He speaks with truth of this synchronism, as including the main and almost only connexion between the two systems of the Sealed and Opened Books, and denominates it" the greatest instance of divine art and surprising contrivance" of the whole book; the proof of it is two-fold, the synchronism being marked in each book; in the Sealed Book by the mention of the period of the 1260 years, which belongs to the Opened Book, and which is introduced into the Sealed Book in that solemn and awful declaration of the angel, that when the seventh Trumpet "shall begin to sound, the mystery of God," or this period of 1260 years, “should be finished," and again in the Opened Book by the mention of the seventh Trumpet †, which belongs to the Sealed Book, and which is introduced into the Opened Book, when, after the Earthquake, which terminates the period of the 1260 years' prophesying of the Witnesses, it is said that the Seventh Trumpet sounds. Whiston justly remarks, that it is worthy of observation, that the Seventh Trumpet, which belongs to the Sealed Book, should be here introduced out of its place, in order to point out the synchronism, and calls this synchronism (of the termination of the period of the 1260 years, with the termination of the period of the Sixth * Rev. x. 7. † Rev. xi. 15.

Trumpet, or the commencement of the seventh) "the principal joint, or most eminent hinge on "which the whole order and series of the "visions of the Apocalypse does depend."

Mr. Faber's plan, which I will now consider, varies from this of Whiston; for continuing an interpretation of the older commentators, that the period of the 1260 years of the Papacy ought to be dated from the year 606, and would therefore terminate in the year 1866; he at the same time introduces an interpretation (and I am fully satisfied a correct one), that the period of the Seventh Trumpet commenced in the year 1792. These two opinions however cannot be both held without violating the established synchronism of the first sounding of the Seventh Trumpet, and of the expiration of the period of the 1260 years, the last being made, by these interpretations, not to take place till 74 years after the former: this difference of 74 years is considered by Mr. Faber to be filled up by the pouring out of the six first Vials, the period of the 1260 years being supposed by him to extend nearly to the end of the Seventh Trumpet, and to terminate between the sixth and seventh Vials*; but in this arrange

* See Table in page 78, explanatory of Mr. Faber's Arrangement of the Apocalypse.

ment it seems evident, that Mr. Faber has not sufficiently attended to what Whiston calls the

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grand rule of interpretation," viz., " that we "should not venture a particular application "of any visions, till by the demonstration of "synchronisms the order and series of them has "been fixed before-hand;" for in his plan we find that the "main synchronism, the princi

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pal joint, and most eminent hinge, on which "the whole order and series of the visions of "the Apocalypse does depend," has been violated, though Whiston considers it as proved by "words which are of themselves too plain to "admit any evasion.

The text, Rev. x. 7, by which Mede and Whiston consider this synchronism as established, is as follows: "But in the days of the "voice of the seventh Angel, when he shall

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begin to sound, the Mystery of God should be "finished;" but this text is considered by Mr. Faber to imply only "that the Mystery of God (or the mysterious period of the 1260 years) "should be finished in the days of the voice of "the seventh Angel, in the course of the pe"riod during which he should be sounding his "trumpet," and he considers it as "left wholly "undeterminable by this passage, in what par"ticular part of this period the Mystery was to "be finished; whether at the beginning, in the

"middle, or at the end of it." He therefore fixes the termination of the Mystery nearly at the end of the period of the Seventh Trumpet, that is, between its sixth and seventh subdivisions.

The passage as it stands in our version-the translation given in the learned work of Archdeacon. Woodhouse, which is as follows," In "the days of the voice of the seventh Angel, "when he is about to sound, and the mystery of God was finished," or that given even by Mr. Faber himself, in support of his hypothesis, that the mystery of God should be finished "in the days of the voice of the seventh An

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gel, when it is about to be that he should

sound," appear however to me to be all equally irreconcilable with his idea, that it will terminate towards the end of the period of the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet.

Mr. Faber, in support of his opinion, that the period of the 1260 years terminates between the periods of the sixth and seventh Vials, refers to the following text, Rev. xvi. 17, "And the "seventh Angel poured out his Vial into the "air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, "It is done." These words " It is done," Mr. Faber supposes to imply, that the period of the 1260 years then expires.

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Faber's Dissertation, vol. i. P.

53. 4 edit

But, as I can by no means understand this expression as referring either to the expiration of the period of the 1260 years, or to the commencement of the period of the seventh Vial, I consider it as totally incompetent to prove their synchronism.

With respect to the first idea, that of its referring to the expiration of the 1260 years, I must observe, that this voice is heard when the last of those seven judgments, by which the 'Papal nations and the Papacy are destroyed, is inflicted; it does not therefore refer to the first expiration of the 1260 years mentioned by Daniel as the duration of the prosperous state of the Papacy, but to the last act of the subsequent period of the Vials, during which "they take "away its dominion, to consume and destroy it to the end."

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With regard to the second idea, I would say, that the expression must naturally be considered as referring to the effect of the judgment then inflicted by the pouring out of the seventh Vial; and therefore relates not to the commencement of the period of the seventh Vial, but to the termination of it.

The other argument, adduced by Mr. Faber in support of his hypothesis, being grounded on what I consider to be an erroneous interpretation of Dan. xi. 31, and xii. 11, will not come