day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens fhall pass away with a great noife, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth alfo and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. Seeing then that all these things fhall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godliness; looking for and hafting unto the coming of the day of God; wherein the heavens being on fire fhall be diffolved, and the elements shalt melt with fervent beat. Nevertheless we, according to his promife, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, Seeing that ye look for fuch things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without Spot and blameless. And account that the long suffering of our Lord is Salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul alfo, according to the wisdom given unto him, bath written unto you; as alfo in all his Epiftles, Speaking in them of thefe things; in which are Some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wreft, as they do alfo the other Scriptures, unto their own deftruc

tion.

Ye therefore beloved, feeing ye know thefe things before, beware left ye alfo, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own ftedfaftness. But But grow in

grace

grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. To him be glory both now and ever. Ameni.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation; ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lafciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord fefus Chrift. Likewife alfo thefe filthy dreamers defile the flesh, defpife dominion, and speak evil of dignities. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lufts; and their mouth Speaketh great fwelling words; having men's perfons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apoftles of our Lord Jefus Chrift; how that they told you there should be mockers in the laft time, who fhould walk after their own ungodly lufts. Thefe be they who feparate themselves, fenfual, having not the Spirit.

i 2 Pet. ii, iii.

* Jude 4, 8, 16, 17, 18, 19.

Pro

U 4

Proposed APPLICATION of the above Prophe

ciès.

From all these descriptions taken together, it clearly appears that A POWER, fometimes represented as the little horn', the man of fin, the Antichrift, the beast, the barlot, the far fallen from heaven, the falfe Prophet, the dragon, or as the operation of falfe teachers, was to be expected to arife in the Chriftian world, to perfecute, opprefs, and delude the Difciples of Christ, corrupt the doctrines of the primitive church, introduce the groffeft immorality, enact new laws, and establish its dominion over the minds of mankind.

Such are the names, the characteristics, and the qualities of this power of Antichrift, which I confider to be THE POWER OF THE DRAGON himself-explained by the angel, to be that old ferpent which is the Devil or Satan TM—the old enemy of mankind, beginning and ending his rebellious war with deceit and lies.-Caft from his throne of Pagan Rome when Christianity was established in the seat of empire, and the trium

I Daniel vii. 8.

Rev. xx. 2.

phant

phant church enjoyed a short repofe, he returned fecretly to the conteft, and difturbed its peace by herefies and confequent animofities, corrupted it through the medium of profperity, and reduced it, excepting only a very small part, to a state requiring correction and punishment, for having yielded to temptations which obedience to the laws of its divine Mafter would have enabled it to refift.Then was the Dragon again permitted to. exalt himself to the throne of this worldBut in the fame manner as the captivity of the Jews was previously limited to the term of 70 years, to prove it the punishment allotted by God, and not the conquest of the heathen over his people; fo the reign of the Dragon or Antichrist was previously limited to 1260 years, to prove that the fufferings of the church are by the appointment of God, and not the triumph of the Dragon over the church. of Chrift.-Babylon was destroyed at the expiration of the 70 years; and when the 1260 years fhall be expired, the Dragonfhall be bound and caft into the bottomlefs

pit °. "

n

" See Daniel vii. 25. Rev. xi. 3. Pyle on the Revelations, p. 80.

• Rev. xx. 2.

If

If we follow the courfe of hiftory as connected with Chriftianity, we first discover the existence of this Power in a general fense in the age of St. John, when the Gnoftic and other hereftes began to arife; for it is acknowledged that many of thefe Prophecies allude to the different herefies that have troubled, and do trouble the church. Thefe however are of a fluctuating nature; they rife, fpread, decline, increase again, or die away, when their folly becomes manifest to all." But there appear to be three great forms of Antichrift, which were to continue ftedfaftly in great power, and affume much more alarming appearances of corruption, perfecution, and hoftility; and it is to thefe we now direct our

attention.

It will be the object of the three following Chapters to fhew, from the application of Prophecy to Hiftory, and to the remarkable train of events which are now paffing in the world, how exactly POPERY, MAHOMETANISM, and INFIDELITY correfpond with the characters given in Scripture of the POWER of ANTICHRIST, which was to prevail a certain time for the efpecial trial and punishment of the corrupted church of Christ.

Ob