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meaning; it not being the purpose of God that the application of the prophecy should be discovered, till all the events which it predicted should have actually taken place: a discovery which, considering the awakened attention of mankind to Napoleon's eventful career, could hardly have been otherwise precluded. So clear, indeed, and striking was the correspondence between the character and exploits of Napoleon, and those of "the predicted King," that nothing apparently would have prevented almost every reader of prophecy, during the last twenty-five years, from making this application of the passage, had the account of the Egyptian expedition been inserted by the Angel in an earlier part of his description. As things were, the eyes of several interpreters were directed to Napoleon as fulfilling in part, at least, the prophetical description; while some did not scruple even to assert that he would live to make a second expedition into the same countries, and thus give, on all points, as they supposed, a complete accomplisament to the prophecy. But the event, as the writer apprehends, has fully cleared up the mystery; and by correcting the erroneous conceptions concerning the place and nature of "his End," has, at the same time, disclosed the mistaken grounds on which those conceptions were formed.

It may help to strengthen the preceding observations, and to confirm the general interpretation proposed in this work, to remark, that though a disclosure of the application of the Prophecy, during the progress of its fulfilment, would have been obviously undesirable and inexpedient; yet, that on the supposition of the End of the Wilful King being intended as a signal to the Church of Christ more immediately to prepare itself for the approaching time of unprecedented trouble, in this case, the discovery of the meaning of the prediction, within an early period at least after its accomplishment, would be not only expedient, but even necessary, for the purpose for which it was written.

So that while the circumstances of the case required that a certain degree of ambiguity should rest upon the Prophecy (which perhaps could not have been better produced than by a designed disarrangement of the predicted events), as might be sufficient to conceal its interpretation, till its accomplishment should be completed; they equally required that when this accomplishment should have taken place, such additional light should be reflected by it on this important portion of Scripture, as should dissipate the ambiguity which previously obscured its meaning, and should from that time exhibit the Prophecy in its true and literal application.

162

CHAP. XXIII.

THE INTERPRETATION CONFIRMED.

NOTWITHSTANDING the attempt which has been made, and it is presumed with some success, to obviate the foregoing objections, yet the writer is ready to admit, that the interpretation, for which he is contending, may not be without its difficulties. He does not, however, think that these difficulties are greater than those which have often been found to exist in some new interpretation of a prophecy, which yet the event has proved to be correct. This, indeed, appears to be the way in which the successful study of the prophecies has usually proceeded, and their meaning has been gradually unfolded. On the first suggestion of a new interpretation, difficulties have appeared, which additional reflection, a more matured acquaintance with the subject, and subsequent discoveries, have by degrees diminished, and in the result have altogether removed. Every person, who is familiar with the study of prophecy, will probably recollect some instances to this effect; and it is

therefore only requested, that the preceding application of this particular prophecy be not hastily rejected, because of some difficulties which may, at first sight, seem to oppose it; but that it may be permitted to claim in its favour that advantage, which time and discussion may furnish. Let it be well considered, whether the difficulties of not receiving the interpretation in question, do not far outweigh any which occur in the opposite side. For if it is difficult to suppose that a person should have arisen, who, in his Character, Exploits, and End, should so strikingly correspond with the predicted king, and yet, after all, not be the person intended; it is still more difficult to conceive that any other person shall now arise; who, while he minutely and circumstantially accords with the predicted description, shall yet, in the particulars detailed, be so dissimilar to Napoleon, as to be clearly distinguished from him.

But there is another circumstance to which it will be requisite to advert, and which increases, almost to a certainty, the probability of the interpretation in respect to Napoleon; namely, the Time of his appearing. For if the positions which have been advanced on this subject have been shown to be well-founded; if the King was to appear subsequently to the expiration of the 1260 years, and to come to his end pre

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viously to the standing up of Michael; and if, as the antecedent discussions have attempted to prove, the 1260 years are already expired, and Michael is actually standing up for the people of Daniel, in those events which were predicted and are now taking place under the contemporaneous effusion of the Sixth Vial, - it will follow from these premises, that "the King" must necessarily have already appeared, and have fulfilled the part assigned to him; and since there has been no other person, who, within the predicted limits of time and place, has made his appearance in the world, and in his Character, Exploits, and End, has in the slightest degree corresponded with the prophetical description, except the late Emperor of the French, it is surely a just and legitimate conclusion, (a conclusion, however, which is to be made with deference on such a subject,) that the interpretation which has been advanced, is confirmed; that Napoleon Bonaparte was in truth "the King, who should do according to his will," and who, in so doing, having unconsciously fulfilled the prophecy, "came to his end, and none did help him."

Here, then, is the result of the proposed investigation. Here is that signal and specific Mark, which, in the opinion of the writer, has been granted to the Church of Christ at the

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