nified himself above every God, and which from the account of its actions is plainly the grand contriver and director of the whole confederacy *. Hence we are naturally led to conclude, that this state will at that period be identified with the last head of the beast †. The state in question I have elsewhere shewn to be Antichristian France and recent events have but too amply confirmed the conjecture, that its chief would sooner or later acquire the empire of Charlemagne. As yet indeed he has not assumed the title of Emperor of the Romans; but he has become virtually and effectively the Emperor of the West, the lord of the destinies of France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. With our own eyes we may now behold the rapid formation of that conspiracy of federal kings, of which he openly avows himself the head; and which, after the effusion of the sixth vial and the overthrow of the Ottoman empire, will begin to

be

* Having thus specified the members of which the Antichristian confederacy is composed, I shall refrain hereafter, in order to avoid needless repetition, from particularizing them. Whenever therefore I speak of the Antichristian confederacy, or the Antichristian faction, the reader is desired to understand me as speaking conjointly of all these different members.

+ See my Dissertation on the 1260 years. Chap. xi. Sect. 3. See my Dissertation on the 1260 years. Chap. vi.

That the exhaustion of the waters of the Euphrates means the subversion of the Ottoman empire, is sufficiently manifest from the analogy of the apocalyptic language. If the issuing forth of the four angels from the Euphrates with an innumerable

body

be gathered together by secret diabolical agency to their destruction at Megiddo. We need only look to what is passing on the great stage of the Latin empire, and we shall require no comment on the predicted confederacy of the beast under his last head, the false prophet, and the kings of the Roman earth, St. John teaches us to expect such a confederacy after the sounding of the third woetrumpet, after the horrors of the symbolical harvest, while the blazing sun of military despotism is scorching with an intolerable heat the degraded Latin empire, in the last days of blasphemous infidelity; and we now see the commencement of its formation.

*

3. While the faithful maritime power is engaged in converting one great division of the Jews, with a view perhaps to their ultimate restoration; the Antichristian confederacy will take under its protection another great division of the Jews, and will prepare to direct its arms against Palestine, in order to restore them in an unconverted state (and

body of cavalry, under the sixth trumpet, denote, as it plainly does, the rise of the Turkish monarchy; then, unless we suppose St. John to be utterly inconsistent with himself, the exhaustion of that same Euphrates must denote its subversion. But see my Dissert. on the 1260 years. Chap. xi. Sect. 2.

It is possible, that the maritime power may at first attempt to convert the Jews without any specific design of restoring them. Its restoration of them may be undertaken in consequence of Antichrist's project of restoring the unconverted Jews. But respecting such points as these we can at present merely conjecture.

that for mere political purposes) to the country of their forefathers.

4. Daniel has given us a wonderfully minute account of the progress of this Antichristian confederacy to Palestine; which, as might naturally be expected from the circumstance of the maritime power commanding at sea, is plainly by land. Antichrist, in his attempt to invade the holy land from his empire in the West, must necessarily pass through Turkey. In whose hands Greece and Asia Minor will then be, no one can at present with certainty determine: but this we know, that the Ottoman empire itself will have been previously overthrown at the beginning of the effusion of the sixth vial. In this attempt, Antichrist will meet with some opposition from a king of the south, and with a most determined and formidable resistance from a king of the north, who will come against him like a whirlwind with chariots and horsemen, and many ships; with the last, most probably to prevent his crossing into Asia. Yet, in spite of all their attempts, he shall enter into the countries, overflowing them like a resistless torrent: and, the prophet specially adds, shall pass over; meaning, perhaps, over the streights which divide Asia from Europe, and which the northern potentate shall vainly attempt to block up with his ships. This

great

* "The king of the north shall come against him like a "whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with

many ships" (Dan. xi. 40). I think it highly probable, that

these

great northern power I have already conjectured to be Russia: and, the more I have since thought upon the subject, the more I am inclined to adhere to my first opinion. What state is meant by the king of the south, we have not as yet, I think, sufficient grounds to determine: no power at present in existence seems adequately to answer to the character t.

Antichrist, having now passed over the streights, rapidly advances into the glorious land or Palestine, overthrowing and pillaging many countries by the way. Such then being his route, he must necessarily enter into the holy land from the north: accordingly, this dreadful invasion is more than once described as proceeding from the north. Like a vast flight of locusts, his armies cover the face of the whole country, devouring and wasting, with their accustomed rapacity, all the productions of nature.

Unsated by victory, he still meditates new conquests. After placing his allies, the unconverted Jews, in Jerusalem and its vicinity, he now directs his steps towards Egypt. Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon however, escape out of his hand. For this they have to

these many ships, which co-operate with the king of the north, are a squadron of the navy of the great maritime power. * See my Dissert. on the 1260 years. Chap. vi.

It is not impossible or improbable, that ere long some such power should make its appearance.

7

thank,

thank, not his moderation and clemency, but merely their local situation. A map will best ex plain the reason of their security. The districts,! which those nations formerly occupied, lie so far to the east, as to be entirely out of the way of any army. which is passing from Judea into Egypt. But over other countries, more closely adjoining to Egypt, he will stretch forth his hand: and, while Egypt is unable to escape his marauding rapacity, those, whom Daniel calls the Lubim, and the Cushim, shall be compelled to attend his steps, and probably either augment his armies * or perform the menial offices in his camp..

5. In the midst of his African conquests, he is troubled by tidings out of the east and out of the north. What these tidings are, Daniel does not positively determine: but the subsequent context plainly shews, that they must relate, in part at least, to some disagreeable intelligence respecting Jerusalem. From this circumstance, and by the assistance of other parallel prophecies, we may form a conjecture, respecting them, which may perhaps not be deemed altogether improbable.

(1.) The tidings from the east seem to be connected with events which take place at Jerusalem during the absence of Antichrist in Egypt and Libya.:

* We have already beheld the tyrant take into his pay, as body guards, those foreign mercenaries, the Mamalucs. We