This widely prevailing superstition I so denominate, because I consider it, no less than Popery, in the light of an apostasy from the Gospel, though an apostasy doubtless of a very different nature. In reality, Mohammedism is not so much a new religion, as a sort of corrupted Christianity. Like the divine theology of the Messiah, it claims to be a revelation from heaven, at the hand of an inspired prophet, to call the world from the vanities of polytheism to the worship of the one true God, and to declare authoritatively a state of future rewards and punishments. Like the Gospel, it professes to build itself upon the Law of Moses; and allows the divine commission both of the Jewish legislator, and of Jesus Christ the Son of God. But it pronounces the Saviour of the world to be a mere mortal, and makes void the whole of the Gospel; it contaminates, with licentious impurity, the doctrine of future retribution; it presumptuously thrusts the Messiah from his office; and, like its fellow apostasy Popery, it propagates and upholds itsel by the sword. We may collect, moreover, from a computation which will hereafter be made from the numbers of Daniel, that, like Popery, it is to reign precisely 1260 years; and consequently, since both these apostasies commenced in the same year, that they are both likewise to begin to be overthrown in the same year. Of this period nearly twelve centuries have already elapsed: we. we are therefore fast approaching to the time of the end, and to the day of God's controversy with the nations. The prosperous duration then of Mohammedism being the very same as the prosperous duration of Popery*, and each being an apostasy for deflection from pure Christianity, we shall not wonder to find them both represented by the very same symbol. Accordingly, as we shall hereafter see, Daniel describes Popery, or the western Apostasy of the man of sin, under the image of a little horn springing up among the ten contemporary horns of the Roman beast: while he predicts the tyranny of Mohammedism, or the eastern Apostasy, under the kindred image of another little horn arising out of the ruins of * The reader will of course understand, that I mean Popery, properly so called, or the reign of the little horn after the saints had been given into his hand. + Unless I greatly mistake, 'both Mohammedism, and the idolatrous apostasy in the Christian Church of which Popery is the con summation, are alike styled by Daniel a revolt or apostasy. The symbolical host of the Christian Church is to be given into the hand of the he-goat's little horn on account of its revolt; and its sanctuary is to be trodden under foot, and its daily sacrifice taken away, through the instrumentality of another revolt, styled the desolating revolt. When these two revolts are completed, then the king, fierce of countenance, is to arise. Dan. viii, 12, 13, 23. More will be said on this subject hereafter: at present it will be sufficient to remark, that I know not how St. Paul's roolαcia could be more properly translated into Hebrew than by Daniel's yun. one one of the four Greek horns of the Macedonian beast*. 3. These two great enemies of the Gospel flourish during the whole period of the 1260 years: a third enemy is predicted as arising towards the close of those years, as continuing only a short space of Here again I shall strengthen myself with the concurrence of Mr. Whitaker; and I may here again observe, that my own opinion relative to the little horn of the he-goat was formed pre vious to my knowing what was Mr. Whitaker's opinion on the subject. "In the seventh chapter of Daniel there is evidently given the prediction of the man of sin, or the slavery of the "Western empire; and in the eighth appears to be described the "rise and progress of Mohammed and his followers, or the subjugution of the Eastern. I here use the language of hesitation, "not from any doubt, but from a sincere desire to avoid any just imputation of arrogance in bringing forward an inter"pretation, in which I am not patronised by any preceding writer. Let however only the latter part of the vision of the "Ram and the Goat be seriously considered; and I think the "rise, the progress, and the character, of Mohammed will be “fully manifest" (Gen. View of the Proph. p. 91, 92.). Mr. Whitaker would have expressed himself with greater accuracy had he considered the little horn as being Mohammedism, instead of Mohammed and his followers. His present mode of interpreting the prophecy has led him into the error of applying the expression," he shall be broken without hand" (Dan. viii. 25.), to the dwindling away of the Saracenic empire and the personal fall of Mohammed; whereas it relates to the destruction of the little horn itself or the Mohammedan religion at the end of the period mentioned in the 14th verse; for, if the king of fierce countenance be the little horn, the breaking of the king must be the breaking of the horn. Gen. View of the Proph. p. 134. time, and as perishing firmly leagued with Popery at the very time of the end or after the termination of the 1260 years. St. John brings him upon the grand stage of the world with the earliest blast of the third woe-trumpet: describes the miseries, with which he should afflict mankind, under the figure of a harvest of God's wrath that should precede the dreadful vintage of the time of the end: and sets forth more distinctly the nature of those miseries under the pouring out of a certain number of the seven vials. Daniel exhibits the same power, as a king or state rising up after the era of the Reformation, and marked by a lawless contempt for all religion. And St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. Jude, concur in delineating with wonderful accuracy the principles which should be adopted by the adherents of this power. As for St. John, in addition to what he has said upon the subject in the Apocalypse, he teaches us, that the leading badge, whereby this monster whom he styles Antichrist might be known, should be a denial of the Father and the Son *. 4. At the commencement of the time of the end which synchronizes with the termination of the 1260 years, when the judgments of God begin to go forth against these three enemies of the Messiah, the restoration of the Jews will commence; and, when God's great controversy with the nations is fully decided, and when not only Judah but likewise the 1 John ii. 22. Compare Jude 4. and 2 Peter ii, 1. whole whole house of Israel has been brought back into the land of their fathers, then will begin the longexpected period of millennian happiness. This period, which is styled the reign of Christ and his saints upon earth or the reign of the symbolical mountain, will comprise the space either of 1000 years or of 360,000 years, according as the number predicted be composed of natural or prophetic years. Which of the two be intended by St. John, the event must determine; the first seems the most probable *. III. These are the principal matters, of which the prophecies relative to the 1260 years will be found to treat. Previous to my discussing them at large, I shall bring together in one point of view the four predictions of Daniel which relate to them, and afterwards briefly state the manner in which I conceive the Apocalypse ought to be arranged. * Yet I see not why any person should be blamed for supposing that the Apostle meant the second. As it is well observed by Dr. Paley, "We ought constantly to bear in mind this “momentous truth, that in the hands of the Deity time is nothing, that he has eternity to act in. The Christian dispen-' "sation, nay the world itself, may be in its infancy. A more per"fect display of the power of Christ and of his religion may be "in reserve; and the ages, which it may endure after the obsta"cles and impediments to its reception are removed, may be, beyond comparison, longer than those which we have seen in which it has been struggling with great difficulties and most "especially with ignorance and prejudice." Sermons. p. 346, $47. |