104 THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY.
This statement was written about thirty years
ago; and from that time to this the work of the
spirits has been steadily progressing, and spreading
among all classes of people.
One reason why it is now difficult to estimate the
number of those who might properly be denominated
spiritualists, is that the more prominent and respect-
able of the adherents of this movement, are draw-
ing under cover the obnoxious and immoral features
of the system, heretofore so prominent, and assuming
a Christian garb. By this move they bring them-
selves and a multitude of church-members upon com-
mon ground, where there is no distinction between
them in fact, though there still may be in name.
And from this nation spiritualism has gone abroad
into all the earth. Queen Victoria is said to be a
devotee of the new philosophy. See Townsend's
“New World and Old,” p. 201. The late Emperor
and Empress of France, the late Queen of Spain,
Pius IX, and Alexander II. and the Grand Dukes
of Russia, are all said to have sought to these spirits
for knowledge. Thus it is working its way to the
potentates of the earth, and is fast preparing to ac-
complish its real mission, which is, by deceiving the
world with its miracles, to gather the nations to the
battle of the great day of God Almighty.
Here we pause. Let this work go on a little
longer, as it has been going, and as it is still going,
and what a scene is before us! Having seen so much
fulfilled, we cannot now draw back and deny the
remainder. And so we look for the onward march
of this last great wonder-working deception, till that
is accomplished which in the days of Elijah was a
test between Jehovah and Baal, and fire is brought
down from heaven to earth in the sight of men.
Then will be the hour of the powers of darkness,—
the hour of temptation that is coming upon all the
AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST. 105
E world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Rev.
E 3:10. Then all will be swept from their anchorage
by the strong current of delusion, except those whom
. it is not possible to deceive,—the elect of God.
: a :
And still the world sleeps on, while Satan, with
lightning fingers and hellish energy, weaves over
; them his last fatal snare. It is time some mighty
move was made to waken the world, and arouse the
church to the dangers we are in. It is time every
honest heart should learn that the only safeguard
against the great deception, whose incipient, and
even well-advanced workings we already behold be-
¢ fore our eyes, is to make the truths of God's holy
E and immutable word our shield and buckler.
Chap ter line.
AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST.
: Th imposing miracles wrought before the people
having riveted upon them the chains of a fatal
deception, leading them to suppose they have
witnessed the great power of God, and must therefore
be doing him service, when they have only been
dazed with a mighty display of satanic wonders,
and are led captive by the devil at his will, they are
| prepared to do the further bidding of the two-horned
! beast, which is to make an image to the beast which
had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Once more we remind the reader of the impreg-
nable strength of the argument already presented in
previous chapters, fixing the application of this sym-
bol to the United States. This is an established
proposition, and needs no further support. An ex-
position of the remainder of the prophecy will there-