the frontiers of the Ottoman empire, and devouring by anticipation his devoted prey.

But, among the other signs of the times, there is one of so gigantic a magnitude, so peculiar a nature, and yet of so very recent an origin, that it painfully arrests the unwilling attention even of the most careless observer; a sign so closely connected moreover with the downfall of the Ottoman empire, that one can scarcely avoid prognosticating that downfall not to be very far distant. It is predicted, that, at some indefinite period after the exhaustion of the mystic Eupbratean waters, three unclean spirits should go forth to gather the kings of the Roman world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty: and it afterwards appears, that these kings are associated together subject to the guidance of the beast under bis last or Carlovingian bead, and in close connection with the false propbet*. Here we may observe, that the three unclean spirits are not said simply to gather the kings together or to form them into a confederacy, but to gather them together to the battle of the Lord: whence we may, and indeed must, conclude, that the confederacy itself is formed previous to its being gathered to Armageddon; and that the three unclean spirits use it unconsciously as their tool, when it is thus formed. At what precise period it will be formed is no where said. For any thing that appears to the contrary, it may be simply formed either before or after the exhaustion of the Euphratean waters. The event alone can determine: but the previous probability is, that it will be formed at no very remote period from that exhaustion, either previously

Compare Rev. xvi, 13-16 with Rev. xix, 19, 20.

to it or posterior to it. Now the chief of this confederacy is declared to be the Roman beast under bis last or Carlovingian bead; and one member of it is declared to the false prophet or the Papacy. But, unless I greatly mistake, recent events have identified the infidel king, who is to undertake an expedition to Palestine at the time of the end with the Roman beast under bis last bead, who is to do the very same in conjunction with a formidable. confederacy. Do we behold then any appearance of such a confederacy as that described by St. John; namely a confederacy of the beast under bis Carlovingian bead, the false Romish prophet, and the vassal kings of the enslaved Latin earth? Do we behold it likewise at the very time when we had reason to suppose it would appear; namely when the Eupbratean waters were rapidly drying up, and when their complete exhaustion seemed to be at no very great distance? Is there any answer necessary to these questions? If there be, view the modern Charlemagne first leaguing himself with the Papacy, and then creating at pleasure a host of vassal kings. View him extending his dominion over the greatest part of Germany,over Holland,over Italy,over Spain. View him surrounding himself with regal slaves, who depend upon his nod, and exist only by his will. Lastly hear him, as if unconsciously impelled to bear his testimony to the truth of prophecy ; hear him unreservedly avow himself to be the federal head of his creatures, hear him proclaim to all Europe that their mock sovereignties are mere federal estates of France*. What other idea can

*It is a curious circumstance, that in one of the speeches, detailed by the Moniteur as delivered to the legislative body, the political system, which we now behold rapidly advancing to maturity, is styled a confederacy and a pious league.

we

we form of the coalition described by St. John? In every particular, local and chronological, this new coalition, unheard of, unthought of, but the other day, exactly answers to it. Even now rumours are afloat, that the seat of the false prophet is to be removed from Rome, and that the new empire is to be inaugurated by another imperial coronation in the seven-hilled city. If so, what title will be chosen but that of Emperor of the Romans? And for what purpose would that title be chosen, but as authorizing all the ancient claims of the Augustan Emperors? The demands made upon Turkey by the sovereign of Venice will be as nothing, if we may judge from the inordinate sambition of the man, when compared with the demands made upon the whole world by the Emperor of the Franco-Romans.

With so awful a prospect both of things present and things future, what sentiments are we to entertain of the fate of England? I see nothing in prophecy that need drive us to despair, or induce us basely and traitorously to lay down our arms and crouch at the feet of the usurper. Some great maritime nation is undoubtedly to be preserved to the time of the end, and is to take the lead in converting and restoring the Jews; nor will all the machinations of Antichrist be able to frustrate its purposes, or to involve it in destruction. That England is the great maritime nation intended, we have indeed no right to say: but, by comparing prophecy with prophecy, we may ascertain with a considerable degree of precision both the region in which that nation is to be sought, and the religious character of that nation. This comparison is drawn out at length in

my unpublished Work on the restoration of Israel, and the result of it is as follows: that the maritime power must not only be sought for generally in the West, but particularly in the isles of the Gentiles or Europe; and again, not only generally in the isles of the Gentiles or Europe, but particularly in the believing isles of the Gentiles or protestant Europe. Further than this I cannot find that we have any authority to advance, and therefore I shall not attempt to advance further: but I shall content myself with resting in the conclusion, that the maritime power will be that state of protestant Europe which shall possess a decided superiority at the time when the 1260 years shall expire. This mighty maritime power, and other smaller protestant maritime powers its allies, described by the prophet under the general name of the isles of the Gentiles, will clearly be the agents in converting and restoring those Jews who are not under the influence of Antichrist.

Such is all the positive knowledge, which we can now attain to, respecting the great naval power that will act so conspicuous a part at the time of the end. Every person, who attends to the subject, will doubtless have his own private conjectures: but he is not, I think, warranted in making those conjectures public; both because at the best they are mere conjectures, and because he cannot have those certain data to go upon, which almost indisputably attach to France the character of Daniel's infidel kingdom, and more recently the additional character of the Carlovingian bead of the Roman beast which is to contrive and direct the Antichristian expedition into Palestine. This however he may safely

say,

say, that, the more true piety increases among us, the more likely will it be that England is the great maritime power in question: and, on the other hand, he may no less safely say, without pretending to the gift of prophecy, that, if iniquity increase, and righteousness decrease, among us, we certainly cannot be that naval power, which the Lord will delight to honour by delegating to it the venerable office of carrying the Gospel to his ancient people. So great a labour of love will require proportionable purity of heart and conversation, and proportionable devotedness to the service of God. A wicked nation can be expected to furnish no very suitable missionaries: and it might be well, if, in the present tremendous crisis, we fully considered, how far the buyers and sellers of human flesh are calculated to be the swift messengers of the Most High, and to turn the multitudes of the unbelieving Jews to righteousness*.

* Since this was written, parliament has given us reason to hope, that the diabolical atrocities of the slave-trade will ere long cease to provoke the vengeance of heaven against our native country. To one who wishes to borrow his politics from Scripture, that damnable load of blood-guiltiness, with which for years we have been encumbered, will afford a much more serious ground of alarm at the present awful period, than either the arms or the arts of the Corsican Tyrant.