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which before lay concealed. In this fenfe it is used in many parts of the Scriptures, and in this fenfe it accurately applies to the manner, in which the French revolution has come. We cannot read the different hiftories of this political monfter, without perceiving that it had fecretly been conceived, and was working in the minds of men long before it appeared in the world; and that it virtually, if not really, existed several years before it appeared. Indeed, it may be truly faid, that it exifted from the affociation of the atheistical crew in the Jacobin club, or at least from the time they deprived the king of his authority. It was then and there finally determined upon, organized, and formed into a fyftem, compofed of themfelves, and millions of men devoted to it, and its powers effentially exifted in that fyftem. That club was then all powerful within, as well as out of the public councils of the nation, and might have openly announced the revolution at that time; and yet, from a variety of motives, they took great care to conceal it from the eyes of the world. They contented themselves with adding to it ftrength, and placing it in a ftate which fhould appal all oppofition when they should fay the word; and after a variety of manoeuvres, too prolix to enumerate here, when they faw their mine ripe for explofion, they "revealed" their project in their new "declaration of the Rights of

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Man," upon which I have already commented. The revolution, "the Man of Sin, the Son of "Perdition," clothed in all its terrors and horrors, now reared its monftrous head from the dark abyfs of atheism. Its grand defign of revolutionizing heaven and earth; of not only dethroning all kings, but even the God of the univerfe; of not only deftroying all monarchies, but all governments and all focial order; of not only abolifhing the Chrif tian religion, but all religion; of not only fmo

thering,

thering, in the minds of mankind, all the dictates of reason, and the admonitions of conscience, but all fenfe of nature and humanity; and of feducing and betraying mankind into atheism and anarchy, now became clearly manifefted and "revealed" to the aftonished world.

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"The Man of Sin" is moreover to be " re"vealed," according to the text, "in his time." But when is that time? We have already answered this question; but as it is a queftion of importance, I will again briefly recapitulate the fubftance. The apoftle has told us, in language as plain as can well be, that the apoftasy shall come "first,” and prevent it for a time; that the apoftafy fhall be taken out of the way, "and then that he fhall "be revealed in his time." Now, the apoftafy, or the Mohamedan and Papal hierarchies have come : they have continued nearly during the period li mited for their treading the holy city, or church " of Chrift, under foot ;" and they have performed the dreadful work. And we have feen their powers; during the last century, rapidly declining. In the Eaft we have feen the former, during the last century, declining from its ancient ferocity, and overwhelmed with luxurious and effeminate laciviouf nefs; finking into a lethargic indifference respecting its peculiar fuperftition; and indeed prepared to make way for any power that fhall ferionfly invade it, and to receive any opinions that shall be propofed to it. And as to the apoftafy in the Weft, which all Proteftant interpreters of the prophecies agree is the church of Rome, we have feen her, within the fame space of time, gradually falling from the fummit of pride and ambition, into an effeminate gratification of every luftful paffion, and equally indifferent as to the prefervation of her late ime menfe powercast of her idolatrous fuperftition.

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Tired

Tired of her defpotifm, her frauds, and abominable myfteries, we have feen millions upon millions, an innumerable hoft of her devotees, in France, Holland, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and even in Rome itself, rejecting her doctrines, and forfaking her power; and thus ccafing to prevent, and actually taken out of "the "way" of "the Man of Sin." Yet more; this fame clafs of mankind have not only been "taken "out of the way," in ftrict verification of the text; but they have been the introducers of "the "Man of Sin" upon the stage of the world; for deferting the doctrines of the apoftafy, they had embraced his horrible and blafphemous tenets even before he came, and fince have led him triumphant to all his conquefts, and enabled him to plant his banners upon the capital of the apoftafy itself. Now, if thefe facts be fo notorious that they.cannot be denied (as they really are, for they have come to pass as it were in our own fight), then this is the time for the power typified by "the "Man of Sin to be revealed," and for him to perform the impious and dreadful exploits fo accurately defcribed and foretold by St. Paul in this chapter, and upon which I have briefly commented in this differtation.

13.

As to the Eaftern or Mohamedan apoftafy (if I read the Apocalypfe aright), it is not, like the Weftern, to fall by the hands of "the Man of Sin," nor before he himself fhall fall. These two great events, of the highest importance to the Chriftian church, are to take place within less time than half a century. But how far this revolutionary monfter is to extend its blafphemous principles and deftructive power in the mean time, or when it fhall please a God of infinite wisdom and goodnefs to say, "Hitherto fhalt thou come and no farther, and

"here

"here thy proud waves fhall be stayed," the apostle does not inform us: however, he explicitly declares, that, on account of its extreme finfulness and confummate blafphemy," the Lord fhall con"fume it with the fpirit of his mouth, and deftroy "it with the brightness of his coming."A

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ON THE LITTLE HORN,

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DANIEL, one of the moft eminent of the Jewish

prophets, was born upwards of 600 years before the coming of Chrift; or more than 2400 years before the prefent æra. It pleafed a God of infinite wisdom, who fees all things paft, prefent, and to come, to reveal to him, in a brief manner, all the moft prominent and important events which were to come to pass in the world, between his day and the end of time. Daniel committed thefe to writing in the exact order of their intended accomplishment and his narrative of them has been preserved for the profitable inftruction of future times, both by the Jewish and Chriftian church.

In this chapter he foretels the rife of the four great empires, under the fymbols of four great beafts, the Babylonian, Perfian, Grecian, and Roman. The prophecies relating to the three firft have fo fully been explained, and the correfponding events fo well applied, that it is not my intention to dwell upon any of them, except thofe that are connected with my present fubject; which is "The "LITTLE HORN," and its prototype. But before I enter upon a particular confideration of it, I fhall ftate fome preliminary facts, to which I thall often have occafion to recur, in the courfe of explaining fome of the marks of the fourth beaft, and its Little Horn.

1. It is agreed by ancient as well as modern commentators, that the fourth beaft is the type of the

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