PREFACE. WHEN the year 1840 broke upon us, a general impression prevailed that its course would be marked by great and striking events. This was more peculiarly the case in reference to the Jews, who themselves also hailed it as appointed to herald, in some way, the advent of their expected Messiah. Who can now look back upon its lapse, and fail to acknowledge that those expectations have been verified in a measure and in a manner that no human sagacity could have foreseen. A sudden burst of insurrection among the mountaineers of Syria, against the galling tyranny of Egypt, led to results strangely disproportionate in magnitude to their procuring cause. A mighty armament, equipped by the great powers of Europe, immediately appeared; and the land to which the word of prophecy emphatically directs our attention, when treating of this very period of time, is become at once the battle-field of contending nations. The heart vibrates with a thrill of solemn awe, as the official naval and military returns tell of blockades and attacks on places, the names of which are so associated with the imagery, the phraseology of holy writ, as to invest them with a sort of sacredness peculiar to themselves; and while the kings of the Gentiles assemble their forces around that very spot where the Lord has said he will bring them to battle together, in the last great conflict of this dispensation, the Jews gird up their loins, confident that their way is preparing-that they shall be speedily gathered and planted again in their own land. "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!" Events that when we scanned their dim shadows through the mysterious veil of prophecy seemed to require some terrible convulsion, such as the world had never yet seen, to bring them to pass, are moving into open view, with the majestic harmony of action that characterizes all God's works. As the heavens are high above the earth, so are His ways and thoughts above ours: and like the glorious orbs that roll through those heavens, each in its appointed orbit fulfilling its prescribed course in silence more eloquent than the loudest songs could be, so does the prophetic chain unwind its golden links, bidding us gaze, and wonder, and adore. At a crisis of incalculable magnitude we close this our fourteenth volume; desiring to reiterate the warning injunction to every reader of these pages, "What I say unto you, I say unto all: WATCH." December, PREFACE. land to which the word of prophecy empha directs our attention, when treating of thi period of time, is become at once the battle contending nations. The heart vibrates wit of solemn awe, as the official naval and mi turns tell of blockades and attacks on p. names of which are so associated with the the phraseology of holy writ, as to invest a sort of sacredness peculiar to thems while the kings of the Gentiles assembl‹ around that very spot where the Lord will bring them to battle together, in t conflict of this dispensation, the Jews loins, confident that their way is prepar shall be speedily gathered and planted own land. "Great and marvellous are thy w Almighty!" Events that when w dim shadows through the mysteri phecy seemed to require some tel such as the world had never yet s to pass, are moving into open view harmony of action that characteriz As the heavens are high above the ways and thoughts above ours: an orbs that roll through those her pointed orbit fulfilling its pres more eloquent than the lov |