and history, this one part of the fame period can lie under no fufpicion of uncertainty or impofture. Scheme II. Coexiflent magifiracies in the GREEK EMPIRE, fet in juxtapofition with the princes, kings, and priests, of the JEWS, from the ERA of SELEUCUS. SHOULD this combination of names and numbers appear, at first view, less perfpicuous than concife, a few remarks for illuftration are fubjoined. 1. In the longer reigns and pontificates, fome part, at leaft, of one prince's prefecture is coexiftent with that of the other two; but not always in those of the shorteft duration. Such variations are of little moment. 2. THE names of the kings in the first and fecond columns, are expressed nearly about the time of their acceffion, which is computed, rather from the incumbency of the high priest, mentioned in the fame horizontal line, than from the fpecified year of the world. The column of numbers, annexed to that of the names, denotes the length of reigns. 3. In the register of the princes, &c. in Judah, the numbers, correfpondent to their several names, denote the years of Seleucus, (from the date of that era), coincident with the termination of their respective magiftracies, and in connexion with the then current years of the world. 4. THE fum of the reigns in Egypt, 282, being precifely equal to the pontificates, reigns, &c. in Judah, demonftrates the true quantity of the interval from the firft of the Seleucidan epoch to the diffolution of the Greek Empire. Though the chronology is derived from different fources, the reports are in unifon. The reduction of Syria happened in the 247th of the era, 35 years before the rife of the Roman Empire; 28224735. 5. THE exact number of the governors, in their feparate prefectures, may, without falfifying the regifters, be reduced. For example; Demetrius Nicator, after a reign of five years in Syria, was removed, and Antiochus Sidetes fet on the throne, who, after an ufurpation of ten years, was degraded. Demetrius, being reftored, held the fovereignty five years more. The fum of their reigns was 20, as in the scheme. But But Sidetes, being excluded, the kings are 17; by which number, if 247 be divided, the common meafure is 14 years 6 months. ONIAS III. wore the mitre 24 years; but was supplanted by Jason, and he, in his turn, by Menelaus; for which reafon four years are, in the fcheme, retrenched from the incumbency of Onias. The first pontiff of this name had been invefted with the primacy nine years before the era of Seleucus; and Herod reigned 27 after the reduction of Egypt. Truth in computation permits, in fuch cafes, the omiffion either of Onias or Herod. Let him, with the ufurper Jafon, be expunged from the regifter, for this period, 18 fucceffive magiftracies remain; by 18 divide 282, the quotient affigns to each 15 years 7 months. Ir is to be noted, that the 11 coexiftent reigns in Egypt were, one with another, 25 years 7 months. If this common quantity of feparate reigns in Egypt, be compared with that in Syria and Judah, for the same fpace of time, (nearly so at least), the refult may be admitted, as a confirmation of Sir Ifaac Newton's poftulate, that the common medium of reigns, fince the abbreviated duration of natural life, does not much exceed 191, or 20 years. Seventh Seventh Age of the World. From the Battle at Actium to the Demife of Tiberius Nero Cafar. GENERAL REMARKS on the CHRONOLOGY of this PERIOD. O the 30th year before the Dionyfian era have the accounts of times, and the fates of empires, been brought down, from periods unknown, fabulous, and hiftorical, as characterised by the moft illuminated SAGES among the GENTILES. Mofes, the Prophets, and Evangelifts, make no fuch diftinctions. Without the leaft hefitation, they speak decisively of events in past or future duration, from the full belief that the fubjects of their reports were events which had, or moft certainly would, come to pass. The facred writings are a promifcuous collection of prophecies fealed up to the time of their completion, and of hiftories authenticating, with a wonderful precifion of places, times, perfons, and other cir cumftances, their actual accomplishment. THIS feventh age of hiftorical time was, in many refpecs, much more remarkable than all thofe before ΟΙ or fince. In no period was a more numerous train of very important oracles fulfilled; and no former age, at leaft, produced more accomplished hiftorians to tranfmit (many of them without explicit knowledge of providential predetermination) the ftupendous events which these oracles had prefignified. IT is here noted, without cenfure, that Ufher, and most, if not all, former Chronologers, date this Se-, venth age from the vulgar year of our Lord's nativity.. But may it not, with equal propriety, be computed from the origin of the Roman empire, which was coeval with the introduction of the gofpel economy, and fo characterifed in the prophetical volumes? « I faw in the night vifions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible ;-diverfe from all the other beafts; and behold, one like the fon of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days; and there was given him dominion and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, fhould ferve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion," &c. With no mean apparatus of prophetical imagery are the former empires defcribed, prior to their exiftence, in a kind of orderly proceffion, and diftinguished by their peculiar attributes. This fourth is exhibited as an object of grandeur and terror, awful in itself as a whole, multitudinous in its parts, and diverfe from all kingdoms. With these characteristics is contrafted, in the fpirit of true fublimity, a co-existent dominion, fupreme, boundlefs, everlafting. No figns concomi Dan. vii. 7-14. tant, |