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"And Jefus anfwered and faid unto

Verse 4. them, take heed that no man deceive you.

Verse 5.

"For many shall come in my name,

faying, I am Chrift: and fhall deceive many.

Verse 6.

"And ye fhall hear of wars, and rumours of wars: fee that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pafs, but the end is not yet.

Verse 7. "For nation fhall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and peftilences, and earthquakes in divers places.

Verse 8. "All these are the beginning of

forrows.

Verse 9.

"Then fhall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and fhall kill you: and ye fhall be hated of all nations for my name's fake.

Verse 10. "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and fhall hate one another.

Verfe

Verse 11. "And many false prophets fhall rife, and fhall deceive many.

Verse 12. "And because iniquity fhall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Verfe

13. "But he that fhall endure unto the end, the fame fhall be faved.

Verse 14. "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

Verse 15. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of defolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, ftand in the holy place, (whofo readeth, let him understand.")

This declaration of our Saviour is evidently an illustration of Daniel, Chap. 7. v. 25 *. And the 15th verfe of St. Matthew is fufficient evidence to establish, beyond all queftion, the divine authority of this prophet.

*And he shall speak great words against the MOST HIGH, and shall wear out the Saints of the MOST HIGH, and think to change times and laws.

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The prophecy which is contained in the first two verfes of this chapter, is admitted by all writers to have been fulfilled in the capture and destruction of Jerufalem by Titus Vefpafian. In the fourth verse we read these words, "Take heed that no man deceive you." This caution cannot be confidered folely as confined to the apostles, but must be understood as an admonition to the Chriftian world; fo must also the whole of this chapter, because it contains events which are to happen until the kingdom of Chrift fhall be established.

Verfe 5, 6, 7, 8-Foretell that heretical doctrines will very early be introduced into the Church, and that other calamities will follow.

Verfe 9, 10-If confidered as applying perfonally to the Apostles, infer, that after their death, impiety and troubles would increase. But the killing of the Apostles may more properly be applied to their writings; as the latter part of the 9th verfe feems to indicate.

Verse 11.May be confidered to refer to the Mahometan religion, by Mahomed, ftyling himself the

Prophet and Apostle of God. So did alfo the pro

mulgators of the different fects of that religion.

DANIEL

DANIEL.

It is unneceffary to trouble the Reader with comments on the events described in this book, which are already fulfilled For inftance, the rife and fall of the Perfian and Greek Empires; and the progreffive advancement of the Roman Empire, as described by the figurative expreffions, "Lion, Bear and Leopard," to the period of the Kingdom of Iron. The Era of the Roman Empire under Auguftus is evidently pointed out here, and that more especially, because we find the "Leopard" is denominated the fourth head. But before we felect for confideration thofe Prophecies to which the Declaration of our Saviour, or the Revelation allude, it may be proper to obferve that in Chap.* II. Ver. 41. the divifion of the Roman Empire is foretold, and in Chap. † 7. Ver.

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* "And whereas thou faweft the feet and toes, part of potter's clay, and part of iron: the Kingdom fhall be divided, but there fhall be in it of the ftrength of the iron, for as much as thou faweft the iron mixed with miry clay."-Dan. Chap II. Ver. 41.

+ "And the ten horns out of this Kingdom are ten Kings that fhall arife: and another fhall arise after them, and he thall be diverse from the firft, and he fhall fubdue three Kings." Dan. Chap. VII. V. 24.

"And

24. 25. 26.—the other occurrences which were to happen to the Empire, together with the lofs of three of its Kings are described. This chapter alfo alludes to another Empire which was to arise and which corresponds with Chap. II. Ver. 41. 42. -or the Toes of Nebuchadnezzar's Image.

CHAP. VIII.

Verse 13. "Then I heard one Saint speaking, and another Saint faid unto that certain Saint which fpake, how long shall be the vision concerning the Daily Sacrifice, and the tranfgreffion of Defolation, to give both the Sanctuary and the Hoft to be trodden under foot?

Verfe 14. "And he said unto me, unto two thoufand and three hundred days; then fhall the Sanctuary be cleanfed."

"And he fhall fpeak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the Saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time." Dan. Chap. VII. V. 25.

"But the Judgment fhall fit, and they shall take away his Dominion, to confume and destroy it unto the end." Dan. Chap. VII. V. 26.

CHAP.

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