oral accounts concerning Christ's second advent, prevalent in the Church during the earliest ages of its existence. If the time of the end is at hand; if the dissolution of the Mahomedan empire is about to result from the evident causes enumerated; if we are soon to witness the downfall of that power, to "whom a host was given against the daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression," and which has heretofore cast down the truth to the ground, and practised and prospered, to whom power was given to take peace from the earth; of whom it is written, 66 yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him; "-no! though all the powers of earth combine to preserve the integrity of the Mahomedan empire, the dissolution of that empire shall be accomplished, and the word of God, which passeth not away, shall speedily be made manifest in the regeneration of man; if then the time is near, when we can understand Mahomedanism to be expiring, we should turn again to Dan. xii. 1, and see that, "At that time (when he shall come to his end) shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time, and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Rev. xvi. 12. “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared," i.e. the recognition of the Mahomedan empire under Christian dynasties. And instantly it is said, calling our attention to the then present state of the world, verse 15. "Behold I come as a thief; blessed is he that watcheth ;" and

in a contemporaneous sense, it is added, "and he gathered them together in a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

When Constantinople shall be without a Moslem master, or the integrity of the Ottoman empire can no longer be maintained, a new arrangement must be made, with the elements of the Mahomedan dominion. The existence of the British empire depends upon her paramount powers as a maritime nation; and the aggrandizement of Russia by the fruition of her policy, which has occupied through ages the diplomacy of her government. The establishment of her hierarchy, and the construction of a maritime power stimulate Russia to the possession of Constantinople. By including this capital within her dominions, Russia gains egress through the Dardanelles for a fleet, and her armies and navies could impinge at once upon the south of Europe. Whilst St. Petersburgh preserved her grasp upon the North; a position which would enable her to supersede England, and hold the balance of power in Europe.

France demands Egypt. England also essentially requires she should hold it, to insure undisturbed access to, and safety of her Indian dominions. In short, the interests of England demand that she should rule over Constantinople and Egypt, whilst the interests of Russia require at least Constantinople, and France the annexation of Egypt with her dominions.

How shall these conflicting interests be reconciled, and the stormy elements of war be assuaged? It is probable they will be gathered together at Armageddon, i.e. involved in bloody contention, because it is SEPTEMBER, 1844.

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said, "At that time, (the time of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire) shall Michael stand up, the Great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time." Then the seventh Angel shall sound, and confusion, war, and death, rage through the world, as the earth's foundations tremble at the Trumpet's reverberation.

But, as the Jews will probably be re-established in Jerusalem before the general war predicted, we may suppose that a congress of the five great European powers will quickly proceed to establish independent kingdoms out of the wreck of the Ottoman Empire, and place them, like Greece, under Christian dynasties; and these newly arranged kingdoms will be under the patronage of an European Diet, or Congress, until the time of the end, and the Angel which we have seen has been so long rising in the East, shall have accomplished his mission, which refers to the re-organization of the Jewish nation. Then the four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, no longer staying in judgment, shall develope the final scene of strife and ultimate happiness of the human race, “when lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands." Rev. vii. 9.

It is an incident worthy of remark that the portending event of the Jews' restoration, is intrusted to the protection and support of Michael, the Great Prince who standeth for their nation. This name, as the Russians have the chief part to act, may refer

to the Commander in Chief of the Russian armies; and point to Michael the Grand Duke, (great prince) the Emperor's brother, or it may refer to his Imperial Majesty's son, of the same name, title, and designation. Michael, when mentioned in Scripture is supposed to signify an Archangel; that may be true, yet no inconsistency implicating the design of prophecy would be suggested by the hypothesis that the name means in this instance, Michael the Grand Duke of Russia. The time now is, when those who run may read. There is a great running to and fro, and knowledge has increased to an extent never before known to the world, events characterizing the present age, and connecting it with the days of Daniel-a great revolution affecting the social and religious condition of the human race, the eternal salvation of mankind, is about to take place," and blessed is he that watcheth, for behold I come as a thief."

"ZION, WHOM NO MAN SEEKETH AFTER."

HAPPY indeed, and privileged beyond our fathers, are we who live to see the reproach taken away which for so many generations has rested on the Zion of the Holy One of Israel, the City of the Great King, Jerusalem, and on the race of Jacob. Many recent circumstances have occurred to prove that the time to favour Zion, the set time, IS COME; but one in particular we have now the gratification of setting before our readers, with an assured hope that they will be stirred up to much prayer on behalf of the dear and honoured Brother whom we are about to introduce to them.

When England stationed a Consul in Jerusalem, it was looked on by many as an uncalled-for, an injudicious, an absurd proceeding; but the good hand of her God was upon her to take the lead in what will have proved the most important movement of the age. An English Consul there, Prussia, Austria, France, Russia, all found it fitting to hoist their Consular flags within the sacred boundary; and now last, but assuredly not least, America raises her standard also. The gentleman chosen for this office, commissioned to represent the United States in Jerusalem, is Warder Cresson, Esq. a citizen of Philadelphia; and with the glow of happiness still fresh upon us that many hours of delightful christian communion with this gifted man has left upon