.66.

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they commanded Antiochus to return home→→→→ For the fhips of Chittim fhall come against him, therefore he fhall be grieved and return, and have indignation against the holy cove nant: fo fhall he do: he fhall even return, and have intelligence with them that forfake the holy covenant. And arms fhall stand on his part," or as it may be more clearly ren dered, And after him arms (that is, the Romans) shall stand up"-Wintle renders it, "But mighty powers fhall ftand up from thefe," that is, from the defcendants of Chittim" and they fhall pollute the fanctuary of ftrength, and fhall take away the daily facrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh defolate;" to which paffage our Saviour refers in his prediction of the deftruction of Jerufalem, and therefore fixes its reference to that event. Hiftory fully au thorizes us to apply a part of what follows to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabees, in its primary fenfe; and the history of the church is then continued from

d The coaft of Chittim and the land of Chittim is a general name for Greece, Italy, and the countries and iflands of the Mediterranean -The countries peopled by Cittim, the fon of Javan, the fon of Japhet.-See Bishop Newton's fifth Differtation; Bochart, Vitringa, and Wintle.

Daniel xi. 30, 31.

f See vol. i. c. 10.

SINT

the

the deftruction of Jerufalem to the general refurrection. "And fuch as do wickedly against the covenant fhall he corrupt through flatteries; but the people that do know their God, fhall be ftrong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people (by which is to be understood the Christians) shall inftruct many: yet they fhall fall by the fword, and by flame, by captivity, and by fpoil, many days. Now when they fhall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many fhall cleave to them with flatteries. And fome of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white. even to the time of the end; because it is yet for a time appointed" We have here predictions of the perfecutions to which the Christians were fubjected, with little interruption, for the first 300 years, and of the help afforded them when fallen to the lowest ftate of depreffion, by the establishment of Christianity in the Roman Empire. This is called, little help, because the church was raised only to that degree of profperity fuited to a state of trial, and continued but a fhort time to enjoy it; for it was foon corrupted by those who "clave to it by flatteries," or worldly motives.

Daniel xi. 32, 33, &c.

There

There was however a remnant left amidst this general apoftafy; and many churches were again established " by them of understanding," to whom the little help was also given at the time of the Reformation; but being ftill the appointed time" of indignation of the reign of Antichrift, and of warfare to the church they were left to struggle with their various enemies; and it is exprefsly declared, "that fome of them fhould fall-not fo much for punishment as for purification for a time only, and not for ever. And we may farther observe, that this Prophecy feems to intimate that some of these churches fhould fedfaftly refift these attacks, and be enabled" to ftand before the Son of man," at his coming to destroy the works of Satan, and to establish his church in everlasting perfection, glory, and security.

Thus have we a fummary view of the history of the Chriftian church "till the time of the end" of that tribulation which is fo frequently the fubject of Prophecy. But the angel reverts to what appears to be the principal object of his miffion-to forewarn the church of the nature and conquests of its enemies to guard it against the varied efforts of its antagonist-to afford a folid ground for faith and hope to reft upon, when affail

1

ed by most furious storms of the conflicting elements, deceit, and rage, fuperftition and indifference, ignorance and philosophism, which fatanic art fhould be allowed to raife within the period allotted for the reign of An

tichrift.

It was obferved, that "as the little horn" in the former vifion was faid to fpring from Grecia, we fhould naturally look to the eaftern part of the world for the fcene of its action. Similar reasons will now lead us to fuppofe that the king now mentioned in this vifion, was to arife and display his power in the weft. For the angel has brought down the history to the taking of Jerufalem by the Romans; and we know the Roman Empire was at that time the reigning power. "The king" therefore thus mentioned, without any épithet or diftinguifhing appellation, we must conclude to be a Roman Power" And the king fhall do and he fhall exalt

according to his will; himfelf, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and fhall profper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined fhall

h Daniel xi. 36, &c.

be

be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the defire of women, nor regard any god: for he fhall magnify himself above all. But in his estate fhall he honour the God of forces; and a God whom his fathers knew not fhall he honour with gold, and filver, and with precious ftones, and pleafant things. Thus fhall he do in the most strong holds with a strange God, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and fhall divide the land for gain. And at the time of the end fhall the king of the fouth push at him: and the king of the north fhall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and fhall overflow and pass over. He shall enter alfo into the glorious land, and many countries fhall be overthrown: but thefe fhall escape out of his. hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand alfo upon the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he fhall have power over the treasures of gold and of filver, and over all the precious things of Egypt and the Libyans and the Ethiopians fhall be at his steps. But tidings out of the

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