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or the fifth great empire in its utmoft ex• tent and glory.

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• Daniel tells us that the imageNebuchadnezzar faw, reprefented the four great empires, which were to rule in the earth one • after another. The firft was the Babylo nian, then flourishing in Daniel's time.

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• The fecond, which rofe after it, was the

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empire of the Medes and Perfians, eftablished by Darius and Cyrus.

The

'third, which fucceeded this, was the Grecian, which rofe under Alexander the 'Great: and the fourth, which was to be

as ftrong as iron, and to fubdue all, was the Roman power, which was afterwards to be divided or broken into ten kingdoms or powers, answering to the ten toes of the image,' which constitute those feveral kingdoms or powers of Europe, whereof Britain is one, which were formerly fubject to the Roman power. "And then the 'prophet adds, Daniel ii. 31 to 46,In the days of thefe kings,' or kingdoms, the God of

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• beaven

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heaven fhall fet up a kingdom, which shall

• never be destroyed, but shall break in pieces and confume all these kingdoms, and shall Stand for ever.

• After this God revealed the fame things to Daniel, under the reprefentation of four favage or wild beafts, answering to the various characters, and different circumftances, of the fame four empires. He then gives us an account of a future judgment, and of the establishment of the fifth empire thus. I beheld till the Ancient of Days did fit, whofe garment was • white as fnow, &c. thousand thousands miniftered unto him, &c. the judgment was fet, and the books were opened. Then follows the deftruction of the fourth beast or empire,' and particularly of its little horn, king or kingdom, the Papal power, before whom three of the ten horns fell, whofe look was more flout than his fellows, who spake great words against the Most High, and made war with the faints, and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and

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judgment

judgment was given to the faints of the Most High; and the time came that the fanits poffeffed the kingdom, under the Meffiah,

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who is defcribed as one like the Son of • Man coming with the clouds of heaven to the • Ancient of Days, &c. and there was given • him dominion, &c. &c. an everlasting dominion. See Daniel vii. 7 to the end.

Here we see a prediction of the establishment of an empire, which fhall bear rule over the whole earth, and continue for ever, or to the end' of the age of the Meffiah; the king of which will be the Meffiah. For it is this excellent being,' Ifaiah xi. I to 6, fpeaks of, There shall

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come a rod out of the fiem of Jesse, &c. the "Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, &c.

And again, fpeaking of this fame glorious person in ix. 6, 7. he says, his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty," Ged, the Father of the future age, (fo it' • should be tranflated,) the Prince of Peace.Of the increase of his government and peace there Shall be no end upon the throne of David, &c.

• The

The feat of this king the Meffiah will be at Jerufalem; and the glory of God, ⚫ that will conftantly appear and dwell there, ⚫ will be exceedingly great and confpicuous. For it is of this period, we think,Isaiah lx. 9. fpeaks, The fun shall be no more thy light by day,&c. but the Lord fhall be unto thee an everlasting light, &c. And again, in Isaiah . xxiv. 23. Then fhall the moon be confounded, • &c. when the Lord of Hofts fhall reign in • Mount Zion, &c. and before his ancients gloriously. By his ancients, I apprehend, are meant Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, • and all those worthy perfons, who lived • in former times, and shall now be raised ⚫ from the dead. And the city of Jerufalem ⚫ will now be built in a moft glorious manner, and be most beautifully adorned, fitted for the reception of the faints of the

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Moft High, and of their great king the

Meffiah; for it is to be the throne of the

'Lord, the palace and court of the king, not

only of Ifrael but of the whole earth. Be

hold, fays God by Ifaiah liv. 11, 12, I • will lay tby ftones with fair colours, &c.

• The

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The faints of the Moft High seem to be the proper inhabitants of this glorious city. And these will be not only the good Ifraelites, who fhall be left alive at this period, but we find also a resurrection ' of thofe eminently good and virtuous perfons, who lived in former times. For ' now many of them that fleep in the duft of the earth fhall awake, fome to everlafling life, and fome to shame and everlasting contempt. Dan. xii. 2. So that not only many of the good fhall rife to enjoy all this honor and glory, but many of the ' wicked alfo to be punished for their iniquities. Then will Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob live again, for God promised to give to them, in their own perfons, as • well as to their feed, the land of Canaan •for ever, Gen. xiii. 15, 17,

and elfewhere; fo that their enjoyment and pof'feffion of this land feem to be yet fu

ture. And with them great numbers of ' others, of every age and nation, who have ' been truly good and holy, will be par'takers of the fame refurrection to everlast

⚫ing

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