: phecy, to the present possessions of Great Britain in the east and south of Asia: when Gog enters upon his expedition against restored Israel, certain parties are introduced as expressing their astonishment at his design; and as seeming to question the success of the daring enterprise : Ezek. xxxviii. 13. "Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, and all the lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil!" Sheba and Dedan seem to have been the ancient marts of the Indian commerce as it flowed towards Tyre and Palestime; and "the merchants of Tarshish and the lions thereof" designate most pointedly the nature of our possessions in the east, which have been acquired in so extraordinary a manner! The world has seen with astonishment, a company of the merchants of Tarshish transporting warriors in their ships, at first merely to guard their factories; but, in the pursuit of the objects of their trade, compelled as it were by necessity, to engage in one military contest after another, with the native powers, and to have so prevailed that in no very long period of years, they have acquired the possession of many extensive kingdoms, established an erire ing nearly a hundred millions of ange to say, still retaining their ats!* Nor is it improbable that those 's, and such of the ed by their interture day read and fraid in as wanglang in aming is spols of the north" ne goes forth merly to and The particularly refer we . should seem, the king is for the imger the mstrument of an avenging Frominencs, at the sword in his hand, is the rod of God's migration St verfiows in righteousness, still it is the abomination that maketi desolate seni he consummation, and that determined, shall be poured on the desolate," then he comes or is ent and none can help him." He perishes, as we shal ser hereafter in a siege of Jerusalem, which he al but carries; and it is at this particular crisis that Jehovah Sabaoth is himself manifested in indgment. SECTION THE FOURTH. SIGNS OF THE APPROACHING DAY OF THE LORD. These wars and commotions among the nations, &c. -The abounding of religious impostors-A more extensive preaching of the Gospel among the Heathen nations-The depression and spoliation of the Papal see-The sixth vial considered-Kings of the East-The three unclean Spirits like frogs-The invasion of Palestine-A siege of Jerusalem pointed out as the grand crisis of the Divine interposition. In these conflicts and predicted movements among the nations upon earth, we are taught by the word of prophecy to trace the near approach of "the great day of the Lord." The dreadful judgments of that day, as executed by the immediate hand of God, will hereafter engage much of our attention. The sufferings however, of mankind during these bloody wars, and these contests of the nations which we have been tracing, I do not reckon among the judgments of "the great day:" they are only a prelude to it; but when they begin to come to pass, they may certainly be contemplated as signs of its approach. These conflicts produce not, immediately, any other effects, than such as we may term the common calamities of mankind; the vanquished understand these prophecies of Scripture; and may contemplate with wonder the infatuated apostate of the west, rushing forth, in the very predicted line, towards his ruinous and long ago appointed end. It is to be remarked also that it is foretold in Daniel, that while the adversary is triumphing in his Egyptian conquest, and dividing his spoils, "tidings out of the east and out of the north" shall desturb his festivity; so that "he goes forth again with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many." * To what these tidings may particularly refer we will not anticipate; but still, as it should seem, the king is for a little longer the instrument of an avenging Providence, and the sword in his hand, is the rod of God's indignation. "He overflows in righteousness," still he is "the abomination that maketh desolate" "even until the consummation, and that determined, shall be poured upon the desolate," then "he comes to his end, and none can help him." He perishes, as we shall see hereafter in a siege of Jerusalem, which he all but carries; and it is at this particular crisis that Jehovah Sabaoth is himself manifested in judgment. 1 * Daniel xi. 44. SECTION THE FOURTH. SIGNS OF THE APPROACHING DAY OF THE LORD. These wars and commotions among the nations, &c. -The abounding of religious impostors-A more extensive preaching of the Gospel among the Heathen nations-The depression and spoliation of the Papal see-The sixth vial considered-Kings of the East-The three unclean Spirits like frogs-The invasion of Palestine-A siege of Jerusalem pointed out as the grand crisis of the Divine interposition. In these conflicts and predicted movements among the nations upon earth, we are taught by the word of prophecy to trace the near approach of "the great day of the Lord." The dreadful judgments of that day, as executed by the immediate hand of God, will hereafter engage much of our attention. The sufferings however, of mankind during these bloody wars, and these contests of the nations which we have been tracing, I do not reckon among the judgments of "the great day:" they are only a prelude to it; but when they begin to come to pass, they may certainly be contemplated as signs of its approach. These conflicts produce not, immediately, any other effects, than such as we may term the common calamities of mankind; the vanquished |