hand.

And again they said, Alleluia! And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. Such are the Hallelujahs of Christian Patriotism. Oh that there were more who had the heart to unite in them, and who could unite in them without imprecating judgment on their own sinfulness and Apostasy!

[The proposition which stands at the head of this section properly leads to a discussion only of the breaking and dissipation of the Iron and Clay. And since it is this part of the Image in whose fate we are as a nation principally interested, it is of less moment that we have clear views of the fate predicted for its other departments. A few sentences however are desirable in relation to them also, to render complete the interpretation of the prophecy.

Both in the dream of the monarch, and the revelation of the prophet, it is decreed, that, when the Stone shall smite the Iron and the Clay, the Brass also, and the Silver, and the Gold, shall be broken to pieces together. Now the question naturally arises, How can this be? Were not the Golden, the Silver, and the Brazen empires destroyed by their respective successors, so that the one of Iron and Clay alone remains now standing for the demolition?

For the solution of this difficulty let these three things be considered in the Image, first, its Geographical Territory; secondly, its Population; and thirdly, its Government. Originally its territory was only Babylonish, its population the same, and its government the same. Under the second dynasty, the territory and population of Medo-Persia were annexed, and the government of the two made Medo-Persian. Under the third, in like manner, the territory and population of Greece were annexed, and the government of the three made Grecian. Under the fourth, the territory and population were completed by the annexation of Rome, and the government of the whole made Roman. The emperor Trajan, as may be seen by consulting Gibbon's History, held the dominion at once of the territory and population of all the four departments of the Image. Now, when the Stone shall demolish it, In respect of which of these three circumstances, its Territory, its Population, and Government, shall the demolition be effected? Not of its territory, evidently; neither of its population, for although dreadful shall the destruction in this respect be, yet it will not be an annihilation so absolute as to implement the terms of the prophecy-"and the wind carried them away that no place was found for them." It is the government, then, of the Image on which the wrath of the Stone descends to break it to pieces; and upon the population, chiefly in so far as the

smiting of them is necessary to the smiting of the Government. Mark, therefore, if the Stone had arisen to its work of vengeance in the time of Trajan there would have been neither Golden, Silver, nor Brazen power to break, but of Iron alone. But in consequence of Roman power being now limited to its own original territory, and other powers having sprung up within the territories of Babylon, of Persia, and of Greece, the Image stands complete in its Gold, its Silver, its Brass, its Iron and Clay. "These four successive monarchies were ordained of God for the chastisement, imprisonment, and vexation of his people. They began upon the great River Euphrates, whereon stood the capital of Asyria, which is Nineveh, and Babylon stood on the Tigris. From these two cities proceeded the power which destroyed the national existence of the Ten tribes, and brought the Two tribes into captivity. These two capitals of Nineveh and Babylon, together with the countries over which they ruled, have now for eight centuries been under the dominion of the Turkish Power, which indeed is named twice in the Apocalypse by the name of the Euphrates. Next to this came the Medes and Persians, whose territory the Persians still hold. Then came the kingdom of Alexander the Greek, who added to the territory of the Great Image that very portion of Greece which in our times hath arisen, out of oppression and political death, into the state of an independent kingdom, such as it was when it came on the prophetic stage. And lastly, we have the Roman subsisting in the Ten Kingdoms of the West answering to the ten toes of the Image. So that we can say within these few months (1829) what never could have been said before, that the whole Image in its fourfold state, is at this time in distinct existence." These observations are important. I have not met with any thing on the subject which goes so far to solve the difficulty.*]

PROPOSITION THIRD. The Roman dynasty having been abolished, no earth-born power shall succeed it.

All interpreters agree that the Stone's being "cut out without hands" is descriptive of its heavenly origin. [Compare 2 Cor. v. 1; Mark xiv. 58; John ii. 21; Coloss. ii. 11.]

There shall be no invasion from China, for instance, to seize on the government, as when Cyrus invaded Babylon, or Alexander invaded Persia, or the Romans invaded Greece. No; Rome has this honour and distinction reserved for her pride,

* Bishop Newton has scarcely adverted to the difficulty. And Roos endeavours to explain it on a principle obviously erroneous, that it was the stone in an invisible state which destroyed the three first monarchies, and that when in a visible state it shall destroy the fourth, men will be shewn by what power they have all been broken to pieces.

that, though doomed to destruction, she shall not fall by the hand, or be succeeded by the power, of any earthly rival. The Stone is of God. There is a striking perfection in the symbols of the dream when viewed in relation to this subject. The four principal metals of the mineral kingdom, are employed in the composition of the Colossal structure. Earth-born power is either of gold, of silver, of brass, or of iron. These being broken and dissipated, there is no other metal of strength with which to form a fifth kingdom. The mines of the earth are exhausted; and for another dominion we must look on high. And, lo! it comes down in that adamantine Stone, from heaven, and of Heaven's own out-cutting and fashioning, with which nothing earthly may be compared either for beauty or for strength.

PROPOSITION FOURTH. The Stone is the Church, with Jesus Christ, consequently, as Head of that Church, the Sovereign King.

All interpreters are still thus far agreed. The controversy being agitated only respecting the nature of the Reign, whether it shall be only spiritual, or also external. This I shall consider afterwards. In the mean time, with this proposition before us, assented to in whichever of the senses, I remark, that surely ours must be an easy task. Had we a commission given us to execute, such as Daniel's was, when he was commanded into the presence of the Lion King of Babylon, with a proclamation so offensive to a tyrant's ears, that the prince of MedoPersia would invade, and vanquish him, and strip him of his dominion, our hearts might perhaps have failed us of courage. But although it were directly into the presence of the princes of Europe we were commissioned, since our proclamation for them, and their cabinets, and parliaments is, that the Son of God, by one kind of Advent or another of resplendent glory, is high on his way to be the individual successor of them all, -himself to administer the government of that religion for which they have long legislated so impotently and fruitlessly, and to transform this world universally into a church of saints; -when such is our proclamation, wherein is it offensive? Profess they not all that they be christian Princes, holding their thrones of Heaven, and as the Lieutenants of Christ ruling for his glory? And when they perceive that their efforts in his cause are so unavailing, that infidelity and crime are so frightfully on the increase, enslaving their subjects for the service of Satan,-being Christian princes, how weary one should think they must be of their royalty, and how glad for the gospel proclamation, that the Master himself comes to relieve them of the burden! For all, it is a suitable aspiration, but

specially for kings, "Even so, come Lord Jesus! Come thou quickly!"-An easy task would it be? It were harder than was Daniel's. There are kings in Christendom whom the report of the Second Advent would trouble as much as the report of the First troubled Herod. And as for their subjects, there are millions of them ready to shout the church is in danger,she will be robbed of her tithes; or loudly vociferating about liberty and the rights of the people, who would rather have Nero or Domitian for their King than the Christ of God. Yet He will come to take the kingdom to himself. The event is yet indeed in the womb of futurity, but it is nigh its birth. The Word of God labours with the burden of its prophecy. "Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings; be instructed ye judges of the earth. Serve God with fear; and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

PROPOSITION FIFTH. In the days of the Stone, the Church shall not only exercise the power of which she is at present possessed, in a greater degree of strength; but shall be invested with an additional power of a different nature.

At present the whole of her genuine power is spiritual, being exercised only on the conscience. She may not lawfully put forth her hand to touch in a way of coercion or punishment either the person or property of any man. When she calls as a church on the kings or magistrates of this earth to wield the sword in her behalf or to levy taxes for her support, or disfranchise the heretic, or incarcerate the infidel, so far does she act the part of Apostasy, and harmonise with the Man of Sin, a principal mark on whose beastly brow is, that he has usurped the prerogative of Christ, to whom alone it appertains to be a Priest on the throne and a King at the altar, concentrating in himself an external and spiritual jurisdiction. Yea, although she should not demand such support and promotion from the civil power, yet if she accept of it when voluntarily offered, still does she corrupt the militant institution of Christ.

And yet, the Church, manifested as the Stone, is decreed to execute a work of violence on the Image-"to smite it and break it to pieces." This is evidently a work unsuitable for the exercise of the only legitimate power which she at present holds, in dealing with the consciences of men, by means of the Word, Sacraments, Discipline, and Prayer. All her institutions-her Sabbath exercises, her Domestic instruction, her Schools, her Bible and Missionary Societies, &c.—are of the most peaceful character, and meddle not with things given to

change to thorough change when the Lord comes-except in the way of testifying against all wickedness whether of prince or subject, even as I do at present.

In support of the foregoing proposition, I submit the following remarks to the strictest examination of our opponents.

First. It cannot with truth be said that it is the Providence of Christ, administered independently of the instrumentality of the Church, which shall smite the Image and break it to pieces. That providence is universal and admits of no enlargement: whereas the Stone is seen to grow into a mountain. Besides, it is said expressly, "the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall break in pieces and consume all these other kingdoms." It has been already stated, indeed, that almost all expositors are agreed that the Stone signifies the Church, and not merely the providence of Christ; but men are so ready to shift ground in this controversy that there is a necessity for reminding them of former admissions.

Second. It will not explain the terms of the prophecy to say, that the church, continuing as at present merely a spiritual power, shall by the light which emanates forth from her, reform, and christianize the governments of this earth. This would be a mild, and gradual, and, to a considerable extent, an accidental work. Whereas the work of the Stone is evidently one of great external violence,-it smites, it breaks, it annihilates. Obviously, also, is it one of speedy execution; it smites, and the Image falls. Again, as obviously is it one of direct intention. The stone assails the image with full purpose to destroy it. Is all this, is any part of it, a befitting and component work for the christianity of the present [œconomy or] dispensation?

Third. The time assigned in the prediction for the appearance of the Stone, evinces that in its day the Church shall be manifested with more than a spiritual dominion. It does not appear till the whole Image is completed. Now, as a Spiritual institution, the Church was established when the Image had been filled or realized through only the length of the legs of pure Iron. Assuming the date of that establishment to be the day of Pentecost, the latest which on any principle can be assigned to it, it appeared several hundreds of years before the Gothic irruptions mingled in their clay in the composition of the feet, and yet the Stone does not appear till after these feet are fully formed,-"thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the image on his feet of iron and clay." The Stone then, cannot be the church as established by the Apostles, and as subsisting at the present day.—In support of the same point, I maintain that exposition to be correct