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sination of the Jews and idolaters, who had escaped from the field of battle. By THE REPETITION OF SUCH ACTS, the character of Mohammed must have been gradually stained: and the influence of such pernicious HABITS would be poorly compensated by the practice of the personal and social virtues, which are necessary to maintain the reputation of a prophet among his sectaries and friends. Of his last years, ambition was the ruling passion: and a politician will suspect, that he secretly smiled (the victorious impostor!) at the enthusiasm of his youth and the credulity of his proselytes. In the support of truth, The ARTS OF FRAUD AND FICTION may be deemed less criminal: and he would have started at the foulness of the means, had he not been satisfied of the importance and justice of the end1.

The kingdom, represented by the little horn, is to destroy many while in a state of negligent security.

This peculiarity was remarkably exemplified in the whole progress of the Saracenic arms. The rival monarchies of Constantinople and Persia became, at the same instant, the prey of an enemy, whom they had been so long accustomed to despise Egypt and the narrow tract of the African province were suddenly invaded and subjugated, when they least anticipated such an event: and

1 Hist. of Decl. vol. ix. p. 322, 323.

2 Ibid. p. 360, 361, 367-369, 388-391.

3 Ibid. p. 427-429.

the Gothic kingdom of Spain, like most of the other conquests of the Saracens (in the Apocalypse aptly symbolised by a swarm of locusts), fell into their hands by indulging in the hollow security of peaceful carelessness'.

Thus has the Mohammedan little horn destroyed many while slumbering in a state of false security: and thus accurately has the prophecy of Daniel been fulfilled in every particular, which the lapse of time has hitherto evolved.

The only remaining peculiarity, which the interpreting angel ascribes to the tyrannical superstition of Arabia, is still future: the spiritual kingdom of the eastern little horn is destined, we are told, to be broken without hand.

Respecting this event, all, that we can at present decide with certainty, is the chronological epoch of its occurrence. It will take place at the time of the end or at the close of the latter three times and a half; to which period, as we are twice carefully taught, the entire vision of the ram and the hegoat will extend: for, since the exploits of the little horn are the concluding subject of the vision, the destruction of the little horn must of course be the chronologically latest event of it. Such being the case, the Mohammedan Imposture will begin to be broken without hand, at the time when the

'Hist. of Decline, vol. ix. p. 469-474.

2 Dan. viii. 17, 19. See the prophecy above, book ii. chap. 3. § I. 3.

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great Antichristian Confederacy of the Roman beast is destroyed, and at the epoch when the Millennium is on the point of commencing : for the Antichristian Confederacy is destroyed, and the Millennium commences, at the time of the end and after the close of the latter three times and a half.

This circumstance may lead us to at least a probable conjecture, as to the import of the phrase which occurs in the prophecy. At the commencement of the Millennium, the Gospel will begin to be successfully preached throughout the whole world : and the issue will be the universal gathering of the Gentiles into the pale of the Christian Church. During this period, therefore, the Mohammedans will be converted to the true faith : and, when their conversion shall have become general, the spiritual kingdom of the eastern little horn will no doubt be broken. But, in that case, it will plainly have been broken without hand : for it will not have been broken by the sword of violence in the hand of an earthly conqueror, but by the invisible agency of the Holy Spirit inclining the hearts of its long-deluded votaries to renounce their errors and to embrace the faith of the true prophet of God.

Thus have we seen, that the little horn of the Macedonian he-goat answers, in every particular which has hitherto been accomplished, whether geographical or chronological or circumstantial, to the successful Imposture of Mohammed. The result, therefore, of the whole inquiry must be this:

that, by the eastern little horn, is symbolised the spiritual kingdom of Mohammedism 1.

III. Nothing remains but to settle the chronology of the present vision, both in regard to its entire length, and in regard to the period which is specifically mentioned in connection with it.

1. By the entire length of the vision, I mean the portion of time which it comprehends from its chronological commencement to its chronological termination.

It may not be improper to remark, at the close of this discussion, that, although I have inclined to understand the original Hebrew word in Dan. viii. 23, in the sense of place, rather than in the sense of time; analogously to the un doubted import of the parallel expression in Dan. vii. 24: yet the prediction will be equally accomplished, if, with our common English version, we understand the word in the sense of

time.

The three first Empires were stripped of their dominion, indeed, by the conquests of the fourth Empire: but still, in the view of prophecy, as we are expressly informed by Daniel, their lives, agreeably to the complex appearance of the ten-horned beast of the Apocalypse and of the great compound metallic image of Daniel, are considered as being nevertheless prolonged. Dan. vii. 12.

Hence it is an indisputable fact, that the little horn of Mohammedism rose up, no less chronologically in the latter time of the Greek Empire, than geographically in its hinder part.

I prefer, however, the geographical sense of the original word, both because it harmonises better with the parallel phraseology of Dan. vii. 24, and because the next clause of the prediction is strictly chronological. Thus I both preserve homogeneity of expression, and avoid what in some sort would be tautological.

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