The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-01

the speaker proved, at least to his own
satisfaction, that the United States was
predicted by the prophets. At that
time the chaplain of the house preached
IN the hall every Sunday and the services
were attended by senators and representa-
lives and also many government officials.
On the occasion referred to the chaplain
gave way to the Rev. Mr.. Pitts, who had an
audience of distinguished men. The dis
course created profound sensation in the
capital of the nation and was extensively
noticed by the press of the city and
country.
Since the Rev. Dr. Jenckes delivered his
sermons on prophecy the public has been
discussing the subject. and may be inter
ssted in knowing how the Rev. Mr.. Pitts
interpreted them in reference to the
United States. III il can be shown by
reasonable Interpretation of prophecy that
this government was predicted some 1000
years before it was born in a day." the
faith of every citizen in its perpetuity will
be strengthened. At any rate the investi-
CATION of the prophecies, with the view of
discovering if they refer to the United
States, will not be a work of the devil.
Even learned and eloquent doctors of di-
Vinity VINO are wont TO discourse on cur
rent topics may find the investigation most
profitable.
l was so impressed with the plausibility
of so many of Mr.. Pitts interpretations
that I afterward procured copy of his
discourse. The staid National Inteligencer
had full report, and this of itself is evil
dence that the claim made by the rever-
end gentleman received marked consider
alton. L can only epitomize some of the
arguments and proofs used by him.
He commenced by saying that the
prophecies relating to the nations down to
the fall of Jerusalem were but a literal
history of Syria EdOm, Moab, Egypt and
Judea. After the destruction of Jerusalem
to a certain period called the time of the
end, vail was on the prophets and no
Interpretation of the sublime visions dur
ing the interdicted age could be correct,
for God had announced TO Daniel that
'the words were closed up, and the vision
was sealed till the time of the end He
maintained that this was not to be the end
of the world, for in the time of the end
many should run to and fro, and knoWl-
edge be increased" That 'the time of
the end'-an age of great intellectual
energy powerful nationality would arise
The rise OF the United States synchronizes
with that time"
He then stated what he claimed as an
lnfallible rule to determine symbolic time
He applied this rule to the Interpretation
of the seventy weeks of Daniel and the
1,290 symbolic days The former ended at
the burning of the temple on the 1S9th
day of the year, A. D., 6S. The ,290 DAYS
commence at the time of the offering of
the sacrifice at sunrise the day the temple
was burned, which occurred at :03
O'Clock a. m, Jerusalem time, and ended
at 2 40 o'clock, Philadelphia time on the
4th of July, 1776. This was the hour when
the declaration OF independence was pro-
claimed
This exposition appeared to many as
mere speculation and few, If any, received
IL as conclusive. but nevertheless it created
q profound sensation in the audience.
The Rev. Mr.. Pitts most conclusive and
remarkable interpretations were of those
passages which predict the rise of great
nationality in latter times. These could
not apply to a nationality in the land of
Judea, as is claimed by many commenta-
tors. They are descriptive of the United
States and no other country. as he pro-
ceeded to show
/. The nationality wasl to be located
between two seas. This prophecy is found
In Eek. Xvii, 1920. Judea is not bound
ed on the east by a sea.
2. The nationality was to be in q
land that has always been waste" Eek.
xxxviii Judea has not always been waste,
but this country was, until its settlement
by Europeans. and this answers the de-
scription.
8. That wonderful country was TO be
inhabited by people gathered out of the
nations" Eek. xxxviii. Not of one ma
hon collected together that had been scat
Iered, but composed of people of different
nations. Other passages were quoted to
sustain this proposition.
4. In the promised nationality, I'M
like ancient Israel. foreigners were to be
allowed to dwell and enjoy homes with
the citizens OF the country. Eek. xvii,
% and %.
5. The principle of extension should
specially characterize the prosperity of
the promised nationality and he quoted
Isaiah Xiv. 1920; and also the twelfth
verse OF same chapter, which be claimed
referred to emigration from China This
passage could not refer TO Palestine for
the Chinese could not come from the
northwest to it.
6. This is the land of unwalled villages.
The land described in Ezekiel xxxviii, 8, IL
and II, cannot be Judea, for all her cities
were WalieO. II Is the L nlted States that
Is portrayed.
Z. The infancy OF that country should
receive the attention of royal patronage.
''Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and
queens thy nursing mothers" The
names of several of the old states and of
the old countries perpetuate the memory
of royalty and the fulfllment OF this
prophecy.
s. A country of broad rivers and
streams. Isaiah xxxiii, q. The river
Jordan and the brook Kedron do not an
sver to this grand description.
8. The land is described 10 be literally
more elevated than any portion of the
world Il will go up to the land of I'M
walled villages" Lieut. Maury was given
as authority that the United States is the
highest part of the earth.
TO- The peaceful character of the in
habitants. Isa., SO.
IL. The rapid advancement of intelli-
gence. Many shall run to and fro aud
knowledge be increased"
H. The country inhabited by the people
gathered out OF the nations" should be
settled in thirteen distinct states. aye
shall inherit the lands according to the
twelve tribes of Israel Joseph shall have
two portions. lick. Xvii, 13. William
Penn held the charter of Pennsylvania
for twenty years before he obtaine ed that
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