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received as their supreme ruler, and honored with the highest dignity. And he shall lead them to subdue states and nations; and shall distribute their governments among his favorites for his own aggrandize

ment.*

Verse 40th; And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him, like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. When the period of the 1260 years of the depressed state of the Church, shali have nearly arrived, or may be viewed as approaching, new troubles shall arrest this mighty Power, from powers here called the king of the south, and the king of the north. These, in the preceding parts of the chapter, were appellations given to Egypt and Syria. Those places are now under the dominion of the Ottoman empire. These appellations may be designed to designate that empire. The Ottoman empire, it is thought, is soon to be subverted under the sixth vial, in order that the way of the return of the children of Abraham to the land of their fathers, may be prepared. (See vial 6th, in chapter iv, of this Dissertation.)

The sixth trumpet established the Ottoman empire, by loosing the four Turkish sultanies, which were bound upon the river Euphrates.† And it is expected the sixth vial will effect the ruin of the Turks; and this at a period not far distant.‡ The attack in this passage in Daniel, of the king of the south, and the king of the north, upon the infidel Power, may probably be an event introductory to the judgment of the sixth vial. The Ottoman empire may in some way provoke the infidel Power to its own ruin. Whether this will be the case, or whether some other two powers, one on the south, and the other on the north of the infidel Power,

* The Hebrew word Mehir, rendered by our translators gain, signifies a price, worth, value. See Micah iii, 11, and 2 Sam. xxiv, 24. But the radical idea is, to exchange. He shall divide out the nominal crowns of his conquered nations, for an exchange of homage and aid, which in his turn he is to receive.

+ Rev. ix. 13.

Rev. xvi. 12.

t

will be found to unite, with a view to check their common enemy, time will decide. But the immediate, subsequent entering of the infidel Power into the countries, and his overflowing, and passing over, and soon being found in the glorious land, or Palestine, and thence passing into, and subduing Egypt, and Libya, seems clearly to indicate, that the new attack is to be from the Ottoman empire. For all those places are now under the dominion of the Turks. And the circumstance that the king of the north is described as coming against him like a whirlwind, with a navy, (many ships) as well as with armies of infantry and cavalry, (chariots and horsemen,) seems to indicate a powerful coalition with the Turks, in this attack upon the infidel Power. But concerning this, time and events will decide.

Verses 41st-43d; He shall enter into the glori. ous land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hands, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hands also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps. Great success attending the arms of the infidel Empire in this his first expedition into the east, is here indicated. Having entered into the countries, probably of Turkey in Europe, and having overflowed, and passed over the ancient Hellespont into Asia Minor, he enters into Palestine, from the north, laying all the Turkish provinces at his feet. The south eastern Arabs, in Arabia Felix, escape as being far out of the line of his tour. But the express exception of these implies, that the other countries generally, in those parts, will fall before him. He beats his way round into Egypt, where he makes a thorough conquest, and finds access to whatever treasures the subdued people may have in their possession. Ethiopia, (probably not the African, but the Arabian,) and Libya, or the States of Barbary (now subject to the Turks) are to become subservient to his views. Thus he finishes

a most extensive and prosperous expedition, in which probably the judgment of the sixth vial is fulfilled, in the subversion of the Euphratean empire, that the way of the return of the Jews and Israelites to the land of their fathers, may be prepared.

Verses 44th and 45th; But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacies of his palaces between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. These tidings out of the east, and out of the north, probably will relate to the return and conversion of the ancient people of God. Their return and conversion may be expected soon to succeed the overthrow of the Turks. And the infidel Power evidently feels his interest extremely affected by these events.

To have such an influence set up within his lately acquired territories, in favor of the Christian Religion, and of those powers, who support it, will fill him with rage. Perhaps a colony of infidel Jews, planted by him in Palestine, are now converted. These tidings will reach him from the east, (Palestine) and from the north; by the way of some rival power, which lies north of his capital. Or, these tidings may be said to be out of the east and out of the north, as they will respect things in Palestine, and the collection of the ancient people of God from northern regions, and their moving toward the Holy Land. The infidel Power will therefore be excited to collect his vassal kings and others, for a new expedition into Palestine;* and to unite in a vast confederacy for the utter extirpation of the new church of God in Jerusalem. * The seventh * vial finds him there, pitched in the ancient Armageddon, at the head of his vast coalition of the kings of the earth, and of the false prophet; and it plunges him in ruin.† Here, under the most signal judgment of the great Head of the church, he comes to his end, and none shall help him.

* That this passage in Daniel xi, from the 40th verse to the end, predicts two expeditions of the infidel Power into Palestine, and at some distance of time from each other, I trust will appear very evident from collateral prophecies, which will come into view in the course of this Dissertation. This concise prophecy in Daniel makes no mention of this Power's crossing the Mediterranean, to return home from his first expedition; or of any events, after he subdues Egypt, and has the Ethiopians and Libyans at his steps, till the tidings out of the east and out of the north trouble him, and call him again to Palestine. But we cannot infer from this, that he returns to Palestine from

Other passages in the Old Testament predict this infidel Power and his overthrow in Palestine. But as the way may be better prepared to form a right understanding of them, the consideration of them will be deferred till the last chapter of this Dissertation.

Egypt; or that the event takes place immediately, or before he returns home from his first expedition. The contrary of this will doubtless appear to be the fact. This first expedition pre. pares the way for the restoration of Israel, by the subversion of the Ottoman empire; as I trust will appear. And the return of God's ancient people, their conversion to Christianity, and the preparing of the way for the last coalition against them, must occupy some time; as long a time, I apprehend, as the space between the sixth and seventh vials. For I believe it will appear, that the first expedition of this infidel Power will fulfil the sixth vial; and that the second will open the way for the fulfilment of the seventh. To suppose that this prophecy in Daniel predicts but one expedition of the infidel Power into Palestine, is, to in. volve the subject in great obscurity. The first expedition being said to be at the time of the end, (verse 40,) amounts to no objection against there being two expeditions. The slaying of the witnesses is said to be, when they shall have finished their testi. mony. Yet some authors suppose that the event may consist. ently with this be more than three centuries before they shall have actually finished their testimony. This I believe to be incorrect. Yet I think it very consistent with the language of prophecy, where the year is not specified, to say, a thing is at the time of the end when it is yet as far distant, as is the time of the sixth vial from that of the seventh.

* See last chapter of this Dissertation.

+ Rev. xvi, from the 13th verse to the end; and xix. 19, 20, 21.

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SECTION III.

Antichrist another Power beside the Papal hierarchy.

It has been the general opinion of Protestant divines, that the predictions concerning Antichrist were fulfilled in the Papal hierarchy. But some of late explode the idea: And I believe they do it with propriety. Mr. Faber has clearly shown the incorrectness of former expositors upon this point. No doubt the Romish hierarchy was Antichristian to a dreadful degree. It was the little blasphemous horn of the Roman heast, into whose hands the saints were to be delivered for 1260 years.* It was the apostasy predicted by the Apostle Paul, when he said, that some in the latter days should depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. It was the second beast in Rev. xiii, 11, which rose out of the earth; which had two horns like a lamb; but which spake like a dragon. It is the woman in Rev. xvii, 3; the Mystery, Babylon the great, the Mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. But the Papal hierarchy was not the only, or last, power predicted to be raised up in judgment to the wicked world, as too many have seemed to imagine. A Power was to be raised up, for the execution of judgment on the wicked nations, to destroy that Mother of harlots, to hate her, and to burn her with fire. Surely this terrible Power was to be subsequent to the reign of Popery; and distinct from Popery. The characteristics of this new Power, or Antichrist, are such as were never applicable to Popery. The Romish hierarch never denied the Father, or the Son; did not deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. The Pope professed the highest veneration for God, and Christ, and the Christian Religion. And though his profession was hypocritical; yet it having been uniform from the beginning, and thus constituting a characteristic, it evinced that he was not the Anti

* Dan. vii, 8, 25.

+1 Tim. iv. 1, 2.

+ Rev. xvii. 5.

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