f days in the Jewish year: times, or 720, the days in two years; and
half a time, or 180, the days in half a year. Now, add these three
numbers, 360, 720, 180; and the sum is 1260. Now see Daniel iv. 25,
where the word "times" means _years_, and then a child may calculate
these mystical numbers.

3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy
a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

V. 3.--While the nominal church, "the outer court and the holy city,"
would be "trodden under foot," and the most eminent places would be
filled with idolaters, infidels, hypocrites, and mercenary spirits, and
true Christians grievously oppressed, the Lord would preserve a faithful
few from defiling themselves with the prevailing abominations. These he
claims and owns as his "peculiar treasure,"--"my witnesses." These have
found that it was "good for them to draw near to God," when the
multitude treacherously departed from him. The Lord Christ promises to
sustain them in the midst of all their tribulations. The duration of
their special work is the very same as that of the treading of the holy
city, "a thousand two hundred and three score days,"--1260 years. In
attempting to fix the beginning of this period, Daniel and John must be
compared; both treat of the same events and dates, and this gives
definiteness to the interpretation. Daniel fixes these events to the
fourth monarchy _after_ it had been _broken in pieces_, and the ten
horns had arisen: (ch. vii. 23-25;) so that we have both the geography
and chronology determined by the prophets themselves. Hence it follows
that we must date the beginning of the 1260 years after the first four
trumpets; for by these the western Roman empire was dismembered or
broken, that the ten horns might appear. Then the "little horn" of
Daniel arose after and among them, (ch. vii. 20, 24.) All reliable
expositors agree that the "little horn" is the papacy or the Romish
church. This little horn is the special enemy of the "saints of the Most
High," and they are to be "given into his hand." (Dan. vii. 25.) The
first four trumpets subverted the Roman empire in the west in the latter
part of the sixth century. This event made way for the bishop of Rome,
in process of time, to acquire a great accession of ecclesiastical
power. The civil and ecclesiastical rulers, equally unscrupulous and
aspiring, were at this period on terms of comparative intimacy, and
occa