firm the truth of religion.

"Blessed be the name of

God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are His; He changeth the times and seasons; He removeth kings and setteth up kings; He giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding; He revealeth deep and secret things; He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth in Him." (Daniel ii. 20, et seqq.)

DISSERTATION XIV.

DANIEL'S Vision of the same; viz. of the Four GREAT EMPIRES.

WHAT was revealed unto Nebuchadnezzar, in the second year of his reign, concerning the four Great Empires of the World, under the figure of an Image, was again revealed unto DANIEL, forty-eight years afterwards, in the reign of Belshazzar; but with some additions, however, and under a different similitude; viz. in the shape of four great wild beasts. (Dan. vii. 2-8.) They were of a monstrous kind :—a lion with eagle's wings; a bear with three ribs in its mouth; a leopard with four wings and four heads; and a beast with ten horns-(such emblematic figures not being uncommon amongst the eastern nations); and the

vision was moreover interpreted to Daniel, by an angel (verse 17), to mean "four kings," or "kingdoms." (verse 23.)

I. "The first was like a Lion, and had eagle's wings." (verse 4.) Each of these animals is respectively esteemed the king of beasts and of birds; and, therefore, the rich and noble kingdom of Babylon is thus represented. And by the eagle's wings may

further be denoted the rapidity of Nebuchadnezzar's conquests; whereby the empire was advanced to its great height within a few years. Moreover, "the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up (or taken away) from the earth, and made to stand upon feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it." The glory of the kingdom was beginning to decline; its wings were beginning to be "plucked" when the prophecy was delivered; and in the seventeenth year of Belshazzar's reign, Babylon was "taken away" as a kingdom, and given to the Medes and Persians. After its subjugation, its pride was humbled with its fallen fortunes; and they who had been as gods in their own eyes, had "a man's heart" given them, and felt and stood as men.

II. "The second was like unto a Bear, and it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it, between the teeth of it, and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh." (verse 5.) This is

the kingdom of the Medes and Persians; compared for their cruelty and ferocity to a Bear, which is a voracious and cruel animal. The Persians were at first subject to the Medes; but soon after Babylon's conquest, "raised themselves on one side," or above their associates. Their conquest of Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt seems to be intimated by the "three ribs" between its teeth; for these countries were much grinded and oppressed by them. And in the savage cruelties exercised by Cambyses, Ochus and others of their princes, we see exemplified the permission to "arise and eat much flesh."

III. The third was "like a Leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to it." (verse 6.) This is the kingdom of the Macedonians or Greeks, who under Alexander the Great, subdued the Persian Empire; and who, for the swiftness and impetuosity of their progress, are compared to the Leopard. The “four wings" denote this likewise; and show that in this respect it was superior to the Babylonian Empire whose symbol, the Eagle, had but two wings whilst the "four heads" point out the four kingdoms, into which this empire was divided after Alexander's death. The fact also of so comparatively small a force as he had, subduing the mighty hosts of Darius, (more than half a million) and that too in a

short space of time, proves "that dominion was given to him" by God; and that he was but an instrument in His hands.

IV. The fourth kingdom is represented by a "fourth Beast, dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth; and 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." (verse 7.) This fourth kingdom is the Roman Empire; which was "terrible and exceedingly strong," beyond any of the former ones; "devouring and breaking in pieces" the various kingdoms of the earth and being moreover “diverse from all” the former monarchies, as well in the republican form of its government, as in its strength, power, length of duration, and extent of dominion. It might well be interpreted by the angel, (who did so at Daniel's request) as "devouring the whole earth," for indeed it did become "orbis terrarum imperium,”—the Empire of the whole world. And probably this is the reason, that whereas the other Empires had similitudes for each of them, this had none it was a vast nameless monster, to which no likeness or resemblance was found.

This Beast moreover had "ten horns;" or as the angel interprets (verse 24) "ten kings (or rather kingdoms) that shall arise." The Roman Empire was