ftrength of the other kingdoms confifted in themselves, and had its foundation in some part of the goat but the Roman empire, as a horn or kingdom of the goat, was not mighty by its own power, was not ftrong by virtue of the goat, but drew its nourishment and ftrength from Rome and Italy. There grew the trunk and body of the tree, tho' the branches extended over Greece, Afia, Syria, and Egypt. The remainder of the prophecy relates mostly to the perfecution and oppreffion of the people of God. And he waxed great even to the host of heaven, (or against the host of heaven) and he caft down fome of the hoft, and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them, that is, the Jewish state in general, the mighty and the holy people, (ver. 24.) or the Priests and Levites in particular; who are called ftars, as they were eminent for their ftation and illuftrious for their knowledge; and the hoft of heaven, as they watched and served in the temple, and their fervice is denominated a warfare. (Num. VIII. 24, 25.) This paffage was in some measure fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes as well as by the Romans: but our Saviour making use of the like expreffions, (Mat. XXIV. 29.) the ftars fhall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, in speaking of the (4) See Lowth's Comment: VOL. II. F deftruc (5) 2 Macc. deftruction of Jerufalem by the Romans, this paffage alfo may more properly be referred to that event. Yea he magnified himself even to the prince of the hoft, (or against the prince of the host) and by him the daily facrifice was taken away, and the place of his fanctuary was caft down. Antiochus did indeed. take away the daily facrifice, but he did not caft down the place of his fanctuary, he did not destroy the temple. He took away the daily facrifice for a few years, but the Romans for many ages: and the Romans likewife utterly destroyed the temple, which he spoiled only and profaned. And an boft was given him against the daily facrifice by reafon of tranfgreffion. The word here tranflated an hoft is rendered in other places, (Job VII: 1.). and in the book of Daniel itself, (X. 1.) an appointed time: And an appointed time was given him against the daily facrifice by reafon of tranfgreffion: Or as we read in the margin, The hoft was given over for the tranfgreffion against the daily facrifice, and he caft down the truth to the ground, and he practised, and profpered. Or as the fame thing is expreffed by the angel: He Shall destroy wonderfully, and shall profper, and practife, and shall defroy the mighty and the holy people; (5) 2 Macc. V. 14. (7) 1 Macc. people and through his policy alfo he shall caufe craft to profper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace fall deftroy many. But Antiochus did not fo mightily destroy the Jews, nor profper in his practices and designs against them. When he took Jerufalem, (5) he flew forty thousand, and fold forty thousand more: but when the city was befieged and taken by the Romans, (6) the number of the captives amounted to ninety feven thousand, and of the flain to eleven hundred thoufand. The Romans too carried their conqueft and revenge so far, as to put an end to the government of the Jews, and entirely to take away their place and nation. Antiochus meant as much to root out the whole people; his malice was as great, but his fuccefs was not equal: for though his forces were victorious at firft, yet they were defeated at laft, and his (7) generals, Apollonius, Seron, Nicanor and Gorgias, Timotheus and Bacchides, and even Lyfias himself, were all fhamefully routed one after another: and the news of these defeats hastened his death. It is farther added, that he shall alfo ftand up against the prince of princes. If by the prince of princes the high-prieft be meant, it is very true that Lib. 12. Cap. 7. p. 537. Edit. away that Antiochus did put in and put out the highpriefts at pleasure, but the Romans took the whole administration. If by the prince of princes be meant, as moft probably was meant, the Mesfiah, then Antiochus had no fhare in the completion; it was effected by the Romans. It was by the malice of the Jews, but by the authority of the Romans, that he was put to death; and he fuffered the punishment of the Roman malefactors and flaves. And indeed it is very worthy of our most serious confideration, whether this part of the prophecy be not a sketch of the fate and fufferings of the Chriftian, as well as of the Jewish church. Nothing is more ufual with the prophets than to describe the religion and worship of later times by metaphors and figures borrowed from their own religion. The Chriftians may full as well as the Jews be comprehended under the name of the holy people, or people of the holy ones. And the Romans not only crucified our Saviour, but also perfecuted his difciples for above three centuries: and when at length they embraced the Christian religion, they foon corrupted it; fo that it may be queftioned, whether their favor was not as hurtful to the church, as their enmity. As the power of the Roman emperors declined, that of the Roman pontiffs increased: and may it not with equal truth and juftice be faid of the latter, as as of the former, that they caft down the truth to the ground, and practised, and profpered? How applicable in this fenfe is every part of the angel's interpretation! A king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark fentences fhall Stand up. And his power fhall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he fhall deftroy wonderfully, and shall profper, and practife, and shall deftroy the mighty and the boly people, (or the people of the holy ones:) And through his policy alfo be fhall caufe craft to profper 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 fhall be broken without hand. And this farther opens and explains the reafon of the appellation of the little born. The perfecuting power of Rome, whether exercised towards the Jews, or towards the Chriftians, or by the emperors, or by the popes, is ftill the little born. The tyranny is the fame; but as exerted in Greece and the eaft, it is the little horn of the he-goat or the third empire; as exerted in Italy and the weft, it is the little horn of the fourth beaft or the fourth empire. But the little horn, like other tyrannical powers, was to come to a remarkable end; he Shall be broken without hand. As the ftone in Nebuchadnezzar's dream was cut out of the |