presented in chap. 2, by a breast and arms of silver, but is succeeded by the Macedonian or Greek empire. The third beast like a leopard, having four wings of a fowl, and four heads. "This was the Macedonian or Greek empire, and Alexander the Great its king. Alexander and his subjects are fitly compared to a leopard. First, the leopard is remarkable for its swiftness. Alexander and the Macedonians were very rapid in their conquests. Second-the leopard is a spotted animal; a proper emblem of the various nations, with their various customs and languages, which constituted the Macedonian empire. It may refer to the character of Alexander himself, sometimes mild, at others cruel; sober, and drunken; continent, and lecherous; having a great power of self-government, and at other times a slave to his passions. Thirdthe leopard, though small, is not afraid to attack the lion.

"Four wings of a fowl. The Babylonish empire was represented with two wings, and they sufficiently marked the rapidity of Nebuchadnezzar's conquests; but the Macedonians have here four wings; for nothing, in the history of the world, was equal to the conquests of Alexander, who ran through all the countries from Illyricum and the Adriatic sea to the Indian Ocean and the river Ganges, and in twelve years subdued part of Europe, and all Asia.

"The beast had also four heads: Signifying the empire after the death of Alexander, divided between his four generals. Cassander reigning over Macedon and Greece; Lvsimachus over Thrace and Bethynia

Ptolemy over Egypt; and Seleucus over Syria." These were the four notable horns which sprung up out of the empire of Alexander after his death, and out of one of these there arose a little horn by itself, which became exceeding great. This was Antiochus Epiphanes, who persecuted the Jews, and polluted their temple and sanctuary, of whom we shall speak hereafter. He reigned about the year B. C. 300.

But after this, Daniel saw, in vision, a fourth beast arise, diverse from any that had preceded it. See chap. 7, 7. After this, I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. This beast, seen by Daniel in his vision, is the same seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream, under the symbol of legs of iron, and feet part iron, and part clay, and is the same fourth kingdom, according to Daniel's interpretation of that dream. See chap. 2, 40. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, &c.

This fourth beast, says Dr. Clark, "is allowed, on all hands, to be the Roman empire. It was dreadful, terrible, and exceeding strong; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue, that is, the remains of the former kingdoms, with its feet. It reduced Macedon into a Roman province about one hundred and sixty-eight years before Christ; the kingdom of Pergamos about one hundred and thirty-three years; Syria about sixty-five; and Egypt about thirty years be

fore Christ. And besides the remains of the Macedonian empire, it subdued many other provinces and kingdoms, so that it might, by a very usual figure, be said to devour the whole earth, to tread it down and break it to pieces; and became, in effect, what the Roman writers delight to call it, the empire of the whole world. This beast was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, not only in its republican form of government, but also in power and greatness, extent of dominion, and length of duration. The ten horns were ten kingdoms, into which the Roman empire was afterwards divided," and "are reckoned thus: 1. The Roman senate. 2. The Greeks in Ravenna. 3. The Lombards, in Lombardy. 4. The Huns, in Hungary. 5. The Alemans, in Germany. 6. The Franks, in France. 7. The Burgundians, in Burgundy. 8. The Saracens, in Africa, and a part of Spain. 9. The Goths, in other parts of Spain. 10. And the Saxons, in Britain." These are the ten kingdoms represented by the ten toes of the great me, tallic image, and by the ten horns of the fourth beast. The symbols are dissimilar, but the kingdoms signified are the same. But while Daniel was considering the horns of the fourth beast, his attention was arrested by another, which he calls a little horn, which arose among the other ten horns.

But here let us pause, while we ascend with Daniel to the top of the Mount of Vision, from whence the distant empires, kingdoms, and revolutions of future ages were clearly seen. This vision was shown to Daniel about A. M. 3444, while he was a captive with

the whole of his nation at Babylon, about 566 years B. C.

From the glorious height of mental elevation to which Daniel was exalted in that vision of God, there' were shown to him, as above recounted, fourteen distinct kingdoms which were to come into being, (except the one by which he was then a captive.) The first, therefore, which he notices as being important, with respect to the welfare of his nation, the Jews, and of the church and cause of his God in the earth, was the appearance of a little horn, which arose about the year B. C. 300; but of this horn we shall speak hereafter, as before remarked. From thence descending down the course of time, till after the advent of the Messiah, about the year A. D. 740, he saw arising from among the ten horns of the fourth great empire, which was the Roman,* another little horn, of which the first horn he saw B. C. 300 years, may be considered only as a precursor of this last horn, though the first arose 1040 years sooner. It is evident that those two horns occupy two distinct periods of time, because they were engaged in effecting two distinct objects, though actuated by the same spirit of wickedness. The first horn gloried in the destruction which he poured upon the Jews and their temple, as it is stated of him, that he waxed great even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and relates wholly to what he did to the Jews before the time of

* Though now divided and absorbed by the overflowing of the northern nations, yet retaining the name of Roman.

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Christ. But the second horn, instead of rising out of one of the four horns, arose from the midst of ten, and aimed at the empire of the whole world, affecting to be the vicegerent of Christ on earth. This did not the first horn. By the first horn, the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary cast down. This was Antiochus Epiphanes. But of the last horn it is said by Daniel, that he plucked up three of the ten horns which were round about him; neither was this done by the first horn: From which it is clear they are distinct powers, and occupy distinct periods, though moved by the same spirit of wickedness to monopolize the empire of the whole globe, by which they are known as brethren of the same father, who is the devil.

This last horn, who had eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things, is "among Protestant writers considered the popedom." The eyes in this horn are the symbols of oversight, "intimating cunning and superintendence; for the Pope calls himtelf Episcopus episcoporum, or the Overseer of Over

seers."

The mouth speaking great things, consists in his pretending to unlimited jurisdiction, binding and loosing at pleasure. Promising to absolve from all sins, present, past and future; and threatening to send to everlasting destruction all kings, kingdoms and individuals, who dare to dispute his authority. To none can this apply so well, and so fully, as to the Popes of Rome. They have assumed infallibility, which belongs only to God. They profess to forgive sins,