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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:12:22 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:12:22 -0700 |
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diff --git a/39290-h/39290-h.htm b/39290-h/39290-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..85db902 --- /dev/null +++ b/39290-h/39290-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2389 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>Rome, Turkey, and Jerusalem, by Edward Hoare</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + P.gutsumm { margin-left: 5%;} + P.poetry {margin-left: 3%; } + .GutSmall { font-size: 0.7em; } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4, H5 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } +table {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;} + td { vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid black;} + td p { margin: 0.2em; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-weight: normal; + color: gray; + } + img { border: none; } + img.dc { float: left; width: 50px; height: 50px; } + div.gapspace { height: 0.8em; } + div.gapline { height: 0.8em; width: 100%; border-top: 1px solid;} + div.gapmediumline { height: 0.3em; width: 40%; margin-left:30%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + div.gapshortdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; + margin-left: 40%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid; } + div.gapdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 50%; + margin-left: 25%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid;} + div.gapshortline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; margin-left:40%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + img.floatleft { float: left; + margin-right: 1em; + margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.floatright { float: right; + margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.clearcenter {display: block; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em} + --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Rome, Turkey, and Jerusalem, by Edward Hoare + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Rome, Turkey, and Jerusalem + + +Author: Edward Hoare + + + +Release Date: March 28, 2012 [eBook #39290] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROME, TURKEY, AND JERUSALEM*** +</pre> +<p>Transcribed from the 1876 H. Colbran edition by David Price, +email ccx074@pglaf.org</p> +<h1>ROME, TURKEY,<br /> +<span class="GutSmall">AND</span><br /> +JERUSALEM.</h1> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center">BY THE REV. E. HOARE,<br /> +<span class="GutSmall">VICAR OF TRINITY, TUNBRIDGE +WELLS,</span><br /> +<span class="GutSmall">AND HONORARY CANON OF +CANTERBURY.</span></p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><i>SECOND EDITION</i>.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center">LONDON:<br /> +HATCHARDS, PICCADILLY.<br /> +<span class="GutSmall">H. COLBRAN, CALVERLEY ROAD, TUNBRIDGE +WELLS.</span><br /> +1876.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><a name="pagev"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. v</span>LONDON:<br /> +Printed by <span class="smcap">John Strangeways</span>,<br /> +Castle St. Leicester Sq.</p> +<h2><a name="pagevi"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +vi</span>CONTENTS.</h2> +<table> +<tr> +<td><p>ROME:—</p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span +class="GutSmall">PAGE</span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p> <span class="GutSmall">THE +OUTLINE</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page1">1</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p> <span class="GutSmall">THE +CONSUMPTION</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page18">18</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>TURKEY:—</p> +</td> +<td><p> </p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p> <span class="GutSmall">THE +EUPHRATES</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page36">36</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p> <span class="GutSmall">THE +FROGS</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page54">54</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p> <span class="GutSmall">THE +ADVENT</span></p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page69">69</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><p>JERUSALEM</p> +</td> +<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a +href="#page87">87</a></span></p> +</td> +</tr> +</table> +<h2><a name="page1"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +1</span>ROME.</h2> +<h3>I.<br /> +THE OUTLINE.</h3> +<p>It is impossible to imagine anything more delightful than the +prospect of the promised return of our most blessed +Saviour. How do the father and the mother feel when they +welcome their long-absent son from India? How will many an +English wife feel when she welcomes her husband from the Arctic +Expedition? And how must the Church of God feel when, after +her long night of toil and difficulty, she stands face to face +before Him whom her soul loveth, and enters into the full +enjoyment of the promise, ‘So shall we ever be with the +Lord?’ There will be no tears then, for <a +name="page2"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 2</span>there will be +no sorrow; no death then, for there will be no more curse; no sin +then, for we shall see Him as He is, and shall be like Him. +Then will be the time of resurrection, when all the firstborn of +God shall awake to a life without decay and without corruption; +and then the time of reunion, when the whole company of +God’s elect shall stand together before the Lord, never +again to shed a tear over each other’s grave; and then will +be the time when those who have loved and longed after Him, as +they have journeyed on alone in their pilgrimage, will find +themselves on the right hand of His throne, and hear His +delightful words, ‘Come, ye blessed children of my Father: +inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the +world!’</p> +<p>No wonder then that the people of God are waiting with anxious +hearts for the Advent; and no wonder that many are ready to say, +‘Lord, how long?’ and to ask, What hope is there of +His quick return? <a name="page3"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 3</span>Have we, or have we not, any reason to +look out for it soon? To this inquiry I would endeavour to +draw your attention this morning; and in doing so, I do not +intend to examine into what are usually called ‘the signs +of the times,’ but to study the great prophetic sketch of +the world’s history as given to us by the prophet +Daniel. This may be termed the backbone of prophecy, and +almost all the great prophecies of Holy Scripture fit into it at +some point or other; so that, if we wish to understand them, we +must begin by studying it. I fear I may not interest those +who aim simply to have their hearts warmed by the ministry. +But they must remember that the real study of God’s Word +requires work, and that work, though it lays the best possible +foundation for feeling, does not at the time excite it. +To-day, then, we are to work, and I hope the Lord may so bless +His Word, that through work we may be led to feel.</p> +<p>Our business, then, is to endeavour to <a +name="page4"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 4</span>discover +whether the great prophetic sketch of history, given through the +prophet Daniel, encourages the blessed hope that the coming of +the Lord may be near. Daniel gives a prophecy of the +history of political power from his own day till the time when +‘the Ancient of Days shall sit,’ and describes a +succession of events which must take place in the interval. +It is clear that our business is to ascertain how many of these +events have taken place, or, in other words, how far we have +advanced in the series.</p> +<p>In the study of our subject we have the advantage of looking +at two sides of the picture, for it has pleased God to give us +the same series as seen in two different aspects. In the +second and seventh chapters you will find predictions of the same +events under different figures. In the second chapter the +prophecy is given as a vision to a proud, idolatrous +monarch. So the different kingdoms about to arise appear to +him as the several parts of a mighty image, with himself as the +head of <a name="page5"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +5</span>gold. It was given in just such a shape as should +coincide with his idolatry and his pride. Whereas, in the +seventh chapter, the vision is given to one of God’s +people, and he sees in all this glory nothing better than a +series of wild beasts coming up one after another to +devour. How different is the estimate of the world from +that of God! The world regards Babylon as the head of gold, +the summit of glory and greatness, while God looks on it as a +savage beast, to be dreaded by His saints! The same +difference of character may be observed in the visions of the +coming of the Lord. To the great king it appeared as a +triumphant kingdom, to the captive prophet as a manifestation of +the Son of man. The one saw a kingdom, the other a person; +the one, the overthrow of power, the other, the advent of the +Lord of Glory.</p> +<p>But now let us look at the series. In both prophecies +there is a description of four kingdoms which should in +succession be supreme in political power, and which <a +name="page6"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 6</span>should fill up +an interval between Daniel and the Advent.</p> +<p>1. There is the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s +image, the same as the lion in the vision of Daniel. The +most precious of metals corresponding to the king of beasts.</p> +<p>2. There is next the breast and arms of silver, +corresponding to the bear of Daniel.</p> +<p>3. After that the belly and thighs of brass, +representing the same nation as the leopard of the prophet.</p> +<p>4. And following them is the last kingdom of the four, +represented to Nebuchadnezzar as the ‘legs of iron, and the +feet, part of iron and part of clay,’ and to Daniel as a +beast, ‘dreadful and terrible, and strong +exceedingly.’</p> +<p>It is interesting to observe how the same iron character is +attributed to this last power in both visions. In the one +we read of it, chap. ii. 40, ‘The fourth kingdom shall be +strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth +all things; and as <a name="page7"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +7</span>iron that breaketh all things, shall it break in pieces +and bruise.’ And in the other, chap. vii. 7, it is +said to be, ‘strong exceedingly, and it had great iron +teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue +with the feet of it.’</p> +<p>Such is the series of kingdoms that were to hold the chief +political power of the world, and fill up the whole interval +between the date of the prophecy and the advent of the +Lord. Now the remarkable, and I believe I may say the +indisputable, fact, is that, according to the prophecy, all these +four kingdoms have arisen. They have followed each other +exactly as it was predicted. Babylon was the head of gold, +or the lion. The Medes and Persians were the breast of +silver, or the bear. Greece, always called ‘the +brazen armed,’ in classic poetry, was the belly and the +thighs of brass, or the leopard. And then the mighty power +of Rome, far exceeding all the others in its terrible strength, +with the legs of iron in the royal image, and the teeth of iron +in <a name="page8"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 8</span>the +prophetic beast. Thus far there is an agreement almost +unanimous among the students of prophetic Scripture; and the +conclusion certainly is, that we have already been a long time +under the last of the four successive empires of the world. +So far then as those four empires are concerned, we are +encouraged to entertain the strong hope that, as we have reached +the last kingdom in the succession, we may begin hopefully to +look out for the end. We have passed the last station on +the line, so now we may begin to prepare for home.</p> +<p>But again. There is one remarkable difference between +the fourth kingdom and the other three, viz. this, that its +history is divided into two periods, during the first of which it +appears as an undivided power, and during the second split up +into ten. In chap. ii. 41, it says, ‘the kingdom +shall be divided.’ In this divided period it is +represented by the ten toes on the image, and the ten horns on +the beast. The ten toes are described as kings, or +kingdoms, <a name="page9"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 9</span>in +chap. ii. 44; and so are the ten horns in chap. vii. 24, where it +is said, ‘The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings +that shall arise.’ So then the prophecy teaches us +that when Rome had overpowered Greece it would go on for a time +as one mighty undivided empire, but that after a time it would +break up into a cluster of kingdoms, and that this cluster would +retain amongst them the supremacy of the world. It does not +describe any fresh shift of political supremacy to any new +kingdom that should arise, or the loss or decay of that +supremacy. But it teaches that there would be a division in +the kingdom, that the parts should fall asunder, and that, while +the iron of the fourth kingdom would remain amongst them, there +should be so much clay mixed up with it, that it should never +again be united under a single head.</p> +<p>Now this is exactly what has happened. In the days of +the Cæsars united Rome was supreme in the pomp of the iron +empire. Its body was Europe, and its heart was the <a +name="page10"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +10</span>emperor. It was one as much as Babylon had been +one under Nebuchadnezzar. But look at it now. There +is all the old power; for Europe and its races practically govern +the world. It has not lost its iron. But there is no +one kingdom that embodies all. The power is vested in a +cluster of independent nations. Many attempts have been +made to combine them: some by conquest, as in the case of +Napoleon; some by negotiation, as in the case of the Spanish +marriages. But all in vain, for the toes are irrecoverably +divided, and whatever is done, though as an aggregate they retain +their power, as individual nations they are always +distinct. I have no time to enter into detail, but I regard +this division as a most remarkable fulfilment of the prophetic +word. More than five hundred years before the coming of the +Lord there was a captive in Babylon, and God so directed that +man’s mind, as through him to communicate to the world even +then the present position of modern Europe. With such a +fact before <a name="page11"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +11</span>us who can doubt the inspiration of the prophet, or the +statement of St. Peter, that ‘holy men of God spake as they +were moved by the Holy Ghost?’</p> +<p>But, without stopping to consider the wonders of the prophecy, +let us learn the lesson which it teaches us with reference to the +nearness of the Advent. We have already found that we have +long since reached the fourth kingdom of the series; and now we +are led a step further, and find that we have long since reached +the second period of that kingdom. It is difficult with +accuracy to assign a date, for the transition was gradual; but we +shall be sufficiently near if we say that it practically took +place between twelve and fourteen hundred years ago. And +when we reflect on such a promise as that in Daniel, ii. 44, in +which God assures us of a kingdom that shall be set up in the +days of these kings, and never be destroyed: when we consider +that those kings have already been reigning through that +lengthened period, it is surely time <a name="page12"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 12</span>that we begin to look out for that +which is to come; for the happy and blessed day when we shall +welcome the kingdom which shall never be moved, and when Christ +Himself shall reign in glory.</p> +<p>But this is not all, for, although we shall learn no more from +the vision of the king, we may gather much more from that of the +prophet, for in it we find a most important additional +prophecy. I can perfectly understand why it was given by +the prophet, and not by the king, for I believe it to refer to +the religious history of Europe, and the king of course had no +concern with that. He did not care for religion, or for the +saints of God. I allude to the prophecy of the little horn +rising in the midst of the other ten. I have no time to +discuss arguments, and can merely state conclusions. All, +therefore, that I can do now is to express my own convictions on +two points:</p> +<p>1. That the little horn diverse from all the rest is the +Papal power.</p> +<p>2. That the time, times, and dividing of <a +name="page13"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 13</span>a time, which +is to be the limit of its power, stands in prophetic figure for +1260 years.</p> +<p>If this be correct it gives some idea as to the duration of +the second division of the last kingdom, for it shows that it +must last at least 1260 years. Still more, as the Papacy is +to be destroyed at the approach of the Ancient of Days, if we +could only ascertain the date of its commencement we might +calculate the date of the Advent. But here is the +difficulty, for who can say when a horn begins to grow? and who +can determine the date of the first swelling of Papal +pride? It is impossible to make any such calculation, and I +believe it would be wrong to attempt it. But we may still +be led by the great outline to hope for the approach of that most +blessed day. The horn has been growing a long time, and it +is impossible to read European history without believing that the +1260 years cannot be very far from its close. Everything +therefore looks like an approaching end. We have long since +reached the fourth <a name="page14"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +14</span>kingdom; long since reached its second, or divided +period; and, though we cannot say when it took place, we have +long since seen the commencement of the 1260 years of the little +horn. Surely then it is high time that we be looking out +for the coming of the Lord, high time that we be watching with +our loins girt and our lamps burning, and we ourselves as those +that wait for their Lord.</p> +<p>With these facts before us, I may fairly ask any thinking +person, whether there is not good ground for the hope that the +coming of the Lord draweth nigh? You observe I have not +dwelt on minute and isolated points. I have taken the great +outline of the world’s history, and compared it with the +great outline of the word of prophecy. I see that the two +exactly correspond. I thank God from the bottom of my heart +for the evidence given of the inspiration of Scripture, for no +such prophecy could have had its origin with man; and, while I +thank God for such a confirmation <a name="page15"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 15</span>of the faith, I cannot resist the +conclusion that we have nearly reached the end of the series, +that we are living in the last part of the last period of the +last kingdom, and that the next great event of this prophecy is +nothing else than the sitting of the Ancient of Days, the +glorious kingdom of the Son of Man.</p> +<p>But do we all desire it? Are we all looking out with +loving and longing hearts for the appearance of our beloved +Redeemer? I fear that many would be very far from glad if +they thought it would come to-morrow. Their own consciences +tell them they are not ready, and in such a case how can they +desire it? You might say to them, as in the words of the +prophet, ‘To what end is the day of the Lord to you? the +day of the Lord is darkness and not light.’ I believe +it to be impossible for any man really to desire the coming of +Christ as his king until in his own soul he is personally +acquainted with Him as his sin-offering or atonement. Thus +I believe that you will <a name="page16"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 16</span>find very few really desire the +Advent who have not practically and experimentally drunk in the +great doctrine of justification by faith. If you are +reconciled through the precious blood of Christ; if you are +justified in the righteousness of Christ; if you are preserved +and sanctified by the loving Spirit of Christ, then of course you +will be ready to say, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus; come +quickly.’ But if you are still living for the world, +content with the world’s gifts and the world’s +enjoyments; or even if you are still toiling, and struggling on +to reach Him you know not how, and know not whether you may trust +Him to place you on the right hand of the throne or not, how is +it possible that you should be happy in waiting for Him? +Never rest, therefore, till you stand accepted in Him; till you +have good reason to believe that you are safe, and not safe only, +but beloved. Then you may wait for Him, then you may +welcome Him, then He cannot come too soon to please you; and if +His sign is seen even <a name="page17"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 17</span>to-night you will be able to say, +‘This is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save +us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and +rejoice in His salvation.’</p> +<h3><a name="page18"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 18</span>II.<br +/> +THE CONSUMPTION.</h3> +<p>I endeavoured in the last lecture to bring before you the +blessed hope of our Lord’s return, and to show, from the +great outlines of prophecy, that there is enough to justify the +expectations of those who humbly trust that we shall not have +much longer to wait. I purposely avoided any reference to +what are called the ‘signs of the times,’ and +confined your attention exclusively to what may be called the +great backbone of prophecy, <i>i.e.</i>, to the prophetic history +of the four mighty kingdoms which were foretold as holding the +empire of the world. From that outline I endeavoured to +show that these four great kingdoms were to arise in succession, +one after the other, and that they would fill up the interval +between the <a name="page19"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +19</span>time of the prophecy and the sitting of the Ancient of +Days. I hope, also, I made it plain from history that three +of those kingdoms have long since fallen, and that, as far as the +predicted periods enable us to judge, we must be drawing near to +the close of the fourth. The great outline, therefore, +leads to the hope that the time of the glorious kingdom of our +blessed Lord may be near. But, though we did not study the +signs of the times then, I do not think we should undervalue +them, for our blessed Saviour foretold certain things that should +take place, and added, ‘When ye shall see all these things, +know that it is near, even at the doors.’ If, +therefore, any of these things are now taking place, it is clear +that we ought to study them; and that we should not be really +carrying out the teaching of the Lord Jesus if we were to neglect +them. I propose, therefore, in obedience to His words, to +bring before you in this lecture what has long appeared to me one +of the most conclusive signs <a name="page20"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 20</span>that the time is not very far +distant. I allude to the present position of the Church of +Rome, and I earnestly hope that God has directed my thoughts in +the study of it, and that whatever in what I may now say is +according to His word, may be written in all our hearts and minds +by the teaching of the Holy Ghost.</p> +<p>There are three great historical prophecies, which, in the +opinion of the majority of our best expositors, predict the rise, +the progress, and the fall of the Church of Rome.</p> +<p>The first of these we briefly noticed last Sunday. It is +the prophecy of the little horn rising amidst the ten horns of +the beast, or the Papacy rising in the midst of that cluster of +European kingdoms which succeeded the power of the undivided +Roman Empire.</p> +<p>The second is the prophecy of ‘the man of sin’ in +2 Thess. ii. And I cannot forbear the mention of one +illustration of a verse in that prophecy which I saw myself <a +name="page21"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 21</span>in +Rome. Many people think that the description in the fourth +verse is too strong for Popery: but there is a curious +illustration of it in St. Peter’s. You may there see +what they call the altar in the usual place at the end of the +chancel, and above it, surrounded by an elaborately decorated +reredos, is what is called the chair of St. Peter, or the +Pope’s throne, the seat of Papal power. On the altar +below, according to their own teaching, is the living person of +the King of Glory, perfect man and perfect God, and in front of +that altar may be seen men worshipping the wafer because they +call it God. But above it is the Pope’s chair, and if +he were to occupy it he would sit there with that which they call +God, and worship as God, beneath his feet. Can anything be +a more exact fulfilment of the words, ‘Exalteth himself +above all that is called God, or that is worshipped?’</p> +<p>The third is the prophecy of the woman in Rev. xvii. The +application of this to <a name="page22"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 22</span>the Church of Rome is less disputed +than that of either of the other two, for the seat of the woman +is decided by the 9th verse to be the seven-hilled city, which is +almost universally admitted to be Rome.</p> +<p>Now it is not my object to study the details of these +prophecies, and there is only one point to which I invite your +careful attention—one most important point common to all +the three, viz. that the final overthrow will be preceded by a +consuming process. It will not be a sudden destruction in +the height of prosperity, but will be the final act after a +period of wasting and defeat. If these three passages refer +to Rome, as I fully believe they do, then Rome will be first +consumed and then destroyed.</p> +<p>In Daniel it says (vii. 26), ‘The judgment shall +sit.’ It seems clear from the context, that this does +not mean the great day of judgment, but the commencement of +judgment on her sins here upon earth. ‘And they shall +take away his dominion to consume <a name="page23"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 23</span>and to destroy it unto the +end.’ There is, therefore, a consuming process before +the end. The word here rendered ‘consume’ +conveys the idea of a gradual process, and not a sudden blow; and +teaches us that there will be a wasting before the final +overthrow.</p> +<p>In 2 Thess. ii. 8, exactly the same process is described, and +in almost the same words: ‘Whom the Lord shall consume with +the spirit of his mouth, and destroy at the brightness of his +coming.’ He will first consume him by His word, and +ultimately destroy him at His advent.</p> +<p>It is just the same in Rev. xvii. There you meet with +the old beast, the ten-horned beast of Daniel; and ten horns +still representing ten kings; and when we reach the close of the +chapter we find these ten kings all turned against the woman: so +that, instead of being ridden and governed by her, as they were +when she was riding on the beast, they are now turned against +her, and agree in consuming her. ‘The ten horns <a +name="page24"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 24</span>which thou +sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and make her +desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with +fire.’ (Verse 16.)</p> +<p>Without stopping to look into the detail, which it is +impossible to do in a short lecture, it appears clear that all +these passages agree in predicting a period during which the +Papacy will be consumed before its final fall. This will be +brought about partly by the power of truth, and partly by the +change of mind in the kings. But whatever be the agency, +the result is the same. ‘They will take away his +dominion, to consume, and to destroy unto the end.’ +And this you mark is the last great process before the coming of +our blessed Saviour, for the final destruction will be by the +brightness of His coming.</p> +<p>And now comes the question, Has this consuming process +begun? Is it, or is it not, in progress? I know that +some fainthearted people will say, ‘Oh, no! Rome is +making dreadful progress, and must soon <a +name="page25"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +25</span>triumph.’ But surely that opinion is +contrary to fact. Surely it may be proved, from the great +facts of European history, not merely that the consumption has +begun, but that it has been going on during the last few years +with peculiar and unexampled speed.</p> +<p>Let us look at a few great European facts, not at little +things that happen to fall within our own observation, but at +great facts that are conspicuous before the world.</p> +<p>Rome has always claimed, as she does still, dominion over all +the kingdoms of the world, and she used to exercise it over all +those of Western Christendom. Her claim even went so far +that, by the common consent and advice of his barons, the King of +England once ‘resigned England and Ireland to God, to St. +Peter and St. Paul, to Pope Innocent, and his successors in the +Apostolic chair: and agreed to hold these dominions as feudatory +of the Church of Rome, by the annual payment of one <a +name="page26"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 26</span>thousand +marks.’ <a name="citation26"></a><a href="#footnote26" +class="citation">[26]</a> Imagine any one standing up +amongst the barons of England, and making such a proposal +now! That dominion of the Papacy is taken away, and taken +away, as I believe, for ever.</p> +<p>When the dominion was gone he made concordats, or compacts, +with the different states; in which, with varying conditions, it +was agreed that he should uphold them by his spiritual power, and +they uphold him by the secular arm. It is a most remarkable +fact, that within the last fifteen years almost all of these +concordats have been brought abruptly to a violent end: those +with Naples, Tuscany, and the Italian Duchies in 1858; that with +Austria, including Venice, in 1866; with Spain in 1868; with +France in 1870; and with Bavaria in 1873. There may be +others remaining in force, but I know of none. According to +the best information I can obtain all are dissolved. The +Papacy has lost all its political power. The ten kings have +shaken <a name="page27"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 27</span>off +his government, and there is not one left that submits to his +authority.</p> +<p>But more than that. The Pope of Rome used to be king +over a considerable portion of Italy. But he is now +deposed. The States of the Church are incorporated with +united Italy, and the Pope is king no more. They have taken +away his dominion. His sovereignty is at an end. Five +years ago it received its death-blow, and shall we not +acknowledge that the consuming process is begun?</p> +<p>But further still. The Church of Rome used to have vast +estates. The convents which used to swarm through Italy +were richly endowed with landed property. But as soon as +the kingdom of Italy was well established, those convents were +broken up and their property confiscated. And now that the +Pope has been dethroned in Rome, a similar measure has been +passed for all those within the city, and on the 20th of October, +1874, they received notice of their dissolution. It looks +very much as if the <a name="page28"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +28</span>kings were eating up the flesh of the woman. <a +name="citation28"></a><a href="#footnote28" +class="citation">[28]</a></p> +<p>But some will say, ‘Ah, but in religious matters Popery +is making progress, for it is winning so many perverts to its +errors.’ I know there are perverts, and I am deeply +grieved at it, but I doubt whether Rome’s progress is as +great as many think. It has been calculated that in the +year 1801 there were in Great Britain and Ireland twenty-seven +Romanists out of every hundred of the population, but that in +1869 there were only eighteen. The proportion, therefore, +had actually diminished from twenty-seven to eighteen per +cent.</p> +<p>But take a wider range, and look at the great facts of +European history. At the Lateran Council in 1513, after all +the so-called <a name="page29"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +29</span>heretics had been silenced or burned, it was proclaimed, +‘No one now opposes, no one now objects,’ and then +the orator addressing the Pope said, ‘The whole body of +Christendom is now subjugated to one head, even to +thee.’ But it is calculated that there are now more +than 95,000,000 Protestants in Europe, and 67,000,000 members of +the Greek Church, making together 162,000,000 who reject the +Pope’s authority, against 157,000,000 who profess to submit +to it. Putting all these facts together, I may ask any +reasonable man, any one who looks at great facts instead of +minute details, Is there not reason to believe that the +consumption has begun? What else is it that has taken away +his dominions, broken up his concordats, overturned his throne, +stripped him of his property, and above all has set 95,000,000 in +Europe alone free from his yoke? What else is it but the +fulfilment of the prophecy, ‘Whom the Lord shall consume +with the Spirit of His mouth,’ preparatory to the <a +name="page30"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 30</span>time when He +shall ‘destroy him with the brightness of His +coming?’</p> +<p>Now there are many lessons that we might learn if we had but +time from this subject; <i>e.g.</i>, I might well spend all the +time that remains in pressing on you the importance of keeping +clear of all alliance with Rome. If God is consuming her, +God’s people must have nothing to do with her either in +politics or religion, for if they do, they will find themselves +drawn into the vortex into which she must infallibly sink. +The message to them is, ‘Come out of her, my people, that +ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her +plagues.’</p> +<p>But this is not my point in this lecture. I am anxious +rather that we should look on the whole subject as an +encouragement to faith. Surely some amongst us are too +fainthearted about the truth. It really seems as if they +could trust the Lord Jesus for their own souls, but not for His +church, or for His truth: as if they had forgotten <a +name="page31"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 31</span>the text, +‘Are not thine eyes upon the truth?’ They value +their Bible, and are ready to contend for it even unto the death; +but still, they do not above half believe it. They are +ready to go forth to battle, but they are not ready to begin, +like Jehoshaphat, with the hymn, ‘Praise the +Lord!’ They would rather chant some plaintive lament, +and go into the battle with the doleful expectation of +defeat. But this is not faith. This is not trust in +the Lord Jesus. Ah! but one says he cannot rely on +government, and another that he does not trust in bishops. +But what has this to do with it? No one asks you to trust +in rulers either in Church or State, for the Scripture says, +‘Put not your trust in princes.’ What we ask +you to do is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of +God. Trust Him, and all will be right, though all other +objects of trust fail you.</p> +<p>Now take this great subject as a help to your trust. See +how it exhibits Him in His own time, and His own way, working out +<a name="page32"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 32</span>His own +predicted purpose. It was utterly impossible for any man by +private interpretation to calculate the course that things would +take. But He foresaw all, and more than two thousand years +ago He actually foretold what He would do. And now, after +all these centuries have passed, after great empires have risen +and fallen according to His prophecy, after every species of +effort has been made in vain to silence God’s Word, after +every available means have been employed,—political +influence, religious influence, priestly assumption, and fiery +persecution—to stamp out God’s truth, we see the Lord +Jesus with a mighty hand fulfilling His word, carrying out His +purpose, and preparing the way for victory. And is that the +time to distrust Him? If we are so fainthearted now what +should we have been before the Reformation? What should we +have been after John Huss was burned, and when the Lord’s +own people were like the seven thousand hidden ones in the days +of Elijah? If we cannot trust <a name="page33"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 33</span>Him now, that we have experienced +that ‘His counsels of old are faithfulness and +truth,’ what should we have done if we had lived before any +prophecies had been fulfilled; if we had had to trust to His bare +naked word before it was confirmed by history? But now that +we have this great confirmation, and now that we see the putting +forth of His hand, this is not the time for faintheartedness or +misgiving; this is not the time to distrust Him whom God has made +the ‘head over all things to His Church.’ It is +true that</p> +<blockquote><p>‘God moves in a mysterious way<br /> + His wonders to perform;’</p> +</blockquote> +<p>but it is certain that He is riding on the storm and will +perform His own wonders, so that we may add, as in the next verse +of the same hymn,</p> +<blockquote><p>‘Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,<br +/> + The cloud ye so much dread<br /> +Is big with mercies, and will break<br /> + In blessings on your head.’</p> +</blockquote> +<p><a name="page34"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 34</span>And not +only so, but we may reverently hope that it will not be long +before we behold His triumph. When the disciples were on +the lake the night was dark, and the winds were contrary, but He +came to them in His own good time, and all was rest. So we +may meet with rough weather, but there will be a great calm when +He comes, and I cannot but hope He will soon be here. We +have long since known of Him on the mountain-top, but now we can +almost see Him walking on the waves. It is high time, +therefore, that we act on His own words: ‘When these things +begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for +your redemption draweth nigh.’ He does not say, +‘Wait till they have all come to pass,’ but +‘look up as soon as they begin.’ Now they most +undoubtedly have begun, and for a long time have been in +progress. It is high time, therefore, that we begin to look +up in faith and hope, waiting for Christ, looking for Christ, +longing for Christ, and meanwhile trusting in Christ; <a +name="page35"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 35</span>so that when +He comes we may be found pardoned through His blood, accepted in +His covenant, clothed in His righteousness, and with loving +hearts waiting for His appearing.</p> +<h2><a name="page36"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +36</span>TURKEY.</h2> +<h3>III.<br /> +THE EUPHRATES.</h3> +<p>The condition of the Turkish Empire is one of the greatest +interests of the day, and is engaging more than any other public +subject the grave thoughts of thinking men. The capitalists +of England are deploring the loss of not less than +50,000,000<i>l.</i> through its bankruptcy. Those who +rejoice in religious liberty are watching with the deepest +interest the noble struggles of the men of Herzegovina to free +themselves from the fearful yoke of Mahommedan oppression. +And the politicians of all the great states of Europe are at +their wits’ end to know what is to become of Turkey. +Nor is this a state of things that has come on suddenly. <a +name="page37"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 37</span>It is not the +transitory effect of any sudden calamity, but the result of a +steady decay that has been going forward with irresistible power +for certainly not less than fifty years. France and England +combined in the Crimean war to endeavour to maintain the Turkish +power, but it was all in vain. That power has been steadily +on the wane ever since, till now the crisis of bankruptcy has +arrived, and ‘the Sick Man,’ as the Turkish empire +has been called, appears on the very point of his +dissolution.</p> +<p>Now I am quite aware of the difficulty of preaching on such +subjects, and I have no doubt that in your mind as well as my own +there is a preference for those portions of the Word of God which +bear directly on our spiritual experience; but still ‘all +Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for +doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in +righteousness;’ and, moreover, there is a special blessing +on the congregational study of this Revelation of St. John, for +it is said, chap. i. 3, <a name="page38"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 38</span>‘Blessed is he that readeth, +and they that hear the words of this prophecy.’ I +propose, therefore, to consider three questions: (1.) Has the +present state of Turkey been foretold in prophecy? (2.) +Does it teach us any lessons respecting our spiritual +position? (3.) Does it throw any light on our hope of the +coming of our Lord? I pray God that He may fulfil to us the +promise attached to this wonderful book, and that both they that +hear and he that readeth may alike enjoy His blessing.</p> +<p>With reference to the first question,—Has the present +state of Turkey been foretold in prophecy? I have not the +least hesitation in expressing my own conviction that it has been +foretold in a most remarkable manner, and that the present state +of things is nothing more than the fulfilment of what God +predicted little less than 1800 years ago.</p> +<p>It is impossible in a short lecture to give all the reasons +for this opinion. I can only attempt the barest +outline. But we may <a name="page39"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 39</span>gain some idea of the subject if we +consider what is meant by the Euphrates; what by its overflow; +and what by its drying up, as described in Rev. xvi. 12: +‘And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great +river Euphrates, and the waters thereof were dried up.’</p> +<p>I. The Euphrates. By this we must not understand +the literal river, for the whole book is symbolical. The +river, therefore, stands as the symbol for something else. +It is this that makes the subject so difficult, for the symbols +are like hieroglyphics, and therefore, though full of meaning, +peculiarly liable to be misunderstood. The question then +is, What is the power of which the Euphrates in this verse stands +as a symbol, or hieroglyphic? Of course, in the answer to +such a question we must distrust ourselves, and I dare not speak +on it with the certainty with which we ought to speak of the +plainly revealed facts of Scripture. All I can do is to +express my own very confident conviction that by the Euphrates is +<a name="page40"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 40</span>symbolized +the Ottoman, or, as it is frequently called, the Turkish +Empire.</p> +<p>For this I give two reasons:—</p> +<p>(1.) It is the one great empire existing in the world +that originated on the banks of the river Euphrates. It was +in the district to the east of that river that the Turk, who +originally came from Turkistan, became a formidable power, and +from thence that the Turkish hosts were let loose against Roman +Christendom. For we must remember that the Turks, or +Ottomans, do not belong to the soil of Turkey. The French +are the natives of France, and the Italians of Italy, but the +Turks are not the natives of Turkey, but invaders from +Asia. They hold the country by conquest. The +head-quarters of the empire are now in Turkey, on the shores of +the Bosphorus; but its birthplace was on the Eastern bank of the +Euphrates.</p> +<p>(2.) There are two series of prophecies in the book of +Revelation, the one given under the figure of seven trumpets, the +<a name="page41"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 41</span>other of +seven vials, and they appear to be linked together by a very +remarkable connexion as to the subject of the prophecies. +You will see the correspondence clearly if you compare the +account of the trumpets in chapters viii. and ix. with that of +the vials in chapter xvi.</p> +<p>When the first trumpet sounded the judgment was on the earth, +viii. 7; and so the first vial was poured on the earth, xvi. +2.</p> +<p>When the second trumpet sounded, the judgment was on the sea, +chap. viii. 8. So the second vial was poured on the sea, +xvi. 3.</p> +<p>When the third trumpet sounded, the judgment was on the rivers +and fountains of waters, viii. 10. So the third angel +poured out his vial on the rivers and fountains of waters, xvi. +4.</p> +<p>When the fourth trumpet sounded, the judgment was on the sun, +viii. 12. So the fourth angel poured out his vial on the +sun, xvi. 8.</p> +<p>When the fifth trumpet sounded, the <a name="page42"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 42</span>judgment was on those men who had not +the seal of God on their foreheads, ix. 4. So the fifth +vial was on the seat of the beast, xvi. 10.</p> +<p>The correspondence is not at first sight so apparent in this +as in the other vials; but if we bear in mind the prophecy that +all shall worship the beast whose names are not written in the +book of life, we shall see the same reality in the +coincidence.</p> +<p>And, lastly, when the sixth trumpet sounded, there was a +mighty host loosed from the Euphrates, ix. 14; and when the sixth +vial was poured out it fell on the Euphrates, and the Euphrates +was dried up, xvi. 12.</p> +<p>Surely, then, we may come to the conclusion that this prophecy +in chapter xvi. relates to the same great power as that referred +to in chapter ix.; and as I believe that it has been proved that +the trumpet prophecy predicts the invasion of Christendom by the +Ottoman empire, so I am persuaded in my own mind that that under +the <a name="page43"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 43</span>vial +foretells its exhaustion and decay. The Ottoman empire I +believe to be the subject of both the prophecies.</p> +<p>II. The overflow. There is no actual mention in +this passage of the symbol of an overflow, but as that figure is +elsewhere employed in Holy Scripture to represent invasion, we +may regard it in this instance as descriptive of the invasion by +the Ottomans, as predicted under the seventh trumpet. If +you turn to Jer. xlvi. 7, 8, you find an invasion by Egypt +described by an exactly similar figure. The invasion by +Egypt is there compared to an overflow of the Nile. +‘Egypt cometh up like a flood, and his waters are moved as +the rivers.’ So in Isa. viii. 7, 8, the invasion of +Palestine by the Assyrians is foretold under the figure of an +inundation: ‘He shall come up over all his channels, and go +over all his banks: and he shall pass through Judah; he shall +overflow, and go over.’ And so here the invasion by +the Ottoman or Euphratian horsemen appears to be <a +name="page44"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 44</span>represented +by an overflow of the Euphrates.</p> +<p>Now consider the result of the recent floods in our own +country. When the Trent rose above its banks, what +happened? The waters spread far and wide on both sides the +river, till, instead of fields and homesteads, you saw a vast +inland lake. As you passed by in the train you might have +seen the whole country under water. Just so it was when, +according to the symbol, the Euphrates overflowed its banks; or, +according to history, the Ottomans invaded Europe. The +invading waters rushed on in every direction. On the east +they reached the borders of China; on the west they soon reached +Palestine, and all the heroic efforts of the Crusaders failed to +check them. They then spread out in two branches. On +the south they crossed into Africa, and spread over the greater +part of the northern portion of that vast continent. In the +north they spread rapidly over Asia Minor, crossed the Bosphorus, +conquered <a name="page45"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +45</span>Greece, and spread over Europe till they reached the +shores of the Adriatic, and even Venice. Thus when they had +reached the height of their power, the whole of south-east +Europe, the greater part of north Africa, and the whole of west +Asia, were flooded by the vast inundation. Their dominion +extended from the shores of the Adriatic on the west to the +borders of China on the east; while in Africa it reached very +nearly from the Atlantic to Suez. Accordingly we have been +taught from our childhood of Turkey in Europe, Turkey in Asia, +and Turkey in Africa. But I am not sure that we are all +aware that the Turks, or Ottomans, are Asiatic invaders who +obtained their dominions by conquest.</p> +<p>III. So much for the overflow. Let us now turn to +the drying up, as predicted in the prophecy.</p> +<p>Think once more of the illustration of the river, and consider +what would be the effect on the overflow if the waters were to +subside in the river. The inundation would <a +name="page46"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 46</span>gradually +recede, and one field after another would be left dry, until +after a time the whole country would be free. If, +therefore, the interpretation of the prophecy be correct, we +should expect to see the Ottoman power gradually dying out, and +the various nations that were overrun by conquest one by one +shaking off the yoke. And this is exactly what has been +taking place ever since the year 1820. There is a +remarkable prophecy in Daniel believed to refer to this same +Ottoman power, and from it some of the best students of prophecy +in the course of the last century named that year as the probable +commencement of the decline of Turkey. Up to the spring of +the year all appeared to prosper; but then the waters began +rapidly to recede. That very year the Greek insurrection +began. The flood receded from Greece, so that in 1827 the +present kingdom was established. In that same year the +inundation went back so far that Servia was left dry. In +the same year Moldavia and Wallachia, and the territory <a +name="page47"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 47</span>north of the +Danube, were set free from the Ottoman yoke; and now there seems +to be every hope that Herzegovina and Bosnia will succeed in +shaking off the invader. Indeed, the whole Turkish empire +is in such a condition that if the statesmen of Europe could +agree as to who should possess Constantinople, the whole Ottoman +Power would in all probability be driven out of Europe before +another year is over.</p> +<p>As for Africa, the flood has already left it almost dry. +Morocco is an independent state. Algeria has been taken by +the French, while on the east, Egypt has asserted its +independence, and with the one exception of an annual tribute, is +entirely free from the Turkish yoke. For some years this +process had been going on, till at length, in 1866, the Pasha +assumed the title of ‘Khedive,’ which means king, +proclaiming thereby an independent monarchy. The only +possession remaining to Turkey is the little province of Tripoli, +containing considerably less than 1,000,000 <a +name="page48"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +48</span>inhabitants. Turkey in Africa has almost ceased to +exist. Turkey in Europe may last a little longer, but is +going fast. As for Turkey in Asia, it has ceased to be a +power to any great distance east of the Euphrates; and I fully +believe that on the west of the river the drying-up process will +be steadily continued till the floods recede from Palestine, and +that beautiful land shall be set free from the blight of Turkish +misgovernment, and handed over to be once more a land flowing +with milk and honey to its rightful possessors, the seed of +Abraham, the nation to which God has given it.</p> +<p>Such are a few of the leading events with reference to the +decline of the Ottoman empire; and there is only one further +remark that I would make respecting it. The decline has not +been the result of external conquest, but of internal +decay. The Turks have not been brought down by any great +defeats, but by their own want of life. The powers of +Europe have not attacked them, but, on the contrary, have done +their best <a name="page49"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +49</span>to uphold them, as, <i>e.g.</i>, in the Crimean war; +but, notwithstanding all that France and England could do, the +Turkish power is falling to pieces of itself. The Sick Man +is dying, and the physicians cannot keep him alive. Their +energy seems gone, their exchequer is exhausted, and their +population is so much diminished, that there are now only +2,000,000 Turks, or Ottomans, left in Europe. In other +words, the Euphrates is drying up, and the inundation cannot long +remain upon the land.</p> +<p>Now I can quite understand the feeling of those who have +experienced a certain amount of disappointment in hearing this +morning about the Turkish empire, instead of something bearing +more directly on their own personal salvation, and I should +myself have preferred to have preached on some such +subject. But I have taken this subject on principle.</p> +<p>1. Because, as I have already said, ‘all Scripture +is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, +for reproof, <a name="page50"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +50</span>for correction, for instruction in +righteousness.’ No portion, therefore, of God’s +word, whether it be prophetic or historical, ought to be set +aside by those who really desire to know God’s truth. +If we wish to know the whole mind of God we must be prepared to +study the whole of the Holy Scriptures which God has given +us.</p> +<p>2. But, besides that, we must remember that our whole +faith depends on Holy Scripture. All that we know of the +Lord Jesus Christ, of His great high-priesthood, of His atoning +blood, of His free salvation, of the gift of the Holy Ghost, of +the new birth, and of the coming Advent, all our hope for the +future, and all our rest for the present, depend simply and +entirely on the Word of God. In it we find all; without it +we have nothing. When, therefore, we see a great prophecy +of Holy Scripture fulfilled in our own day, within reach of our +own observation, traceable on our own maps, and included within +the range of our own memory, we ought not to pass <a +name="page51"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 51</span>it by, but +should accept it with thankfulness in these days of rebuke and +infidelity, as a most blessed confirmation of our faith. +Let any one who has the slightest doubt as to the inspiration of +Scripture look at the facts. Two thousand four hundred +years ago there was a prophet, the prophet Daniel, by the river +of Ulai, and he foresaw in a vision the rise and progress of a +mighty power, telling us at the same time how long it was likely +to continue. Six hundred years after him there arose +another prophet, who described what appears to be the same power, +and gave a graphic picture both of its progress and decay. +Students of Holy Scripture have since been diligently occupied in +the study of these two prophecies; and by comparing Scripture +with Scripture were long since brought to the conclusion that in +the course of this century the decline of the Ottoman Empire +would take place. And now we see it going on. Just +when the students thought it would begin, then <a +name="page52"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 52</span>it began, and +just as the prophet described its decay, so it is decaying. +The prophets themselves could have known nothing about it when +they prophesied, for the empire did not arise till many centuries +after they had foretold its fall. But God knew all, and a +thousand years were to Him as one day. These prophecies, +therefore, did not arise from any private interpretation or human +calculation of probabilities, but ‘holy men of God spake as +they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’</p> +<p>Now what should be the result on our minds? What effect +should such facts have on ourselves? Should they not +strengthen faith and confirm us in a simple, childlike, +unquestioning trust in the inspired word of the living God? +Who but God Himself could have foretold either to Daniel or John +the rise and decay of the Ottoman Empire? It is God’s +own word, then, with which we are dealing when we study Holy +Scripture. There may be things in it completely beyond all +power of human calculation, <a name="page53"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 53</span>as the history of the Ottoman Empire +was utterly beyond the human calculation of either Daniel or +John. But God’s truth does not depend on our power of +calculation. It is beyond us altogether, infinite, eternal, +divine; and our part is, whether we can fit it together or not, +to receive the whole as God has given it, and as weak, ignorant, +short-lived, and short-sighted creatures, to receive His will as +He has revealed it, into our hands, and hearts, and say, ‘I +believe God, that it shall be as it was said unto me.’</p> +<h3><a name="page54"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 54</span>IV.<br +/> +THE FROGS.</h3> +<p>In opening our subject in the last lecture, I said that there +were three questions to be considered: 1. Has the present +state of Turkey been foretold in prophecy? 2. Does it teach +us any lessons respecting our spiritual position? and 3. +Does it throw any light on the blessed hope of our Lord’s +return? The first of these questions we examined in the +last lecture, and surely it was proved that in the symbol of the +drying up of the Euphrates we have a most remarkable symbolic +prophecy of the exhaustion of the Ottoman power. To-day we +are to pass on to the second question: Is our own spiritual +position affected by the exhaustion of Turkish power? Now I +can quite understand the thought that <a name="page55"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 55</span>has no doubt occurred to many of you, +that the two things can have no possible connexion with each +other, for there seems to our mind to be no possible connexion of +even the most remote character between the Turkish Empire and our +own spiritual life. We may well say, ‘What have we to +do with the Turks, or the Turks with us in our own daily, private +walk with God?’ It may surprise some of you when I +say that, although no man can explain the reason of the +connexion, I believe it to be very intimate, and that the +religious life of modern Christendom is in a most remarkable +manner bound up with the decline of the Turkish Empire.</p> +<p>To understand this we must remember that the great prophecy in +the book of Revelation is arranged in periods. Each seal, +each trumpet, and each vial, represents a period. So there +is one particular period of history foretold under the figure of +the sixth vial, and all the events predicted under that vial we +should expect to <a name="page56"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +56</span>appear at about the same time in history. Whether +we can trace any connexion or not, the events of each vial are +linked together in respect of time; so that if there are two +events under any one vial, when we see the one we ought to look +out for the other, and when one takes place we have every reason +to believe that the other is at hand. Now there are two +events, apparently quite distinct in themselves, which are thus +connected with each other under the sixth vial—the drying +up of the Euphrates, and the appearance of certain most dangerous +and seductive spirits, going forth to gather men together for the +battle of Almighty God. If, therefore, it be a fact, as I +firmly believe it to be a fact, that the Euphrates is now being +dried up, then it follows as a sure and certain consequence that +the unclean spirits are soon, if not already, going forth to do +their deadly work. The two things go on according to the +prophecy within the same prophetic period, and therefore if we +see the one, as believers in the <a name="page57"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 57</span>word of God, we ought to be on the +lookout for the other. We are thus brought to the +conclusion, that whenever the Euphrates shall be drying up, there +will be a time of great spiritual seduction; or, in other words, +that the exhaustion of the Turkish Empire will be accompanied, or +quickly followed, by a remarkable development of mischievous +spiritual power. This, then, must be our subject in this +lecture, and we will study (if God permit) first the danger, and +then the caution. May God grant that the result may be that +we may be like those few men of Sardis who had not defiled their +garments, and who will walk with the Lord Jesus in white, for +they are worthy!</p> +<p>I. The danger.</p> +<p>This is described in Rev. xvi. 13, 14. ‘And I saw +three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the +dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth +of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils +working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and +of the whole <a name="page58"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +58</span>world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of +God Almighty.’</p> +<p>All students of prophecy are well aware how much has been +written in exposition of these two verses, and what different +explanations have been given of these three seductive +spirits. I have not time this morning to discuss any of +them, but there are three things perfectly clear, and it will be +sufficient for us to study them.</p> +<p>(1.) The subtlety of the danger.</p> +<p>The passage does not describe three empires, or three +churches, or three great societies, or three organizations of any +kind whatever, but three spirits. Now a spirit is something +subtle and unseen. Its presence is not perceived; its voice +is not heard; its touch is not felt. It comes and goes, but +it leaves no footsteps in the sand. It seems, therefore, a +great mistake to explain this prophecy by different systems that +are conspicuous to the eye, and we must be careful lest, by so +doing, we should be thrown off our guard with reference to <a +name="page59"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 59</span>our real +danger. There may be no false system presented to us, and +we may be perfectly safe with reference to any definite form of +evil, such as infidelity or popery, but there may be any one, or +indeed all three, of these deadly spirits imperceptibly breathing +poison into our souls. It is this subtlety of spiritual +action that makes it so pre-eminently dangerous. If it were +all open and before the eye we should know how to avoid it.</p> +<p>(2.) The variety.</p> +<p>There is not one spirit only, but there are three acting +together. We are taught, therefore, that at the time of the +drying up of the Euphrates we must be prepared for subtle and +seductive power of various forms and characters. If there +were only one spirit the danger might assume only one form: but +as there are three spirits acting together we should be on our +guard against every possible combination. We are not merely +to look out for three distinct and separate forms of error, but, +as all three act <a name="page60"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +60</span>together, they may combine in every conceivable +variety. One may act on one mind, two on another, and all +three on a third, and so produce the most remarkable and +inconsistent combinations. Suppose, <i>e.g.</i>, that the +first was Infidelity, the second Worldliness, and the third +Popery. Remember, I do not say that they are, but suppose +they were. In some cases you might have avowed Atheism; in +some, a life so absorbed in the world that a man does not even +take the trouble to be an infidel; and in others pure and +unadulterated Romanism. But, besides that, you might find +every possible combination. Sceptical opinions might be +combined with Romish ritual, and high ceremonial with worldliness +of life. Indeed, there is scarcely any form of seductive +error that you might not develope by combining in different +proportions those three most dangerous spirits. Thus it +follows that, though a person may be well on his guard against +one, he may be gradually entangled by the other two; <a +name="page61"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 61</span>and though he +may be on the watch against all in their distinct and separate +forms, he may be drawn out of a straight path by a beautiful +combination of the three, in which, according to St. Paul’s +illustration, Satan has transformed himself into an angel of +light.</p> +<p>(3.) The result of the action of these spirits in +conflict. Verse 14,—‘For they are the spirits +of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the +earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the +great day of God Almighty.’</p> +<p>Their special object appears to be to gather together the +kings to the battle of the great day of God Almighty: and in +studying the prophecy it is impossible to forget the political +difficulties that have already arisen from the decline of +Turkey. But we must not limit the prophecy to kings, for +the warning voice of verse 15 clearly applies to us all. +Kings are not the only persons who find it necessary to watch and +keep their garments. These spirits, <a +name="page62"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 62</span>then, are +predicted as gathering men together for battle. When they +are abroad truth and error will be thrown into antagonism. +The Lord Jesus Christ will be collecting His forces, and Satan +his: there will be on both sides the mustering of the host. +Those that are on the side of the Lamb will rally round His +banner, ‘called, and chosen, and faithful;’ and those +that are under the influence of any of the seductive spirits will +throw themselves into the ranks of open opposition. The +characteristic of the day will be, not sloth or indifference, but +zeal, eagerness, and conflict.</p> +<p>Now no one can have watched the progress of men’s minds +during the last half century without observing that this has been +most remarkably the case. There cannot be a doubt as to the +fact that, while the Turkish power has been declining, the powers +of good and evil throughout Christendom have been awakening into +life. The two processes have gone on side by side. +Turkey has been drying up, and almost <a name="page63"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 63</span>every state in Europe has been +aroused to religious conflict. Many amongst us have been +able to trace the vast change that has taken place during our own +lifetimes. I can see myself an immense difference between +the state of things when I first commenced my ministry, forty +years ago, and the state of things now. Then the +characteristic of the day was stagnation, but now it is +conflict. Then our warfare was against cold, dull, dead, +stolid indifference; but now error in every shape is in full +activity, and we require to be armed at all points against every +species of attack. Then all that unconverted men desired +was to be left undisturbed in the deep sleep that had settled +down on their souls. But they are all awake now, and the +cry is, ‘To arms!’ Many, alas! are on the wrong +side. Far too many have fallen under the fatal influence of +these seducing spirits; but, whether on the wrong side or the +right, they are awake. They are up, and hurrying to their +post. The time for sleep is <a name="page64"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 64</span>over; the bugle has sounded, the +ranks are forming, the struggle has begun, and the time is come +when those who know their Saviour must be prepared to stand with +a holy decision on His side.</p> +<p>II. And now you can see the overwhelming importance of +the warning of this verse: ‘Blessed is he that watcheth and +keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his +shame.’ You can see that the exhaustion of Turkey is +a conspicuous signal from God to arouse all Christendom to +watchfulness. We cannot see the three unclean spirits +coming forth, but we can see Turkey decaying; and that is +God’s visible signal that the invisible spirits are at +work. If ever, therefore, there was a time for especial +watchfulness it is now. If ever there was a time when our +young people require to be cautioned, and warned, and helped and +guided, it is now. And you will observe that the warning is +given to those who have some garments. It is not spoken to +the heathen, or unconverted <a name="page65"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 65</span>worldlings; but to those who have, +what I may term, some sort of Christian clothing. I have +not time to discuss what that clothing is. It may be their +baptismal robe, that which they put on when they were baptized +into Christ. It may be the robe of their Christian +profession, that which they wear habitually in daily life; or it +may even be that spotless robe washed white in the blood of the +Lamb, in which alone they can stand before God, the wedding +garment of the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus +Christ. In whatever sense we understand the expression, the +solemn and sacred warning from God to every one of us, both old +and young, is the same; viz. that we watch and keep our garments, +lest we walk naked, and they see our shame. We see the +Euphrates drying up, and therefore we know that the evil spirits +are abroad. We know, <i>i.e.</i>, that there are subtle, +deadly influences all around us, of various kinds and characters, +whose object is to draw us away from the simplicity that is in +Christ, to strip <a name="page66"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +66</span>us of our garments, and to enlist us on the wrong side +of the struggle. We may not be aware of their stealthy +approach; and we are not likely to be so, for we are certain not +to see them. We need not necessarily be shocked by their +suggestions, for, though they be unclean spirits, they can clothe +their temptation in the form of beauty. But, whether we +detect them or not, we may be sure they are at work, and in full +activity. They are moving with stealthy steps in the midst +of us. They are approaching our minds in secret, disturbing +prayer, suggesting doubts, weakening faith, poisoning thought, +alienating love, and so labouring by subtle, mental influence, to +detach us from Christ. And only think what the result would +be if they were to succeed; nothing less than this, that we +should walk naked and they would see our shame! It is not +clear who is meant by the ‘they’ that are to see the +shame. It may be the world at large, or it may be the very +spirits that have done the mischief, looking <a +name="page67"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 67</span>on with a +fiendish smile on the misery and nakedness of the poor wretch +whom they have ruined. But it matters not who sees it; that +will make very little difference. To be naked before God, +that is enough. He is sure to see it, and the dreadful +horrors of such a position far exceed any power of human +imagination. You remember how St. Paul spoke of it in 2 +Cor. v. 3: ‘If so be that being clothed’ (clothed, +<i>i.e.</i>, with the resurrection body) ‘we shall not be +found naked.’ Clothed, but yet naked. Risen, +but not covered. Alive with all the realities of the body, +and all the faculties of the mind, memory, and conscience; but +with the poor soul naked, without a claim, without an excuse, +without an atonement, without a plea, without a Saviour, without +any hope for all eternity of either concealment or +forgiveness. The thought is too dreadful to be borne. +Oh, may God in mercy grant that not one of us, and not one whom +we love, may be found naked in that day! And oh! what an +inexpressible joy it is for <a name="page68"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 68</span>the child of God, however weak, +however unworthy, however unable to cope with all the seductions +of those wicked spirits, to fall back on the sure promise of his +blessed Saviour: ‘They shall never perish, neither shall +any man pluck them out of My hand.’ He can keep us, +and we may be sure He will. Let us throw ourselves then +into His hand to be clothed, to be kept, to be watched over, to +be held fast, that so, preserved in Christ Jesus, and clothed in +His spotless robe, we may never be found naked, but may when He +comes be presented ‘faultless before the presence of His +glory with exceeding joy.’</p> +<h3><a name="page69"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 69</span>V.<br +/> +THE ADVENT.</h3> +<p>I trust there are many amongst us who are able to say, from +the very depths of their longing hearts, ‘I wait for the +Lord, my soul doth wait.’ The long-expected coming of +the Lord is the blessed hope on which their hearts rest in eager +and earnest expectation, and they can add their unqualified +‘Amen’ to the last prayer of Scripture, ‘Even +so, come, Lord Jesus.’</p> +<p>I am persuaded that all those who are thus looking for the +coming of the Lord must feel the greatest possible interest in +the last of the three subjects proposed for our consideration +with reference to the exhaustion of the Turkish Empire, as +symbolized by the drying up of the Euphrates. We have seen +that the exhaustion which is <a name="page70"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 70</span>now attracting the anxious attention +of all the politicians of Europe was foretold more than eighteen +hundred years ago in this remarkable symbolic prophecy. We +found also in the last lecture that the internal decay of Turkey +is a warning to us all to be on the watch against the seductive +spirits of the latter days; and we now have to examine whether +there is any connexion between that decay and the glorious advent +of the Lord Jesus; whether, in other words, the decline of the +Ottoman empire is not like the cry which aroused the ten virgins +in the parable, ‘The Bridegroom cometh.’ There +are two questions which will clearly require our careful +study. (1.) What light does the decline of the Ottoman +Empire throw on the near approach of our Lord’s +return? And (2), if it does throw such a light, how are we +to understand His declaration that He will come as a thief? +May God Himself, who has inspired His own word, be graciously +pleased to direct us in the study of it; and to lead us, every <a +name="page71"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 71</span>one of us, to +be perfectly ready, waiting for the Lord Jesus!</p> +<p>I. What light, then, does the decay of the Ottoman +Empire throw on the prospect of the near approach of our +Lord’s return? Has it any bearing on our Christian +hope? and may we regard it as a signal from God that the time is +come when we may soon expect the Advent?</p> +<p>In order to answer this question we must examine:—</p> +<p>(1.) The position of the prophecy in the general +structure of the Book. The prophecies of this wonderful +book are arranged on a divinely ordered plan. There are +some chapters to which it is difficult to assign their place; but +it is easy to see what may be termed the backbone running through +the whole. To use a very homely illustration, there is the +main line of rail conspicuously running through the whole, and +you may trace that clearly, though you cannot always trace the +branches. Now in <a name="page72"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 72</span>this outline there are three great +series of prophetic periods—the seven seals, the seven +trumpets, and the seven vials; and these three series appear in a +remarkable manner to follow each other. First there are the +seals, as in chap. vi.; and when the sixth seal is opened, and +the seventh about to follow, there appears a general expectation +of the coming of the Lord. But when the seventh seal is +actually opened, instead of our coming to the end, as apparently +was expected, we find a second series developed. The seven +trumpets were wrapped as it were in the seventh seal (viii. 1, +2), so that when it was opened they appeared, and a fresh series +commenced, and the trumpet-angels one after another blew their +blast. At length the seventh trumpet is sounded, and again +it appears as though you had reached the end. But like the +seventh seal, it, too, is found to contain within itself a third +series. The seven vials are wrapped within it, and when +that last trumpet is blown they are poured forth <a +name="page73"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 73</span>in awful +succession on a wicked world. Thus the seventh seal +contains all the trumpets, and the seventh trumpet all the +vials. Now if this be the case it is clear that the sixth +vial must come very near the end. The trumpets are none +sounded till the six seals are passed and the seventh seal is +opened. The vials do not begin till the six trumpets have +completed their blast and the seventh has sounded; and of the +vials five must have been poured out already, so that there can +be nothing remaining but the seventh, or the last.</p> +<p>To take the very homely illustration of a railway. +Suppose a series of stations on a line, the seventh being a +junction; suppose that on the branch from that junction there was +another series of stations, the seventh again being a junction; +and from that second junction there was another line of seven +stations, the last being your home. What would you think of +your position when you had travelled the whole length of the main +line, and the whole of the first <a name="page74"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 74</span>branch, and when you had gone so far +along the second branch that you had actually reached the sixth +station on that last line? You would say, surely, that you +were near the end of your journey, close to home. Now +whenever the Church of God reaches the sixth vial that will be +its position. All the seals will have been opened, all the +trumpets blown, and six of the seven vials poured out.</p> +<p>But that I believe to be our position now, and that we are at +this present time living under the sixth vial. I believe +that the great public, political event of the sixth vial, is the +drying up of the Ottoman Empire, and that we can all see to be in +progress. There can be no doubt about the great, public, +political fact. It is confirmed by every newspaper, and is +forced on the attention of England by the sore distress brought +on many families through the Turkish bankruptcy. But if +this be the fact predicted by the symbol of the drying up of the +Euphrates, then it follows that <a name="page75"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 75</span>we are living under the sixth vial, +and that the seventh vial is all that remains of the great +prophetic series.</p> +<p>(2.) But consider next the contents of the seventh +vial. The seventh seal contained the series of seven +trumpets, and the seventh trumpet the series of seven +vials. May there not be some similar series wrapped up in +the seventh vial?</p> +<p>Such a question would be perfectly reasonable, but the only +answer that we can give is that we do not find any such series +described in the prophecy. On the other hand, everything in +it looks like the end. When the seventh angel poured out +his vial there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven +from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ It +certainly did not look like the commencement of another series, +but taught us rather to look out for the great winding up of the +whole and the final close of the great prophetic plan. So +in the account of the seventh vial you may see four things +plainly revealed;—the fall of <a name="page76"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 76</span>Babylon, which I believe to be the +fall of Rome, chap. xvi. 17, to the end of xviii.; the marriage +supper of the Lamb, chap, xix. 1–9; the triumphant victory +of the Son of God, chap. xix. 11, 12; and, last of all, the +millennial reign, chap. xx. Surely, then, this vial brings +us to the end. Surely when it is poured forth we shall have +done with the politics of the world, and shall cease to look for +the gradual development of history. All thoughts will then +be occupied by the unspeakable blessedness of the marriage supper +of the Lamb.</p> +<p>It seems clear, then, that the seventh vial is the close of +the series, and that under it we are to expect the final victory +of the Lord Jesus Christ. The conclusion, therefore, is +plain, that if the exhaustion of the Ottoman Empire is the event +symbolized by the drying up of the Euphrates, it is high time +that we awake out of sleep: for the sixth vial is already begun, +and we must soon expect to behold Christ Himself, with all the +joys of His kingdom and all <a name="page77"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 77</span>the terrors of a crushing +victory. I say ‘soon,’ not +‘immediately,’ for it does not appear that this +passage teaches us to expect it any day or hour, for it describes +certain great political events which have not yet taken +place. The Euphrates is drying, but not yet dry. The +kings have not yet passed over from the East, and the battle of +Almighty God, whatever it may symbolize, has not yet been +fought. All, therefore, that we can say is, that we appear +to have reached what Daniel terms ‘the time of the +end;’ that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for +we already begin to see the first streaks of morning dawn. +We have already witnessed some of the great events that must very +shortly precede the Advent, and we may begin to look out full of +hope for the actual return of the Lord Himself.</p> +<p>(3.) This conclusion is confirmed by the words of our +Lord Himself. I need not stop to prove that He is the +speaker in this passage, but we must carefully observe His <a +name="page78"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 78</span>words. +What does He say when the sixth vial is poured out, and the +Euphrates is drying up, and when the three evil spirits are gone +forth through Christendom? What is the warning voice which +He Himself then gives out with reference to His coming? +What lesson would He have us learn from these great events? +Of what are they His signal? Does He not teach us to be +looking out for His coming? Does He not say, ‘Behold, +I come as a thief?’ Does He not call us to a double +watchfulness, and teach us not merely to watch against the +seductive influence of these foul spirits, but to watch also for +His own appearing, and for the bright hope of joyfully meeting +Him? But if this be the case, and if the prophecy of the +sixth vial is really being now fulfilled, as we believe it to be, +by the drying up of the Turkish power; then every fresh symptom +of decay in that power, every loss of territory by the Turks, +every fresh insurrection, and every proof that the empire is +reduced to hopeless <a name="page79"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +79</span>bankruptcy, is like a clarion blast of the trumpet of +God ringing through the ears of Christendom; and proclaiming, +with a distinctness which cannot be mistaken, ‘Watch, +therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son +of Man cometh!’</p> +<p>II. But if this be the case, it behoves us carefully to +examine our second question. If such a warning is so +clearly given, how can He be said to come as a thief? He +Himself teaches us perfectly clearly that the meaning of the +illustration is that, as the thief comes without giving notice, +so He will return without previously giving any such notice of +His approach as will arouse the sleepers. The thief does +not tell you when he is coming; and when he comes, he neither +knocks the door nor rings the bell. But he comes +quietly. He does nothing to disturb those that are asleep, +and His object is to enter unobserved. So our Lord teaches +us, that when He comes He will do nothing to startle the <a +name="page80"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 80</span>world. +There will be nothing to prevent men eating and drinking, +marrying and giving in marriage, right up to the very end. +The men of the world will find Him in the house before they have +the least idea of His approach. That this is the meaning of +the words is perfectly clear from what He said (Matt. xxiv. +42–44): ‘Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour +your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of +the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would +have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken +up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye +think not, the Son of Man cometh.’</p> +<p>But, you may say, how far is this consistent with what has +been said of the probability of His return following quickly on +the exhaustion of the Ottoman Empire? If there be a +prophetic series in the book of Revelation, and we have already +reached the last station on the last branch of the line, how is +it that He can be said to come <a name="page81"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 81</span>upon us without notice as a thief +does? Has He not given us notice in this prophecy?</p> +<p>In answer to that question we must observe the clearly marked +distinction between His own believing people and the unbelieving +world. To His own people He will not come as a thief, for +we read in 1 Thess. v. 4, 5, ‘But ye, brethren, are not in +darkness that that day should overtake <i>you</i> as a +thief.’ <i>You</i> are in the light, <i>i.e.</i>, for +you can see Him coming; so <i>you</i> will not be found +asleep. So He Himself taught us distinctly in the very +passage in which He uses the illustration; for He there shows +that His own disciples are to expect His coming when they see the +predicted signs, just as they expect the summer when they see the +budding of the trees in spring (Matt. xxiv. 32, 33). Nor +are they to wait in their expectation till they see these signs +fully developed; not to wait, <i>i.e.</i>, till the young branch +is fully grown; but they are to watch beginnings, and learn from +them. They are to draw their conclusion when the <a +name="page82"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 82</span>branch is yet +tender, without waiting till it is fully ripened; as He Himself +taught us in Luke, xxi. 28: ‘When these things <i>begin</i> +to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your +redemption draweth nigh.’ If, therefore, you be +amongst the people of God, you need never be taken by +surprise. We do not know the exact time, but we may study +the predicted signs, and, having them before us, may look out for +the second advent just as Simeon and Anna looked out for the +first. We may be like the servant of Elijah, going up again +and again to the hill-top to watch for the coming rain; or like +the loving servant watching for the footsteps of the master whom +he loves, and perfectly ready, whenever he returns, to open the +door, and welcome him to his home. The Lord came suddenly +to His temple, but He did not come suddenly to Simeon; and the +Lord will come as a thief to the world, but if you hold fast to +His own word He will never be as a thief to you.</p> +<p><a name="page83"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 83</span>I have +already said, it is the <i>world</i> that will be found asleep, +and to whom He will really come as a thief. But some man +may say, ‘If there be these signs beforehand, will they not +arouse the world as well as believers? Will they not awaken +society? Will they not compel men to prepare?’ +I answer that by another question, Do they? There are +certain signs already given; do they wake up society? Have +they produced such an impression as to arouse the great mass of +worldly men? There are the Jews preserved as a separate +people, in fulfilment of a prophecy given more than three +thousand years ago; what effect has such a fulfilment of +God’s word had in the City? There are all the +politicians of Europe at their wits’ end because of the +decay of Turkey; how many even of yourselves have been led +thereby to look out for the near approach of our blessed +Saviour? There is Rome stripped of its temporal power in +fulfilment of great prophecies given, some of them, more than two +<a name="page84"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 84</span>thousand +years ago; how many are there that have been led by that +fulfilment to look out even for the fall of Babylon? The +simple fact is, that these great fulfilments, though conspicuous +to the eye of those who study them, completely fail to produce +the least impression on the deep sleep of the unconverted +world. The prophecies are not read; the facts are not +compared with them; the lessons are not learned; and the soul is +not aroused to preparation. How many are there even in this +very town on whom the fulfilment of God’s prophetic word +has never produced the slightest effect? They are living +just as they would have lived, or rather sleeping as they would +have slept, if there had been no prophecy to give the warning, +and no history to confirm its truth. Can you wonder, then, +that the Lord Jesus should come upon such persons as a thief?</p> +<p>But I trust, dear brethren, that He may not come as a thief to +you, but that you may be found in the light and awake, not <a +name="page85"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 85</span>in darkness +and asleep; or, to use the illustration of this text, that you +may not wake up naked to your everlasting shame. I am sure +you desire when He comes to be found awake, looking out, ready to +welcome Him. You wish to be found clothed. Oh, think +what it would be to be found naked, when all the saints of God +are standing around you in their resurrection robe! We have +lately read of poor people startled in the night by shipwreck, +and rushing as they were to the deck, utterly unprotected against +the bitter blast of the winter’s snow-storm. Think +what it would be to be suddenly aroused from your own deep sleep, +to see all that you have in the world wrecked around you, and to +find your poor soul quite naked, while the terrible storm of +God’s most just judgment beats upon you, and breaks down +every hope of escape! Oh, dear brethren, may it never be so +with you! May you be amongst those who can peacefully look +for His appearing, because you are clothed in <a +name="page86"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 86</span>His +righteousness! May you be kept walking in the light, and +cleansed from all sin through His most precious blood! Then +you will have nothing to fear, but everything to hope for, in the +thought of His coming. Then He will never come as a thief +to you, for you will be ready at any time to open the door and +welcome Him. As the bride delights in the bridegroom, so +will you delight in Him. Your trial will consist, not in +the dread of His coming, but in the difficulty of patiently +waiting for His return, and when He comes you will find no +language to bless and praise His holy name, for His boundless and +unmerited love in having redeemed you by His atoning blood; in +having called you by His sovereign grace; in having forgiven you +through His finished atonement; in having sanctified you by the +Holy Ghost; and in having preserved you in His own unchanging +faithfulness, till He shall have finally presented you spotless +and faultless before the throne of His everlasting glory.</p> +<h2><a name="page87"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +87</span>JERUSALEM.</h2> +<p>There is no city in the whole world which fills so important a +place in the Word of God as Jerusalem. There are several +others which are more prominent in the world’s politics, +but in the great economy of God, as revealed in Sacred Scripture, +Jerusalem stands out pre-eminent above them all. We +Englishmen think of London, with its vast population and enormous +wealth, as the leading city of the world; but except in so far as +it is the capital of one of the isles of the sea, it has no place +in prophecy. The French look upon Paris as the most +beautiful city of Europe, and the centre of European influence; +but, unless it is the predicted seat of the Beast, which some +persons are disposed to consider it, <a name="page88"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 88</span>it is literally nowhere in the Word +of God. And Rome, which all regard with something of awe +and veneration, as being associated with the most thrilling +histories of the past, is described in the Prophetic Word as the +seven-hilled city on which is seated the mystic Babylon, the +great whore of the Apocalypse. But the whole of Sacred +Scripture abounds in allusions to Jerusalem. History, +poetry, and prophecy are all full of it. It is described as +‘beautiful for situation,’ and ‘the joy of the +whole earth.’ The people of God are taught to pray +for it, and the promise is given that those who love it shall +prosper. The sacred feet of the Son of God trod the +pavement of its Temple, and we are assured that it will never +disappear from God’s great dealings with mankind, until the +New Jerusalem shall descend from heaven from our God, and there +shall be new heavens and a new earth at the coming of the Lord of +glory.</p> +<p>It was the sight of this beautiful city, <a +name="page89"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 89</span>with its +magnificent Temple crowning the heights of Mount Moriah, that +drew from our blessed Saviour the remarkable prophecy contained +in the 24th of St. Matthew and the 21st of St. Luke. The +disciples had pointed out to Him the buildings of the Temple; and +afterwards, as they sat together on Mount Olives, on the opposite +side of the valley, He taught them the vanity of all earthly +strength. He told them that of the beautiful Temple not one +stone should be left upon another. And He also taught them +that there would be a lengthened period of desolation and +humiliation; for that Jerusalem should be ‘trodden under +foot of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles should be +fulfilled.’ Jerusalem was to be not merely beaten +down, but kept down, until a certain predicted period should +expire. But while the words distinctly predict a long +period of desolation, they no less clearly imply the assurance of +an ultimate restoration. They teach that <a +name="page90"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 90</span>Jerusalem is +not to be trodden down for ever, but only till the times of the +Gentiles shall be fulfilled; implying, as clearly as words can, +that, when those times are expired, the Holy City shall rise +again in its beauty. The words predict a desolation for a +limited period, and at the close of that period restoration.</p> +<p>I have not time to discuss what is meant by ‘the times +of the Gentiles.’ Suffice it to say, that I believe +it to be this present Gentile dispensation; this time of Gentile +power, and Gentile opportunity; this time during which God is +gathering out his elect people from the Gentile world, and is +employing a Gentile Church in the sacred ministry of the Gospel +of His grace. It seems to be the time of the ingathering of +the Gentile Church, for it is to last, according to St. Paul, +‘until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;’ and +it is clearly the time of the exercise of Gentile power, for they +are Gentiles by whom Jerusalem is to be trodden under foot.</p> +<p><a name="page91"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 91</span>But I +do not wish to occupy time in any discussion of this period, but +rather to invite your special attention to those Gentile powers +which have trodden Jerusalem under foot. Which are they? +and how do they now stand?</p> +<p>What, then, are the Gentile powers which have trodden down +Jerusalem? In the course of the eighteen hundred years of +her humiliation there have been times during which there have +been short interruptions in the sway of the ruling powers. +But, looking at the period as one great whole, and fixing our +attention on the conspicuous outlines of history, we find that +there are two powers which stand out conspicuous above all the +rest as the great oppressors of the holy city. These are +Rome and the successive forms of that Mahommedan power of which +the present head is Turkey. Rome trod her down at the siege +of Jerusalem, and Turkey holds her down now. Rome cast her +to the ground, and when she was down Turkey set its foot <a +name="page92"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 92</span>on her +neck. Rome hurled her to the dust, and Turkey now tramples +her in the mire. Rome destroyed God’s Temple, and +actually ploughed up the sacred ground on which it stood. +Turkey maintains on the sacred site the mosque of Omar; and on +that holy hill where Abraham offered Isaac, where David offered +the oxen of Araunah, where Solomon built his Temple, and where +the Lord Jesus, the Son of David, cast out all that was unholy; +there, by Turkish authority, now stands a Mahommedan mosque; and +there no Jew is permitted to set his foot, the only privilege +allowed him being to kneel in the Street of Wailing outside the +enclosure, and there weep for the desolation of Jerusalem.</p> +<p>There is something very remarkable in this fact, because these +are the two powers especially connected with the two great +predicted apostasies, Popery and Mahommedanism; Rome being the +seat of the Popedom, and the Sultan of Turkey the recognised head +of the Mahommedan apostasy.</p> +<p><a name="page93"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 93</span>But I +have no time now to examine that connexion, nor is it my present +object to do so. The one fact I desire to leave perfectly +clearly on your mind is this, that Rome, and the Mussulman power +of which Turkey is now the head, are the two Gentile powers which +for the last eighteen hundred years must be charged with having +trodden down Jerusalem.</p> +<p>And now, what is the present position of these two +powers? And how do they stand in Europe? What is the +condition, and what the prospect, of these two great oppressors +of Jerusalem?</p> +<p>As for Rome, as a political power it has ceased to exist, for +I need not say that the modern kingdom of Italy has nothing to do +with it. It is not built on the old lines, but is +altogether a new creation, an extension of the kingdom of +Sardinia. Now there can be no doubt whatever that the vast, +iron-footed, undivided, Roman Empire, of which Titus was emperor +at the time he trod down Jerusalem, has long <a +name="page94"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 94</span>since passed +away. Different historians may assign different dates to +its dissolution, but no one doubts for one moment that it is +dissolved. The power that trampled down Jerusalem is broken +up into ten kingdoms, and the Imperial head is no more. +There is no successor to the throne of Titus, and the throne +itself is in fragments.</p> +<p>It is very remarkable also that the Papal head which succeeded +the Imperial has within the last few years come also to an end as +a political power. After the division of the undivided +empire the ten kingdoms were to a great extent held together by +the Papal head which succeeded the Imperial. The Pope +claimed to be the sole authority from which the kings derived +their power, and before the Reformation all Europe acknowledged +his claim. He was supposed to hold all the crowns of Europe +in his hand. But that is all over now. The kings have +taken away his dominion. As a political power the Papal +head has followed <a name="page95"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +95</span>the Imperial. According to Sir G. Bowyer, in the +<i>Times</i> of Nov. 10, 1871, ‘The Pope has been +dethroned, and all his dominions and property have been reduced +to a palace, a church, and a garden,’ it does not seem, +therefore, very probable that Rome in either shape will ever +again tread down Jerusalem. We may safely say that the +first of the two oppressors is no more.</p> +<p>But what shall we say of the second? of that Turkey which is +the only power now treading down Jerusalem? I would meet +this by another question. Is there any politician in Europe +who has the least expectation of Turkey remaining in its present +position for another ten years? Whatever little political +power it retains is dying out as fast as it can die. Its +exchequer is bankrupt. Its credit is gone. Its +character for good faith is at an end. Its armies are +unpaid. Its subject populations are rising against the +intolerable burdens of its injustice and oppression; and the +Turks themselves have lost heart in the melancholy <a +name="page96"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 96</span>conviction +that their days are numbered.</p> +<p>Thus, of the two powers that have trodden down Jerusalem, one +is already extinct, and the head of the other at its last +gasp. The foot of the Sick Man is the only foot now +remaining on the neck of Jerusalem, and the Sick Man is +dying. Surely it is not unreasonable to ask the question, +‘When he dies, why should not Jerusalem arise and be +free?’</p> +<p>The result is that, without dwelling on any minute detail, we +are brought by the great, long-continued facts of European +history, to the most important conclusion that, in all +probability, we are approaching the time when Jerusalem shall no +longer be trodden down of the Gentiles, and when, therefore, the +times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. It is only +reasonable to suppose, that when the oppressors are taken out of +the way the oppression will come to an end; and, therefore, as +one of those two oppressors is already fallen, and the other <a +name="page97"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 97</span>falling so +fast that all the powers of Europe seem unable to keep him in his +place, there is surely good reason to hope that before long the +captive will be free, and that the time may not be far distant +when we shall hear the cry, ‘Shake thyself from the dust; +arise and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of +thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.’</p> +<p>And it certainly is a most remarkable fact that, +simultaneously with the consumption of Rome and the decay of +Turkey, there has been a wonderful awakening of interest in +Jerusalem and the Jews. The explorations in Palestine are +very like a fulfilment of the prophecy, ‘Thy servants take +pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof;’ and +if they are, there is good reason to hope that ‘the time to +favour her, yea, the set time, is come.’</p> +<p>But the interest in the people is more remarkable than that in +the country. Before the great Evangelical revival at the <a +name="page98"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 98</span>commencement +of this century no one seemed to have any idea that the Jews had +any part in their own Messiah. They were treated as an +outcast people, and as for their conversion, no one seems to have +thought of attempting it until the formation of the Society for +Promoting Christianity among the Jews, in the year 1808. +But now there are Christian missionaries labouring amongst them +in most of the principal towns of Europe, and, indeed, in almost +all the leading centres of their scattered population. The +New Testament has been translated into Hebrew, and very nearly +twenty-five thousand copies are being annually circulated amongst +the Jews. The state of feeling towards them has passed +through a complete revolution, so that of England it was said not +long since by a learned and influential Italian Jew, ‘God +has blessed, and will bless, England; because her great men, both +in Church and State, take an interest in the children of +Jacob.’ Such facts are most important <a +name="page99"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 99</span>in +themselves; but when it is borne in mind that this interest in +Jerusalem has been awakened just at the time of the consumption +of the political power of Rome, and has been going on side by +side with the decay of Turkey, it certainly ought to lead all +students of the Word of God to consider carefully whether the +times of the Gentiles may not be drawing to a close, and the day +of redemption may not be beginning to dawn on Jerusalem.</p> +<p>But some may be disposed to say, How are we concerned with +Jerusalem, and what does it matter to us whether Jerusalem is +trodden under foot, or free? I fear this is a very common +feeling throughout society, and that there are thousands and tens +of thousands of professing Christians who are perfectly +indifferent as to the condition of Jerusalem. But it ought +not so to be, for if it be a place cared for by the Lord, it +ought to be also cared for by his people. Besides which, +even on selfish principles, we should take an interest in <a +name="page100"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 100</span>Jerusalem; +for, as our position as Gentiles in Christ Jesus is most +intimately connected with the fall of Jerusalem, so our brightest +hopes in Him are bound up with its recovery. In proof of +this I would ask you to turn to Ps. cii. 16, where you read, +‘When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in +glory!’ The return of the Lord is, therefore, +connected with the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and, whenever we see +His hand restoring the city, we should begin to look out in +confident hope for the glorious and happy day when He Himself +will come to take the kingdom. As a student of the Word of +God I should be very much surprised if He were to come before +Jerusalem is raised from the dust; but when it is raised, it +seems clear from Scripture that there will be nothing in the +great prophetic series any longer to delay His appearing.</p> +<p>So in our Lord’s discourse, as recorded by St. Matthew +and St. Luke, we are taught the same thing. The object of +the <a name="page101"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +101</span>discourse is not, as has been sometimes thought, to +confound the taking of Jerusalem with the Second Coming, but to +distinguish them, and to warn the disciples against the danger of +mistaking the siege of Jerusalem for the coming of the +Lord. It is the restoration of Jerusalem, not the fall, +which is connected with the Advent. Our Lord, therefore, +distinguishes between the fall and the recovery, and describes +the various signs that shall precede each. So up to Luke, +xxi. 24, we find the description of the desolation, concluding +with the prophecy, ‘Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the +Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be +fulfilled.’ But in ver. 28 we find the promise of the +glorious recovery in those sacred words, ‘When these things +begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for +your redemption draweth nigh.’ The 24th verse +describes the desolation, the 28th the restoration, and the whole +long period described as the times of the Gentiles, <a +name="page102"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 102</span>with the +signs of the latter days, intervenes between the two. Now +look at the account of the redemption. It includes clearly +a release from the captivity, and the rise of Jerusalem, when the +time of its treading down shall have come to an end. But +that is not all, or nearly so. The redemption there +described is identified with the return of the Lord Himself; for +in ver. 27 we read, ‘Then shall they see the Son of Man +coming in a cloud with power and great glory.’ Those +then who pray for the peace of Jerusalem will rejoice for +Jerusalem’s sake in its recovery. Those servants of +God who take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof, +will have their hearts gladdened when they see her rebuilt. +But that is not all, or nearly all, for whenever that happens, +the whole Church of God, and every member of it in every nation +under heaven, may look up, and lift up their heads, for the Lord +Himself will soon appear. Once more, then, are we taught +our deep interest in the decay of <a name="page103"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 103</span>Turkey. When Turkey falls +there is every hope that Jerusalem will rise; and when Jerusalem +rises, the next thing for us to look out for will be the Advent +of the Lord. All Christians, therefore, should rejoice in +the decline of the Ottoman Empire, for the fall of the Mussulman +is the hope of the Jew, and the return of the Jew will be the +blessed harbinger of the triumphant advent of her glorious +King. Rome beat down Jerusalem, and Rome, as a political +power, is no more. Turkey is now treading her down; but its +decay is begun, and its days are numbered: so that we may +earnestly hope it will be but a little while, possibly a very +little while—within the lives of many present—when +the great promise of God shall be fulfilled, and, according to +the prophecy, ‘The moon shall be confounded, and the sun +ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in +Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.’ God +grant that all the readers of this little book may be found +looking <a name="page104"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +104</span>for His appearing, and ready to welcome Him with their +lamps burning brightly, when the cry is heard, ‘The +Bridegroom cometh!’</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<div class="gapshortline"> </div> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center">LONDON:<br /> +Printed by <span class="smcap">John Strangeways</span>, Castle +St. Leicester Sq.</p> +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><a name="pagei"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. i</span><b>By the same Author</b>. <a +name="citation0"></a><a href="#footnote0" +class="citation">[0]</a></p> +<div class="gapshortline"> </div> +<p><b>SANCTIFICATION</b>: <b>being Expository Sermons</b>.</p> +<p> Second Edition, enlarged.</p> +<p> Square fcap. 8vo. cloth, 2<i>s.</i> +6<i>d.</i></p> +<p><b>THE COMMUNION AND COMMUNICANT</b>.</p> +<p> Fourth Edition, revised and enlarged.</p> +<p> Fcap. 8vo. sewed, 6<i>d.</i></p> +<p><b>BAPTISM</b>.</p> +<p> As Taught in the Bible and Prayer-book.</p> +<p> Sixth Edition. Fcap. 8vo. sewed, +4<i>d.</i></p> +<p><b>INSPIRATION: its Nature and Extent</b>.</p> +<p> Sewed, 6<i>d.</i></p> +<p><b>SERMONS FOR THE DAY</b>.</p> +<p> Fcap. 8vo. sewed, 6<i>d.</i></p> +<p><b>CONFORMITY TO THE WORLD</b>.</p> +<p> Third Edition. Paper, 6<i>d.</i></p> +<div class="gapshortline"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><span +class="GutSmall">LONDON:</span><br /> +HATCHARDS, PICCADILLY.<br /> +<span class="GutSmall">H. COLBRAN, CALVERLEY ROAD, TUNBRIDGE +WELLS.</span></p> +<h2>Footnotes</h2> +<p><a name="footnote26"></a><a href="#citation26" +class="footnote">[26]</a> Hume, ii. 67.</p> +<p><a name="footnote28"></a><a href="#citation28" +class="footnote">[28]</a> I was interested, two days after +preparing this lecture, by reading the following sentence in the +<i>Times</i>: ‘Upon every temporal consideration Rome never +was so low as she lies this day.’—<i>Times</i>, Dec. +15, 1873.</p> +<p><a name="footnote0"></a><a href="#citation0" +class="footnote">[0]</a> In this edition of the book the +“By the same author” section appears at the front of +the book, before the title page. It has been moved to the +end in the eText for clarity.—DP.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROME, TURKEY, AND JERUSALEM***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 39290-h.htm or 39290-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/9/2/9/39290 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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