had its fulfilment in events which followed each other, in regular and close succession, in the order of authentic history.

The number of agreements, between the latter part of the prophecy, when taken in that view, and these events, is great; and many of the events are of the deepest interest of any that have ever occurred in the world,-being no less than the advent of Christ, the precise time of which is foreshewn in this prophecy,—the deliverance he wrought for mankind,—his preaching, and that of his Apostles, and the communication of the Gospel to the Gentiles. At the same time, the order and time of the fulfilment are such, as to obviate, in the most effectual manner, the ancient infidel objection to this prophecy of Daniel,-frequently renewed in modern times,— that it was written after the events took place. These circumstances have, in the Author's view, given such importance to the subject, that, as a small contribution to the evidences of the Christian Religion, he ventures to offer these illustrations to the public.

It will be seen that, in the discussions, he refers chiefly to our most common and popular authorities, both in Theological Literature, and in History. He does so, indeed, in preference; because their being common and popular is just the seal of a very general approbation attached to them, and thus a ground of much confidence, that no one, who relies on them, will be liable to any great error, in doing So. There are, therefore, many things introduced, which must be deemed very trite and common, excepting in their new application. There are also not a few repetitions of subjects, or parts of subjects, which appeared necessary for the sake of clearness, in placing some things in a new light. He is sensible, that, in various respects, this little Volume will be found very imperfect; but he has the utmost assurance, that the Christian public will extend indulgence to every honest attempt, however limited or feeble, to illustrate any part of the Sacred Volume; and he trusts, that, in making his present attempt to do so, his desire is sincere to aid in promoting the knowledge of Divine Truth, and in confirming the conviction, in Christian minds, of the Heavenly Origin of the Bible.

CONTENTS.

SECTION I.

The passage of Daniel's last prophecy, which is the subject of illustration, begins with the 31st verse of the xi. chapter, and extends to the end of the Book of Daniel.-Bishop Newton's account of the various opinions that have been held regarding it.—Brief statement of his interpretation of it.—That interpretation deserts the historical order of events,-Is inconsistent with the view, in which the passage is presented, by our Saviour's express quotation of the Prophet Daniel,-And with some terms in the passage itself.-Brief statement of the interpretation of the passage now to be offered.-Translation of the passage, and criticism vindicating the changes, made in it, from the common translation. PAGE 9

SECTION II.

The three last visions of Daniel, which are-that of the ram and he-goat, in the eighth chapter-that of the seventy weeks, in the ninth chapter—and that of the things noted in the Scripture of truth, in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth chapters, have all one main subject, and mutually throw light on each other.-Exception to this, in the prophecy of the 2300 evenings and mornings, in the vision of the eighth chapter, which stands detached from every thing else, both in the vision, and in the explanation given of it by Gabriel, and is shut up, and not yet fulfilled.-Certain terms in Daniel's last prophecy plainly declare, that all parts of it would be fulfilled, when the Jews were scattered abroad, which took place at the capture of Jerusalem by the Romans. Christ's express quotation from Daniel, in his prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, taken from the concluding part of Daniel's last prophecy, proving that part to be a

prediction, having the same subject with his own. We must there-

fore look for the fulfilment of the whole of Daniel's last prophecy, in

events that occurred before, or at, the destruction of Jerusalem by

the Romans.
PAGE 37

SECTION III.

Commencement of the detailed illustrations of the passage, which

begins with the 31st verse of Daniel's xi. chapter.-Bishop Newton

applies that verse to the Romans.--In so doing, has followed Sir

Isaac Newton.-Sir Isaac Newton's criticism of some part of that

verse, and reasoning upon it.-Errors into which he has fallen.-The

grammatical structure of the whole passage connected with it, both

before and after, compels us to apply the 31st verse to the vile person,

introduced in the preceding 21st verse.-Commentators have fully

proved that vile person to be Antiochus Epiphanes.-Proofs, that

the predictions, in the 31st verse, and in the following 32d, 33d,

34th, and 35th verses, were literally fulfilled-in the persecution of

the Jews by that tyrant,-in the fidelity, heroical achievements, and

fortune of the Maccabees,—and in the conduct and fortune of their

successors, the Asmonean dynasty of high priests and sovereigns,

down to the end of the male race of that dynasty, which became

extinct by the murders committed by Herod the Great.

PAGE 59

SECTION IV.

The predictions in the 36th verse, and all following it to the end

of the xi. chapter, fulfilled-in Herod the Great and in the events

of the Actian war, which occurred during his reign, and is

parenthetically introduced in the prophecy.-A close agreement,

between some terms, in the 36th verse, and terms employed by the

Apostle Paul, in his great Christian Prophecy of the Man of Sin,

has led commentators to apply that verse to the man of sin, and to

introduce great confusion into their interpretations of this last pro-

phecy of Daniel.-When we compare the whole of Paul's prophecy

with the whole of Daniel's, there are found discrepancies between

them, that shew they have not both the same subject.-Paul predicts

a character of extreme and rare impiety, assuming divine honours,

exercising a spiritual function, and extending his power by signs

and lying wonders. His prophecy is full, clear, and precise in its

terms, and is obviously fulfilled in the Pope of Rome.-Daniel pre-

dicts a character of great impiety, but in terms like those that are

applied by other prophets to various impious characters.—The pre-

dictions, in the 36th, 37th, 38th, and 39th verses, literally fulfilled

in Herod—in his being the only king, after Daniel's time, over the

whole Jewish nation, independently of the priestly authority-in his

tyranny, and success in war—in his impiety—in his apparently pious

speeches to the Jews-in his reign continuing down to the time of

the wicked generation which rejected the Saviour in his Idumean

descent in his murdering his beloved wife, and all her kindred-in

his rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem, and converting it into a for-

tress, with a garrison, to overawe the Jews, and secure his own

power in his building walled cities, having splendid temples in

them, dedicated to Augustus Cæsar, as a divinity-in his filling these

with garrisons and assigning the neighbouring lands to the soldiers.

-The predictions, in the 40th verse, fulfilled—in Cleopatra and

Mark Antony going to war with Augustus Cæsar in Herod, at

first, being on the side of Cleopatra and Antony-in the rapidity of

the conquests of Augustus, in that war-in his fighting some actions

with cavalry, but none with infantry—in his gaining the great naval

victory of Actium-and in his quickly getting possession of a great

extent of territory. The predictions, in the 41st verse, fulfilled-in

Augustus with his army passing through Judea and in the failure of

the expedition he sent against the mingled people of Arabia.—The

predictions, in the 42d and 43d verses, fulfilled-in his reducing

Egypt, and its dependencies, to the form of a Roman province-in

his getting possession of the treasures of Cleopatra, although she, at

one time, meditated flying with them by the Red Sea, and, at another,

burning them with herself—and in his subduing, by his officers, the

Garamantes in Libya, and Candace queen of Ethiopia. The predic-

tions, in the 44th verse, fulfilled-in the announcement of the birth

of JESUS, by the wise men from the east-in the intelligence Herod

received from Rome of the conspiracies of his son Antipater, and

the undutiful behaviour of two other sons-in Herod's great fury on

these occasions in his slaying the young children of Bethlehem, his

son Antipater, and many other persons, about the same time.-The

predictions, in the 45th verse, fulfilled-in Herod's building two

royal palaces in Jerusalem, where, it appears from Matthew, he was

present, when the wise men came from the east-and in his having

recourse, in vain, to many remedies, for the cure or mitigation of

his painful disease.

PAGE 93

SECTION V.

Illustrations of the xii. chapter.-Michael proved, by Bishop Hor-

sley, to be a name of the Saviour. The same proved by another

train of argument.-Meaning of the name, He who is like unto God.

-It would seem to be repeatedly translated by the Apostle Paul, when

declaring the Divinity of the Saviour.-The predictions, in the 1st

verse, fulfilled—in Jesus being born in Bethlehem, in the days of

Herod the king, and afterwards entering on his public ministry-in

his addressing himself first to the Jews in the calamities sent upon

the unbelieving Jews-and in the deliverance, both eternal and tem-

poral, granted to the believing. The predictions, in the 2d verse,

fulfilled-in the preaching of Christ, awakening men from the death

of sin-in some believing on him to everlasting life-and in others

knowing him to be the Messiah, yet refusing to acknowledge him,

from motives of worldly ambition, or for fear of the Jewish Rulers.—

The predictions, in the 3d verse, fulfilled—in the preaching and writ-

ings of the Apostles and Evangelists, and the effect of them,-the

conversion of men to righteousness.-The predictions, in the 4th

verse, fulfilled-in the concluding part of this prophecy of Daniel not

being understood, till it was explained by Christ, in his own prediction

of the destruction of Jerusalem—and in the preaching of the Gospel

to the Gentiles -The 5th verse, a description of the outward appear-

ances of the vision. The predictions, in the 6th, 7th, 11th, and 12th

verses, fulfilled-in the length of time, consisting of two unequal

periods, during which the great Jewish war lasted-in the issue of

that war, which was the complete dispersion of the Jewish nation-

and in the blessedness,-secured to them by their Saviour's promise,-

of the Christians, who endured to the end, amidst the sufferings and

trials of the time of trouble.-The 9th verse, a repetition of part of

the 4th verse. The predictions, in the 10th verse, fulfilled-in the

sanctification of the Christian converts—in their understanding this

prophecy, which was explained to them by the Saviour in the

obstinate impenitence and increasing wickedness of the unbelieving

Jews-and in their not understanding this prophecy.-Nature and