5C5 NEW WORKS AND NEW EDITIONS, PUBLISHED BT BLACKIE & SON, QUEEN STREET, GLASGOW; SOUTH COLLEGE STREET, EDINBURGH; AND WARWICK SQUARE, LONDON. i3lob) lublis^ing in iKontTjIs i3arts, Imperial iQuarto, ITALY,' DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED IN A SERIES OF VIEWS, ENGRAVED IN THE HIGHEST STYLE OF ART, FROM DRAWINGS MADE AND SELECTED EXPRESSLY FOR THIS WORK. BV WILLIAM BROCKEDON, Esq. F.R.S. MEMBER OF THE ACADEMIES OF FINE ARTS IN FLORENCE AND ROME ; AUTHOR OF “THE PASSES OF THE ALPS,” “THE ROAD BOOK TO ITALY,” ETC. ETC. Amidst the prevailing taste for scenic illustrations of particular coun¬ tries, it is remarkable that Italy, which furnishes such abundant and interesting materials for this class of topographical publications, should have been comparatively neglected; for though much has been done by competent masters in a desultory way to illustrate its topography, there has not yet appeared such an orderly and complete series of views as might claim the title of representing Italy in all its picturesque fea¬ tures, and in connection with its innumerable classical and historical associations. No country, assuredly, is more fertile in subjects, whetlier for pen or pencil. Tlie mightiest records of the past are connected with her history. The noblest efforts of literature, and the most masterly productions of art, blend with her annals, and linger in pleasing remin¬ iscence amidst her unchanged landscapes and eloquent ruins. Nor is it in her classic history and character alone that Italy excites our imagina¬ tion or commands our sympathies. Her more recent history teems with high associations. Genoa, Florence, Venice, Milan, are names which at once recall all the splendour of the middle ages, in arts, commerce, and literature ; the Medici, the Falieri, Dante, Petrarcli, Boccacio, and others, crowd upon the memory, and invest the land of Italy with a romance which is perhaps even more captivating to the fancy than her classic glories. The Work now submitted for public approval was undertaken with the resolution of rendering greater justice than has hitherto been done by the painter and engraver in any collective form, to this land of unrivalled scenic BEAUTY AND IMPERISHABLE RENOWN. The subjects NEW WORKS AND NEW EDITIONS. for illustration have been selected by Mr. Brockedon from his own Drawings and Sketches made during frequent visits to Italy, and from the Portfolios of many distinguished Amateurs and eminent Artists, including among these the names of EASTLAKE, HARDING, PROUT, ROBERTS, STANFIELD, and UWINS. From such sources the Editor has been enabled to select many fine scenes, not hitherto engraved, though associated Avith some of the more interesting and important ! historical events, and to present from new and striking points those I Avhich have already engaged the pencil and the burin. I The Engravings will be executed in the finest line manner, and on such I a size as will permit of, full justice being done to the various subjects. I Among the eminent engi-avers engaged on the Avork may be mentioned j the names of Allen, Brandard, J. Codsen, Higham, R. 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Just Published, the Twentieth Edition, of 1000 each, THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA, OR CONVERSATIONS LEXICON; Being a General Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, Biography, History, Ethics, and Political Economy ; With Dissertations on the Progress of Science, Literature, and the Fine Arts, By Thomas Thomson, M.D., F.Il.S., &c. Regius Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow; Sir Daniel K. Sandford, D.C L , Professor of Greek, University of Glasgow; And Allan Cunningham, Esq., author of “ Lives of British Painters,” &c. ILLUSTRATED BY MANY HUNDRED PLATES AND DIAGRAMS. The tchole complete in 5(5 Parts at 2s. 6d., or 14 Idal/' Volumes, at 11s. each. PUBLISHED BY BLACKIE AND SON. TO BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT 36 PARTS, AT 2s. 6d. EACH, THE ' IMPEKIAL FAMILY BIBLE; 1 CONTAINING I ©ll> nnU Neb Crstamcnts, I ACCORDING TO THE MOST CORRECT COPIES OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION. With Many Thousand Critical, Explanatory, and Practical Notes; also. References, Readings, Chronological Tables, and Indexes. THE WHOLE ILLUSTRATED BY 1 A SUPERB SERIES OF ENGRAVINGS FROM TOE OLD MASTERS, AND FROM ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY JOHN MARTIN, K, L, The intention of the Publishers, in undertaking this Edition of the Holy ■ Scriptures, is to produce a Family Bible suitable alike for youth and age, and combining at once large type and convenient size ; and they feel j confident in stating, that no Edition, equally beautiful in point of Typo- i graphy, or in elegance of Form, has yet been offered to the Public. i THE TEXT, which is that of the most correct copies of the authorised , version, will be accompanied by all the marginal readings usually printed therewith, and which form a very important part of the translation. I TLIE REFERENCES to Parallel Texts will be very numerous, and 1 will imbody the most valuable of those given by Blayney, Brown, Clarke, j and Scott. THE NOTES, amounting to many thousands, will be chiefly selected from the great Commentators and Illustrators of the Scriptures, among whom may be named Henry, Scott, Clarke, Patrick, Boothroyd, Doddridge, Campbell, Lowth, Blayney, Bush, Barnes, Jahn, Hales, i Burder, Paxton, Mansford, and many others too numerous to mention. 1 Each Book will be accompanied by INTRODUCTORY and CON- j CLUDING REMARKS, illustrative of the subjects therein contained, | together with the Chronology of various periods and epochs. I A GENERAL INTRODUCTION to the whole work, CHRONOLO¬ GICAL TABLES, and INDEXES, including a very much enlarged | and improved edition of the Rev. kir Barr’s invaluable Index of Sub¬ jects, and Concise Dictionary of Terms in the Holy Scriptures, will be added. ENGRAVED ILLUSTRATIONS. In this Department, the Publish¬ ers have selected from the Works of the Old Masters, a variety of subjeets not only novel but most exciuisite in treatment, and in design harmonizing with the lofty truths to which they refer. They have also secured the services of John Martin, K. L., whose name and paintings must ever stand in happy connection with the Sacred Volume. Nine subjects have been supplied by this great master of the art; and when the Publishers state that they have obtained permission to introduce those chef d'ceuvres of his skill — “ The Deluge,” “ Belshazzar’s Feast,” and “ The Crucifixion,” they feel justified in adding that no means have been neglected to render the Imperial Family Bible as exquisite in Illustration, as it will undoubtedly be pure in Text, faithful in Com¬ ment, and finished in Typography, 4 NEW WORKS AND NEW EDITIONS. 1 In 24 Parts, Is. each, Illustrated with Portraits, I D’AUBIGNE'S I HISTOEY or THE EEFOEMATION , I IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. j ' TRANSLATED BY DAVID DUNDAS SCOTT, ESQ., ! I Author of “ The Suppression of the Reformation in France.’ ffiBitfj Notes By the Translator, and from the Netherlands Edition of the Rev. J. J, Le ROY, of the Dutch Reformed Church. The three volumes of the French Edition wliich have already appeared, will be Published, with Portraits, in Twenty-three Parts; containing Portraits of Luther, Leo X., CEcolampadius, Erasmus, Charles V., Ulric Zwingle, Melanchthon, Calvin, and others. “ No foreign tongue contains so complete and impressive a narrative of these events. The Author's work is conceived in the spirit and executed with all the vigour of Dr. M’Crie’s Life of Knox. He has all our lamented countryman’s sin¬ cerity, all his deep research, more skill in composition, and a greater mastery of subordinate details, along with the same inestimable faculty of carrying on his story from one stage to another with an interest which never subsides, and a viva¬ city which knows no intermission.”— Edin. 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The passag'es marked for Meditation are so selected as to embrace an entire j view of Divine Truth, in its Doctrines, Promises, and Precepts; and tliat not in I the dryness of a system, but after the manner of the Word itself, now giving relief by variety, and now lending force by the union of precept and promise—ot privi¬ lege and duty. The selecting and arranging of the subjects has been intrusted to the Rev. Dr P.vterson, of St Andrew’s Parish, Glasgow; and the writing of the exercises on these passages is committed to a select number of Clergymen, whose names will be announced as the work progresses. In 10 Parts, at 2s., or bound in Cloth, -price 215. FAMILY WOESHIP. a Sfrtes of T^ragcrg, With Doctrinal and Practical Remarks on Passages of Sacred Scripture, for Every Morning and Evening throughout the Year; ADAPTED TO THE SERVICES OP DOMESTIC WORSHIP, BY 180 CLERGYMEN OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 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[ I Complete in 32 Parts, Is. each. \ \ !; “ The specific excellencies of the present edition are, unusual accuracy, both in II point of the textual references and typography. The notes in the margin are j i; selected with great judgment, and the concise Dictionary and Index of persons, ^ j places, and subjects, &c., is a valuable supplement. In it "ill be found explaiia- [ tions of almost all difficult words, together with reference unto most of the principal I topics of the Sacred Writings.”— Congregational Mag. [ HAWEIS’S EVANGELICAL EXPOSITOR; j II ©r, a fitommentart) on if)t Pjolg Utfilo. ji To wliicli are annexed, an Introduction, Marginal References, and Readings, i By the Rev. John Brown of Haddington, \ And a Complete Index and Concise Dictionary, by the Rev. John Barr, Glasgow. || This Edition is comprised in 35 Parts at 23. each; and to it is appended Barr’s [ Index and Dictionary, which makes an additional Part. 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The First Book of Discipline; Quentin j Kennedy, Abbot of Crossraeruel’s Oration in favour of the Mass, and against Knox * I and the Reformers ; the Disputation betwixt Knox and the Abbot of Crossragnel, at Maybole, 1562. These scarce tracts alone have hitherto cost more than is now ! charged for a complete copy of the present work. MOSHEIM’S CHURCH HISTORY, With Notes and Chronological Tables. 25 Nos., 6d. each. “ The historian Mosheim is full, rational, correct, and moderate.”— Qibhon. JOSEPHUS' WHOLE WORKS, | With Maps and numerous other Illustrations. ! 56 Nos., at 6d., or 14 Parts, 2s. each. j ROLLIN'S ANCIENT HISTORY, With Notes, by James Bell. | Maps and Plates. 63 Nos., 6d., or Parts, 28. each. i 1 By the same Author. \ ARTS AND SCIENCES OF THE ANCIENTS, ! 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The improvement and correction of this work occupied a part of the late I lamented author’s time and attention, from the date of the publication of the first ■ edition, till within a short time of his decease; and that his labour was not in vain, the insertion of 1500 new articles, and nearly 4000 additions to the former ones, besides innumerable references to te.xts, null amply testify. The Publishers, therefore, now send forth the present improved edition to the world, confident that it is the most complete Index to the Scriptures, and one of the most useful works for Sabbath School Teachers and Students of the Sacred Volume that exists in the English language. BY THE SAME AUTHOK, HELP TO PROFESSING CHRISTIANS, In Judging their Spiritual State and Growth in Grace. Second edition, small 8vo, price 3s. cloth. BY THE SAME AUTHOR, nm CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTIONS ON INFANT BAPTISM; To which is prefixed. An Address to Young Parents. Price 6d. 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THE PAST HISTORY AND FUTURE DESTINY OF ISRAEI AS UNFOLDED IN THE EIGHTH AND SUCCEEDING CHAPTERS (IF THE HOOK OF DANIEL. r.Y THE LATE llOBERT WODROW, ESQ. iaSilitfj a IPreltinmari) (ffssay, BY THE HEY. JOHN G. LOHIMEE, OF ST. DAVID'S FREE CHURCH, GLASGOAV. BLACKIE AND SON: GLASGOW, EDINBURGH, AND LONDON. MDCCCXLIV. GLASGOW: W. G. BLACKIE AND CO,, PRINTERS, VILLAFIELD. CONTENTS. Pag-u Preliminary Essay, ...... v" Introduction, ...... 1 The Vision of the Daily Sacrifice, . . 7 The Vision of the Seventy Weeks, . . 129 The Prophecy Noted in the Scripture of Truth, 1o(» Letter from the General As,^embly .of the Church of Scotland, to the Children of Israel, 231 r ■ ; V ." :-’S!>; tfn^k W-r '■c;. ' T«t^ i»j * uwi'.^ ''■’ "Sc.* ' m ' >*' I’RliLIMlNARY ESSAY. I HAVE lieeii requested, bv the nearest reviving relative of Mr. Wocirow, ‘ to superintend the publication of the following interesting work ; and as besides relationship, I cherish the high¬ est esteem and affection for the memory of the departed, and the MS. was lying in my hands at the period of his death, with an express view to ultimate publication, so I cheerfully comply with the call of friendship. The task will afford me a melancholy but pleasing satisfaction, as it will vividly recall one with whom I enjoyed much delightful and instructive intercourse— one whom I shall never cease to remember. To those who had not the happiness of know¬ ing Mr. Wodrow, it may be proper in itself, and it will give the greater weight to the work, briefly to state a few things regarding his character and qualifications, particularly as an interpreter of ^ Mr. Robert Wodrow, the son of Robert Wodrow, Esq., of View-field, was born at bis grandfather’s house, in the manse of Tarbolton, on the 3d Dec. 17D3. Educated at Manchline and subsequently at the Academy of Ayr, he w-as early sent to mercantile business in his native county. He afterwards removed to Glasgow, where, for many years, he w-as engaged in the same pursuits. Retiring from the active care of these in indifferent health a few years ago, he spent the remainder of his life in private study and public bene¬ volence, to W’hich indeed every leisure hour which could be spared from business had been previously devoted. He died at Brodick, in the island of Arran, in June, 1843, in his 50th year. Mr. Wodrow married in 1823. His widow survives him. VI PRELIMINARY ESSAY. lirophecj. To the wide circle who knew him, if not personally at least by reputation, no Preface will be necessary; they will sufficiently appreciate the man, and at once proceed to his work. Mr. W odrow was descended from more than one of the most honoured families in the Church of Scotland, and could claim the distinction, which he did not undervalue, of being a lineal representative of the indefatigable historian of her sufferings, whose name he bore; through the same line he was connected with the eminent William Guthrie, author of “ The Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ.” Mr. Wodrow’s talents were superior, and they were well cultivated by an excellent education, and much subsequent industry and acquirement. His spirit was thoughtful and meditative—his views comprehensive and en¬ larged, and his taste simple and correct. Among his many excellencies, natural and acquired, deep and devoted piety, with all its accompani¬ ments, was the most conspicuous. He was not only a Christian—he was an eminent Christian— devotion, combined with the study of the word of God, was his element. Hence the justice of the remark of the greatest and most honoured of his living countrymen, on receiving the tidings of his death ; “Ah! one of the holiest men I over knew is gone!” Mr. Wodrow was emi¬ nent for his meekness and gentleness, com¬ bined with unbending integrity; for modesty and humility, the warmth of his friendship and his deep and catholic philanthropy. He was self-denied, in order to be generous. It is scarcely necessary to add, that high as were his excellencies, he put no confidence in them. Eminently did he ascribe salvation in all its parts, from first to last, to the free and sovereign grace of God; but it may bo stated, that among the doctrines on which he specially delighted to PRELIMINARY ESSAY. Vll dwell, and the believing contemplation of which seems to have been closely connected with his comfort and sanctification, was the glorious doc¬ trine of the Redeemer’s Person. On this he medi¬ tated with unwearied and ever-growing satis¬ faction and wonder. From an early period, he was an ardent and enlightened friend of Israel. When few Chris¬ tians felt any peculiar interest in them, he was studying their character and prospects, as portrayed in the hook of prophecy, and liberally contributing not only to the temporal relief of the destitute, but to all plans of Christian effort which aimed at their conversion to the know¬ ledge and obedience of the cross. He had the high honour of being the first to make the movement which issued in the formation of the General As¬ sembly’s Scheme for the conversion of the Jews in 1838. Subsequently he was appointed to visit Pa¬ lestine and the Continent of Europe, as one of the Deputation which sought the good of Israel—an appointment which broken health alone prevent¬ ed him from fulfilling. Alas ! that in so short a period, two of that interesting band should have been called away!‘ He acted as secretary to the committee in Glasgow, and transacted all the foreign correspondence, maintaining an inter¬ course with several of the missionaries, which was more than fraternal, amid all the infirmities of weak and declining health. He was the author as well as original suggester of the General As¬ sembly’s “Letter to the scattered Children of the House of Israel”—a letter which has been trans¬ lated into various languages, both of the east and west; and which, had he written nothing else, would have marked him out as a man of rare spirit and acquirement. It is doubtful whether ' I allude to the late much esteemed Rev. Mr. M'Cheyne of Dundee. a Vlll PRELIMINARY ESSAY. any mind but his own—a mind which had been living for years in the Jewish world, illumined with the rays of the Sun of righteousness, and which was as familiar with its images as the scenery of his own much-loved home, could have penned so exquisite a production. Owing to its own excellencies, as well as appropriateness as a practical sequel to the accompanying work, I have taken the liberty of inserting it at the close. It is scarcely necessary to state, that while Mr. Wodrow was so familiarly attached to the Jewish cause, he did not allow it to absorb him into foi’getfulness of the claims of other objects of Christian beneficence. The state of the church of Christ generally—of which he entertained the most enlarged and catholic views—of the Church of Scotland in particular, of whicli he was for many years an office-bearer and deeply-attached friend, and the associated efforts of evangelical Christians to spread the knowledge of the great redemption among the Gentiles, whether at home or abroad, were objects all dear to his heart and familiar to his intercessions. His health, which for a long time was feeble, broke up rather unexpectedly, while sojourning in the island of Arran during last summer. There is reason to think that though from deli¬ cacy to those whom ho loved he did not speak, or only in the way of allusion, to his departure, he was fully aware of the change which was coming. The increased and remarkable elevation of his family prayers—^the spirit of intercession for others—the patience with which he bore oppres¬ sive weakness, and other circumstances, all re¬ minded friends of a rapidly-maturing sanctifica¬ tion; while the radiance which, after protracted and silent meditations, lighted up his counte¬ nance indicated that his soul had been couvers- PRELIMINARY ESSAY. IX ing with the glory within the vail. It may he mentioned that he has left a diary of spiritual experience, which no eye, not the dearest, was permitted to see when alive; hut which now disclosed by the hand of death, reveals an en¬ largement of holy communion with God, and a depth of Christian exercise, of which even the nearest friends were scarcely aware. To say that Mr. Wodrow had a wide cii'cle of attached friends would he to say little; one so intelligent, and amiable, and cheerful, benevolent, and sanctified, could not fail to command the esteem and love of all who could appreciate such excellencies; and accordingly the friendship which drew to him while alive, and which now submissively mourns his removal, was of no ordinary character. It was strong indeed. Turning from the man to the interpreter of prophecy, I have to state that the study of the prophetic scriptures was no recent employment, no hasty effort of my departed friend. It was with him the delighted and prayerful labour of years. His views of the interpretation were not forced upon him by the pressure of passing events ; they were slowly formed during the lapse of years, independent of and often long before such events as seem to shape the inter¬ pretation of the hasty and the fanciful. They were drawn entirely from the scriptures. And this leads me to notice Mr. Wodrow’s peculiar qualifications for the successful interpretation of prophecy. 1. Ills mind, though no stranger to new and fine thoughts, was not imaginative. lie had an utter distaste for any thing that savoured of mere fancy and fanaticism. He was eminently judicious—calm, rather slow and hesitating in making up his mind, hut firm and tenacious after his conclusions were formed. He held a 2 X PRELIMINARY ESSAY. strongly by what lie believed to be tlie truth, and though he deferred not a little to the opinions of those whom he valued and calmly weighed, he would never allow them to carry him beyond his own convictions. This was not a cast of mind which had any alliance with the rash, or could take pleasure in the extravagant, or which was like to be misled by the fanciful. 2. Then there were other gratifications, such as a love of history, which may almost be deno¬ minated ancestral. It is well known that history is the grand interpreter of fulfilled prophecy. Mr. Wodrow was familiarly acquainted with the history of the great empires which have a place in the book of prophecy; the study was congenial, and was facilitated by the possession of an ex¬ tensive and well-selected library of standard historical works, as well as others. Indeed he contemplated and had made preparation for an extensive historical work.* • As an illustration, at once of the strong historical taste and Christian feeling of Mr. Wodrow, it may be mentioned, that he contemplated writing a History of the Church of Scotland on what may be styled strictly religious principles ; the deside¬ ratum has, to an important extent, been supplied by the Rev. Mr. Hetherington’s recent excellent volume; but there is still room for a more ample development of the idea. Every Christian mind must feel how cold and secular and ex¬ ternal are most of the volumes which pass under the name of Church History ; and that though Ecclesiastical in nature, tliey give little information about the real spiritual church of the Redeemer. Mr. Wodrow was much impressed with this sad defect, and contemplated supplying it himself; I remember to have had various interesting conversations with him, on the subject, at the time I wrote and published the “ Sketch of the Protestant Church of France, with parallel notices of the Church of Scotland which is constructed, so far as space and materials allowed, upon the same principle. At once, to show what Mr. Wodrow’s views on this interesting point were, and also to encourage some suitably qualified person to undertake the filling up of what he sketched; I subjoin the outline of his plan of a truly Christian history of the Church of Christ in Scotland; and I do so the more, because though he doubtless collected materials for the work, I am not aware that he actually drew out more than the following paragraphs. The reader therefore may wish to have them entire. PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XI 3. Next he was an eminent student of the word of God, and that in the original languages, to which he was no stranger. Traces of this will be found in the present work. He never tired of his search for the mind of the Spirit, by comparing one passage with another. He had no theory to support, and was anxious above all things to learn the truth of God. No one could he more submissive to “ History op the Church of Christ in Scotland. 10th Dec. 1839. The proposed work is somewhat on the plan of Milner’s more enlarged History of the Church. In its principle, however, it will be more comprehensive, although more limited in its sphere : as I design to trace the operations of the Holy Spirit in the public actings of the Scottish Church and nation, as well as in the private exercises and personal characters of in¬ dividuals. Taking the opinion of Milner (which I conceive to be a just and scriptural one), that the work of God in His church is carried on by successive eifusions of His Spirit, reviv¬ ing religion after it had suffered decay, as guiding us to the appropriate divisions of our subject in such a work as this— the following will be its general plan:— Part I. The history of true religion, from the period of the Reformation to the year 1637.; Part II. The history of the same, from 1638 to the year 1688. Part HI. The history of the same, from the revolution settlement to about the termination of last century. Part IV. The history of the same, from about the period of the French revolution to the present time. I do not at present touch upon the history of the Culdees. In noticing individuals, I shall either do it in the order of their deaths, or what is perhaps more suitable, within the periods during which they figured most in public life. Part I. The history of the Church of Christ 'in Scotland* from the period of the Reformation to the year 1637. In the year of our Lord 1360, the illustrious Wiekliffe made his first public stand against the Papacy. To this period I conceive that the prophetic numbers of 1290 days, i. e. years, mentioned in Dan. xii. 5. point. And that it was a period worthy of forming a prophetic era, history testifies. Wick- liffe has been denominated the Morning Star of the Reforma¬ tion ; and it was at this time he first emerged into public view. From this time to the end of his life he became the open and systematic opponent of papal corruptions. He it was that first gave the Holy Scriptures to the people in their native tongue—a work of unspeakable importance, and he too taught the kings and parliaments of England to resist the oppressive exactions of the Church of Rome. His writ- Xll PRELIMINARY ESSAY. the authority of scripture; emphatically he trem¬ bled at the Word, and few were better acquainted with it ; his address on the subject of United prayer illustrates this. And fourth and lastly, he was eminently a man of prayer. No impor¬ tant step did he take, even down to the prepa¬ ration of resolutions for a public meeting, with¬ out aid from prayer.' Prayer, too, in connection with the interpreta¬ tion of prophecy was his stated practice. He believed that the Spirit who inspii’ed the prophets would not enable one to interpret unfulfilled pro¬ phecy aright without believing and unwearied prayer—that mere talents and acquirements were unavailable for this purpose without prayer— that the Spirit could not be expected to un¬ lock his revelations to the indifferent and the prayerless. I remember asking him on one oc¬ casion the progress of his prophetical studies, and receiving the reply that he was approaching ings spread far and wide, and sowed the seeds of the Refor¬ mation, not only in this country, but on the Continent of Europe.* In Scotland, with which we have at present to do, the in¬ fluence of WickliSe’s labours was distinctly felt. ‘ When these lands had become involved in the general apostacy, Wickliffe was raised to bear testimony to the truth : and the seeds of knowledge sown by him and his followers, were not altogether eradicated either in England or Scotland, when the Reformation began in Germany.’ Testimony of Original Seceders—Hist, part from the pen of Dr. M’Crie.” 1 Meetings for prayer were regularly held in his house for many years, latterly in connection with a Female Society for the conversion of Jewish females which he instituted. These are still kept up. When no clerical friend was present, Mr. WodrowofSeiated himself, and all who have had the pri¬ vilege of joining in the devotions which he led, will concur in the remark of a friend, that his prayers were models of what a Christian’s prayers should be when engaging with others —short, comprehensive, fervent and direct, bearing on the matter in hand. Though he did not actually originate the Union for prayer among all faithful Christians which has been * See these points more fully illustrated elsewliere in my work on Daniel. PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XUl a difficult passage, and that he begged the help of my prayers. It is plain that a mind so calm and devout, and dependent upon God, was in the best frame for exercising its own natural intelli¬ gence, and applying its acquired knowledge of the word of God and of the history of the world to the successful interpretation of prophecy. Passing on more particularly to the work to which the reader’s attention is now called, I have to state that it is not a mere posthumous frag¬ ment ; that on the contrary, with the absence of an exposition of a few verses in the last chapter of the book of Daniel, it is complete; that it was intended by the author for the press, and that it was revised by him with that view. And as the work may be regarded as complete in itself, so I have to add that the views which it unfolds were not new or hastily adopted by the writer. They were the result of the prayer¬ ful study and matured conviction of many years —years much freer from the excitement of great events than the present, I believe that they underwent little, if any modification from the form in which he was led originally to entertain them. I may here introduce a single extract from his observed for several years, yet the friends to whom the idea occurred, carried it to him as the first whose prayers and counsels on the subject they desired. Warmly entering into it, he drew up the necessary documents, which, as the public are aware, are fine specimens of enlarged theological views and the deepest catholic devotion. These documents were widely circulated and translated into different languages, found a cordial response in the united intercessions of thousands of congregations and tens of thousands of private Christians. It is hoped that this annual feast of prayer, which is fitted in so many ways to be useful, and which has already been attended with good, will not be suffered to drop with those who may have originally suggested it. Surely the growing and ener¬ getic combinationof common enemies, should lead all the friends of evangelical religion to unite not less strongly on the other side, and to make use of an instrument which is all-powerful in itself, and which none but true Christians can employ with eflfect. XIV PRELIMINARY ESSAY. diary, which marks the period when he was led seriously to study the prophetic scriptures, and the firm conclusion at which he early arrived:— “ Glasgow, 5th September, 1826. This day I drew out an outline of Daniel’s prophetic number of 2300. This day seventeen years ago, I en¬ tered on the employment of-at Catrine. In seventeen years from this time (that is, in 1843) Daniel’s prophetic years will, according to my com¬ putation, be expired. Oh that it might please the Lord to employ me during this period of seven¬ teen years, not in the service of man, but in his own work; and make me some way instrumental in promoting the glory of the latter day. R. W.” No one who knows how he was enabled to spend the last seventeen years of his life, and particu¬ larly in connection with the conversion of Israel, can doubt that this humble but fervent prayer was heard. In further illustration of the early maturity of liis views, it may be related, that meeting him early last year, I asked him if he were not getting anxious, as the times for verifying this prophetic interpretation drew near, lest they should not correspond with the event. He re¬ plied that he had no such anxiety; and that though the great period which ho had long studied (the 2300 days of Daniel), would be out in a few weeks, he was quite satisfied of the ac¬ curacy of the interpretation. Nay, that hitherto events had confirmed it far beyond his expecta¬ tion. Instead of seeing any reason to change, he added that he was from time to time meeting with fresh arguments in favour of his views. I think it due to the reader to state this, inas¬ much as though it subjects the interpretation to a severer, because immediate ordeal, it assures him, that whatever may be the value or not of the view, at least it had the full conviction of the PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XV writer to the last moment, and that the reader’s attention therefore is not invited to what was matter of mere dubiety even to the interpreter. The next point which I have to notice is, that the interpretation is not new in the sense of none having entertained or expounded it before. Substantially, or at least to a great extent, it has been held by such prophetic authorities as Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, and various others; nor is even the computing of the dates, and the result of this, quite new. In more re¬ cent years, the same mode of computation has been adopted by more than one writer. Indeed I would consider it no recommendation of a work on prophecy, at this time of day, that it should bear such a title as “ An entirely new interpre¬ tation of the book of Daniel.” It would not be very honouring to the faithful and prayerful men who had gone before, and who had spent their days and nights on the study of the word of God, in connection with the past history of the world; nor would there be the least probability that the entirely new interpretation was the correct one. It is not likely that the Spirit of God would so long keep back from the church the knowledge of her prospects. This would be opposed to analogy and past experience. Besides, it would infallibly and justly destroy all general confi¬ dence in the interpretation of prophecy were it so uncertain, and this again would frustrate some of the most important ends to be gained, by this remarkable mode of divine communication to man. But though an interpretation of prophetic scripture be not entirely new, it may be of great value. It may contain new arguments, fresh facts, and illustrations. It may be more adapted to the present state of prophetic inquiry and conviction. It may disprove inaccurate inter¬ pretation, it may be so much nearer the period XVI PRELIMINARY ESSAY. ■when a fulfilment of the prediction is to be ex¬ pected, that it shall possess an unspeakable charm. All this, and much more, can be alleged of the work of my esteemed friend. Of course it will not be expected, nor would it add much to the value of the interpretation, that I should individually commit myself to all the views which it presents. I am not called upon to do so, nor indeed to express any opinion. Dur¬ ing the life-time of the author, the MS. was shown to me, as I believe it was to one or two other friends, not only as an expression of fra¬ ternal confidence, but for the purpose of ascer¬ taining where we felt difficulties in the interpre¬ tation or obscurity in the statement, that the author might meet these points and make them clearer, as the work passed through the press. The writer did not live long enough to give me an opportunity of discussing with him the points as to which I felt any difficulty; these chiefly re¬ garded the date of the 2300 days; but there is no harm perhaps in stating to the reader, what I stated after the perusal of the work to the author; that so far as I had been led to study unfulfilled prophecy, there was no interpretation whose general strain, in my humble apprehension, better accorded with the views of the word of God, and the facts of history; and I have now to add that I consider the work highly creditable to him, especially as a layman, and worthy of of the honoured name which he bore. Mr. Wodrow’s work appears at a peculiarly interesting season, in the history of the church of Christ and of this country. No season could have been more intensely interesting, and the prophetic views which he was led to adopt deeply enlarge the interest, inasmuch as they show that we are on the eve, if not already in¬ volved in the most extensive political and reli- PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XVll gious changes. Without anticipating the state¬ ments of the work, it may be mentioned, that according to the writer’s view the great event of “ the Cleansing- of the Sanctuary,” to which the church of God has been looking forward for so many ages, has just begun. The year 1843 was a year which had long attracted his earnest re¬ gard. How singular that that should he the very year in which he was called to his heavenly rest. It is possible that the times, to one who had studied prophecy as he did, on his knees, would (with all his native calmness), have been too exciting to his feeble frame. Hence he was taken to the temple above, to know fully what here he could only know partially. This is cer¬ tain, that though a great loss to his friends and the Christian society, and above all, the Jewish cause, the removal was a dispensation of mercy to himself. I trust that the following work, combined with the general aspect of the times, and the solemn circumstances in which it appears as well as its own contents, and the high esteem in which Mr. Wodrow was held by so many Christian ministers in Scotland, will all serve to give an impulse to the study of prophecy, fulfilled and unfulfilled, in this land. It is matter of joy, that the ten¬ dency in this direction, on the part of the minis¬ try of the Free Church of Scotland and their people, is so strong and growing. It is possible that the comparative indifference with which the word of prophecy has long been regarded in this part of the kingdom, may have been one of the reasons why God has allowed the changes to overtake us under which we suffer; at least we have no reason to doubt that He will overrule the trials of the church, to lead all her office¬ bearers and members to study more the instruc¬ tion which he has provided for them in the pro- XVlll PRELIMINARY ESSAY. plietlc record. It should never be forgotten, that w hil e prophecy is, in all circumstances, one of the main pillars of the external evidence of Re¬ velation, it is also specially designed to console and animate the church of God in times of trouble; the trials of the present are softened by the prospects of the future. Hence it is that so much of prophecy was given to the church of old while in a state of suffering ; and that in subsequent ages it has been studied most when the clouds began to lour and prepare for the tempest. It should also be remembered that very special and delightful promises of good are held out, in both Old and New Testaments, to those who study the mind of the Spirit speak¬ ing in the prophecies. The exclamation, “Watch¬ man, what of the night—Watchman, what of the night!” (Is, xxi, II.) is repeated as by people in a panic; and what is the counsel in reply ? “ Inquire, Turn, Come;” as if it had been said, “Do not leave without a satisfactory answer. Inquire again and again, till you know the mind of God regarding the time of night and the com¬ ing of morn; in other words, the events of the future.” And what says the apostle John, at the beginning of the book of Revelation, that wondrous record of the history of the Christian church from her commencement, to her final consummation—“ Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep (or observe) those things which are written therein. ’ ’ The spirit of inspiration seems to have foreseen that many, even in the Church of God, would lightly regard and negligently read the word of prophecy; and hence he attaches a particular blessing to those who read and hear it, and denounces, at the conclusion of the whole, a dreadful curse against all who should take from the book of Revelation, aU who should disparage PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XIX it. “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book,” (Rev. xxii. 19.) It is evidently no presumption for men to investigate the prophecies, as if they were thereby attempting to penetrate into the deep things of God, which he retains in his own power; there would be no meaning in prophecy, unless we were thus ena¬ bled in some tolerable manner to know the grand outlines of God’s dispensations towards his church in the future. Accordingly we find that holy men of old were commended “ for search¬ ing diligently what manner of time the Spirit of God which was in them did signify, when it tes¬ tified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow;” and if they were ap¬ proved for inquiring into the times of Messiah’s humiliation we cannot be disapproved, but the reverse for inquiring into the times of Messiah’s church’s warfare and triumph. In this connection, I may notice not only that Daniel and J ohn, who are the leading prophets of the church, are peculiarly dear to the great King of Zion, the one being spoken of as “a man greatly beloved,” the other as “ the disciple whom Jesus loved,” and who was honoured to lean upon his breast at supper; but in the Book of the former saints are introduced as asking saints, how long is to be the period of the vision; thus showing that it is designed saints shall take a deep interest, not merely in events but in pro¬ phetic dates. If believers in the prophecies of Daniel were encouraged to make such inquiries, are saints now excluded or taught to despise pro¬ phecy? Moreover, it is worthy of remembrance, that every interpretation which was given to Daniel was in reply to fervent desire of informa- XX PRELIMINARY ESSAY. tion and believing prayer, and that no answer was vouchsafed; otherwise—facts which all prove the high esteem in which the Lord regards pro¬ phecy, and the earnestness with which he would have all his saints to pursue its investigations. Nor should Christians be discouraged because, in regard to various parts of unfulfilled prophecy, they are left, after all their study, in much uncer¬ tainty. For obvious reasons, it is not intended, especially in regard to details, that the church should be able exactly to foresee what is before her. This would vitiate the character of pro¬ phecy, by exposingit to the imputation that friends purposely fulfilled the prediction. But though uncertainty, and much uncertainty, should over¬ hang parts of the prophetic page, it is to be re¬ membered that much of it—what is safe to make plain—^is amply revealed ; and it is interesting, solemnizing, and useful even, to study the times and the seasons, where it may turn out that we are mistaken in our interpretation. Let the study only be prosecuted in a humble, teachable spirit, a spirit of dependence upon God, and the converse with such high and holy themes can¬ not fail to be profitable. Though Mr. Wodrow’s computation regarding “ the cleansing of the sanctuary,” should be too early, yet the very possibility of its being so near is spirit-stii’ring and salutary; and if students of prophecy only avoid a spirit of self-confidence and dogmatism, and form their conclusions in submission to the higher and better wisdom of God, they will not be disappointed of spiritual good in the study of his word. Who can question that the admirable man, to whose work these observations are pre¬ liminary, derived much and protracted benefit from the humble and prayerful investigation of the prophetic scriptures, though the event may show that he was not correct in all his calculations ? PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XXI That the investigation of prophetic periods may he useful, though we cannot condescend certainly upon dates, may he made apparent by a parallel illustration. The Jews did not know the precise year of Messiah’s coming. We may wonder at their blindness, the date seems so clear to us, now that the event has come, that all might have known. But were their inquiries into the days of Messiah thei’efore useless ? No. Though there was not enough of light to fix the day or the year, there was enough to awaken an earnest and universal expectation, which seriously affected the conduct of the Jews, and led the devout among them to wait at the temple day and night for the manifestation of the Consola¬ tion of Israel. And so it may be of the pro¬ phetic dates of Daniel. There may be enough of clearness about the period, to stimulate vigilance and care, and to render indifference inexcusable; in short, to secure the grand moral ends of pro¬ phecy, which is the chief point. The church of Christ must not be discouraged by the rash judgments in which some interpre¬ ters of the-prophetic books have indulged; they must not think that all prophetic interpretation is uncertain and useless, because, for instance, some great and good men have sadly erred in their calculations. Allowance must be made for the first rude draughts in this as in all science; and apart from this consideration there is enough of certainly fulfilled prophecy to clear its character from every imputation, while there is obvious and express encouragement in the word itself, to study prophetic dates as well as events still future. These would not have been given, had all interpretation resolved itself into hopeless uncertainty. I am aware that consi¬ derable prejudice prevails against the interpre¬ tation of unfulfilled prophecy, from the haste if XXll PRELIMINARY ESSAY. not presumption of interpreters. This may be an argument for caution, but surely for nothing more. It would be in the last degree unreason¬ able to convert it into an argument against in¬ terpretation at all. How would such a mode of procedure hold in other cases ? Besides all have not been rash. It is related of Sir Isaac Newton, and it is worthy of his other greatness, that he not only spent many of the choicest hours of his valuable life upon the study of the prophetic scriptures, but held the fruits of his study in such esteem, and was so anxious to avoid error or haste, that he kept them by him for years, and only published after repeated writing and rewriting.' 1 It may not be unsuitable to notice in passing, that an¬ other of the greatest geniuses of modern times, Napier of Merchiston, the inventor of the Logarithms, was warmly de¬ voted to the study of prophecy. It should surely be enough to redeem the study from the charge of weakness or extra¬ vagance, that the most illustrious mathematicians of this country have not thought it beneath their anxious care. While Sir Isaac Newton wrote upon Daniel, Napier wrote “ A Plain Discovery of the whole Revelation of St. John.” This work, which is now comparatively rare, was probably the first commentary on the book of Revelation published in this country after the Reformation. It was written during the threatened popish invasion by the Spanish armada, first published in 1693, and intended to rouse all classes and es¬ pecially those in authority, to the danger of Popery. Trans¬ lated into French in 1611, under the eye of the author, it was of decided service to the persecuted Huguenots, strengthening and animating them against their popish oppressors. Indeed the study and exposition of the book of Revelation were favourite subjects in the 16th century, and in no small degree aided the Reformation. When men are satisfied that the church of Rome is the antichrist of scripture, the best foun¬ dation is laid for a zealous, persevering, and successful warfare with popery in every form. The modern notion of some, that in the latter days a new distinct infidel power is to arise, seems to be without scripture warrant, and to be injurious to just apprehensions of and undivided exertions against the ecclesiastical Antichrist. The 5th edition of Lord Napier’s work was published at Edinburgh in 1645, indicat¬ ing how much notice it had attracted; in the mean time, it was also translated into Dutch as well as French. In so far as dates are concerned, and the principle on which prophetic periods are to be calculated, the event has shown that he was entirely mistaken; but much of the work is very valuable, fully PRELIMINARY ESSAY, XXlll Much caution and delicacy are certainly re¬ quired in putting forth prophetic conclusions, especially at the present day. We are living in the midst of great events—events in their moral and religious bearing greater than any which have occurred for centuries—we are exposed to strong excitement of various kinds, and there is always a tendency to bend prophecy, at least to make it take its colour from the passing events of our day. There is a danger of raising exag¬ gerated expectations—expectations which by their failure perplex the weak and ignorant, while they give occasion to the infidel and the scolFer to smile. But on the other hand, it should be remembered, that living in the midst of exciting events such as those which have taken place, and which are taking place in Scotland, we are in confirmed by the judgment and investigations of subsequent writers; the illustration too of the prophecy drawn from the history of Popery is full and strUting. It is interesting to notice the devout spirit in which this great man studied the prophetic scriptures. He was first led to the study from hearing, when a student at St. Andrews, the expositions of the book under Christopher Goodman, one of the noble band of Reformers, and minister, at that time, of the city. Referring to his own subsequent earnest and curious investigations, Napier bears the following beautiful testimony: “ But to con¬ fess the truth of the infirmity of man to the glory of God : I found even during all that time more fruit in one hour’s so¬ briety, prayer, and humble meditation, than in a 1000 days of curious or presumptuous inquisition; yea, the more subtilty searched I the more darkness I found, in so much as curious inquisition rather discouraged me by finding out of doubts than profited me by finding any resolutions thereof; and so when after long time spent with little knowledge, I justly de¬ spairing of mine own inability, became truly sorrowful and humble in heart, then it pleased God (to whom be the only glory !) to give me that grace to espy in short time that wonderful overture which m long time before I could not consider,” &c. &c. I subjoin a sentence of the late Professor Playfair of Edin¬ burgh on this humble, pious, Presbyterian writer on prophecy of the 16th century : “ Of Napier, if of any man.” says the philosopher, “ it may safely be pronounced, that his name will never be eclipsed by any one more conspicuous, or his invention (Logarithms) superseded by any thing more valua¬ ble .”—Preliminary Dissert, Ency. Britan. XXVI PRELIMINARY ESSAY. The last point which it maj not be unsuitable to notice, is the probable character of the events of the future. Mr. Wodrow was for a long time earnestly persuaded that days of darkness and of trouble awaited Scotland. During the last ten years with its warm controversies, I had fre¬ quent occasion and opportunity of converse with him on the prospects of the church and country. His convictions, even amid occasional streaks of hope, were imiformly sad. These proceeded not only from the intimations of prophecy, but from a solemn impression of the guilt which rested upon Scotland, especially for her dishonour of the great Head of the church, in the unsound doctrine, relaxed practice, and sinful ecclesiastical administration of the Establishment of the last and much of the present century. His convic¬ tion always was, that former trials were not sufficient, and that as a church and nation we while all the rest,including it have been translated into German —the most important language for a modem Jew—and translat¬ ed in afomi fitted to encourage reading. It cannot be questioned that this indicates a remarkable breakingup of Jewish prejudice that many, on finding what is the true nature of their traditions —and not a few of them so indelicate that the translator has not dared to put them into an English dress—will be sub¬ verted in their confidence. First shame and then indignation will be created. It will be like sending a devout Roman Catholic to Rome; while the word of God, thrown open in the vernacular tongue, will possess all the charm of a new revelation from heaven. Dr. Frankel, a man of learning and high office among the Jews of Westphalia, who has lately with his family become a proselyte to the Protestant faith, makes an affecting revelation in his “ Confessions, 1841,” of what must be the state of many Jewish minds. “ I look back,” says he, “with deep emotion on my youth, and cannot sufficiently thank the Almighty, when I remember how in these days the Pentateuch was taught, and compare it with the religious instruction which my children now enjoy. Thousands were instructed as I was, and thousands are still instructed as superficially as I was, in the Thorah and Prophets. There is a dead translation of word and letters—a rehearsing of the most impor¬ tant events in the form of oriental tales, as it were a blunt¬ ing of the youthful imagination,by caricatures of fabulous usages and ceremonies. Added to this the daily rehearsal of prayers PRELIMINARY ESSAY, xxvu must be brought lower and lower for our sins; this was previous to the Disruption of the Estab¬ lishment. Along with such impressions, however, it is no more than just to add, that he was not less fully satisfied that, in answer to the prayer of faithful martyrs and confessors of old, as well as wrestlers in modern times, the Church of Scot¬ land would again arise in her glory, and that God would accomplish a great work by her instru¬ mentality. The prophetic views which he entertained of coming trial were not peculiar to him. It is well known, indeed it seems to be the growing conviction of intelligent men, whether they have studied prophecy or not, that a dark night is at hand; and this should give fresh force to the call for the study of prophetic scripture as furnishing at once warning and hope. The rise of Popery all over the world, at once in the islands of the South seas, in the republican states of America, in a language unintelligible to us, of whicli we understand nothing, or at least very little. Do you call that prayer ? &c. &c. This great evil has been elucidated by the schism of modem times—the Temple relinquishing the Hebrew language in their prayers and substituting the German—the Synacjopue, on the contrary, viewing this dangerous innovation with unfavourable eye, and protesting strongly against their eman¬ cipation; for, according to the Talmud, angels understand only pure Hebrew.” How like is all this to popery with its service, conducted in an unknown tongue ! At the same time what an obvious instrument of the subversion of Judaism is the translation of the Scriptures, the Talmud, &c., into languages generally understood and by Jews. No wonder that the Synagogue service is so extensively deserted, especially by the young. The worship is really conducted in a foreign tongue. It may be added as a further proof of the breaking up, that the Jews can get neither students nor teachers. The “ Orient ” of last September, a Jewish periodical, says, “ We have no students and no Rabbles. Orthodoxy is nothing but an heir¬ loom of the 18th century, possessing no signs of life, and Neology is only callous indifference and licentiousness. Cologne, Mayence, Aix la Chapelle, Dusseldorf, Frankfort, have no Rabbles.” We may add, that there is great difficulty in supplying the place of the chief Rabbi in London. XXVlll PRELIMINARY ESSAY. in the British colonies, and in Continental Europe; the rapid revival of its spirit and not a little of its forms, in the Church of England, and wherever the influence of that Establishment reaches ; the public disowning of Evangelical religion and every thing like decided Protestantism wherever these appear, and the strong tide of worldliness and deference in religious things to secular authority, as distinguished from the homage due to the word of God : these, and many other things, all indicate the rising sway of antichrist; and that sway cannot be exerted without bnnging trial and danger to the faithful church of Christ, what¬ ever may be its denomination or wherever its true members may be scattered. Why does anti¬ christ rise, except more conspicuously to fall? And can such a monster as the prophetic beast be expected to fall without such throes and con¬ vulsions as shall proclaim in its native malignity and strength ? No. Interpreters of prophecy may have imagined, from the zeal and liberality of modern times in diffusing the word of the Lord in all languages, and sending missionaries of the gospel to all people, that the glory of the latter days was to be ushered in peaceflilly, and that . all opposition was gradually and quietly to ex¬ pire ; but older interpreters held a different opi¬ nion, and the aspect of the times indicates a dif¬ ferent progress, while the result will be the same; these teach that the Church’s glory is to be won through a sea of trouble. This is God’s usual procedure with his church, and satisfactory reasons can be assigned for it. “Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations. And the Desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts,” (Haggai ii. 6.) The PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XXIX shaking preceded the coming and prepared the way for it, by the removal of obstacles, the overthrow of enemies, and the quickening and confirmation of friends. Without appealing to other scripture interpre¬ ters, I may refer to one who will not be supposed to be an idle alarmist, taking pleasure in other men’s fears; I allude to Jonathan Edwards, one of the most remarkable combinations of intellect and learning and piety of which the Christian church can boast—at once the philosopher and divine. In his admirable work, “The History of Redemption,” published in 1773, he has these notices of the future prospects of the church of Christ, pages 316—323; “ We have all reason to conclude from the Scriptures, that just before this work of God begins (the final overthrow of the visible kingdom of Satan), it will be a very dark time, with respect to the interests of religion in the world. It has been so before those glorious revivals of religion which have been hitherto. It was so when Christ came. It was an exceed¬ ing degenerate time among the Jews, and so it was a very dark time before the Reformation, And not only so, but it seems to be foretold in Scripture, that it shall he hut a time of little reli¬ gion when Christ shall come to set up his kingdom in the world,” (Luke xviii. 8.) After stating how it is that God will bring about this great work, by a wonderful revival and propagation of reli¬ gion; for before Babylon falls the gospel shall be powerfully preached and propagated in the world, Rev. xiv. 6—8, he adds, that this pouring out of the Spirit of God will not effect the over¬ throw of Satan’s visible kingdom till there has been a violent and mighty opposition made, and then he goes on to say: “ In this the Scripture is plain, that when Christ is thus gloriously coming XXX PRELIMINARY ESSAY. forth, and the destruction of antichrist is ready at hand, and Satan’s kingdom begins to totter and to appear to be imminently threatened, the powers of the kingdom of darkness will rise up and mightily exert themselves to prevent their kingdom being overthrown; thus after the pouring out of the sixth vial, which was to dry up the river Euphrates, to prepare the way for the destruc¬ tion of spiritual Babylon, it is represented in Rev. xvi. as though the power of hell will be mightily alarmed, and should stir up themselves to oppose the kingdom of Christ before the seventh and last vial shall be poured out, which shall give them a final and complete overthrow.” He adds—“ We know not particularly in what manner this opposition shall be made. It is re¬ presented as a battle. It is called the battle of the great day of God Almighty. There will be some way or other a mighty struggle between Satan’s kingdom and the church; and probably in all loays of opposition that can be, and doubtless by external force, wherein the princes of the loorld who are on the devil’s side, shall join hand in hand; for it is said the kings of the earth ai’e gathered together to battle. Rev. xix. 19.” Let me add, that no one who remembers what Daniel represents to be the tei’inination of the ten toes of the Image—in other words, the ten kingdoms of Europe—if he follows the word of God, can have any doubt of the terrible days which await Christendom. The wonder is that so few are realizing them. What was the vision pre¬ sented to the mind of the Babylonish king, and which Daniel alone was able, by inspiration, to reveal and interpret ? It is described in these words;— “ Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, (the gospel—a spiritual power— PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XXXI inconsiderable in its first appearance) which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and claj, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them aioay, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” Dan. ii. 34, 35. This is still future; and can any mistake as to its character, or imagine that such a change can be brought about without outward trouble and commotion ? Let none fondly imagine that Britain shall escape—She is certainly one of the ten kingdoms—Her guilt, owing to her clearer light, is no less than that of others. It is more aggravated; and whatever questions might once have been raised, as to whether her early protests against antichrist did not leave room to hope for a different treatment in her case, her sub¬ stantial renunciation of her testimony, her rapid return in too many respects, alas I to the spirit, and principles, and vei-y practice of Rome; above all, her general subjection of the authority of the word of God to the authority of the word of man, the essence of Popery—against which the Re¬ formers so nobly contended, hold out the most solemn prospects for the future. Even secular politicians, who cannot be sup¬ posed to have had any eye to the prophetic scrip¬ tures, from the contemplation of Europe, the pro¬ phetic earth, surveyed merely witli the eye of human sagacity, have drawn inferences in perfect har¬ mony with the prospects of prophecy. The follow¬ ing sentences were written twenty-five years ago, when events were much less religious and menac¬ ing in their character than they are now; and XXXll PRELIMINARY ESSAY. yet change the words “ Liberty, and Tyranny,” into Evangelism and Popery, and we have a vivid picture of the war which has already begun to convulse Society. Nor is the change unrea¬ sonable. While Evangelism will not stoop and degrade itself into a mere political distinction, there can be no question that it is allied to li¬ berty and all the more generous impulses of the human mind; while it is as certain that its antagonist Popery and Puseyism, and the whole class of opinions with which these are associated, are allied to civil despotism. Thus speaks the Edinburgh Review in 1818;— “It is impossible to look to the state of the old world, without seeing, or rather feeling, that there is a greater and more momentous contest impending than ever before agitated human society. In Germany, in Spain, in France, in Italy, the principles of reform and liberty are visibly arraying themselves for a final struggle with the principles of established abuse, legiti¬ macy, or tyranny, or whatever else it is called by its friends or enemies. Even in England, the more modified elements of the same principles are stirring and heaving around, above, and beneath us, with unprecedented agitation and terror; and every thing betokens an approaching crisis in the great European commonwealth, by the result of which the future character of its government, and the structure and condition of its society will, in all probability, be determined. The ultimate result, or the course of events which are to lead to it, we have not the presumption to predict. “ Looking back to what has already happened in the world, both recently, and in ancient times, we can scarcely doubt that the cause of liberty will be ultimately triumphant. But through PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XXXlll wliat trials and sufferings; what martyrdoms and persecutions it is doomed to work out its triumph ; we profess ourselves totally unable to conjecture. The disunion of the lower and the higher classes, which was gradually disappearing with the increasing intelligence of the former, but has lately been renewed by circumstances which we cannot now stop to examine, leads, we must con¬ fess, to gloomy auguries as to the character of this contest; and fills us with apprehensions that it may neither be peaceful nor brief,” Contemplating society, particularly British society at the present day, what is more mani¬ fest than the great sifting and dividing process which is going forward in connection with re¬ ligion ? What is more manifest than that families are separating and churches breaking up; and that these divisions are only in order to new and more congenial unions ? In short, what is plainer than that the church is separating from the world and the world from the church? Yes, this is true of all faithful communions in all lands —at home and abroad, Christ and antichrist are drawing apart. No professor of religion, however anxious for peace, will be allowed now to remain neutral; he must make up his mind; he must choose his part with the one or with the other. To what is all this like, and what does it be¬ token ? Is it like any thing so much as the pre¬ paration for a great struggle ? Does not the en¬ listing of soldiers betoken that the war is about if not already begun ? And what is our encouragement, or is there any thing to cheer in the prospect ? The poli¬ ticians of the world may be at a loss as to the issue. But Christians, above all students of prophecy, cannot have any doubt of the glo¬ rious result, and can scarcely be said to be with- XX XIV PRELIMINARY ESSAY. out light, as to the duration of the previous trials. Whatever may be thought of the dura¬ tion, whether brief or protracted, the issue is cer¬ tain and unspeakably glorious; an ample com¬ pensation for all preceding tribulation and delay. It is well for the faithful to remember, for their encouragement, that if the Witnesses have yet to be slain (which is most probable), not only is their death to last only for three years and a half, but when made alive, they are to ascend to heaven in a cloud ; and their enemies are to be¬ hold them. It is to be considered, that the des¬ truction of the modern as of the ancient Baby¬ lon, is to be sudden and unexpected. She who sits as a queen, and thinks herself no longer a widow, is to descend into the sea of divine wrath with the rapidity and plunge of a millstone. In “ one hour ” all her glory is to go down ; her des¬ troyers too, as presented under another image, are not true Christians but her own friends and supporters. And lastly, it is cheering to think, that even before the millennial times, and during the currency of the judgments which bring antichrist to the dust, there is to be a de¬ cided work of spiritual revival. The prospect before us, even when in the midst of the trials, is not to be one of unbroken gloom and woe. A succession of witnesses will need to be raised up and maintained as others die off. Nay, the great Head of the church may show forth his power to convert souls to Himself, and to enlarge the number of his faithful people, when Satan is putting forth all his power to hinder and des¬ troy. Intimations of this kind may be drawn from the prophetic page. Not to refer to others, it may be noted from the 19th of Rev. that be¬ fore, it may be immediately before—the destruc- PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XXXV tion of antichrist, and the summoning together of all the fowls of heaven, as to a field of battle, to devour the flesh of the slain, the Word of G rOD is represented as riding forth on a white horse, the emblem of victory and progress, clothed in vesture dipped in the blood of his ene¬ mies ; and the armies which are in heaven, his faithful people, are represented as following him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, intimating apparently glorious pro¬ gress. Indeed, it seems to be the revival and spread of true religion which provokes Satan, and leads to that last struggle in which his great in¬ strument antichrist is levelled with the ground. Is it presumptuous to think that the awakened and awakening interest in behalf of true religion in so many quarters at present, and that in consequence of and in the midst of trials, may be regarded as countenancing these conclusions? If so, there is immediate and ample encourage¬ ment in connection with all the solemnity of the church’s prospects. It used to be an argument against the infer¬ ences of some prophetic interpreters, that their schemes afforded too little time for the great changes, political and religious, which the word of God evidently contemplated, and that it was not possible that such a spirit of persecution could revive at this stage of the world’s history, as seemed to be intimated. But in the absence of better arguments, this should not now greatly perplex us. We have within the last few years beheld changes in the state and in the church, which no man would have been bold enough to have predicted; and changes too, which are evi¬ dently only paving the way to still more exten¬ sive change. Who can tell what great events may be crowded into the next twenty-four years—the XXXVl PRELIMINARY ESSAY. space of time which is all that many intelligent interpreters of prophecy believe is destined to run—before the sun of the Millennium shall shine forth in its glory? Let the persecution of the poor Jews in Russia and Turkey, in a form which reminds one of the days of Nebuchadnezzar; the massacre of the Nestorian Christians—the Waldenses of the East, by the Mahomedans; the persecution of Dr. Kalley at Madeira, by Portuguese popery; the temporary dethrone¬ ment of the Christian Queen of Tahiti, by French popery; the revival of persecution against the ancient church of Piedmont, by the king of Sardinia, and against Evangelical re¬ ligion over the Continent generally, sometimes by private parties, and sometimes by govern¬ ment ; and the keen spirit of hostility which has been awakened in the breasts of so many of the educated and the powerful in our own land, against men whose only crime is attach¬ ment to divine truth in the forms dear to them and to their fathers,—let these things, and many others, all the manifestation of but a few brief months, teach serious and thinking men how vol¬ canic is the ground on which Christendom rests. There may be checks to the operation, but cer¬ tainly there is no decay of the spirit which is giving rise to these sad omens. Indeed, every observant mind must have remarked, as charac¬ teristic of the times in which we live, that they are not only times of great but of accelerated change. One great event is scarcely passed before another is on the stage, to give way to yet another. The succession is kept up so rapidly, that many have scarcely time to think of them, and hence, do not estimate aright their magnitude. The whole has the air of the winding-up of a dispensation ; PRELIMINARY ESSAY. XXXVll tne speed of the chariot is quickened as it ap¬ proaches the goal. Let all Christians then make it their care to study the prophetic scriptures more and more; and hy the study let them he solemnized, and quickened, and comforted, and animated; let them become more prayerful, and more spiritual, and superior to the world. Let ministers, too, direct the attention of their people more to the future prospects of the church, and prepare them for days of darkness and trial, mingled with en¬ couragement; and as the young and rising gene¬ ration are probably destined to bear an active part in the great religious revolutions which pre¬ cede the millennium, let parents and teachers educate them for this high place and calling, and teach them how to use the appointed armour. I pray God that the publication of this work— the work of one whose character was so sancti¬ fied, whose knowledge of prophetic scripture was so extensive, whose love to the church of his fathers and the church of Christ was so deep, whose patriotism and philanthropy were so pure and warm—may serve to arouse the attention, and stimulate the inquiry of multitudes both of the office-bearers and members of the church, to themes they may hitherto have little regarded. I am persuaded that no result would have been more grateful to his feelings while he was here, and that none would rejoice his spirit more, if such knowledge be admitted to heaven, now that he has gone to the land of light. And satisfied that all studies and efforts, whether doctrinal or practical, will come to nought,without the presence and power of the Holy Ghost, I desire to commend this volume, now that it is published, as its author doubtless often did, while yet in preparation, to the blessing of the Spirit of all wisdom and re- XXXVIU PRELIMINARY ESSAY. velation, praying him to forgive what may be de¬ fective in statement and erroneous in interpreta¬ tion, and to hallow the work to the ends and uses of divine prophecy—the glory of God and the good of His church. John G. Lorimbr. Glasgow, 22d April, 1844. INTRODUCTION. Every one acquainted with scripture must know, that both in the Old and New Testament spiritual truths are very frequently expressed in language derived, and similitudes taken, from the rites and observances of the Jewish economy, and by allu¬ sions to the remarkable events and distinguished characters recorded in the history of Israel. From this scriptural model, a similar style is often adopted by uninspired men, by whom it is employed with the greatest propriety to express or illustrate the truths of the gospel. One obvious and beneficial result of this practice has been, to evince and main¬ tain the perfect unity of the Word of God, and to impart a significance and interest to passages of the Old Testament, which might otherwise have ap¬ peared comparatively unimportant. Viewing the doctrine concerning the Redeemer’s person, work, and offices, as the grand centre in the system of revealed truth, we find that, like the sun in the firmament, it illuminates every part of scripture, and guides the believing mind to the rich stores of A 2 INTRODUCTION. saving knowledge, and divine consolation which it contains. But while thus employed in extracting benefit to ourselves, from “ the things which were written aforetime for our learning,” there may oftentimes be detected a lurking tendency to overlook the original bearing of those facts which have supplied materials, out of which the emblematic language has been formed. We do not, of course, mean that the facts themselves are not present to our minds ; for this must be the case as often as they convey any spiritual truth to our understandings; but that having served this end, we are in danger of regarding them merely as types or similitudes, through which the truth has been represented to us: forgetting the reality of their actual subsist¬ ence, and the important relation in which, in the first instance, they stood, both to the moral adminis¬ tration of God, and to the individualswith whosehis- torytliey were primarily and immediately connected. The same thing has taken place, and to a much greater extent, in regard to those events which are yet future in the history of Israel. In seeking to spiritualize every thing which we meet with in the Old Testament, we attach a meaning to the pro¬ phecies concerning their restoration, which in so far as may be for the glory of God, and our own good, we are no doubt warranted to do; but which should never, surely, have withdrawn our attention from their more direct and obvious signification. On the contrary, the very circumstance of our having right and title to the exceeding great and precious promises which are all yea and amen in INTRODUCTION. 8 Christ Jesus, and our being led to make use of them for ourselves, ought to have fixed our atten¬ tion on the particular application which, in num¬ berless instances, they bear to the Jewish people ; for the blessings which they convey to us and to them, are often so combined as to form one unbro¬ ken chain of prophetic narrative or description, the continuity of which cannot be maintained without a distinct reference to that nation. There is some¬ thing extremely beautiful, we think, in this divine arrangement, intended, as it obviously is, to promote that enlarged philanthropy which it is a leading design of the gospel to produce and cherish. But it has so happened that for the most part we have fallen short of the full meaning of these scriptures; for, in grasping at the blessings which they convey to ourselves, we have, in many instances, entirely overlooked, or but partially and faintly recognised, the special interest which Israel has in them as a people. To such an extent has this been carried, that with a kind of refined selfishness, we have not scrupled to apply to the Jews the prophetic denun¬ ciations of the Word of God, and from their mani¬ fest fulfillment, to draw an argument of irresistible force for the truth of our holy religion, while, at the same time, we have sought to appropriate to ourselves the promises of mercy to that nation, uttered it may be in the same breath, and in the same passage set over against the threat- enings of judgment. We appeal to all who have marked with any degree of accuracy the exercises of their own minds, or the prevailing tone of senti¬ ment among others, whether such a mode of Bibli- A 2 4 INTRODUCTION. cal interpretation, partial and illogical as it obvi¬ ously is, has been at all infrequent. So common in fact has it been, and so slight in consequence was the impression made on the church at large by the many promises of scripture to the Jewish people, that, until a very recent period, scarcely any effort was made for their salvation; and they were generally regarded as a race of men given up to hopeless reprobation, and inaccessible to all ordi¬ nary means of bringing them to the knowledge of Christ. From this cause, I am inclined to think, it has come to pass, that Daniel’s vision of the ram and he- goat, as it has been usually called, but which, follow¬ ing the scripture itself, I prefer to denominate the vision of the Daily Sacrifice,^ has been generally mis¬ applied, and the prophetic number which it con¬ tains considered as terminating, not in the restoration of Israel, but the cleansing of the Christian church. That this vision has a particular reference to the house of Israel, I hope to be able fully to demon¬ strate. Not that the restoration of that people is an event which ought to be separated from the interests of the Christian church at large. On the contrary, much of its importance lies in the circum¬ stance that it will be the prelude and the means of the church’s extension and prosperity to an unpre¬ cedented degree. For it will be, as we shall see, at once the signal and the concomitant of the final extinction of antichristian darkness, and the bright harbinger of the approaching light of the Millennial glory. 1 Dan. viii. 13. INTRODUCTION. And, truly, when we consider the whole history of this wonderful people from first to last, when we remember that for the space of nearly 2000 years, they alone of all the nations of the earth possessed the knowledge of the true God, and were the depositaries of his revealed will, and that for about 2000 years more they have been as the ofl- scourings of all things, as noted for their deep debasement as formerly for their peculiar glory; when we reflect on the institution of their laws, and their establishment as a nation, dignified by the visible display of the presence of their Divine King and Lawgiver himself, and on their final overthrow attended by the most awful tokens of the displeasure of an angry God ; when we call to mind the miracles of mercy and of power so often wrought on their behalf—the sea and river divided, the sun and moon suspended in their course ; when we think of their deliverance from Egypt, marked with the most signal judgments on their oppres¬ sors; and their return from Babylon, prefaced by the sudden overthrow of that proud empire; when we recollect that from them proceeded those holy men, who, speaking and writing as they w’ere moved by the Holy Ghost, have recorded for our use the Word of eternal life; that from them went forth the first ministers and preachers of the gospel to the guilty, and above all that, “ of them as con- cerneth the flesh, Christ came; who is over all, God blessed for ever:” when we consider these things, we cannot but think it probable in the highest degree, that a nation whose history, throughout, has been distinguished by so many remarkable 6 INTRODUCTION. circumstances, and whose conversion, as we shall afterwards see, will introduce the brightest era in this world’s history, should have a distinct period assigned to them, marking out the termination of their dispensation, along with those other chrono¬ logical periods which the wisdom of God has seen fit to record in scripture prophecy : more especially as we find that this was done in reference to their former bondage in Egypt, and captivity in Babylon.^ The leading design, then, of the following pages will he to establish and illustrate the relation of the Vision of the Daily Sacrifice, and of the prophetic number which it contains, to the history of the Jewish people. And in doing this, we shall point out the connection which subsists betwixt the eighth chapter of Daniel, where that vision is recorded, and the subsequent chapters of the same book, and show the relation which they also hear to the same subject. 1 See Gen. xv. 18; Jer. xxv. 12. TEE VISION OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. DAN. VIII. In the second chapter of this book, we have the vision of the great image. It presents a bare but perfect outline of the history of the world and of the Church, from the time of Daniel, to the period when the whole earth shall be brought under the power of Christ. It sets before us the four great em¬ pires, which have successively appeared, and which claim the title of universal : Golden Babylon, first in time, and pre-eminent in magnificence—Persia, inferior in splendour and duration—the brazen arms of Macedon, and the iron strength of Rome— the latter terminating in the heterogeneous Gothico- Papal kingdoms of modern Europe; and all finally giving place to the kingdom of Christ, which, though mean in human estimation, and hitherto slow in its progress, yet, being by Divine Power, dug from the mountain of the Lord’s house estab¬ lished in Judea,^ and being maintained and upreared by the same omnipotent energy, shall ultimately 1 See verse 45. 8 THK VISION crush all opposition, and subjugate the whole world to its reign of righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. In the seventh chapter, we have the vision of the four beasts, in which the same subjects are repre¬ sented in a new light, and with considerable enlarge¬ ment. We find the same four great empires, under the symbols of ferocious animals, successively emerging from the stormy sea of this world’s conflicting interests and passions. We have a most graphic picture of the papacy—its diminutive rise and silent growth, its ecclesiastical character and worldly dominion, its blasphemous pretensions and wasting persecution of the saints, its long continued tyranny and final overthrow, along with those kingdoms which have identified themselves with it. With regard to the Church of Christ, this vision sets before us its low and captive state during the appointed period of antichrist’s reign; together with those sublime manifestations of divine justice and power, in the awful dispensa¬ tions of providence, whereby that enemy of God and man shall at length be destroyed, and which shall usher in theperiod, when the glorious Mediator shall put upon his head his many crowns of universal dominion, and when “ all people, nations, and lan¬ guages, shall serve him.” From this rapid sketch, it will be seen, that these two visions relate more particularly to the state of the Redeemer’s kingdom among the Gen¬ tiles; its ultimate triumphs throughout the world, and previously oppressed condition in the West. In the vision we are now about to consider, the OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 9 scene is laid in the East: and the principal sub¬ ject, except what concerns the Messiah himself, is the past history and future destiny of the Jewish Church and nation. According to this view, the prophecies of Daniel recognise and comprehend the two great divisions of Jew and Gentile, under which the human race are so frequently represented in other parts of the Word of God. Chap. viii.— Yerse 1. “ In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar, a vision appeared unto me, even unto me, Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.” The date of the vision is here fixed ; it was in the year 553 b. c. 15 years before the overthrow of Babylon, and two years after Daniel had had the vision of the Four Beasts. The date, thus fixed, will be found to furnish one of the keys to the interpretation of the vision. Verse 2. “ And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I w’as by the river of Ulai.” It is manifest that Daniel here begins the ac¬ count of his vision, and that the first object seen by him was Shushan the palace. For, in the first place, the words seem naturally to convey this idea: at least they admit of this construction as easily as of that which some have put upon them, that Daniel was at Shushan in person at the time when he had this vision; for they run thus word for word:— And I saw in a vision, and it was in my seeing that I was at Shushan. 2dly, In whatever sense we interpret either part of the verse, it is 10 THE VISION reasonable tliat in the same sense we interpret both, for both are given in similar terms. I saw in a vision and I was in Shushan, and I saw in a vi¬ sion and I icas hy the river of Ulai. Nowit is manifest that he could be on the Ulai only in vision; for in the following verse he tells us, that he saw a ram before the river, which every one will allow to have been not a living animal, hut a picture pre¬ sented to the prophet’s mind. But if the ram were ideal, so must also the river, otherwise we would have the glaringly incongruous conjunction of a shadowy phantom, with a real material sub¬ sistence, presented to us in one and the same description,—an obviously untenable supposition. But if the Ulai was seen only in vision, so also Shushan; for both, as we have said, are mentioned in similar terms. 3dly, The reiterated use of the same expressions appears evidently designed to convey the idea, that all that is here described was seen in vision. In the first verse, the prophet tells us that a vision appeared unto him^ or was seen hy him. In the second verse, he says, that he saw in a vision, that, in his seeing, he was at Shushan, and again that he saw in a vision, and was by the river Ulai. Once more, in verse third he says, he lifted up his eyes, and saw. I can only account for this careful repetition of the same terms, on the supposition, that Daniel meant it should be understood that the objects mentioned in these verses were all seen by him in vision. This opinion is corroborated hy the historical circumstances connected with the vision. For, in the first place, it appears by comparing ver. 1 and OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 11 27 of this chapter, that Daniel was still in the ser¬ vice of the king of Babylon, 2dly, It appears from history that Babylon was at this tinie^ en¬ gaged in hostilities with the Medes and Persians, that great war which terminated in the overthrow of the golden city having commenced several years before; and the confederate army under Cyrus, having already obtained a signal victory over the Babylonians, and penetrated into their territories.® 3dly, Shushan must, therefore, have been in the possession of Cyrus at this time: for it was situated, as stated here, in the province of Elam; and Elam is the name given to Persia in a prophecy relating to this very war,® where Elam and Media are sum¬ moned to take the field against Babylon.^ These facts render it extremely improbable that Daniel should have been at Shushan in person at such a time, far from the court of his own sover. eign, within the dominions of a rival state, and in the neighbourhood of a hostile army. Taking all these things together, namely, the words themselves that are employed, and historical circumstances connected with them, I have no 1 B. C. 553. 2 Universal History, b. i. c. xi. 3 Isa. xxi. 1—10. Elam had formerly been subdued by Nebuchadnezzar, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, (chap. xlix. 34—39, and XXV. 25) in the latter of which it is conjoined with Media. But it is evident that before or at the commencement of this war, both these countries must have thrown off the Babylonish yoke. According to Xenophon, the governor of Susa revolted to Cyrus, in consequence of the generous treatment which his wife had received from him, when she had been taken captive in the war with the Babylonians .—Loivth on Jer. xlix. 34. 12 THE VISION doubt that the first object presented to us in this vision is Daniel in the palace of Shushan. “ I saw in a vision; and it came to pass wlien I saw that I was at Shushan.” ^ It will be seen that this furnishes another im¬ portant key, to what may be called the interior part of the vision. A palace is the seat of royalty. Shushan, as we learn from Est. i. 2, 3, became the metropolis of the Medo-Persian empire. It was there that its proud and despotic monarchs sat upon the throne of their kingdom, and from thence they issued their decrees. The palace Shushan, there¬ fore, is the appropriate emblem of Medo-Persian rule, or government. Daniel represents the people of God, the Jewish church and nation. This transportation in vision, from Babylon to Shushan, indicated the transference of power from the former to the latter, Israel’s subjection to Persia, and the important influence which the laws of that empire, issuing from Shushan, would exert on the history of God’s people. A learned writer,® who adopts the idea that the prophet saw Shushan at this time in vision, not in person, considers it as representing the scene appropriate to that power where exploits are im¬ mediately afterwards described. But how incon¬ gruous the two symbols, a palace and a ram ! The 1 Calvin, in reference to the opinion of some, that Daniel was dwelling'at this time in Persia, says—“Deinde miror quid eos impellat ad hoc commentum quod omni prorsus ratione caret.”—“ I wonder what should drive them to this imagina¬ tion, which is utterly destitute of all reason .”—Calvin in loc. 2 Faber; Sacred Calendar, Book iii. chap. iii. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 13 ram and the river are in good keeping, but what possible connection can there be between the ani¬ mal and the magnificent abode of royalty ? I grant indeed that they both relate to the same subject, the Persian empire, but it is as viewed in aspects as widely dissimilar as the symbols themselves, the ram representing its martial power and achieve¬ ments, the palace, its relation, not to other worldly kingdoms like itself, but to the church of the living God. Daniel in Shushan, then, I consider as an index to the great events which afterwards took place there, affecting his people Israel: and which are closely connected with what we find regarding them in a subsequent part of this vision. These events I shall afterwards distinctly specify in the proper place, as I wish, for the sake of greater clearness, to class together the several parts of the vision relating to Jewish history.^ It is added—“ I saw in a vision, and I was by the river Ulai.”—This is partly designed to corro¬ borate the foregoing emblem:—the river Ulai, or Eulagus, running past Shushan, and rivers being frequently employed in scripture to symbolize nations, the circumstance of Daniel being in vision 1 It is a pleasing and curious coincidence, though I do not found an argument upon it, that the very name Shushan is said to have been given to this city from the quantities of lilies which grew in the neighbourhood ; the lily being a well- known scripture emblem of Christ and his Church, Song ii. 1, 2, &c. We may be reminded by the very name of the time when the saints were found in numbers around the imperial throne, and within this metropolitan city of Persia. Neh. i. 1; ii. 1; Est. ii. 5; iii. 15; iv. 16; viii. 15, 16, 17; ix. 15, &c. 14 THE VISION upon its banks, denotes the connection which was now to subsist betwixt his people and Persia, as heretofore they had been made to sit down by the rivers of Babylond The chief design however of the river being mentioned, is, I conceive, to intro¬ duce the symbol which follows, and to mark the precise point in Medo-Persian history denoted by the position of the ram. Verse 3. “Then I lifted up mine eyes and saw; and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had Hco horns; and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.” That this ram denotes the Medo-Persian mon¬ archy, there can be no doubt; for so we are ex¬ pressly told, ver. 20. The precise point of its his¬ tory, indicated by its standing before the river, exactly corresponds with the date of the vision. For that position shows that the confederate power had already got footing to the west of the Ulai. For as that river ran from north to south, it is manifest that the ram must have been seen by Daniel as standing either on its east or its west bank. But it could not have been on the east, for the ram is described in the following verse as push¬ ing westward, which it could not have done had the river been in front. It must therefore have been the west. Now, as the region to the west of the Ulai lay beyond the boundaries of an¬ cient Persia, proper,® it thus appears to be designed in the vision, to represent the conquerors as having already obtained a footing beyond these boundaries. 1 Ps. cxxxvii. ]. 2 Universal History, vol. v. p. 51, 64, 70. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 15 This corresponds with historical facts. For, in 559 B. c. (six years prior to the date of the vision) Cyrus was called out of Persia in aid of his uncle Cyaxares II. (Darius the Mede) and ap¬ pointed commander of the army destined to take the field against the Babylonians; in 556 b. c. he defeated them in a great battle, in which their king, Neriglisser, was slain. This was followed by the defection of two Babylonish governors, with their provinces, and other advantages, which gave Cyrus a firm settlement within the Assyrian domin¬ ions.^ Such was the state of matters at the opening of the vision, in regard to the position of the Medo- Persian power. The ram is described as having “ two horns.” A horn is an emblem of very frequent occurrence in scripture. It denotes power in general. Applied to nations, it denotes, more especially, their govern¬ ment; the power of a people being lodged in their rulers or representatives. The two horns of the ram, then, denote, as explained in ver. 20, the kings of Media and Persia: that is, the Medo-Persian dynasty: for a horn, in prophetic language, never represents an individual king, but a line of kings; or, to speak still more accurately, it has respect to the official, not the personal existence of the ruler. This we find in this very vision, ver. 7, the same two horns seen at first on the ram, afterwards broken by the lie-goat, though an interval of two hundred years had elapsed. A succession of kings had appeared during that period, but the ruling power was identical. 1 See Universal History, vol. v. p. 182. IG THE VISION The two horns of the ram are described as “high.” This will accord with the lofty and despotic character of the Medo-Persian rule. The proud title of “ king of kings,” was assumed to ex¬ press the monarch’s majesty and greatness. It is added, that “ the one (horn) was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.” That is, that the Persian dynasty, posterior in time, would be superior to the Median in dignity and power. Verse 4. “I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward, so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.” The course of Medo-Persian conquest is here described. The ram was first seen standing, that is, established, on the west side of the Ulai. The ram appears This denotes the revival of hostilities. It is stated,^ that while subsequently to the first great battle, the Babylonians were em¬ ployed in making preparations for the defence of their metropolis and empire, the confederate leaders came to the resolution of altering their mode of attack: and instead of merely ravaging the country, determined to make themselves masters of towns and fortresses. “ Accordingly it is added they took many cities, and brought under subjection entire provinces.” This was to the westward; the first point noted in the line of conquest: and these operations must have occupied several years. The second point was northward. Accordingly, we learn from his- ^ Universal History, vol. v. p. 182. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 17 tory, as the next great step in the career of Medo- Persian conquest, that in 548 b. c. Cyrus gained the decisive victory of Thymbra, in Lesser Asia, which was followed by the reduction of all the re¬ gion from the Egean sea to the Euphrates. After which, as noted in the vision, he marched soutk- icard, subduing Syria and Arabia, and returned to Assyria, completing his conquests by the reduction of Babylon in the year 538 B. c.^ Thus, as stated in the latter part of the verse, “no beast could stand before” the ram, &c. The progress of the Medes and Persians was irresisti¬ ble: no kingdom could withstand them, and they quickly attained to universal empire. Verses 5—8. “And as I was considering, be¬ hold, an he-goat came from the west,” &c. These verses contain a lively description of Alex¬ ander’s impetuous and resistless career ; (for so we are told, ver. 21;) of the erection of the Macedon¬ ian on the ruins of the Persian empire; and of its own speedy partition into four independent king¬ doms, I do not consider it necessary to take up the verses in detail: but one or two points claim attention. 1. As I teas considering. I refer to this, merely I have been more particular in stating what I conceive to be the true import of the standing and pushing of the ram; be¬ cause some writers have attached considerable importance to that part of the vision. I deem it, however, of still greater im¬ portance to call attention to the circumstance that no notice is taken, directly, of the overthrow of Babylon, though the event is implied or included in the ram pushing southward. The reason of the silence of the vision in regard to this import¬ ant event will be afterwards explained. It furnishes still another ke}' to the more recondite part of the prophecy. B 18 THE VISION to notice liow rapid the steps often are in prophe¬ tic narration ; the two centuries of Persian rule, from tlie conquests of Cyrus to those of Alexander, are here discussed in a single glance ! 2. idnce of the whole earthy touched not the ground. Alexander swept every thing before him like a furious torrent. In an inconceivably short period all western Asia, Egypt, Persia, &c. were overrun and subdued. The history both of Cyrus and Alex¬ ander marks them out as men raised up for the ac¬ complishment of some special designs of Providence. .3. The goat had a notable horn heltceen Ms eyes. On the principle already laid down, this horn does not symbolize Alexander considered as an indivi¬ dual, but his imperial power, which began and ter- minated with himself. And therefore, when I speak of his impetuous career, I mean the course of Macedonian or Grecian conquest over which he presided. It is said, indeed, ver. 21, that “the great horn” of the goat was “ the first king!’ But the context shows that it is not the individual which is spoken of, but the power with which he was invested. For, in the first clause of the same verse, the “ rough goat” is also said to be “ the king of Grecia,’’—thereby identifying the king with his kingdom: and in ver. 22, “ the great horn being broken,” “ four kingdoms” (represented by four horns) are expressly declared “ to stand up for it.” But a kingdom cannot with propriety be said to succeed a king: therefore, the great horn must also denote a kingdom; or what is the same thing, its government, by which it is represented, and through which it acts. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 19 4. The great horn was hroJcen, and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of hea¬ ven. These represent the four kingdoms of Alex¬ ander’s successors—Macedon (Including Greece), Egypt, Thrace, and Syria, with their dependencies, into which the empire w'as,in301 B. c., divided,after various struggles, among his ambitious generals, Ver. 9. “ And out of one of these came forth a little horn,” &c. For a length of time this little horn was con¬ sidered, by most expositors, as representing Antio- chus Epiphanes, one of the kings of Syria, who was a great persecutor of the people of God; but this interpretation is now generally abandoned. A great variety of insuperable objections may be, and have been, stated against it."- I shall content myself with mentioning one, which of itself is quite conclusive. It is founded on the symbol employed. A horn, as I have already shown, does not repre¬ sent an individual monarch, but a dynasty or king¬ dom. In farther proof of this, I now refer to Daniel vii. 8, 21, 22, 24—26, where the Papacy, in its first appearance, plenary power, and final overthrow, is described under the symbol of one and the same little horn; and to Rev. xvii. 12, 13, 16, 17, where the identical horns^ representing the European kingdoms which supported antichrist at first, are afterwards described as hating and spoil¬ ing the false church, to which they had before given their power. Now, agreeably to this, if it had been designed in the passage under considera- 1 See Sir Isaae Newton or Bishop Newton on the Prophe¬ cies, also Mr. Faber’s Sacred Calendar. B 2 20 THE VISION tlon, to describe the exploits of Antiochus, it is clear that, instead of the words, “ and out of themf (i. e. of the four horns, just before mentioned) '•’•came forth a little hornf the prophecy would have run thus, '•'•And one of them" did so and so. For according to the fixed mode of symbolic des¬ cription, as formerly explained, these four horns represent the respective kingdoms of Alexander’s successors during the entire jieriod of their exis¬ tence ; consequently, one of them denotes the king¬ dom of Syria, from its foundation soon after Alex¬ ander’s death until its subjugation by Rome; and, therefore, the reign of Antiochus, who was one of the line of the Seleucidae who ruled over that kingdom, must he included in that symbol, and cannot he represented by a distinct symbol. From whence it follows, that the little horn, being a dis¬ tinct symbol, cannot be Antiochus Epiphanes. Another interpretation, which has latterly been adopted by several writers, is, that this little horn represents Mahomedanism. But this interpreta¬ tion is liable to objections equally strong. For it involves the glaring absurdity that the ^little horn proceeded from one of tlie four notable horns, after they had ceased to exist! For, Mahomedanism did not make its appearance till the seventh cen¬ tury of the Christian ei’a; whereas the kingdoms of Alexander’s successors had all disappeared be¬ fore the commencement of that era, beinof swal- lowed up by the Roman power. It is therefore plainly impossible that Mahomedanism can be the little horn which, being described as coming out of one of the four regal horns, must of necessity OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 21 be considered as in some way coming into contact with one of tliem, a thing which Mahomedanism could not do in respect of any of the Macedonian kingdoms. It is true that Mahomedanism did come into contact with the Roman empire in the East; but of course no one pretends that any one of the four liorns represents the Roman power, and therefore the idea that the little horn is Maho- medanisra must also be abandoned. In corroboration of this conclusion let it be no¬ ticed, that the several predictions, both of Daniel and Revelation, are strictly chronological. In many instances they run parallel to one another ; but in eacli^ the succession of events, as far as they go, is carefully observed. Had it been designed, therefore, to represent in this place the rise and progress of Mahomedanism, the accuracy of pro¬ phetic description or narration observed in this book, warrants the confident affirmation, that tlie important change in the regions of the East pro¬ duced by Roman conquest, would first have been marked by some significant symbol, and then, as consequent thereon, the Mahomedan invasion would have been introduced. An interpretation, there¬ fore, which entirely overleaps such a great and signal revolution as altered the whole aspect of the scene laid down in the vision, and which leaves a wide chasm in the order of prophetic description, is an anomaly so startling as to carry with it its own refutation. The symbols employed import two things. First, that a new and distinct power w'as to come on the stage ; and, secondly, that this power would make 22 THE VISION its appearance during the subsistence of, at least, one of the four Macedonian horns. Taking these two things together, we are naturally led, by the events of history, to suppose that it is the Roman power which is denoted by the little horn. And to the same conclusion we are led by the explana¬ tory verse, ver. 23, where, with all the plainness of historical narration, it is declared that “ in the latter time of their kingdon),” namely, of Alexan¬ der’s successors, as the preceding verse shows, “ a king of fierce countenance shall stand up.” Now, we know that it was precisely then that the Roman power began to figure in the East. Nor is there any other power known to have existed at that period, to which the prophecy will at all apply, and much less can it apply to IVIahomedan- ism, which Avas not even in existence at that time. But here we are met by the objection of the learned author, to whom I have already referred, the Rev. Mr. Faber. In Ids Sacred Calendar of Prophecy, vol. ii. p. 140, he argues, that “it is at once improbable and incongi’uous, that the power, which in a former vision (chap, vii.) was repre¬ sented by the symbol of a great and terrible beast, should now be described under that of a little horn attached to the hieroglyphic of the Grecian em¬ pire.” The improbability he explains more par¬ ticularly to consist in two things: 1. The wide dissimilarity betwixt the symbols of the seventh and eighth chapters, the one a great wild beast, the other a little horn. 2. The one being a dis¬ tinct animal, the other a horn ingrafted, as it were, on the head of an animal foreign to itself. The OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 23 incongruity, again, he says, lies in Persia and Greece being each represented by an appropriate animal, in the present vision, and Rome, not by an animal, but only by a horn. Now, the answer to all these objections is just this, that it is not designed in this vision (as will appear in the sub¬ sequent illustration) to give a full length picture of Roman history, such as is given in the seventh chaptei’, but merely a sketch of the rise and pro¬ gress of its power within the limits of the former empire of Macedon; because it was there, and by the Roman power establislied therein, that the Son of God was put to death, the principal theme, as will be seen, of this vision—the grand central event, indeed, of all scripture, and of all provi¬ dence; and also because it was there, and by the same power, that the Jewish church and state were overthrown, another great event closely con¬ nected with the former. I say this restricted view of Roman history, and the pre-eminent importance of these events, make it most fitting that a pecu¬ liar symbol be employed to describe the power by which they were effected, and solve every one of the difficulties which Mr. Faber has advanced. Apply it to the first of them : there is no impro- hability whatever that the Jirst appearance of Ro¬ man power in the East should be denoted by a little horn, although in the previous vision the Roman empire was described under the symbol of a great wild beast; for, in that vision, as any one may see by looking at it, we have not a partial, but a full-sized portraiture of Rome, Pagan and Papal, reaching down to a period of European his- 24 THE VISION tory yet future, and presented to us at a glance by means of the symbol employed. The circum¬ stance of dissimilarity, on the contrary, so far from militating against my interpretation, is all in its favoiu’, seeing the symbols in these visions were designed to exhibit events and periods of Roman history widely dissimilar. Again, apply the re¬ stricted view which I have taken to Mr. Fabers second objection on the score of improhahility; there is no improbability whatever that the rise of the Roman power in the East, that is, within the limits of the Macedonian empire, should he repre¬ sented by a horn engrafted upon the animal denot¬ ing that empire, provided it can be shown that such a description tallies with the facts of the case. And this I undertake to demonstrate immediately, when I proceed to the direct exposition of this part of the vision. Once more, apply this restricted view to Mr. Faber’s objection on the ground of incongruity^ and we find it likewise wholly re¬ moved. For whereas, in the respective symbols employed to denote the empires of Persia and Ma- cedon, we have a compend of their history; in the case before us, according to my interpretation, it is not a compend^ but an abstract of Roman history which is required; and such is precisely what is here given under the figure of a horn performing certain actions within the limits of a defined terri¬ tory. Had it been a compend of Roman history which was intended, comprehensive of the events which occurred in the West as well as in the East; had such a description been designed, as is given of the Medo-Persian or Macedonian empire, where. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 25 under the symbols given, we have a view at once of the rise and fall of their dominion, then, in that case, I doubt not that we would have had, what Mr. Faber desiderates, a distinct animal; but an abstract only being intended, relating to events which took place within a limited space and period of Roman history, it is not a distinct animal, but a horn figuring on the given territory, which constitutes the appropriate symbol. And if it be still inquired, why the Persian and Mace¬ donian history is, so to speak, given so fully, my answer is, that it is in order to mark out distinctly the train of events, which were to usher in the incarnation and death of the Messiah, together with the preparatory restoration and subsequent over¬ throw of the Jewish commonwealth, which were intimately connected with that greatest of all events. There is still another argument of the learned and acute author, to whom I have referred, which remains to be disposed of, and then the way will be open for the direct exposition of this part of tlie vision. Mr. Faber assumes that the little horn of this chapter, and the little horn of the seventh chapter (which all allow to be the Pa¬ pacy), while they are manifestly not identi¬ cal, are nevertheless (to quote his own words) “ palpably homogeneous symbols, or symbols of the same species:” ^ from which position he draws the inference, “that their antitypes must of necessity he homogeneous powers, or powers of the same species alsoand that, consequently, seeing the little horn of the seventh chapter repre- 1 Sac. Cal. vol. iii. 26 THE VISION sented an ecclesiastical or spiritual kingdom, tlie little horn of the eighth chapter must also repre¬ sent a similar kingdom. From whence he advances to the conclusion, that it cannot represent Rome Pagan, which was not an ecclesiastical but a secu¬ lar kingdom. Now, 1 shall not dispute Mr. Faber’s inference. It appears a fair deduction from his premises. But I deny the premises. On what do they rest? On nothing save the author’s bare assertion. Not a single argument is adduced in their support beyond the fact that both horns are described as little at the outset, and that they in¬ creased in power, the one in the West, and the other in the East. ^ On this sole ground it is assumed, that such a marked affinity subsists betwixt them, that they must of necessity be classed together. But who does not see that this is a mere begging of the question ? Things may surely possess the qua¬ lity of being little^ without having another quality in common. Two objects may be of diminutive size, wdthout being of “ the same speciesnor can their subsequent growth, whether in tlie same or in distinct hemispheres, produce “homogeneity.” The respected author has therefore fallen very “pal¬ pably” here into the error of a petitio principii. Nor will he extricate himself from the error by shift¬ ing the ground of homogeneity, from the circum¬ stance of both the horns being little, to the cir¬ cumstance of both the symbols being horns. For this again would establish homogeneity betwixt the little horn of the seventh chapter and the other ten horns which appeared on the head of 1 See Note, p. 134, vol. ii. of Sac. Cal. OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 27 the same animal; a homogeneity which Mr. Faber himself distinctly disallows. Tliis whole argu¬ ment, therefore, must be entirely abandoned. But having thus set it aside, as being nothing but a gratuitous assumption, I proceed a step farther, and remark, that when we come to examine these said little horns of the seventh and eighth chap¬ ters, so far from a marked affinity, we find the most marked dissimilarity betwixt them. For the one has eyes and a mouth (vii. 8), which the other wants! From this broad distinction I feel myself warranted in saying, not only that Mr. Faber’s position, together with all that he has built upon it, is entirely without foundation, but also, that seeing the one horn is an ecclesiastical kingdom, the other horn, being so diverse in appearance, must represent a kingdom of a different kind. Mr. Faber himself^ has interpreted the eyes and the mouth of the little horn of the seventh chap¬ ter, as descriptive of its ^'■prophetic” or ecclesiasti¬ cal cliaracter. It therefore follows, on his own showing, that the absence of these characteristics in the little horn of the eighth chapter denotes a kingdom not prophetic or ecclesiastical; in other words, marks it out as one of a secular description. Consequently, it may represent Home Pagan. While I thus reject the idea of affinity between these horns in the sense which Mr. Faber has at¬ tached to the word, I do not deny that there is an analogy between them. This analogy, however, is not constituted by the mere circumstance of their beinof both little. It arises from the character O 1 Vol. ii. pp. 92, 93. 28 THE VISION which they both sustain as being opposed to the cause and people of God. The one figures in the east, the other in the west, as the oppressor of the church. The one attacks the head, the other the members. The one, moreover, executes vengeance on the apostate Jews with the sw’ord; the other, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness and lying wonders, tyrannizes over apostate Christians. I now proceed to show that the symbols em¬ ployed, graphically represent the Roman power as it first appeared on the theatre of the Macedonian empire. Verse9. “Outofoneofthemcameforthalittlehorn, which waxed exceeding great toward the south,” &c. The new power here introduced appeared to the eye of the prophet, as if protruding itself from one of the four kingdoms justhefore described, as though it had been of indigenous growth; (“gaining the upper hand, not in accordance with the nature of a branch, the figure here employed;”) gradually ac¬ quiring the superiority, and finally overtopping and overpowering both it and the other kingdoms pre¬ viously noticed. Nothing can more admirably describe the first appearance, rise, and progress of the Roman power in Macedon and Greece, and the regions of the East. 1. In its first appearance it seemed little. There is a manifest distinction in the various epithets applied to the several horns or powers described in this vision. That of Persia is said to be high., verse 3, suiting the lofty and arrogant pretensions of its kings. That of Macedon, when it acquired the strength and dignity of imperial dominion, is deno- OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 29 minated greats verse 8, while the more limited, but yet imposing and really important kingdoms of Alexander’s successors are described as notalle, verse 8, (or as the word signifies, conspicuous^^) being the very word employed in reference to the kingdom of Macedon itself when it first appeared on the field or scene, verse 5. Nowit is as contradistin¬ guished from all these that the Roman power, when it first intermeddled with the afiixirs of Greece and Asia, is described, because it seemed to be Utile. In eastern estimation, the republic of the west, small at first, and just beginning to emerge from obscur¬ ity ; whose government was conducted without the pomp and circumstance which attach to royalty; its chief magistrates appearing for a short season at the head of its armies and the management of its afi’airs, and then retiring to tlie rank of ordinary citizens, leaving their place to be supplied by other representatives of the people:—this upstart consular power must, in eastern estimation, have appeared at the outset mean and insignificant, when compared with the magnificence and antiquity of Babylon, Persia, and Macedon, the extent of their dominions, and the power and greatness of their sovereigns. To this effect writes the philosophic historian of the Roman republic. “ Private citizens, annually raised to the head of the republic, did not, with their elevation, acquire the dignity of princes; they did not command the same respect from their fellow-citizens at home., nor had they the same con¬ sideration from rival nations abroad.'"^ The same author in a subsequent part of his work,® speak- ^ Gesenius’ Lex. nTiii ^ Fcrgxisou’s Roman Reioublic, b. i. c. ii. ® B. i. c. iv. 30 THE VISION ing of the successors of Alexander the Great, says, “ His hereditary dominions, as well as his personal conquests, were dismembered, and became the patrimony of officers, who had learned under him to affect the majesty and the power of kings." And again,^ speaking of the views entertained by the states of Greece with regard to the probable issue of the first great rear betwixt Rome and Macedon, he thus writes; “ The reputation of the Macedonian armies was still very high, and it was doubtful whether the Italian invaders, considered as an tipstart and a harharouspower, might be able to protect the states that declared for them against the vengeance of so great a king.” Thus the horn seemed little.^ 2. This new power, when first seen, appeared as if growing out of one of the kingdoms into which the empire of Alexander had been divided. Out off one of these came forth a little horn. This accu¬ rately describes the manner in which the Roman republic gained the ascendant in Greece and Asia. It was the boasted maxim of this power, as dis¬ tinguished for its far-sighted policy as for its mili¬ tary spirit, to spare those who submitted to it, and to subjugate by force its proud opposers.® Acting on this principle, the Romans evinced from the 1 B. i. c. vi. 2 The littleness of the horn is expressed in other terms, by the same author, as follows: “ The spirit of the people was in a high degree democratical, and though they suffered them¬ selves to be governed by the silent influence of personal author¬ ity in a few of the citizens, j'ei coutd not endure any species of un¬ common pre-einine7tcey B. i. c. vii. Hence, Pompey was suspect¬ ed “ of aiming too high for republican government.” B. iii. c. ii. “ Parcere subjectis, debellare superbos. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 31 outset the greatest moderation towards those wlio yielded to their clemency; professed a generous concern for the liberties of weaker states, and readily entered into friendly relations with such as courted their alliance. By these means they gra¬ dually came to be regarded as arbiters in the dis¬ putes of nations ; found the most plausible pretexts for taking part with one against another; and in the end never failed to make a prey of all. “ The title of ally was for the most part no more than a specious name, under which they disguised their dominion, and under which they availed themselves of the strength and resources of other nations^ with the least possible alarm to their jealousy or pride.”^ It was precisely in this way that the wily repub¬ lic first obtained an influence and a footing among the states of Greece. Having subdued the Illy¬ rians, who infected all their neighbours with their piracies and depredations, and concluded a treaty with them as favourable to the Greeks as to them¬ selves, “ the Homans caused themselves to be respected in Greece by a solemn embassy, and this teas the first time that their power was felt in that country. They sent ambassadors to the iEtolians and Achaians, to communicate to them the treaty they had lately concluded with the Illy¬ rians. Others were also dispatched to Corinth and Athens : and the Corinthians then declared for the first time, by a public decree, that the Romans should be admitted to celebrate the Isthmian games with the same privileges as the Greeks. The free¬ dom of the city was also granted them at Athens, I Ferguson, b. i. c. iii. 32 THE VISION and they were permitted to be initiated into the great mysteries.”^ This took place in the year 225 B. c., and thereby the little horn began to be engrafted^ to use Mr. Faber’s expression, on the symbol denoting the Macedonian empire.^ From this time the influence of Rome was felt in Greece and Macedon, and continued ever after to increase. In 217 b. c. a peace was concluded among the states of Greece, regarding which Rol- lin thus whites : “ This is the first time that the affairs of Italy and Africa {i. e. of Rome and Car¬ thage), influence those of Greece, and direct their motions. After this, neither Philip (king of Mace¬ don) nor the other powers of Greece, regulated their conduct when they were to make peace or war by the state of their respective countries, but directed all their views and attention to Italy. Tlie Asiatics and the inhabitants of the islands did the same soon after. All those who from that time had reasons to be dissatisfied with the conduct of Philip or Attains, no longer addressed Antiochus or Ptolemy for protection; they no longer turned their eyes to the south or east, but fixed them on the w’est. Sometimes ambassadors were sent to the Carthaginians, at other times to the Romans.” Accordingly, wx find that the Romans ever after took a share in their quari’els, and were parties to their treaties. In summing up the state of matters at the end of the second Punic war, Ferguson writes,—“ On the side of Macedonia and Illyricum, Rollin. Ferguson gives a similar account of wliat he calls, “ the manner in which tlie Romans made their first appearance in the councils of Greece.” OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE, 83 in their (the Romans) treaty with Philip and his allies, they retained to themselves considerable pledges, not only of security but of power, and be¬ gan to be considered in the councils of Greece as the principal arbiters of the fortunes of nations." The next step in their progress was of a still more marked and decided character. “Philip (says the same historian^), from being the head of a free confederacy in which the Achaians and. many other states of Greece were united, aspired to become the despotic sovereign of that country.” In prosecution of his ambitious designs, his army invaded Attica. The Athenians dispatched an embassy to Rome to solicit the protection of the republic. This was granted, and a war ensued, involving the Interests of the several states of Greece, and terminating in the victory of Cyno- cephalie, b. c. 196, when a treaty was concluded, in which the Romans, acting according to their usual policy, contented themselves with providing for the independence of their Grecian allies. The joyful intelligence that their liberties were thus secured, was communicated at the time of the Isthmian games, amidst the acclamation of a vast multitude, who had assembled at Corinth from every part of Greece, in deep anxiety to know the terms of the treaty. The importance of this tran¬ saction, in reference to the Romans themselves, is thus stated by Rollin : “ The gratitude which the Greeks showed Flamininus (the consul), and the Romans, did not terminate merely in causing them to be praised, but also infinitely conduced to the 1 B. i. c. vi. c 34 THE VISION augmentation of their power, by inducing all nations to confide in them, and rely on the faith of their engagements; for they not only received such generals as the Eomans sent them, but requested earnestly that they might be sent; they called them in, and put themselves into their hands with joy. And not only nations and cities, but princes and kings, who had complaints to offer against the injustice of neighbouring powers, had recourse to them, and put themselves in a manner under their safeguard, so that in a short time, from an effect of the divine protection (to use Plutarch’s expression), the whole earth submitted to their empire.” On the same subject, Ferguson remarks,^ “ The time was not yet come for the Romans to lay hold of any possessions beyond the sea of Ionia. They had passed into that country as the protectors of Athens; were now satisfied with the title of deli- v^erers of Greece: and under pretence of setting the republics of that quarter free, detached them from the Macedonian monarchy; but in this man¬ ner made the first step towards conquest, by weak¬ ening their enemy, and by stripping him of great part of that power with which he had been able to resist him in the last war.” Again, on the same subject, he adds: “ By this treaty, the Romans not only weakened their enemy, but acquired great accessions of reputation and general confidence. They announced themselves as protectors of all free nations; and in this char¬ acter took an ascendant, which even over the states they had rescued from foreign usurpation, by de- ^ B. i. c. vi. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 35 grees might rise into sovereignty, and a formal dominion.” Notliing, I think, can more happily describe the germination, and overshooting growth of the little horn out of the Grecian horn. It would be tedious to narrate, or even give an outline of the various wars and negotiations which, in the capacity of allies or guardians, the Romans carried on before ever they took possession of a foot of land in Macedon or Greece. In 1 94 b. c. they, at the conclusion of a war, undertaken at the express desire of their Grecian allies, and to the carrying on of which Philip himself contributed his quota of 1500 Macedonians, restored Argos to its liberty, and reannexed it to the Achaian league. ^ Soon after followed a war with Antiochus, king of Syria, of which Greece was at first the theatre, and in which the Macedonians as well as Achaians took part with the Romans, while the iEtolians joined the side of Antiochus. The latter, driven out of Europe, lost the great battle of Magnesia, and had to sue for peace. A treaty followed, in which the Romans, acting on their usual policy, and ambitious of the honour of being considered the protectors of Grecian liberty, both in Europe and Asia, gave freedom to a number of cities in the latter continent which had been colonized from Greece, and become subject to Antiochus; and at the same time, wdth territories of which he was 1 See Flamininus the consul’s speech on the occasion when this war was undertaken.— Rollin. It illustrates well the stealthy growth of the little horn. See also his speech on leaving Greece. c 2 36 THE VISION dispossessed, enlarged those of their faithful allies, Eumenes and the Khodians. In relation to this treaty, Ferguson has the fol¬ lowing remarkable words “A settlement was accordingly soon after made in Asia, in these terms ; and the Romans, while they were hast¬ ening to unusual dominion, appeared to have no object beyond the prosperity of their allies: they were merciful to the vanquished, and formidable only to those who presumed to resist their arms. In the midst of their conquests, they reserved no¬ thing to themselves besides the power of giving away entire kingdoms and provinces; or, in other words, they reserved nothing but the power of seiz¬ ing the whole in a proper time; and for the pre¬ sent, the supreme ascendant over all the conquered provinces that were given away, and over those who received them.” “ The jFtolians,” he adds,*^ “were now the only parties in Greece who pretended to hold their liber¬ ties, or their possessions, by any other tenure than that of a grant from the Romans,” and they were soon forced to submit. In like manner, as an illustration of the real, though not yet formal sovereignty acquired by the Roman people, we may refer to B. i. c. vii. of the same history, where we find complaints are made at Rome “by ambassadors from the princes of Asia, and persons of every condition, from all the cities of Greece, and from all the districts in the neigh¬ bourhood of Macedonia.” The time was now come, however, when, to * B. vi. c. i. ^ Ibid. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 37 quote again from Ferguson, “ the Romans appeared openly in the capacity of conquerors.” Twenty-six years after the treaty with Philip, in which the liberties of Greece were secured, war broke out between Perseus, his successor, and tho Romans. After hostilities had been carried on for several years, the consul Emilius gained the deci¬ sive victory of Pydna, which led to the dethrone¬ ment and captivity of Perseus, and the termination of the kingdom of Macedon. This event occurred in the year 168 B. c. The Romans, however, did not, even then, reduce Macedon to the rank of a province. They professed, that while it was their object to maintain free states in their liberty, so it was also their design to confer liberty on such as were in slavery to despotic monarchs! They accordingly declared Macedon to be inde¬ pendent ; exacting, however, one half of the tri¬ bute formerly paid to the king, and remitting the other half; appointing a council or senate for managing the affairs of the nation ; and transport¬ ing to Italy all the former retainers of the court, and others supposed to be unfavourable to the new order of things.^ Twenty years more elapsed, when “ Macedonia, being ill fitted to retain the republican form, into which it had been cast by the Romans, underwent 1 Ferguson thus states the plan of the senate for the settle¬ ment of Macedon: “ It was resolved to extinguish the monar¬ chy, to divide its territory into four districts—and in each to establish a republican government, administered by councils and magistrates, chosen by the people. This among the Greeks could bear the interpretation of bestowing absolute liberty,” &c. Rom. Rep. B. i. ch. vii. 38 THE VISION a second conquest.” An impostor having been acknowledged king, who pretended to be descended from the ancient royal line, the Romans, after de¬ feating him, took advantage of the opportunity of formally asserting the supremacy, which they already virtually possessed : and reduced Macedon to the form of a Roman province. This impor¬ tant event occurred in the year 148 b. c,, and hereby the little horn openly assumed the charac¬ ter of sovereignty over its predecessor—the notable horn of the he-goat. This event the historian of the Republic speaks of as the result of the natural progress of Roman policy. His words are, “ while the event of this mighty siege (Carthage) was still in dependence, the Romans had other wars to maintain on the side of Macedonia and Greece, where the natural progress of their policy, suited to the measures they had taken with other nations, now ended in the open and avowed usurpation of a sovereignty, which they had long disguised under the specious titles of alliance and protection.”^ Meanwhile, disorders having arisen in other parts of Greece, and the states and cities of that country being divided into parties, holding either with Rome or Macedon (while the power of the latter continued to exist), or else attached to their ancient liberties—the favourable period arrived, contem¬ poraneously wdth the reduction of the Macedonian monarchy, for the entire extinction of Grecian in¬ dependence. “The states of the Achaian league,” says Ferguson,^ “at the same time” (when Ma¬ cedon became a province), “ being already on * B. ii. c. i. 2 Ibid. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 39 the decline, hastened, by the temerity and distrac¬ tion of their own councils, the career of their for¬ tunes to the same termination.” Accordingly Metellus, the consul, having pre¬ vailed in Macedon, moved towards the Pelopon¬ nesus, and took Tliebes. Corinth was destroyed by his successor, Mummius, in the year 146 b. c., being the same year that Carthage was destroyed, and two years after the final overthrow of Macedon. By the order of the senate, “ the Achaian league was dissolved, and all its conventions annulled. The states which had composed it, were deprived of their sovereignty, subjected to pay a tribute, and placed under the government of a person annually sent from Rome, with the title of pr*tor of Achaia.”^ In this exceedingly gradual manner did the Ro¬ man pow’er, first known in that part of the world, in 225 B. c., insinuate itself, almost insensibly, into the affairs of Macedon and Greece; and comincv to be regarded as a party in every transaction, whether of war or peace, assuming to itself the character of arbiter of difierences, sometimes defend¬ ing the weak against the strong, and at others, sow¬ ing discord among those who were united together —appearing, for the most part, under the specious , guise of the friend of liberty, yet in reality carry¬ ing on, all along, either by force or fraud, its own ambitious designs—did this power at length openly grasp the sovereignty of these countries, which for many years it had held in virtual possession, and first in Macedon, next in Greece (lying to the south), erect the insignia of republican dominion. 1 Ferguson. 40 THE VISION The little horn^ having made its appearance as a dominant power, %caxed great toicard the souths Before following its course of aggrandizement, which was next toward the East, I would make another quotation still from Ferguson, confirmatory of the view's which have been given of Roman policy. “ The enmity and the friendship of the Romans being equally fatal, these (namely, Achaia and Sparta), and every other state or republic of Greece, from this time forth ceased to be numbered among nations, having fallen a prey to a power, whose force nothing could equal but the ability and the cunning with which it was exerted. “ Such, at least, is the comment which we are tempted, by the conduct of the Romans on the present occasion, to make on that policy with which, about fifty years before this date, Flamini- nus, to detach the Grecian cities from Philip, pro¬ claimed with so much ostentation at the Isthmus of Corinth, general independence, and the free exercise of their own laws, to all the republics of Greece. That people, when they meant to ingra¬ tiate themselves, surpassed every state in their generosity to their allies, they gained entire confi¬ dence, and taught nations, who were otherwise in condition to maintain their own independence, to rely for protection on that very power from which 1 I think that in tlie words toicard the south, or to the south, Egypt is intended to he included. It formed a part of the Macedonian empire, and although not reduced to the rank of a province for a considerable period after this, yet even at so early a period as the time we are now speaking of, it ^had come under the potent sway of Roman influence, like all the other neighbouring countries. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 41 they had most to fear for their liberties ; and in the end, under some pretence of ingratitude or affront, stripped of every right these very states who had most plentifully shared in their bounty.” ‘ The ensigns of republican supremacy having, as we have seen, been erected first in Macedon, the primitive or fundamental kingdom of the preceding empire, then in Achaia, lying to the south, were next unfurled in Asia Minor. The little horn waxed great toward the East.^ Attains, king of Pergamus, having died in 133 B. c., the Roman people, by his will, were consti¬ tuted his heirs. A son of one of the former kings disputed the succession, and a war ensued, in which the Romans were successful. In consequence of this, “ Lydia, Caria, the Hellespont, Phrygia, in a word, all that composed the kingdom of Attains, was reduced into a province of the Roman empire, under the common name of Asia.”® This, then, was the first step in the increase of Roman power eastward. Sometime after, Mithrldates, the famous king of Pontus, appeared, who disputed the sovereignty of the East with Rome. “The monarchy of Pontus had risen upon the ruins of the Macedonian esta¬ blishments in Asia; and upon their entire suppres¬ sion, had become one of the most considerable 1 Ferguson, Rom. Rep. b. ii. c. i. 2 After the reduetion of Greece, Rome was engaged for some time with domestic broils (those of Gracchus), and with successful wars in Spain and Sicily; but these do not concern the progress of the liorn witliin the limits of the Macedonian empire. ^ Rollin. “ From this time,” says Ferguson, “ the Romans took a more particular concern than formerly in the affairs of Asia,’ B. ii. c. ii. 42 THE VISION kingdoms of the East.^ It appears unnecessary here to give even an outline of the protracted wars between these two rival powers, which w^ere car¬ ried on for forty years.® Suffice it to say, as the 1 Ferguson, b. ii. c. vii. 2 The following notes may be useful. The patrimonial do¬ minions of Mithriclates were of great extent, and he had him¬ self added to them. His national troops were 300,000 foot, and 40,000 horse, besides auxiliaries. At the commencement of war with Rome, he conquers in Asia Minor, and his general penetrates by Thrace and Macedon into Greece. Sylla comes against him—takes Athens—gains two great battles—forces Mithridates to abandon the province of Asia, Cappadocia, Bithynia, and Paphlagonia, and to confine himself within the boundaries of Pontus. Sylla becomes dictator at Rome. Bithynia bequeathed to the Romans. The sons of Antiochus, of Syria, acknowledge a kind of dependence on Rome. That kingdom in a degree dismembered. Armenia,long subject to the Persians, and then to the Macedonians, becomes the scat of a new monarchy under Tigranes. The natives of Syria sub¬ ject themselves to him. The Romans re-establish their pro¬ vince in Lesser Asia —extend their limits on the side of Cilicia, and were hastening to the sovereignty of that coast, wdien Mithridates again appears against them, who seizes Cappado¬ cia and Phrygia, and invades Bithynia. Lucullns drives him back, defeats him on the frontiers of Armenia—enters Pontus —reduces Amysis and Sinope, originally Grecian colonies, and agreeably to former practice, sets them free. He then marches into Armenia—gains two great battles, and takes Tigranocerta, the capital. His army mutiny. Mithridates recovers Pontus —Pompey receives an extraordinary commission—scours the seas of pirates. His commission extended to provinces of Asia. Defeats Mithridates. Enters Armenia. Gives Lesser Armenia, on the right of the Euphrates, to a son of Tigranes, afterwards carried to Rome. Mithridates driven north. Pom¬ pey treats Pontus as a conquered territory. Reduces Syria to a Roman 'province. Enters Jerusalem, and taJees the temple. Mithridates dies. Pontus annexed to the province of Bithynia. See account of Pompey’s triumph (Ferguson, b. ii. c. iv.), as illustrating the aggrandizement of the horn, eastivard. The following quotation may suffice: “The list of conquests ex¬ ceeded that ^vhich had ever been produced at any other tri- OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 43 general result, that the king of Pontus suffered defeat in a succession of great battles, in which he was opposed by some of the most distinguished Roman commanders—Sylla, Lucullus, and Pom- pey, who carried the victorious arms of the repub¬ lic as far eastward as Armenia, and made its power be felt on the borders of the Caspian sea. The last mentioned of these commanders had received the most ample commission from the state, and having completed the conquests of his predecessors, lie every where gave law in the East. When at Damascus, to settle the affairs of Egypt and Judea, twelve crowned heads came to do him homage. So “exceeding great” had the Roman horn now become toward the East. In respect of positive acquisition, the kingdom of Bithynia, having been bequeathed to the republic, was reduced to the form of a province in 76 b. c.^ And now Pompey, having conquered all Syria, put an end to the reign of the Seleucida, and reduced that once powerful kingdom also to the rank of a Roman province, in the year 65 B. c. The next step in the aggrandizement of the Roman horn, as noted in the last clause of this ninth verse, was toicard the pleasant land. It has umph. Asia, Pontus, Armenia, Cappadocia, Paplilagonia, Jle- dia, Cliolchis, Iberia, Albania, Syria, Cilicia, Mesopotamia, Phenicia, Judea, Arabia, Scythia, Crete, with the sea in all its coasts.” And although, as the historian observes, the vanity of the general led him to exaggerate his own conquests, yet enough remains after this abatement to demonstrate the ex¬ tent of Roman power in the East, and how truly it might be said of the little horn that it had waxed exceeding great. 1 To which the kingdom of Pontus was afterwards annexed, at the death of Mithridates and termination of the war. THE VISION 4'-i been already noticed that Pompey came to Damas¬ cus to settle the afiairs of Judea. He afterwards entered the 'pleasant land itself. That the Holy Land is meant, cannot be doubted. The word, in the original, is simply, the glory?- It occurs in manifest connection with the land of Israel.^ It is applied to Christ,^ as the Branch of the Lord. And this brings us to the true meaning of the appellation, as applied to Israel. The glory of that people lay in this—that Jehovah’s glory was manifested among them. “ In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion.”^ There alone was his Word possessed, his worship observed, and those ordinances instituted, which prefigured Him who was to appear in the fulness of time—a Li^ht to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of his people Israel. This then constituted the distinguishing honour and dignity of this nation, that they were under law to God, possessed the oracles of truth, and were the stock from whence the promised Saviour was to spring. No land, therefore, was like theirs: it was Im¬ manuel’s land.® No metropolis like Jerusalem: it was the city of the Great King.® No temple like that on Mount Zion: for it was the temple of the living God. And no wonder, therefore, when the Roman horn invaded the territory of Judea, besieged the city, and took and profaned the tem¬ ple, it should be said, “ it waxed great toward the pleasant land; or, the glory of all lands. ® Dan. xi. 16, 41; Ezek. xx. 6. ® Isa. iv. 2. * Ps. Ixxvi. 1,2. ® Isa. viii. 8. ® Ps. xlviii. 2. 1 OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 45 ^ The immediate occasion of the invasion of Judea by the Roman general, was a dispute between two brothers for the pontificate and diadem, which, at that period of Jewish history, were united in one person. This leads me to notice what is stated in the following vei’se. Verse 10. “And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.” That this denotes the interference of the Roman power with the constituted authorities in Judea, and the partial change which that foreign power introduced into their laws, the symbols employed do plainly indicate. The host of heaven, or the sun, moon, and stars, is a symbol of frequent occur¬ rence in scripture, descriptive of the ruling powers in nations and churches, and even in families. Of tlie last of these we have an example in Joseph’s dream, ^ where his father, Jacob, so expounds it. Of the others, various instances may be adduced. Thus, the dissolution of the ancient empire of Babylon is described in the following terms:— “ The stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be dark¬ ened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.”^ Thus, the overthrow of Paganism in the Roman empire, considered as a system which had long reigned there, is described in similar terms.^ So also the subversion of the 1 Gen. xxxvii. 9, 10. ^ Isa. xiii. 10. ® Rev. vi. 12—14. Some writers apply tliis passage to the Freneli revolution, but this does not affect the present argu¬ ment. 4G THE VISION western empire, after it liad become professedly Christian, is compared to a partial eclipse; the sun, moon, and stars, symbolizing the entire empire.^ In like manner the destruction of the Jewish insti¬ tutions, civil and ecclesiastical, is symbolized by the sun being turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. ^ From these and the like passages, I have no doubt, that in the verse before us, the host of heaven, illuminating the pleasant land, denotes the authorities in the church and commonwealth of Israel, who, corrupt as they might have become, were placed there by the original appointment of God himself, to rule over, instruct, and represent his people.® The invasion of these therefore by the horn, and the casting down of some of them to the ground, must denote the interruption of the settled order of things by the Roman power in Judea, and the partial subjection of the government and nation to that dominant empire.* Such was precisely what took place. For more than a hundred years, from the time of the perse¬ cutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, Judea had been an independent state, enjoying, under the Macca¬ bees and their successors and descendants, the princes of the Asmonean family, a considerable 1 Eev. viii. 12. 2 Joel ii. 28—31; Acts ii. 17—20. 2 Comp. Matt, xxiii. 1—3; Eom. xiii. 1—7. ^ I say the nation as well as the government, because in the nature of things, and according to the principles unfolded in scripture, they arc identical. In this respect the host is ana¬ logous to tlie horns previously spoken of. These symbolize the heathen kingdoms which have been mentioned, considered as represented by their respective governments; the host of heaven, in like manner, symbolizes the people of Israel, repre¬ sented by their constituted authorities. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 47 share of prosperity, and the exercise of their own laws free from foreign interference. The dispute, above referred to, between two brothers, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, who both aimed at the sovereignty in church and state, gave occasion to the interposi¬ tion of the Roman general, for whose aid both parties had applied. Pomiiey, having in the end espoused the cause of Plyrcanus,besieged Jerusalem, and took the tem 2 ile, which w’as occuj^ied by the adherents of Aristobulus. This took place in the year b. c. 63. A number of priests, whose order for the most part adhered to Aristobulus, lost their lives on this occasion. He himself was made a prisoner, carried to Rome, and along with his son Antigonus exhibited in the victor’s triumph, while Hyrcanus was restored to the office of high priest, and made prince of the country, though under tri¬ bute to the Romans, who would not allow him to wear a diadem, or to extend his dominions beyond the old limits of Judea.^ The walls of Jerusalem were also demolished at this time, and Hyrcanus was deprived of those cities which had been taken by his predecessors from the Coelesyrians and Phe- nicians. These places were added to the province of Syria, and Pompey’s lieutenant left president of it. From this period Judea never recovered its independence. Various changes took place., hut always in connection xcith Roman influence. Thus in 57 B. c., six years after the invasion by Pompey, intestine war having again broken out in Judea, Gabinius, the Roman president of Syria, was called in, who having brought matters to a settlement, ^ Prideaux’3 Connection, Part ii. B. vi. 48 THE VISION “ made (says Prideaux) a very considerable altera¬ tion in the civil government, changing in a manner the whole form of it, and reducing it from a mon¬ archy to an aristocracy.” He then goes on to de¬ scribe the changes which he introduced into the constitution of the sanhedrim, or courts of justice, by which the nation was governed under the prince. But all these were reversed by Julius Cesar, in the year 47 b. c., who restored the government to its former state, under Hyrcanus, from whom he had received service in his war in Egypt. Thus again, Herod, surnamed the Great, got himself solemnly inaugurated at Eome king of Judea, by the interest of Mark Antony and Octa¬ vius Cesar, in the year 40 b. c.; and three years afterward, by the helji of the Roman arms, he ob¬ tained full possession of Jerusalem and of the king¬ dom, over which he continued to reign till after the birth of our Saviour. In like manner, having cut off all the former royal family, and feeling himself in secure posses¬ sion of power, he about the year 26 b. c. began to make considerable innovations, “ by bringing in foreign rites and customs; for he built at Jerusalem a theatre and an amphitheatre, and in honour of Augustus celebrated games and exhibited shows in them, which were much disliked by the generality of the Jews, as things which they thought incon¬ sistent with the legal constitution and religion of their country.”^ In illustration of the influence of the Roman horn in the affairs of Judea, many other things might be mentioned. Having rebuilt Sama- ^ Prideaux. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 49 rla, the ancient capital of the kings of Israel, Herod called it, in honour of Augustus, Sebaste: and the two principal apartments in a stately palace, which lie built for himself on Mount Zion, were called Cajsareum and Agrippeum, in honour of the same emperor and his principal favourite. And the author above quoted states, that “ it was owing only to the protection and power of Augustus, and the Romans, that he (Herod) was supported against” the general odium and aversion which his tyrannical government created. The decree of Augustus embracing Judea, along with the rest of the Roman world, which is men¬ tioned in Luke 11.1, confirms the same point. It was not, however, till twelve years after, that is, the year when the Redeemer came to the temple, as recorded at the end of that chapter, that Judea was formally reduced to the rank of a province, and placed under the direct government of a Roman procurator. It was in this year that Archelaus, the son of Herod, having been deposed for his maladministrations, the Romans seized upon Judea, and having, to quote the words of the learned writer already referred to, “ in a great part abolished the Jewish polity, esta¬ blished the Roman in its stead. - - - After this the power of life and death was taken out of the hands of the Jew's, and placed wholly in the Roman pro¬ curator and his subordinate ofi&cers, and taxes (which up to this time had been paid by the Jews to their owm princes) were thenceforth paid imme¬ diately to the Roman emperor.” In this organic change on the Jewish constitution w'as fulfilled, as I think, the latter part of the verse now’ under 50 TIIK VISIOl!^ consideration; “ and it (the horn) cast down some of the host, and of the stars, and stamped upon them.” The foliovving remarks made by the same accurate writer, for the purpose of showing that the prophecy of Jacob concerning Shiloh was ful¬ filled at the time when, in the twelfth year of his age, the Saviour of the world came to the temple at Jerusalem, seem also to demonstrate more fully the propriety of our fixing down to the same period the partial subversion of the Jewish govern¬ ment, denoted by a portion of the host of heaven being cast down to the earth. He says: “ For the fuller explication of this prophecy (that of Jacob), and of the manner of its completion, these follow¬ ing particulars are to he observed. 1st, By the sceptre in Judah is meant the sovereignty in it, and by a lawgiver from between his feet, the administration of justice by those of the same nation, and according to their own laws; and both put together, imply such a political constitution of government, as that whereby a nation is governed by its own princes, and this was that which was not to depart from Judah till Shiloh should come. 2dly, This constitution of government all Israel was possessed of, from their coming out of Egypt to the time of the prevailing of the Assyrian empire. But 3dly, When the kings of Assyria had extended their empire on this side the Euphrates, as far as Pales¬ tine, ten of the tribes of Israel being carried into captivity, the scej^tre then departed from these tribes. But, 4thly, The tribe of Judah, though they fell under the like captivity, yet afterward returned from it into their own land, and had there their OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 51 sceptre and lawgiver again restored to them; for beinor there embodied again under the same consti- tution of government, tliey had again princes of their own to be rulers over them, and the admin¬ istration of justice under them by their own laws in the same manner as before, and so they con¬ tinued to have without interruption (excepting only the three years and a half of Antiochus’s persecu¬ tion) till the time that Coponius was made procura¬ tor of Judead But then the power of life and death being taken from them and placed in a foreign governor, and justice being thenceforth adminis¬ tered by the laws of Rome, instead of those of their own nation, then truly began the sceptre to depart from Judah, and the lawgiver from between his feet; and this departure_was fully completed in the destruction of Jerusalem sixty-two years after, and therein this prophecy had its entire accomplish¬ ment. Till then some few remains of their power were still left among them, for they had their San¬ hedrim or national council, and they had still their high priest, with some shadow of authority lodged in both, and in the administration of justice some regard was still had by the Roman governors to their old national law. But after the temple and city of Jerusalem were destroyed by Titus, all this was absolutely and wholly abolished, and from that time neither the sceptre nor the lawgiver has been any more found among them.” These views of the partial overthrow of the Jewish polity at this period, might be confirmed by a reference to the gospel narration, where fre- * That is, when Judea was first reduced to a province. D 2 52 TIIK VISION quent notice is taken of that mixed kind of jiu-is- diction which then prevailed.^ But in no place is it SO strikingly set forth as in the steps of pretended legal trial which preceded our Lord’s crucifixion. For after being taken and bound, in the garden, by the ofl&cers of the chief priests and Pharisees, under the conduct of the traitor, ® he was led first to the palace of the high priest,® by whom he was exa¬ mined concerning his disciples and his doctrine, * after which he was taken to Pilate’s judgment-hall, though they themselves, the base hypocrites, lest tliey should be defiled by heathen contact, w'ent not in.® Pilate, therefore, we are informed,® came out to them, and having inquired what Jesus was accused of, told them to take him and judge liim according to their lato. The Jews an¬ swered that it teas not latcful for them to put any man to death.’’ Pilate, then, having re-entered the judgment-hall, and being satisfied, after interroga¬ tories put, of the Redeemer’s innocence, sought to release him, but was deterred from his purpose by their reference to the Jewish statute-book. We have a law^ and by that law he ought to die, be¬ cause he made himself the Son of God.® We have to a certain extent anticipated Avhat is contained in the first clause of the next verse of the chapter in Daniel under review. Ver. 11. “Yea, lie magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” ^ As in Matt, xxiii. throughout; xxii. 15—22; Acts xxii; xxiii; xxiv; xxv; xxvi; &c. ^ John xviii. 3, 12. ® ver. 15. * ver. 1.9. = ver. 28. ® xix. 4. ’’ xviii. 31. ® xix. 7. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 5:3 That by the 'prince of the host is meant the Lord Jesus Christ, there can be no doubt. He was the Head of tlie Jewish church and state, as he is, and ought to be acknowledged to be, the Head of every Cliristian church and state. Since the fall, all things in this lower world have been conducted by liiin as Mediator, it being incompatible with the majesty and holiness of Jehovah to hold direct communication with sinners. And since his resur¬ rection, we are expressly informed that the govern¬ ment of the universe has been put into the hands of the God-man as the reward of his w’ork of obedience unto death.^ i^ay? from all eternity he was set up to this high oi'dination,^ inasmuch as all divine counsels and works meet and terminate in his adorable person, as in a common centre. Hence in the passage just referred to, where so sublime a discovery is made of the Redeemer’s glory, which he had with the Father ere ever the earth was, we find him laying claim to absolute sovereignty over the kingdoms of the world. “ By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.” It is only, however, in those places where that truth is known, in which his name is revealed, that this sovereignty can be duly manifested, or voluntarily submitted to. But wherever this revelation is made, it onust needs he that this sovereignty be claimed. Hence, when he separated the people of Israel from the rest of mankind, and gave them his Word, he directly assumed the character of being their King, o o ^ Phil. ii. 3—11. - Prov. viii. 23. 54 THE VISION I presume it is unnecessary to enter upon a formal proof of this point, as it is one which is universally admitted. I shall confine myself to a single refer¬ ence to holy scripture, namely. Josh. v. 13—15, where the very same title. Prince of the host, or as it is there translated. Captain of the host, occurs. It is of more consequence here to remark, that in the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ does not ab¬ negate the title. “He came unto his own^ and his own received him not.”‘ “And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying. Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said o unto him, Thoxi sayest”^ And it was the very title which was visibly appended to his cross: “Jesus op Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”® Against this glorious One, the Roman horn dared to exalt itself. “ Speakest thou not to said the vaunting Pilate, “ knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have po%ver to release thee ?”“* How should we be moved at the thought of the Judge of all the earth standing before an iniquitous Iniman tribunal—the King of glory crowned with thorns, and subjected to the cruel handling and mock homage of the Roman soldiery—the Holy One of Israel numbered among transgressors, and crucified between two malefac¬ tors ! In these things were fulfilled the first clause of the verse : “yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host.” The remainder of the verse, and the one which follows, declare the consequences of these wicked ^ John i. 11. 3 Matt, xxvii. 11. * John xix. 19. * John xix. 10. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 55 transactions to the Jewish people, at whose instiga¬ tion they were perpetrated by the Roman power : “ And by him the daily sacrifice was taken aAvay, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down,” &c. The same power wdiicli the Jews stirred np to kill the Prince of life, was soon after employed to deprive them of political existence. The daily sacrifice was, of all the observances of the Jewish ritual, the one of most frequent occurrence, and a most eminent type of the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Hence it may here be considered as representing the whole of that ceremonial ritual which was the shadow' of Him who was to come, and which formed so prominent and peculiar a char¬ acteristic of the Jewdsh constitution. The Roman power, as is well knowm, w'as the instrument in the hand of God for destroying this system, when it was no longer necessary. It literally took away the daily sacrifice. That observance has ceased from among the Jew's to this day. The Romans likewise “ cast down the place of his sanctuary.” They destroyed both the city and the sanctuary, as it is expressed in a subsequent vision, designed, as w'e shall immediately see, to be a comment upon the one now under consideration. They razed to the ground the temple, within whose precincts the sacrifices were offered according to the law, and Jerusalem, the place of this sanctuary, has ever since been trodden under foot of the Gentiles. i * Lukexxi. 24. The Jewish Calendar, published in London, in 1838, under the sanction of the chief rabbi, furnishes (though the dates are incorrect) in the chronological table appended to it, which is designed to form a summary of Jew- 56 THE VISION Ver, 12. “And an host was given /tim against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground, and it practised and prospered.” It has been commonly supposed that the host^ mentioned in this verse, is a different thing altoge¬ ther from the host mentioned in the two preceding verses. But it is manifest that it is identical with it. For, in the first place, it is precisely the same word, S3::, which is used on both occasions, and it is therefore natural to suppose, that there is a con¬ tinuance of the same subject. In the second place, and what converts this supposition into certainty— in the verse following, the question is put, “ How long shall be the vision, to give both the sanctuary and the host” &c. In the verse before us, the host is said to he given. These two therefore are iden¬ tical. But the host in the thirteenth verse is con¬ nected with the taking away of the daily sacrifice, and the overthrow of the sanctuary, mentioned in the eleventh verse, as the question plainly indicates. Therefore, it must also be connected with the host mentioned in that verse. And, consequently, so must also the host of the twelfth verse. ^ In other isli history, from the Flood to the present time—a short hut most distinct counterpart to this prophecy. It says, C. M. 67, Vespasian appointed commander of the Roman forces in Judea. 68, Jerusalem taken, and tlie Daily Sacrifices cease. The Temple burnt, 9th of Ah. Four hundred and twenty years after its foundation. 1 On the obvious principle, that things which are identi¬ cal with one another must have a common relation to other things. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 57 words, the term host^ throughout the whole pas¬ sage, relates to one and the same subject; namely, the Jewish people as represented by their rulers in church and state. In order, however, to bring out this identity, and to elicit what I conceive to be the true mean¬ ing of the verse before us, it will be necessary to make some alteration on the translation as it now stands. Instead then of reading, “ And an host was given (him) against the daily sacrifice,” I pro¬ pose to read, “And the host was given up along with the daily sacrifice.” The propriety of the first alteration has already been established. If it be the same host that is spoken of in the twelfth as in the preceding verses, then it is quite obvious that the words should run, “the host,” and not, “a host,” otherwise, the continuity of the subject is broken. The second change, the Introduction of the word up, is made for the purpose of bringing out the sense in which the verb “give” is used: the sense, namely, of abandonment. The same Hebrew verb (nathan) is so translated, Hos. xi. 8, “Howshall I give thee up, Ephraim?”^ The whole context before us shows that this is the mean¬ ing of the word given in the verse under considera¬ tion. It must be so in the following verse, and therefore it must be so in this verse. The same reason may be stated for the third alteration, the translation, namely, of the preposition h]> bg — along with (or besides, or over and above), instead 1 See also Dan. xi. 6; Mic. v. 3 (in Heb. v. 2), “ Therefore will he give them &c. This last passage manifestly relates to the very subject and time of which we are now treating. 58 THE VISION of against. That the word admits of the former meaning there can be no doubt. It is used in this sense in Gen. xxxii. 11, (the mother with the cliildren), Exod. xxxv. 22, (and they came, both men and women, Heb. tlie men together icith the women). I have said that the context deter¬ mines this to be the meaning. This appears both from the verse preceding and the one following, where we find the three things, the host, the sanc¬ tuary, and the daily sacrifice, conjoined, not set in opposition, as the word against implies. They are all set forth as being in one and the same state. Having thus, chiefly by the bearing of the con¬ text, endeavoured to fix the meaning of the words, let us now proceed to their illustration. “ And the host was given up along with the daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground.” i In the preceding verse we have seen that the sacrifices under the law were to be taken away, and the holy place, wdiere these were offered, de¬ stroyed. We are here informed tliat over and above these the host of heaven itself, or the Jewish nation, considered as having political existence under its constituted authorities, civil and ecclesiastical, would at the same time be dissolved. I say, the Jewish nation; for while the symbol refers rather to the government than the people, yet these can¬ not be separated. For as a nation cannot subsist without a government, so where a government is given up, or abolished, national existence ceases as a matter of course. Yet, there is this peculiarity in the case of the Jew’s, that w’hile they have had OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 5,9 no proper government since the destruction of Jerusalem, they have, nevertheless, had what may be called an individualized subsistence as a peo¬ ple. They are to be found every where separated from others, yet not combined into a political body, because their local circumstances have rendered that imjiracticable. This anomaly was foretold by the prophet Hosea,^ “The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and with¬ out a prince, and without a sacrifice.” They shall remain in an isolated state, each man still a Jew, but without the form, and destitute of all the be¬ nefits, of a regular government. To this con¬ dition they have been reduced in the just judg¬ ment of God. It is said here to be by reason of transgression. What that transgression was we all know. Before noticing it, however, let me ob- servej^'that by the expression given up is likewise meant that infatuation of mind which, for so many ages, has characterized this people, rendering them incapable of discerning the light of the gospel, and leaving them under the dreadful influence of im- penitence and error. The language of scripture is at once precise and comprehensive. Outward judg¬ ments are but the tokens of those which are spiritual. The national disorganization and ruin, therefore, which have come upon the Jews, are the evidences of their being judicially abandoned of God, and left a prey to'Satan and their own unbelief. All this then I conceive to be included in the first clause of this verse, “ And the host was given up, along with the daily sacrifice.” As a people their national * Cliap. iii. 4. GO THE VISION institutions were to be demolished along with their city and temple ; and as a people they would he given up to a reprobate mind—the just retribution of former sin. For this abandonment was “by reason of transgression.’’ All sin is offensive to God ; and when unrepented of, leads to other sin, and draws down judgment. But of all sin, an obdurate resistance to the light of truth, and im¬ penitent rejection of gospel mercy, is the most aggravated. Hence, the Redeemer says, “ If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin ; hut now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.”^ This was the sin of the Jewish nation, both rulers and people—a sin which, to this day, hath pursued them with plagues both spiritual and temporal. They had the clearest evidence that Jesus was the JMessiah, but they resisted it, and with mad imprecations, when in the act of putting him to death, invoked 'the divine vengeance on themselves and their children. Nay, more, when addressed with the overtures of mercy by the apostles of the Lord, and when many of those who liad imbrued their hands in his blood received grace to repent and believe the gospel, the bulk of the nation still remained in hardened unbelief; and to such a pitch did they carry their enmity, that they would neither enter the kingdom of heaven themselves, nor suffer others, who were going in, to enter. The apostle gives an ample descrip¬ tion of their whole case in the following words: “ Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their ^ John XV. 24. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. Gl own prophets, and have persecuted us ; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”* Still more terrific, if it be possible, is the language of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, “ When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he find¬ eth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there : and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it he also with this tcickcd generation.'’’^ Oh, what an awful state of dereliction is here ! Would that Israel knew what an adamantine chain of divine wrath has enclosed their miserable souls ! A distinct and very comprehensive feature of their case, as the result of this spiritual abandon¬ ment, is given in the next clause of the verse— “And it cast down the truth to the ground.” This may indeed be said to comprise their whole sin, or to be the essence of it, from first to last. They had received the oracles of truth; but they speedily perverted them, mixing up therewith the inven¬ tions of men. In our Lord’s time, we find that this spirit had become exceedingly prevalent, so that the scribes and Pharisees were severely re¬ proved by him, for making void the commandment I 1 Thes. ii. 15, 16. ® Matt. xii. 43—45. 62 THE VISION of God by their traditions. The same spirit led them to reject Him who was the Truth itself; who was the glorious impersonation of all perfection; the eternal Word incarnate. The same spirit of enmity to the pure will of God, revealed in the scriptures, led them to resist, as already noticed, the preaching of the apostles, and it has continued to operate to this very hour. What are the in¬ numerable fables—the vain sophisms—the useless observances—the whole host of traditionary doc¬ trines and impositions current among the Jews, but just a casting down of the truth to the ground^ Time would fail to enter upon these. It is this latter part of their history, however, which I think is specially pointed at in this clause. And the whole of this part of their history may be stated in a single sentence, as true of them as of their hated enemies the Papists: “ Because they received not the truth in the love of it, that they might be saved, therefore God has given them up to strong delusion to believe a lie.^” • 1 The following apt quotation, from the learned Prideaux, is worthy of notice. “ To go through them all (the traditions of the elders) would be to transcribe the Talmud, a book of twelve volumes in folio. For the whole subject of it is to dictate and explain all those traditions which this sect (the Pharisees, of whom he is here giving an account) imposed to be received and observed. And though many of them are very absurd and foolish, and most of them very burdensome and heavy to be borne, yet this sect hath devoured all the rest, they having had for many ages none to oppose them among that people, saving only those few Karaites I have mentioned. For excepting them only, the whole nation of the Jews, from the destruction of the temple to this present time, have wholly gone in unto them, and received all their tradi¬ tions for divine dictates, and to this day observe them with OF TUE DAILY SACRIFICE. 63 “ And it practised and prospered,” literally, “it did and prospered.” This is evidently spoken of the liorn^ which is the actor throughout this pas¬ sage, and not of the host, which is passive. There is a change of terms in the original which may be designed, perhaps, to mark this more distinctly. But the context, I think, plainly shows this to be the meaning. For it is the actions of the horn, and the sufferings of the host, which form the subject. To bring out this idea more clearly, the w’ords may be read as follows: “ Thus it did and prospered,” the connecting particle being suscepti¬ ble of this translation, and being, in fact, frequently so translated, as in Gen. ii. 1, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished; Gen. vi. 22, “Thus did Noah: accordius: to all that God commanded him, so did he.”i Thus did the Roman power— such were its exploits—such its actings in Pales¬ tine ; thus it exalted itself against the Prince of princes, and scattered the power of the once holy people; and it prospered. It attained the highest pitch of earthly glory and dominion, and flourished in the pride of universal empire. Before proceeding to the important inquiry con- mucli greater regard and devotion than the written word itself. So that they have, in a manner, for the sake of their traditions, annulled all the holy scriptures of the Old Testament, and set np the Talmud to he their Bible in its stead. For this they now make to be the whole rule of their faith and manners; so that it is now only according to the traditions of the Pharisees, not according to the law and the prophets, that the present Jewish religion is wholly formed; whereby they have corrupted the old Jewish religion, just in the same manner as the Ro¬ manists have the Christian.” 1 See in this same book, Dan. xi. 30, “ So shall he do.” C4 THE VISION tained in the next verse, let ns shortly recapitulate the several steps of Jewish history through which the vision has conducted us. These are, 1. The invasion of Judea by the Roman power, and its intermeddling Avith Jewish affairs, b. c. 63, till A. D. 7, (ver. 9, last clause and first of ver. 10.) 2. The partial overthrow of Jewish law and government, by the appointment of a Roman pro¬ curator, A. D. 7, (second part of ver. 10.) 3. The crucifixion of the Lord of glory, by the authority of the Roman governor, a. d. 33, (first clause of ver. 11.) 4. The taking aw'ay of the legal sacrifices, and destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, a. d. 70, (remainder of ver. 11.) 5. The entire dissolution of the Jewish state, at the same time, on account of the sin of putting Messiah to death, and rejecting the gospel offers, (ver. 12, first clause.) 6. Their national apostacy, ever since denoted, by their casting the truth to the ground. Verses 13, 14. “Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said to that certain saint which spake. How long shall he the vision concerning the daily sacrifice^ and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trod¬ den under foot? And he said. Unto two thousand and three hundred days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” What had hitherto been revealed to Daniel on this occasion, he had seen in vision: he now hears, in the spirit, the voice of words, one saint speak- OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. G5 This holy one, there appears every reason to be¬ lieve, was none else than the Eternal Word him¬ self, for He only knows the secrets of the Father, and reveals them unto the church, and it is unto him the question is put—How long? The word applied to him in a subsequent clause (Palmoni), is in the margin translated, ‘‘ The numberer of se¬ crets or the wonderful numberer,” a name pecu¬ liarly appropriate to Messiah/ If He who is made unto his people wisdom,^ sees it for the edification of the church that the mysterious number given in answer to the question put, should be made known antecedently to its providential revelation. He doubtless can and will unfold it. And that he is not displeased, but rather well pleased with an humble and prayerful inquiry into the times and seasons affecting his church, and the manifestation of his glory, there can be no doubt. Created angels desire to look into these as well as the other mys¬ teries of the kingdom, as we see in the passage before us, where the question is put by one of the ministering spirits; and why may not renewed men, who are created in knowledge after the image of God, as a leading feature of their renovated being? The Lord may, indeed, sometimes see it inexpe¬ dient to answer such questions, as when the first disciples inquired, “ Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”® But even then there is no ground to suppose that the inquiry was in itself wrong. For on another occasion we find Him, in answer to a similar inquiry on their part, commu¬ nicating a lengthened prophecy designed for their * Judg. xiii. 18 j Isa. Lx. 6. ^ ] Cor. i. 30. * Acts i. E GG THE VISION instruction and guidance, as well as ours.^ We also find that Isaiah received an answer to his question—How long that Daniel knew by books the number of the years of Jerusalem’s desolation that in the very midst of several prophetic num¬ bers, it is announced that none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand,^that the entire book of Revelation was given to show unto the servants of God things which were to come to pass, and that an express blessing is pronounced on the man who should read, hear, and keep the words of that prophecy.® Let us then, in dependence on the great Propliet of the church, endeavour reverentially to inquire into the meaning of the question and answer con¬ tained in these two verses. And I observe, I. It is quite manifest that the question has reference to Jewish subjects, or in other words, to the state of the kinordom of God in Israel. The o terms daily sacrifice, &c. comprised in the question, all point to this. If the name here given to the vision had been noticed, namely, the vision of, or concerning, the daily sacrifice, &c. it might have saved sundry learned lucubrations regarding the rise of the Pishdadian dynasty,^ and calculations founded on the standing or pushing of the Medo-Persian ram. Whatever is contained in this vision, relative to kingdoms merely secular, is entirely subordinate. The church of the living God is, and must be, the ])rincipal theme, and the terms of the question, I Luke xxi. ^ Isa. vi. 11. ® Dan. ix. 1. Dan. xii. 10. “ Rev. i. 1—3. ® Sac. Cal. vol. ii. p. 1C7. OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 07 again repeat, plainly point to its condition among the Jews. II. When we refer to what we have discovered in this vision relative to this subject, one would be disposed at first sight to suppose that the question had respect to a season of unmitigated calamity. For what is said in the vision regarding the daily sacrifice, the sanctuary and the host, describes them as being taken away^ cast down^ and trodden under¬ foot, by reason of sin. But, III. We find on closer consideration, that such an idea arises from a superficial view of the sub¬ ject. These predicted calamities imply a sea¬ son of restoration, revival, and establishment of the true relision in the land of Judea, which would be previously effected. For, let us now apply the first of the keys of which I spoke in an early part of this exposition, that namely, which is furnished by the date of the vision mentioned in the first verse : and what do we find ? That date, as men¬ tioned there, was in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, consequently before the fall of that empire. Now what was the state of the people of Israel at that time? They were in captivity, their land utterly desolate, their tem¬ ple a heap of ruins, and its sacred services entirely suspended. When therefore the prophet beheld in vision another captivity, and a second scene of de¬ solating judgment, there was, of necessity, thereby implied a termination of the former. In other words, this vision comprehends and embraces a previous restoration of divine ordinances, and of the Jewish st^te, as distinctly and peremptorily, as if E 2 G8 THE VISION tlie announcement had been made to the ears of the prophet by articulated sounds, or represented to his eye by the most plain and intelligible symbols. To whatever part of the vision we turn, the same thing is forced on our attention. For, how could the Roman horn invade the glory of all lands, when no divine glory was there? How could it subvert the Jewish constitution, if that constitution had not been restored? or how could the people of Israel have cast down the truth to the ground, if that truth had not previously been exalted among them ? IV. The question then comes to be, When were these things effected ? And here we apply our second and third keys, seepp. 11 — 17 . It was not at the taking of Babylon^ hut after the seat of empire had been transferred to Shushan. The silence of the vision regarding the former event, a very remarkable circumstance,' and of which I have seen no proper explanation, seems to me to hint that this was 7iot the period contemplated; the striking symbol of Daniel in the palace of Shu^ shan, on the contrary, appears to me directly de¬ signed to point our attention to that period of Jewish history, when that place became the metro¬ polis of the empire, and when events of the most important description affecting the interests of true religion, occurred within its precincts. V. When we examine the records contained in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, of the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, and their re-establishment as a church and nation, w'e must ' When we rememher with wliat particularity the progress of the Medo-Persian arms is described in v. 4. OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 60 come to the conclusion, that, of the various periods which may be specified as forming eras in the his¬ tory of that restoration, the two signalized by the appearance of these two eminent reformers, must be considered as possessing, in the highest degree, the essential characteristics of a national revival; and that, of these two eras of reformation, that of Ezra must be regarded as peculiarly The entire history of the restoration from Baby¬ lon, comprises a period of about 127 years, from the proclamation by Cyrus to the completion of the work under Nehemiah, and is contained in the two books of scripture already mentioned. The Book of Esther is comprehended within the same period, but it does not directly relate to the Jews who returned, but to those chiefly who remained in the lands of their dispersion. It is valuable in reference to our present inquiry, as showing that Shushan had become the seat of the Persian govern¬ ment. The above history of the restoration divides itself again into two parts: the one relating to that portion of it which was accomplished under Zoro- babel and Joshua; the other to what was done under Ezra and Nehemiah. The former section occupies the first six chapters of Ezra, the latter the rest of the book and the whole of the book of Nehemiah. The whole work was accomplished under authority of commissions or decrees issued by the kings of Media and Persia.^ When we * These four decrees were in effect but two; for it is quite evident that the decree of Darius, by which the temple was completed, was nothing else than a renewal and expansion of the act of Cyrus, comp. Ezra vi. 1—12 with i. 1—4, and that 70 THE VISION examine these decrees, and the nature of the work executed under them, we find that the principal thing done during the first period was the erection of the temple, and setting forward to some extent the service of God therewith connected, and that what was accomplished during the second, besides the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its walls, which occupies so large a space in the history of Nehe- miah, was a thorough reformation of abuses in church and state, the reconstitution of both accord¬ ing to the Word of God, and care taken to pre¬ serve entire that Word, and to teach it to the people. It is to this particular feature of the work, the exaltation of the divine Word, that we attach the most especial importance. For the Word is the instrument whereby the Spirit of God works, whether in accomplishing the conversion of an indi¬ vidual, or the revival of a people. The Spirit indeed, in both cases, is the efficient agent, but he never acts without making use of the Word. Hence the introduction, or the revived acquaint¬ ance with the scriptures, must ever be an era of pre-eminent importance in the history of a people. It was so in the history of England, when Wick- Hffe gave the Bible to the common people. It was so in Scotland, in Germany, and in every country where the reformation was effected. The light of the reformation is but another term for the light of scripture. It was so in the case before us. We can conceive that the temple might have been re¬ built by Zorobabel, and that Judali might have the commission given to Nehemiah was just a carrying out of the powers conferred on Ezra. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 71 tisen into political existence, independently of any peculiar honour rendered, or regard had to the AVord of God. But what Christian does not see that the glory of both would have been wanting ? Temple services without its regulating power, would speedily decline into formality or superstition; political institutions into engines of tyranny and oppression. It is the Word of God alone which sanctifies both, and ^ireserves them from disorder. It were well if rulers both in church and state attended more to this. Now to Ezra was allotted the high honour of being employed in this most important work; the work of restoring the Word of God to its due place of authority among the Jews. They themselves acknowledge this. “ For the law, say they, was given by Moses, but it was received and restored by Ezra, after it had in a manner been extinguished and lost in the Baby¬ lonish captivity, and therefore they reckon him the second founder of it"^ In exact accordance with this view, is the account given of Ezra’s character, and the nature of the commission he received from the Persian government in the seventh chapter of his Book. In reference to the former, we there find that he was a priest of the family of Aaron, that he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, and * Prldeaux’s Con. The following curious passage occurs in Gibbon, chap. 1. confirmatory of the view here given of the respect rendered to Ezra by the Jews. “After the ruin of the temple, the faith of the Hebrew exiles was purified, fixed, and enlightened by the spiritual devotion of the synagogue, and the authority of Mahomet will not ju.stify his perpetual re¬ proach, that the Jews of Mecca or Medina adored Ezra as the Son of God.”— Koran, c. 9, 72 THE VISION that he had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel sta¬ tutes and judgments/ In reference to the latter, he is authorized and commanded by the king and his seven counsellors, as being a scribe of the law of heaven, to inquire concerning Judah and Jeru¬ salem, according to the law of his God which was in his hand / he is furnished with silver and gold to purchase animals for sacrifice at the temple, and to do with the surplus, whatever may be, after the will of his God / the vessels also given for the ser¬ vice of the house of God he is directed to deliver before the God of Jerusalem / the king's treasurers are further required to do whatever Ezra the scribe of the law of heaven may demand, as need¬ ful for the house of God / such reverence, in fact, is shown for the divine autliority and will (which are made known in his word), that in this decree issuing from a heathen government, though doubt¬ less in this instance by the special providence of God, under the influence of godly counsel, it is peremptorily ordained, that whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, should be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven / furthermore, the ministers of the temple are exempted from imposts / and finally, Ezra is cliarged in the following remarkable terms,® “ And thou, Ezra, after the wdsdom of thy God that is in thine hand, (what was that but the word of truth?) set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as * ver. 1—10. 2 j]—] 4 _ 3 yer. 15—18. ■* ver. 19. ** ver. 20—22, ver. 23, ’’ ver 24. ® ver. 25. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 73 know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.” The whole closes with the penalties to be executed on such as will not do the law of Ezra’s God, and the law of the king.^ If this decree be compared with the one issued by Cyrus,^ it will be seen at once, that however im¬ portant the latter in its own place, it cannot be compared to the one now before us, in respect of those great j^rinciples which enter into and secure the real and permanent welfare of a church and nation. The springs of a people’s true pros¬ perity are moral and religious. Righteousness exalteth a nation; and the perfect rule of righteous¬ ness is to be found in the scriptures alone. Hence those periods in a people’s history, wdien the nearest approximation is made to this infallible standard, must be regarded in the eye of enlightened reason as forming eras of the greatest importance; and on this account the time when Ezra appeared, ought to be considered as primary and fundamental in the history of the restoration of the Jewish insti¬ tutions after the Babylonish captivity. VI. These remarks acquire additional force, when we remember, that while it was the Lord’s design to restore the Jewish institutions, it was also his purpose to do so in such a way as might in the best manner prepare for the coming of Messiah. For this end, several things which had formed the peculiar visible glory of these, insti¬ tutions, prior to the Babylonish captivity, were never restored. As (1.) The temporal diadem of the house of David. (2.) The magnificence of the 1 ver. 26. a Ezra i. 1—4, 74 THE VISION temple. (3.) The two tables of the law written with the finger of God himself. (4.) The Urim and Thummim. (5.) The Shechinah, or cloud of glory over the mercy-seat. (G.) The fire from hea¬ ven upon the altar. These particulars I have ex¬ tracted from President Edwards’ work on “ the his¬ tory of redemption.” As the same admirable writer observes,—“ Thus the lights of the Old Testament go out on the approach of the Sun of righteous¬ ness.” But while things of this kind were thus removed, proportionable care seems to have been taken of the more sure word of prophecy, that Word of God which liveth and abideth, and which lie has magnified above all his name, as being the mirror in which His glory is peculiarly reflected. Prior to the captivity, copies of the scriptures ap¬ pear to have been exceedingly rare. The discovery of the book of the law seems to have been matter of surprise to the pious Josiali and his servants.^ But after the time of Ezra this evil was provided against. He it was, who, according to the united testimony of Jew's and Christians, collected toge¬ ther the various parts of the Old Testament writ¬ ings which were then extant, and made out a complete edition of them, a work in which he was undoubtedly guided by the unerring Spirit of inspiration. He was also at pains to have the people well instructed in them ; for the services of the synagogue, which continued till the days of the apostles,^ are traced to his time. And it is very Interesting, in reading the accounts of the reform¬ ation executed by him and Nehemlah, to find con- ' 2 Cliron. xxxii. 14, 18, 19. ^ See Acts xv. 21. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE, stant reference made to the aiitliorlty of the law or Word of God. Thus, in the very first step of re¬ formation recorded, namely, the separation of Israel from the heathen, with whom they had intermixed, it appears that the people themselves, by the mouth of one of their leaders, urged the commandment of God in the matter, and required that it should be done according to the law.^ Thus, again, we find the people gathering together, and desiring Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded unto Israel, to be read and ex¬ pounded to them. This accordingly was done with solemnity and care. ^ It is remarkable in the pas¬ sage, to see the pointed manner in which the Holy Spirit has adverted to what formed the great object of attention on this occasion: for we are told that the ears of all the people were “unto the book of the law:”® Ezra, it is said, “opened the book” in the sight of all the peopleand to mark their reverence for the Holy Word of God, it is added, that “when he opened it all the people stood up:” and again,® w'e are informed that the priests and Levites “caused the people to understand the law,”® and they read in the book of the law distinctly, and “gave the sense, and caused them to understand the meaning.” In like manner we are told,^ that the next day there wms another great gathering of the people unto Ezra the scribe, “ even to understand the w’ords of the law,” and having ascertained from it that the celebration of the feast of tabernacles was required, they proceeded to observe it in such i Ezra X. 3. ^ Nell. viii. 1—8. ® ver. 3. * ver. 5. * ver. 7. ® ver. 8. ^ ver. 13. 7G THE VISION a manner as had not been done “ since the days of Joshua tlie son of Nun.”^ Indeed, the whole passage, with the contexts preceding and follow¬ ing, shows that this was truly a season of spirit¬ ual revival, or of a more than ordinary effusion of the Spirit of all grace. Similar remarks are applicable to other steps in this work of reforma¬ tion. I shall simply refer to the texts which might be quoted.^ VII. It only remains, in order to connect this period with the first object seen in the vision,® to show that it coincides with the time when Shu- shan was the metropolis of the Persian empire ; and this will be easily done. For, in the first place, it is manifest, that it was the royal residence at the time Nehemiah received his commission,'* and that it was there he offered up the remarkable prayer, recorded in that chapter, which so much resembles the prayer of Daniel, chap. ix. of his book. Secondly, It is manifest, that in the time of Esther, Shushan was the chief city of the empire; for it is called the royal seat of king Ahasuerus, the place of the throne of his kingdom; ® and it was there that the wonderful things, connected with the plot of Hainan and the deliverance of the Jews, were transacted, as may be seen from that book passim. Now it does not matter, for my present purpose, whether Ahasuerus be the Xerxes or Artaxerxes Longimanus of history. The pre- * Neh. viii. 17. 2 See Nell. ix. 3, 13,14, 20, 26, 29, 34; x. 28, 29, 34, 36; xii. 24, 44—46; xiii. 1—3, 15—22, 29—31. 2 See page 7. * Nell. i. 1. Thirteen years after Ezra received his commis¬ sion, Ezra vii. 8. « Est. i. 3. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 77 vailing opinion among learned men now is, that lie was the latter, the same king as he from whom both Ezra and Nehemiah received their commis¬ sions. In either case it would follow that Shushan was the chief city of the empire before the date of Ezra’s commission; for, supposing Aliasuerus and Artaxerxes to be identical, that commission bears the date of the seventh year of the reign of the latter, whereas it appears that the great feast in the palace of Shushan took place in the third year of Ahasuerus. If Aliasuerus, again, were the Xerxes of history, the same inference would follow: for Xerxes was tlie father of Artaxerxes Longi- manus; and therefore it would follow, that at a still earlier period Shushan was the metropolis of the Persian empire. If then at a time preceding, and at a time succeeding the date of Ezra’s com- mission, Shushan was the seat of the Persian government, it follows, of necessity, in the third place, that that commission was given at a period of Persian history when the city Shushan was the metropolis of the empire, and the probability is, that it would be given at the palace of Shushan itself. But this is not expressly stated ; neither is it essentially necessary to my present point. It is enough that Shushan was at the time the seat of government and law, when the Jewish reformer received from the Persian king and his seven coun¬ sellors^ the most ample authority which he could desire, to settle every thing according to the law of his God. Taking all these things together, the question in 1 Ez vii. 12—14, 78 THE VISION verse 13 is as if it liad been put in the following terras :— How long shall be this vision, comprising the restoration of the Jewish institutions in church and state, according to the Word of God,—their only proper foundation,—thereby rendering Judea, as before, the glory of all lands,^ and under an edict issued by the Persian government; and their sub¬ sequent overthrow through the national sin in re¬ jecting that Word, and Him whom it reveals, whereby, as a people, they shall be given up to desolating judgments, and a hardened perversion of the truth V The answer is, Verse 14. “ Unto two thousand and three hun¬ dred days : then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” That these 2300 days do not mean ordinary days of twenty-four hours follows from the expo¬ sition given, which, if correct, comprehends a much longer period of time. That they mean 2300 pro¬ phetic days, i. e., 2300 solar years, will be allowed, I believe, by all expositors of prophecy; and is a thing which may now be taken for granted. I shall only add one proof, and it is sufficient. It is this: that the seventy weeks, mentioned in the prophecy contained in the next chapter (which I shall presently show to be nothing more than an ex¬ planation or enlargement of the one now before us), being reduced to days, amount to 490, Avhich are universally allowed to represent the number of solar years, which were to run from the command¬ ment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra’s com- » ver. 2, 9,10. 2 ver. 12. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 79 mission) unto the death of Messiah. The 2300 days, then, being years, ought to be counted accord¬ ing to the foregoing reasonings, from the time when Ezra received power from the Persian government to restore Israel. The ^date on which he entered upon his Avork was, it appears from Ezra vii. 9, the first day of the first month (Nisan), and in the seventh year of Artaxerxes.i corresponding to the year 458 b. c. These 2300 years therefore, according to this calculation, will terminate at the end of the present Jewish year, that is, on the 3lst March, 1843. Then, it is said, at the end of this period “ shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” This cannot mean that the beggarly elements of the Jewish law are to be restored. The words must be understood in a gospel sense. The king¬ dom of God is not in meats or drinks, but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The kingdom of God is within us. “The hour is now come,” said the great Prophet of the church, “ when neither on this mountain (of Sa¬ maria), nor at Jerusalem, shall the Father be worshipped.” That is, the ancient temple-service shall be entirely abolished, and give place to one more spiritual. Applied to the Jews, to whom the passage immediately refers, the cleansing of the sanctuary signifies their conversion to God. And this sense best agrees with the context. Eor if Israel’s sin and misery lie in rejecting tlie truth —the termination of both will consist in their sub¬ mitting to the truth ; and this is synonymous Avith conversion. The Hebrew word points to the same thing, for it means justified.^ These 2300 years 1 ver. C. a See margin. 80 THE VISION then commence with the work of revival under Ezra by means of the Word^ and their termination will be signalized by a similar but far more glorious revival by means of the same Word. The question and answer contained in these two verses, we have endeavoured to show, have respect to a period of time, which, commencing with the commission given to Ezra by the Persian govern¬ ment to re-establish the church and nation of Israel in conformity with the Word of God, should ter¬ minate in the year 1843, and be signalized by the beginning of the work of national conversion among that people. Keeping in view the exposition which has been given of the whole passage, the question may be stated in still closer accordance both with that ex¬ position and with the words in which the question itself is couched, in the following terms :— How long (or unto when) shall be the vision of (or concerning) the daily sacrifice, or the Jewish law of ceremonies,—its being taken away by the Roman power,' after being restored under autho¬ rity of the Persian government, resident at Shu- shan,® by whom an edict would be issued, ordain¬ ing that all things in the land of Israel should be done in strict accordance with the Word of God: and concerning the transgression of desolation, or (as it is in the margin) the sin making desolate,— 1 ver. 11. ® ver. 2. * The primary signification of the word y'r: seems to be re¬ volt, apostaey, rebellion (see Gesenius, Lex.), which exactly expresses the sin of the Jews, who rejected Him who was their Judge, Lawgiver, King, and Saviour, Isa. xxxiii. 22. , OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 81 the sin, namely, of the Jewish people, in crucifying and rejecting Him whom that word reveals, their own head and king,^ the end and substance of their law, and the glory of their land f in consequence of which sin, they, as a people, would be abandoned of God, left to the inveterate power of unbelief, and hardened perversion and abuse of the truth f and their national institutions, religious and civil, the sanctuary and the host (replaced as they would be in virtue of the said edict, on a scriptural foun¬ dation), would be again destroyed, and themselves and their land, and their city^ given up to be tram¬ pled under foot of men ? This paraphrase of the question contains nothing, it will be seen, but what is to be found in the vision itself, either directly or by necessary inference. It points to Jesus Christ and him crucified, the com¬ mon centre both of the Jewish law and of the Christian dispensation. It directs our attention to this great event, the death of Messiah interven¬ ing between a restoration of the Jewish state to take place after the date of the vision and those unparalleled judgments, which have, since that event, come upon them as a people. It therefore at once suggests \\\q prhnary cause of these judg¬ ments—the sin of the Jews in not believing the testimony of Moses and the prophets concerning Him who was to come,^ and consequence it points to the period when the sacred deposit of divine truth was recommitted to their care. And thus we are naturally, and, I think, necessarily led to * vcr. 11. 2 vcr. 9. ’ ver. 12. '• ver. 9, 11. ® See John v. 46, 47. F 82 > THE VISION the time when Ezra was raised up for the express work of restoring tlie written word, as the proper commencement of this vision, in so far as it relates to Israel. And with this conclusion the first object or symbol seen in the vision entirely coincides, re¬ presenting, as it does, the conjunction of Israel with Persia, and pointing to the period and place, when, and from whence, the mandate was issued for Israel’s reformation and re-establishnient accordin» o to that "Word. I might expatiate at great length on the incom¬ parable importance of this work committed to Ezra, and followed out by Nehemiah, rulers in church and state, thus concurring, as they ought always to do, and as has sometimes happily been the case in our own country, “ to manteine, set fordward, and establish the most blissit word of God.”^ But enough has been said to prove that of all other periods this is the one which deserves the name of a national resurrection. I shall there¬ fore only observe farther, that there is a jjeculiar propriety and harmony in this period, forming the first part of the great epoch of 2300 years of Jew¬ ish history, seeing it is to close with their conver¬ sion to the faith of Christ. The Word of God, the great instrument by which the Lord accom¬ plishes his wonders of grace in this fallen world, is thus made to occupy that place of importance which belongs to it, at the commencement and ter¬ mination of this epoch, while the intermediate space of judgment consequent upon the fall of « 1 First Covenant for the Reformation of Religion in Seot- land, 3rd Dee., 15.57. or THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 83 Israel through unbelief, is filled up with the me- ' lancholy but just retribution which this sin brought upon them—their being permitted, as they have been doing for 1800 years, “to cast down the truth to the ground.” I have said, that the “cleansing of the sanc¬ tuary,” the particular thing specified in the answer, to take place at the end of the 2300 years, cannot mean the restoration of the Jewish temple and sacrifices according to the law of Moses; for this would be to contradict both Old and New Testa¬ ment, and to disparage, and even render void, the work of Messiah; though some calling themselves Christians have, strange to say, indulged in such carnal speculations.^ The terms “ daily sacrifice ” and “ sanctuary,’’ though in the preceding exposi¬ tion understood as referring to the very things to which they point, I have also considered as inclu¬ sive of the religious institutions of the Jews in general. When, therefore, it is said that “ the sanctuary shall be cleansed,” or, as the word is, “ made right or just,”^ I understand the expres¬ sion to be equivalent to a reformation of the Jew’- ish religion. And it will be observed, that this is in perfect accordance with the leading view given of the state of this people in the context. Their * The Epistle to the Galatians ought for ever to settle this point. * Gescnius understands the words 'Cip the sanctuary shall be justified, in the sense of its being vindicated, or its honour maintained. But the whole context shows that its honour had been lost, and justly lost, on account of sin. This cause of desolation must, therefore, first be removed, and then the Lord will come and plead for his people. 84 THE VISION sin and misery lie in their rejection of the truth. They have the Word of the living God in their hands, and it is read in their synagogues to this day, and yet they will not believe it. They are guilty, like the Papists, of the daring impiety of mixing up therewith the inventions of men, and of assigning to human tradition an authority equal to that of scripture. And this in other w’ords is saying, that the scripture is practically despised and corrupted by them. For, if men place any thing else on a footing with it, they degrade it from the supremacy w'hich it claims, and those who do so shall infallibly be punished by being left to the inroads of dangerous error. For Satan and carnal reason will immediately occupy the place which should have been filled up exclusively with divine truth. We see and pity the deluded Pa¬ pists, who, forsaking the only fountain of living water, have been cai’ried away by a flood of the most pernicious errors; and not less miserable is the case of the Jews, who, possessed as they are of the very truth, have overlaid and smothered it with a mass of traditionary fables.^ They hold the lamp of life in their hands, but the light is obscured and hid by the covering which their Rab¬ bles have drawn over it. The Sun of Righteous¬ ness is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures as well as the New; but these exhalations which have arisen from the earth, have overspread the * Tit. i. 14, “ Not giving lieed to Jewisli fables and com¬ mandments of men, which turn from the truth.” From the Apostles’ days to the present this has been the character and tendency of the Jewish religion. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 85 whole firmament, eclipsing from their view the glorious object which shines there. “But there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.” The Bible is full of the most precious promises with reference to them as a people. And the declaration before us is one out of a multitude uttered by Him who cannot lie. The first step preparatory to the cleansing of the Jewish sanctuary, or the reformation of reli¬ gion among that people, will, undoubtedly, be the separation of that load of Talmudical falsehood, of which we have been speaking, from the Truth of God. And it is certainly a most remarkable cir¬ cumstance, that this process seems to be going on at the present moment. Both in England and on the Continent Judaism is breaking up: and the Jews are now distinctly divisible into two great classes, the Rabbinical and the Reformed. The latter, no doubt, are in many instances influenced by other motives than regard to the Word of God in making the change; and to human eye there appears to be great danger of a general prevalence of infidelity among them. But if the Lord’s time to favour Zion be at hand he will watch over his own truth, and render these movements subservient to his purposes of mercy towards the house of Israel. And so in this view it may turn out that “ the shaking among the dry bones,” which precedes their resurrection to life, may have already begun. The work, however, will be efiected by the Spirit himself accompanying the truth, as that passage in Ezekiel, to which I have referred, and * Ezek. xxxvii. 8C THE VISION all scripture, abundantly proves. He it is who leads into all truth, revealing Christ therein. "When He comes, he will not only enable the Jews to dis¬ criminate truth from error; but to reject the one and embrace the other. And thus the foundation will be laid for a thorough reformation of religion among them, and for their resuscitation as God’s covenant people. For while the cleansing of the sanctuary symbolizes, more especially, a true spiri¬ tual revival of religion, yet this is a mercy which never fails to draw along with it in its train a crowd of blessings. And in reference to Israel, as a nation, this holds peculiarly true. For God’s covenant with their fathers is not annulled, as the apostle ex¬ pressly declares,^ though the blessings secured to their posterity will now be administered to them in a manner adapted to the new and better dis¬ pensation. But I here find myself brought to the verge of a subject too vast to be discussed on the present occasion. The predictions of the word of God, regarding the future history of Israel, are so nu¬ merous and complicated, that a separate treatise would be necessary to give a suitable view of them. Such a work is still a desideratum, and might well occupy the labours of some judicious hand. I may just state my full conviction that the work of conversion having begun, “the Kirk of the Jews” (to use Rutherford’s expression) having- been reformed, or in process of reformation, the sanctuary being cleansed, matters will not stop there. There will be a glorious national restora- 1 Rom, xi. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 87 tion too. The land itself, married unto the Lord,^ shall be remembered by him when he remembers his covenant with the ancestors of his people;® and it too shall be cleansed from the intrusion of stran¬ gers. The waters of Euphrates must be dried up,® that the redeemed people may pass over, and take possession of their own inheritance. Jerusa¬ lem, so long trodden under foot of the Gentiles,^ shall likewise be delivered from foreign oppression, and being cleansed from all its impurities, inhabited by a holy people, on whom the Spirit of grace shall have been copiously poured out.® Governed by men full of the Holy Ghost, as that passage de¬ clares, it shall emphatically become a “ city of righteousness.”® Indeed the whole of these things may be fairly inferred from the vision before us. For if the departure of the glory from their land,^ the uprooting of their institutions, civil and sacred,® their expulsion from their inheritance,® and the desolation of their city and country, have all come upon them because of sin,^® may it not be expected, that when the sin is pardoned, and the curse with¬ drawn, these forfeited blessings shall be restored and given back with increase ? The reason of the thing, the immutability of God’s covenant. His superabounding grace, and the strain of scripture prophecy, all appear to me to answer this question in the affirmative. Verses 15,—19. “And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for ^ Isa. Ixii. 4. 2 xxvi. 42. * Rev. xvi. 12. ^ Luke xxi. 24. ® Zeeh. xii. 10. « Isa. i. 2G. ^ ver. 9. ® ver. 11. ® ver. 12. 1 ° ver. 12. 88 TUE VISION the meaning, then, hehold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the hanks (^Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vi¬ sion. So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, 0 son of man ; for at the time of the end shall he the Ausion. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation; for at the time appointed the end shall he” These verses introduce the rehearsal of the vision, which we have in the afterpart of the chapter. 1. I beg particular attention to the fact, that Daniel sought for the meaning of the vision, and that an angel was sent oh purpose to explain it to him; for he who was sent received the command, “Make this man to understand the vision.”^ When he came near he addressed Daniel thus: “Understand, for at the time of the end shall he the vision;”^ and again he said, “Behold, I Avill make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation; for at the time appointed the end shall he.”^ I do not at pre¬ sent refer to this circumstance as giving us a war¬ rant to make a similar inquiry, although I think this is an inference which we may legitimately draw' from it; but as affording, what I w'ould again call a keg, to open up the connection subsisting betwixt this chapter and the ninth. ' VCT. 16. ; 2 17^ 3 ycr. 19. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 89 2. For a similar purpose let it be noted, that Gabriel Avas the angel who received this coinmis- sion.^ 3. The expression “the time of the end,”-^ is one which we shall repeatedly meet with. I do not think it always refers to one and the same period ; hut that its meaning must he determined by the par¬ ticular subject with which it stands connected. On the present occasion, it is as if the angel had said, “ Understand, O son of man, the vision, in its most important particulars, relates to times far distant— to the times of Messiah.” These, in the New Tes¬ tament, are frequently spoken of as “ the last days.”* . 4. It appears, however, that what Gabriel had more especially in view, in his communication, was the closing events of the vision : “ Behold, I will make thee know what shall he in the last end of the indignation.”* This undoubtedly refers to the punitive anger of God against Israel for their sin, which forms the burden of the vision so far as re¬ gards them nationally. But the vision itself showed that this anger would be turned away,® as is almost invariably the case throughout the prophets, even when charged with the heaviest denunciations of wrath against that people—mercy is made to re¬ joice over judgment. And as will be seen imme¬ diately, what he is still more particularly commis¬ sioned to reveal, is the destruction of that enemy of Daniel’s people, whom God employed as his instrument in punishing them. That enemy the 1 ver. 16. 3 ver. 17. ^ Heb. i. 2; ix. 26; 1 John ii. 18. ^ ver. 19. ® ver. 14. 90 THE VISION vision had left “doing and prospering.It there¬ fore became needful, for the prophet’s comfort, to be informed that “ he would be broken with¬ out hand.”^ For the further confirmation of this it is added, “for at the time appointed the end shall be.” That is, “the end of the indignation” shall be at a definite period: it is not left in loose uncertain¬ ty. However long the enemy may prevail, he shall come to his end at the time which the Lord has fore¬ ordained. Indeed, I think “the time appointed” refers expressly to the 2300 years of the vision, at the termination of which Israel is to be saved, and their enemies to perish.”® The angel proceeds to expound the vision in the verses following, which we have in part anticipated. Verses 20—22. “Theram which thousawesthav¬ ing horns arg the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.” These verses contain a plain historical narration, and do not require any additional remark, besides what has already been given in the earlier part of the exposition. Verse 23. “ And in the latter end of their king¬ dom, when transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sen¬ tences, shall stand up.” We have in this, and the two following verses, the leading characteristics set forth, of that power 1 ver. ]-2. 2 ver. 25. a Jcr. xlvi. 27, 28. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 91 whose acliievements in the East are described under the symbol of a little horn waxing great, namely, the Roman power. I have already noticed the time when it would appear, or stand up, as it is here expressed—in the latter end of the king¬ doms of Alexander’s successors. ‘ One would think it impossible to resist the plain declaration which is here given, almost in as many words, that the king of fierce countenance is the Roman repub¬ lic, for what other power appeared at this particu¬ lar time, no one can tell. The manner in which Mr. Faber gets over the difficulty which this presents in the way of his theory, is exceedingly curious. He first of all translates the word (which we have in our version, “latter end,” and which is the very same word that occurs, ver. 19, there translated, “last end” of the indignation), he first changes, I say, the translation into “hinder part,” for thus he writes: “The kingdom symbolized by the little horn, is to rise up in the hinder part of the Grecian empire.”^ Then he adds by way of explana¬ tion, “ Or in the region behind the territories which constitute that empire.” Which two statements contain neither more nor less than a flat contradic¬ tion in terms. For, how is it possible that one thing can form a part of another thing, and yet be “ behind,” or as he afterwards expresses it, “ with¬ out the limits” of that very thing? It might as well be said, that it was possible for a point to be both within and without a circle, at one and the same time. Mr. Faber’s translation and comment, there- > Compare first clause of verse 23 with the last clause of verse 22. ^ Vol. ii. p. 146. 92 TUE VISION fore, mutually demolish each other, that is to say, they have no meaning at all. Or if he chooses to withdraw the comment, retaining the translation, though not a very elegant one, “ hinder part of their kingdom,” then must we look for the rise of the king of fierce countenance, at a time when at least some part of the kingdoms of Alexander’s suc¬ cessors w’as to be found. But they had all disaji- peared long before the days of Mahomet. Conse¬ quently, the idea of his Mahomedan “ little horn, budding out of the conspicuous Syrian horn,” is a pure fancy of the learned author. The wonder is, that any one acquainted with the plain and stub- *born facts of liistory should have fallen into such an anachronism. The Syrian monarchy was destroyed by Pompey about GO years before Christ. Maho¬ met appeared 600 years after Christ. So that the Syrian horn at the period which Mr. Faber bas fixed for the rise of the little horn, so far from being “ the conspicuous Syrian horn,” was no horn at all. Its power w’as gone, it had ceased to exist, centuries before! I have thus beendravvn into a repetition of aformer argument, by Mr. Faber’s interpretation of the first clause of the verse before us. And as many have, I believe, been led to adopt his views on the sub¬ ject, I take the opportunity of noticing another extraordinary result, to which his erroneous theory has conducted this respectable author. It relates to the progress of the power symbolized by the little horn, and the king of fierce countenance. This progress was to be first towards the “south,” next towards the “east.”' But before this, first of all ' ver. 9 . OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 93 it is seen, as Mr. Faber will have it, “budding out of the conspicuous Syrian horn,” having become, as he says, a horn of the he-goat, by its invasion and conquest of Syria, between the years G29 and 639 A.D. According to the vision, the first step of its progress after this, should have been “ southwards.” But what is Mr. Faber’s account of the movement to the “ south ?” Why, he makes it to consist in the extension of Mahomedan conquest “over the large peninsula of Arabia,” &c.l: Now, it so happens that Arabia was conquered, or owned submission to the impostor during Mahomet’s own lifetime; whereas Syria, with a small exception, was not conquered till after his death. So that the little horn should have been described, first of all, as waxing great towards the south (Arabia), and then “ budding out of tbe conspicuous Syrian horn:” this is in the reverse order to what Daniel beheld in the vision. In other words, Mr. Faber’s theory contradicts the vision, and what is more, it contradicts itself. For as the horn is evidently first seen in the act of budding forth from the other horn, to say that its progress southward in Arabia (which had pre¬ viously taken place) was seen in the vision, is equi¬ valent to saying, that this part of the course of the horn was seen while the horn itself was invisible ! If it be said that the conquest of Egypt was subsequent to that of Syria, and that this was to the south of the latter country, we find ourselves involved in equal perplexity. For the conquest of Egypt, and other parts of Africa, did not take ])lace till after the Arabs liad got possession of 1 Vol. ii. 149. 94 THE VISION Jerusalem. Now, Mr. Faber holds, that the plea¬ sant land in verse 9 means, or at least includes Palestine.' But the invasion of the pleasant land, it will be observed, is the last step in the progress of the horn. It is therefore posterior to the move¬ ment southward; consequently Egypt cannot be the country intended in the vision; for history declares, as we have just seen, that the conquest of that country did not precede^ but followed the taking of Jerusalem, which was in the year of our Lord 637. Finally, if any one alleges that by the plea¬ sant land is meant not Palestine in particular, but the territory in general occupied by the Christian church, to punish which the sword of the Saracens was unsheathed; then I answer, that the pleasant land, instead of being mentioned last, should have been mentioned first ;’because after they issued from Arabia, their first conquests were in Syria, and Syria was then a part of the professedly Christian world. In short, a theory containing so many con¬ tradictions is evidently quite untenable; but I shall not consider the time lost which has thus been occupied in exposing them, if the effect shall be to set off, in the way of contrast, the easy and natural, and as I humbly believe, conclusive application given in an earlier part of this work, of the rise and progress of the little horn, to the rise and progress of Poman dominion in Greece and Asia. Before dismissing the clause under review, I must advert to the interpretation given of it by a higlily respected author, the Rev. Dr. Keith, ^ Page 149. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 95 whose opinions on subjects of prophecy are justly entitled to the utmost consideration. He retains the words of our version, “ in the latter time of their kingdom,” and explains them to mean “ at a remote period from its commencement,” and out of one of them Mahomedanism arose.‘ He then fixes its birth-place in the words of Gib¬ bon : “ When Mahomet erected his holy stan¬ dard, Yemen was a province of the Persian em¬ pire and adds, “ without a question, as without a rival, Mahomedanism has been the exceeding great, and prospering, and prevailing power, over the countries that formed the various kingdoms which succeeded to the Grecian empire, under Alexander the conqueror of Persia.” Then, as to its course, he says, “originating and rapidly extend¬ ing in Arabia on the south, it soon spread over Assyria on the east and Palestine or i\\e pleasant land.” The first thing to be noticed here is, that Dr. Keith considers the Persian empire of which Gib¬ bon speaks, as one of the kingdoms of Alexander’s successors, being that one out of which Mahome¬ danism sprung. But such a mode of interpretation would, as I humbly think, go to sweep away the landmarks of history, as well as the distinctive character of prophetic symbols. For what are the facts of the case? Alexander’s vast dominions were divided into four kingdoms in 301 b. c. Of these, that of Syria comprehended the countries to the east of the Euphrates, and among the rest Persia. These countries continued for some time under the 1 Signs of the Times, vol. i. p. 35’ 96 THE VISION dynasty of the Seleucid^, but at length threw oflf their yoke, and in 256 b. c. the Parthian monarchy was formed under Arsaces. This kingdom continued for nearly five centuries, namely, till 226 a. c. when a new Persian monarchy was formed under the dynasty of the Sassanidte. This kingdom continued till 651 A. c., when it was finally sub¬ dued by the Mahomedans. It was during tlie existence of this last monarchy, which had extended its conquests into part of Arabia, and under the reign of Chosroes II., whose name is mentioned by Gibbon in the passage from which Dr. Keith quotes, that Mahomet erected the standard of Islam. Now, the theory on which I am at present animad¬ verting involves, it will be seen, the idea, that the Persian kingdom of Chosroes was identical with the Syrian kingdom of Seleucus. For it is out of the Syrian horn, according to Dr. Keith, that the little horn comes; for it was the Syrian kingdom which comprehended Persia, as we have seen, and other countries to the east of the Euphrates: and of Persia, again, Yemen in Arabia was a province at the time when Mahomet appeared. But such identity as this is evidently out of the question. It overleaps entirely the two great intermediate revo¬ lutions—the rise of the Parthian and Persian monarchies; or, you suppose the Syrian horn to have existed long after it had been broken in pieces by the Romans, by a sort of transmutation first into a Parthian, and then into a Persian horn. A single sentence of Gibbon is sufl&cient to overthrow the idea, that Mahomedanism sprang from the kingdom of Alexander's successors in OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 97 Syria. When speaking of the conquests of Aleppo, Antioch, &c. by the Saracens in G38 A. c. he says, “ And Syria bowed under the sceptre of the caliplis seven hundred years, after Pompey liad despoiled the last of the Macedonian kings.” The extensive diffusion of Mahomedanism, “over the countries that formed the various kingdoms which succeeded the Grecian empire under Alex¬ ander,” which is the next ground on wliich Dr. Keith rests his theory, thougli true as a matter of fact in reference to the territories constituting these countries, yet does not hold good in reference to the ruling power of these countries, and it is with these that prophetic symbols have principally to do; and thus, by this oversight, the scheme of prophecy is in one important particular subverted. According to that scheme, only four kingdoms, or empires, are supposed to arise in connection with the history of the church, the Babylonian, Per¬ sian, Macedonian, and Roman; the latter, in its Antichristian state, being considered as a continua¬ tion of what it was when Pagan. What place, then, does Rome occupy in the theory under re¬ view’ ? It does not appear at all. Dr. Keith traces the succession of Persian and Macedonian domin¬ ion, down to the kingdom of Alexander’s succes¬ sors, and then brings the Saracens on the field. But see how different the account is, which we have of tlie course of historical events in the seventh chap¬ ter of Daniel. After describing the first three empires under the figures of a lion, a bear, and a leopard, the latter, w’lth the accompaniment of a symbol designed to represent the division of the Macedonian empire into four kingdoms, we have G 98 THE VISION next the figure of the Roman empire,^ as the fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, &c. and it is added, “it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it.” That is to say in plain words, it sub¬ dued the rest of the beasts, its predecessors. To the same efiect speaks the expounding angel,and still more expressly : “ The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall break it down and tread it in pieces.”® The whole earth includes at least the prophetic earth, the scene of this vision, and by consequence the Macedonian empire, with its sub¬ divisions, is, according to this symbolic calendar, considered as at an end. And so we are told in as many words.bAs concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, though, it is added, their lives were prolonged for a season and time ; that is, though stripped of their power, they would still continue ungodly and idolatrous nations, or beasts, until a set period. Now, this entire stripping of Macedon of its power is wholly left out of Dr. Keith’s theory, and instead of Rome, Arabia is brought forward, as if it constituted the fourth great empire. But no place is found for it in the dllferent parts of the great image; no place is assigned it among the four beasts; and therefore we might just as well substi¬ tute the empire of Genghis Khan, as of Mahomet, in the place of Roman conquest in the east. The last thingto be noticed in Dr. Keith’s theorv. is what he says regarding i\\e course ofMahomedan * ver. 7. * ver. 19. * ver. 23. ver. 12. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 90 conquest. He makes it first to extend southward, in Arabia, next over Assyria in the east. Now, I find from history, that after the Arabian tribes became united under the standard of Mahomet, the first conquests of this new power were in Syria, which lies straight north from Arabia. The theory, therefore, is incorrect in this respect also,^ I do not mean again to touch upon the opinion which I have now and in an earlier part of the work been controverting, and which I am surprised so many able and learned men should have been led to entertain, that the little horn, or the king of fierce countenance, represents Maliomedanism. Enough has been said, I trust, to set it aside and to establish another interpretation. Before finally leaving the subject, however, and resuming the train of our expository remarks, I wish to make one other observation with reference to the general character¬ istics of this power; and it is this, that it is not at all wonderful that writers on prophecy should have found several marked points of resemblance betwixt this power, as described in the chapter before us, and Maliomedanism. For this false religion, and the earthly carnal power with which it was con¬ nected, owe their origin to Satan; and the whole of Satan’s devices are reducible to two principles, * In the first year of the first caliph Abubeker, Syria and Per.sia seem to have been simultaneously invaded. But the conquest of the former was more speedily completed than of the latter. The broad lines of Arabian conquest may be stated thus; Arabia itself subdued by Mahomet, A. D. 622 to 632. Syria under the caliph Abubeker, G32 to 6.39. Persia under him and the caliph Omar, - 632 to 651. Egypt,. 638. Afrio.a,. 637. G 2 100 TUE VISION force and frauds and these two directed against the church of God. We shall immediately see that these are the two leading features of the “ king," or power about to be described; and while we hope to show, that in every particular the description answers to Rome, it need not surprise us though in some particulars we are reminded of Mahomet, or of some other minister of the great adversary. Another note of the time when the “ king of fierce countenance” would stand up, is given in the next clause of the verse under consideration. “ And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the trans¬ gressors are come to the full, a king of fierce coun- tenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up." It would be when “ transgressors were come to the full.” Connecting this with the clause which goes before, it points to the crimes which would abound in the Macedonian kingdoms; but as the same power was destined to be tbe instrument of punishing God’s professing people, and as their sin is particularly spoken of in the vision, I think the words may be fairly considered as inclusive of them. We have already spoken of the latter point, and need not here recur to it except to say, that at the time the Roman power made its appearance in the east, the sins of the Jews were only coming to the full. Hence, they were at first only jyartially punished. “ The horn cast down some of the host,” &C.1 They did not ripen to complete maturity till the time of Messiah himself, when, to use the Lord’s own language, “ they filled up the measure of their fathers.”'"* M^ith regard to the extreme wickedness wliich 1 ver. 10. * Matt, xxiii. 32. OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. iOl prevailed among tlie successors of Alexander, at the time of the extinction of their power by the Romans, the following quotation from Rollin, who writes their history, may be considered sufficient evidence: “I doubt not but the reader, as well as myself, is • struck with horror at the sight of so dreadful a scene as our history has for some time exhibited. It furnishes us no where with such frequent and sudden revolutions, nor with so many example.s of kings dethroned, betrayed, and murdered by their nearest relations, their brothers, sons, mothers, wives, friends and confidants, who all in cold blood, with premeditated design, reflection, and concerted policy, employ the most odious and the most inhu¬ man means to efiect their purpose. Never was the anger of heaven more distinctly visible, nor more dreadfully inflicted, than upon these princes and nations. We see here a sad complication of the blackest and most detestable crimes; perfidy, im¬ posture of heirs, divorces, murders, poisoning, incest. Princes on a sudden becoming monsters, vying in treachery and wickedness with each other; attain¬ ing crowns with rapidity, and disappearing as soon, reigning only to satiate their passions, and to ren¬ der their people unhappy. Such a situation of a kingdom, wherein all orders in the state in confu¬ sion, all laws despised, justice abolished, all crimes secure of impunity, denotes approaching ruin, and seems to call for it with the loudest exclamations.” The minister of vengeance comes now to be de¬ scribed: “A king of fierce countenance, and under¬ standing dark sentences, shall stand up.” I am to show that these characteristics apply to ancient Rome. ]02 THE VISION AVith respect to the first there can be no diffi. culty; no one in the least degree acquainted with Roman history will deny it. In Roman estimation, says the historian of the republic, to whom we have already been so much indebted, “ valour was the principal quality of human nature.” Virtue and valour were with them synonymous. Military vir¬ tue especially was held in the highest esteem. They were pre-eminently a warlike people. To this the description evidently points. So essentially military was the Roman state, that the people, when assem¬ blies were held, “ were distinguished in their classes by their ensigns and arms, and though called toge¬ ther on political affairs, were termed the army.” ^ The place too where the consuls were chosen, was termed Campus Martius. It is a curious circum¬ stance, as indicative of the belligerent spirit of the Romans, that a short time before they became known in Greece, the temple of Janus had been shut for the first time since the reign of Numa, a period of about 450 j’^ears.* “The state,” says Fer¬ guson, “in these wars, presented itself to the nations around as a horde of warriors wdio had made and preserved their acquisitions by force, and who never betrayed any signs of weakness in the for¬ eign wars they had to maintain.^ Even under 1 Ferguson, b. i. c. i. ^ The temple of Janus was shut when the Romans were at peace. ® The text describes the aspect of Rome when slie first appeared on the Grecian territory. It is curious to find tlie very same description given by Horace: “ Groseia capta ferum victorem cepit, et artes Intulit agresti Latio.” Quoted by Kennet in his Antiquities of Rome : “ Captive Greece took captive its fierce victor, and introduced the arts into rustic Latium.” OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 103 reverses they displayed the most indomitable spirit. “ The Romans,” says the same author, “ whether from national spirit or policy, declined entering on negotiations or treaties, in consequence of defeats. They spurned the advances of a victorious enemy.”i Their answer to proposals for peace, made by Per¬ seus king of Macedon, after a victory gained by tlie latter, was, “ He must submit at discretion.” The fierce countenance of Rome was likewise finally illustrated in their conduct, after the disastrous defeat they sustained from Hannibal at Cannas, when the senate went forth, says the historian, to meet their routed general, and overlooking his temerity and misconduct in the action, “ they at¬ tended only to the undaunted aspect he preserved after his defeat; returned him thanks for not having despaired of the commonwealth; and from thence¬ forward continued their preparations for war, with all the dignity and pride of the most prosperous fortune.” But it is unnecessary to enlarge on this point. I therefore conclude by referring to a better testimony still, that of Deut. xxviii. 50, Tlie author above referred to, in liis essay on Roman learn¬ ing, says, “ Whosoever considers the strange beginning of the Roman state, will think it no wonder that the people in that early age should have a kind of fierceness, or rather wildness in their temper, utterly averse to every thing that was polite and agreeable. This savage disposition, by degrees, turned into a rigid severity, which encouraged them to rely solely on the force of their native virtue and honour, without being beholden to the advantages of art, &c. espeeially when they found that their exact discipline, and unconquered resolution, rendered them masters of nations much more knowing than themselves.” The fierce countenance is well depicted here. So also Livy: “ In adversis vultum secundaj fortunse gerere, moderari animos in seeundis:” quoted by Ferguson, b. i. c. vi. * B. i. c. vii. 104 THE VISION where in a passage which the context shows the Homans are the people referred to, they are de¬ scribed under the same character as a “ nation of fierce countenance.^ The second characteristic of the power here men¬ tioned is “ understanding dark sentences.” One is immediately reminded here of the Sybilline books, which formed such an important engine of Roman state policy, throughout the whole period from the time of the kings to that of the emperors. Says Prideaux, “After the dissolution of the regal power, the commonwealth continued the same regard to these books, and craftily made them a main engine of state, in the ensuing government, for the quiet¬ ing of the people in all disturbances that ever hap¬ pened among them. For whenever any great mis¬ fortune beset them, any prodigies appeared to fright them, or any accident or occasion made a ruffle or disorder among the people, these books were or¬ dered to be consulted, and the keepers of them always brought forth such an answer as suited the purpose. And therefore, there was nothing among the Romans which they kept with more strict and sacred care than these books, that thereby the use of them might be made the better to answer the end designed.” But while the w'ords here used, naturally remind us of this peculiar instrument of Roman policy, I would not limit them to it. In the former clause, their warlike character was described; here I think a reference is made, in general^ to their supersti¬ tion, for which they were equally remarkable. Speaking of the state and character of the Romans, 1 The Hebrew in both cases is the same, ss'o: vj OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 105 at the time when the war with Macedon broke out, Ferguson writes—“To the simplicity of the Roman manners, in other respects, and to the ability of the most accomplished councils of state, was joined a very gross superstition, which led to many acts of absurdity and cruelty.Our wise philosopher little knew that in these acts homage was rendered to Satan the god of this fallen world. The sentence which follows contains a cunning insinuation against all religion, which it does not at present lie in my way to expose. He afterwards adds, “ They (the Roman senate) attended to the numberless prodigies which were annually collected, and to the charms that were suggested to avert the evils which these pro¬ digies were supposed to presage, no less than they did to the most serious affairs of the commonwealth. (They understood the dark languages uttered by these prodigies, and such importance did they attacli to the equally dark methods employed to avert the threatened evils, that) “ They frequently seemed to impute their distresses more to the neglect of super¬ stitious rites, than to the misconduct of their offi¬ cers, or to the superiority of their enemies.” Fabius, to whose good conduct the republic was so much indebted, he mentions as having been remarkable for his careful observation of these preternatural phenomena; and “even Scipio,” he adds, “ is said to have been influenced by his dreams, and to have pretended to special revelations.” This spirit, which seems to have so thoroughly pervaded the Roman chai'acter, is traceable to an early period of their history, and owed much of its strength as a national charaeteristic to the reign 1 B. i. c. vi. lOG THE VISION and to the religions institutions of Numa. The fol¬ lowing account of him is worthy of transcription, w'ith a view to illustrate our present subject. It is taken from Vertot: Revolutions de Rome, liv. i. “ II travailla pendant tout son regne, a la favour d’une longue paix, a tourner les esprits du cote de la religion, et a inspirer aux Remains une grande crainte des dieux. II batit de nouveaux temples, il institua des fetes; et comme les reponses des oracles et les predictions des augures et des arus- pices faisoient toute la religion de ce people gros- sier,‘ il n’eut pas de peine a lui persuader que des divinites, qui predisoient ce qui devoit arriver d’heureux ou de malhereux, pouvaient bien etre la cause du bonheur ou du malheur qu’ils annonebient: la veneration pour ces etres superieurs, d’autant plus redoutables qu’ils etoient plus inconnus, fut une suite de ces presages. Rome se remplit insen- siblement de superstitions; la politique les adopta et s’ en servit utilement pour tenir dans la soumis- sion un people encore feroce.® Il ne fut meme plus jiermis de rien entreprendre qui concernat les aifaires d’ etat sans consulter les fausses divinites; et Numa, pour autoriser ces pieuses institutions, et s’ attirer le respect du people, feignit de les ‘ avoir reyues d’une nymphe appelee Egerie, qui lui avoit revele, disoit il, la maniere dont les dieux vouloient etre servis.®”'^ 1 What is this, hut just the dark sentences, enigmas, or rid¬ dles of our text? * AVhat have we here again in this last expression, hut our former clause, “ the fierce countenance the ferocity render¬ ing the superstition necessary as an engine of state ? 3 This continued to he a leading characteristic of the Roman government, even to the times of the empire. “ The pontiffs,” says Gihhon, were chosen among the most illustrious of the OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE, 107 I might add a great deal more on this head ; but enough has, I trust, been brought forward to evince the applicability of the words before us to the Roman republic. Ferguson strikingly expresses this feature of its public character in a single sen¬ tence, when speaking of the divisions of the people into various classes, and their manner of holding their meetings; he concludes by saying,—“ The augurs, therefore, had a negative in the proceed¬ ings of the people. ^ I close my illustrations of these two clauses by the following quotation, from Napier’s curious and interesting work on the Book of Revelation, which admirably, and in few words, expresses the two features of Roman character which we have been senators; and the office of supreme pontiff.was constantl}' exercised by the emperors themselves.” Gibbon’s Rome, c. ii. 4 Translation. —“ He laboured during his whole reign, fav¬ oured by a long peace, to turn the public mind to the side of religion, and to inspire the Romans with a great fear of the gods. He built new temples, he instituted feasts; and as the answers of the oracles, and the predictions of the auguries and soothsayers, constituted all the religion of this rude people, he had no trouble in persuading them, that gods, who predicted what should happen of good or evil, might well be the cause of the good or evil which they announced: veneration for these superior beings, so much the more formidable that they were unknown, was a consequence of these presages. Rome was insensibly filled with superstitions; the state adopted them, and made use of them, to hold in submission a people still fierce. It was no longer even permitted to undertake any thing which concerned the affairs of the state, without consulting the false divinities; and Numa, to authorize these worthy insti¬ tutions, and to draw upon himself the respect of the people, feigned to have received them from a nymph called Egeria, who had revealed to him, said he, the manner in which the gods wished to be served.” 1 B. i. c. i. The same author says, “ The authority of states¬ man, augur, and priest, was united in the same person, or the same orders of men. ” 108 THE VISION considering; though his remarks have reference to another portion of scripture. “ It pleased God,” says he, “ to permit the Ro¬ mans, by their devilish auguries, oracles, sorceries, and bloodshed, to obtain the whole monarchie of the earth, to the wrack of other godless people, and at length of themselves.” Verse 24. “ And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully; and shall prosper and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.” I stated above, that Satan’s artillery was made up of these two, force and fraud, and we have already seen that they constituted the two lead¬ ing features of the Roman state ; their stout heart¬ edness, or fierceness of countenance, rendering them fit instruments to be employed by him in his destructive designs against mankind at large, and more particularly against the church; and their religion, or superstition, being nothing bet¬ ter than a system of imposture and deception, fitted to keep together a rude people, by at once overawing and animating their minds; while both qualities, although common in a greater or less degree to corrupt human nature, yet undoubtedly owed much of their strength and intensity, in their case, to his peculiar agency, who is a liar and mur¬ derer from the beginning; and in whose deep machinations against the cause of God, the Roman power, throughout the long period of its existence, even to the present day, was constructed with a special eye by that sagacious adversary to the in¬ jury and overthrow of true religion. It is to this, I conceive, that the first part of OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 109 the verse before us refers. “ And his power sliall be mighty, but not by his own power.” Tlie power of Rome none will deny; but that this power is to be traced to the devil, is what many will be dis¬ posed to question. But we must be content to take the testimony of God in this and every other matter. What then saith the scripture? First of all, it denominates Satan, by reason of the sin of man, the god of this tcorld; a very strong expres¬ sion, implying power and dominion over the whole race. 2dly, We find Satan, in virtue of this sove¬ reignty, ofiering all the kingdoms of the world to our Lord, in hopes of presenting that which might have stirred up earthly ambition in his human nature; but he found nothing in Him on which to work. 3dly, And more particularly with reference to Rome, we find (1.) Pagan Rome^ so described, as to make it nothing else than a personification of the devil,® and the symbol is so constructed as to include Papal Rome, likewise, in the representation.® (2.) The power and the lies of Popery are expressly ascribed to Satan/ (3dly,) In that full description given of Rome,® w'e find these remarkable words, which I consider an express commentary on the words now before us, “and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”® The dragon had been previously explained to be syno¬ nymous with the devil, and Satan, Avho deceiveth the whole world, chap. xii. 9, as he is again in chap. XX. 2. When, therefore, it is said in the verse before us, “ his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;” I doubt not the meaning ‘ Rev. xii. 2 See yej-^ . 3 ^ 0 ^ 3 Soe ver. 3, 4. ‘‘2 Tliess. ii. 0. ® Rev. xiii. ® vcr. 2. no TUE VISION is, the mighty power of Rome shall arise not sim¬ ply from natural causes, physical or mental, personal or national, but from a supernatural agency of an evil kind, animating, controlling, directing these to suit its own purposes. And so it has come to pass, that throughout so many generations, Roman power and policy have been Satan’s great engine for carrying on his hostile designs against the kingdom of Christ. Both against the great Head of the church and his members; both against the Jewish and Gentile churches; both in persecuting and corrupting reli¬ gion ; this instrument has been employed; in all the variety of its forms, republican, imperial, and ecclesiastical, through consuls and governors, em¬ perors and popes; and doubtless, therefore, in rear¬ ing such afabric, Satan would employ all that dexter¬ ous ingenuity and skill which he so largely possesses. It follows most significantly, “ And he shall de¬ stroy wonderfully ;” thus proving the connection of this power with him whose name is Abaddon, the Destroyer as well as the Deceiver,—theroaringLion as well as the cunning Serpent. The Roman power was reared at the expense of other kingdoms; and the fabric cemented with the blood of the nations. “ And shall prosper and practise,” or do: these are the same words as we found in verse 12; there¬ by proving the propriety of the application we then made of them to the horn. The order of the words, however, is inverted; the reason of which I take to be this : that in the symbolical representation, the order of events is carefully observed; each stage in the progress of Roman power in the East being marked from the time when it first appeared as a little horn, till it waxed exceedingly great; consc- OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. Ill quently, the doing required to be noted there be¬ fore the prospering; as is the case: whereas in this explanation by the angel, a more enlarged descrip¬ tion is contemplated of the power in question—a view at once comprehensive and compendious, as we have already seen in regard to these features of its character which have come under our notice; and, consequently, a remarkable success having all along attended this power, prosperity being one of its distinguishing characteristics, this feature might be set down along with the rest, without the same regard to method: although, indeed, I think it fol¬ lows the previous clause with great propriety; and that being succeeded by the word expressive of action, the design may be to show that notwitli- standing its prosperity this power would not rest, hut would continue, throughout a very extended period, to be an active agent in Satan’s service.^ “And shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.” That is, Israel; “to whom pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.”^ The term “ holy ” is here used in a re¬ lative sense, corresponding with Rom. xi. 16, 28; 1 Cor. vii. 14 ; and the use of it shows that tlie national covenant between God and that people still stands, and contains the security of their fu¬ ture recovery, as the apostle insists.^ Let it be observed here that while a general de¬ scription is given by the angel of the Roman power, the particular act mentioned in connection with the church is the destruction of Jerusalem and the over¬ throw of the Jewish polity. This makes the ex- 1 See chap. xi. 36. * Eom. ix. 4. * Rom. xi. 26—29. 112 THE VISION planation coincide with the liorn of tlic vision, the most important scene of whose doings, as we have seen, was in Jndea. The reason of the larger de¬ scription of the Roman power will he seen more fully as we advance. It is in order to connect it witlv events distant and future: but having a rela- tlon to, and ultimately terminating in, the Holy Ijand and the affairs of the Jews. Verse 25. “And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hands; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; bnt he shall be broken without hand.” The preceding verse described the great power of Rome, and its destructive effects. This relates to its policy^ and its equally ruinous consequences. The whole of the particulars here mentioned may be applied with great ease to Pagan Rome; but my opinion is, that having mentioned the destruc¬ tion of the Jews by that power, the prophetic com¬ ment of the angel glides onward to Papal times, in order to connect the fall of Rome with the de¬ liverance of Israel, which is the last thing men¬ tioned in the vision, as we have already seen.^ My reasons for thinking this are, 1. The statement made by the angel that he had come to let Daniel know what should be in the “last end” of the indigna¬ tion. 2. The appellation given to the Lord Jesus Christ in the verse now before us, “ Prince of princes,” an expression denoting his actual posses¬ sion of the mediatorial glory, and so used,^ and not so suited to that state of humiliation, in which he * ver. 14. 2 j Tim. vi. 15; Rev. i. 5; xix. 16. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 113 appeared before the Roman Pagan governor. And so in Dan. ix., in the vision of tlie weeks, which relates to his sufferings, he is called,^ “Messiah the Prince;” not “Prince of princes.” He was a Prince, but not yet seated on the throne reserved as the reward of his obedience unto death.^ For these two reasons (the identity or intimate connection betwixt Rome Pagan and Rome Papal being taken for granted, as all the prophetic symbols of Daniel and Revelation w'arrant us to do), I am satisfied that it is the latter which is now to be introduced to our notice. “ And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hands.” This clause describes the leading characteristic of Papal Rome, the cunning and sagacity with which it practised deceits, and its success in this trade. In the symbolical representation, to which I have already referred,® where Rome appears as a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, denoting the ancient and modern forms of govern¬ ment which that fourth empire would assume, it is said,^ that “his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.” This is justly considered to mean the Pope and his obse¬ quious clergy.® “ The prophet that speaketh lies, he is the tall.” In this single sentence, then, is included the entire system oi false religion, which, with matchless ingenuity, the devil succeeded through his vicegerent at Rome in substituting for the true, throughout the most of Europe. It is unnecessary for me to go into detail. It is suffi¬ cient to say that it is the religion of Antichrist, and 1 ver. 25. 2 gee Phil. ii. 9. * Rev. xii. ^ver. 4. ® Isa. ix. 15. 114 THE VISION therefore diametrically opposed to the religion of Christ. If any one be ignorant of its true nature, let him read the national covenant of Scotland, bound up with and forming a part of our Confes¬ sion of Faith, in which he will find an account of, and testimony against it, at once comprehensive and minute. It were well to study a document, such as this, at present, when Popery is again rear¬ ing its Gorgon head, and likely soon to compel men to adopt extraordinary means of defence against its deadly aggressions. “ And he shall magnify himself in his heart. The motive to the first sin was—“ ye shall be as gods.” The great plot of the Papacy was self-exal¬ tation. He that casts down the truth must design to lift up himself. Pride is the parent of all lies, and is itself the greatest of them all; for it supposes it possible for the creature to occupy the room of God, which is the most shocking of all absurdities. “ And by peace shall destroy many.” Flaving stated the nature—subtile deception, and the object —self-aggrandizement, we have next the means and the effect of this spiritual dominion, whlcli Rome, in the latter days, was to assume. Rome, by its arms, was to “ destroy wonderfully,” as we saw in the last verse. Rome, hj peace, we see here was also to destroy multitudes. The destruetion, in this case, refers to the soul, the most dreadful of all de¬ struction. It is said to be hy peace; for a comment on which I woidd refer to Ezek. xlli. 1—16. The whole scheme of the Popish religion is designed and fitted to lull men into a false and fatal security. And in this it is admirably adapted to poor, blind, I Compare with this Dan. vii. 8, 11, 20, 25; 2 Thes. ii. 4. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 115 human nature, which loves to dream of peace and safety; though laid asleep, as it were, on the top of a mast. No wonder then, that Romanism has been, and is again likely to be, so popular. The peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, over which the seven-hilled city presides,' have been in¬ toxicated with the cup of spiritual delusion whicli she administers.^ They fancy, indeed, that it is the cup of salvation; but truly it is the cup of devils.^ The prophets of Rome are like the numerous pro¬ phets of king Ahab, ever saying, “Go up, and pros¬ per but all under the influence of a lying spirit.i Hence, as a body, they are denominated, “the false prophets.”® It is impossible here to enlarge on this subject. It has often been remarked that the whole Romish system resolves itself into the principle of self-righteousness, a principle deeply rooted in, and tenderly cherished by, fallen human nature; but dia¬ metrically opposed to the gospel of Christ.® Hence, when we consider that it is only those who believe the gospel who are saved,^ and when we reflect on the length of time during which Popery has pre¬ vailed, and the extent of territory over which it has spread, we may form some idea of the vast multi¬ tudes who must have perished under the influence of its flattering but soul-destroying delusions.® “ He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” This is the last act and final end of Rome; an event still future. It is to this, as I have already said, 1 Rev. xvii. 9, 15. * ver. 2. ® 1 Cor. x. 2). •* 1 Ki. xxii. 6, 12, 21—23. ® Rev. xix. 20. ® Rom. xi. C, ’’ Mark xvi. 15, 16, ® See Rev. xviii. 3,11—13. H 2 116 THE VISION that the 1.9th verse points. The first thing to be considered here is the party assailed by this anti- christian power. It is said to be the “ Prince of princes,” a title which belongs to none save the Lord Jesus Christ. The question next is forced upon us, Does this mean the Lord himself in person, or does it mean his members or church? It will be seen that the question involves the whole of what has been termed, rather inappropriately, the Millennarian controversy; for that controversy is not whether there is to be a Millennium, that is allowed on all hands, but whether, during this period, the Lord is to reign in person on the earth. To enter at large on this controversy would divert me too much from my present object: it would require a sepa¬ rate work for its thorough discussion. I simply state my own conviction, that while there are some pas¬ sages which seem to favour the idea that tliere is to be a personal reign of the Messiah, yet taking together the whole of what scripture has revealed on the subject I have come to the conclusion, that this reign, while most real, will not be personal or immediate; and that the passages alluded to may be reconciled to the scope, witliout much difficulty. I cannot, however, enter on proof. Let us attend to what may be gathered from the text on this subject. “He shall stand up against the Prince of princes.” By those denominated Millennarians, this must be held as signifying an assault on the people of God, headed by their king in person. The words are most explicit. On their principle of interpreta¬ tion they cannot mean less than what I have now stated: they seem to mean more. Taking them OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE, 117 as they stand, they appear to indicate that the attack of the enemy will be directed against the leader and commander chiefly, if not exclusively. * But in both cases, according to their theory, the idea of Christ’s bodily presence is inseparable from the words. Now I ask, whether such an idea corres¬ ponds with what is elsewhere taught in plain lan¬ guage regarding our Lord’s advent? I answer, No. The descriptions given in them lead us to the con¬ clusion, that so far from his enemies being able to attempt any hostile movement, they shall not even be capable of resistance, and their hearts shall only meditate terror, “The Lord Jesus shall be re¬ vealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flam¬ ing fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlast¬ ing destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”‘ “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say. Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them.”^ “ Behold, he cometh with clouds ; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.”® “ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”^ “ When the Son of man 1 2 Thes. i. 7—10. ^ ] xiies. v. 2,3. ^Rev. i. 7. ^Rev. xx. 11. 118 THE VISION shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd * divideth his sheep from the goats. - - - Then shall he also say to them on his left hand. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.-And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.”^ These passages show that when Christ appears as Judge of men and de¬ vils, such will he the refulgence of his kingly state and majesty, that instead of opposition, his enemies will be ready to call on the rocks to cover them, liesistance will be out of the question. Supposing then that the train of argument, contained in the pre¬ ceding exposition, is correct, and that the clause be¬ fore us relates, as that argument would lead us to infer, to the last attack of Antichrist on the kingdom of the Redeemer, it follows from what has just been shown, that that attack cannot be upon Christ him¬ self considered as personally present; for when he comes no such attack will ever be thought of. It thus appears that the words, which at first sight seem to favour the idea of the personal advent at this particular time, do, when compared with other passages relating plainly and expressly to that great event, furnish a decided argument against such an idea. For if instant submission follows that event, it is manifest that the period referred to in this pre¬ sent clause, which speaks of his enemies standing up against him, cannot be contemporaneous with his coming. In other words. Antichrist and his > Matt. XXV. 31, 32, 41, 46, OP THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 119 supporters (which is the power, as we have seen, here spoken of) shall not stand up against Christ personal, but against Christ mystical, Christ and his people being one, he regards what is done to them as done to himself, whether the thing done be in the way of kindness or of hatred.^ Hence the appropriateness of the language before us in relation to the church. But there is some¬ thing more implied in it than simply an attack on the church. The language strongly conveys the idea, that this attack shall be in circumstances such as to make it evident that enmity to Christ himself is at the bottom of it. It may be after some signal display of the Lord’s grace towards his owm people, stirring up the envy of the devil and the enmity of unregenerate men. It may be after some remarka¬ ble intervention of his providence on their behalf, teaching his enemies to their confusion that there is a God who “ ruleth in Jacob to the ends of the earth.”^ It may be after or during some ex¬ traordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, whereby the name of the Beloved of the Father shall be spread abroad like the most precious perfume in the midst of this fallen world. It may be after some surpassing displays of the glory of the Triune Je¬ hovah, as it shines in the person and work of Christ, and of the wisdom, power, love, grace, and mercy of God in calling sinners to himself by the gospel, such as will demonstrate, beyond all gainsaying, the reality of religion—it may be, I say, after or in the midst of such scenes as these that the antichris- 1 See Acts ix. 4; Matt. xxv. 40, 45; Zech. ii. 0. 3 I’.s. lix. 13. 120 THE VISION tian power arms itself with the 'W'eapons of deadly warfare; and I ask all unprejudiced men, whether a warfare besun or carried on in such circumstances may not, with the strictest propriety of language, be described as a “ standing up against the Prince of princes”—an act of the most daring rebellion against the King of glory—an impious attempt to thwart the purposes, and stay the wonder-working hand of our redeeming God ? Such will be the very circumstances Avhich shall mark the restoration of ancient Israel. They have been for many generations outcast, but they shall be brought in again: they have been dispersed, but they shall be gathered together; and that in a man¬ ner which will show that the Lord himself is at the head of them.* I presume not to enter here on a minute statement of the nature and order of events which are yet to come to pass. But we are assured from scripture that the future will be much more memorable than any former deliverance; and the effects which are to follow from it pre-suppose the most signal displays of the Lord’s grace and power. “ The heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanc¬ tify Israel.”^ “ The heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places.”® The bringing in of the Jews is to move the whole world; for it is to give life to it.^ We may well sup¬ pose then that in Israel, the instrumental cause of this universal revival, the power of spiritual life will be peculiarly strong. And hence we are told it shall be 1 Mic. ii. 13. 2 Ezek. xxx\ai. 28. ® Ezek. xxxvi. 36. ^ Rom. xi. 15. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 121 SO ; “ He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.”^ It is to be the glory of Jehovah shining on covenanted Israel which is to gather the multitude of the Gentile na¬ tions to the same light.^ There will be a remarka¬ ble outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them, pro¬ ducing the strongest faith in Christ, and the greatest grief for sin, and leading them in every relation, public and private, to manifest the depth of their repentance, and the intensity of all their spiritual affections.® Under the impulse of their new-born love to Him, whom they have so long rejected, they will be ready to go forth wherever he may send them, and declare his glory among the Gen¬ tiles.^ “Andin those days,” we are Informed, “that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying. We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.” They shall be a nation of priests unto the Lord: “ men shall call them the ministers of our God.”® And the Lord himself “shall rejoice over them with ineffa¬ ble joy; he will rest in his love, and joy over them with singing.”® Yea they shall be a crown of glory in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of their God : “Zion shall be no more termed. Forsaken ; neither shall her land any more bo termed, Desolate; but she shall be called Hephzi- bah, and her land Beulah; because the Lord de- lighteth in her, and her land shall be married.” * Zecli. xii. 1‘2. ^Isa. lx. 1,3. ® Zech. xii. 10—14; xiii. 1—3. Isa. Ixvi. 19. ® Isa. lx. 6. ® Zcpli. iii. 17. 122 THE VISION It will be in the course of these wondrous dis¬ coveries of the Lord’s special favour, tender mercy, superabounding grace, and surpassing love towards long-lost Israel, his first-born,^ that the Pharaoh of the day, Antichrist and his confederate hosts, stirred up by Satan (grieved for the escape of Israel out of his hands), shall make a last and desperate effort for the total extirpation of that people, and with them, of the truth and cause of God. “ He shall stand up against the Prince of princes.” The way in which I would connect this last effort with the prophecies respecting the Jews is this ;— 1. The whole scope of the present vision leads us to do so; for it relates expressly to Israel, as we have seen. 2. In chap. xii. 1 we are informed that “ Michael, the great prince,” that standeth for the children of Daniel’s people, shall stand up at this very period, when Israel is to be delivered, and this title cor¬ responds with the one now before us. 3. The passage in Zechariah, to which I have already referred, connects the remarkable outpour¬ ing of the Spirit on Israel, with a confederate attack against them by enemies.^ 4. We find the same thing in Ezekiel, where, after or during the progress of their spiritual resur¬ rection and restoration to their own land, a mighty confederacy comes against them, consisting of vari¬ ous nations.® 5. Under the sixth vial, we find a like congrega¬ ting of nations to the battle of the great day of God A Exod. iv. 22. 2 chap. xii. 10. ® Ezek. xxxvii. xxxviii. xx.xix. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 123 Almighty. And their place of gathering is called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon, situated in the land of Palestine. It is to be remarked regarding this vial, (1.) That it brings down the Turkish empire.^ (2.) It thereby prepares the way for the return of Israel to their own land, now occupied by that power.® (3.) It draws out the kings of the earth and of the whole world to battle: this must include, therefore, more particularly tlie Homan Papal world; for it is upon mystic Babylon that the most of these vials descend. (4.) This we learn expressly from the account of the instrumentality by which these vast multitudes are to be congregated. It is by means of three lying spirits out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of tbe mouth of the false prophet. The two last of these, compared with preceding passages in the Hevelatlon, emi¬ nently represent the revival of the evil principles and doings of Antichristian Rome, civil and eccle¬ siastical; so that this power forms one at least of the great confederacy spoken of. 6. I only add that the tremendous imagery des¬ criptive of the crushing of God’s enemies, which is given in chap. xiv. at the end, has an evident connec¬ tion with Joel ili. 11—17, a passage connected again with Israel’s restoration, as the context before and after clearly shows, and corresponds with the awful destruction of Gog and Magog, predicted by Eze¬ kiel in the passages already referred to. It has also been observed that the space covered by the blood of the slain® corresponds with the dimensions of the Holy Land. 1 ver. 12. 2 yct. 12. ® Rev. xiv. 20. 124 THE VISION On the whole, then, it appears, in reference to the clause before us, “ He will stand up against the Prince of princes,” 1. That this is an attack made by Antichristian Rome ; 2. That the object of it is Israel converted ; and, 3. That the place of it may be expected to be Judea. And now the reason will appear, why the angel, in expounding the vision, gave a larger account of Rome than is to be found in the vision itself, and yet at the same time does it in such a way as to maintain the closest connec¬ tion with the scene of the vision and the histori/ of Israel^ which it contains. The last clause of the verse declares the final overthrow of this enemy of God’s people: “ He shall be broken without hand;” i. e. in some ex¬ traordinary, perhaps supernatural manner. It may be, as in the time of Hezekiah, some mighty angel or host of them may descend, and execute the work of destruction. Or it may be accomplislied, as in the case of the Midianitish host, by every man’s hand being turned against his fellow.i And indeed the prophecy of EzekieP leads us jiositively to ex¬ pect that something of this kind will take jilace; while the following verse, 22, seems also to indi¬ cate some direct infliction from the Lord’s own hand, as in the case of the kings of Canaan,^ whereby the complete destruction of the mighty host shall be accomplished. The day will fully declare it. Verse 26. “And the vision of the evening and O the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many days.” The angel, having expounded the vision, here 1 Judg. vii. 22. 2 chap, xxxviii. 21. ® Josh. x. 10. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 125 speaks as of another vision. He calls it “ the vision which was told.” This evidently refers to what Daniel heard, ^ the previous part being what he saw. He denominates it the “ vision of the even¬ ing and the morning.” This, too, evidently points to verse 14, where the Hebrew w^ords translated days^ are, as here, “evening, morning.” This mode of expression, while it declares that a full revolution of day and night is meant (as in Gen. i., “the even¬ ing and the morning were the first day,” &c. and not a working day of twelve hours merely, as in John xii. 9),^ points also undoubtedly to the sacri¬ fice of a lamb appointed to be offered twice every day : and so the expression, “ the vision of the evening and the moi’ning,” is equivalent to that which occurs,® “ the vision of the daily sacrifice.” Now, what does the angel say concerning this part of the vision which Daniel had beheld? He af¬ firms of it:— 1. That it was “ true.” This seems to have been designed for the comfort of the Lord’s servant, by reassuring him that the cleansing of the Jewish sanctuary * would certainly take place; hence, in like manner it should be a word of encouragement to those who in the present day are waiting for the consolation of Israel. 2. He tells him “to shut up the vision,” that is ^ ver. 13. 2 It has been supposed, with a view of accommodating this vision more perfectly to the profanation of the temple by An- tiochus Epiphanes, that the time, therein mentioned, con¬ sisted only of half days, i, e., 1150 days in all, instead of 2300; but the mode of expression here used, entirely precludes such an idea. 2 ver. 13. ■* ver. 14. 12G THE VISION to say, it was for the present to be as a thing con¬ cealed or kept secret. Its meaning would not bo understood. And the reason assigned is, 3. “ For it shall be for many days.” It was to extend over a very large space of time. It did not therefore suit the purposes of divine Wisdom that his plans should for the present be fully unfolded. On the whole, then, we have in this last part of the angel’s exposition a general confirmation^ 1. Of the importance which we have attached to that part of the vision which is here specially referred to; 2. Of the application which we have made of it to Jewish history; and 3. Of the interpretation given of the time men¬ tioned, as denoting 2300 years. “The vision shall be for many days.” Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, these days are rapidly drawing to a close. The vision has tar¬ ried long; but at the end it shall speak and not lie. For although the children of Israel have abode “ many days, (rr'a'n the very words of the verse before us) without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim;” never¬ theless, they “ shall return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days (or, in the end of the days). Amen. It thus appears, we trust, that this vision of the daily sacrifice admits of a satisfactory and consis¬ tent application throughout, to the history and des- 1 Hos. iii. 4, 5. OF THE DAILY SACRIFICE. 127 tiny of God’s ancient people. The impression which it made on the prophet’s mind, it will be seen, ac¬ cords well with the interpretation which has been given of it. Verse 27. “And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” The effect produced on the prophet’s bodily frame must be ascribed to the grievous and long-continued calamities which he saw, from the vision, were to come upon his people. Daniel was eminently a man of a public spirit, and he could not contemplate these without the deepest emotion. I do think, as I have already hinted, that we have here another general confirmation of the truth of the exposition which has been given of the vision. For it does not appear that he was so much affected by the previous vision,i although the objects presented to his imagination in that vision must have been much more terrific. But Daniel was a Jew; and when he beheld, in prospect, the desolations which were to come upon his beloved country, his heart w'as saddened even to fainting and sickness. “ Afterward I rose up,” says he, “ and did the king’s business.” I have already, in an early part of this work, extracted from this clause, an argument to prove that Daniel must have been in Shushan in vision, and not in person. Another argument to the same effect might be drawn from the circumstance of his fainting, and being unable from sickness to attend I Compare chap. vii. 15, 28, with the present verse. 12S TUE VISION on the king’s business. For had he been dispatclied, as Mr. Scott, in his commentary, conjectures may have been the case, by Belshazzar to Cyrus, on some embassy during the war, then he must, in his faint¬ ing, have fallen on the ground beside the Ulai, where he would have been in person ; an occurrence which we can scarcely suppose to have taken place at such a time, and in such circumstances, more especially when we remember the advanced age and high dig¬ nity of the prophet. I do not wish to attach undue importance to minute circumstances of this kind ; but it is well to observe, as we go along, whether every part of an exposition be in good heeping; for as every word of God is pure, I am persuaded that the more narrowly we examine it, the more amply shall w’e, through His blessing, be rewarded; and that the counsel of our Lord regarding the bread which perisheth should also be applied by us to the bread of life—the Woi'd—“Gather up the frag¬ ments that nothing be lost.” “ And I was astonished at the vision; but none understood it.” We have here, 1. Daniel’s state of mind in re¬ gard to the vision ; and, 2. The ignorance of others, and of himself too in a great measure, of its mean¬ ing. The last clause illustrates what was before said, “ Shut thou up the vision.” It Avas not the Lord’s design that it should be fully understood. The first clause, descriptive of Daniel’s feelings and habitual state of mind regarding it, deserves to be noted; for as it shoAvs the deep impression it had made upon him, so it will also be found to be the connecting link betwixt this and the chapters Avhich folloAv. THE VISION OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. DAN. IX. The chapter before us divides itself into two parts; the first consisting of a prayer, together with the occasion of it, offered up by Daniel, and extend¬ ing from the beginning of the chapter to verse 19, the second extending from verse 20 to the end, and consisting of the answer he received. In regard to the occasion of the prayer, we are informed, (1.) that it was in the first year of Darius, the first king of the Medo-Persian empire; and, (2.) that it was drawn forth in consequence of the know¬ ledge which Daniel had obtained from the Book of o the prophet Jeremiah, that the Babylonish capti¬ vity was to last seventy years; from which pre¬ diction, having himself at this date been a captive for about 68 years, he could not but be certain that the period of Jerusalem’s desolations had nearly expired. A carnal mind would have drawn the inference from this, that seeing the predicted event was so near at hand, and was soon to take place, I 130 THE VISION it was needless to be at any trouble in the matter; but not to a heaven-taught and heaven-renewed, soul. As the word of truth is that which guides a O believer, so the grace of hope implanted by the Holy Ghost, puts an edge upon his spirit and quick¬ ens his diligence in the Lord’s service. And hence it is delightful to observe in lively Christians, that the nearer they advance to the end of their course, and the brighter their evidences for heaven, the more ready ai’e they for every work of faith. Daniel was a man now far advanced in age; he knew that in two years the captive people would be set free; but he did not fold his hands in indo¬ lence, he set his face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sack¬ cloth and ashes.’^ Happy would it be for us, if the near prospect of another and more glorious deliverance to Israel, were to lead any of God’s true people to go and do likewise. I do not mean to enter on an exposition of the words of the prayer itself which follows, except in so far as may be necessary to illustrate the main object which I have at present in view. It is re¬ markable for profound humility, deep confession of sin, enlarged discoveries of the Lord’s method of dealing with his people, and earnest pleadings on their behalf, all founded on the knowledge he had of Jehovah’s glorious perfections, and of his cove¬ nant relation to Israel. It is as fine a specimen as can be conceived, both of exalted piety, and genu¬ ine public and patriotic spirit. * ver. 1—3. OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 181 A perusal of the verses in which the prayer is recorded, will show that it is divisible into two parts. 1. Confession of his own and Israel’s sin,^ and, 2dly. Supplications for the return of the Lord’s favour unto Zion.^ When we carefully compare the latter portion with the answer, the first thing which strikes one is the apparent discrepancy in several respects betwixt the two. For example, Daniel prays, “ let thine anger and thy fury be turned away, from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountainand he receives information as part of the answer, that that “ city would be destroyed.”^ He earnestly implores that the light of the divine countenance might be made to shine “on the sanc¬ tuary which was desolate;” and he is given to un¬ derstand, that the sanctuary^ as well as the city, is “ to be swept aw’ay by a tide of overflowing desolation,” He most affectionately pleads on behalf of Israel, putting the Lord in mind of his covenant relation to them, “ thy city and thy people are called by thy name;” and he is told in the closing part of the answer, that a period of continued judgment is coming upon them, “by reason of their overspread¬ ing abominations.”® It is true, that at the com¬ mencement of the answer, there is the promise of a prior restoration; but even there, an exact corres¬ pondence does not hold betwixt the prayer and the return made to it. For it is evident from the date of this transac¬ tion,® and from the portion of the Divine Word which formed the ground-work of Daniel’s exercise * ver. ]. 2 ver.4—15. ^ver.lG—19. < ver.24—27. ® ver.26. ® ver. 27, I 2 132 THE VISION at this time, and prompted him to it,^ that what he had in view was that termination of the capti¬ vity which he expected to take place at the end of the seventy years, according to Jer. xxv. 11, and which was shortly after this accomplished, at the time when Cyrus issued his proclamation;® whereas the restoration spoken of in the answer® did not take place till much later, being the one accom¬ plished in virtue of the decree of Artaxerxes,^ as Ave shall presently see; there being an interval of nearly eighty years betwixt the two. Now, although it be true, that every believing prayer is answered, if not in the way we expect, yet in reality, still I cannot think that discrepan¬ cies such as these should have appeared with¬ out some special purpose. And I am persuaded the explanation will be found to be this: that Daniel was praying for something over and above what is seen in the prayers recorded in this chapter. It is evi¬ dent that only a portion of his spiritual exercises is to be found here. The expression,® “ I set my¬ self to seek,” denotes fixedness and continuance in the work he proposed to himself, and the likelihood is, that he had been engaged in it the entire day; for he says,® that the messenger from heaven ap¬ peared about the time of the evening oblation. And when we come to examine the message which the angel delivered, and certain notes connected with it, Ave shall be at no loss to see that the thing Avhich occupied Daniel’s mind at this time, over and above Avhat is expressed in his prayer, was the ^ ver. 2, 3. 2 Ezra i. 1. ® ver. 25. Ezra vii. ® ver, 3. ® ver. 21. OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 133 mysterious vision he had had fifteen years before this, and which, as we have seen, had produced such an extraordinary effect upon him at the time, and would, by an irresistible association of ideas, be present to his mind on this occasion. Let us pro¬ ceed then 'to examine the latter part of the chap¬ ter. Verses 20—23. “ And whiles I was speaking and praying, 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; yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the be¬ ginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he in¬ formed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and under¬ standing. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved; there¬ fore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” When we compare this introduction to the vision of the Seventy Weeks, with the introduction to the angel’s explanation of the vision of the Daily Sacri¬ fice,^ it is impossible not to be greatly struck with the coincidence of the two. First of all. The same angel is commissioned on both occasions, namely, Gabriel, (the same too who was afterwards sent with messages of high import at the time of Messiah’s appearing.)^ J chap. viii. 15—19. 2 Luke ii. 19, 26. 134 THE VISION 2. When Gabriel is mentioned,^ the former vision is expressly referred to : “ whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning.” This can only refer to the vision of the Daily Sacrifice. 3. The design of his mission, on both occasions, is “ to give explanations.”^ Tlie expressions to this effect are jnst as strong on the latter occasion as on the former. “ I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding“ I am come to show thee; therefore understand the matter.” 4. And to fix down his meaning and special ob¬ ject, he closes his introductory address with call¬ ing on Daniel “ to consider the vision.” What vision can this be else than the one mentioned in verse 21, the vision of the Daily Sacrifice, which had so greatly perplexed him It is evident then, that on this occasion, and probably often before, Daniel had been seeking, as he did at the time when he saw it,* for light on a vision, in which he perceived that the most import¬ ant interests of his people were bound up. And that in answer to these prayers, and to satisfy his just desires, the angel was despatched at this time, to show him more fully its meaning, and to give him “ skill to understand,” more distinctly, a matter which must have engaged his most intense concern. If it be objected, that by thus restricting the answer here recorded to the subject of the former vision, we thereby set aside altogether any refer¬ ence to the immediate object of his recorded pray¬ ers, namely, the termination of the seventy years’ captivity; we answer, that by no means follows; I ver. 21. 2 ver. 16, 17, 19, 22, 23. ® viii. 27. * viii. 15. OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 135 for we are told,^ that Gabriel, when he first came forth, “ informed him, and talked with him,” in which general account may have been included a direct answer relative to that subject. It is not necessary that we should suppose, that the whole of the angel’s communications, any more than of Daniel’s prayer, is here recorded ; and seeing it was the Lord’s purpose that the vision of the Daily Sacrifice should be “shut up” for a length of time,® the peculiar structure of the present chapter seems to have been adopted for the double and appar¬ ently paradoxical purpose, in the first place, of con¬ cealing the connection and identity of the two visions; and in the second place, of revealing, in due time, their relation to one another. This identity, as far as relates to the Messiah, and to the history of the Jews, will be quite evi¬ dent when we have gone over the several parts of the following prediction. Verse 24. “ Seventy weeks are determined on thy people, and on thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” From the accumulation of ex})ressive terms con¬ tained in this verse, there can be no doubt that the precise point of time in'which these seventy weeks terminated, is the death and resurrection of our Divine Redeemer, by whose sacrifice of himself the transgressions and sins of his people have been put away; by whose atonement they are reconciled to 2 chap. viii. 26. 1 ver. 22. 136 THE VISION God ; and whose work of obedience constitutes an everlasting and unchangeable righteousness, alone sufficient for their complete justification ; whereby ancient predictions, types, and visions, received their fulfillment, and in consequence of which, Mes¬ siah himself, raised from the dead, and exalted to glory, was invested with all power and authority in heaven and earth, and appointed Head over all things for his body, the church. That the seventy weeks represent 490 solar years, I may take for granted as a thing now agreed on by all Christian commentators; and equally so, that they are to be computed from the commission granted to Ezra in 457 b, c., there being 490 years between that date and the death of Christ, a. d, 33, as will be immediately noticed more particu¬ larly. This period is said to be determined on Daniel’s people and holy city, thereby marking the intimate and inseparable connection of Christ’s incarnation and death with Jewish history. Accordingly, in the following verse, the angel proceeds to give a detailed statement illustrative of this connection. Verse 25. “Know therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, s/iall he seven weeks and threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” The angel introduces this communication by calling on Daniel to know and understand what he was about to say, expressions which correspond OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 137 with those which have already been noticed, as a connecting link between the eighth and ninth chap¬ ters. He then goes on to subdivide the period of 490 years, before mentioned, into distinct portions, dating the whole from the time when a command¬ ment would come forth to restore and to build Jerusalem; that is, to re-establish the Jewish churcli and state; which being founded on special revela¬ tion, this re-settlement implied the restoration of the Word of God to its place of due supremacy among that people. This we have already shown at some length, under the former'chapter, to have been accomplished at the time when Ezra received his commission from the king of Persia; and to this time do commentators now, with common consent, refer the coming forth of the commandment here spoken of. From this time to Messiah the Prince, the angel declared there would be seven weeks and sixty- two weeks; the whole seventy weeks ending at the death of Christ. These sixty-nine weeks must of course terminate a prophetic week before that event. Accordingly, when we count 483 years, which is the equivalent for sixty-nine prophetic weeks, from the date of Ezra’s commission in 457 B. c., we are brought to the year 26 A. c., which being the year in which John the Baptist entered on his office as the fore-runner of Messiah, may with perfect propriety be considered as the com¬ mencement of Christ’s public work.^ Hence, the remarkable words, “The beginning of the gospel of 1 See Luke iii. 1—3. 138 THE VISION Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”' Aceording to this scripture, the appearing of John was the beginning of the gospel dispensation. So, in like manner, our Lord, in Matt. xi. 13, says, “ All the prophets and the law propliesied until John;” thereby signifying that the old dispensation ended when he appeared. And once more, in Luke xvi. IG, it is said, “ The law and the prophets were until John.” Since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it; in which word the two former ideas are both compre¬ hended. The words, therefore, “ From the going forth of the commandment, to restore Jerusalem, unto Messiah the Prince, shall be sixty-nine weeks,” mean, that after the restoration of the law, 483 years would elapse, and then the times of the gos¬ pel would be introduced. This period of 483 years, or sixty-nine prophe¬ tic weeks, consists, as stated in the vei’se before us, of two divisions, namely, seven weeks and three¬ score and two weeks ; the nature of which is ex¬ plained in the last clause of the present and the fii’st clause of the following verse. In the former of these periods, “ the street shall be built again, and the wall.” The words are evidently metaphorical. The former suggests the idea of concourse,^ the latter of defence. Now that which unites and protects the body politic is its system of government. That ' Mark i. 1, 2. 2 See the opposite idea of disorganization, expressed by a kindred figure of speech, in Deborah’s Song, .Tudg. V. 6, 7, &c. OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 139 whicli did this for Israel was its divinely-appointed laws. To the restoration of these therefore the words manifestly point. And this was effected in the space of time commencing with Ezra’s com¬ mission, and terminating with the completion of Nehemiah’s reforms,^ being the period here men¬ tioned of seven weeks, or forty-nine years. This work, it is here said, would be accomplished “ in troublous times;” for the truth of which we have only to refer to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Verse 26. “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the ^^rince that shall come shall de¬ stroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” We have here the second portion of time men¬ tioned in the preceding verse, extending from the date when the Jewish church and state were fully re-established, until the date of John the Baptist’s appearance. This interval may be denominated the jDeriod of restored Jewish law: and it is re¬ markable tliat the last injunction, left on record in the Book of Malachi, who was a contemporary of Nehemiah, was, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judg¬ ments.”^ Had this direction been followed there would not have been so very few, when Messiah appeared, capable of understanding the nature of ' The last of these mentioned, Neh. xiii. 28—30, is computed to have been effected in the last of the 49 years. See Prideaux. 2 JIal. iv. 4. 140 THE VISION his kingdom, and the design of his coming. But it was during this interval that the school of legal theology arose, from which sprung those tradi¬ tionary interpretations of scripture which at length superseded it, and by fostering a self-righteous spirit, indisposed the Jewish mind to the humbling doctrines of the cross, and have continued to oper¬ ate powerfully even to the present day in harden¬ ing it against the reception of the gospel. After these threescore and two weeks, it is added, “Messiah shall be cut off.” These words cannot be understood in an absolute and peremptory sense; for the death of Christ was to take place, as we have already seen, at the end of the seventieth week, or of the entire period of 490 years. I therefore under¬ stand the words “ cut off” to signify that he would “ begin to be rejected ” from the very outset of the gospel dispensation, the preaching of his fore-run¬ ner John. Accordingly, when we turn to the gos¬ pel narrative, we find that this was indeed the case. He was, indeed, followed by multitudes, at first prompted by superstitious veneration, or a vain curiosity; and there seemed a willingness for a season to abide in his light.^ But soon their hypocrisy appeared; we find the Lord severely reprehending the motives which had induced so many to attend the preaching of the Baptist,® vindicating the dignity of his character and office, and complaining that their wilful prejudice, incon¬ sistency, and vanity of mind had left them alike unimpressed by the stern aspect and self-denied habits of his fore-runner, and his own holy, but 1 John V. 35. Mat. vii. 19. OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 141 more familiar and attractive deportment. “John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man glut¬ tonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.” Again, the Lord says to his dis¬ ciples,^ “ Elias,” that is, as appears from the fol¬ lowing verse, “ John the Baptist, is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listedmeaning, that they had resisted his calls to repentance, remained wilfully ignorant of the nature and end of his office, and had put him to death. “Likewise,” he adds, “shall also the Son of man suffer of them.” Our Lord thus identifies himself with his fore¬ runner ; and as a king is affronted by the indigni¬ ties offered and opposition made to his ambassador as well as to himself in person, it is no stretch of language to say, that in the treatment which John the Baptist and his message received, Christ began to be subjected to that unbelief, scorn, and resistance which continued to accumulate upon him during his own personal ministry, until it reached that climax of wickedness which brought him to the “dust of death. The “cutting off,” here spoken of, I consider then as the general characteristic of the whole period commencing with John’s appearance, and terminating with Christ's death; his claims to the Messiahship being from the outset rejected ; and the enmity of the carnal mind becoming more and more intense, until persecution did all it could ac- 1 Mat. xvii. 12. 2 pg^ xxii. 142 THE VISION complish in crucifying the Lord of glory.^ The next clause, “ but not for himself,” points to that previous provision of the covenant, that all that Messiah did, he did not on his own behalf, but as the substitute of sinners of mankind. As the Re¬ presentative of his people, their sins were laid upon him, and his righteousness is imputed to them.^ According to the marginal reading this clause may be translated, “ And shall have nothing,” which, if adopted, must point to that entire desti¬ tution as to earthly things, which marked the Re¬ deemer’s state of humiliation ; as he said of him¬ self, “foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his headand so they may be considered as reproving those carnal and vainglorious ideas con¬ cerning the Messiah, of which the Jews were so tenacious, or they may be equivalent to that ex¬ pression, that Christ was to be rejected, and “ set at nought,” and so they may be considered as equi¬ valent to the prophetic complaint,® “ but I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people;” or to the words of Isaiah, descrip¬ tive of the aversion with which, arrayed though he was in the beauty of ineffable holiness and grace, he would be regarded by the bulk of the Jewish peo¬ ple ; “ he hath no form nor comeliness, and when 1 The verb in Niplial, as it is her6, bears the signifi¬ cation of being separated. —Gesenius. This is an expression which accords with what occurs, John xvii. 19, “For their sakes I sanctify myself more especially when we take in the next clause of the Hebrew, "h “Messiah shall be sepa¬ rated, but not for himself.” ® 2 Cor. V. 21. 3 Ps. xxii. 6. OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 143 we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him.” Or, the words may be regarded as pointing to the wondrous humiliation of the Lord of all, taking upon him the form of a servant; of the Sovereign being made under his own law; of the glorious Jehovah assuming the weakness of human nature; as the apostle writes, “ Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, for your sakes became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.” And so they remind us of the time when, in the extremity of his distress, he was left alone without a friend, for even his chosen disciples “ all forsook him and fled of the anguish of his soul, so exceeding great even unto death, that an angel from heaven, but only one, out of the innumerable hosts that surround the Father’s throne, was commissioned to strengthen him; and of the depths of that inconceivable de¬ sertion which extorted the cry from his dying lips, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Thus, in all these respects, may it be said that He by whom,'and for whom all things were made, stood alone in the universe, bereft of all, having nothing. The Jews having been the instruments of cruci¬ fying Messiah, and having afterwards refused the offers of mercy, in the preaching of the apostles, the prophecy goes on to tell what awful visitations of divine judgment would come upon them for these sins. 1. The instruments of vengeance are mentioned, namely, “the people of the prince that shall come that is, the Romans under the command of Titus. 2. The work of destruction : “ they shall destroy 144 THE VISION the city and the sanctuary;” that is, Jerusalem and the temple, and along with these the whole of the Jewish institutions, civil and sacred. 3. The severity of the judgment: “the end thereof shall be with a flood denoting that, as by the force of a resistless and overflowing inundation, the bulwarks of tlie Jewish constitution and its en¬ tire iiolity would he completely swept away. And, 4. The continuance of this flood of wrath until the work of vengeance was finished: “unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” Not only was the city and temple destroyed, but the whole coun¬ try was wasted, the Jews expatriated and enslaved, and the miserable remnant were even forbidden to approach within sight of the ruins of the holy place, and to enjoy the melancholy gratification of gazing upon a scene, which could not fail to awaken in them recollections at once most interesting and painful. Verse 27. “ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even unto the consumma¬ tion, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” The prophecy having shown the fatal conse¬ quences, to the Jewish nation, of their rejection of Messiah, in the entire OA^erthrow of their boasted institutions, returns in this verse to describe more minutely the transactions of the last week of the seventy, which, in the previous verse, had been no¬ ticed in these terms, “ after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for him- or THE SEVENTY WEEKS, 145 self.”^ “And he,” that is, the Messiah, “shall con¬ firm the covenant with many for one week.” The covenant, here mentioned, is evidently the cove¬ nant of grace, as distinguished not only from tlie covenant of works made with Adam, but also from that peculiar economy under which, in types and carnal ordinances, as the apostle denominates them,® the blessings of the covenant had been for a season represented and communicated.^ The mode of administration may vary,—the covenant itself is eternal and immutable. It is the won¬ drous product of the wisdom, love, and grace of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, founded upon, and designed to illustrate, the subsistence of a Trinity in Unity; to show forth, in the highest degree, the glory of Jehovah; and at once to stain the pride of all creature-glory, and yet, notwith¬ standing, “ to raise the poor out of the dust, and to lift up the beggar out of the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory.’”‘ It is a plan whereby God is just, and yet the justifier of the sinner who believes in Jesus. This covenant, inclusive of all promises, and com¬ prehensive of all blessings, the terms of which, ac¬ cording to the everlasting counsels of the Godhead, had been fulfilled by Messiah, it is here said, “ he shall confirm with many for one weekthat is to say, during the last week of the seventy, the seven years extending from John the Baptist’s appear¬ ance to his own death, he would bring many to a ] ver. 27. 3 See Heb. viii. 0, &c, 3 Heb. ix. 10. ^ 1 Sam. ii. 8, K 146 THE VISION participation of its benefits ; or would establish them in a covenant relation to God as their God, by bringing them into union with himself through faith. Accordingly, although the great mass of the Jewish nation, including their teachers and rulers, rejected both his fore-runner and himself, yet there were some who through grace were enabled to believe. For of John it was foretold, in fulfilment, doubtless, of this very prediction in Daniel, “that he would turn many of the children of Israel unto the Lord their God.”^ And during his own per¬ sonal ministry, his immediate apostles, and others, were effectually called, besides many, doubtless, who are not named. So that during these seven years there must have been, at least, 500 individuals converted, or confirmed in the faith; for, to about that number of brethren, we are informed, he ap¬ peared after his resurrection.^ Having stated this concerning the entire week, it is added, “ in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” That is, in the latter half of it, terminating with his death, he shall virtually abolish the legal economy. The subdivision of this last week is designed to mark our Lord’s personal entrance on his public ministry. This took place when John was cast into prison.® It is computed that about half a prophe¬ tic week, or three years and a half, was occupied with his personal labours. There is, perhaps, some reference to this period in Luke xiii. 32, “ Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to¬ morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected 1 Luke i. 16. 2 1 Cor. xv. 6. 3 Mark i. 14; Luke iv. 14. OP THE SEVENTY WEEKS. 147 understanding the terra “day” in its prophetic sense. However, it is perhaps impossible to state with absolute precision the term during which the Lord Jesus appeared in public, in the avowed cha¬ racter of the Messiah. Neither do the words, “ in the midst of the week,” oblige us to adopt the opinion that this period lasted exactly three years and a half. It is sufficient for the fulfilment to know, that in the latter part of this prophetic week he openly appeared as the Prophet, Priest, and King of his church ; teaching the way of God in truth, fulfilling all righteousness, judging the jorince of this world, destroying his works, and delivering men from his oppressions : relieving the bodies and saving the souls of sinners: exhibiting, in his own person, a character of inexpressible spiritual beauty and glory, fitted to attract love and imitation: manifesting by his wonderful works that he was sent of the Father ; and proving, both by his life and by his death, that he was the promised Deliverer of the Old Testament; the kinsman Redeemer; Jehovah’s Servant; the End of the law; the Substance of ritual observances ; the true Atonement; without whose appearance, in the fulness of time, the Levitical priesthood and sacrifices would have been an unmeaning and use¬ less appointment; a lifeless as well as a burdensome ceremonial. Being, then, himself “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” it is here affirmed that he would “cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” The body being come there was no longer any need of the sliadow. The sacrifices under the law of Moses K 2 148 THE VISION now, therefore, ceased de jure-, and shortly after, at the destruction of Jerusalem, they ceased de facto. Jews themselves being judges, we ask whe¬ ther this prediction has not been fulfilled to the let¬ ter d “ And for the overspreading of abominations he shall make desolate, even unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the de¬ solate.” That is to say, the Lord Jesus Christ, being by tbe right hand of God the Father exalted, and being invested with all power in heaven and earth, shall, in consequence of the exceeding great wickedness of the Jewish people, make them and their land, by the irresistible operations of his over¬ ruling Providence, desolate, from generation to generation, up to that point of time determined in the divine purjDoses, and foretold in the previous vision, when the allotted measure of vengeance having been poui’ed out, his anger shall be turned away.^ “And Israel shall no longer be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but men shall call them, The re¬ deemed of the Lord.”® It thus ajipears that as far as Jewish history is concerned, this prophecy of the seventy weeks carries us over the very same ground as the vision of the Daily Sacrifice. It is dated, like the other, from the decree which issued from the Persian government residing at Shushan.^ It distinctly predicts the restoration of the Jewish polity under Ezra and Nehemiah; which in the other is clearly implied. It foretells in plain terms the death of 1 See Jewish Calendar, pp. 55, 56. ® Isa. xii. 1. Isa. Ixii. 4, 12. * Compare ix. 25; viii. 2. OF THE SEVENTY AVEEKS. 149 the Messiah, Avliich in the other is more obscurely revealed. It announces the abolition of the le^al sacrifices, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, by a foreign power, and the desolations coming on the Jews, and to be continued till a given time, on account of their transgressions, at the conclusion of which period these desolations will cease; all which tilings are to be found in the other vision. There is therefore the most perfect coinci¬ dence between the two; and when we take into account what is related in verses 21—23, where the vision of the Daily Sacrifice is distinctly referred to, and where the angel announces, that he had come for the purpose of giving explanations; and when we remember the perplexity into Avhich that vision had thrown Daniel, and the anxiety which a man of his public sjiirit must have felt to obtain light, I say, when we take all these things into account, the inference appears to me irresistible, that the two visions are not only connected, but identical; and that the latter vision being expository, the views which have been given of the earlier and darker vision are thereby, in every thing that is most important, corroborated and fixed down. THE PKOPHECY NOTED IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. DAN. X. 21. This tenth chapter is introductory to a further de¬ velopment of the vision of the Daily Sacrifice. This will be seen when we take a survey of its contents. In the first verse Daniel informs us that “ a thing was revealed to him, and that it was true, but that the time appointed was long, and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.” These expressions correspond with those we have already contemplated,' and prepare us for what fol¬ lows, serving as hints of the connection subsisting between these chajiters and the succeeding ones. This revelation was made in the third year of Cyrus, so that it was subsequent to the proclama¬ tion issued by that prince for the liberation of the Jewish captives, which was in the first year of his reign.2 It is probable that by this time the oppo¬ sition to the building of the temple, which in Ezra iv. 4, 5, we are told the adversaries of Judah con- ^ chap. viii. 17,19, 26; ix. 22,23. ® Ezra i. 1. THE PROPHECY, ETC. 151 trived to stir up even during the reign of Cyrus, had already commenced, and that grief for the obstacles thrown in the way of the good work was, in part, the occasion of that extraordinary season of humi¬ liation, which, in verses 2, 3, we are informed was observed by Daniel at this time. But we shall immediately see that something besides, occupied his attention, and engaged his prayers. After continuing in constant religious exercises for three full weeks, he informs us that being on the banks of the Hiddekel or Tigris, he had a glo¬ rious vision of one “like unto the Son of man.”i By comparing the description here given with what we find in Rev. i. 13—16, we cannot but conclude that it is one and the same divine person, who manifested himself to the “ man of desires,” and to the “beloved disciple.” It is none else than the Lord Jesus Christ, whose delights were from eter¬ nity with the sons of men, who appeared on both occasions. O, the condescending grace of our Re¬ deeming God! Truly his name is Immanuel, God with us. The effect, however, of the manifested presence of tlie High and Lofty One, whose name is Holy, both on the prophet and the apostle, was to overpower them with dread.” Dr. Owen well remarks, in his valuable work on “ The Glory of Christ,” that if favoured individuals like these, long accustomed to intimate communion with God, could not endure such discoveries of his glory, how are we to ima¬ gine it possible that that glory should be unfolded, as Millennarians suppose, and that men of ordinary 1 ver. 4—6. 2 yer. 7—9; Rev. i. 17. 152 THE PROPHECY NOTED mould should be able to live in the full blaze of a light inaccessible, and whose brightness is by us inconceivable? To be able to bear the sight of this ineffable glory, these clay tabernacles must be taken down, and spiritual bodies given, fashioned like unto bis own glorious body, “ according to that mighty working, whereby be is able to subdue all things unto himself.”^ To re-assure the beloved disciple, we are told,^ “ He laid his right band upon him, saying, Fear not, I am the First and the Last, I am be that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for ever¬ more, Amen; and have the keys of bell and of death.” Daniel, in like manner, informs us, that while be lay prostrate on the earth, an band touched him, and words of kindest import were addressed to him, and repeated over again, in order to strengthen and comfort his fainting spirit.® In these verses, the following points claim atten¬ tion, in connection with our present subject. 1. An angel, as before, is sent to instruct Daniel. 2. He informs him that he had come for his words, that is, in answer to his prayers.^ 3. That although detained by the opposition of the court of Persia to the cause of God, for one and twenty days,® or during the three weeks in which Daniel had been engaged in special prayer,® yet he assures him, that “ from the first day that he had set his heart to understand, and to chasten himself before his God, his words were heard,” 4. He tells him, that now he had come, “it was 1 Phil. iii. 21. a Rev. i. 17, 18. a ver. 10—21. 4 ver. 12. 5 ver. 13. 0 ver. 2. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 153 to make him understand what should befall his people in the latter days;” adding by way of expla¬ nation of what he was referring to, “ for yet the vision shall be for (many) days.” From these particulars, it is evident that while Daniel had been prompted to his present extraor¬ dinary exercise, by the slow progress of the work of restoration in the land of Judah, in consequence of the unexpected obstacles thrown in its way, as the seat of government, he had had at the same time in his eye the former supernatural communi¬ cations, which he had received regarding the coming of the Messiah, and the fate of the Jewish people in connection with his advent. When we remember the deep-rooted prejudices which were entertained in our Lord’s time with regard to the nature of his mission, and with what difficulty even his own followers were led to embrace just views respecting it, it seems exceedingly probable, that Daniel, eminent believer though he was, but living in a dark period of the church, may have, to a considerable extent, associated the ideas of temporal glory and earthly dominion with the coming of the promised Deliverer. And hence, when instead of Israel’s exaltation among the nations, he saw in vision the Prince of the host con¬ spired against by a foreign power, and a long-con¬ tinued period of dismal calamity overtaking his people, after the advent of Messiah, he would naturally be filled with wonder and perplexity. But whatever might be the degree of his discernment of the spiritual nature of Christ’s kingdom, it is certain, that as a Jew, and a man of the most 154 THE PROPHECY NOTED enlarged patriotism, he could not fail to be deeply affected by the prospect of the dire catastrophe which appeared to be awaiting his people, even after their return from Babylon; and we are equally certain, that a man of his exalted piety, maintaining habitual intercourse with God,^ accus¬ tomed to bring all his difficulties to the throne of grace ,2 and who had received many remarkable answers to his prayers, ® would have recourse to the Hearer of prayer for the solution of his difficulties, and the removal of his painful antici¬ pations. In answer to his supplications, the angel declares he had come for the special purpose of letting him know what should befall the Jewish people in the latter days. This was the subject which must have weighed heavily on Daniel’s mind. This was the point next in importance to what related to Mes¬ siah, and intimately connected with what the previous visions had revealed. This was the par¬ ticular subject of the vision, of the evening and morning, or of the 2300 days. To this long period there is manifest allusion in the words, “ for yet the vision shall be for many days.” In the prophecy which follows, therefore, we are to keep chiefly in our eye what relates to the history of Israel, and especially what relates to their ultimate destiny, for it is to this that the angel principally refers, and other things are subordinate to it, as the grand issue in which the prediction terminates. “ I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days.” 1 Vi. 9. 2 ii, 17,18. 3 ii. 23; vi. 22, 23; ix. 20—23. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 155 It is very remarkable too, that when the angel proceeds to unfold his prophecy, lie does it in these terms, “ I will show thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth.” The only explanation which I can give of these words, and it is one both natu¬ ral in itself, and in perfect harmony with the views which have been presented of these chapters, is, that at the time when Daniel had the vision of the Daily Sacrifice ; or at least, at some time prior to the date of the present prophecy, he had, under divine guidance, been led to reduce that vision to writing; that in this way it already formed part of scripture, and that it is here referred to in that character. It is not enough to say, as has been done, that the things about to be disclosed were recorded in the book of God’s decrees. This may be true; but it is not what is stated here. It is said they were noted in the scripture of truth; that is, registered in the written Word of God. Nor is there any other part of scripture here referred to, save the vision of the Daily Sacrifice, and of the seventy weeks, which, as we have shown, is just an exposition of the former. It cannot be the vision of the Great Image, nor of the four Beasts. There is no coincidence, of scene, or subject, which would warrant such an idea. It can only be the other two above mentioned, which relate so expressly to Jew¬ ish history, as this prophecy likewise does, and the principal scene of which lies in the east, in which circumstance, as will immediately appear, there is also a correspondence. There is just one other thing which remains to be noticed in this chapter, and that is, the title 15G THE PROPHECY NOTED given to the Lord Jesus Christ in the last verse, by the angel who addressed Daniel; “ there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your prince.” In Heb. i. 14, we are told that the angels are all ministering spirits, “ sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” In the sublime vision which Ezekiel had by the river Chehar,^ the angels are symbolically repre¬ sented as the ministers of the King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, in executing his will in provi¬ dence. It accords, therefore, with these more gene¬ ral descriptions, to find the angel in the passage before us, representing himself as being charged with an oversight of the atfairs of Persia, appointed there under him “ who is Head over all things for His body the church,” to resist those measures, which the pride of men, or the malice of Satan, might suggest for the injury of true religion.^ The title given to the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 13 is “Michael,” that is, “who is as God,” and, “one of the chief princes,” or as it is in the margin, “the first of the chief princes,” corresponding with which we elsewhere read “Who is the imaoe of the invi- o sible God, the first-born of every creature. For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from ^ chap. i. 2 ver. 13, 20. 3 Col. i. 15—18. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 157 the dead; that in all things he might have the pre¬ eminence.” The title given in verse 22 is “ Michael your prince.” These verses serve to connect the pre¬ sent passage with what follows, and with what goes before. The denomination in verse 13 corresponds with what occurs, xii. 1. “Michael the great Prince.” The denomination in verse 21, “ Michael }*our prince,” corresponds with what follows in the passage, “ that standeth for the children of thy people:” while this, again, exactly agrees with the title given to Christ,^ “ the Prince of the host that is, the Jewish nation, Daniel’s people. On the whole, then, there can be no doubt from this introduction, that in the following prophecy we are just to look for a further exposition of the vision of tlie Daily Sacrifice. DAN. XI. I DO not consider it necessary to enter upon all the particulars contained in this chapter, except in so far as may be requisite for the main object in view. Verse 1 points to the establishment of the IMe- do-Persian empire, and corresponds with chap. vili. 4, last clause. Verse 2 relates to the succession of Persian kings, until Xerxes and his invasion of Greece, which formed the commencement of those wars between the two countries, which terminated in the overthrow of the Persian empire. 1 Dan. viii. 11. 158 THE PROPHECY KOTED Verses 3, 4, correspond with chap. viii. 5—8, 2], 22, and describe the rise of the Macedonian empire, and its subdivision into four kingdoms. Verses 5—31 describe the wars and other tran¬ sactions between the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria, the two principal subdivisions of the Macedonian empire. They are here called the kings of the south and the north, from their geographical rela¬ tion to Palestine. The church of God, being esta¬ blished there, was liable to be affected by the military movements of these two powerful king¬ doms, which lay on either side of Judea; and this doubtless was the reason why their wars and nego¬ tiations have been so minutely nari’ated. The title, “ king of the north and king of the south,” it will be observed, is applicable not to a single king of Syria, or of Egypt, but to the race of kings, or dynasties, which ruled in these countries, until the Romans came and conquered them. And in this there is a correspondence with the symbol of a horn, employed in the eighth chapter and elsewhere. I shall give as condensed a view as possible of these verses, referring to the excellent commentaries which have been written upon them by Bishop Newton, Scott, Keitb, and others, for more minute information. Verse 5. “ And the king of the south shall be strong,” i. e. Egypt to the south of Judea. “ And one of his princes.” The antecedent to the pronoun is to be found in verse 4 ; one of Alexander’s prin¬ ces, Seleucus, who founded the kingdom of Syria, to the north of Judea, as Ptolemy did that of Egypt. “He shall be strong above him, and have domin- IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 159 ion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.” The Icingdom of Syria would be stronger and more extensive than that of Egypt. And so it was; for at the partition of Alexander’s dominions, in 301 B. c., it comprehended by far the greater part of the countries of Asia, which had belonged to the ]\la- cedonian empire. At the time of this partition, Palestine was annexed to Egypt.^ Verse 6. This verse narrates an ineffectual at¬ tempt to unite the two kingdoms, by the formation of a matrimonial alliance between the two remnincr O o families, which terminated in a fatal manner to most of the parties concerned, and created fresh occasion for hostilities between the two monarchies. Verses 7—17 narrate the long continued wars, which, with various success, ensued. I think it un¬ necessary to enter on a particular explanation of them, with the exception of what relates to the Jews. The verses which are considered as contain¬ ing reference to their history are 12, 14, IG, 17. Verse 12 describes the elevation of Ptolemy Philo- pater, after obtaining a victory over his rival An- tiochus the Great, of Syria, and the excesses into which he was betrayed: “And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up, and he shall cast down many ten thousands.” Palestine remained in his possession, he visited Jerusalem, and was with difficulty restrained from entering the Holy of Holies. And many thou¬ sands of Jews perished at this time by his vindic¬ tive cruelty. Verse 14 describes the unsuccessful insurrection of 1 Prideaux. ICO THE PROPHECY NOTED the Jewish along with other tributary provinces, during the minority of his son. “In those days there shall many stand up against the king of the south; also the robbers (or revolters) of thy people shall exalt themselves, to establish the vision, but they shall fall.” Although baffled at first, this revolt proved the means of establishing the vision. It has been supposed, that it refers to the subsequent calamities which the Jews endured at the hand of Antiochus Epiphanes. But it stretches farther. The vision referred to is the previous vision of the Daily Sacrifice ; and the manner in which it was verified by the transactions referred to in the verse before us, I conceive to have been the following. The breaking up of the connection which subsisted between Palestine and Egypt, brought the former under the sway of the Syrian kings. This subjec¬ tion, again, exposed the Jews to the persecutions they endured on account of their religion. These persecutions next stirred them up to aim at na¬ tional independence, which they attained under the conduct of the Maccabees. In their struggles, again, for deliverance from the Syrian yoke, they were led to court the alliance of the Romans, who, ac¬ cording to their usual policy, were forward to befriend; and finally, it was in the character of arbitrators that the Romans were invited to decide a disputed succession between descendants of these Maccabees: thus the w’ay was opened up for the establishment of this foreign power within the territories of Judea. Had the Jews remained in subjection to Egypt, the latter being in alliance with Rome, they might not, at least they would IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 161 not, in the particular time and way in which the thing happened, have been exposed to the inter¬ ference of the republic. But known unto God are all his works from the beginning ; and He, without whom a sparrow cannot fall to the ground, did, at this particular juncture, by means of the disruption of the ties connecting Israel with Egypt, put in motion a train of events, which ultimately led to the subjection of the Jews to the Romans, and thereby to the accomplishment of the most import¬ ant transactions which have taken place in the earth. How remarkable too, that this heathen state, whose protection they so eagerly sought, instead of de¬ pending on their own Almighty King, should have first enslaved and ultimately ruined them! Verse 16. “But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.” This verse describes the complete success which Syria obtained under its king, Antiochus the Great. The theatre of war between him and the power of Egypt, having been principally in Palestine, it is here mentioned, that “ he was to stand in the glo¬ rious land.” There his success was to be consolida¬ ted, his power established. The title here given to Judea, corresponds with what occurs, chap. viii. 9. It is added, “ which by his hand shall be con¬ sumed.” Bishop Newton translates this, “ shall be perfected, or made to prosper,” and explains it by the great favours and privileges bestowed by An¬ tiochus on the Jews: so also Dr. Keith. Perhaps the words just mean that the land of Israel should L 162 THE PROPHECY NOTED come at this time wholly into his hand. It was completely transferred from Egypt to Syria. Verse 17. “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and up- riokt ones with him: thus shall he do : and he shall O ' give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: hut he shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.” This verse speaks of “ upright ones” joining this monarch in his invasion of Egypt. This seems to refer to the Jews who would now be under his standai’d, so called, either from their being the child¬ ren of the covenant externally, or it may be from some really converted persons being in his service. Verses 18, 19. “ After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.” These verses describe the unsuccessful invasion of Greece by Antiochus, his repulse, and disgrace¬ ful defeats at the hand of the Romans, and the obscure end of their prince denominated the Great. Verse 20. “Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom; but wdthin few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.” This verse alludes to the short and inglorious reign of his son, forced to exact taxes for the payment of the tribute imposed on his kingdom by the Romans. Verses 21—27. “ And in his estate shall stand IX THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 163 up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peace¬ ably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the flattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea^ and he shall forecast his de¬ vices against the strong holds, even for a time. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both these kings’ hearts shall he to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall he at the time appointed.” These verses describe the accession of Antio- chus Epiphanes, and his successful expeditions into Egypt. ^ “ The prince of the covenant” is men¬ tioned. This refers to his intermeddling with the ofiice of the high priesthood at Jerusalem, placing and displacing at his pleasure, and for bribes of money, those who filled it. * See ver. 22, 23. 164 THE PROPHECY NOTED I refer to verse 27 in confirmation of a remark which I made in chap. viii. 19, namely, that the terms, “ the end,” “ the time of the end,” “ the time appointed,” must be understood in connection with the particular subject treated of, and that they do not always refer to one and the same period. On the former occasion, I understood these expres¬ sions as pointing to the concluding period of God’s anger against Israel, and the final end of Rome. In the passage before us, the words, “ for yet the end shall be at the time appointed,” relate to the last- part of the career of Antiochus, whose history is here so particularly given, when at the period fore¬ ordained in the counsels of heaven, the Romans, by whom he was to be restrained, and the kingdom of Syria in the end overthrown, should make their appearance. Accordingly it is added,i “ At the time appointed, he shall return and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former or as the latter,” i. e. the invasion at this time shall not be with the success of previous expeditions; “ for the ships of Chittim shall come against him.”^ The Roman ambassadors shall meet him in Egypt, and compel him to leave it in disgrace. And al¬ though on his way home he vented his indignation on the Jews, yet his course of prosperity was now ended, and a few years after he finished his out¬ rageously wicked life by a miserable death. Verses 28, 30. “Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart he against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits^ and re¬ turn to his own land.-For the ships of Chit- 1 ver. 29. 2 ver, 30. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 165 tim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that for¬ sake the holy covenant.” These verses predict two several assaults, which would be made by this king of Syria in returning from Egypt. The former verse tells us, that elated with the riches he had amassed in his wars, “ his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.” A report of his death having become current, the Jews expressed their joy at the supposed event. This drew forth his rage against them. The manner in which he wreaked his vengeance, is narrated in the historical book of the Maccabees,^ as fol¬ lows : “ And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt he returned again,-and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof. And the table of the shew- bread, and the pouring vessels, and the vials, and the censers of gold, and the vail, and the crowns, and the golden ornaments that were upon the tem¬ ple, all which he pulled off. He took also the sil¬ ver, and the gold, and the precious vessels; also he took the hidden treasures which he found. And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly.” The next visitation of this antichristian power * B. i. c. i. ver. 20—24. ]66 THE PROPHECY NOTED was marked by circumstances of still greater op¬ pression and profanity: “The ships of Chittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and return, and have indignation against the holy cove¬ nant : so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy cove¬ nant.”^ We have already observed that verse 29 describes his return again into Egypt, and the be¬ ginning of verse 30 his ignominious retreat from thence. This took place two years after the spolia¬ tion of the temple, and the massacre of the people above narrated. Retiring from Egypt full of spleen at having been baffled in his designs by the Romans, he was enraged against the Jews more violently than before. To quote from the same historical record,® “ And after two years fully expired, the king sent his chief collector of tribute, - - - who came unto Jerusalem with a greatjjmultitude, and spake peace¬ able words nnto them, but all was deceit. For when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people of Israel. And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on fire, and pulled down the houses and walls thereof on every side. But the women and children took they captive, and pos¬ sessed the cattle. Then builded they the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with mighty towers, and made it a strong hold for them. And they put therein a sinful nation, wicked men, and fortified themselves therein.-It was a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil ad¬ versary to Israel. Thus they shed innocent blood } ver. 30. 2 1 i. 29, &c. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 167 on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled it. In¬ somuch, that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled be¬ cause of them; whereupon the city was made an habitation of strangers, and became strange to those who were born in her, and her own children left her. Pier sanctuary was laid waste like a wilder¬ ness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honour into contempt.” In these things were expressed “ the indignation” of the Syrian king “ against the holy covenants.” The subsequent clause, “he shall have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant,” receives the following illustration from the succeeding part of the same history. “ ]\Ioreover,king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, and every one should learn his laws ; so all the hea¬ then agreed according to the commandment of the king. Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed to idols, and profaned the sabbath.” The history proceeds to relate how the king sent mandates to Jerusalem to forbid the ofiering of sacrifices in the temple, and to pollute it by setting up idols, and altars on which unclean animals should be sacrificed; prohibiting the rite of circumcision, and compelling the people to do the king’s commandment under pain o» death. The books of the law were also sought out and destroyed. Verse 31. “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take a’vvay the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” This verse admits of being applied to the doings of Antiochus, but I agree with those expositors 1G8 THE PROPHECY NOTED who think that the Roman power is here intro¬ duced. My reasons for adopting this opinion are as follows:— 1. The verb, “to stand up,” is commonly em¬ ployed, in this chapter, to denote the rise of a new power, or the reign of a new king. Thus, in verse 1, the establishment of the Medo-Persian empire is ex¬ pressed by the angel “standing” to confirm Darius. In verse 2, the succession of Persian kings until Xerxes is described by their “ standing up.” In verses 3 and 4, the rise of the Macedonian empire is ex¬ pressed by a mighty king “• standing up.” The dis¬ astrous end of one of the Syrian kings is expressed by his “ not standing,”^ while in the following verse, the reign of a new king in the rival kingdom of Egypt is indicated by his being said “ to stand up ” in his father’s estate. The beginning of Israel’s separa¬ tion from Egypt is denoted by the similar expres¬ sion of “ exalting themselves.”^ The resistless pro¬ gress of the arms of Antiochus the Great, and the full establishment of his power, are expressed by his enemies not being able to stand, and by his standing,^ while his own end is expressed by his falling.^ Then his son, who succeeded him, is said “to stand up in his estateand finally, Antiochus Epiphanes, the next in order, is described in like manner.® It appears, therefore, more agreeable to the general use of the expression in this chapter, to suppose that a new power (that is, the Roman power, which was the next to appear on this terri¬ tory) is here introduced, than that it should have ^ ver. 14. 3 ver. 15, 16. ^ ver. 19. 5 ygr_ 21. 1 ver. 6. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 169 reference to Antiochus, the beginning of whose reign, or the rise of whose power, had already been described by the same verb. 2. The employment of force by Antiochus against the religion of the Jews had taken place before this, as we saw when making our remarks on verse 28. It would have appeared, therefore, most natural to have introduced this figure of arms (of the body) expressive of power in that place, and not here. 3. There seems a necessity to apply the first clause of verse 31, and indeed the whole verse to the Ro¬ mans, because our Lord, in his prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem,! mentions “the abomina¬ tion of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the pro¬ phet, (an expression occurring in the last clause of this verse.^) These passages undoubtedly refer to the approach of the Roman armies. The verse before us, therefore, must have relation to the Roman power also. Let us proceed then to consider this verse, and those which follow down to verse 35, in order. Verses 32—35. “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries : but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now, when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try 1 Matt. xxiv. 15. 2 See also Mark xiii. 14; compare Luke xxi. 20. 170 THE PROPHECY NOTED them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” They contain a sketch of church history, Jewish and Christian, from the time that the Romans en¬ tered Judea, as Pagan idolaters, to the time when, having apostatized from the faith of Christ, the Mahometan arms were sent to chastise the corrupt section of the church, situated within the limits of the Eastern empire. They distinguish between such professors of religion, as were merely nominal and hypocritical, and such as were real. They show the labours of the latter, and their manifold and long-continued trials, both under Pagan and professedly Christian rulers. “ And arms shall stand on his part.”i In this chapter the figure of “arms” of the body is em¬ ployed to denote power, just as in the foi’mer vi¬ sions that of “horns” of animals; the symbol on the present occasion being men, that is, kings, for kingdoms. The arms of the kings of the south,^ is the power of Egypt. The arms of the verse be¬ fore us, w^e have said, denote the Roman power.s But it will be asked, how can they be said to stand on his part, that is, of the king of Syria, just before 1 ver. 31. 2 y 0 i._ 3 It is curious to find the very same figure employed by Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, in a speech, said to have been made by him with the view of inducing Antioehus the Great, king of Syria, to invade Italy. After representing the advantages of an aggressive war, he adds: “ But if you allow them to remain in quiet possession of Italy, and to stretch out ths arms of that country to a distance, their resources are endless, and their strength irresistible.”— Ferguson, Rom. Rep. B. i, c. vi. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 171 mentioned ? I answer, that he and his kingdom, in the language of prophecy, I might even say in the ordinary language of history, are to be considered as one. The history of the kings of England is the history of England. When it is said, therefore, that the Roman arms would stand up from him (for that is the literal translation of the word mimmennu), the meaning is, I think, that the Ro¬ man power, having reduced the kingdom of Syria to a province, would extend itself from thence into Palestine, and accomplish what is mentioned in the succeeding part of the verse. It is here again to be remembered that the scene of all the visions or prophecies, which have been under consideration, is in the East. The scene of the vision of the Daily Sacrifice is distinctly laid there;—that of the Seventy Weeks equally so. And in the pre¬ sent prediction, our eye has been constantly fixed on the kings of Syria and Egypt, together with the intermediate country of Palestine, all forming parts of the Macedonian empire. The history of the Roman empire, accordingly, is introduced, as be¬ fore, only in so far as relates to these regions, and more especially and peculiarly in so far as affects the church of God. Other particulars, formerly adverted to, are on this occasion passed over, and the Roman power, with the exception of what is stated at the beginning of verse 80 , is immediately brought into contact with Jewish and ecclesiastical history, as we find in what follows. “ And they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength.” Pompey, the Roman general, having, as has already been noticed in an earlier part of this work, taken 172 THE PROPHECY NOTED part with Hyrcanus against Aristobulus, in their dispute about the succession to the sovereignty of Judea, and having been admitted into Jerusalem by the adherents of the former, proceeded to the siege of the temple, within the walls of which the fac¬ tion of Aristobulus had entrenched themselves. After an obstinate resistance, which might have lasted much longer, had not the Jews refused to defend themselves on the sabbath, he carried the place by storm, on the day kept by them as a fast in remembrance of the taking of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar. A great carnage en¬ sued : 12,000 persons are said to have lost their lives, many of whom were priests, who mingled their blood with the sacrifices which they were in the act of of¬ fering. On this occasion Pompey, with some of his principal ofiicers, not only entered into the outer courts of the temple, but caused its more sacred parts to be opened up, and even invaded the Holy of Holies, which none but the high priest might enter, and that only once a year; a profanation which greatly incensed the Jews, and which seems to have drawn upon him the marked displeasure of the Almighty; for it is observed by historians, that although he had been so signally successful hitherto as to have earned for himself the appella¬ tion of “The Great,” he never afterwards pros¬ pered in any of his undertakings, his reputation fell, and he came at last to an untimely end. He did not, however, ofier any other violence to the reli¬ gion of the Jews, and left untouched the vessels and treasures of the sanctuary. But not many years after, Crassus, when on his way to his ill-fated Par- IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 173 thian expedition, invaded again the sanctity of the place, and robbed it of gold to the value of two mil¬ lions of our money. Finally, the same power which thus laid open the temple of God, was made the instrument in his hand of destroying it. And in illustration of the expression, “ the sanctuary of strength,” it is worthy of remark that Titus, after he became master of the city, was so much struck with the strength of its fortifications, as to have ascribed his success to supernatural aid.i “ And shall take away the daily sacrifice.”^ “ And they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” Our Saviour himself, as already noticed, fixes the interpretation of this expression. In the passages formerly referred to, he applies it to the Roman armies, which came for the destruc¬ tion of Jerusalem. Their standards had images upon them, which were worshipped by the soldiers. “ The entire religion of the Roman camp, almost, consisted in worsliipping the ensigns, in swearing by the ensigns, and in preferring the ensigns before all the [other] gods.”® The approach of the Roman armies, the display of these, idolatrous ensigns, and the planting of them around the holy city, were the setting up or the placing “ the abomination of desolation.” After the burning of the temple in the course of the siege, Josephus relates that the soldiers brought these ensigns, “ and set them even against its eastern gate, and there did they 1 Josephus, 3 See on ohap. viii. 11. ® Tertullian, quoted in a note in Whiston’s Josephus. “Ta¬ citus calls the Roman eagles, bellorum deos. They were placed in a chapel in the camp, and with the other deities reeeived the religious worship of the troops.”— GibhotCs Rome, vqI. i. p. 12. 174 THE PROPHECY NOTED oflFer sacrifices to them, and there did they make Titus Imperator^ with the greatest acclamations of joy.” Thus was “ the abomination of desolation ” placed within the precincts of the sanctuary itself. At a still later period, when the Jews, in the time of Adrian, had made an insurrection under Barcho- chehus, and were defeated, that emperor completed the desolation of Jerusalem, by changing its name to ^lia, prohibiting the Jews from visiting it, employing the stones of the temple in the erection of a theatre, and setting up statues of false gods on the spot where the sacred edifice had stood. Verse 32. “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the peo¬ ple that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” I observed before that the covenant of grace is one and unchangeable, though its mode of adminis¬ tration may vary. The Jewish economy being now entirely abolished, I consider it to be the Christian dispensation which is here referred to. And, first, its false professors are spoken of “ such as do wickedly against the covenant.” What a fearful description is this of nominal Christians ! These the Roman power would corrupt by flatteries. It disliked and hated both Jews and Christians. Antipathy on account of religion prompted the employment both of seductive allurements, and of penal coercion. The latter is described in the next verse; the former in the first clause of tlie present. Bishop Newton, on this point, observes, 1 It was natural to pass from apostate Jews to apostate Christians. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 175 “ The Roman magistrates and ofl&cers, it is very well known, made use of the most alluring pro¬ mises, as well as of the most terrible threaten- ings, to prevail upon the primitive Christians to renounce their religion, and offer incense to the statues of the emperors and images of the gods. Many were induced to comply with the temptation, and apostatized from the faith, as we learn particu¬ larly from the famous epistle of Pliny to Trajan.”^ 1 Gibbon, who is disposed to palliate to the utmost the con¬ duct of the Roman government, gives the following account of the manner in which the trials of the Christians were con¬ ducted, and of the inducements held out to recant:— “ Punishment was not the inevitable consequence of convic¬ tion ; and the Christians whose guilt was the most clearly proved by the testimony of witnesses, or even by their voluntary con¬ fession, still retained in their own power the alternative of life or death. It was not so much the past offence, as the actual resistance, which excited the indignation of the magistrate. He was persuaded that he offered them an easy pardon, since, if they consented to cast a few grains of incense upon the altar, they were dismissed from the tribunal in safety, and with applause. It was esteemed the duty of a humane judge to en¬ deavour to reclaim, rather than to punish, these deluded enthu¬ siasts. Varying his tone according to the age, the sex, or the situation of the prisoners, he frequently condescended to set before their eyes every circumstance which could render life more pleasing, or death more terrible; and to solicit, nay, to entreat them, that they would show some compassion to them¬ selves, to their families, and to their friends. If threats and persuasions proved ineffectual, he had often recourse to vio¬ lence chap. xvi. It further appears that “ the provincial gover¬ nors, whose zeal,” says the same historian, “ was less prevalent than their avarice, had countenanced the practice of selling certificates, or libels, as they were called, which attested that the person therein mentioned had complied with the laws, and sacrificed to the Roman deities. By producing these false declarations the opulent and timid Christians were enabled to silence the malice of an informer, and to reconcile in some measure their safety with their religion.” He adds: 176 THE PROPHECY NOTED It is very remarkable that in this epistle of Pliny, ‘ above referred to, while the philosophic proconsul states that many had, at his instigation, “ invoked the gods, and offered wine and incense to the emperor’s statue, and had, moreover, blasphemed Christ,” he adds, “ which, it is said, none that are true Christians can be compelled to do.” This striking testimony illustrates the next clause de¬ scriptive of real believers. “ But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do.” To know God as our covenant God is the sum of religion. They who have this saving knowledge have the everlasting arms around them, and will be carried through the greatest trials. They are strong, not in themselves, but in the power of Christ resting upon them, and in Him are made more than conquerors. Innumerable are the in¬ stances, on record, of faithful adherence to Christ in the midst of manifold and severe trials of faith and patience.! The labours and sufferings of true “ In every persecution tliere were great numbers of unworthy Christians, who publicly diso^vned or renounced the faith which they had professed, and who confirmed the sincerity of their abjuration by the legal acts of burning incense, or of offering sacrifices.” 1 One example may suffice, illustrative both of the endea¬ vours made by the Roman power to induce recantation, and of the constancy of true Christians. In the persecution under Antiochus, a. d. 167, Polycarp of Smyrna suffered. When the proconsul began to persuade him to renounce Christianity, saying, “ Regard thy great age, swear by the genius'of Cesar; say with us, ‘Take away the impious;’ swear, blaspheme Christ, and I will release thee;” Polycarp answered, “ These fourscore and six years have I served him, and he never did me any harm. How shall I blaspheme my Saviour!” The good man suffered martyrdom about the hundredth year of his age. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 1T7 Christians, in the primitive times, are adverted to in the following verse. Verse 33. “And they that understand among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.” These words describe the progress and general state of Christianity during the first three cen¬ turies. It was to be spread far and wide; but its true professors and teachers were to be subjected to many and severe afflictions. We have many traces of both in the New Testament. Our Sa¬ viour, after his resurrection, commanded his apos¬ tles to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.^ And again, he said unto them, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jeru¬ salem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”^ On the day of Pentecost, we are informed, there were present at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven, who heard the word, and many of whom were converted.® I may here observe, in connection with what I shall again have occasion to refer to, viz. that most of the countries from whence these Jews came, and to which they carried back the knowledge of salvation, were situated within the limits of the ancient Macedonian em¬ pire, which forms the principal scene of the present prophecy, and of the previous vision. Such were Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cap¬ padocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Cyrene in Libya, Crete, Arabia, part of which, at 1 Mark xvi. 15. ^ i. 8. 3 ii. 5, 41. M 178 THE PROPHECV NOTED least, was subdued by Alexander,^ At the time of the persecution which arose after Stephen’s death, the church at Jerusalem was dispersed, and it said, “ they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”^ The labours of Paul the apostle to the Gentiles are well known. On one occasion he declared that from Jerusalem, round about unto Illyricum, he had fully preached the gospel of Christ. His epistles, as well as the narrative in the book of Acts, show how much the regions of Asia Minor and Greece had been watered with gospel truth. James addresses his epistle to the twelve tribes scattered abroad. Peter addresses the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. And the epistles to the seven churches in Asia are a farther confirmation of the fact that that popu¬ lous and fertile regionVas planted with flourishing churches before the end of the first century. It is unnecessary to follow minutely the progress of Christianity. It went forth conquering and to conquer,® until after the lapse of three centuries, to adopt the glowing language of the infidel historian Gibbon, “ it finally erected the triumphant banner of the cross on the ruins of the capitol.”^ What I wish to notice particularly, is that the waters of the sanctuary flowed from east to west, and that during these centuries, believers in Christ were to be found in the greatest numbers and influence in the east. “The whole fertile region of Asia Propria,” says Milner, writing of the beginning of the second cen- 1 Rollin, Book xvii. chap. 1. Acts ii. 9 —11. 2 Acts viii. 4. ® Rev. vi. 2. ^ Gibbon, chap. xv. IN TUB SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 179 tury, “ seems to have been more thoroughly evan¬ gelised than any other parts of the world at that period.” And again, “ Asia Propria was still, a. d. 140, the scene of vital Christianity, and of cruel per¬ secution.” And a little later, after adverting to the persecution under Marcus Aurelius,he adds, “There is nothing pleasant that can be suggested to us by the view of the cruel treatment of Christianity, and of the author of it, except one circumstance, that the effusion of the Spirit of God still contin¬ ued to produce its holy fruits in these highly favoured regions.” A. d. 174.^ These latter quotations have in part anticipated what is stated in the second division of the verse, concerning the sufferings of the early Christian teachers and professors. “ They shall fall by the sword, and by flames, by captivity, and by spoil.” Of these, too, we have many notices in scripture. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, the great Prophet of the church, and Light of the world, was made perfect through sufferings. And he forewarned his disciples, that they would be delivered up to be afflicted and to be killed.^ Peter, after receiving the most tender proofs of his Master’s regard, was told of the violent death by which he should glorify God.® The same apostle we afterwards find in prison.^ James the brother of John was killed by the sword. Paul was forewarned of the great things he was to suffer for Jesus’ sake, many of which are recapitulated in 2 Cor. xi. 23—28. The afflicted 1 Milner, vol. ii. p. 208. See also Gibbon’s Historical View of the Progress of Christianity, chap. xv. ^ Matt. xxiv. 9. ® John xxi. 18, 19. * Acts xii. 3. 180 THE PROPHECY NOTED state of the cliiirch in general is referred to in Rom. viii. 25, 26; 1 Thess. ii. 14; 2 Thess. i. 4; Heb. X. 23, 24, and other passages. Peter expressly warns those to whom he wrote, of the fiery trial which was to try themd In the book of Revelation,® the church of Smyrna is informed, that the devil would cast some of them into prison, and that they would have tribulation for a season. In the epistle to Pergamos, the death of Antipas, Christ’s faith¬ ful martyr, is mentioned. And under the fifth seal, which, according to the older, and as I think cor¬ rect interpretation, (I consider along with those that go before, and the one that follows down to the end of chap. vi. as referring to the times'of Pagan Rome,) the slaughter of the saints by that heathen power is distinctly announced, both retrospectively and prospectively. ® I should not omit to mention, that when the Re¬ deemer predicted the treatment which his servants would receive at the hands of the unbelieving Jews, he describes those whom he would send among them, in language corresponding to what is em- 2 iloyed in the verse before us, “ prophets, wise men and scribes.”'‘ “ They that understand among the people shall instruct many.” And as my leading object in this exposition is to bring out what is contained in these chapters relating to the Jews, I may just remind the reader, that salvation being of the Jews,® the Lord Jesus himself being, as concerns his human nature, of that stock,® the apostles, and I suppose all the seventy mentioned, Luke x. 1. 1 1 Pet. iv. 12. 2 chap. ii. 10. 3 ver. 10, 11. * Matt, xxiii. 34. 5 John iv. 22, 6 Rom. ix. 5. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 181 being Israelites ; and the first church being planted at Jerusalem, from whence the word of life went forth to all other lands, it must be seen and ought ever to be acknowledged, what unspeakable obligations Gentile Christians lie under to a people which has furnished them with every thing that is truly valu¬ able. Truly it is wonderful, how slow Christian churches, and Christian men, have been to make the acknowledgment. If we turn from the Word of God to common history, we find a succession of persecutions carried on by Pagan Rome against the church of Christ, during the second and third centuries. It is not necessary here to enter minutely into them. The last, under Diocletian, was the most severe of all, and fell with peculiar rigour on the Christians of the east. It commenced on the 23rd February, 303, a date which coincided with the Roman festival of the Terminalia, and which “ was appointed,” says Gibbon, “whether from accident or design, to set bounds to the progress of Christianity.” ^ It proved, however, what may be termed the beginning of the end of Paganism itself. The persecution con¬ tinued for a number of years, with scarcely any Intermission, and raged with greatest fury in the eastern provinces, under the immediate government of Diocletian, and of his associates and successors, Galerius and Maximinian. Churches were demol¬ ished, church property confiscated, copies of the scrip¬ tures sought out and destroyed; Christian assem¬ blies prohibited under pain of death; Christian men degraded from all honourable employment, and the 1 Gibbon’s Rome, chap, xvi. 182 THE PROPnECY NOTED general body placed beyond tbe protection of law. By one of tbe edicts issued by the emperors, “ the governors of tbe provinces were directed to appre- liend all persons of tbe ecclesiastical order, and the prisons destined for the vilest criminals were soon filled with a multitude of bishops, presbyters, dea¬ cons, readers, and exorcists. By a second edict, the magistrates were commanded to employ every method of severity which might have a tendency to reclaim them from their odious superstition, and oblige them to return to the established worship of the gods. This rigorous order was extended, by a subsequent edict, to the whole body of Christians, who were exposed to a violent and general persecu¬ tion.”^ In short, multitudes suffered death, especially, as already noticed, in the eastern parts of the empire, including Egypt. Italy also, and Africa, endured a sharp persecution, but it was short, while the pro¬ vinces of Gaul, under the sway of Constantins, the father of Constantine, enjoyed comparative repose. He allowed, indeed, the churches to be demolished, but protected from violence the persons of Chris¬ tians. Gibbon conjectures, that the sanguinary government of Galerius in the east must have driven many individuals, whose circumstances ad¬ mitted of their leaving their native country, to seek an asylum “ in the milder climate of the west.” Verse 34. “ Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help; but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.” Constantine was raised up, beyond doubt, in pro¬ vidence, to relieve his oppressed church. The revo- 1 Gibbon, chap. xvi. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 183 lution be was the instrument of eflfectins: was memorable in every respect; but in none so much as in this, that it made tlie despised and persecuted religion of Christ the established religion of the Roman empire. The downfall of the ancient sys¬ tem of paganism, and the elevation of the true religion, are described in scripture as great and sig¬ nal events,* and they cannot but be regarded as such, by every considerate mind. How then, it will he asked, is the deliverance which this change afforded to Christianity, said here to be “ a little help ?” The answer is to be found in the last clause of the verse; “ many shall cleave to them (i. e. to Chris¬ tians) by flatteries.” The profession of religion becoming the road to preferment, became also a cloak to hypocrisy. The church thus began to be crowded with unconverted men, who brought their unsanctified tempers into it, and by corrupting, rendered its prosperity short-lived. It is to this accompaniment, and not to the help itself, except in so far as this help can be shown to have been circumstantially defective or unscriptural, that the diminutive nature of the aid afforded is to be traced. It is in short, to the depravity of man, and not to the civil establishment of religion, that its deterioration is to be ascribed; a depravity which found ample scope for itself before the time of Constantine, and the working of which is traced by the exalted Re¬ deemer himself, in his addresses to the seven Asiatic churches.* As the sufferings of Christians formed the suh- 1 Rev. vi. 12—17; xii. 7—12. . 2 See particularly the epistles to Sardis and Laodicea. 184 THE PROPHECY NOTED ject of the preceding verse, the littleness of the help which they received under Constantine, must mean that the respite which they then experienced was only brief. It becomes necessary then to illustrate this point a little. And in doing so, we shall take along with us the following verse, where their suf¬ ferings, down to the period when the Roman empire in the east was assailed by the Mahomedan power, are set forth. Verse 35. “ And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them and to purge and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed.” . The edict of Milan, a. d. 313, restored peace to the oppressed church ; and during the whole course of the reign of Constantine, says Gibbon, “ the stream of Christianity flowed with a gentle, though accelerated motion.”^ Constantine having removed the seat of empire from Rome to Constantinople, our eye is still directed to those eastern parts, on which they have hitherto been principally fixed. ^ As these had been the scene of the early triumphs and trials of the gospel in the times of Paganism, so they also became the first theatre for similar manifestations of the grace of God, and the enmity of the carnal mind in times of Christian profession. The trials of the faithful referred to in the verse before us, occurred in consequence of the heresies wdiich sprung up in the church. It is a remarkable fact, that as the truth concerning i\iQ person of the Redeemer constitutes the central doctrine of Chris¬ tianity, so the heresies which afflicted the church, 1 Gibbon, chap. xx. s I say principally, not exclusively. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 185 during the period which followed its establishment by Constantine, were aimed for the most part at this all-important article. What Satan had failed in accomplishing by the powerful arm of the Pagan government, he now sought to attain by the influence of error, and the power of princes professing Chris¬ tianity. The heresies in question, originated in the east. The traces of them are to be found in the New Testament itself. The admixture of a false philosophy with the pure Word of God, is repre¬ hended by the apostle in his epistle to the Colos- sians. Even the sharp persecutions which the church endured, did not prevent the growth of this philosophising spirit. The church at Alexandria became the nursery of Platonic Christianity. Dur¬ ing Constantine’s reign, the lurking evil broke forth in the form of the deadly heresy of Arianism. The council of Nice arrested for a short period its pro¬ gress, but it soon appeared again in far greater energy than before. After Constantine’s death, his dominions were divided among his sons. Of these Constantins succeeded his father at Constantinople, and ultimately became sole emperor. Under his fostering care, Arianism acquired a decided pre¬ ponderance in the east, while in the west his bro¬ ther Constans protected the adherents of the Nicene faith. It was durinof the reiun of Constantins that O O Athanasius, the illustrious champion of the truth, was repeatedly banished. Many other bishops were forcibly deposed. The scenes of violence which took place in filling up vacant sees were most dread¬ ful. The emperor having determined on intruding an Arian bishop at Constantinople in opposition to 180 THE PROPHECY NOTED tlie choice of the people, much bloodshed ensued. Three thousand one hundred and fifty persons are said to have lost their lives on this occasion, and similar scenes occurred at Alexandria. On the death of Constans, a, d. 351, who had interposed to check the tyrannical proceedings of his brother, the persecution was renewed against the orthodox. “ In Constantinople,” says a church historian, “and throughout the east, where the Arians abounded, a persecution was commenced against all wdio re¬ fused to renounce the Nicene faith; this differed nothing, in its cruelty and instruments of torture and death, from the persecutions of the Pagans. Many were exposed to the severest treatment.- But the cities of Greece, Illyricum, and the west, were still unanimous for the ancient faith, and not¬ withstanding the change of the imperial policy, en¬ joyed peace.”* “ The affairs of the empire,” he adds, “ had, however, brought the emperor to the west, and he summoned a council of bishops at Milan, in order to impose on them his Arian creed. Many were found faithful, and after enduring cruel tor¬ ments, were driven into banishment.” Some re¬ canted; and “so complete was the triumph of Arian. ism, that a proverb arose—all the world against Athanasius, and Athanasius against all the world.”^ Passing over the brief reigns of Julian and Jovian, whose plans for evil and for good, towards the church of Christ, failed from want of time to pro¬ duce any permanent results; we arrive at the second 1 Fry’s History of the Church of Christ. 2 Hence, too, the well-known saying, “ Ingemuit totus orbis et Arianum se esse miratus est.” IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 187 partition of the empire, under Valentinian and Valens, two brothers, divided as before in their religious sentiments, the first upholding, as in the former case, the orthodox faith in the west, the other a zealous Arian, reviving the persecution of the faithful in the east. One instance of the blind fury of this emperor will suffice to give an idea of the cruel treatment they received at his hands. “ At Constantinople,’’ says the writer above quoted, “the orthodox Christians, who were very numerous among the lower orders, had ventured, on the death of the Arian bishop, to elect a bishop of the orthodox fiiith. This led to a cruel and violent persecution on the part of the Arians; eighty of the orthodox priests, who had been sent to implore the protection of the emperor against these violen¬ ces, were put on board a vessel, which was then set on fire, and they all perished in the conflicting elements. This mode of persecution,” he adds, ‘ ‘ was chosen by the imperial officer as being the least likely to excite popular disturbance. Drowning in the waves of the sea, seems to have been a favour¬ ite punishment with this Arian persecutor, who, however, like his Pagan predecessors, did not al¬ ways abstain from more cruel tortures in the deaths of his victims, and he every where found the Chris¬ tians as ready to suffer, as they had been in former times.”^ The accession of the great Theodosius as the colleague of Gratian in the east, changed the face of affairs. “He expelled tlie Arians from their churches, and after an interval of forty years, Con- 1 Fry 188 THE PROPHECY NOTED stantinople was again put into the hands of the clergy of the ancient faith.”^ By him a council was convened at Constantinople, a. d. 381, which as¬ serted the scripture doctrine concerning the person¬ ality and deity of the Holy Spirit, in opposition to a new heresy, as the council at Nice concerning the Son. In his reign, the overthrow of Paganism, begun under Constantine, may be said to have been completed. Arianism, now decaying in the east, began, however, to acquire more influence in the west; and Ambrose, the illustrious bishop of Milan, sufiered much from it, until the good offices of Theodosius were interposed on his behalf. In the following century, numbers of the barbarians who inundated the western empire, and by whom it was finally overthrown, a. d. 476, having embraced the Arian doctrine, inflicted great cruelties on those who professed the orthodox faith. This was particularly the case in Africa, where the Vandalic kings, Genseric and Huneric, practised the utmost severity against them. On one occasion, the latter banished nearly 5000 persons at once into the desert, where they suffered every kind of hard¬ ship. A strong ijresumptive evidence in their favour is, that they might have escaped this sen¬ tence by Arian conformity.^ Doubtless, many of those who were thus tried were men “of understand¬ ing,” whose sufferings contributed, through the grace of God, “ to purify and make them wliite.” Mean¬ while in the east, after the death of Theodosius, religion gradually decayed. John Chrysostom, who flourished at the beginning of the fifth century, * Fry. 3 Ibid. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH, 189 drew upon himself the imperial displeasure by his fidelity, and after being repeatedly banished from Constantinople, died in exile. After the Arian succeeded the Nestorian and Eutychian heresies, the former dividing, the latter compounding the divine and human natures of Christ, and occasioned fresh and protracted troubles in the church. Super¬ stition grew apace. False views of religion drew many into monastic retirement, who, in the dis¬ charge of active duty, should have been the salt of the earth; and by the beginning of the sixth cen¬ tury, the face of the true church was not to be seen in the east, A small remnant of believers, how¬ ever, still existed ; for it appears from a remarkable passage in the ninth chapter of Revelation, verse 4, that when the Saracenic trumpet was sounded, these terrible instruments of divine vengeance against the apostate Christians of the eastern em¬ pire, were commanded to hurt “ only those men who had not the seal of God in their foreheads.” This is the period of “the time of the end,” referred to in the verse before us, as we shall presently see; the date of the begun destruction of the idola¬ trous and apostate Roman empire, a description of which immediately follows. Thus we have in these verses, from verse 31—35, 1. The subjugation of Judea, and destruction of the Jewish church; 2. The rise, progress, and persecuted state of the Christians during the first three centuries; 3. The continuance of the trials of the people of God, even under a professedly Christian establish¬ ment, during as many centuries following ; 190 THE PROPHECY NOTED The scene of the predicted events being chiefly Judea, and the regions of the east, and the whole period extending from the year 63 B. c. when Pom- pey entered the Holy Land, till the year 632. a. c. when Abiibeker invaded Syria. The power by which the people of God were thus tried is next described. Verses 36—39. “And theking shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvel¬ lous things against the God of gods, and shall pros¬ per till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces : and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.” The history of the Roman empire divides itself into three great portions. The first of these reaches from its rise to the fall of the Western branch. The second comprehends the duration of its Eastern branch, extending from the foundation of new Rome, or Constantinople, to the period of its capture by the Turks. The third stretches over the time of Papal domination, when the states of Europe, however divided in their interests and discordant in their general policy, universally submitted to the power IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH, 191 of the reigning superstition, bowed to the claims of the Roman pontiff, and in effect, formed one great and professedly Christian, but really Antichristian commonwealth, the head and metropolis of which was the seven-hilled city—the ancient mistress of the world. That these three divisions, however distinct they may appear from one another, are yet so intimately connected, as to be capable of forming together one general history, is manifest from the fact that the celebrated author of the “ Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” whose history furnishes most excellent materials for the illusti'ation of prophecy, has touched upon them all in his work. It did not indeed form part of his design to narrate the times of the Republic, on the one hand, or of Modern Europe on the other; but the two eras of Rome Pagan and Rome Papal may be distinctly traced in this work, divided yet connected by the intermediate reigns of the Christian emperors of Constantinople. Corresponding with the complexity of Roman history, we find in scripture a variety of symbols and descriptions designed to bring out the dif¬ ferent features of this singular empire, which in a variety of ways, and for such a length of time, has affected and influenced the church of God. In some of these the idea of unity, as well as diversity, is very distinctly expressed; as, for example, in Rev. xiii. 1—10, where the leading outlines of Ro¬ man history are given, from the time of its original kings to the period, yet future, of the final destruc¬ tion of the Antichristian powers of Papal Europe. So, likew’ise the prophetic earth, or Roman world,^ ' Rev. viii. ix. 192 THE PROPHECY NOTED with its complement of sun, moon, stars, rivers, &c., on which the first six trumpets bring down the divine judgments, is manifestly one, and is com¬ prehensive both of the Eastern and Western em¬ pires. In the passage at the close of the eighth chap¬ ter of Daniel,^ we connected Papal and Pagan times, the latter with the earlier periods of Roman history, and supported our views by reference to other pas¬ sages, which it is unnecessary again to quote. In the passage now before us, we have a still fuller view of Roman history, bringing out, more espe¬ cially, the idolatry which prevailed both in the East and West after the apostasy from the faith of the gospel; and designed, more particularly, to pre¬ sent to us the leading facts connected with those regions, which we have considered, as forming the scene of this prophecy, and in which the great events associated with Israel’s restoration shall yet be transacted. In verse 36 the angel gives, as I think, a com¬ prehensive view of the distinguishing characteristics of Rome, Pagan, Imperial, and Papal, the principal power which this world has ever produced, and with which, more than any other, the church, both Jew¬ ish and Christian, has had to deal. The first clause expresses the sovereign dominion of ancient Rome; the second, the pride of the Byzantine emperors; the third, the blasphemy of the popes; while the last declares the continuity of the existence of the Antichristian power, though the form of its exis¬ tence might vary, until the set time when the Lord shall appear in his glory for the building up of Zion, and the destruction of all her enemies. 1 ver. 23—25. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 193 That the first clause—“the king shall do accord¬ ing to his will”—applies to the acquisition of sove¬ reign power by Rome, may be confirmed by refer¬ ence to Dan. viii. 4; xi. 3, where the same mode of expression occurs, denoting in the one case the absolute rule of the Persian, in the other, of the Macedonian empires. The time when Rome at¬ tained this manifest supremacy among the nations may be said to have been contemporaneous with the reduction of Judea. That the second clause—“he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god”—is most characteristic of the extreme arrogance and pride of the emperors of Constantinople, the following passage, which occurs in Gibbon’s History of the Roman Empire, will illustrate: “The most lofty titles, and the most humble postures which devo¬ tion has applied to the Supreme Being, have been prostituted by flattery and fear to creatures of the same nature with ourselves. The mode of adoration^ or falling prostrate on the ground, and kissing the feet of the emperor, was borrowed by Dioclesian from Persian servitude; but it was con¬ tinued and aggravated till the last age of the Greek monarchy. Excepting only on Sundays, when it was waved from a notion of religious pride, this humiliating reverence was exacted from all who entered the royal presence, from the princes in¬ vested with the diadem and purple, and from the ambassadors who represented their independent sovereigns, the caliphs of Asia, Egypt, or Spain, the kings of France, or Italy, and the Latin empe¬ rors of ancient Rome.” These are “ the gods,” or N 194 THE PROPHECY NOTED rulers of the world spoken of; the term being repeatedly so employed in scriptured Corresponding with this excessive pride was the manner in which these emperors domineered, not only in civil matters, but also over the church. In respect to the former, “the princes of Constanti¬ nople,” says the historian, “measured their greatness by the passive obedience of their people.”^ “ In re¬ spect of the latter,” says the same author, as des¬ criptive of the prevailing character of the Greek church, “the will of the prince was the rule of epis¬ copal faith.” Farther, “The episcopal conscience was again, after the Greek fashion, in the hands of the prince.” And with regard to the people, “ The prostrate Greeks were content to fast, to pray, and to believe, in blind obedience to the patriarcli and the clergy.” He, however, inciden¬ tally alludes to the struggles of the faithful, to which we have formerly referred, in the earlier period of Byzantine history, when he says, “From the council of Nice to the end of the seventh cen¬ tury, the peace and unity of the church were invaded by spiritual wars.” There was a collision between truth and error down to this i^eriod, which nearly coincides, it will be seen, with what we consider as “ the time of the end.” But, in regard to the suc¬ ceeding ages, he adds, “ During a long dream of superstition, the virgin and the saints, their visions and miracles, their relics and images, were preached 1 See the whole passage in Gibbon, chap, liii., which gives other curious examples of the self-magnifying spirit of the Eastern emperors. 2 Gibbon, i. 476. IN TUB SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 195 by the monks, and worshipped by the people.” Of this, we have a striking prediction in the subse¬ quent verses; and in the production of this corrupt state of religion, the government of the Greek empire had a great share. Of one of the most influential of the Eastern emperors, namely, Jus¬ tinian, Milner says, “ He was, in effect, the Pope as well as the emperor of the Roman world.” The third clause of the verse before us, “And shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods,” we need only to compare with what is said of the Papacy in Dan. vii. 25, to identify the powers described in the two passages. This clause, then, I consider as descriptive of the Roman empire in its third and last form. And in order once more to show how much the idea of oneness pervades the symbols of Roman history, let it be particvdarly noticed, that the little horn descriptive of the Papacy does not stand alone. It springs from the head of the animal, which hieroglyphically repre¬ sents Pagan, as well as Papal, Rome;^ and it is also said,^ that “ because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake, the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame,” as well as itself; that is, the entire Latin commonwealth, or the kingdoms submitting to be ruled by Antichrist, would be subjected to the fiery and destructive judgments of the Almighty, toge¬ ther with the Papacy. Of the meaning of the words of the clause, I do not consider it necessary to speak at length. They evidently import blasphemy against the true God — 1 ver. 7, 8. 196 THE PROPHECY NOTED a sin which is pre-eminently chargeable upon Po¬ pery. Whatever may be said to be peculiarly Popish in doctrine, worship, discipline, and prac¬ tice, may also be said to be a speaking against God himself, because it belies what he has declared and enjoined in his Word. Such are the titles given, and the honours rendered to the Virgin Mary— such the invocation of saints and the adoration of images—such the vain, the blasphemous attempt to add to, or supplement, the righteousness of the divine Redeemer, by the merits of creatures, and a thousand carnal inventions—such the arrogant as¬ sumption of infallibility, pretended power to work miracles and forgive sin, and claims of dominion over the consciences of men in this world, and their destiny in the next. W’^e have said that the last part of the verse asserts the continuity of the Roman power in one form or other, until the time fixed in the counsels of God for turning the captivity of Zion. The expressions here used, “ And shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that that is determined shall be done,” correspond very much with what we find, chap. viii. 19; ix. 27. It is somewhat difficult to say whether the indignation refers to the Jews, the subjects of God’s desolating judgments, or to the Roman power, the instrument by which these were inflicted, as may be seen by reference to the marginal note on Dan. ix. 27. Per¬ haps this has purposely been allowed in order the more strongly to convey the assurance that Baby¬ lon’s downfall and Zion’s deliverance shall be con¬ temporaneous, a conclusion to which the whole IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 197 scope of prophecy and analogy of providence seem to conduct us. Having given these more general characteristics of the Roman power, the prediction goes on to declare the apostacy which would reign, both in the Eastern and Western world, after the profes¬ sion of the Christian religion; the special design, however, being, as already noticed, to carry down the history of the Eastern parts to the period when those desolate regions will be gladdened by the return of long-lost Israel. Verse 37. “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers.” (Or simply, and he shall not regard.) These words are clearly expressive of apostacy. That there was a falling away from the faith once delivered to the saints is unquestionable. Milner and Gibbon agree in stating that about the time of Constantine, Christians had degenerated from primi¬ tive purity. It might be an interesting inquiry to trace the successive steps in the downward course from good to evil, and from bad to worse. This much is certain, that as all revivals of religion pro¬ ceed from the Holy Spirit, so all declensions indicate His withdrawing. And as the work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus, so the prevalence of error concern¬ ing the Saviour’s person and offices is an indubitable proof of the absence of the divine Teacher. Were I to fix upon the time when the first great departure from the true God was manifested, I would point to that period formerly adverted to, when the deadly error of Arius was predominant. For as the per¬ son of Christ is the rock on which the church is built,* the above-mentioned heresy, which strikes 1 Matt. xvi. 18. 198 THE PROPHECY NOTED at the very foundation of truth, must have given a fatal shock to the whole system of religion. And as its prevalence was almost universal, so its influence must have been co-extensive. Were we asked again when the progress of degeneracy reached its height, I know not a more striking event to which to point than the dedication of the ancient Pantheon by the Pope to the worship of all saints. This was just the revival of the heathen mythology in a new form. Between these two leading events, the one occur¬ ring in the middle of the fourth, the other at the beginning of the seventh century, a variety of other circumstances took place marking, with more or less prominence, the departure of the professedly Christian world from “ the God of their fathers.” It deserves remark, however, that as the light of divine truth flowed from the East to the West, so the stream of corruption followed a like course— the Greek church taking the lead in the apostacy, which was completed and perpetuated by the Latin. It should also be remembered, that the main instru¬ ment in the one case was the civil, and in the other the ecclesiastical power—two ordinances of God designed to co-operate with and control one ano¬ ther for good; but which when perverted from this end become engines of tremendous power for evil. “ Nor the desire of women.” Marriage being a divine institution, false views with regard to it, na¬ turally accompany erroneous views respecting God himself. The apostle had foretold,^ “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith-forbidding to 1 1 Tim. iv. 1—3. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 199 marry.” This was fulfilled in the Roman world, both eastern and western, the evil beginning, as usual, in the former. At an early period, in the history of the church, there wei’e indications of unscrip- tural and superstitious views on this subject. Wri¬ ters of eminence. Origin, Tertullian, and others con¬ tributed to promote them. With the declension of vital religion the supposed virtues of an ascetic life increased. The deserts of Egypt swarmed with monks, who, so early as the beginning of the fourth century, formed their maxims into a regular institute, which was speedily introduced into Pales¬ tine and Asia Minor, and spreading itself through¬ out the West at length became universal. Mon- asticism, in the East, was adopted and perpetu¬ ated in Europe; and convents, nunneries, clerical celibacy, and dispensations of the marriage tie, mark and disgrace the long reign of Papal super¬ stition. Nor regard any god; for he shall magnify him¬ self above all.” This corresponds with the expres¬ sions used in verse 36. The second clause of that verse we expounded as expressing the leading char¬ acteristic of the Byzantine government, its extreme arrogance, and proud despotic sway both in church and state. Further Illustrations of this might be given; but we proceed to remark that in every thing of this kind, the civil government of the East was imi¬ tated and surpassed by the ecclesiastical power of the West. In presumptuous and impious self-exal¬ tation above all law, divine and human, the Papacy exceeded everything that could have been conceived • and to an extent which might seem incredible to 200 THE PROPHECY NOTED US, had it not been foretold in scripture, and veri¬ fied by historical facts. The passage before us, the apostle undoubtedly had in his eye when he wrote to the Thessalonians’^ of the falling away, and of the revelation of the son of perdition, “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so tliat he, as God, sittethin the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” This passage relates expressly to the Papacy, and has been wonderfully fulfilled, as has been often shown. One thing deserves to be particularly re¬ marked, that as the emperors of the East tyrannised over the church as well as the state, so the Popes of tlie W est tyrannised over the state as w^ell as the church, so absurd is it in either to lay claim to absolute independence, and so invaluable is the great Protestant doctrine of the supremacy of the Word of God over both, and the invaluable right which it confers upon the humblest individual to dissent from the proceedings of either, when they disagree with that infallible standard. Verse 38. “ But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces.” The words in the original stand literally thus: “But a god of fortifications over his place shall he honour.”^ This directly points to those tutelary deities, whose worship has been justly supposed to be here described. The canon¬ ised saints were considered as in a peculiar manner the guardians of those places where their relics were deposited, their images preserved and churches 1 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4. 2 Tis-; or gods protectors (each) over his place shall he honour. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 201 erected to their memory. Over these places they ■were supposed to preside, and to be their strongest bulwark and best defence. Hence the expressive language of Gibbon, descriptive of the prevailing superstition of the times: “ The cities of Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, had been fortified with the images of Christ, his mother, and his saints, and each city presumed on the hope or promise of mira¬ culous defence.”^ Thus the language of the pro¬ phecy is peculiarly appropriate. Adopting the terms of the heathen mythology, between which and apostate Christianity there is a remarkable afl&nity, particularly in the very point before us, of assigning to the objects of worship a local habitation and peculiar department in the management of human affairs, it denominates these imaginary deities of the Roman world as each in his own jilace a god of fortifications. “ The corpse of St. Paul,” says Chrysostom, “fortifies that city of Rome more strongly than any tower, or than ten thousand ramparts, as also doth the corpse of St. Peter.” Theodoret calleth the holy martyrs, guardians of cities, lieutenants of places, captains of men, prin¬ ces, champions, and guardians, by whom disasters are turned away from us, and those which come from devils debarred and driven away.^ “ And a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.” “The riches and 1 Gibbon, chap. xlix. 2 See bishop Newton, for these and other curious quotations from the fathers, to the same effect. See also Mosheim, cent, vi. chap. iv. 202 THE PROPHECY NOTED magnificence of the cluirclies,”says Mosheim, speak¬ ing of so early a period as the fifth century, “ex¬ ceeded all bounds. They were also adorned with costly images. The altars, and the chests in which the relics were preserved, were in most places made of solid silver.” Again, in the sixth century, he says, “an opinion was propagated with industry among the people, that the remission of their sins was to be purchased by their liberalities to the churches and monks, and that the prayers of the departed saints, whose efficacy was victorious at the throne of God, were to be bought by offerings presented to the temples, which were consecrated to these celestial mediators.” Again, writing of the seventh century, “ Ilonorius (Pope) employed all his dili¬ gence and zeal in embellishing churches, and other consecrated places, with the most pompous and magnificent ornaments.” Both in the east and w^est, in all parts of the Roman world, these expressions of superstitious veneration were carried to a remark¬ able height. The excessive and injudicious liber¬ ality of Christian emperors greatly cherished, if it did not produce this spirit, and the sagacity of the Roman see knew well how to turn it to its own advantage. “ St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s, Notre Dame (our Lady), St. Sophia’s, are some of the thousands of strongholds called by thehiames, and consecrated to the honour of saints. To have entered an abbey, a priory, or a monastery, a cathedral, a church, or even a chapel, in the palmy days of Papal domina¬ tion, was to be dazzled with splendour; and while yet the mind was in darkness to be cheated into the belief that human grandeur was divine glory, and IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 203 that the true dignity of saints, like the honour that was paid them by man, consisted in the abundance of precious things with which their shrines and images were loaded.”^ Verse 39. “Thus shall he do in the most strong liolds with a strange god, whom he shall acknow¬ ledge and increase with glory.” The scope of this seems to be, that the “places,” as well as the “ strange god” supposed to preside over and pro¬ tect them, would be greatly honoured. The words might perhaps be more literally translated, “Thus shall he do; on the fenced places of the fortresses, (mahuzzim, the gods protectors) along with the strange god whom he shall acknowledge, he shall heap glory.” The foregoing quotations seem to illus¬ trate this point also. And they might be multi¬ plied indefinitely. Every one knows with what veneration consecrated places came to be regarded. But the most curious example of this, and one which I have no doubt was contemplated in this prophecy, is to be found in one of the most remark¬ able events which modern history furnishes; I mean the Crusades. What was it but just the excess of this superstitious reverence for sacred places, which poured the millions of Europe into Asia ? The rescue of the holy sepulchre was the stirring motive which excited the enthusiasm of two centuries, led monarchs to abandon the care of their kingdoms, and armed the chivalry of an entire continent on a romantic expedition, on which were expended entire estates, and the lives of myriads, in honour of the chief of those sacred places which had acquired 1 Dr. Keith, Signs of the Times, vol. i. p. 132. 204 . THE PROPHECy NOTED the idolatrous regard of the degenerate Christians, It deserves, too, to be noticed, that these cru¬ sades, which occupy so prominent a place in his¬ tory, and are so very characteristic of the times, were directed to a quarter of the world included within those territories which seem specially marked out in this prophecy. “ And he shall cause them to rule over many.” The antecedent to the pronoun “them,” is mahuz- zim, the gods protectors. Not only particular places, but provinces and kingdoms, nay, the very professions of mankind, had their heavenly re¬ presentative and guardian saint; |^St. George for England, St. Andrew for Scotland, St. Patrick for Ireland, &c. “ And shall divide the land for gainor rather “ for a piTce.” The valuable price supposed to he given for^those worldly endowments, which super¬ stition heaped with profuse hand on the objects of its regard, and the ministers of a corrupt religion, was the pardon of sin and the salvation of the soul. Doubtless, better motives mingled at first in prompt¬ ing the secular advantages bestowed upon the church ; but, as ignorance increased, the principle on which liberality was exercised must have propor¬ tionally degenerated; while its profuseness at the same time continued to accumulate. It is a curious fact, that Pepin bestowed the exarchate on the Pope, including the territories of Ravenna, Bologna, and Ferrara, “ for the remission,” says Gibbon, “of his sins, and the salvation of his soul.”^ And to such an extent was this barter of temporal for 1 Vol. vi. p. 209. IN THK SCRIPTUEE OF TRUTH. 205 spiritual benefits carried, that it came to pass, in one way or other, that in England, and generally throughout the continent, the church had acquired about one half of the land.^ The Crusades largely contributed to this result; for in order to defray the expenses attending these fanatical expeditions, many estates were brought to the market, a consi¬ derable portion of which the church, having by that time much wealth in its hands, was able to pur¬ chase at an advantageous price. Such was the reigning superstition throughout the Eoman world. Before I take up the following verses, descriptive of the two great instruments of divine vengeance, which in succession were raised up to punish the eastern empire, let me advert to a passage in the Book of Revelation, which at once corroborates the view here given of the prevailing apostacy, and also confirms that principle of unity by which we have connected the different portions of Roman history. The ninth chapter of Revela¬ tion, containing the fifth and sixth trumpets, is now universally admitted to describe the invasion of the eastern empire by the Saracens and Turks. Now at the close of that chapter it is said,^ “ And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold and silver, and brass and stone, and of wood, which neither can see nor hear nor walk,’’ &c. Here, the principle of unity, or the identity of the Roman world, is distinctly expressed. For, when it is said, “ the rest of the men,” that im- I Hallam’s History of the Middle Ages. ^ ver. 20. 206 THE PROPHECY NOTED plies that these men were part of a general com¬ munity, a remainder being a portion of a whole. Then, the prevailing character of the apostacy is plainly set forth, consisting in demonology and idol worship, the sin, as we have seen, which is parti¬ cularly dwelt upon in the passage of Daniel which has just been considered. Verse 40. “ And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him,” &c. Viewing the expression, “ the time of the end,” in 'connection with the subject before us, it must signify tlie time when the great antlchristian em¬ pire of Rome, just described, shall be visited with those judgments which terminate its existence. By referring to the Book of Revelation,^ we find that after the destruction of the western impe¬ rial government, accomplished under the first four trumpets, it was announced,^ that three other woe trumpets would sound their terrors against “ the inhabiters of the earth.” This prophetic earth is just the Roman world in the view which has been pre¬ sented in the passage of Daniel which we have been considering; namely, the apostate Greek and Latin churches, bound together by their common afiinity to ancient Rome. This appears manifest by attend¬ ing to the efiPects of these woe trumpets, the first two of which bring down, as has already been noticed, the eastern or Greek empire,® and the last of which opens up the vials which, with one ex¬ ception, are all poured upon the western or Papal kingdoms, that exception, however, farther con¬ firming the view now given ; for it is the sixth, 1 chap. viii. 2 ycj.. 13. ^ Rev. ix. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 207 which being poured upon the waters of Eujihrates, or the Turkish empire, takes effect on that power which succeeded the ancient Greek empire. The “ time of the end,” then, which is liere spoken of, is the period occupied with the final overthrow of the Roman power, both in the east and the west. Nor is it any objection to, but rather a confirmation of, this view, that just at the time when the first messengers of God’s wratli against the apostate Christians of the east made their appearance, the apostacy in the west was only coming, or had just come to a head, and was des¬ tined to survive for 12GO years. For, we have repeatedly observed, that the stream of events has thus run from East to West. Thus it was with the light of truth. Thus it was with the heresies which sprung up in the church. Thus it was with the decided apostacy which prevailed. It was at first most manifest in those regions which had earliest been favoured with the means of grace. And thus too the righteous judgments of God are manifest, in making those same regions which had been fore¬ most in respect of privilege, to be the first to feel the effects of his displeasure. At this appointed period of solemn judgment, the destruction of the great antichristian power was begun by the Saracens, and was afterwards carried on by the Turks, who completely lopped off the eastern branch of the mighty tree which oversha¬ dowed both continents, and will be finished at that time of unprecedented trouble foretold, chap, xii. 1. Verses 40—43. “ At the time of the end the king of 208 THE PROPHECY NOTED the south shall push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships ; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be over¬ thrown : but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the chil¬ dren of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries'; and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps.” I might refer to Bishop Newton’s dissertations for an excellent exposition of these verses. I think, however, that he limits too much the sketch of Turkish history here given, as it appears to me that the prophecy comprehends the inroads of the sultans of the Seljukian dynasty, as well as the period of the Ottoman empire, properly so called. I shall, therefore, take up the clauses in order, and endeavour to give as condensed a view as possible of the contents of the passage. Dr. Keith, who has made valuable additions to the former expositions of these verses, observes with reference to the terms, “ king of the north, and king of the south,” that the relative local position of the Saracens and Turks is pointed out by Gibbon, in a passage which he quotes, where in describing the decline of the one, and the rise of the other, he contrasts what he calls the artificial courage of the south, with the spon¬ taneous valour of the north.^ The terms may be * Keith’s Signs of the Times, vol. i- p. 152. IX THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 209 understood either more generally as pointing to the geographical position of the countries which gave birth to these conquerors, as countries of Asia; or, more particularly, to this position considered in relation to the eastern parts of the Eoman world, which they were destined to conquer, and which comprehended Judea, the principal scene of action throughout these prophecies. “ The king of the south shall push at him.” The figure here used is taken from the mode of attack used by horned animals, and occurs chap. viii. 4. It means that severe injury and loss would be sus¬ tained in consequence of the fierce attacks of this hostile power, but it does not imply a total over¬ throw, it not being said, as in the case of the Persian Ram, in the verse above quoted, that “no beast could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand.” Accordingly, the Saracens, though they stripped the Roman empire of some of its richest provinces, did not complete its conquest. They were twice baffled in their attempts to take the capital, Constantinople, neither did they accomplisli any permanent settlement in Europe, if we except a portion of Spain, which they held for a considerable time in possession. Their predatory attacks, however, made them a terror even in the western parts of apostate Christendom ; Sicily, Italy, and France, as well as Spain, suffered from their inroads ; and the dismembered empire of the east, despoiled by these rapacious invaders of nearly the half of its territories, attested the severity of the judgment which its sins had provoked. “ And the king of the north shall come against him o 210 THE PROPHECY NOTED like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships.” As the power of the caliphs declined, that of the sultans increased, and the work of judgment on the Greek empire was com¬ pleted. The “ northern shepherds,” as Gibbon has expressively denominated the Turks, or Turkmans, from their Scythian origin, had subdued Persia and embraced the Mahomedan religion. Their first great inroad on the Homan territories, which had been enlarged after the decline of the Saracenic empire, was in the year lOGO A. c. under the con¬ duct of Togrul Beg, and is thus described by the historian:! “The myriads of Turkish horse over¬ spread a frontier of six hundred miles, from Taurus to Arzerum, and the blood of one hundred and thirty thousand Christians was a grateful sacrifice to the Arabian prophet.” Yet no permanent im¬ pression was made on the Greek empire at this time. “The torrent,” a figure of speech employed both by the Bible, and by Gibbon, to describe the irruption of these northern invaders, “rolled away,” and it was reserved for Alp Arslan, the successor of Togrul, to effect a lasting settlement within the Roman dominions. “He passed the Euphrates at the head of the Turkish cavalry, and entered Cesarea the metropolis of Cappadocia, to which he had been attracted by the fame and wealth of the temple of St. Basil. The solid structure resisted the destroyer; but he carried away the doors of the shrine incrusted with gold and pearls, and profaned the relics of the 1 Dr. Keith has been before me with many of the quotations from Gibbon which follow; but they so admirably illustrate the subject, as to deserve a second transcription. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 211 tutelar saint, whose mortal frailties were now covered by the venerable rust of antiquity.” The historian here furnishes an incidental illustration of the “mahuzziin” of the previous verses. He far¬ ther adds: “ The final conquest of Armenia and Georgia, was achieved by Alp Arslan.-The loss of the important frontier was the news of a day.” The Greek emperor, however, made a vigor¬ ous resistance. The Turks were driven beyond the Euphrates, and the recovery of Armenia under¬ taken. “ On the report of this bold invasion, Alp Arslan flew to the scene of action at the head of forty thousand horse.” A decisive battle ensued; the emperor was defeated and made prisoner, and “in this fatal day the Asiatic provinces of Rome were irretrievably sacrificed.”’ These extracts represent the first settlement of the Turks within the limits of the Roman empire, and give some idea of the impetuosity of their attack, expressed in the verse before us, by their coming against it “ like a whirlwind.” They also show how largely their armies were made up of cavalry ^—the “chariots and horsemen” of the text. The “ships” were afterwards employed, as w^e shall immediately see. The use of the w’ords “ chariots and horsemen ” seems designed to convey an idea of the prodigious number of “horses” which would be 1 Gibbon. 2 Ferguson {Rom. Rep. b. iv. c. i.) conjectures that the Cim- bri were not of Scythian extraction, from their disregard of horses, “nor sprung from the mighty plains in tlie northern parts of Asia, where military force has from time immemorial consisted of cavalry, where horses were valued above every other species of acquisition or property.” o 2 212 THE PROPHECY NOTED employed by the Turks, giving celerity to their mili¬ tary movements, and rendering their appearance formidable. It is remarkable how minutely this is noted in the book of Revelation “ And the number of the army of the horsemen was two hun¬ dred thousand thousand; and I heard the number of them.” Exactly corresponding with this is the language frequently employed by the infidel his¬ torian ; as, for example, when writing of the early liistory of the Turks, he says, “ Their cavalry, both men and horses, were proudly computed by mil¬ lions.”^ “ And he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow, and pass over.” The first of these clauses may be considered as illustrated by the establish¬ ment of the Turks within the Roman territories. The other two describe the continued progress of the desolating “ torrent ” or inundation, which had thus broken in upon apostate Christendom. The power of the Seljukian dynasty was sustained, and their conquests extended by Malek Shaw, the successor of Alp Arslan, who reigned from A. D. 1072 to A. D. 1092. “From the Chinese frontier he stretched his immediate jurisdiction or predatory sway to the west and south, as far as the mountains of Georgia, the neighbourhood of Con¬ stantinople, the holy city of Jerusalem, and the spicy groves of Arabia Felix.”® Ilis policy led him to promote the princes of his blood to subordinate rule under himself, and in this way the younger dynasties of Syria and Rome were formed, by whom the Turkish conquests to the West were pushed for- I chap. ix. 16. 2 Qibijon, chap, xlii. ^ chap. Ivii. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 213 ward. The first of the'Se wrested Aleppo and Da¬ mascus from the Arabs. The second invaded the provinces of the Greek empire. Under the command of the valiant Soliman “the hordes of Turkmans overspread the Western Asia. Accompanied by his four brothers, he passed the Euphrates, the Turkish camp was soon seated in the neighbourhood of Kutaich in Phrygia, and his flying cavalry laid waste the country, as far as the Hellespont and the Black sea.-Since the first con¬ quests of the caliphs, the establishment of the Turks in Anatolia or Asia Minor, was the most deplorable loss whicb the church and empire had sustained.- Tlie Turkish ignorance of navigation protected for a while the inglorious safety of the emperor; but no sooner had a fleet of 200 ships been constructed by the hands of the captive Greeks, than Alexius trembled behind the walls of his capital.”^ Verse 41. “He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many (countries) shall be overthrown.” “ But the most interesting conquest of the Sel- jukian Turks,” adds the historian, “was that of Jerusalem, which soon became the theatre of na¬ tions.” These few words contain a complete com¬ mentary on the text. The word “countries,” as Dr. Keith observes, is not in the original; and it should certainly be omitted. It may be ren¬ dered “ myriads and this brings out fully the meaning, which that excellent author has attached to the clause, where it occurs. The holy city had been trodden down of the Mahomedans ever since the time of its subjugation by the caliph Omar, in 1 Gibbon, chap. Ivii. 2 Gesenius, Parkhurst, Lex. 214 THE PROPHECY NOTED 637 A. c. The Turks took possession of it in the year 1076. “The oriental Christians and the Latin pilgrims,” says Gibbon, “ deplored a revolution which, instead of the regular government and old alliance of the caliphs, imposed on their necks the iron yoke of the strangers of the North,-The pathetic tale of the barbarities they endured, ex¬ cited the millions of the W est to march under the standard of the cross to the relief of the Holy Land.” Judea became the battle field of nations— the struggle was protracted for 200 years—count¬ less multitudes perished in it until, in the capture of Acre, in 1291, by the Mamalukes, and the final expulsion of the Latins, this extraordinary war was terminated; “ and a mournful and solitary silence prevailed along the coast, which had so long re¬ sounded with the world’s debate.”^ “ He shall enter into the glorious land, and myriads shall fall.”* The Turks themselves suf¬ fered loss in this commingled strife. Their con¬ quests were checked for a season. And while from the West such innumerable hosts were found upon the field of contest that, in the language of a writer of the time, “ Europe seemed to be loosened from its foundations, and hurled against Asia, the huge empire of the Mogul arose in the distant East, and contributed still more to arrest the progress of the Turks. The victories of Zinghis Khan and his sons subdued or overwhelmed almost every country of the Asiatic continent. Amidst the general wreck the remnant of the Greek empire 1 Gibbon, chap. Ixix. 3 So the verb may be rendered.— Gesenius. IN TUE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 215 surprisingly escaped, while that of the Seljukian dynasty was extinguished. The former, however, was only preserved to fall a prey to their enemies, who soon appeared again upon the field, a more formidable foe than ever, under the well-known name of Ottoman. The establishment of the mo¬ dern Turkish empire is declared in the following verse. Meanwhile, it is added, at the close of the verse before us, after mentioning the invasion of Palestine, and the destructive wars of the Cru¬ sades :— “ But these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.” Bishop Newton remarks on this: “These were some of the people that inhabited Arabia, and the Arabians the Turks have never been able, with all their forces, to subdue entirely.”^ Dr. Keith is more minute, and therefore still more satisfactory, though I must content myself with referring to his work, both for the evidence he adduces in proof of what he affirms, and for the full exposition of the words.^ After distinctly describing the region here defined, he says, “ Every region around owned the Turks as masters, more than Alexander or the Cesars could have done; the sultans of Constanti¬ nople claimed Mecca and Medina as their own. Yet their subjects could not freely pass from one part of tbeir own dominions to another, not even to their holy city, to which, as a religious rite, annual pilgrimages were made from all parts of their dominions. Wherever the land of Edom, or 1 Dissertations on the Prophecies. 2 Signs of the Times, vol. i. p. 161—164. 21G THE PROPHECY NOTED the chief of the children (or chief city) of Ammon, lay along the road of the pilgrims, the lordly Porte was constrained to pay tribute to the Arab of the desert. The defiles of Petra became the haunt of robbers, instead of the emporium of commerce. A more notorious illustration of their escape could not be adduced than that, instead of being enslaved, the wandering tenants of these regions are feared; and that instead of paying a regular tribute, a stipula¬ tion has been made with them generation after gene¬ ration, for a free passage through their country.” Verses 42, 43. “He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the trea¬ sures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethio¬ pians shall be at his steps.” In verses 40, 41, it was said that the king of the North would “enter into’’the countries. Here it is said he would “ stretch forth his hand ” upon the countries, implying the consolidation of his do¬ minion in the regions spoken of. Formerly, he had overrun and laid waste many provinces, but his power was disjDuted, and his empire speedily suf¬ fered decay. Now he was to assume a fixed and permanent sovereignty. This points to the rise and establishment of the Ottoman dynasty, the period in Turkish history to which our exposition has conducted us. The obscure fathers of the new line had been in the employment of the sultans of Iconium. In the progress of events, the extinc¬ tion of the Seljukian dynasty, and the decline of the Mogul empire, made way for their elevation, IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 217 and their contiguity to the Greek empire tempted their rising ambition. Gibbon, in his own graphic style, describes, as follows, the appearance of this new power within the dominions of Rome: “ It was on the 27th of July, in the year 1299 of the Christian era, that Othman first invaded the terri¬ tory of Nicomedia; and the singular accuracy of the date seems to disclose some foresight of the rapid and destructive growth of the monster.”^ Accordingly, with the exception of an interval of suspension, produced by the overpowering arms of Tamerlane, who reared an empire more gigantic still than that of Zinghis, the Ottoman monarchy continued to make uninterrupted advances, until by the capture of Constantinople, and entire subju¬ gation of the whole of the provinces of the Eastern empire, the Turkish sultan may be said to have succeeded to the throne of the Cesars. “From the conquest of Prusa (the capital of Bithynia) A. d. 1326, we may date,” says the historian, “the true era of the Ottoman empire.-The city, by the labours of Orchan, assumed the aspect of a Maho- medan capital.-He subdued the whole province or kingdom of Bithynia, as far as the shores of the Bosphorus and Hellespont. - - - The maritime country, from the Propontis to the Masander and the isle of Rhodes, so long threatened, and so often pillaged, was finally lost. - - - The captivity or ruin of the seven churches of Asia was consummated, and the barbarous lords of Ionia and Lydia still trample on the monuments of classic and Christian antiquity. - - - The civil wars of the Greeks encou- 1 Gibbon, chap. Ixiv. 218 THE PROPHECY NOTED raged the Turkish emirs of Lydia and Ionia to build a fleet, and to pillage the adjacent islands, and the sea coast of Europe.” This first passage of the Turks into Europe was in a. d. 1341. In 1353, they had effected their establishment in Europe. Amurath I., who reigned from 1360 to 1389, “subdued, without resistance, the whole province of Romania, or Thrace, from the Helles¬ pont to mount Hasmus and the verge of the capi¬ tal, and Adrianople was chosen for the royal seat of his government and religion in Europe. Con¬ stantinople, whose decline was almost coeval with her foundation, had often, in the lapse of a thousand years, been assaulted by the barbarians of the East and West; but never till this fatal hour had the Greeks been surrounded, both in Asia and in Eu¬ rope, by the arms of the same hostile monarchy. Yet the prudence or generosity of Amurath post¬ poned for a while the easy conquest. - - - He marched against the Sclavonian nations between the Danube and the Adriatic, the Bulgarians, Ser¬ vians, Bosnians, and Albaniansformed from the caj^tive Christian youth the Janizaries, “ the ter¬ ror of the nations, and sometimes of the sultans themselves; - - - and in the battle of Cossora the league and independence of the Sclavonian tribes was finally crushed.” Bajazet (the successor of Amurath), surnamed Ilderim, or the Lightning, “ from the fiery energy of his soul, and the rapi¬ dity of his destructive march - - - in the fourteen years of his reign (a. d. 1389 to 1403), incessantly moved at the head of his armies, from Boursa to Adrianople, from the Danube to the Euphrates,” IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 219 sti’etcliing forth his hand over the countries situ¬ ated in those regions which had not, as yet, owned the Ottoman sway. “ From Angora, and Amasia, and Erzeroum, the northern regions of Anatolia were reduced to his obedience ; he stripped of their hereditary possessions his brother emirs of Gher- mian and Caramania, of Aidin and Sarukhan; and after the conquest of Iconium^ the ancient kingdom of the Seljukians again revived in the Ottoman dynasty. Nor were the conquests of Bajazet less rapid or important in Europe. No sooner had he imposed a regular form of servitude on the Ser¬ vians and Bulgarians, than he passed the Danube to seek new enemies and new subjects in the heart of Moldavia. Whatever yet adhered to the Greek empire in Thrace, Macedonia, and Thessaly acknow¬ ledged a Turkish master.-The Turkish com¬ munication between Europe and Asia had been dangerous and doubtful, till he stationed at Galli¬ poli a fleet of galleys, to command the Hellespont and intercept the Latin succours of Constantinople. -The humble title of emir was no longer suit¬ able to the Ottoman greatness, and Bajazet conde¬ scended to accept a patent of sultan from the caliphs who served in Egypt under the Mamalukes. - - - He next invaded Hungary, “ the perpetual theatre of the Turkish victories and defeats,” because not allotted to the king of the North. “ Sigismond, the Hungarian king, was the son and brother of the emperors of the West: his cause was that of Europe and the church; and, on the report of his danger, the bravest knights of France and Germany were eager to march under his standard and that of the cross. 220 THE PROPHECY NOTED In the battle of Nicopolis (a. d. 1396), Bajazet de¬ feated a confederate army of a hundred thousand Christians.-The far greater part were slain or driven into the Danube.-In the pride of vic¬ tory Bajazet threatened that he would besiege Buda; that he would subdue the adjacent coun¬ tries of Germany and Italy; and that he would feed his horse with a bushel of oats on the altar of St. Peter at Rome.” The apostate Christians of the West were thus made to feel the terror of the Turkish arms; but these were not the countries given to these conquerors as a possession. “ The Roman world (i. e, the Eastern branch) was now contracted to a corner in Thrace.-The ambition of the victorious sultan pointed to the conquest of Constantinople.” Once and again the imperial city was in danger, “and the savage would have devoured his prey, if, in the fatal moment, he had not been overthrown by another savage stronger than himself. By the victory of Timour, or Tamer¬ lane, the fall of Constantinople was delayed about fifty years.”^ The immense empire of the Tartar speedily crum¬ bled into fragments. “ Far different,” says the his¬ torian, “ was the fate of the Ottoman monarchy. The massy trunk was bent to the ground; but no sooner did the hurricane pass away, than it again rose with fresh vigour, and more lively vegetation.”^ It is unnecessary minutely to detail the course of historical events. The Ottoman power, reunited and restored by Mahomet I. and Amurath II., con- 1 See Gibbon, cliap. Ixiv., for the foregoing extracts. 2 Gibbon, chap. Ixv. IN THE SCRIPTURE OP TRUTH. 221 tinned to be a terror and a scourge to apostate Christendom. At length, the fatal hour arrived which was to extinguish the last remains of Roman greatness in the East. On the Gth of April, 1453, Mahomet II. formed the siege of Constantinople, and on the 29 th of May following, it yielded to his victorious arms. In the vivid picture which the historian has given of this memorable siege, we are reminded of “the ships,” as well as “horsemen,” of the “king of the north;” while the allusions made to the superstitious weakness of the Greeks, and their vain invocations of the virgin and the saints, and the description given of the spoils of St. Sophia and other sacred edifices, most forcibly bring back to our recollection the verses preceding, in which is represented the sin of the Christians, the wor¬ shipping of strange gods, whose altars and images would be loaded with gold, and silver, and precious stones, the offerings of a worse than Pagan idola¬ try.^ I must rapidly dismiss what remains of Turkish history. The taking of Constantinople was fol¬ lowed by victories and defeats in Hungary, the subjugation of Greece, advantages over the Vene¬ tians, and a threatened invasion of Italy. The war with the Mamalukes of Egypt finally ended in the subjugation of that kingdom to Turkey, including also Syria and Palestine. The Ottoman empire seems to have reached tlie zenith of its greatness under Soliman I., who reigned forty-one years, and died in 1556. His dominions extended from the Euphrates to the territory of Algiers, and from the ^ Gibbon, chap, Ixviii. 222 THE PROPHECY NOTED northern extremity of the Euxine to the south of the Morea. He conquered Rhodes, and added Hungary for a season to his empire. Cyprus, Tunis, and other places were afterwards annexed. At the close of the verse before us, after mention¬ ing, in general, that “ the king of the North” was to “stretch his hand,” or exercise imperial sway “over the countries” contemplated in the prophecy, it is particularly specified that Egypt and other con¬ tiguous regions in Africa would not escape. The only reason I can assign for this specification is, that it may have been designed to mark out with more precision the territories of Turkey, as comprehen. sive of the ancient Eastern empire. I refer to Bishop Newton and Dr. Keith for the exposition of the words; and close this imperfect sketch of the wars of the kings of the South and of the North by remarking, that they afford an awful proof of the direful fruits of apostacy^ when we behold the fairest regions of the earth, and the seats of the most flour¬ ishing churches overrun by the false religion of an ambitious impostor, and subjected to the double scourge of Saracenic and Turkish dominion. Verses 44, 45. “ But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palaces between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” These verses are unfulfilled. The angel having, in the preceding verses, brought his narrative to the point of time when the Turkish empire reached IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 223 the summit of its power, passes on to the closing events of its history by one of those sudden tran¬ sactions which are so frequent in the prophetic scriptures. I think it probable that the “ tidings,” which are to stir up the Ottoman government, to make the last and furious effort, here predicted, may have relation to the restoration of Israel to their own land; because the Holy Land is evidently pointed out in verse 45 as the place where the Ma- homedan standard shall be unfurled on the occasion, and where the power of the sultan shall finally ex¬ pire. Already, indeed, has this once mighty empire given unequivocal signs of approaching dissolution. Even last century, the evidences were not wanting of the progress of decay. But during the last twenty years these have been accumulating to an extent sufficient to carry conviction to every mind. Dis¬ aster has followed disaster in rapid succession, cir¬ cumscribing the limits, diminishing the population, and draining the resources of the empire. Fire and flood, earthquake and pestilence, internal misrule, civil war, and foreign invasion, have conspired to depopulate and lay it waste. Province after pro¬ vince has been torn from it, others remain connected by a nominal and precarious tenure. Greece is entirely independent. Moldavia and Wallachia hold of Russia. Algiers has been seized by France. Egypt, whose treasures of gold and silver were once at its command, is now the rival rather than the tributary of the Porte. Syria, lately in possession of the former, remains now in the hands of the latter, by mere sufferance. The extrinsic aid called in to underprop the sinking empire demonstrates, 224 THE PROPHECY NOTED more than any thing else, its utter helplessness.^ An able writer, in the year 1826 , says, “In the present day, we anticipate, with an assurance that no one can deem extravagant, the approaching sub¬ version of the Ottoman power; but the signs of internal weakness have not yet been confirmed by the dismemberment of provinces; and the arch of dominion, that long since has seemed nodding to its fall, and totters at every blast of the North, still rests upon the land-marks of ancient conquest, and spans the ample regions from Bagdad to Belgrade.”^ Since 1826 we have witnessed the battle of Nava- rino, the annihilation of the Turkish fleet, the dis¬ memberment of Greece, and the other provinces, already mentioned, from the empire. From the heights of the Balkan, the Russian eagle has been seen spreading forth his wings, as if ready to seize his defenceless prey. The mutual jealousies rather than the friendliness of the great European powers seem alone to preserve its existence.® But it would appear that before its final over¬ throw, the Ottoman, and probably along with it the other Mahomedan powers, will make a desperate efibrt to repel some apprehended calamity, or crush some hated enemy. “ Tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go forth with great fury,” &c. Bishop Newton has 1 ver. 45. ^ Hall.im’s History of the Middle Ages. 3 See an admirable exposition of the sixth vial in Dr. Keith’s Sif/ns of the Times, vo\. ii. in which, with a profusion of evi¬ dence, the learned and cstim.able author illustr.ates how rapidly and surely the great river Euphrates is undergoing a process of exhaustion. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 225 observed, that the original word which we trans¬ late, “ utterly to make away," signifies to anathe¬ matize, to consecrate, to devote to utter perdition (Buxtorf), so that it strongly implies, that this war should be made upon a religious account.”' This is not the less likely to be the case, if, as we have conjectured, and others before us have done, the return of the Jews be the occasion of this war. For religious rancour would undoubtedly in that case strongly embitter the feelings of self-interest or revenge, which such an event would call forth. In an earlier part of this work, we referred to the great antichristian confederacy, which it would appear from Ezekiel xxxviii. and xxxix. will be formed against converted Israel. Among the nations mentioned in that passage, we find several known to be Mahomedan, as Persia, &c. A learned com¬ mentator thinks that by Gog is meant the Turkish power itself.® The likelihood is, that, as the seventh vial is poured out into the air, the universal ele¬ ment, and as the great destruction of the enemies of God’s people, foretold by Ezekiel, is to be the precursor of the Millennium, there will be an assem¬ blage of all the nations throughout the territories, which pertained to the prophetic earth, gathered together in open liostility against the Lord, and against Israel. The slaughter of this confederated host, it appears from the passage of Ezekiel above quoted, and from other parallel passages, will be tremendous. Of the king of the north, or Turkish power, it is here said,® “He shall plant the taber¬ nacles of his palaces between the seas,” i. e. in this > Dissertations on the Prophecies. 2 Lowth on the prophets. 3 ver. 45. P 226 THE PROPHECY NOTED last war, perhaps at the coinmencement of it, the royal Ottoman pavilion, or tent, will be pitched between the Mediterranean and Dead sea, upon, or in the neighbourhood of Mount Zion, the holy mountain; “ but he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” His power, now for a length of time on the decline, shall here, in spite of every effort of his own, or of others, be finally extin¬ guished. CHAP. XII. Verse 1. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the chil¬ dren of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there w'as a nation, even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” The coincidence of Israel’s revival as a nation, with the downfall of the Turkish empire, is mani¬ fest from the first clause of this verse. And it is certainly a remarkable circumstance in the present day, that, amidst all those tokens of a sinking’mon- archy which characterise the Ottoman Porte,'_we begin to see God’s ancient people, and the land given to them by covenant, rising into public im¬ portance. Not only is Palestine attracting the visits of the curious and the devout, the antiquary and the missionary, but it has been forced upon the attention of politicians and statesmen, and become the theatre of contending armies, and the subject of international treaties. It was a curious sight to behold, as we have lately done, the great powers of IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 227 Europe leagued together, not as formerly to rescue the Holy Land out of the hand of the Turk, but to preserve it in his possession; thereby exposing the deep decline of his power, and showing how near the day must be when Israel shall regain his long-lost inheritance. The very cruelties to which this people were lately subjected, tended, by awakening general sympathy on their behalf, to place them more prominently before the public eye, and to remind the world of their national exist¬ ence. Meanwhile the Jewish people seem to be awakening more to a discovery of their collective importance. The scattered fragments of their body politic are, from various causes, in a state of move¬ ment, as if in preparation for the reconstruction of the whole. They have now their public journals, those indices and guides of opinion in the present day, in literature, politics, and religion. The edu¬ cation of their youths, and proposals for their gene¬ ral amelioration, engage the attention both of the Jews themselves, and of the nations among whom tliey are placed. A widely-spread tendency to rationalism, or the semi-infidel views which are so prevalent on the continent of Europe, marks an epoch in Jewish history. It is evident that thereby a great change must be speedily effected on their national condition and prospects. For if it continue to advance, the tendency would be to obli¬ terate the distinctive features of Jewish character. Those who break off from the ancient Rabbini¬ cal forms and modes of thinking, will, by a natural process of' assimilation, come to look upon them¬ selves as citizens of the world, or of the countries where they reside, and to amalgamate with the p 2 228 THE PROPHECY NOTED Gentiles around them. But we know from scrip¬ ture that Israel shall dwell alone and not be reck¬ oned among the nations that although sifted among all nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet a grain thereof shall not fall upon the earth,^ and that when their present blindness has terminated, all Israel shall be saved.^ And therefore we conclude, that for the preservation of their national identity, and in order that the Lord’s purposes both of chas¬ tisement and mercy may be fully manifested in them, an arrest is likely to be laid upon the Jewish mind in its present state of transition, and a new direction given to it by some mighty interposition. If Palestine be attracting attention, and the Jew¬ ish mind undergoing a change, it is equally true that the interest felt by Christians in the advance¬ ment of their wellbeing, in the salvation of their souls, has of late greatly increased, or at least become much more obvious in its manifestation. It is hut a few years since the cause of Israel ob¬ tained for itself in Scotland the support of only a few scattered Christians, and of one or two humble associations. Now it engages the attention, and the prayers, and draws forth the liberal contributions of an entire church. Indeed, it may be safely affirmed, that never since apostolic times have such exertions been made for this object as now. "When I consider the Church of Scotland taking an eccle¬ siastical oversight of the poor outcasts, its Deputa¬ tion of inquiry, its band of ordained ministei’s already on the field, and of young men preparing to follow; when I see the sister church in Ireland manifesting a like spirit; when I think of the London Society 1 Numb, xxiii. 9. - Amos viii. 9. ® Rom. xi. 26. IN THE SCRIPTURE OF TRUTH. 229 whicli led the way in this labour of love, now after thirty years’ experience patronised by crowned and mitred heads, I cannot but conclude that surely the time has gone past when it could with truth be said, “ This is Zion whom no man seeketh after.”^ But when I farther think of the secret desires of the people of God, of which these more public acts are but the visible tokens; when I think of the prayers that without ceasing are offered up in the closet and family for the hastening of the time when the Lord will appear in his glory, building up Zion ; when I think of the social meetings held for the sole purpose of interceding for Israel, of the contribu¬ tions to the cause, not only by the great and wealthy, but by individuals of every class, the labouring man, the mechanic, the female servant, the factory girl; when I think how even little children are taught to pray for the Jews, and to cast in their mite to the Lord’s treasury; when I think of the[number of pious and devoted men whose hearts God has touched to give themselves to the missionary work among that people; when I see and find these things among true Christians, I feel constrained to go a step far¬ ther, and to say, “ that surely the time to favour Zion, yea, the set time, is come; for thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.” 2 All these things, however, are but preparations for the great step in divine providence which we anticipate; or indications of its near approach. The work itself remains to be accomplished; and it must be left to the day itself to declare all that is wrapped up in that remarkable expression, “ at 1 Jer. XXX. 17. ® Ps. cii. 13,14. 230 THE PROPHECY KOTED, ETC. ihat time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince that standeth for the children of thy people.” The Lord sometimes accomplishes his purposes by means which appear insignificant to man, or which may even be hid from general observation. When the wind rent the rocks of Horeb, whither Elijah had fled,^ we are told, “the Lord was not in the wind; nor in the earthquake that followed, neither yet in the fire; but in the still small voice which went to the prophet’s heart.” When Ezekiel had his sublime vision by the river Chebar, he beheld the wheels of divine providence in their lofty circumference, “ so high that they were dreadful, yet their appear¬ ance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.”^ When the inundations of bar¬ barians was to be let in upon the western Roman empire, whereby the face of Europe was changed, we are told,® that it was preceded, in the way of causation, “by the prayers of all saints,” The cross of Christ itself, whereby the most marvellous effects have been, are, and shall be accomplished, is in the eye of carnal reason a mean and contemptible thing. “ It is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness.” It may be then that when the kingdom of heaven cometh with power to Israel, it may come with little of outward observation. It may come like the dew in the night, silently and imperceptibly. But that day shall be known to the Lord,^ and the fruits and effects will be such as speedily to demonstrate that the presence and power of Jehovah have been there. 1 1 Kings xi. 12. * chap. i. 16, 18, ® Rev. viii. 3, 4. * Zech, xiv. 7. TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL XN ALL THE LANDS OF THEIR DISPERSION, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND Sendetu Peace. Men and Brethren, beloved for the fathers’ sake,— The God of glory appeared to Abraham, when he dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees, and promised to make of him a great nation, and that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed. This promise, which was again and again renewed to him, was confirmed to Isaac and to Jacob; Gen. xii. 1—3, Y; xiii. 14—17; xv.; xvii. ; xxi. 12; xxii. 15—18 ; xxvi. 2—5, 24 ; xxvii. 26—29 ; xxviii. 10—15; xxxii. 24—30; xxxv. 9—12; xlvi. 2—4. As it is also said in the 105th Psalm, “He hath remem¬ bered his covenant for ever, the word he commanded to a thousand generations ; which he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, to Israel for an everlasting covenant.” Within the ample bosom of this covenant, the glorious charter of all the blessings which, as a nation, you have ever possessed, or yet hope to receive, we, sinners of the Gentiles, as well as you, the men of Israel, find ourselves embraced ; for so it is written, Gen. xxviii. 14, “ In thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Of this promise we, in this distant island of the sea, and after the lapse of almost 4000 years, can attest the truth. In Abraham and his seed we have been blessed. In Him who was to be the Desire of all nations. Hag. ii. 7, our souls have found a secure refuge. Through him have we been brought to the knowledge of that God whom your fathers worshipped. In him have we found peace to our consciences, hope and joy to our hearts ; even in the Man who, as the prophet foretold, Isa. xxxii. 2, would be an hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; 232 LETTER TO THE as rivers of water in a dry place; and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Men and Brethren, having thus obtained mercy our¬ selves, how can we but be deeply moved by the unhappy condition of those from whose stock has sprung that branch of the Lord, beautiful and glorious ? Isa. iv. 2 ; under whose wide-spreading shadow we have been made to sit with great delight? Song ii. 3. How can we but desire that they, too, might come and find rest from their weary wanderings under the shelter of that wonderful name, Jehovah our Righteousness^^? Jer. xxiii. 6. IIow can we but seek the good of that people, by whose means, at first, our fathers were turned from dumb idols to serve the liv¬ ing and true God, and from whom we have received those oracles of truth which every where testify of his Anointed ? Moved by these considerations, our Church, as many of you know, sent forth, two years ago, four of its ministers to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. These bre¬ thren, full of love to your nation, traversed many lands and brought us word again. They have been at Jerusa¬ lem, and have seen the Jew at his mournful devotions beside its ruined wall. They have been through the land once fiowing with milk and honey, and have seen the thorns .and the briars which now cover it; Isa. xxxii. 13. They have seen your holy cities a wilderness, Zion a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation ; Isa. Ixiv. 10. They have been in your synagogues ; they have visited your families ; they have observed your religious services ; they have conversed with your people ; and, grateful as they have felt for the kindness received, they have been pained, though not sur¬ prised, to witness your wide departure from the ordinances of God, and the ignorance which prevails of his life-giving Word ; Deut. viii. 3. Knowing, as we do, that the Lord, in his sovereign grace, has persuaded us, the sons of Japhet, and caused us to dwell in the tents of Shem, Gen. ix. 27; enjoying, as we do, the fulness of the provision of our Father’s house,—we would seek, in our turn, to persuade you, saying to you, as IVIoses to his father-in-law. Numb. x. 29, “ Come with us, and we will do you good.” We cannot think of possessing alone the privileges and honours of adopted children, while you, the natural heirs, are outcast and destitute. We feel it to be a reproach to us that it should be written, “ This is Zion whom no man seeketh afterJer. xxx. 17. We would rather desire to be employed, under the Shepherd of Israel, in seeking out his sheep, and delivering them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day ; Ezek. xxxiv, 12. We have therefore thought CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, 233 of sending you this Letter. May the Lord incline your hearts to receive it from our hands, and lead many among you soon to call to mind the blessing and the curse among the nations whither the Lord your God hath driven you ; Deut. XXX. 1. And because we know that, by the Jews, the very name of Christian is oftentimes regarded with aversion, from the idea that those who bear it are the adherents of a false religion, and have been the authors of the calamities they endure, we consider it needful, at the outset, to declare that, in our opinion, none who call themselves Christian deserve that name whose religion is not founded on the Word of God. We are well aware what a stumbling-block it has been to the Jewish mind to observe the idolatry and other cor¬ ruptions which prevail in many countries which profess the religion of Jesus. But we wish you to understand that such things are forbidden by the precepts of the Gospel as much as by the commandment of the law. Those who worship saints or angels, or bow down before graven images, show themselves to be, not Christian, but anti-Christian; belonging, not to Jesus, but to that great apostasy from the faith, which both the Old and New Testament declared would take place in the latter days ; Dan xi. 36-39. Nor are the cruelties and oppressions to which you have been so often and so grievously subjected less repugnant to our holy religion, which teaches us to do to others as we would have others to do to us. We lament to think that in England itself you have at times suffered so much from grasping avarice and bitter animosity; but we bid you re¬ member that these things were done during the reign of that iron superstition which persecuted the true followers of Jesus Christ as well as the Jews ; Dan. vii. 8, 20, 21, 24, 25. And now. Men and Brethren, permit us to inquire whether every visible mark which the Scripture gives of the advent of the Messiah, may not be seen in connection with Jesus of Nazareth? Tour father Jacob foretold, Gen.xlix. 10, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” The sceptre did depart when Jesus appeared, and to him the Gentiles have come. You have, therefore, here a double mark that Jesus is the Christ. Again, the Prophet Haggai, when the second temple was a building, foretold, in Jehovah’s name, ch. ii. 7, “ I will shake all na¬ tions, and the Desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory.” All nations were shaken : the 234 LETTER TO THE Persians gave place to the Greeks, and the Greeks to the Romans. The second temple is no more, having been de¬ stroyed not long after Jesus came to it. You have, there¬ fore, a double mark again that Jesus is the Christ. Isaiah foretold that Messiah would be rejected by the Jews, but believed on by the Gentiles—as maybe seen from his Book of Prophecy, chap, xlii.l—12,22—25; xlix.l—6; lii.13—15; liii.; liv. 1—3 ; Iv. 1—5 ; Ixv. 1,2. This has been largely fulfilled in reference to Jesus of Nazareth, and furnishes another proof again that he is the Christ. Daniel, one of the greatest benefactors of your race, who, like another Jacob, had power with God and with man, to procure their release from Babylonish and Persian thi’aldom, Dan. ix. 1—3, 20, 23 ; x. 1—3, 10—14,19,20; xi. 1, foretold, that, in a given time, the Messiah the Prince would appear, and be cut otf, though not for himself; and that afterwards the city and the sanctuary would be destroyed by war : the sa¬ crifice and oblation would cease ; and a flood of desolations would continue till an appointed period; Dan. ix. 24-27. All this has been accomplished in connection with Jesus of Nazareth. Seventy prophetic weeks, or 490 years, elapsed from the time when Ezra restored the law, Ezra vii., to the time when your fathers put Jesus to death. Not long after, as you know, Jerusalem was destroyed, and you have remained ever since, as another prophet declares, without a king and without a prince, and without a sacri¬ fice ; Hos. iii. 4; your land left desolate, yourselves aliens in a strange land, and everywhere pursued by the manifest tokens of the Divine displeasure. You have, therefore, here manifold proofs that Jesus is the Christ. We wish we could persuade you to read and examine the New Testament for yourselves. You might then, by the teaching of God’s Spirit, discover that it is not the evil thing you have hitherto imagined, but is in truth the Word of God. You might find that it is no new revela¬ tion, but rests on your own beloved Scriptures, and is full of references to them. You might see that the doctrine of the Apostles is the same as that of the Prophets, and its system of morality nothing else than the Ten Command¬ ments enlarged. You might find, with admiration and joy, that the long-promised Saviour has already come; the Rod from the stem of Jesse, Isa. xi. 1; and yet David’s Lord, Ps. cx. 1 ; the Child born, the Son given, whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Isa. ix. 6; whose birth-place should be Bethlehem Ephratah, yet whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting, Micah v. 2. Surely you will allow, that every thing in your circum- CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, 235 stances as a people calls for consideration. Is it not the case, that ever since the time when your fathers crucified Him who declared himself to be the Messiah, sent of God, and rejected the salvation preached by his apostles, your nation has been under the perpetual rebuke of a frowning Providence ? Your civil and sacred institutions have been entirely broken up. The holy and beautiful house where Jehovah was praised, has been burnt up with fire, and all your pleasant things laid waste ; Isa.lxiv.il. Your cities have been wasted without inhabitant, and your houses without man, and the land made utterly desolate. And the Lord has removed you far away, and there has been a great forsaking in the midst of the land; Isa. vi. 11, 12. The Lord has scattered you among the heathen and dis¬ persed you through the countries ; Ezek. xxxvi. 19. And among those nations you have found no ease, neither has the sole of your foot had rest; but the Lord has given you there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind ; and your life has hanged in doubt before you, and you have had fear day and night, and have had none assur¬ ance of your life ; Deut. xxviii. 65, 66. We write not these things to add to your affliction, but from love to your souls. Surely you, as well as we, may put the question, “ What meaneth the heat of this great anger ?” Deut. xxix. 24. “ Why is it that the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud, and cast down from heaven to earth the beauty of Israel?” Lam. ii. 1. It is not enough to say that you have sinned. Your fathers oftentimes sinned, and were led into captivity by their enemies. But where, in all their history, will you find a captivity like this ? Even when carried to Babylon, the desolations of Jerusalem lasted only seventy years ; Dan. ix. 1. But now, for eighteen hundred years, the Holy City has been trodden under foot, and you banished from the land of your fathers. If it be alleged that the ten tribes have been longer in captivity than the Jews, and that they had no hand in putting Jesus to death, we an¬ swer, that seeing the Messiah was to spring from Judah, Gen. xlix. 10,—seeing that Jerusalem was the place which the Lord had chosen to put his name there, 2 Chron. vi. 6, —and seeing the temple which was there, with its priest¬ hood and sacrifices, prefigured him who was to come, Ps. cx. 4 ; xl. 6—10; li. V; 2 Chron. vi. 18 ; vii. 12—16,—it follows, that the separation of the ten tribes from Judah, and the erection of another altar at Bethel, 1 Kings xii. 25—33, was nothing else than the rejection of the promised Messiah himself. When Israel said, “ We have neither por¬ tion in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse,” 1 King 23G LETTER TO THE xii. 16, their words were at once expressive of their sin, and prophetic of their doom. And hence the awful solemnity with which the sin of Jeroboam, the son of Nehat, whereby he made Israel to sin, is again and again pointed to, as the cause of the apostasy and overthrow of the kingdom of the ten tribes ; 1 Kings xiv. 16 ; xv. 26, 30 ; xvi. 19, &c. &c. If men be sinners, as the Word of God and our own con¬ sciences testify, and if Jesus Christ be the seed of the woman who was to bruise the head of the serpent, Gen. iii. 15,then no sin can be so great or so provoking to God as the rejection of this great Deliverer. Ought you not then, ye sons of Jacob, to inquire whether this be not the very sin lying upon you? Certain it is, that ever since you refused to own Jesus as your Saviour, the Lord has refused to own you as his people. You have often, it may be, said in your hearts, “ Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not: Wherefore have we atflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge ?” Isa. Iviii. 3: “ Wherefore have we made many prayers, and still thou wilt not hear?” Isa. i. 15. What if you should find that your hands are full of blood, Isa. i. 15 ; and that blood the blood not of a fellow-creature, but of the man who is the fellow of the Almighty ? Zech. xiii. 7. What if you should discover that your King hath already come, just, and having salvation, Zech. ix. 9; but that you would have none of him—that the Messenger of the covenant, the Lord whom ye seek, has come to his temple, Mai. iii. 1; but that you despised him, and counted him a liar ? It is the testimony of Scripture, that righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people ; Prov. xiv. 34. Is it not remarkable then, that while the fall of Israel has been contemporaneous with their rejec¬ tion of Jesus, the rise of the Gentiles has run parallel with their faith in his name ? It was a wonderful sight, in the early age of the Church, to behold the Gospel of Christ, wherever its power was felt, overturning the temples of the gods, and raising men to the character of holy and devout worshippers of Jehovah. The like effects have ever fol¬ lowed it, wherever it has been received, and just in propor¬ tion as it has been received, in truth. We speak it to the praise of Jehovah’s grace, that through the knowledge of the Messiah our own country has risen to the rank which she occupies among the nations. It is simply, we believe, because he has here ordained a lamp for his Anointed, Ps. cxxxii. 17, that the King of nations, Jer. x. 7, has rendered the name of Britain illustrious, her arms powerful, her arts flourishing, her people intelligent and free. These advan¬ tages, however, are as nothing, compared with those which CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 237 the soul receives. There are many, indeed, among us,who, like those spoken of, Isa. xlviii. 1, make mention of the God of Israel, hut not in truth or righteousness; and for them, if they repent not, Tophet is ordained of old ; Isa. XXX. 33. But there are not a few of whom it can be said, “ Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound ; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance Ps. Ixxxix. 15. In Scotland, the land of our birth, Messiah has had a seed to serve him for generations past; Ps. xxii. 30 ; Isa. liii. 10. This wild and barren land has heard the Redeemer’s call, Isa. xlix. 1, “ Listen, O isles unto me, and hearken ye people from far. She has heard his voice; and the wilderness and the solitary place has been glad¬ dened by it; and the desert has rejoiced and blossomed like the rose Isa. xxxv. 1. She has received the word of the Witness to the people, the leader and commander to the people, Isa. Iv. 4, 11, and the promise has many a time been made good, ver. 12, 13, “ Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle-tree : and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the proclamation of a free salvation through the death of him who made his soul an offering for sin, Isa. liii. 10, Iv. 1, has, in innumerable instances, proved itself to be the Word of God, by chang¬ ing, through the power of his Spirit, the heart of stone into a heart of flesh ; and causing men to walk in Jehovah’s statutes, and to keep his judgments, and do them ; Ezek. xxxvi. 25—27 ; Isa. lii. 13—15. The power of that myste¬ rious name. The Lord our Righteousness, by the know¬ ledge of which, we trust that Judah shall soon be saved, and Israel dwell safely, Jer. xxiii. G, has been felt in creat¬ ing peace in the conscience which before was like the troubled sea, Isa. Ivii. 19—21, and love in the heart which before was at enmity with God and with man. Ungodly sinners have been taught to fear that great and fearful name, the Lord our God; Deut. xxviii. 58. They have been made holy in their lives and their end has been peace; Ps. xxxvii. 37. Fruits like these are not produced by a false religion. They can only grow in the field which has been sown with the sacred seed of the Divine Word; Ps. xix. 7—14. And so it is here. The Scriptures of truth, the Old as well as the New Testament, are highly prized by every one who believes in Jesus Christ. They are his meditation every 238 LETTER TO THE day: the books of Moses and the Prophets, no less than the gospels and epistles. The histories of the Old as well as the New Testament furnish him with instruction, re¬ proof, and comfort. The songs of Zion, the psalms of the sweet Singer of Israel, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, are most precious to every soul among us that seeketh after God. They .are milk to our children, and meat to our strong men. They are sung in the tabernacles of the righteous, Ps. cxviii. 15, by the families who call on the name of the Lord. They are sung in the assemblies of the upright, Ps. cxi. 1 ; at the meetings of the saints, Ps. Ixxxix. f; when they enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise, Ps. c. 4. It is impossible that these things could be, were we not worshippers of the God whom your fathers worshipped, and did we not expect to be saved as they were. Men and brethren, it is even so. Our faith is the same as that of Abel, who brought of the firstlings of the flock an offering to God, Gen. iv. 4; as that of Enoch, who walked with God, ch. V. 24 ; as that of Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord, ch. vi. 8, and offered burnt-offerings to him on the altar which he built, ch. viii. 20; as that of Abraham, with whom the covenant was made by sacrifice, ch. XV., and whose faith was counted for righteousness, ver. as that of Jacob, who declared himself unworthy of the least of all God’s mercies, ch. xxxii. 10 ; and who, when dying, said, he had waited for the salvation of God, ch. xlix. 18. These, and all other true worshippers of Je¬ hovah, whose names are recorded in the Old Testament, had respect to the Redeemer who was to come : we have respect to the same Redeemer, now that he has come. It is by the faith of him who was to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, Dan. ix. 24, that we read those Scriptures, which you hold in your hands, with profit and delight. It is through him that we see the glory and understand the meaning of the daily sacrifice and the passover—of the fast of atonement and the feast of tabernacles,—of the year of release and the trumpet of jubilee,—of the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple at Jerusalem,—with their sacred furniture and utensils—^the candlestick, the altar of burnt-offering, and the show-bread—the holy of holies, the ark of the co¬ venant, the mercy-seat, and the altar of incense. It is in him whose name is Immanuel, Isa. vii. 14, that we discern the wisdom and the beauty of the laws of Moses ; and not only so, but find in them that which gives life and salvation to our souls. Come, then, O house of Jacob, and let us walk together CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 239 in the light of the Lord; Isa. ii. 5. Why should you remain any longer in darkness and in sorrow ? Century after cen¬ tury have you been looking for Messiah, but have looked in vain. The time of his coming has been often fixed by your learned men, and every time their calculations have failed. Meanwhile successive generations of your race have passed into eternity without knowing the answer to that all-important question. Job xxv. 4, “ llow can man be justified with God, or how can he be clean that is horn of a woman?” Why would ye he stricken anymore? Isa. i. 6. Will it not suffice you, that for eighteen hundred years you have followed the traditions of your fathers, and have found them like the friends of Job in his afiliction—miserable comforters ? Job xvi. 2. What avail your Talleth or Tsitsith—to what purpose your Tephillin or Mezuzoth ? May it not truly be said of them, “the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself upon, and the covering nar¬ rower than that he can wrap himself in it?” Isa. xxviii. 20. Would that you would listen to Jehovah’s own words, Jer. xxxi. 41, &c. “Behold the days come that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah ; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.” Would that you heard the voice of your redeeming God, saying, “ Behold me, behold me. Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth Isa. Ixv. 1; xlv. 22. Would that the Lord himself might be pleased to pour out upon you the spirit of grace and supplications promised, Zech. xii. 10; and then would you be made to look on him whom you have pierced, and to mourn for him. Then would your eyes be opened to see the fountain which has been opened for sin and uncleanness, Zech. xiii. 1; and which flows from the pierced heart of him on whom the Lord laid the iniquity of us all; Isa. liii. 6. Blessed will be the day when Jews and Gentiles toge¬ ther shall submit to Him who is to have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth ; Ps. Ixxii. 8. Then shall be fulfilled to their utmost extent the words of prophecy, “ The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain ; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea;” Isa. xi. 1—9. Then shall Jerusalem be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God; Isa. Ixii. 3. To her light the 240 LETTER, ETC. Gentiles shall come, and kings to the brightness of her rising; Isa. lx. 3. Then shall that song be sung in the land of Judah, and re-echoed from the ends of the earth, “ We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks Isa. xxvi. 1. “ O Lord, I will praise thee ; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation ; I will trust and not be afraid ; for Jehovah, Jehovah, is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation Isa. xii. May the Lord hasten it in his time; Isa. lx. 22. In name and by appointment of the General Assembly, ROBERT GORDON, Moderator. GLASGOW:—W, G. BLACKIE AND CO., PKINTEUS, VILLAFIELD. .. .^v w.r ' * . ♦♦ ■J , '■y ' ' 7 !-/T-; ' •iiy ■ te -;.•. ' /■.■^'■: t <■ ' ' < ■ '■ ■ I' ■ •• >/»' ■ I .■ I .' ■* , • n • • , ^ ’ -j ' . ' • / * • 3* •'.*'**• ' ■ L*'-' ■ ’ * ' '»./ ‘‘^•V J ^ .• .y 7 ■-• ..^'v' > ■ y :.r' M- ' '4' i- « /•■•'-' 'V V • i ;• ;'• • V*; ■-?><.'•; ',' U-.wY'> • > > «• , 'v/' ’ ■ ‘ 'A.' 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