of Daniel. 2. The little horn of the seventh chapter. 3. The little horn of the eighth. 4. The length of the prophetic periods. 5. The commencement of the seventy weeks. 6. The connection between the seventy weeks and 2300 days. 7. The rise of the little horn of the seventh. These, so far as I know, are the only points of doubt or dissent involved in the system we advocate. If we are sustained in these by the best and highest authorities of the religious world, all must see that the

system does not rest on slight or insufficient grounds. And, as it respects the first five points, it can hardly be questioned that we have nearly the whole Protestant world with us. An admission of Prof. Stuart implies as much as this. He admits that the custom of reckoning days as the representatives of years, among the interpreters of the Old and New world,is almost universal. (Hints, p.74.) This concession is valuable for more than one purpose. It may involve more than appears at first view. If the interpreters of the Protestant world are with us, as to the method of computing prophetic time, they are as to the leading features of the prophecy. This will follow as a matter of necessity. The question of the length of the prophetic numbers must depend in a great measure on the extent of the prophetic field, or the character and importance of prophetic events. If, for instance, the little horn of the seventh of Daniel be intended to represent Papacy, and not Antiochus, the time, times, and the dividing of time, or 1260 days, the period during which the saints were to be in his hands, cannot mean so many literal days, but so many years. This all will admit. So of the little horn of the eighth. If Rome in its compound pagan and papal form, be meant, and not Antiochus, the 2300 days, all will admit, must mean so many years. So the question as to the length of the prophetic numbers, is one of fundamental importance in the system