tory. And, it should be added, that there is more or less history and exposition in all the prophetic chapters. This arrangement is made to give the main features of the several chapters. The second, seventh, and eighth chapters are prophetical, the ninth, eleventh, and twelfth are expository. The tenth I have classed with the historical chapters, and yet it does not strictly belong with them, as it is but a preface to the last two expository chapters. All must admit that the same space of time and events are covered by the exposition, which are covered by the prophecy. We only need, then, to inquire, how extensive the field embraced in the prophecy?

The prophecy claims to cover the whole field of the future. "The great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure." Dan. ii. 45. The method of making this known to the king is here stated. It was by a dream, in which he saw a metallic image, whose form was terrible, the head of which was gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, his legs of iron, and his feet part of iron and part of clay. He saw till a stone was cut out without hands, and smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces: and then was the whole broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors, and the wind carried them away, and

there was no place found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel, in his interpretation, tells Nebuchadnezzar that this was to show him the number, character, changes, and destiny of the universal kingdoms that should bear sway over the earth; and these should be five in number, four of them earthly and oppressive, repre sented by the image, to be succeeded by God's everlasting kingdom, symbolized by the stone. This covers the whole space of the future. Those kingdoms rising successively, and the earthly kingdoms extending in duration to a certain point, and then followed by the everlasting kingdom of God, would, as all can see, fill the whole field of the future. And we are not left in ignorance as to what kingdoms were represented by the image. The king is told by Daniel that the first is his kingdom, the Babylonian; the fifth chapter teaches us that this was succeeded by the Medo-Persian; the eighth, that this should be followed by the Grecian; the ninth speaks of the people of the prince that should come, and destroy the city and sanctuary,—evidently meaning the Romans. And history shows that these were the kingdoms meant./

In the seventh chapter, we are told that Daniel had a vision, in which he saw these same kingdoms, under the symbols of four wild beasts. And the last kingdom was followed by the coming of the Son of man in the

clouds of heaven, the judgment, and everlasting kingdom of God. But the instruction of this vision is more in detail, that one fact might be explained; viz., the unusually long continuance of the fourth kingdom. This is accounted for by showing that it would exist in two distinct forms, and pass through several changes. The terrible beast representing this kingdom, seen in the vision, first appears to the view of Daniel having ten horns. Then is seen a little horn coming up among them, and three of the first falling before it. And this horn had a look more stout than his fellows, had eyes as the eyes of a man, and a mouth that spake great words against the Most High, and wore out the saints of the Most High, and thought to change times and laws; and the saints were given into his hands for a time, times, and the dividing of a time; and he made war against them and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of days came, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. We have here the same space of time covered as in Nebuchadnezzar's vision, with more particularity of description and detail. We have the four kingdoms, the fourth in its two forms, the judgment, the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven, the giving of the body of the last beast to the burning flame, and the possession of the kingdom by the saints. And we have instruction as to the time of the dominion of the papal horn, as that is evidently the power

intended in the time, times and dividing of time, or one thousand two hundred and sixty years. But as that dominion was not to extend quite to the end, the chain was not long enough to measure the whole time. Another vision therefore was necessary.

I

This was had, as we are told in the eighth chapter. In this vision, there is no symbol for the first kingdom, as that was about to be superseded. The three succeeding are represented by a ram, goat, and a horn, little at its beginning, but waxing exceeding great toward the south, east, and pleasant land; and waxed great even to the host of heaven, and cast down some of the host and stars to the ground and stamped upon them; and magnified itself to the prince of the host, took away the daily sacrifice, and cast down the place of his sanctuary; and cast the truth to the ground, and practised and prospered. We have the highest authority for believing that this horn represents the Roman kingdom in its pagan and papal forms. The symmetry of the vision requires this; the prophetic description shows it. The length of the vision was asked by one, and given by another,two thousand three hundred days. That was to be the end of indignation, or the termination of the reign of earthly powers. Then the sanctuary was to be cleansed, or, which is the same thing, the kingdom possessed by the saints. But more instruction as to this time, especially its commencement, was necessary.

And it was given at the very time when it was needed. Daniel, about the time of the expiration of the seventy years of captivity, began to pray, overlooking the vision of the two thousand three hundred days, for the same thing promised at the end of those days. Gabriel is despatched immediately, and told to fly swiftly, to correct the error of Daniel, and give him farther instruction as to the time appointed, especially its commencement. He turns his attention to the matter of prayer, and the vision of two thousand three hundred days. He divides the long period, and gives some of the more important events of a religious character that would occur, or those that would more particularly concern Daniel. He instructs him that seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, are cut off for his people and city, to finish the transgression and make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and seal up the vision and prophecy, and anoint the Most Holy. He wishes him to be particular and understand when the period should begin, at the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. From that point, he assures him, unto Messiah the Prince, there should be sixty-nine weeks—four hundred and eightythree years. After that he should be cut off, having confirmed the covenant with many for one week. Gabriel then carries his mind down to the destruction of Jerusalem, and