thereof into ten leffer kingdoms; and among them a power with a triple crown divers from the first, with a mouth fpeaking very great things, and with a look more flout than his fellows, Speaking great words against the most High, wearing out the faints of the most High, and changing times and laws. You fee a power caft down the truth to the ground, and profper and practise, and destroy the holy people, not regarding the Godof his fathers, nor the defire of wives, but honoring Mahuzzim, Gods-protectors or faints-protectors, and caufing the priests of Mahuzzim to rule over many, and to divide the land for gain. You see the Turks Stretching forth their hand over the countries, and particularly over the land of Egypt, the Libyans at their fieps, and the Arabians still escaping out of their hand. You fee the Jews led away captive into all nations, and Jerufalem troden down of the Gentiles, and likely to continue so until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, as the Jews are by a conftant miracle preserved a distinct people for the completion of other prophecies relating to them. You fee one who oppofeth and exalteth himself above all laws divine and human, fitting as God in the church of God, and showing himfelf that he is God, whofe coming is after the working (1) Clarke's Works Vol. 2. The Evidences of natural and revealed working of Satan with all power, and figns, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteoufnels. You fee a great apoftafy in the Christian church, which confifts chiefly in the worship of demons, angels or departed faints, and is promoted thro' the hypocryfy of liers, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abftain from meats. You see the seven churches of Afia lying in the fame forlorn and defolate condition that the angel had fignified to St. John, their candlestick removed out of its place, their churches turned into mofques, their worship into fuperftition. In fhort you fee the characters of the beast and the false prophet, and the whore of Babylon, now exemplified in every particular, and in a city that is feated upon feven mountains; fo that if the bishop of Rome had fat for his picture, a greater resemblance and likenefs could not have been drawn. As there is a near affinity between this and what Dr. Clark (1) hath said in the conclufion of his discourse of prophecies, it may be proper to confirm and illuftrate the argument with fo great an authority: and indeed these things are of fuch importance, and fo deferving to be known, that they cannot be inculcated revealed religion. p. 720, &c. too E e 2 (2) "The too frequently, nor shown in too many lights. "I fhall conclude this head with pointing "at fome particular extraordinary prophecies, "which deferve to be carefully confidered and compared with the events, whether they "could poffibly have proceeded from chance or "from enthufiafin. Some of them are of fuch "a nature, as that they can only be judged of 66 by perfons learned in hiftory; and these I "shall but juft mention. Others are obvious "to the confideration of the whole world; "and with thofe I fhall finish what I think proper at this time to offer upon this subject. Concerning Babylon it was particularly foretold, that it should be shut up and befieged by the Medes, Elamites, and Armenians; that "the river should be dried up; that the city fhould be taken in the time of a feast, while "her mighty men were drunken; Which accord"ingly came to pafs, when Belshazzar and all his thousand princes, who were drunk with "him at the feaft, were flain by Cyrus's foldiers. Alfo it was particularly foretold, that God would "make the country of Babylon a poffeffion for the bit tern and pools of water; Which was accordingly "fulfilled by the overflowing and drowning of it, on the breaking down of the great damm "in order to take the city. Could the corref 66 pondence of these events with the predictions, "be the refult of chance? But fuppofe these "predictions were forged after the event, can "the following ones also have been written after "the event? or with any reafon be ascribed to chance? The wild beasts of the defert hall “dwell there, and the owls fhall dwell therein : " and it shall be no more inhabited for ever, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: As God overthrew Sodom and Go"morrah, &c. They fhall not take of thee a stone for a corner, -but thou shalt be defolate for ever, faith the Lord: -Babylon fhall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonish“ment and an biffing without an inhabitant:; "It fhall fink, and shall not rife from the evil "that I will bring upon her. Babylon, the 66 66 66 glory of kingdoms,-fhall be as when God over"threw Sodom and Gomorrah: It shall never be "inhabited, neither fhall it be dwelt in from gene"ration to generation: Neither fall the Arabian pitch tent there, neither shall the shepherds make "their fold there; But wild beasts of the defert fhall lie there, and their houfes fhall be full of doleful creatures, and owls fhall dwell there. 66 66 Concerning Egypt was the following pre"diction forged after the event? or can it, with cc any E e 3 "any reason, be afcribed to chance? Egypt fhall be a bafe kingdom: It fhall be the bafeft of kingdoms, neither fall it exalt itself any "more above the nations: For I will diminifh them, that they shall no more rule over the "nations. 66 66 66 66 Concerning Tyre, the prediction is no lefs "remarkable: I will make thee like the top of a rock; thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more.-Thou shalt be no more; the merchants among the people fall hijs at thee, thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more. All they that know "thee among the people, shall be aftonished at "thee. 66 66 "The defcription of the extent of the do"minion of that people, who were to poffefs Judea in the latter days; was it forged after "the event? or can it reafonably be afcribed to "chance? He shall come with horfemen, and with 66 many ships, and shall overflow and pass over : "He fhallenter alfo into the glorious land, [and fhall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the feas in the glorious holy mountain] and many 66 (2) "The fame of which was fo early fpread; that "Ezekiel, who was contem"porary with Daniel, plainly 66 coun "alludes to it, when he fays |