are faid of the horn fo much infifted on; fee y 8. & 24. ; fee alfo below, remarks on y 12. of this 7th chapter, which diftinguishes the other three empires, which were more eastern, from the fourth.

As what is faid defcribes the little horn of the fourth beast in a general way, by the time of his rife, and the feat of his power; fhewing, that he would rife after the fall and divifion of the fourth, or Roman empire, and rule in the western parts of that empire; fo the other branches of the prediction concerning him, defcribe him by his mifimproved penetration, his pretences to fuperiority over other princes, his temporal dominion, the fingular nature of his government, his oppofition to the true religion, the continuance of that oppofition, and the end of it.

3. His uncommon, though ill improved, penetration and fagacity, and his pretence to fuperiority above the other horns, are implied in the words,

8. 20. where he is called a horn that had eyes, eyes like the eyes of a man; a mouth fpeaking great things, y 8.; very great things, y 20.; the voice of whofe great words raifed the prophet's peculiar attention, y 11.; and his look is faid, 20. to be more ftout than his fellows, or than the other horns.

4. His poffeffing temporal dominion is not only implied in his being called a horn, though a little one, but alfo in his fubduing three of the firft ten kings,

8. & 24. who are faid to be plucked up by the roots before him, and whofe dominions therefore must have become wholly his. But notwithstanding this he is never called any other than a little horn; nor is it faid of him, as of the little horn of the third beast, chap. viii. 9. that it waxed exceed- ing great. The greatnefs of this little horn of the fourth beaft is chiefly placed in great words and looks, joined with fingular penetration or cunning; which is of itfelf a prefumption, that the great things

he

he was to accomplish would be owing to the power of others, voluntarily giving their power to him, after being feduced by him.

5. His oppofition to the true religion is defcribed by his making war with the faints, and prevailing against them until the time of the end; his fpeaking great words against the Moft High; his wearing out the faints of the Moft High; his thinking to change times and laws, which would be given unto his hand until time, times, and the dividing of time.

This description of the little horn fhews, as to his general character, that he would be an adverfary of the truth, of fingular power and influence, attended with great fuccefs in heading the opposition that would be made to true religion. But whereas fuch oppofition may be made by higher powers, either by fupporting old evil laws in favour of delufion, or by reverfing laws that have been established in favour of the truth, or by artificial changing and perverting of fuch laws; which last is the way of promoting apoftafy by fraud and impofture; it is evident, that this is the particular kind of oppofition to the truth that that power is charged with, feeing it is obvious, that the change of laws and times which he was to contrive and promote, is mentioned as a change of laws relating to religion, and must be a change much to the worfe; this being connected with the character given of him as an adverfary of the truth, a speaker of very great words against the Moft High himself, and a perfecutor of his faints : and that his impoftures fhould be promoted at first rather by fraud than force, and rather by corrupting and perverting former good laws, than by open repealing of them, is not only infinuated in the word changing laws, but far more evident from the littleness of this horn or power, which behoved to make him incapable of impofing his change of laws

on

i

on fuperior powers otherwife than by mifperfuafion and deceit.

To have only changed the laws of Pagan worship, which could not eatily have been changed to the worfe, by introducing into focieties that were already Pagan, new objects, or new rules of worthip, would neither have been fo extraordinary a thing in itself, nor could it anfwer to the diftinguishing characters of the change here foretold, feeing that change is fuppofed to be fo fingularily injurious to the Most High; which implies, that, antecedently to that change, the laws were for his honour, and that the doctrine which enlightened the Gentiles had got the countenance of authority. So that this prophecy contains at least a probable argument, that the Meffiah's doctrine fhould attain to the legal eftablishment before the fall of the fourth empire; seeing that after its fall, and divifion, or about that time, falfe religion could not be promoted but by changing laws that had been established for fome time in favour of the truth.

Speaking words againgft the Moft High, when mentioned, as in this prophecy, to characterife a fucceffion of powers oppofing the truth, evidently fignifies a public profeffing and authorifing of corrupt doctrines; as perverfe changing of religious laws and times, fignifies the authorifing of corruptions, not only in doctrine, but worship; and fpeaking, not only words, but great words, very great words, against the Moft High, very naturally denotes a facrilegious claiming too high authority in government, intrenching on the prerogatives of the Most High. So that the prophetic defcription of this little horn's oppofition to the true religion, by changing and corrupting it, fhews, that it would extend to the feveral chief branches of religion, doctrine, worship, and government. But of this laft branch, more under the following article.

6. Whereas it is exprefsly foretold, y 24. that

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the little horn would claim, and actually obtain, a Spiritual fuperiority, or a power of making and changing laws in religion, the whole tenor of the prophecy fhews, that this fpiritual power of that little horn, would not be confined to his own little temporal dominions, but fhould extend to thofe of the other fuperior horns, through their own voluntary fubmiffion. This appears from the prophetic account of the other horns, as involving themfelves in the little horn's apoftafy, and of the little horn's fingular influence in conducting and promoting it.

That the other horns would involve themselves in the apoftafy, is evident from what was formerly proved from chap. ii. namely, that the feet, and confequently the ten toes, of the image, reprefenting the fourth empire, when divided into ten parts, fhould be fmitten by the living ftone, as being principal obftacles to the advancement of the kingdom of God.

Accordingly, in this 7th chapter y 10. when Daniel, upon his feeing the Ancient of Days appearing, and the judgement fet, attends to fee the iffue of the little horn's guilt, it is not merely that horn, but the body of the fourth beaft, that he fees punifhed; which plainly fuppofes, that that body, and confequently the other horns, would involve themfelves in the little horn's guilt, and concur in his apoftafy which is greatly confirmed by the little horn's warring and prevailing over the faints, until the very time of the end, y 21. 22.; feeing, if the other horns had been engaged in the party of the faints, or in the caufe of truth, they behoved to be too many for one little horn.

If the little horn's power to change laws, were fuppofed confined to his own temporal dominions, there would be nothing fo fingular in this, to dif tinguifh him from other abfolute princes, promoting falfe religion among their own fubjects, or to diftinguifh him from the other greater horns enga

ged,

επίσκοπος

ged, as was proved, in the fame apoftafy; whereas the whole conducting of that apoftafy is appropriated to that horn, in fuch a way, as fhews, that however little he was otherwife, the greater horns would implicitly fubmit to him in the matters of religion, as the only horn among them that had eyes, 20. as their teacher or prophet, or (which was the ancient name of prophet) their feer, or chief overfeer, ETISKOTOS; and that his acknowledged fpiritual authority would be fovereign, and its influence on the apoftafy as extenfive as the temporal power of the horns concurring in it. It is he only that is directly charged with that apoftafy. His power and influence in promoting it, next to the oppofite power that finally defeated it, is the chief fubject of the prophecy. The beaft itfelf, and the other horns, however greater than he, engaged in the fame bad cause, seem to be mentioned only by the by, or chiefly on account of their connection with him, to fhew the time, of his rife, the feat of his power, and his adherents. It is the voice of his great words that chiefly awakens the prophet's attention to the refult of the judgement, y 11.; his great words feem to be mentioned as chief caules of the evils that befall the body of the beaft, mentioned in the fame verfe: it is his character that the prophet is chiefly inquifitive about, y 19. & 20. : it is he only that is faid to make war against the faints, and to prevail against them, and that to the end, y 22. it is to his character that the interpreter of the vifion haftens forward his explications; and it is on that alone he expatiates, fcarcely faying. any thing of the greater horns, but that they were fo many kings.

In the explication of the vifion, it is he only that is faid to speak the great words, to wear out the faints, to change times and laws: it is into his hands that the power of making fuch changes is faid to be given, and that for many ages. Seeing

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