figures are explained, y 44. that in the time of the kings belonging to the fourth (viz. the Roman) monarchy, there would be a kingdom fet up by the God of heaven, which would never be destroyed, but would stand for ever, and get the better of all other kingdoms.

In the 7th chapter, after mention of the four monarchies, reprefented by four different animals, the Ancient of Days is fpoken of as fitting on his throne, with great majefty, innumerable thousands miniftring to him; and one who is called the Son of Man is reprefented as coming to him, with the clouds of heaven, and as brought near before him. And it is added, y 14. that "there was given him "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all "people, nations, and languages, fhould ferve "him;" and that "his dominion is an everlasting "dominion, which fhall not pafs away, and his king"dom that which fhall not be destroyed."

The following part of this chapter treats of the oppofition to be made to this kingdom by powerful adverfaries, the fuccefs of thofe adverfaries for a time, and the final victory to be obtained over them. But that which requires moft particular confideration is, that this kingdom is fpoken of all along as the kingdom of the faints of the Moft High; and that remarkable title is given to it, in the compafs of ten verses, y 18. 21. 22. 27. no less than five times.

This shows, that though the prophet Daniel ufes expreffions and images different from thofe ufed in the prophecies formerly confidered, yet he speaks plainly enough of the fame times of the enlightening of the Gentile nations; feeing he fpeaks of the times when the kingdom of faints, or worshippers of the true God, would be diffused through the nations of the Gentiles, even through all nations and languages for though the name of faints is not always taken in the most strict fenfe, which fignifies

men

men endued with the image of God; yet even when it is taken in the more large fenfe, it implies mens being enlightened in the knowledge of God, their embracing his worship, and profeffing fubjection to his laws all which is included in the words of Mofes, concerning the nation of Ifrael, when he fpeaks of them as a nation of faints, Deut. vii. 6. and calls them a holy people.

And feeing Daniel fpeaks firft of the setting up of the kingdom of the faints of the Moft High, chap. ii. 44.; vii. 13. 14. and afterwards of the oppofition made to them by powerful adverfaries, who are faid to make war against those faints, to prevail against them, and to wear them out, chap. vii. 21. 25.; and, last of all, of the total victory to be obtained over thofe adverfaries, y. 22. 27.; all this fhews, that the prophet does not affirm, that the extending and establishing of the kingdom of faints, was to be completed at once, but by degrees, after a confiderable space of time, and much oppofition.

As when the everlasting kingdom is called the kingdom of the faints of the Moft High, it is implied, that the fubjects of that kingdom, the people of all nations and languages, would worship and ferve the Most High; fo when the people of that kingdom are faid, in ferving God, to ferve him who is called the Son of Man, this muft imply, that the nations of the Gentiles, in embracing the true religion, would embrace the laws and doctrines delivered by that Son of Man; which proves, that he must be the fame extraordinary perfon, who, in other prophecies formerly confidered, is reprefented both as enlightening and ruling the Gentile nations, in order to make them the faints of the Moft High; and is defcribed, even in those other prophecies, not only as the univerfal prieft and prophet, but also as the univerfal king, or leader, commander, If. lv. 4. lawgiver, If. xlii. 4. xxxiii. 22.

and

t

and judge, If. xi. 4. of the people of God in all na

tions.

From all which it follows, that as when two different hiftorians, though using different expreffions, describe the perfon they write of as the founder of the Greek or Roman empire; that one fingular character is fufficient, both to prove, that they write of the fame perfon, and to fhew whom they mean; the fame thing may be faid of different prophecies, or different parts of one prophecy, defcribing the person spoken of, as the founder of the kingdom of God among the nations of the Gentiles, or among the feveral nations of the earth.

II. Whereas the prophecies formerly confidered, fpeak more exprefsly of the unbelieving Jews, as enemies of him who was to be the light of the Gentiles, the Prophet Daniel, in the chapters in view, fpeaks chiefly of the powers of the Gentile nations, as oppofing the kingdom of the Son of Man, or the kingdom of the faints of God: for feeing these powers are reprefented in chap. ii. 34. as broken by that kingdom, this naturally supposes, that they would be, for fome time, engaged in a ftated oppofition to it; and the adverfaries defcribed in chap. vii. 24. 25. compared with y 8. are represented, not as belonging to the Jewish nation, but to the fourth great empire of the Gentiles, and even as appearing at the time when that fourth empire was to be divided into ten kingdoms.

If we compare that 25th verfe of chap. 7. with the 7th verfe of chap. 12. it will be evident, that both these paffages fpeak of the fame times, viz. the latter times of the fourth or Roman empire; in which times, as was proved already, the Gentile nations were to be enlightened: And the laft of these two paffages, fpeaking exprefsly of a scattering of the power of the holy people that was to be accomplished in thofe times, it is at least highly propable, that this is meant of a difperfion of the Jews

that

that was to happen, and was alfo to come to an end, in the times of the enlightening of the Gentiles.

III. As to facts relating to the personal history of the extraordinary person in view, it is of confiderable importance, that the above-cited paffages determine the time of his coming into the world, in fo far as they contain more proofs than one, that it would be in the time of the fourth or Roman monarchy: for as in chap. 2. 44. after mentioning the kings belonging to that fourth monarchy, it is faid exprefsly, that it would be in the times of these kings that God would fet up the everlasting kingdom; fo in chap. 7. y 13. & 14. it is after an account of the four monarchies that the Ancient of Days is represented as fitting on his throne, and the Son of Man as coming to him, with the clouds of heaven, and brought near before him, and receiving dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people and nations fhould ferve him.

This paffage not only fhows, that the fetting up the everlasting kingdom was to happen in the times of the fourth, or Roman monarchy, but also, that it would happen when the Son of Man would afcend from earth to heaven: for as that title implies, that the perfon to whom it is given, would be truly a man, and confequently, as to his first refidence, an inhabitant of the earth *; fo the prophet does not represent him as coming in the clouds from heaven to earth, (as at the general judgement), but as coming with the clouds of heaven from his former refidence, towards the throne of God, which, according to fcripture-style, is heaven: And this is confirmed by the words immediately following," that they brought him near be"fore him," viz. before the Ancient of Days.

See Pfalm cxv. 16.

It was observed above, that though, in reafoning with unbelievers, it is needful to distinguish betwixt uncontefted facts, and fuch fupernatural contefted facts, as Chrift's refurrection and afcenfion; yet predictions of these contested facts, besides other important uses, serve to prove the harmony of different prophecies, as treating of the fame perfons and events, because they contain the fame extraordinary and fingular characters. Hence it follows, that if we meet with other prophecies which fpeak of fome extraordinary person as afcending into heaven, as Pf. lxviii. 18. or, which fuppofes fuch afcenfion, fitting at the right hand of God, as Pf. cx. 1. we have good ground to conclude, that these prophecies fpeak of that perfon whom Daniel reprefents as coming with the clouds of heaven, to the Ancient of Days, and as brought near before him.

Though the above-cited prophecies in Ifaiah, do not speak exprefsly of the perfon whom they defcribe, as afcending to heaven; yet they fay, that after great humiliation, and a violent death, he fhould rife from the dead, and fee the travail of his foul; that the pleasure of the Lord fhould profper in his hands; that he fhould be exalted and extolled very high; that he fhould make interceffion for tranfgreffors; and that he fhould be the univerfal prophet, prieft, and king, of the people of God, in all nations. All these things prove fuch a harmony between the prophecies in Ifaiah and Daniel, as produces ftrong conviction in other cafes; as when various witneffes, teftifying to one feries of events, or one complex fact, a part of which has been feen by all, and other parts of it only by fome; in which cafe, each of the witneffes telling all he knows, in fome things they will coincide; in other things, fome witneffes will fuperadd fomething to the telti mony of others, without contradicting it; and the various teftimonies will fo tally with one another,

that