days of Infidelity, to remark, that the Mahometan and Infidel powers are both (Rev. chap. ix. 2, and xi. 7) described as rising "out of "the bottomless pit;" by which is doubtless implied, that they bring with them the doctrines of Devils. So we shall find a remarkable resemblance between them; for the doctrines promulgated by each allowed a freedom from all restraint of laws, human and divine. Their followers were taught that they were free to abandon themselves to their own lusts, and free to seize, by force of arms, the possessions of others.

The following expressions found in the prophecy, that "His power shall be mighty, but "not by his own power,”—that “ by peace he "shall destroy many,"-that "through his po

licy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand," I conceive are all meant to point out a peculiarity in the Mahometan power, viz., that it would chiefly owe its success in arms to the promulgation of its new doctrines; so we find that the progress of its arms has been at all times furthered by its making converts of the inhabitants of the countries it overran, and also by the enthusiasm produced in the Mahometan armies by their principles, and by their avowed. design of rendering their faith universal.

And here we find a perfect resemblance be

tween the French Infidel, and the Mahometan powers: for as the one was produced by the preaching of Mahomet, so the other sprang up from the dissemination of the doctrines of Voltaire: and both have been alike zealous in their endeavours to obtain universal empire, by uniting the influence of the seduction of their doctrine, to that of the terror of their arms.

The Mahometan power is said to arise "when "the transgressors are come to the full;" from which it appears, that the Saracens were raised up in order that they might chastise the corrupt members of the Greek Church. So, in the Revelations, we find the symbolical representation of the third Trumpet describes the introduction of the heresy of Nestorius into the Greek Church, which happened about the year 429; and afterwards, the sounding of the fifth Trumpet introduces the Saracenic Woe, which began after an interval of about two hundred years from the first introduction of the heresy, when, as we learn from this prophecy, the "transgressors were come to the full."

The Mahometan power is said "to wax ex"ceeding great towards the South, and towards "the East, and towards the pleasant land."

The first seat of the Mahometan Power was in the South, Mecca being the birth-place of the Prophet, and the Peninsula of Arabia the

His successors ex

scene of his conquests. tended their empire, and first entered upon the prophetic Earth in the upper part of Arabia, which was the Southern part of the Macedonian empire. They then directed their arms towards the East," and having overcome the Persians "in the year 632*, and slain Hormisda the "Second, the last Persian king of the race of "Artaxerxes, they seized on the kingdom, "and buried the renown of that nation in cap"tivity." Afterwards, having completed their conquest of Arabia, by the capture of Bosra, the capital City, they marched into Syria, took Damascus, and laid siege to Jerusalem, which they also took, A. D. 637, after a siege of two years: thus extending their conquests "to"wards the pleasant land."

The Mahometans afterwards further extended their conquests, towards the East, to the river Indus; towards the West, over Africa and part of Spain; and towards the North, over Asia Minor and Greece.

10th verse." And it waxed great, even to "the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host, and of the stars, to the ground, and stamped upon them." In symbolical language, the Host of heaven, and the Stars, when

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applied to spiritual things, represent the Ministers of the Church; that is, if the Host of heaven and the stars are to be taken as different expressions for one and the same thing: but if the expression Host of heaven, is to be considered as meaning the universal system of the heavenly bodies, including stars of greater and less magnitude, then the Host of Heaven must be considered as meaning the Church; and the greater stars alone, as distinguished from the inferior ones, must represent the Bishops and Pastors of that Church. This interpretation of the symbol of the Stars, when applied to spiritual things, is fully confirmed by Revelations, chap. i. verse 20, where the seven Stars are said to be the seven Angels, or Bishops of the seven Churches of Asia Minor; to whom the Apostle is afterwards directed to address those seven beautiful Epistles, with which the Book of Revelations commences and in every other instance it will be found that when a Star is mentioned in the Revelations, it means, if applied to spiritual things, a Bishop, or Pastor of the Church.

This expression, "some of the host, and of "the stars," were cast to the ground, is not, I conceive, intended to imply, that only a certain proportion of the Ministers of the Church were cast down, where the influence of Mahomet

prevailed; but in strict agreement with the symbols used by Saint John, the Ministers and Pastors of the Eastern Church are considered as part of the Stars belonging to the whole prophetic Earth; in Saint John, they are called "the third part of the Stars," here they are called 66 some of the Stars;" and we thus are led to understand, that the superstition of Mahomet affected only the Eastern Church.

Ver. 11. "Yea, he magnified himself even to "the prince of the host; and by him the daily "sacrifice was taken away, and the place of "his sanctuary was cast down." Mahomet allowed our Saviour to be superior to Abraham and Moses; but as coming last, he considered himself as still superior to Christ; and thus "magnified himself to" him who is "the "Prince of the host," or the head of his Church. "The daily sacrifice" of prayer offered to our Saviour, was taken away, and "the place of his sanctuary," or the Eastern Church, was cast down.

Ver. 12. "And an host was given him against "the daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression, "and it cast down the truth to the ground, and "it practised and prospered." The reason why this power was given to Mahomet, is here made known; it was given by "reason of transgression," or because the Eastern Church had