art and ftrength; which fhall enable it to deftroy wonderfully, to profper and practise, and destroy the mighty, and the holy people," that is, both Jews and Chriftians." And through his policy alfo he fhall caufe craft to profper in his hand," or "fhall caufe fraud and deceit to profper, and he shall magnify himself, and by peace fhall he deftroy many," or, in times of tranquillity he fhall destroy multitudes *." The policy and craft for which the Mahometan powers are notorious, unquestionably agree with this defcription; and the titles which their chief affumes, of God on Earth, The Shadow of God, Brother to the Sun and Moon, The Giver of all Earthly Crowns" as perfectly accord with the Prophetic intimation, that he fhould magnify himself.' Such titles were indeed common in the Eaft, among the antient Heathen potentates; but they are utterly inconfiftent with true religion, and have ever been fo confidered by Jews and genuine

66

* Wintle's Verfion of Daniel.

y" In a word, luft, arrogance, covetoufness, and the most exquifite hypocrify, complete their character." Maun. drell, p. 149.

See Ricaut's State of the Ottoman Empire.

Chriftians.

a

Christians. The multitudes which allured by promised "peace," left the cross of Chrift for the crefcent of Mahomet; and the luxury, effeminacy, and licentioufnefs, which are the allowed habits and proposed rewards of the followers of this pretended Prophet, may perhaps be allowed to explain by peace he fhall destroy many;" but as this power is yet existing, we may surely suppose it may here after become more clear, if this explanation be not perfectly fatisfactory.

The angel having thus intimated as I apprehend, that this formidable power should remain fome time at reft, as. it were, adds,

And he fhall [alfo] ftand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken without hand."-The perfecuting fpirit of Mahometanism certainly correfponds with the oppofition implied in this expreffion, marks its origin, and diftinguishes the motives and views which actuate this power, from those which are the common caufes of war and conqueft among the rulers of the earth, but can hardly be confidered as its full import.If this expreffion be confined to the Mahometan power, we may look to the future for a more

a The titles affumed by the Pope are however ftrikingly fimilar.

literal

literal accomplishment, and suppose the angel to fay, "Befides these wars against the fanctuary and the holy people, and the covert mischief which he fhall be permitted to do, this power shall at last openly direct his opposi tion against the Prince of princes-then will the time come when he shall fall before him, like the image and the horn of the fourth beaft in the former vifions." This paffage however, and feveral others in the latter part of this Prophecy, will be found to agree very remarkably with the diftinct picture which I understand to be given in the Revelations, of the Infidel power: and if these paffages be allowed to refer to that as well as to the Mahometan power, the meaning of the angel may be then fuppofed to be, "The power, of whom I now fpeak, who is to arife in the latter times, fhall fpring from the fame fource, and be of the fame nature as the little horn in the former vifion-and his mark fhall be, oppofition to the Prince of princes, as it was in the horn of the fourth beast.-By this shall these peculiar powers be distinguished from the kings of the earth, and by this fhall their common fate be foreknown-they shall be broken without hand not by the ufual course of events-but they fhall fall before the fon of man, when he cometh to take

poffeffion

poffeffion of his kingdom"" And the vifion of the evening and morning is true. Wherefore shut thou up the vifion, for it shall be for many days."Surely this repetition confirms the opinion that these predictions concern the latter times.

Fourth Vifion.- "The KING" of the Weft.

In the following vifion the angel first declares, "Now I am come to make thee understand what fhall befall thy people in the latter days; for yet the vifion is for many days."-Daniel had been previously informed of the precise time when the Meffiah was to appear, and when he should be cut off, though not for himself;" and also, of the subsequent destruction of the city and the fanctuary, and "of the defolations determined unto the end of the war, even unto the confummation, and that determined fhall be poured out upon the defolate," or as it is in

Daniel x. 14.

the

the margin of the English Bible, the defolator."

upon

I fhall begin the obfervations I prefume to offer with the paffage which is confidered as relating both to Antiochus and to the Romans, who had just subdued Grecia, when

My plan confines me to that part of this wonderful Prophecy, which appears to relate to Antichrift-or "the war between the Dragon and the Lamb," (fee Rev. xii.) but I muft beg the Reader to peruse the fixteenth of Bifhop Newton's Differtations, to fee" how particular and circumftantial it is concerning the kingdoins of Egypt and Syria, from the death of Alexander to the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. There is not fo complete and regular a feries of their kings, there is not fo concife and comprehenfive an account of their affairs, to be found in any author of thofe times. The Prophecy is really more perfect than any hiftory. No one hiftorian hath related fo many circumftances. and in fuch exact order of time, as the Prophet hath foretold them: fo that it was neceffary to have recourfe to feveral authors, Greek and Roman, Jewish, and Chriflian, and to collect here fomething from one, and to collect there fomething from another, for the better explaining and illuftrating the great variety of particulars contained in his Prophecy. The exactnefs of this Prophecy was fo convincing, that Porphyry could not pretend to deny it, and therefore afferted that it could not poffibly have been written before, but it must have been written in, or foon after the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. Others after him have afferted the fame thingi not only without proof, but contrary to all the proofs which can be had in cafes of this nature." Bishop Newton, Diff. 16.

the y