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by the roots; and behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth Speaking great things. Ver. 21, Ibeheld, and the fame horn made war with the faints, and prevailed against them, until the Antient of Days came, and judgment was given to the faints of the Moft High, and the time came that the faints possessed the kingdom. In the interpretation of this, the angel fays, v. 24, The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that fhall arife, and another fhall arife after them, and he fhall be diverfe from the firft, and he shall fubdue three kings. And he fhall Speak great words against the Moft High, and shall wear out the faints of the Moft High, and think to change times and laws; and they fhall be given into his hand until a time and times, and the dividing of time. But the judgment fhall fit, and they fhall take away his dominion, to confume and to deftroy it unto the end. The history of the popes, though I cannot now enter into the particulars, correfponds in a wonderful manner with this prediction, delivered unqueftionably above a thousand years before the

event.

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In another vifion, chap. viii. a ram with two horns, the one higher than the other, of

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which

which the highest came up last, was destroyed by a he-goat, with one great horn between his eyes, which being broken off, four others came up in its place. And in the interpretation it is expressly faid, that the ram with two horns reprefented the empire of the Medes and Perfians, of which the latter was more powerful than the former, though it was not fo at the first; and that the he-goat represented the kingdom of the Grecians; that the great horn was the first king, and that after him four should stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

This vifion was in the reign of Belshazzar, before the conqueft of Babylon by the Medes and Perfians, while the Medes were by much the more powerful nation, and therefore long before the conqueft of Perfia by Alexander, on whose death his dominions were divided among four of his generals. The remainder of this vision, and others, which probably relate to times that are yet future, have some difficulty in their interpretation, which time will probably clear up. But if Daniel described the empire of the Greeks or Macedonian, and much more that of the Romans, it cannot be questioned but that the events indicated

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dicate in his writings were fubfequent to the prediction of them, and fuch as no human fagacity could at that time dif

cover.

We find the clearest marks of a prophetic fpirit in the New Teftament, as well as in the Old. Jefus, befides foretelling his own. death, and that by crucifixion, with all the circumstances of indignity attending it, alfo his refurrection and afcenfion, appears by his parables to have had a clear forefight of the fpread, and final prevalence, of his religion in the world, of the perfecution of his followers, the diffenfion and mifchief of which it would for fome time be the occafion, and of the corruption of his doctrine. He also foretold in the cleareft language, without any figure or parable, the destruction of Jerufalem, the total demolition of the temple, and the defolation of the country of Judea, with many figns of its near approach in that generation, when no other perfon of that nation, or any other, appears to have had the least apprehenfion of fuch events. The warning he gave his difciples to flee out of the country on the approach of thefe calamitous times was well understood by them, and was the means of faving them

all;

all; no Christians being in Jerufalem when it was besieged and taken by Titus.

The apostle Paul forewarns Chriftians of the rife of a power in the Chriftian church, which would advance higher claims than those of any other earthly potentate; that he would gain his authority by artifice, and pretences to miracles; that he would recommend abstinence from certain meats, and difcourage marriage; but that it would be finally deftroyed at the fecond coming of Chrift. 2 Theff. ii. 3, Let no man deceive you by any means, for there must come a falling away, or an apoftacy, firft, i. e. before the time of final judgment, and that man of fin must be revealed, the Son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he, as God, fitteth in the temple of God, fhewing himself that he is God-whom the Lord fhall confume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming; even him whofe coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and figns, and lying wonders, and with all deceitfulness of unrighteousness. 1 Tim. iv. 1, The Spirit Speaketh expressly, that in the latter times fome fhall depart from the faith, giving

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beed

beed to feducing Spirits and doctrines of demons -forbidding to marry, and commanding to abftain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving. A farther defcription of this fame power is given in the Revelation of John, with the fteps by which it rofe, and the fhocking use that would be made of its power, in the perfecution of the church. Certainly all these characters are to be found in the Pope, and the church of Rome, and what probability was there of the rife of any fuch power, at the time that the prophecies were delivered? This apostle also gives a sketch of the most interesting events of every kind, from his own time to the end of the world. But as, for evident reafons, this prophecy is delivered in figurative language, and emblems, its correfpondence with the events cannot be expected to be apparent till after they have taken place. And therefore it is not much for the purpose of my present argument, though I think that till pretty near to the present times the correspondence will be fufficiently evident to the impartial and candid.

But without any regard to these predictions, which are acknowledged to be better calculated

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