according to the Mosaic ritual -in this favoured fpot was the Gofpel first published to the whole world. Here was the one oblation once offered of the Lamb flain for the redemption of mankind—and here was the Chriftian church first established. Antiochus took away the "daily facrifice" for a few years-the Romans put an end to the Temple worship-but the Mahometans have profaned the place of his fanctuary taken away the daily facrifice of praise and thanksgiving" from this distinguished land, for above eleven hundred years.It was alfo

"have

given into their hands by reafon of transgreffion;" this was acknowledged by the Jews and by the Romans P in the two former cafes; and the deplorable corruption of the eastern churches, when this horn affumed the form of Mahometanism, fufficiently explains why an "hoft was given against them."This horn has indeed "caft the truth to the ground"-for nothing can be more miserable than the internal as well as external state of the few churches which remain in the countries under the Mahometan yoke, and the Jews fuffer little lefs oppreffion than the Christians. And the artifices by

See p. 226.

which this hypocritical impoftor and his fucceffors established the civil and religious power of Mahometanifm, and their aftonishing fuccefs, can scarcely be more ftrongly marked than by the expreffion, "it practised and profpered," but which expreffion is not eafily made applicable to the Romans.

Thus ends Daniel's account of the vifion ; but he adds, that he heard one faint, or angel, afk another angel, "How long fhall be the vifion concerning the daily facrifice and the tranfgreffion of defolation to give both the fanctuary and the hoft to be trodden under foot?" Or, as Mr. Lowth renders it more clearly, "For how long a time fhall the vifion laft, the daily facrifice be taken away, and the tranfgreffion of defolation continue to give both the fanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?" And it was answered, "Unto 2300 days: then shall the fanctuary be cleanfed." Both the queftion and the answer are distinctly put, and resemble Rev. xi. 2. but there is an uncertainty in the number of years; the Seventy read 2400; and Jerom informs us others read 2200. the vifion be computed from the establish

If

ment

ment of the Perfian Empire, which begins the vision of the ram, the reading of the Seventy will carry it on to the conclufion of the fix thousandth year of the world. However this may be, it is remarkable that this vifion breaks off abruptly; the end of this horn is not seen, it is left in prosperity, a circumftance which accurately correfponds with the description of the fame power in the ninth chapter of the Revelations. We do not fee the end of Abaddon, or Apollyon, the King of the Saracen Locufts, or of the Turkish horfemen from the river Euphrates-but it is to be remembered we are elsewhere told, that "the fixth vial fhall be poured out upon the river Euphrates, to prepare the way for the kings;" - about which time it is also faid, the fanctuary fhall be wholly cleanfed," and "the bride made ready to receive her lord."

When the angel Gabriel was fent to explain this vifion to Daniel, he begins with faying, Understand, O Son of Man: for at the time of the end fhall be the vision "," which I prefume to mean, the train of events defcribed in this vifion fhall reach to the end of

Daniel viii. 17.

1

time. And after he had prepared the Prophet to receive the awful information, he further fays, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation; for at the time appointed the end fhall be "" meaning, I again prefume, I will not only explain the general meaning of this vifion, which is itself a feries of punishment, but I will inform thee of other circumstances; which shall take place when the time of this vifion of indignation, or wrath against the hoft and the sanctuary, shall draw near its conclufion-for the time is appointed, and the end of all this mifery fhall certainly come; and therefore take comfort from this affurance, while I reveal the awful judgments which are to take place in the last days of the vision. — "The ram which thou faweft having two horns, are the kings of Media and Perfia. 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 fhall ftand up out of the nation, but not in his power.”—The angel barely mentions the kingdoms of Perfia and Grecia and the four kingdoms which were to arise after Alex

ander, and then immediately paffes to the latter time of their kingdom -as if they were only mentioned to mark the Scene of action for the formidable power which is the principal object of the meffage-he omits thofe circumftances defcribed by the vifion, which point to its primary and partial accomplishment by Antiochus and the Romans, and which the Prophet probably understood to relate to calamities fimilar to thofe which his people were then fuffering under the power of Babylon; and goes directly to that diftant period which had been before reprefented as fo peculiarly dreadful in the vision of the little horn, which arose from the fourth beast.

We are then, I conceive, authorized to conjecture, that the following defcription points out not only the Mahometan power, but refers to that other power, which was immediately to precede the time of the end: or, in other words, be the last form of Antichriftian power."-"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the tranfgreffors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark fentences, fhall ftand up," it is certain that the power of

Daniel viii. 23.

Maho