The kingdoms of this world, as such, will become Christian. They will acknowledge one God, one Saviour, one Sanctifier, one law, and hence will become one body; and hence will be fulfilled many of those prophecies which speak of every one knowing the Lord from the least to the greatest: When the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Dissertation 5. CHAPTER III. IN all ages of the world, conquerors, and princes, of a more than ordinary rank, have been anxious to perpetuate their memory as well by works of art as deeds of valour. All men know that their life will be but short, if extended to the utmost limit of human existence; and, therefore, they, whose power gives them the means, have generally raised some statue, building, or temple, which they hoped would survive themselves, and convey their names to posterity. The warrior often erected a trophy on the field where he conquered; or dedicated part of the spoil to what he considered a religious purpose. And nations, either from gratitude for the benefits they received, or from adulation to those whom they feared or admired, have erected statues and decreed them honours. The time of peace is certainly the most favourable to the works of art. War exhausts the riches and resources of a state, and employs its treasures in the work of destruction; but peace affords both the means and the time for works of utility, and leaves princes at liberty to pursue their taste in public buildings and designs. But as they often engage in war from motive of pride or ambition; só also in the time of peace, they often seek by their public works, their own personal glory and gratification, rather than the good of their subjects. They aim more to please themselves than to promote the substantial good of those whom they govern, Great were the successes which had attended the arms of Nebuchadnezzar. His enemies in Palestine. and Syria had been obliged to submit to his yoke, and he had returned to Babylon enriched with plunder, when (v. I.) "he made an image of gold whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon." This image he no doubt set up as a tribute of gratitude to his Gods for his victories; and as Bel was the principal Deity of the Assyrians, this image it is most probable, was erected to his honour, and dedicated to his worship. As Nebuchadnezzar considered his successes as resulting from the favour of the Gods he worshipped, he thought himself bound in gratitude to give some signal proof of his attachment to them, and to devote part of his spoil to that which he considered a religious service. Indeed it was a common thing among ancient nations to devote a part of their booty to the use and ornament of their temples; and to erect statues for the purposes either of honour to their Gods and princes, or for expiation. Hence the Greeks dedicated a golden tripod to Apollo at Delphi out of the spoils which they took from the Persians at the battle of Platea; and the Lacedæmonians erected two brazen statues to Pallas, as expiation for the pollution they had committed upon one of her temples, in the death of Pausanias. Herodotus also informs us that in the temple at Babylon there Thucydides P.387; 89. Edit. Hen. Step. 1588. h Herod. L. 1. C. 183. was a great golden image; and near it a table, and a seat, and a throne, all of the same metal. The value of all which was estimated by the Chaldeans at eight hundred talents of Gold. He also seems to make mention of another golden statue twelve cubits high, in the same temple; though it is not quite certain, whether he means there were two or only one. Tacitus also says the Roman Senate decreed, that a statue should be erected to Nero in the temple of Mars the Avenger, of a magnitude equal to that of the God's. On some occasions, an image was made to repre sent an emperor or king: and the same honours were paid to it which were due to the person it represented. Hence it was that Tiridates, a Parthian prince, plaIced his diadem before the statue of Nero as a mark of submission; and Zorsines prostrated himself befo re the image of Claudius'. This image, which Nebuchadnezzar erected, was set up in the eighteenth year of his reign, and in the year B. c. five hundred and eighty seven: for though the Hebrew text does not mention any date, yet the Septuagint has placed its erection in the year I have stated; "for which I doubt not," says the learned Prideaux, "there was some very good authority. For it could in no year of that king's reign fall more likely, and therefore according hereto I have placed it.”m And as its size was exceedingly great, it was set up in the plain of Dura; a plaee well adapted to receive the concourse that was to be present at its dedication and to afford every convenience for its worship. This plain we are informed was in the province of Babylon, and most probably to distinguish it from another plain Tac. An. lib. 13. C. 8.^ * Tac. An. lib. 15. C. 29 Prid. An. 587. of the same name in the province of Susa." For as Babylon was not only the seat of government, but the place which contained the great temple of Bel, and where his most solemn services were performed, the image would be erected in a situation calculated to give fresh lustre and importance to the mistress of the empire. The form of this image no doubt was human; Grotius thinks it was an image of Nabopalasser the father of Nebuchadnezzar, and others suppose it was an image of himself. But there does not seem sufficient ground for either of these opinions, for we have already shewn that it was usual with heathen nations to erect statues of a human form to their Gods, and in particular, that the Babylonians had one, if not two in their temple, of this description; and still further, when it is considered that there is no mention nor allusion in the whole account which Daniel gives, of its being an image either of Nebuchadnezzar or his father, I infer, that it was an image dedicated solely to his Gods. And as the human form has ever been thought the most excellent, it is but reasonable to suppose, as was in fact the case, that idolaters would in general represent their Gods under that form. The dimensions of the image are out of all human proportion, if we suppose the sixty cubits (ninety feet) high, and the six cubits (nine feet) broad, to comprise only the statue, for a man's height is rarely six times his breadth; but the height of this image is ten times its breadth, if the dimensions be confined to the image. To obviate this difficulty, therefore, I suppose, with Prideaux, that the pedestal on which the image was placed is included in the height. Now |