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beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I ftir up your pure minds by way of remem brance; that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy Prophets, and of the commandment of us the Apoftles of the Lord and Saviour. Knowing this first, that there fhall come in the last days fcoffers, walking after their own lufts, and faying, Where is the promise of his coming? for fince the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ftanding out of the water, and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the Same word are kept in ftore, referved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the ' Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not flack concerning his promife, as fome men count flackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentBut the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens

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fhall pass away with a great noife, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth allo and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. Seeing then that all these things Thall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godlines; looking for and hafting unto the coming of the day of God; wherein the heavens being on fire fhall be diffolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, accord ing to his promife, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, feeing that ye look for fuch things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. And account that the long suffering of our Lord is falvation; even as our beloved brother Paul alfo, according to the wisdom given unto him, bath written unto you; as alfo in all his Epiftles, Speaking in them of these things; in which are fome things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unftable wrest, as they do alfo the other Scriptures, unto their own deftruction. Ye therefore beloved, feeing ye know these things before, beware left ye alfo, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own fedfaftnefs. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and

Saviour

Saviour Fefus Christ. To him be glory both now and ever.. · Amen3.

For there are certain men crept in undwares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation; ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lafcivioufnefs, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift. Likewife alfo thefe filthy dreamers defile the fleft, defpife dominion, and Speak evil of dignities. Thefe are murmurers, complainers, walk ing after their own lufts; and their mouth Speaketh great fwelling words; having men's perfons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jefus Chrift how that they told ; you there fhould be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lufts. These be they who feparate themselves, fenfual, having not the Spirit.

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Propofed APPLICATION of the above Prophecies.

From all these defcriptions taken together, it clearly appears that A POWER, sometimes represented as the little horn, the man of fin, the Antichrift, the beaft, the harlot, the ftar fallen from heaven, the falfe Prophet, the dragon, or as the operation of false teachers, was to be expected to arife in the Chriftian world, to perfecute, opprefs, and delude the Difciples of Chrift, corrupt the doctrines of the primitive church, enact new laws, and eftablish its dominion over the minds of mankind.

Such are the names, the characteristics, and the qualities of this power of Antichrift, which I confider to be THE POWER OF THE DRAGON himself-explained by the angel, to be that old ferpent which is the Devil or Satan' the old enemy of mankind, beginning and ending his rebellious war with deceit and lies.Caft from his throne of Pagan Rome when Christianity was established in the feat of empire, and the trium

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phant church enjoyed a fhort repofe, he returned fecretly to the conteft, and disturbed its peace by herefies and confequent animofities, corrupted it through the medium of profperity, and reduced it, excepting only a very small part, to a ftate requiring correction and punishment, for having yielded to temptations which obedience to the laws of its divine Mafter would have enabled it to refift. Then was the Dragon again permitted to exalt himself to the throne of this world-But in the fame manner as the captivity of the Jews was previously limited to the term of 70 years, to prove it the punishment allotted by God, and not the conquest of the heathen over his people; fo the reign of the Dragon or Antichrift was previously limited to 1260 years, to prove that the fufferings of the church are by the appointment of God, and not the triumph of the Dragon over the church of Chrift. - Babylon was destroyed at the expiration of the 70 years; and when the 1260 years fhall be expired, "the Dragon-fhall be bound and cast into the bottomless pit "."

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* See Daniel vii. 25. Rev. xi. 3. Pyle on the Revelations, p. 80.

* Rev. xx. 2.

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