standing where it ought not," (let him that readeth understand.) And the 19th verse says, "In those days shall be affliction, süch as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be*. And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days t." He further says, "False Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall show great signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect +; but in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, &c.; and then shall

* See Daniel xii. 1.

St. Paul, in the ninth chapter of Romans, and 28th verse, hath these words, "he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth?" and in the eleventh chapter of Esdras, and 13th verse, it is written, " Go, and ye shall receive: pray for few days unto you, that they may be shortened: the kingdom is already prepared for you: watch." See Actş xiii. 41, and Isaiah xxviii. 21.

See Thess, ii. 9.

they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds*, with great power and glory.”

*

In this prophecy, it is plainly pointed out that the just are preserved in those days, when there will be a fulfilment of all the Lord's words; the application of the prophecy being to the times of the restitution of all things, as it is pretty obviously pointed out (independently of what shall be shown) in the parable with which the Lord concludes, who added, “now learn a parable. Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see, and know of your own selves that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." The 35th verse saith, "As a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always,

ye

*See Acts i. 11. Zech. xiv. 4. Luke xviii. 7, 8, and

that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

I do not require my readers to take the matter as I put it, or shall place it, which is only to show how the scriptures might be harmonized and adapted to regularity of method, had we the wisdom of Daniel to do it. But I ask them to search the scriptures for themselves, and to believe the words that are written; and not because there is superstition, and because there is idolatry and misunderstanding of texts in the Romish Church, to go into. extremes of reasoning upon the sense, until the word is frittered to no meaning, and belief becomes to be of no avail. We do not enough consider that it is the word that is our life. That" man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That it is the

word which is spirit, (as where our Saviour

saith, "The words which I speak, they are spirit, and they are life;") and that "there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit: and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord: and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." So that the same word which gave life and intellect to Daniel, gave life, and but instinct only, to the smallest insect that exists. However small be the portion of the gifts of the spirit, it is the same spirit-the same word that quickens. "Thine incorruptible spirit," says Solomon, " is in all things." "Unto the man Jesus Christ, God gave not the spirit by measure :" nevertheless as it is the same spirit or word which quickens, be the administration of it never so little, therefore do we find that our Lord saith of the bread even which is appointed to serve for our mortal, and immortal life, if we are worthy, "This is my body, which is broken for you." He does not say, which shall be

broken, but " which is broken for you;" intimating that the word has been broken concerning the flesh from the beginning, that "the Lamb (has been) slain from the foundation of the world*."

a thing to understand

It is not so difficult

how we may eat the

*I do not mean to say that man with the gifts of the spirit out of measure, answering to God in the flesh reconciling the world unto himself," was ever crucified but once; or that in this full sense we eat the body of Christ: neither do I say, that we eat the body and the blood of the Lord which was born of the Virgin Mary, for did the desciples eat him as "he was found in fashion as a man,” (Phil ii. 8.) when he gave them the bread. Doth not St. Paul say, "Henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea though we have known Christ after the flesh (i. e.) as a carnal man, yet now henceforth know we him no more?" This indeed could not be, for saith the prophecy, "Thou wilt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Neither let it be supposed that I agree with the Roman Catholics in their doctrine of transubstantiation, which requires that there should be a change in the elements before they can believe the words of truth; nor do I think that any Priest can make the bread by his blessing to be any more the body and the blood of Christ, than it was before. The receiving the bread at the altar is only more binding as an oath is more binding, whilst at the same time it serves for a manifestation of our sincerity as often as we do receive it in the midst of the congregation, for we are told, "This do in rémembrance of me."