The Bible Examiner (1843)

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The Gift of

The Editor

the Rev. W. Mottes,

of Bastone.

Rev. Jan. 28,

1849.

U

THE

BIBLE EXAMINER:

CONTAINING

VARIOUS PROPHETIC EXPOSITIONS.

BY GEORGE STORRS.

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY JOSHUA V. HIMES,

No. 14, Devonshire Street.

1843.

C 8606.5

HARVARD

COLLEGE

LIBRARY

31=174

C 8606.5

HARVARD

COLLEGE

LIBRARY

BOSTON:

DOW & JACKSON'S POWER PRESS.

14 Devonshire Street.

BIBLE EXAMINER.

Most of the following articles were prepared for, and have appeared in, the Midnight Cry. They are now given in this new form by request. Some additions have been made to them; particularly to the Exposition of the 8th and 9th chapters of Daniel. These articles are sent forth with a full conviction that they may not travel far before our Lord will have come in the clouds of heaven; but still, they are sent under the conviction that the injunction of our Lord is to be regarded by all, viz., "Occupy till I come;" and, "Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing." GEO. STORRS.

BOSTON, March, 1843.

Exposition of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream.

DANIEL II.—BY GEORGE STORRS.

There are those who, when they come to hear anything on the appearing of Christ and the end of the world, expect to hear us predict and prophesy on those matters. With predicting and prophesying, in the sense of foretelling future events, I have nothing to do.

I take the prophecies that God has given us, and tell you how I understand them, and why I understand them as I do. When this is done, you will judge for yourselves, as each of you must give account for himself, whether the interpretation given accords with the general tenor of the Scriptures. I force not my exposition upon any man. Hear, then judge.

I cannot agree with, some who tell us that the prophecies cannot be understood. I consider such language the language of infidelity. What is it but saying—"Revelation is no Revelation?" Revelation is something made known, and, of course, to be understood. To say, that any part of it cannot be understood, is, just so far, to be infidels. There are some men who denounce infidelity with an unsparing hand, who, at the same time, tell us, we cannot understand the prophecies! What is this but infidelity?

A man may say, with truth, that he does not understand the prophecies; but, to say, "they cannot be understood," is a very different matter; and he that does it, whatever his standing, or reputation, is infidel in his principles. Not that he rejects the whole of Revelation; but he denies that a part of the Bible is a revelation.

I most solemnly believe that God designed every part of the Bible should be understood; but not without searching the Scriptures, comparing one part with another, and earnest prayer to Him for that same Spirit, to guide us into truth, which at first inspired holy men to write the sacred pages. Hence, to come to a knowledge of the truth, we must first seek a childlike spirit, and pray much for divine aid. The blessed Jesus said—"I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." First, an humble spirit is necessary. Then, for our encouragement, the Saviour has said, "If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."

Let us then humbly yet confidently seek the aid of the Holy Spirit to give us understanding, and in that light search the Scriptures to know what was the mind of the Spirit that inspired them, and we shall not search in vain.

Let us now examine the second chapter of Daniel. I shall, for the sake of brevity, begin at the 31st verse.

Verses 31—36. "Thou, O king, sawest, and behold, a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold—his breast and arms of silver—his belly and his thighs of brass—his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out, without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in 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 away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king."

I wish to call the attention of my readers to an inquiry. Where did the stone strike the image! "UPON HIS FEET." Let that be remembered, for I shall have occasion to speak of that fact again.

Verses 37, 38. "Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven, hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all," [i.e., has given thee universal dominion on earth.] "Thou art [i.e., thy kingdom is,] this head of gold."

Babylon was the first kingdom of universal empire. It was founded by Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah.

See Genesis x. 8-10. It lasted near seventeen hundred years, though under different names; sometimes called Babylon, sometimes Assyria, and sometimes Chaldea. It extended from Nimrod to Belshazzar, who was its last king.

Verse 39, first part. "And after thee shall arise another kingdom, inferior to thee." What kingdom succeeded Babylon? See chapter v. 28: "Thy kingdom [Babylon] is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

The Medo-Persian kingdom, then, was the second universal kingdom, and was represented by the "breast and arms of silver."

Verse 39, last part. "And another third kingdom of brass shall arise, which shall bear rule over all the earth." What kingdom was this? See chapter viii. verses 5-7, 21. Here we learn that Grecia conquered the Medo-Persian kingdom and became a kingdom of universal empire. This took place under Alexander. Here, then, we have the third kingdom, which was represented by the brass of the image.

Verse 40. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise."

What kingdom is this? It is generally admitted to be the Roman kingdom. It is a universal kingdom, that is to break in pieces all that went before it. Rome alone answers the description. That did have universal empire. See Luke ii. 1. "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed."—Who was Cesar Augustus? A Roman Emperor. Here, then, we have the fourth kingdom, represented by the "legs of iron."

Verse 41. "And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes part of potter's clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided." What kingdom shall be divided? "The fourth kingdom." Was it divided? It was. The western empire of Rome, between the years A.

D. 356 and 483, was divided into ten divisions, or kingdoms, viz.: 1. The Huns in Hungary, A. D. 356. 2. The Ostrogoths, in Mysia, 377. 3. The Visigoths, in Pannonia, 378. 4. The Franks, in France, 407. 5. The Vandals, in Africa, 407. 6. The Sueves and Alans, in Gascoigne and Spain, 407. 7. The Burgundians, in Burgundy, 407. 8. The Heruli and Rugii, in Italy, 476. 9. The Saxons and Angles, in Britain, 476. 10. The Lombards, in Germany, 483.* Thus the "kingdom was divided" as designated by the ten "toes." "But," after its division, "there shall be in it the strength of iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with the miry clay."

The Roman, or "iron" power, through the influence and authority of Papacy, or Papal Rome, stretched itself among the "clay" so as to be "mixed with" it, and thereby kept up "the strength of iron."

Verses 42, 43. "And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay; so the kingdom" [Roman kingdom] "shall be partly strong and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they" [Romanism] "shall mingle themselves" [i.e., Rome Papal] "with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay."

How exactly has all this been fulfilled. Romanism, or the Romish church, while it has mingled with all nations, has not mixed with them, but has kept up its authority over its subjects, under whatever government they may have been located; so that the authority of Rome has been felt by all the nations where her subjects have been "mingled with the seed of men." The fourth, or Roman, kingdom is thus perpetuated, though "divided."

That power will continue, not civilly, hut by its ecclesiastical authority, till "broken without hands."

Verse 44. "And in the days of these kings [What kings, or kingdoms? Clearly, the kings of the divided fourth kingdom: for that is now the subject of discourse] shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom [the fifth universal kingdom] that shall never be destroyed: [and, therefore, must be in the immortal state, or "new earth"] and the kingdom [when set up] shall not be left to other people, [i.e., the subjects shall not pass from one set of rulers to another, as the four previous kingdoms have done,] but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, [See Rev. xi. 15, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever." "And (18th verse) the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy ('break in pieces') them that destroy ('break in pieces.' See Dan. vii. 23) the earth,] and it [the fifth kingdom] shall stand forever."

The question now arises, What are we to understand by this last kingdom? and when is it "set up?" Some tell us it must be the "kingdom of grace," because the stone that smote the image was a "little stone" at first. But where, I ask, do they learn that the stone was a little one? Not in the Bible, surely. It is not there. They must find it, then, among the inventions of men. "But," say they, "it grows, mark that." Well, my dear sir, will you be good enough to show me where the stone is said to grow? You do not find it in the Bible: it must be in your imagination, if anywhere. The "stone smote the image, and "it became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind carried" it "away, that no place was found for" either of the four kingdoms: then, and not till then, "the stone became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

Still, the objector insists upon it, that "it must be the kingdom of grace, set up by our Lord Jesus Christ 1800 years ago, in the days of the Cesars." You speak of the "kingdom of grace;" but, I ask, then, if God had no "kingdom of grace" in the world till "the days of the Cesars?" If he had not, then Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Job, and all the prophets, must have gone to perdition, for surely no man can be saved without grace; and that grace must reign to bring salvation. Thus if Jesus Christ set up "the kingdom of grace" only 1800 years ago, all that lived the 4000 years previous have "perished."

But let us look at this subject a little further. Where did the stone strike the image when it smote it? Not on the "head"—Babylon; nor on the "breast and arms"—Media and Persia; nor on the "belly and thighs"—Grecia; nor yet on the "legs"—Rome pagan, as it should have done, if the kingdom was "set up in the days of the Cesars." Where, then, did it smile the image! Verse 34 tells us, it "smote the image upon the FEET." Now it could not smite the feet before they were in being; and they were not in being till several hundred years after Christ's crucifixion, i.e., till the fourth, or Roman kingdom was divided: which, we have seen, did not take place till between the years A. D. 356 and 483. Since that time, the "Man of Sin" has reigned on earth, instead of the Lord of Glory, and has trodden "under foot the holy city"—the church. But the kingdom of God is to be set up. That it was not set up at certain periods spoken of in the New Testament, will appear from the examination of a few passages. It was not set up when our Lord taught his followers to pray, "Thy kingdom come:" it must have been future then. Again. The mother of Zebedee's children understood it to be future when she desired our Lord to grant that her two sons might sit, "the one on the right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom."

It was still future when our Lord ate the last passover. See Luke xxii. 18: "I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." So, it had not then come. Let us see if it had come when Christ hung on the cross. See Luke xxiii. 42: "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Thus, to his death, it seems, his kingdom had not been set up.—But did he not set it up before his ascension to heaven? See Acts i. 6: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" Not done yet. Now see 1 Cor. xv. 50: "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." This settles the question that the kingdom of God is not set up till the saints put on immortality, or not till they enter the immortal state, which Paul tells us, verse 52, is "at the last trump," and answers to Rev. xi. 15, which see; and the apostle Paul tells us, 2 Timothy iv. 1, that "the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom." And again he tells us, Acts xiv. 22, that "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God," and this address was made to those who were already Christians, and shows that the kingdom of God was still future, in the apostle's estimation.

It is said, "Our Lord taught the Jews that the kingdom of God was within them." This is inferred from Luke xvii. 20, 21. "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: "[marginal reading 'outward show.'] "Neither shall they say, lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Did our Saviour mean to say that the kingdom of God was within the Pharisees? He says of them, Matt. xxiii. 13, "Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Surely

our Lord could not mean, in Luke xvii., to say, the kingdom of God was, at that time, within the Pharisees.

"True," says the objector, "but the margin has it, among you." But, I ask, did our Lord intend to teach that it was then among them? If so, why did he speak a parable in the 19th chapter, 11th verse and onward, to disabuse the minds of the people, "because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear?" He clearly teaches in that parable that they were not to expect the kingdom of God till he should "return" from heaven, at which time he would reward his faithful servants, but would say, at the same time, "Those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me." See, in connection with this, Rev. xi. 15, 18. What then does our Lord mean in Luke 17th? I understand him to say, that when the kingdom of God does come, it will not be with outward show, or signs; but, the first the wicked will know, it is upon them; and thus the twenty-fourth verse seems to explain it. "For as the lightning so also shall the Son of man be in his day." That kingdom will come sudden and unexpected to all the wicked.

The parables of the "mustard seed" and "leaven," are brought forward as an argument in defence of the doctrine that the kingdom of heaven was set up in the days our Saviour was on earth. I admit that those parables refer to a work of grace wrought in this world; but they cannot be so interpreted as to contradict the overwhelming testimony of our Lord, the prophet Daniel, Paul, and St. John, as already presented. The language of these parables must, to harmonize with the other Scriptures, be understood as spoken in a borrowed sense; that is, as the grace of God, in men, works that preparation which is necessary to constitute us, finally, subjects of the kingdom of heaven, so it is called "the kingdom of heaven," in relation to the result. In the same way I understand the text, Rom. xiv. 17.

"But," says the objector, "Christ and the apostles preached the kingdom of heaven at hand; surely, therefore, it must have been set up about that time." I reply,—A thing at hand is the next to come. Let me ask, what kingdom was at hand when Babylon was in power? Answer.—The Medo-Persian. Why? Because it was next to come. What kingdom was at hand when the Medo-Persian was in power? Answer.—The Grecian. Why? Because it was next to succeed it. What kingdom was at hand when Grecia was in power! Rome. Why? Because next to come, as a kingdom of universal empire. What kingdom is at hand when Rome is in power? God's everlasting kingdom. Why? Because that is the next kingdom of universal empire. Thus we see how it could be said, in truth, the kingdom of heaven is at hand in the very commencement of the Roman kingdom.

James, ii. 5, tells us that the kingdom is a matter of promise to them that love God; of course, if "promised," it was future. Our Saviour saith, Luke xii. 32, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom;" not yet given. It is something still to come. To represent it as already set up, is to take away one of the strongest motives the Bible furnishes to endure trials, and to suffer patiently while in an enemy's country. What a soul-cheering thought, the kingdom of God is to come. Christ's subjects will be gathered out of all their tribulations—his territory, the earth, will be cleansed, and the wicked rooted out of it; and Christ himself personally reign over his people forever; not in a dying state, but in a state of immortality, peace, and glory, in the new earth. Such a thought gives new life to the soul, now struggling in this "tabernacle," groaning, "being burdened." The kingdom will come; yea, it is now at the door. "Ye feeble saints, fresh courage take." "Behold, your God will come with vengeance [to your enemies,] even God with a recompense; he will come and save you." Isa. xxxv. 4.

But when will the kingdom of God be set up? See Matthew xxv. 31—34: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Then, and not till then, will the kingdom of God be set up on earth; for, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," as we have already seen; and that kingdom is not set up till the "seventh angel" sounds his "trumpet." Rev. xi. 15-18.

Some men will not enter the kingdom of God. See 1 Cor. vi. 9, 16: "Know you not that the unrightous shall not inherit the kingdom of God! Be not deeived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God?" See, also, Rev. xxi. 27: "And there shall in no wise enter into it [the new Jerusalem] anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie."

Who will be subjects of this kingdom? See Rev. xx. 6: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with him," &c. Here it is seen that holiness is the indispensable qualification for an inheritance in the kingdom of God. See 2 Peter iii. 14: "Wherefore, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye be found of him in peace without spot and blameless." There must be no spot of known sin upon us if we would enter the kingdom of God. Again, John iii. 3: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The new birth, then, is indispensable to a part in the kingdom of God. See also 1 John iii. 2, 3: "We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

Are we thus purifying ourselves? Are we striving to be Christ-like? Have we the same love to God! The same love to men? The same hatred to sin! The same deadness to the applause of men? In short, do we set Christ before our eyes as our pattern and example! And are we, from beholding, changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of God? "He that saith, he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk even as he walked." See 1 John ii.6. See also Matt. xxv.34-36. Here we learn who will enter into the kingdom of God.

Now comes the inquiry, "Watchman, what of the night?" In what period of prophecy are we now? What are our "soundings," in relation to the setting up of this kingdom? Are we in the kingdom of Babylon, under the "head of gold?" No. That has passed long ago.—Are we in the Medo-Persian empire? No. Long since that kingdom was numbered with things past. Are we in Grecia! Certainly not. That too was numbered and finished more than two thousand years since. Are we in Rome in its undivided state, or in the "legs of iron?" No. Long since that empire fell. Where are we, then? Down among the feet and toes. How long since those divisions came up which constitute the feet and toes! Nearly fourteen hundred years! Almost fourteen hundred years we have travelled down in the divided state of the Roman empire. Where does the stone strike the image? Is it on the head? No. Is it on the breast and arms? No. Is it on the belly and thighs? No. Is it on the legs? No. Where then! On the feet. Where are we now! In the feet. What takes place when the stone smites the image! It is all broken to pieces, and becomes like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind carries it away that no place shall be found for it. Then will this world be cleansed and the everlasting kingdom of God set up which shall never be destroyed. How far off, reader, do you think that event can be?

What is to come next as the subject of prophecy? The stone. Are you ready? The Lord help thee to be awake.—Suffer not thyself to be lulled to sleep by the cry of, "My Lord delayeth his coming."

Exposition of Daniel 7th Chapter;

OR, VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS.—BY G. STORRS.

In communicating instruction to the children of men, God is pleased to give "line upon line, precept upon precept—here a little, and there a little." The Saviour saith, John xvi. 12, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." Revelation has been not only progressive, but the same truths have been repeated again and again, under different figures, emblems, and forms of speech. As a kind parent enforces important truths upon the minds of his offspring, illustrating and repeating to make the deeper impression, so our Heavenly Father labors to impress our minds with truths connected with, and having a bearing on, our eternal destiny, and necessary to establish the faith of his people, and inspire in them confidence in his word. He has given them waymarks to determine the truth of his word, and to mark the period of the world in which they are living, and to show them that their Heavenly Father was perfectly acquainted with all the road his church would have to travel to the end of the world, and the termination of all their labors and sufferings.

To illustrate. Suppose you were travelling a road with which you were unacquainted. You inquire of a stranger—he tells you, that road leads to a glorious city, filled with every good thing, governed by the most lovely, mild, and benevolent Prince that the world ever saw; that in that city there was neither sickness, sorrow, pain, nor death.

He then proceeds to tell you what you may expect to pass on the road, by which you may know he has told you the truth, and which will mark the progress you have made. First, then, he tells you, after leaving him, and travelling awhile, you will come to a monument that can be seen at a great distance; on the top of it you will see a "lion" having "eagle's wings;"—at a distance beyond that, you will come to another monument, having on it "a bear" with "three ribs in his mouth:"—passing on still, you will at length arrive at a third monument, on the top of which you will behold a "leopard" having "four wings of a fowl" and "four heads:"—after that, you will come to a fourth, on which is a beast "dreadful and terrible," with "great iron teeth" and "ten horns:"—and lastly, you will come to another place, where you will see the same beast, with this difference—"three" of its "first horns" have been "plucked up," and in the place of them has come up a peculiar horn, having "eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth." The next thing you will look for, after passing the last-mentioned sign, is the city of which I have told you.

With these directions you commence your journey. What do you look for first? The lion. At length you see it. That inspires in you some faith in the person's knowledge and truth who had directed you. Having passed that sign, the next thing you expect to see, as marked in the directions, is the bear. At length you come in sight of that. "There," say you, "is the second sign he gave me. He must have been perfectly acquainted with this road, and has told me the truth." Your faith increases as you travel on. What next do you look for? Not the city, certainly. "No," say you, "I look for the leopard." Well, by and by you behold that, in the distance. "There it is," you cry; "now I know he has told me the truth, and it will come out just as he said." Is the next thing you look for now, the city! No—you look for that "terrible beast" with "ten horns."

You pass that, and say as you pass, "How exactly the man who directed me described everything." Now your faith is so confirmed that you almost see the city; "but," say you, "I have got one more sign to pass, viz. the 'horn' with 'eyes'—then the city comes next." Now hope is high, and your anxious eyes gaze with intense interest for the last sign. That comes in view, and you exclaim in raptures, "There it is!" All doubt is now removed—you look for no more signs—your longing eyes are fixed to gaze on the "glorious city" next—and probably no man now, however wise he might profess himself, could make you discredit what your director had told you. "The city—the city," is now fixed in your eye, and onward you go, hasting to your rest.

Now, if we find, on examination, that all the events or signs that God has given us, which were to precede the judgment day and the setting up of his everlasting kingdom, have actually transpired, or come to view, what are we to look for next? Most clearly, the judgment of the great day! Let us, then, examine the chapter before us.

Verse 1. "In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions of his head, upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [thus it became a part of the Scriptures] and told the sum of the matters."

V. 2 and 3. "Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold the four winds [denoting commotions] of the heaven strove upon the great sea, (waters, denoting "people." See Rev. xvii. 15,) and four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another." The angel explains these four beasts to be "four kings, verse 17, or four kingdoms, as you will see verse 23. "The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom," &c.; which shows that the term king, in these visions, signifies kingdom.

V. 4. "The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings:" Babylon, as described in this vision. We have already seen, chapter ii.

38, that Babylon was the first universal "kingdom upon earth;" aptly represented here by a lion—"the king of beasts," denoting the glory of that kingdom, and corresponding with the "head of gold" in the second chapter—the "eagle's wings" denoting the rapidity of its conquests, and the soaring pride of its monarchs. It is described by Habakkuk, chapter i. 6—8, "For, lo! I raise up the Chaldeans [Babylon]—they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat." See Isa. v. 26, 29, and Jer. iv. 7; also, Ezek. xvii. 3, 4. Daniel goes on to say—"I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, wherewith it was lifted from the earth, [its glory departed,] and it was made to stand upon its feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it." This may refer to the humiliation of the proud monarch of Babylon, chapter iv. 31—37, or to the cowardice of Belshazzar, who, instead of driving away his foes like a lion, shut himself up in the city, feasting and drinking with his lords, till he was killed, and the kingdom was given to the Medes and Persians.

V. 5. "And behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, [representing two lines of kings, one much longer than the other,] and it had three ribs in the mouth of it, between the teeth of it; and they said unto it, Arise, devour much flesh."

We have already seen that the Medo-Persian kingdom succeeded Babylon, and is clearly the kingdom here described. It was noted for cruelty and thirst of blood, and the nation is emphatically called "the spoiler." See Jer. li. 48-56. The three "ribs" in its mouth may denote the union of Media, Persia, and Chaldea. It subdued many and populous kingdoms. Ahasuerus, or Artaxerxes, reigned over 127 provinces. See Esther i. I.

V. 6. " After this I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a

See the marginal reading.

fowl; the beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to it." There can be no dispute with respect to this being Grecia; "four wings" denoting the rapidity of its conquest under Alexander; the "four heads" its division into four parts after Alexander died and his posterity were murdered.

V. 7 and 8. "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three cf the first horns plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a month speaking great things." On these verses I shall remark when I come to consider the angel's explanation.

V. 9 and 10. "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." If we have not here a description of the final judgment, we may despair of finding any such description in the book of God. There is nothing clearer.

V. 11. "I beheld then [When? Ans. When 'the judgment set'] because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake, I beheld till the beast was slain, [What beast? Ans. The fourth beast, on which the horn had stood,] and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." That is the punishment of the beast for having sustained and carried the little horn. Nothing is said of "the dominion" of this beast being

"taken away," as is said of the others.

The others lost their dominion after a time, but their subjects survived and were transferred to the succeeding governments, but the very body [subjects] of this fourth kingdom is destroyed, and given to the burning flame; as Isaiah saith, (xxxiii. 12,) "The people shall be as the burnings of lime; as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire." No transferring of its subjects to another kingdom. Then "The wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." Prov. ii. 22. Then God will "destroy them which destroy [corrupt] the earth." Revel. xi. 18. But—

V. 12. "As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time." [Babylon ruled about 1700 years—Media and Persia about 200—Grecia about 175.] These kingdoms successively lost the dominion, but the lives of the respective nations were prolonged, being merged in the succeeding governments.

V. 13 and 14. "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."—Thus we see the kingdom of God, or of Christ, is not set up till the "judgment sits;" hence no room for a temporal millennium before the judgment, and before the kingdoms of this world are destroyed. "All people, nations, and languages," that shall "serve him," are described by the Revelator, chapter v. 9, 10, as "redeemed OUT OF every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation," &c.

V. 15-18. "I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." Not a "thousand years," but forever, even FOREVER and EVER." If any language can express unending duration, this must do so. Some think the language too strong to be applied to a thousand years, and so make it mean "three hundred and sixty thousand years." But that is infinitely short of "forever, even forever and ever."

V. 19—25. "Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet: and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, 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 tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

There is but little dispute about what is here meant by the "fourth kingdom." No kingdom that ever has existed on earth will answer to it, except the Roman kingdom. That has been, truly, "diverse from all kingdoms," especially in its forms of government, which were not less than seven—being, at different times, Republican, Consular, Tribune, Decemvirate, Dictatorial, Imperial and Kingly. It was at length divided into the Eastern and Western empires; Rome proper being in the Western empire. Between the years A. D. 356 and 483, it was divided into ten kingdoms, as I have noticed in my remarks on chapter ii.; thus the "ten horns are ten kings" [kingdoms] that arose out of this empire, and are the same that John saw, Rev. xii. 3, "a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns;" and, chapter xvii. 12, he is told—"The ten horns which thou sawest, are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet:"—it was something still future in John's time.

We are now prepared for the inquiry—who, or what is the little horn here spoken of? We will inquire,

1st. What is the character of this horn? 1. It makes "war with the saints." 2. It speaks great words against the Most High.

Let us see if we can find a description of the same character elsewhere in the Bible. See Rev. xiii. 6, 7: "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them:"—Daniel says, he "prevailed against them." Now see 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4: "That man of sin be revealed, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God," &c. Can there be any doubt of the identity of the character? Daniel's "little horn"—Paul's "man of sin"—and John's "blasphemous beast" are clearly identified.

2d. Let us inquire, has a power of this description arisen? It must be admitted that there has; and that that power is Papacy.

The titles the Popes have assumed, of "Most Holy Lord," and their pretensions to pardon sin, even before its commission, if we had nothing else, sufficiently establishes the blasphemous character of that power. Pope Innocent III. writes—"He [Christ] hath set one man over the world, him whom he hath appointed his vicar on earth; and as to Christ is bent every knee in heaven, in earth and under the earth, so shall obedience and service be paid to his vicar by all, that there may be one fold and one shepherd." Again, Pope Gregory VII. says, "The Roman Pontiff alone is by right universal. In him alone is the right of making laws. Let all kings kiss the feet of the Pope. His name alone shall be heard in the churches. It is the ONLY NAME IN THE WORLD. It is his right to depose kings. His word is not to be repealed by any one. It is to be repealed by himself alone. He is to be judged by none. The church of Rome has never erred; and the Scriptures testify it never shall err." Surely here is a power "diverse from" all others, and proud and blasphemous enough to answer the character of the "little horn."

3d. Let us now inquire, When this little horn arose? Or, which is the same thing, When did Papacy arise? There has been a difference of opinion on that question. But it appears to me the question is not one so difficult to settle now as in former years. First, then—it did not arise before the ten horns. Hence it did not arise before A. D. 483, when the tenth horn came up. It did not arise until "three of the first horns" fell, or were "plucked up." It did not come up after that, because it "came up among" the "ten horns," and three of those horns fell "before" it. It must then have come up or been established at the identical point where the third horn fell. If that point can be settled, it seems to me there can be no reasonable doubt as to the time Papacy arose. In the year of our Lord 493, the Hetuli in Rome and Italy were conquered by the Ostrogoths. In 534, the Vandals, who were under Arian influence, were conquered by the Greeks, for the purpose of establishing the supremacy of the Catholics.

The Ostrogoths, who held possession of Rome, were under an Arian monarch, who was an enemy to the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome; hence, before the decree of Justinian, (a Greek emperor at Constantinople,) could be carried into effect, by which he had constituted the Bishop of Rome "head of all the churches," the Ostrogoths must be plucked up. This conquest was effected by Justinian's army in the month of March, 538; at which time, the Ostrogoths, who had retired without the city, and besieged it in their turn, raised the siege and retired, leaving the Greeks in possession of the city: thus the third horn was plucked before Papacy, and for the express purpose too of establishing that power. [See Gibbon's Decline and Fall of Roman Empire.]

How exactly do the facts answer to the prophecy! I will here introduce the letter of Justinian to the Bishop of Rome, of A. D. 533:

"Justinian, pious, fortunate, renowned, triumphant, emperor, consul, &c., to John, the most holy Archbishop of our city of Rome, and patriarch :

"Rendering honor to the apostolic see, and to your holiness, (as always was and is our desire,) and, as it becomes us, honoring your blessedness as a father, we have laid without delay before the notice of your holiness all things pertaining to the state of the church. Since it has always been our earnest study to preserve the unity of your holy see, and the state of the holy churches of God, which has hitherto obtained, and will remain, without any interfering opposition; therefore we hasten to subject, and to unite to your holiness, all the priests of the whole East. As to the matters which are presently agitated, although clear and undoubted, and, according to the doctrine of your apostolic see, held assuredly resolved and decided by all priests, we have yet deemed it necessary to lay them before your holiness. Nor do we suffer anything which belongs to the state of the church, however manifest and undoubted, that is agitated, to pass without the knowledge of your holiness, who are the head of all the holy churches.

For in all things (as had been said or resolved) we are prompt to increase the honor and authority of your see."

"The authenticity of the title," says Mr. Croley, "receives unanswerable proof from the edicts of the 'Novellae' of the Justinian code. The preamble of the 9th states, 'that as the elder Rome was the founder of the laws; so was it not to be questioned, that in her was the supremacy of the pontificate.' The 131st, on the Ecclesiastical Titles and Privileges, chapter ii., states: 'We therefore decree that the most holy Pope of the elder Rome is the first of all the priesthood, and that the most blessed archbishop of Constantinople, the new Rome, shall hold the second rank, after the holy apostolic chair of the elder Rome.'" Croley, pp. 114, 115.

Some suppose that Phocas, A. D. 606, by applying the title "universal Bishop" to the Pope, first gave him his supremacy: but this cannot be, for it does not agree with the prophecy that three of the first horns were to be plucked up before it, as it came up, and this happened more than half a century before. Again, Mr. Croley, a writer of the Church of England, says— "The highest authorities among the civilians and annalists of Rome spurn the idea that Phocas was the founder of the supremacy of Rome; they ascend to Justinian, as the only legitimate source, and rightly date the title from the memorable year 533."

Imperial Rome fell about A. D. 475, and was in the hands of the barbarians. Thus it continued till the conquest of Rome by Belisarius, Justinian's general, 536 to 538, when the Ostrogoths left it in possession of the Greek emperor, March, 538. Thus the way was open for the "dragon" to give the "beast his power, and his seat, and great authority." Rev. xiii. 2. This fact, from Revelation, also, settles the point that the Pope did not receive his power from Clovis, king of France. It was the "Dragon" that gave him "his seat"—Rome, "his power," as head of the churches.

The Roman emperors had stood at the head of the churches with "power" to make important decisions for the church—it is now transferred to the Pope: and he has given him, also, "great authority," under the Justinian code of laws, to judge and punish heretics.

4th. The next point we want to settle is, the length of time this power was to continue. Daniel says, "a time, times, and the dividing of time." The Revelator says, chap. xiii. 5, "Power was given unto him to continue 42 months." He was to make war upon the saints—the church; and in Rev. xii. 6, we are told, "the woman," the church, "fled into the wilderness" 1260 days; and at the 14th verse, that it was for "a time, and times, and a half time." Here then we have the period of the continuance of this power given us in three forms of expression, which settles the point that the time, times and dividing of time is 42 months, or 1260 prophetic days or years.

5th. Did the continuance of papal dominion, as a horn of the beast, cease at the end of that period! 1260 years from 538 would extend to 1798. Did anything transpire that year to justify the belief that the dominion of Papacy was taken away that year? It is a historical fact that, on Feb. 10th, 1798, Berthier, a French general, entered the city of Rome and took it. On the 15th of the same month the Pope was taken prisoner and shut up in the Vatican. The papal government, which had continued from the time of Justinian, was abolished, and a republican form of government given to Rome. The Pope was carried captive to France, where he died in 1799. Thus, "he that" led others "into captivity," went "into captivity;" and he who killed "with the sword" those he was pleased to call heretics, was himself "killed [subdued] with the sword;" i.e., his "dominion was taken away" by war. See Rev. xiii. 10. Verse 26: "But the judgment shall sit, and they [the kings that 'hate the whore,' Rev. xvii. 16] shall take away his dominion, [he is cut off from being a horn on the beast, or deprived of his civil power, so that he can no longer wield the sword against dissenters] to consume and destroy it unto the end."

See 2 Thess. ii. 8: "Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth [the "Reformation"] and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" to judge the world in the great burning day, when the "beast and false prophet" will be "cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone;" then the "little horn" will be destroyed.

Some tell us the civil power of Papacy is not taken away. That the Pope was restored, or a new one chosen, is admitted, and that he may have some civil power in Italy is not denied. But that he has power to depose kings and put to death the saints now, is denied. When he was a horn on the beast, he deposed kings at pleasure, for centuries, and silenced "heretics" by the flame, the rack, prison, and the sword. Can he do it now! No. Nor has he been able to do it since 1798—since that time the church is out of the "wilderness;" and Papacy is compelled to tolerate Protestantism. Hear the Pope himself on that subject. Here is his letter, dated Sept., 1840, at Rome. Read it, and see if you think Papacy is now a horn on the beast, or is possessed of power to war against the saints unto death, as formerly.

"ENCYLICAL LETTER of Our Most Holy Lord GREGORY XVI. by Divine Providence Pope, to all Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops.

GREGORY XVI. POPE.

"Venerable Brethren,—Health and the apostolic Benediction.

"You will know, Venerable Brothers, how great are the calamities with which the Catholic Church is beset on all sides in this most sorrowful age, and how putifully she is afflicted. You know by what a delugo of errors of every kind, and with what unbridled audacity of the erroneous, our Holy Religion is attacked, and how cunningly and by what frauds heretics and infidels are endeavoring to prevert the hearts and minds of the faithful.

In a word, you know there is almost no kind of effort or machination which is not employed, to overthrow, from its deepest foundations, if it were possible, the immovable edifice of the Holy City.

Indeed, are we not, (Oh, how shameful!) compelled to see the most crafty enemies of the truth ranging far and wide with impunity; not only attacking religion with ridicule, the church with contumely, and Catholics with insults and slander, but even entering into cities and towns, establishing schools of error and impiety, publishing in print the poison of their doctrines, skilfully concealed under the deceitful veil of the natural sciences and new discoveries, and even penetrating into the cottages of the poor, travelling through rural districts, and insinuating themselves into familiar acquaintance with the lowest of the people and with the farmers! Thus they leave no means unattempted, whether by corrupt Bibles in the language of the people, or pestiferous newspapers and other little publications, or caviling conversation, or pretended charity, or, finally, by the gift of money, to allure ignorant people, and especially youth, into their nets, and induce them to desert the Catholic faith.

"We refer to facts, Venerable Brethren, which not only are known to you, but of which you are witnesses; even you, who, though you mourn, and, as your pastoral duty requires, are by no means silent, are yet compelled to tolerate in your diocess these aforesaid propagators of heresy and infidelity; these shameless preachers, who, while they walk in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves, cease not to lay in wait for the flock and tear it in pieces. Why should we say more? There is now scarcely a barbarous region in the universal world, to which the well known Central Boards of the heretics and unbelievers have not, regardless of expense, sent out their explorers and emissaries, who either insidiously, or openly and in concert, making war upon the Catholic religion, its pastors and its ministers, tear the faithful out of the bosom of the church, and intercept her approach to the infidels.

"Hence it is easy to conceive the state of anguish into which our soul is plunged day and night, as we, being charged with the superintendence of the whole fold of Jesus Christ, and the care of all the churches, must give account for his sheep to the Divine Prince of Pastors. And we have thought fit, Venerable Brethren, to recall to your minds by our present letter the causes of those troubles which are common to us and you, that you may more attentively consider how important it is to the church, that all holy priests should endeavor, with redoubled zeal, and with united labors, and with every kind of efforts, to repel the attacks of the raging foes of religion, to turn back their weapons, and to forewarn and fortify the subtle blandishments which they often use. This, as you know, we have been careful to do at every opportunity; nor shall we cease to do it; as we also are not ignorant that you have always done it hitherto, and confidently trust that you will do hereafter with still more earnest zeal.

"Given at Rome, at St. Mary the Greater, on the 18th of the Kalends of September, of the year 1840, the tenth of our pontificate.

GREGORY XVI. POPE."

You see what is to come next after the fall of the "little horn."

Now let us see whereabouts we are in the prophetic chain. Have we passed the "Lion"—Babylon? Yes. Have we gone by the "Bear with three ribs in his mouth?" Yes. Has the sign of the "Leopard with four wings of a fowl and four heads" been passed! It has. The "dreadful and terrible beast, with ten horns,"—has he been seen? Yes. Have we got past the "little horn" having "eyes like the eyes of a man?" That is among the things numbered with the past. How far beyond it are we! Forty-five years, nearly. What comes next? The Judgment, followed by the everlasting kingdom of God.

How far off is that? That question I shall answer, hereafter, DEFINITELY. But one thing is certain; it cannot be at a great distance. It is the NEXT prophetic event. Awake, ye slum bering virgins! "Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him." No time to sleep now. The seventh angel is preparing to sound. "Awake, ye dead!" will soon thunder through the skies, Happy day to those that are waiting. Awful day to those who are saying—"My Lord delayeth his coming." AWAKE—AWAKE!!!

Exposition of Daniel, 8th Chapter;

THE VISION OF THE RAM, HE-GOAT, AND EXCEEDING GREAT HORN.

BY GEO. STORRS.

I have already remarked, elsewhere, that our Heavenly Father employs various figures and representations, to enforce the same truths, to make the deeper impression on our minds. Thus the dream of Pharaoh, Genesis xli. 1—7, was doubled to him, thereby making the stronger impression on his spirit. In the vision of Peter, Acts x. 9—16, the "sheet was let down to the earth," and the voice three times calls upon him to "rise, kill and eat;" and as many times tells him, "What God has cleansed, that call not thou common." Thus God enforces important truths by a repetition. This was the case in the visions of Daniel. We have already seen that the vision of the seventh chapter was like that of the second, with, however, additional circumstances, viz., the sitting of the judgment, and the "little horn." In the last chapter, then, while the same truths are brought to light as in the second, we have some additional information: so, we may see the same principle carried forward in the chapter before us.

Verses 2-4. "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 was by the river Ulai. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns; and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 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 angel informs Daniel, at the 20th verse, "The ram which thou sawest, having two horns, are the kings [kingdoms] of Media and Persia." Thus it exactly agrees with, or is like the "breast and arms" of the image, chapter ii., and the "bear" in the seventh chapter. Daniel sees nothing of Babylon in this vision: that was now passing away; and his attention was particularly called to the "ram pushing." It would seem that that circumstance was to mark the commencement of the vision.

Verses 5—8. "And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west, on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore, the he-goat waxed very great; and when he was strong the great horn was broken; and for it, came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven."

The angel explains this, verses 21 and 22. "And the rough goat is the king [kingdom] of Grecia; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king;" not Alexander merely, as some suppose, for Alexander was not strictly the first king; but he belonged to the kingdom in its undivided state, or to the first part of the kingdom of Grecia.

The great horn, then, I consider as a representation of Grecia while it was united in one, which union continued some years after Alexander's death, say fifteen or twenty, when his brother and two sons, who succeeded him, at least nominally, were murdered, and the kingdom was divided, as indicated at verse 22. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms [not kings, as some try to make us think] shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power," [not in the power of Grecia united.]

Alexander conquered a part of Europe and all Asia in the short space of about twelve years; and the kingdom under him may well be represented as running in the "fury" of its power, and "touching not the ground." With an army of not more than thirty thousand, he overthrew Darius, king of Persia, who had six hundred thousand, and thus "brake his two horns," or overthrew the Medo-Persian kingdom: then Grecia became a kingdom of universal empire. Alexander dies, and within twenty years after, four kingdoms come up in Grecia, viz., Macedonia, Thrace, Syria, and Egypt.

Thus we see, the vision is like the "leopard" of the previous vision, and the "brass" division of the image.

The evidence thus far is so clear that this vision is like the two previous ones, that some of our opponents have admitted that the angel has clearly shown us so; but one of our opponents, when he has arrived at this point, says—"Here the heavenly messenger leaves us." I do not wonder he thought so; for he then goes on to apply the horn that "waxed exceeding great" to little Antiochus. It would seem that author recorded one truth. It appears clear, to my mind, that the heavenly messenger left him, but he did not leave Daniel till he made him understand the vision. Let us now proceed to, and examine this point.

Verses 9-12. "And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

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. Yea, he 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. And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered."

The angel explains these verses thus—

Verses 23-25. "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 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. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand."

Now, the question arises, who, or what power is here brought to view?

So far as I know, there are but three opinions. The first is, that it is Antiochus Epiphanes, one of the kings of Syria. The second is, that it is Mahomedanism; and the third, that it is Rome, Pagan and Papal. Each of these I shall examine.

I. Mahomedanism. This is the opinion of Faber, followed by some others. I conceive it cannot be Mahomedanism; first—because the "little horn stood" up against the Prince of princes, v. 25, and Mahomedanism itself did not stand up till about 600 years after Christ. If it be said, it stood up against the church, and therefore may be said to stand up against the Prince of princes, because our Lord considers that done against bimself which is done unto his people—I reply, that interpretation, in this case, would make the prophecy use a vain repetition; for, it expressly says, it "shall destroy the mighty and holy people."

Now, Mahomedanism neither stood up against Christ, in person, nor did it destroy the holy people. For this assertion I have something more than the word of man. "Let God be true" though every man should be proved a "liar." All admit that Rev. 9th chapter is a description of Mahomedanism. Read the fourth verse of that chapter, and see if Mahomedanism stood up against the true church of God. "It was commanded them [Mahomedans] that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but [mark it] only those men WHO HAVE NOT the seal of God in their foreheads." Here then is evidence, strong as the truth of God, that Mahomedanism was not to hurt the true church; and, of course, did not "stand up against the Prince of princes" in any sense to answer the application of the text in Daniel to that power.

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