coasts of the Mediterranean, and in the East and West Indies and at least 40,000 copies of the "Invitation" were circulated.

The following suggestions are respectfully offered, to assist those who are desirous of a similar union on Monday, Jan. 1, 1844.

1st. Let Christians follow the example of our blessed Lord, (Mark i. 25), who rose up a great while before day for secret prayer. Let them thus secure the blessing of him who says, Pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

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2nd. Let them call upon the Lord in their families, for his Spirit to be poured upon themselves and their households, their neighbours, their country, the ministers of the Lord, the churches of Christ, the remnant of scattered Judah and outcast Israel, and upon the Gentile world.

3rd. Where circumstances will admit of a morning service, let the congregation be assembled; and, in addition to the appointed prayers and a suitable sermon, let all who are devoutly disposed, partake together of the Supper of the Lord; or, as may be more convenient, let the whole congregation meet in the evening for public worship, and let an appropriate discourse be preached.

4th. Let the ministers of the Lord meet on the following day, with their brethren of their own communion, in earnest prayer for themselves, their flocks, the whole body of Christ, and the world at large; and then specially consult together upon the most effectual means for hastening the coming of the Lord's kingdom, and particularly for the continuance of such a general concert for prayer, that the year may proceed according to this devout commencement.

May the Lord accompany these means of grace, or such others as may be adopted, with his abundant blessing. Oh! may it indeed be a season of special refreshment from the presence of the Lord.

Let this be the prayer of all who read this paper; and as the New Year is now approaching, it would be a great kindness if those who approve the object, and have influence over the press, would republish and circulate this Invitation, which any one, into whose hands it may fall, HAS FULL PERMISSION TO DO.

Peace be with all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity,

Thus prays their affectionate Brother and Servant in the Lord,

JAMES HALDANE STEWART.

St. Bride's, Liverpool.

AN ALARMIST.

I AM alarmed for our Church; not that I fear for her ultimate purity and continued stedfastness, but that I apprehend a great trial is awaiting her; a great effort of Satan to sift her as wheat, during which her progress will be arrested, her testimony enfeebled, her beauty defiled, her great good more evil spoken of than ever, through great evil in her professed lovers and advocates, though at last she will come forth as gold from the fire. Call me an Alarmist! I had rather my trumpet should sound a hundred times in warning where danger is not, than be once silent when it is nigh, even at the door.-Bishop McIlvaine's Charge.

DANIEL IX.

THE prophecy of the seventy weeks of Daniel ix. 24. is declared by the Angel who gave it, to be an answer to Daniel's prayer, that he might understand the vision; "At the beginning of thy supplications, the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the vision." The vision referred to by the Angel, is that in the preceding chapter, which had been so overwhelming to Daniel that he fainted, and was sick certain days: and concerning which, he says, (chap. viii. 27.) "I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it." That which he particularly desired to understand in the vision, was, its bearing upon his own people, the Jews: knowing that the seventy years' captivity in Babylon were now expiring, and yet seeing such fearful things revealed in this vision as yet to come upon them by this "king of fierce countenance ;”—“ who shall destroy wonderfully, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." (chap. viii. 23, 24.

Daniel's prayer accordingly begins with the confession of the sin of his people, and pleading the promise of God, that he would restore them at the end of seventy years, "for the Lord's sake." (Dan. ix. 17.) "O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy

mountain." (verse 16.) "O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name; for we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousness, but for thy great mercies. And while I was praying, and speaking, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my God, the man Gabriel touched me, and he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding." (Chap. ix. 22.)

The prophecy, therefore, of the seventy weeks, is undoubtedly, a further explanation of the preceding vision of the 2300 days in its bearing on the Jewish people; and especially of that part of it which applied to them, on their return to Jerusalem from the captivity in Babylon, the seventy years duration of which was now expired. (Jer. xxv. 11, 12; Dan. ix. 12.)

In the preceding vision, 2300 days, (which in prophetic language means so many years) is the period given for the duration of the whole vision, at the termination of which period, the sanctuary shall be cleansed, (Dan. viii. 14.), and the explanation given by the Angel Gabriel, begins by declaring, (Dan, ix. 24.), that seventy weeks, or 490 years, of this period of 2300 years, belong to the people of Daniel, and to the Holy City, during which they should not only return from Babylon, and rebuild Jerusalem, according to Daniel's prayer and supplication; but during which, every thing typified by the sacrifices and priesthood under the law, should be accomplished.

by Christ, who should be anointed as the most Holy, in the most Holy place: not into the Holy place made with hands, is Christ entered, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. (Heb. ix. 24.)

The period of 490 years being given us, as bearing upon the Jewish people, its several subdivisions are next given, their restoration to the land,—their rebuilding the city and temple, the time when Messiah was to come,-the time during which the gospel should be first offered to them exclusively,— and on their rejecting the gospel, God's rejection of them as his own people,—and taking from the Gentiles a people for his name, while his ancient people are cast off, till the fulness of the Gentiles shall have come in, then the sanctuary shall be finally cleansed. (Dan. viii. 14) The building of the city and temple occupies the first seven weeks, or forty-nine years, from the time of the going forth of the commandment. (Dan. ix. 25.) For the commandment was given to Nehemiah, B. C. 453, and yet for three years, the "people dwelt in their own ceiled houses, while the house of the Lord lay waste," (Hag. i. 4.), and forty-six years was the temple in building, (John ii. 20.), which makes up the forty-nine years, or, the prophetic seven weeks in which the temple was to be built-in troublous times. (See Ezra and Neh.) For sixty-two weeks, or 434 years, (Dan. vi. 25,), the people thus restored, would be expecting the Messiah to come, and to fill that temple with the real glory which was typified by the Sheckinah, and mercy-seat in Solomon's temple, none of which symbols were found in Nehemiah's temple; and after the 434 years, when Messiah did come, he was rejected by