gave way before the overwhelming forces of the Turks, whose progress was tracked with destruction, and whose coming was indeed like a whirlwind. Chariots and horsemen were to be the distinguishing marks of their armies, though armies, in general, contain the greatest proportion of foot soldiers. And, in describing their first invasion of the Grecian territory, Gibbon relates, that the myriads of Turkish horse overspread a frontier of six hundred miles from Tauris to Arzeroum, and the blood of one hundred and thirty thousand Christians was a grateful sacrifice to the Arabian prophet. The Turkish armies at first consisted so exclusively of horsemen, that the stoutest of the youths of the captive Christians were afterward taken and trained as a band of infantry, and called janizaries (yengi cheri) or new soldiers.' In apparent contradiction to the nature of their army, they were also to possess many ships. And Gibbon again relates that a fleet of two hundred ships was constructed by the hands of the captive Greeks.' But no direct evidence is necessary to prove that many ships must have been requisite for the capture of so many islands, and the destruction of the Venetian naval power, which was once the most celebrated in Eu rope. 'The words, shall enter into the countries and overflow and pass over, give us an exact idea of their overflowing the western parts of Asia, and then pass-ing over into Europe.'

"He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown.* This expres

* Dan. xi, 41.

sion, the glorious land, occurs in the previous part of this prophecy (v. 16), and, in both cases, it evidently means the land of Israel; and such the Syriac translation renders it. The Holy Land formed part of the first conquest of the Turks. And many countries shall be overthrown.* The limits of the Turkish empire embraced the ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Macedon, Thrace, Epirus, Greece, &c., and the many countries over which they ruled. The whole of Syria was also included, with partial exceptions. These very exceptions are specified in the prophecy, though these territories partially intersect the Turkish dominions, and divide one portion of them from another, forming a singular contrast to the general continuity of kingdoms. And while every particular prediction respecting these separate states has been fully verified, their escaping out of the hands of the Turks has been no less marvellously fulfilled. But these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.† Mede, Sir Isaac and Bishop Newton, in applying this prophecy to the Turkish empire, could only express, in general terms, that the Arabs possessed these countries, and exacted tribute from the Turks for permitting their caravans to pass through them. But recent travellers, among whom Volney has to be numbered, have unconsciously given the most satisfactory information, demonstrative of the truth of all the minutiae of the prediction. Volhey describes these countries in part,-Burckhardt traversed them all,—and they have since been visited

The

by other travellers. Edom and Moab are in possession of the Bedouin (or wandering) Arabs. Turks have often attempted in vain to subjugate them. The partial escape of Ammon from their dominion is not less discriminating than just. For although that territory lies in the immediate vicinity of the pachalic of Damascus, to which part of it is subjected,—though it be extremely fertile by nature,-though its situation and its soil have thus presented, for several centuries, the strongest temptation to Turkish rapacity,-—though they have often attempted to subdue it,—yet no fact could have been more explicitly detailed, or more incidentally communicated, than that the inhabitants of the greater part of that country, particularly what adjoins the ancient but now desolate city of Ammon, 'live in a state of complete independence of the Turks.'

"He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries. How significantly do these words represent the vast extent of the Turkish empire, which alone has stretched its dominion over many countries of Asia, of Europe, and of Africa. Ill-fated Egypt was not to escape from subjection to such a master. And the land of Egypt shall not escape; but he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Turks have drained Egypt of its wealth, of its gold and of its silver, and of its precious things and such power have they exercised over them, that the kingdom of the Pharaohs, the land where everlasting pyramids were

built, despoiled to the utmost, is now one of the poorest, as it has long been the basest of kingdoms. The Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps.* These form the extremities of the Turkish empire, and were partially subject to its power. After the conquest of Egypt, the terror of Selim's victories,' says the historian, spreading wide, the kings of Africa, bordering upon Cyrenaica, sent their ambassadors with offers to become his tributaries. Other more remote nations also towards Ethiopia were easily induced to join in amity with the Turks.' Exclusive of Egypt, they still retain the nominal power over other countries of Africa. Such is the prophetic description of the rise and extent of that power which was to possess Judea in the latter days; and it is a precise delineation of the rise and extent of the Turkish empire, to which Judea has been subject for centuries.

Every succeeding fact, from the time of Cyrus to the present age, gives as sure a confirmation as the voice of an angel could have done, that the things noted in this prophecy are those of the Scripture of truth. History interprets every part of it. It brings a multiplicity of witnesses, if we will listen to their testimony, from a long succession of ages, each arising to testify to its truth. And although the names of the countries be not mentioned, and the prophecy has received a variety of interpretations, yet we apprehend that it presents us, like every spot on earth which was the subject of Scriptural prophecies, with ocular demonstration that there is a God who ruleth among the

* Dan. xi, 43.

nations; and that the Christian religion, the purest and the best on earth, has that God for its author."

We come now to the New Testament; and the first prophecy that meets us is that of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, as spoken by our Saviour. To give an adequate idea of this, however, would require a volume. I shall be able only briefly to allude to a few particulars. And I would remark in the outset, that the three evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke,* who record this prophecy, wrote many years before the event, while Jerusalem was standing, and there were no signs of its approaching destruction. John wrote after its destruction; and we see the remarkable delicacy of the inspired authors of the Bible, that he should not even allude to the subject, lest he should seem to conform the prediction to the event. The first sign of the approach of this event, which Jesus gave to his disciples, was the appearance of false Christs, which should deceive many. Josephus, the Jewish historian, states that the country was filled with impostors and deceivers, who induced many people to follow them to the wilderness, where they miserably perished.

The next sign he gave them, was wars and rumors of wars," nation rising against nation. Josephus and other historians relate that, before the destruction of Jerusalem, in consequence of the rebellion of the Jews, the whole of Judea was a scene of war. Josephus says, "every city was divided into two armies." Italy was also convulsed with contentions for the em