reign in the earth. All those parts of Scripture, too, which delineate the sad and evil path of the professing Church were neglected—and all apprehension of the saints being, both now and in the millennium, a separated and heavenly body, was lost, as well as the prospect of the new heavens and new earth, and their contrast with the millennial.

Nevertheless, it is plain that this treatise contains much truth that has been lost in these latter days. It is written, too, in a spirit of holy fear. I will transcribe the concluding sentence. "These things I have extracted, and briefly presented to thee, O Theophilus, in order that vigilantly guarding, with faith, that which has been written, and looking forward to things that are about to be, thou mayst keep thyself void of offence, both toward God and toward men, waiting for that blessed hope, and the manifestation of Him who is our God and Saviour, when, having raised those of us who are saints, He will rejoice together with them, glorifying His Father. To Him be glory for the everlasting ages of ages. Amen."

RR

(B.)

SENNACHERIB NOT ANTICHRIST.

THE relations of Antichrist to Israel have been more or less foreshadowed in the actions of many who have already been, such, for example, as Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus, and the like. But we need not on this account put Sennacherib or Nebuchadnezzar in the place of Antichrist, and imagine that they have done everything that Antichrist will do, and exhausted the prophecies respecting him.

Any period in which proud defiance of God and of His people is exhibited, and afterwards smitten, must of course bear a general resemblance to another period in which pride is so exhibited and smitten. But it is inexcusable carelessness to neglect all the specific circumstances which are intended to distinguish the two resembling periods from each other.

It is wonderful that any one should have ever thought of interpreting the tenth of Isaiah of Sennacherib: for Sennacherib does not answer to one of the specific and distinctive circumstances.

How could it be said of Sennacherib, that he was empowered of God to take a spoil of Israel, to make

them a prey, and to tread them down as the mire

of the streets? (Isa. x. 6.), Sennacherib himself smitten?

Instead of this, was not
Was it not also said

of him, "He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it; by the way which he came, by the same shall he return"? (Isa. xxxvii.)

How could Sennacherib be said to be the instrument by which the Lord performed all His work of judgment on Mount Zion and Jerusalem? (Isa. x. 12.) Has there been no judgment on Jerusalem since then? In the time of Sennacherib it had scarcely commenced. The glory of the Lord had not departed from the Temple.

If Sennacherib were described in the tenth chapter of Isaiah, it could never have been prophesied of him that he should "return by the way which he came." He whose history is given in this chapter never returns, either by the way which he came or by any other way, but perishes as he is shaking his hand against Jerusalem. (32.)

How could a person who is left by his servant Rabshakeh at Lachish, in the south of Judæa, and was found by Rabshakeh when he came back, still in the south of Judæa at Libnah, be the same as a person who approaches Jerusalem on the north or north-west (for that is the line of march described in Isaiah x.), advances close to it, which Sennacherib never did, and is there destroyed instead of being allowed to return?

Moreover, when Antichrist falls, not only Assyria but Lebanon is said to fall, i.e., all Gentile glory— whereas, after Sennacherib's invasion, Assyria, under Nebuchadnezzar, flourished more than ever, and the Gentiles arose into power.

(C.)

EARLY DIFFUSION OF COMMERCE AND THE HEBREW LANGUAGE.

ONE of the characteristics of the latter days, viz., the manner in which the influence of commerce will assimilate nations, especially within the Roman earth has been already remarkably foreshadowed. Even before Nebuchadnezzar, commerce had brought into connection the chief countries of the Roman earth, and diffused, through a vast extent of territory, the same language, and that language was the Hebrew. It was effected by the commercial energy of the Phoenicians from Tyre. By means of their settlements, the Hebrew language was spread along the southern boundary of the Black Sea-the coasts of Cilicia-the principal islands of the Mediterranean-the greater part of the northern coast of Africa—more than half of Spain, and part of Cornwall. Commerce, therefore, employing the language of Israel, already, even in that early age, began to counteract the effect of the curse at Babel. Will not the same kind of energy, aided by the wealth and language of Israel (for