Latins: [in the fifteenth century] and his artillery furpaffed whatever had yet appeared in the world.-A foundery was established at Adrianople; the metal was prepared; and at the end of three months, Urban (the cannon-founder) produced a piece of brafs ordnance of ftupendous and almost incredible magnitude. A measure of twelve palms is affigned to the bore; and the stone bullet weighed above fix hundred pounds "." ....And again in the fame chapter, "The great cannon of Mahomet has been feparately noticed, an important and vifible object in the hiftory of the times: but that enormous engine was flanked by two fellows almost of equal magnitude: the long order of Turkish artillery was pointed against the walls; fourteen batteries thundered at once on the most acceffible places; and at one of these it is ambiguously expreffed, that it was mounted with one hundred and thirty guns, or that it discharged one hundred and thirty bullets." With fuch engines was Conftantinople, the capital of the world, overthrown: and thus was realized the fymbol of one third of men being killed by the fire, Smoke, and brimstone "Gibbon, c. 68. proceeding proceeding out of their mouths. Mahomet II. took the isthmus of Peloponnefus, and fpread a general confternation throughout Greece. Two hundred and fixty towns in Christendom yielded to the power of his arms; and for his great fuccefs in war, he was principally indebted to the myriads that compofed his cavalry, and the number and enormous fize of his cannon *. y The laft particular noticed by St. John in his description of the Ottomans, is, that, like the locufts, with their tails they do hurt. For their power is in their mouths, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto ferpents, and had heads, and with them they do burt. That under the Turkish empire, the falfe doctrine of Mahomet has been fpread with no lefs zeal than under the Saracens, is tooo well known to need the teftimony of history: yet, to show that our "There is in the arfenal of Conftaninople the breech of a cannon which was melted in a fire a century ago, of a moft enormous fize (I am forry I have not the measure of it) but those of the Dardanelles are diminutive in comparison to it. It was one of those used at the fiege of Conftantinople." Eton's Survey of the Turkish Empire, p. 95. y Whitaker, p. 153. -Hifto Hiftorian continues to bear witness to this Prophecy, we tranfcribe a paffage, which may be confidered as containing a reafon for the power of their mouths, and their tails to hurt being fo closely conjoined in the text fince it fhows that conqueft was the means of propagating the faith. "To propagate the true religion was the duty of a faithful Muffulman: the unbelievers were his (the Sultan Amurath II's) enemies, and those of the Prophet; and in the hands of the Turks, the fcymeter was the only inftrument of converfion." Wherever they had carried their arms, they have left the poifon of their doctrines. As the Eastern Chriftians, who had been enlightened by the earliest rays of the Gofpel, were the firft in the commiffion of offences, fo were they the firft that felt the weight of divine punishment. Of this we have memorable examples in the fall of the feven celebrated churches of Afia, to which St. John in the beginning of the Revelation addreffed his admonitions, and his conditional promises and threats. fidel Historian, fo often quoted, melancholy picture of their prefent state; yet the force of truth draws from his re The in gives a luctant luctant pen a friking conformity between fact and prediction. Is not the city of Philadelphia in Afia marked out by the Prophecy as the peculiar object of the divine commendation and favour, in confequence of its fuperior firmness and perseverance in the faith? and has not that city, even according to the defcription of the Hiftorian himself, been distinguished by the fame perfeverance, and remained independent, and even triumphant, when all the other cities have been either deftroyed, or overpowered by the Turks? "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, these things faith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man fhutteth, and fhutteth and no man openeth. I know thy works; behold I have fet before thee an open door, and no man can Shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and haft kept my word, and haft not denied my name. Behold I will make them of the fynagogue of Satan, behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou haft kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which Shall fhall come upon all the world, to try them Behold, I come which thou haft, that dwell upon the earth. Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he fhall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the New Jerufalem. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit faith unto the churches." In the year 1312, the captivity or ruin of the Seven churches of Asia was confummated; and the barbarous lords of Ionia and Lydia still trample on the monuments of claffic and Christian antiquity. In the lofs of Ephefus, the Christians deplored the fall of the first angel, the extinction of the first candlestick of the Revelations the defolation is complete; and the temple of Diana, or the church of Mary, will equally elude the fearch of the curious traveller. The Circus and thrée ftately theatres of Laodicea are now peopled with wolves and foxes; Sardis is reduced to a miferable village; the God of z Rev. iii. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. H 2 Ma |