as Prophet, Priest, and King of his church, while it professes to hold them. Satan is here especially transformed into an Angel of light, supplants the truth by lies, and corrupts by flatteries, and does by consequence deny the only God and Father.

It has been noticed already, that some modern writers of prophecy (whose powers of mind, established piety, and acuteness of remark, are such as to entitle their works to consideration,) have endeavoured to set aside the protestant application of the Man of Sin to Popery, and Babylon to Papal Rome. The Author has read some of these works, he hopes not without edification, from their practical character; nor without increase of caution in the views which he holds, but with no conviction that they have overturned the great mass of argument by which the Protestant Church had established that application. When we consider how explicitly our God has begun and closed, (Rev. i. 3; xxii. 7.) the book of Revelation with a blessing, promised to those who read and hear the words of that prophecy, it is surely improbable that the general result to which Protestant writers have, for several centuries, with a great unanimity, come, should be erroneous. The expressions of the Apostle, (twice also repeated, Rev. i. 1. xxii. 6.) lead us to think, that what he foretold would begin shortly to come to pass. God greatly honoured this view as a mighty means of confirming the Reformers, supporting them at the stake, and thereby extending the blessed Reformation. Cressener (in his valuable works) has shown that Roman Catholic writers themselves furnish many testimonies strengthening the Protestant application of leading parts of these Prophecies to Rome. As it is very

improbable that the church should be left to struggle through eighteen centuries of conflict, darkness and sorrow, without such a lamp as the Revelation giving a light on its path, (yet allowedly a feeble light, shining in a dark place, 2 Peter i. 19) so, in point of fact, devoted Christians, from age to age, during those centuries, have found great support and comfort from the rays of light which this book shed on their course.

It is, however. an advantage to be led to reconsider the ground on which the Protestant interpretation rests, and fresh light will be thrown, not only on fulfilled, but also on unfulfilled prophecy. In this view the works of such writers may be eminently useful. But whatever farther fulfilments may take place in the close of this mystery of iniquity, and in its final destruction, the past fulfilment, in several leading particulars, has been such as to satisfy a large body of the Reformed Church of Christ.

And let not the Reformist, nor the Infidel, glory over Protestants, in their divisions of sentiment. What truth is there that occasions not divisions, and the word of God, under the teaching of the Spirit, is the guide, and the only infallible guide to that truth. What sentiment does the Romanist hold peculiar to his creed, on which there have not been divisions in his Church; what human science is the infidel acquainted with, respecting which there are not varied opinions. Nor let the Bible Christian be discouraged by these divisions; every doctrine which we hold, from the debasing fall of man, to the glorious mystery of the Trinity, has occasioned almost endless discussion and differences: but the truth is worth struggling for through all these difficulties, in

patient meditation upon the scriptures, in fervent prayer, and in diligent study of the works of those who love the truth, wherever it is to be found. A Christian will be thankful to any one who will help him to discover the truth of God. And let him not be easily shaken out of the truth, when he has once got it; Buy the truth and sell it not. Prov. xxiii. 23.

The grounds on which the Protestant Church have come to its conclusion have been so often discussed, and are so ably stated by those who have discussed it, that it is vain to attempt to go over the reasons again, for this application; especially where there is nothing fresh to offer, after what has been said by Reformers generally, and the varied writers of the Protestant Church, who take this view, such as Mede

1 May the Author be forgiven for the following practical remarks. Greatly is it to be desired, that in all the discussions between Christian Brethren, on the very difficult subject of unfulfilled prophecy, not only that any sarcasms, severe reflections, and bitter retorts, but that any thing like self-complacent satisfaction in our own views, fancied superior discernment, and greater skill in argument, and all undervaluing the sentiments of others, should be avoided. The absence of the expressions of Christian humility and love, even where real love is not absent, is painful.

Though the author differs from the conclusion, yet Mr. Biddulph has practically and beautifully shown, how much better it is to give, when differing from others, our sentiments, with the mildness and gentleness of Christian love. He offers his thoughts to us in the way of suggestion, rather than of positive assertion. Let not earnest contention for our own interpretation of prophecy, in our own spirit, be mistaken for contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. It is easier, however, to see what is wrong in others than to avoid it ourselves; and where a system that has cost us years of lengthened study and patient investigation to work out, and has commended itself to many, is opposed by new views, with much plausibility and acuteness, it must be peculiarly trying to our Christian graces, in answering the objections, to answer them with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. May our God give this spirit more and more to writers and readers, with all lowliness and meekness,, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace.

More, Cressener, Bishop Newton, Hurd, Halifax, Cuninghame, &c. Mede's remark may govern us here: 66 Though I can reasonably well persuade myself of many things I believe, yet had I never so much confidence in me, as to be able to persuade another man of a contrary judgment, if he were once studied and settled therein; which made me so unwilling at the first to enter the lists with you in this kind, where I could expect no other fruit, but the loss of much time and pains to no purpose. The wit of man is able, where it is persuaded, to find shifts and answers, until the day of doom, as appears in so differing opinions held amongst Christians, with so much endless pertinacity on both sides. It is sufficient, therefore, for a man to propound his opinion with the strongest evidence and arguments he can, and so leave it. Truth will be justified of her children. But these reciprocations of discourse in writing, wherein you place so much benefit for discovery of truth, I have often heard, and seen truth lost thereby, but seldom or never found."

In the British Magazine there are some letters of Bishop Horsley, striking, from his bold, and forcible, style, rather than conclusive from the weight of his arguments. He inveighs against Mede's interpretation, and calls it" an unwarrantable, monstrous supposition that Christian Rome is Antichrist." The very term Antichrist may be delusive, as being a general rather than a particular term; but that Rome is the Man of Sin and Babylon of Revelation, has, I still think, been proved by the writers above named. The history of Popery has been such as to show

1 See Mede's Works, page 748, 749.

H

THE Coming of Christ to be the Saviour of the world has ever been the hope of the Church. A Saviour to come was its hope for 4000 years before he personally appeared on earth; and after he had lived and died and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, a similar hope of his return was set before the Church, as its great subject of expectation, in that explicit declaration of the angels, recorded Acts i. 11, this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. This was the great hope of the primitive Church, and it is gratifying to see that this hope is revived in our day, especially when we remember the promise that unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The last words of our Saviour and the last prayer of his Church recorded in the scriptures, bear directly on this point, he which testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus. Our blessed Master here seems, before he leaves us, to turn and look back once more with infinite tenderness on his Church, conflicting here below, in order to give to his people the parting assurance to sup