Notwithstanding Fox's Book of Martyrs is regarded as a novel, called " the game of life," I cannot conclude, without offering two short extracts from a renowned profane historian of the Jews, to the shrine of the rising generations, who, I (sans vanité) believe, will be my translators and carriers, east, west, north, and south, as a sling and stone at Goliah," the devil.

66

"Alexander Jannæus, prince and high priest of the Jews, having been affronted at the feast of tabernacles, made a civil war for six years against his subjects. He carried 800 prisoners to Jerusalem, and caused them all to be crucified in one day, in the presence of their wives and children, whose throats he ordered to be cut. During the execution, Jannæus regaled his wives and concubines in a place whence they beheld this bloody spectacle." Ex Josephus's Antiquities xiii. 21.

"At the same time there was one Jesus, a wise man, if one may justly stile him a man. He was a great worker of miracles, and a teacher of those that were curious and desirous to learn the truth, and he had a great many followers, both Jews and Gentiles. This was the Christ that was accused by the princes and great men of the nation. Pilate delivered him up to the cross; and notwithstanding all this, those that loved him at first did not forsake him. He was seen alive again the third day after his crucifixion, as had been foretold by several prophets, with other wonders that he wrought; and there are a sort of people that to this day bear the name of Christians, owning him for their head." Ex Josephus's Antiquities, book XVIII. chap. iv.

"Remember what our blessed Lord has said:

'Confide in me, ye shall be cloth'd and fed ;'
And having food and raiment duly sent,
Praise God on earth, and learn to be content."

CHAPTER IX.

DANIEL and JOHN's Visions unsealed, relative to "the Great IMAGE and the Great TREE,” erect, and now visible all over the Universe, &c.- The Conclusion of the Exposition, which has been sealed up 2588 and 1734 Years.

THE great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter." Dan. ii. 45.

"Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day thou didst set thy heart to understand, thy words were heard"!!! Dan. x. 12.

Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dreams concerning THE GREAT IMAGE (composed of all metals) and THE GREAT TREE, visible to all the earth. Daniel declared, the image and tree represented to the king WHAT would come to pass IN THE END !!!*

THE IMAGE AND TREE (both erect together this day) are allegorically described in the second and fourth chapters of DANIEL, whom Christ expressly called a PROPHET; and in direct allusion to "THE IMAGE AND TREE," exclaimed, "When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet (whoso readeth let him understand), stand in the holy place, then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to THIS TIME, no, nor ever shall be" [even at the end of the world], &c.

Ten or twenty years ago, the 2 and 4 chapters of Daniel appeared quite as unintelligible to me as unknown languages; but the hour is come for man to understand, and

*Serious searchers and readers are referred to Chap. V. page 57. May the hour be arrived to open and understand all the rest of the mighty events, even at the door!! Let us steadfastly follow the divine plough, straight forwards, turning neither to the right nor left hand, nothing doubting!!

what wonder, if God unseals what was written, for the Bible is addressed to man? Surely, it is incompatible with God's wisdom and mercy to address his creatures in languages or books ordained to remain unknown or sealed for ever.

The Interpretation.-The image is BEAUTIFUL to behold, but TERRIBLE. The universal tree is full grown, the LEAVES ARE FAIR, and it affords FRUIT for all mankind (good and bad, Christians and heathens); therefore, THE IMAGE AND TREE are admired and worshipped by all Christendom, consisting of idolators, misers, blasphemers, liars, and sinners of all sorts, now on the point of falling (with the great image and tree) under Christ's hands, who expressly gives the orders, " Cast down the image; hew down the tree; nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots [like Noah, or Adam before he fell] in the earth," i. e. leave a people, whose kingdom shall be sure, after they acknowledge Christ as "the King of the Jews," who bore that title on his cross, and must bear that title again on earth 1000 years. In this manner the restoration of the Jews" must be fulfilled, in my opinion; otherwise, Christ appears defeated by people who "blasphemously call themselves Jews, but are of the synagogue of satan."

Behold, a watcher and holy one came down from heaven, and cried aloud, hew* down the TREE; cut off his BRANCHES; shake off his LEAVES, and scatter his FRUIT: let the BEASTS of the field get away from under it, and the fowls of heaven from his branches." Dan. iv. 13, 14.

These verses contain a blessed volume, of which not one word appears ever to have been rightly understood, for

"Whosoever shall fall on this stone [Christ] shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Matt. xxi.

Such is the depraved state of all human nature, and such must it remain till the great captain and conqueror binds satan, and breaks our bondage, as there is no other remedy- -no other physician in the world. Though he offers the BREAD and WATERS of life, GRATIS, he is trampled upon, while we run after great doctors, lawyers, and parsons, who generally inhabit the best houses in every Christian town, and are most exorbitant in their demands for prescriptions, which are nothing but vain experiments or downright quackery!

God sealed the book up. There are four great works about to be performed altogether; "hew down the tree," i. e. chop down all sinners; "cut off the branches," destroy all the dependants on idolators; "shake off the fair leaves,” i. e. discard and cast off hypocritical priests and people; "scatter its fruit," i. e. divide the fruits of the earth among all the meek, who are now consumed by heathens, gluttons, and drunkards, and let the poor have a fair share of the bounties of nature, for “ the labourer is worthy of his hire.”

Daniel had many visions which he did not understand, and even after angels gave him several interpretations thereof, he did not comprehend them, but fainted, was dumb, and troubled, fell, and remained upon the ground till he was raised up. Consider and examine all this.

"The four winds of heaven strove (upon the great sea) against the four beasts," i. e. the spirit of God continually strives against the evil spirit; but man is fallen so low, and wedded so much to sensual pleasures and appetites, that he is led captive by sin against a million divine protests implanted in his conscience, so that he prefers iniquity to justice - war to peace - hell to heaven. Alas !

The head of the image is gold, and "the love of money is the root of all evil." Time itself has unsealed the book, for what else is visible to the universe at once but GOLD, misers, idolators, &c.; and the allegories are divinely illustrative of " the tree [and image] whose height reached to heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth."

The feet of the image were composed of CLAY, and denote that the image had no foundation to support its weight, and it resembles the parable of people building their houses upon sands instead of rocks.

Daniel's dreams and visions are sealed from the world till this time of the end, or latter days. "God shutteth, and no man openeth. God openeth, and no man shutteth." Daniel and John's dreams and visions have even been sealed from Daniel and John and all the apostles by God's

decree, whose approaching miracles exceed all others in "None of the wicked shall understand,

the sight of man.
but the wise shall understand."-

"Daniel saw one vision,

but the men with him saw not the vision, but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves." Dan. x. 7.

"Daniel heard but understood not, and said, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" Christ answered, "Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed and sealed. O, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end." This is most important, because we are informed the whole book of Daniel is sealed till the end, when "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." I long to meet the many Christians whose knowledge corresponds to this prediction.

The day is certainly arrived to understand what Daniel did not. The great universal image and tree (now sapped) have been erected, planted, and defended by all Christendom, against the gospel. None but Christ Almighty can cast and hew both down, for they consist of every "abomination of desolation" as already interpreted.

"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto all nations and people, saying, fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come, and idolators are fallen."

Here is positive assurance that God must send his angel to proclaim the gospel to all nations, before all nations can hear it. No human power can do it. The spirit of Christians may be willing, but the flesh is too weak. The work is divine which sends the gospel of salvation to all men's hearts !!!

St. John heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not; but when the seventh angel shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as declared to the prophets," Daniel, Ezra, &c.