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shall not escape; but he fhall have dominion over the treasures of gold and of filver, and over all the desirable things of Egypt; and the Libyans and Ethiopians fhall be in his fteps. But rumours fhall difturb him from the east, and from the north; therefore he fhall go forth in great fury to deftroy and devote to utter perdition many. And he fhall fix the tents of his pavilion between the fcas in the mountain of the glory of holiness; yet, he fhall come to his end, and no one fhall help him. Moreover at that time fhall rife up Michael, the great prince that ftandeth. up for the children of thy people; then shall there be a time of trouble, fuch as never was fince the existence of a nation until this time; and in this time fhall the people escapek, every one that is found written in the book. Then multitudes that fleep in the dust of the ground fhall awake, fome to life everlasting, and others to reproaches, to confufion ever

By this paffage I apprehend is meant, not only the return of the Jews from their difperfion, but the " escape” of the holy people of God, not only Jews, but Gentile Chriftians; according to many paffages in Scripture relative to that time, which indicate that at this time of peculiar judgment, the good fhall be diftinguished from See our Lord's predictions and revela

the wicked. tions, &c.

6

lafting,

lafting. And thofe that have wifely inftructed shall shine like the fplendor of the firmament, and thofe that have made many righteous, like the ftars for ever and ever. But thou, Daniel, close the words, and feal up the book, until the time of the end: when many shall have fearched diligently, and knowledge fhall be increased."

.

The accomplishment which the former part of this Prophecy has received in the Papal power, and in the conquefts of the Mahometan power, is confeffedly accurate →→ but much remains to be fulfilled; and many reafons might be produced to authorize the conjecture, that even that part of the Prophecy which has been fo decidedly fulfilled will hereafter receive a more full and perfect accomplishment. The change is fo abrupt, that it is yet difficult to decide, whether by "He shall enter also into the land of glory," be meant "the king of the north" [the Turks in particular], or "the king" first mentioned, that is, the power of Antichrift, which is the principal fubject of the Prophecy, in another form'.-Of one thing however we are cer

tain,

' Dr. Doddridge remarks, in his note on our Lord's Prophecy, "Jerufalem fhall be trodden down, till the да 3

time

tain, that the "end" of this king, whether Mahometan, or Infidel, is to be exactly fimilar to the end of the Grecian little horn, and the horn of the fourth beaft in the former vifions; "yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." We may likewise presume, that the end of this king fhall take place at the fame time with that of thefe little horns, and with the recal of the Jews from their difperfion, which is mentioned according to the angel's promife to inform Daniel "what should befal his people in the latter days.”

The conjecture therefore that these are all branches of the SAME power, that must together die, when their root is deftroyed, is thus far confirmed.

time of the Gentiles be fulfilled," that "the time of the Gentiles," means "the time when they fhall be vifited, and punished," and this accords with the time of the reign of Antichrift. He farther obferves, "Thus the Turks, or fome other Antichriftian Power, may continue poffeffed of the Holy Land till the restoration of the Jews: for we can hardly fuppofe their way to it should then be opened by the conqueft of a Christian power.”

The

The INFIDEL POWER a third Branch or Form of Antichrift fhewn to be predicted by

Daniel.

I fhall now take leave to fuppofe that I have fhewn the Mahometan as well as the Papal Antichrift to be clearly depicted in the Prophecies of Daniel. It remains to be examined whether the Infidel Antichrift was not as accurately drawn in the picture, though unobferved till the ftrong reflected light thrown upon it by recent events, brought out the lines. The objects first in chronological order were first presented to our view. And that this sketch of the Infidel power, which we shall find was afterwards more minutely finished, was not intended to be difcovered till near the time of the end—the time for its appearance, is, I think, evident from the injunction of the angelic meffenger. "But thou, O Daniel, fhut up the words, and feal the book, even to the time of the end m”. - then " mány shall run to and fro; and knowledge fhall increase.". - And when Daniel "heard" the declaration of

the angel concerning

"the time of the end

Daniel xii. 4.

A a 4

of

of these wonders, but understood not," and afked for an explanation, he was anfwered, "Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are clofed up and fealed till the time of the end. Many fhall [then] be purified and made white and tried: but the wicked fhall do wickedly: and none of the wicked fhall underftand, but the wife fhall understand" -or as Wintle

renders this paffage, "But though none of the wicked will attend, thofe of understanding shall attend." How far the present circumftances of the world indicate the arrival of this promifed period of increafing knowledge of the Prophetic writings, it well becomes each in his generation to confider.

The Reader will recollect, that when we confidered the vifion of the beasts, and the little horn which arofe among or after the ten horns, it was obferved that this vifion probably contained a description of the whole of Antichrift". The diftinct pictures which we have fince feen of the Mahometan and Papal Forms of this power, appear to confirm this idea. And when we reflect upon the fuperior folemnity of the conclufion of

See p. 326, and 333

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