through fo many fucceffive ages, from the firft eftablifh ment of the Perfian empire, above 350 years before Chrift, to the general refurrection! And the farther it extends, and the more it comprehends, the more amazing furely, and the more divine it muft appear, if not to an infidel like Porphyry, yet to all who like Grotius have any belief of revelation. How much nobler and more exalted the fenfe, more important and more worthy to be known by men and to be revealed by God, when taken in this extended view, and applied to this long and yet regular feries of affairs, by the moft eafy and natural conftruction; than when confined and limited to the times and actions of Antiochus, to which yet it cannot be reconciled by the moft ftrained and unnatural interpretation! What ftronger and more convincing proofs can be given or required of a divine providence, and a divine revelation, that there is a God who directs and orders the tranfactions of the world, and that Daniel was a prophet infpired by him, a man greatly beloved, as he is often addreffed by the angel! Our bleffed Saviour (Matt. XXIV. 15.) hath beftowed upon him the appellation of Daniel the prophet; and that is authority fufficient for any Chriftian: but in this work have been produced fuch inftances and atteftations of his being a prophet, as an infidel cannot deny, or if he denies, cannot difprove. The character that is given of him by Jofephus is nothing more than ftrictly his due. It expreffeth the fenfe of the Jewish church; and the fame must be the fentiments of every man, who will confider and compare the prophecies and events together. This hiftorian is commending the fuperior excellence of Daniel's predictions; for he was wont, (2) fays he, not only to foretel future things, as other prophets alfo did; but ⚫he likewife determined the time, wherein they should happen.' Afterwards having mentioned fome of Da

(2) Ou yag Ta μeñλorte povor dum et alii vates, prædicere folebat, προφητεύων διετελεί, καθαπερ και οἱ fed et tempus, quo hæc eventura αλλοι προφηται, αλλα na nagov erant, præfinivit. Jofeph Antiq. L. ώριζεν, εἰς ὃν ταύτα αποβήσεται. 10. Cap. 11. Sect. 7. p. 465. Edit. Non enim futura folum, quemadmo- Hudson.

niel's prophecies he (3) proceeds thus : ' All thefe things, • God having thrown them to him, he left them in writ ing, that they who read them, and behold the events, might admire Daniel for the honor vouchfafed unto him by God; and by these things might be convinced how much the Epicureans are mistaken, who deny a providence, and allow not that God regards human actions, nor that all things are governed by a bleffed and immortal Being for the prefervation of the whole, but affert that the world is carried on at random without a guide or ruler: which, if it was without a governor as they pretend, would have been deftroyed by the blind impulfe, and have perifhed and come to nought, as we fee fhips, which are deftitute of pilots, overwhelmed by the storms, and chariots overturned • and broken to pieces, which have no drivers. For by thefe things predicted by Daniel, they appear to me widely to err from the truth, who declare, that God hath no care of human affairs; for we fhould not fee

6

και

(3) ταυτα παντα εκεινα, Θε δείξαντα αὐτῷ, συγΓράψας κατε λείψεν ώσε τις αναγινώσκοντας, τα συμβαίνοντα σκοπώντας, θαυμάζειν επί τη παρα τ8 Θε8 τιμη τον Δανιήλον και της Επικερειες εκ Τότων Ευρίσκειν πεπλανημένος, of την τε προνοιαν εκβάλλεσι το βις, και τον Θεον εκ αξίωσιν επιτροπευειν των πραγμάτων, εδ' ύπο της μα καρίας και αφθαρτο προ διαμονη των όλων εσιας κυβερνασθαι δ' ήνιοχες και Φροντις8 τον κοσμον αυτομάτως φεβεσθαι λεγεσιν. ός ει τέτον απροκατητα ην τον τρόπον, καθαπερ και τας ναυς ερημες κυβερνητων καταδυμενας δρωμεν ύπο των πνευμάτων, η Και τα άρματα περιτρεπόμενα μη εχονία τις ήνιοχοντας, συνριβεις αν απο της απρονοητο φοράς, απολωλε

συμπαντα,

και

αμοιρου

τα

διεφθείρετο. τοις γαρ προειρημενοις ὑπο Δανιηλε, δοκεσί μοι σφοδρα της αληθώς δόξης διαμαρτανείν, οἱ τῷ Θεῷ μηδεμιαν είναι περι. των ανθρωπινων αποφαινόμενοι προνοιαν ου γαρ αν κατά την εκείνη προφητειαν, ει συνεβαινεν αυτοματισμῳ

τινε τον κόσμον διάγειν, παντα ἑωρω μεν αποβαίνοντα. ifta omnia, a Deo fibi monftrata, fcriptis confignata reliquit: ut qui ea legerint, et eventus perfpexerint, Danielum mirentur οὐ tam infignem honorem illi a Deo habitum; et Epicureos magno in errore verfari deprehendant, qui providentiam e vita ejiciunt, et a Deo res humanas curari non exiftimant, nec omnia a natura beata et immortali (ad univerfitatis rerum perennitatem) regi et adminiftrari volunt, fed fine re&tore et curatore mundum fuopte impetu ferri affeverant: qui fi ita ut illi autumant præfide careret, quemadmodum naves fine gubernatoribus videmus procellis et fluctibus obrui, currufque aurigis deftitutos percelli, temerario fane motu labefactatus concideret periretque. Cumque ifta prædi&ta fuerint a Danielo, videntur mihi a vera opinione multum aberrare, qui Deum non curare pronunciant quid agat genus humanum: non enim vaticiniis ejus eventus refpondiffe confpiceremus, fi omnia in mundo temeritate regerentur. ibid. p. 466.

6 ' all

all things fucceed according to his prophecies, if it happened that the world was governed by chance.'

In fhort we fee how well Daniel deferves the character which his contemporary Ezekiel hath given him (XIV. and XXVIII.) for his piety and wisdom: and thefe ufually go together, for as the angel faith, (ver. 10.) none of the wicked shall understand, but the wife fhall underftand. Happy are they, who both know the will of God, and do it!

END OF VOL. I.

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