LECTURE IV.

AFTER this, I saw in the night visions and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it: and it had ten horns.-Dan. vii. 7.

It is to be borne in mind, that Daniel saw what he describes. One after another, these beasts arose. Each acted the part assigned it; and took on the changes here described. It was not, I mean, merely an ideal. conception. It was an absolute vision. As figures, in a panoramic view, these three beasts arose. And after them, he saw "a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly."

The description of this beast is very striking. And, you observe, that whereas each of the three preceding kingdoms had its own specific symbol; this beast is a nameless one. Its qualities are described. It was, "dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly."

Its powers of destruction are pointed out. "It had great iron teeth;" and "nails of brass."

Its actions are foretold. "It devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it.”

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But no name is given to it. No fitting symbol could be furnished, for this mighty power, from among the wild beasts of the forest.

Now, the question arises, What kingdom is here symbolized? And, in answering it, we have to meet these requisitions of the prophetic word. "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down and break it in pieces.

"And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall arise after them: and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings:" (ver. 23-4.) In other words, we must find a kingdom which is the fourth kingdom upon earth;" i. e., the fourth universal kingdom.

A kingdom, which was greater and mightier and more terrible than any which came up before it. Whose powers of destruction were fitly symbolized by a beast with great iron teeth, and nails of brass. A kingdom, that acted a corresponding part among the nations of the earth. Greater than the Babylonian Lion; the Medo-Persian Bear; and the Græco-Macedonian Leopard; inasmuch as it was to break them in pieces, and succeed to their dominion.

A kingdom, which was "diverse" from all other kingdoms. It must also, give rise to ten other kingdoms, which are to exist together; even as the ten horns did on the head of the symbolic beast. It must, furthermore, give rise to another kingdom-symbolized by the eleventh, or "little horn"-which must, also, be "diverse" from the first ten kingdoms; and before

which, three of the ten are to be plucked up by the

roots.

Finally. It must be a kingdom, which—in that of the little horn, as well as in the first ten-shall continue until the judgment of the Great Day; when “the beast shall be slain, and his body destroyed and given to the devouring flame."

Now, of these prophetic marks, all are accomplished, save the last. In their light, then, we must point out the kingdom symbolized. Of course, you all anticipate its name? It is the Roman Empire. In none other, can it even be pretended that these marks are fulfilled.

It was "the fourth kingdom upon earth." The mighty empire, founded by Alexander, was swallowed up by it. New territories were added to its dominion; until the “government of the whole earth,” became its favourite title.

It was "dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly." Was there ever a nation to which these terms so appropriately applied? Hardihood; fortitude; sternness; force—were not these the qualities in which the people gloried most? And how "dreadful and terrible," in its subsequent dealings, this nation became ; its history, written for centuries in blood, (as was that of no other nation upon earth,) too terribly attests!

"It devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it." And what is Roman history, but a record of bloody and destructive wars upon other States? Of its cruelty and oppressiveness wherever its power was felt? It was not merely that it fought for dominion. Its lust of destruction rioted

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in bloodshed, and it "brake in pieces," even without gain to itself.

It was "diverse from all the beasts that were before it." It was to be so in many respects. And so it has proved. It is so in the length of time it has continued. It was founded in the year 746 B. C. And it is still a power among the nations of the earth; i. e., it has been so for two thousand six hundred years. What other kingdom, in active intercourse with other nations, can compare with it in this respect?

It is "diverse," too, in the character it has worn. For nearly eleven hundred years it was Pagan; then, for a season, it was Christian; and now, for more than twelve hundred years, it has been a Papal power. And then, it has been "diverse from all kingdoms," in the nature of its government. It has passed through every form of administration. It was a kingdom-a republic—an empire. Now, in this connection, it is to be remarked, that St. John saw a vision of this same beast. He says: "And I stood upon the sands of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns, ten crowns, and upon his heads, the name of blasphemy.

"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion." Rev. xiii. 1, 2. How very expressive! Daniel saw three beasts rise before it. Then came the fourth. And this same beastin a new form of development-John saw. It took the distinguishing feature of each of the three preceding beasts. The body of the leopard, the feet of the bear, and the mouth of the lion, all conspired to make

this beast "dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly." There never has been but one kingdom of which this was true. Of only one can it be averred, that it succeeded to the dominions of the Babylonian Lion, the Medo-Persian Bear, and the Macedonian Leopard,―having, besides these, its own peculiar territory in the sovereignty of the ten kingdoms of the West. And then, the Roman Empire "resembled no state of society known among men. It displayed, in its character and proceedings, the vigour and courage of the Babylonians, the various policy and cunning of the Greeks, and the unchanging firmness of the Medes and Persians."(Paxton.) And then, too, it had seven heads and ten horns.

Now, in Rev. xvii. we have an ecclesiastical power, represented by a woman riding on this beast. Of this I shall have to speak hereafter. I, therefore, refer to it here only to identify the beast with that which Daniel saw. In Rev. xvii. 18, we are told: “And the woman, which thou sawest, is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Now, every school-boy knows what great city ruled over the kings of the earth in St. John's time. It is as much a simple question of fact as the other question, What is the capital city of these United States? There was no other city than Rome that did this. Rome, then, is symbolized by the beast of the prophet, as well as by that of the apostle. But we are further told, "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not, yet come," etc. (vs. 9, 10.) Now, "septi-collis urbs”—the seven