now incorporated with the vital principle of the Turkish nation." (ch. 65)

It is the very remarkable testimony of this hiftorian to the accurate and what may be called the nice accomplishment of fo many points of these prophecies concerning the Saracenic and Turkish empires, that has led me into a much more particular review of their several parts, than what came within the compafs of my first defign; but having taken it, I cannot refrain from begging the readers attention a little longer to the fame fubject, while I confider the prophetic defcription here given in the light of a relation of what is past, and fee, whether, by merlye paraphrasing the text, and changing the tense, we fhall not obtain an hiftory of events which have really come to pafs. Because if predictions will bear, this teft, shame.

lefs indeed must be the opponent who will deny their truth.

Thus then our account will proceed. After the fall of the Western empire, when the Chriftians were much corrupted with the worship of faints and other evil practices there arofe to the South of Judea a falfe prophet, who planned his imposture in a cave, and from small beginnings, rifing to a confiderable power grew bold and intolerant, and began to propagate his doctrine by the fword. Hence.fprang a most destructive invafion of the Roman territories by armies. which over ran them like locufts for many years, and spread the doctrine of their firft leader. When this evil had fubfided, a Northern power broke in upon the Eastern provinces † and with multitudes of cavalry over run them.

See before p. 79,

‡ p. 139.

One

One tribe in particular who continued for fome time near the Euphrates under four leaders completed the conqueft of that part of the empire; and extended their fway even to Egypt and Africa; though fome of the families of Arabia fill affert their independence against them. Thefe like the Southern invaders propagated their religious tenets by the fword: and in their wars cannon. were introduced in a remarkable manner; *+ and the monarchy they eftablifhed ftill continues...

Behold here a fummary of incontrovertible facts, all noted in the fcripture of truth ages before they took place; and noted too with characteristics fo choise, as to render it morally impoffible that any false conftruction fhould efcape detection!

* P. 143 † p. 157 p.154*+ p.152

From the place they hold in the Vision, I once conceived, that the feven thunders mentioned by St. John within a few verses of the end of his account of the Euphratean horfemen, and whose words he was forbidden to record, related to the overthrow of the seven churches of Afia. And although a particular paffage of the context had induced me to lay afide this opinion, yet the remembrance of it could not but be renewed by meeting with the following paffages in Mr. Gibbon's relation of the conqueft of the Afiatic provinces by the Turks; and which, the principles of the writer confidered, well deferve to be tranfcribed. The captivity or ruin of the

Jeven churches of Afia was confum"mated. In the lofs of Ephefus, the "Chriftians deplored the fall of the firft "angel, the extinction of the first candle.

ftick of the revelations :-The Circus "and three ftately Theatres of Laodicea

are

"are now peopled with wolves and "foxes; Sardes is reduced to a mifer"able village; the God of Mahomet "is invoked in the Mofchs of Thyatira "and Pergamus; and the populousness "of Smyrna is fupported by the Foreign "trade of the Franks and Armenians.

Philadelphia alone has been faved by "prophecy or courage: at a distance "from the fea, forgotten by the Em

perors, encompaffed on all fides by "the Turks, her valiant citizens de"fended their religion and their freedom above fourscore years; and at length "capitulated with the proudeft of the "Ottomans. Among the Greek co "lonies and churches of Afia, Phila-' "delphia is still erect; a column in a "fcene of ruins." On comparing this account of the prefent ftate of the feven churches (which, though not fo accurate as a later given in Payne's Geography, is in general correct,) with the menaces denounced