Second advent library

'"il-cnars'r'| ucoxn. aornxs. ID9llPand protection for more than two hundred years beforeand after Christ, and the event proved the destruction oftheir nation and place. The Christians, too, had triedthe friendship ofthe same power, under Constantine andsucceeding emperors, for little more than two hundredyears, beginning A. D. 313, and ending in A. D. 538, aswe shall show; which so corrupted the Romish churchthat she became the anti-Christian abomination, and thetrue children of God were driven into the wildemess outfrom her connection with the anti-Christian church, " thecity ofthe nations," as she is called. But God took care"that they should feed her there a. thousand two hundredand threescore days," which is 1260 years, from A. D.538 until 1798, during which time a free toleration of religiousrights were not permitted in any ofthe kingdomswhich formerly composed the Roman empire; but Godraised up teachers among them, who retained in agooddegree the doctrine and purity of the word of God, andpractised the ordinances asthey were delivered to thesaints inthe apostles' days: yet but little is known ofthem for six or seven hundred years.Verse 7, " And there was war in heaven." After theprophet John had given us a history of the church, as inthe preceding verses, he now goes back to bring up thehistory of the dragon, the Roman kingdom, and beginshis in the days of Christ and his apostles."Miehaeland his angels fought "-Christ and his apostles.Beahfatt. x. 34, " Think not I am come to send peaceon earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword " --'ll I the dragon," a ainst principalities and powers,dnm in places.f "And the dragonfought, and his angels, imperial Rome and worldly men.Verse B, "And prevailed not, neither was their placefound any more in heaven." Rome could not prevailiglhltthe kingdom ofChrist or the gospel ; for it differedfrom the Jewish mode of worship; and aliughin .her Pagan state could find easy accessitntise Jewish sanctuary, because ofthe similarity oftheirporship, Yet when Christ set up his gostpg kingdommango exe udsd, for none could enterfaith, and repentance.kingdom