not so brilliant as that of Macaulay (who sometimes sacrificed history to brilliant antitheses), nevertheless presented a striking and truthful panorama of events before them, they would see that in the narrative of events which had taken place since 1791, there was a striking account of the effects produced by each vial as it was poured out. They would feel as they were reading Allison that they were reading a fulfilment, exact and full, of each prediction and each symbol until they came down to those that were now within their own experience. They must recollect that each vial ran into the other; one was not exhausted when the other began. Let them take the sixth vial, which was poured out on the river Euphrates. What did that mean? It was on the banks of that river that the Turkish power started on its victorious march to Constantinople. The Euphrates was then Turkey in Europe, and the drying up of that river implied that the instant that judgement was pronounced, the Crescent would begin to wane. In 1821 or 1822, just when the 2,300 days of Daniel’s prophecy concerning the sacrifice expired and the extra 30 days added to the 1260 days of his last prophecy, they found that the Turkish power was undisturbed; it was in full possession of the sovereignty, and in the greatness of its power. No ,sooner was the vial poured out in 1821, than the Greek insurrection took place, the janaseries were destroyed, and province after province broke loose from the Turkish power. At the present moment, notwithstanding the support of the powers of France and England, the existence of the Turkish power was a question of months – not of years. The Western powers in tending the sick man, only made him more sick, and the question was now to be asked, Who should have his shoes and his house when he was dead? And the enquiry would come up Who was to have Palestine? They knew that the rightful owner were the Jews; it was theirs by promise, theirs by title; and the cries they had heard “Ireland for the Irish”, “France for the French” and, still later “Italy for the Italians”, would be changed into “Palestine for the Jews”.
After showing more at length the deplorable condition of the Turkish power at this time, the lecturer contended that it was clearly identical with the river Euphrates, a view which, he said was corroborated by the text “to prepare the way for the Kings of the East”, by which, according to the interpretation of the best commentators, the Jews were clearly meant. It was under this vial that the three unclean spirits, like frogs, -
