Second advent library

'cnars'r'|ueonn ¢0ll110»88that we are to count, or reckon, how lonbefore theblasphemies of this Pagan power will be iiiiished; "forit is the number ,of a man." And what, you may inquire,is the number of a man? I answer again, We must applyto God's word " the number of a man."Moses says, Exodus xxiii. 26, "The number ofthlydays I will fulfil." Job, speaking of man, says, xiv. o,"Seeing his days are determined, the number of hismonths is with ee, thou hast appointed his bounds thathe cannot pass." David says, Ps. xc.12, " So teach usto number ourdays, that we may applyour hearts untowisdom." Therefore, we may reasonably conclude thatthe " number of a man" is the number of his days; andthe Scriptures often speak of man in connection with histime of sojourn on the earth, calling it days; as, " few andevil have been the dey; of my pilgrimage ;" " died, beingold and full of days; '"length of da_ s is in her righthand ; " "all the days of thy life ;" "lywill wait all thedays of my appointed time until my change come." Ifthis is the understanding of this part of our text, which Icannot see any reason to doubt, then our text has thisHere is need qf spiritualplain meanini.wisdom. Letrm that ha understnnding count the number of hisdays; for his days are numbered as a man's; they aresix hundred threescore and six. This power (RomeIfagan) would be taken away when his six hundred andsixty-six prophetic days should end; and this brings usto show when those days began, and of course whenthey ended.They must have begun when the Jewish rites andceremonies were in being; for this was the sole objectof Paganism, to counteract the Jewish rituals and drawthe Jewish worshippers into idolatry, and to blend theheathen rites with theirs. They must have begun beforeChrist was born, for the great red dragon havingseven heads and ten homs was tostand before the woman,(the Jewish Church,) ready to devour the man child asloon as it was born. They could not have beiun beforethey became connected with the Jews, for e reasonthat no nation is prophesied oi; or noticed in- the prophlsles,except they are somehow connected with tho