Grecia," to form a distinct picture of a particular train of events, which we are thus naturally led to fuppofe will take place in the eastern part of the world.

Third Vifion-The RAM and the HE-GOAT, including "the LITTLE HORN" of the Eaft.

In the former vifion, which was a general history of the four kingdoms, Perfia was defcribed as a bear, to mark its character for cruelty and oppreffion. In this, which fhews only the rife, progrefs, and decline of two of the kingdoms, apparently with a view to the principal fubject of it-the little born, which was to arife after them-Perfia is defignated by its common fymbol, a ram *.

Be

Chaldee Paraphrafts explain the Hebrew word keren, a horn, by the term malchutha, which fignifies a kingdom. Newton, C. XV.

1

* It was usual for the kings of Perfia to wear a ram's head made of gold, and adorned with precious stones, inftead of a diadem; for fo Ammianus Marcellinus describes them. Bishop Chandler and others farther obferve, that

rams

Behold there ftood before the river, a ram which had two horns, [Media and Perfia] and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher [Persia} came up laft'. I saw the ram pushing weftward, and northward, and fouthward, [it had poffeffion of the Eaft] fo that no beaft might ftand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great, [as in the time of Xerxes and Darius.] And as I was confidering, behold, an he-goat came from the weft [the king, or rather kingdom of Grecia] on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: [he came with fuch bounding rapidity, that he seemed not to touch the ground] and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. [Alexander king of Macedon, who had first subdued Greece.] And he came to the ram that had

rams heads with horns, one higher and the other lower, are ftill to be seen on the pillars at Persepolis. Newton.

The goat is made the type of the Grecian or Macedonian. Empire, becaufe the Macedonians were denominated Egeada, or the goat's people, 200 years before the time of Daniel. It is alfo remarkable, that Alexander's for by Roxana was named Alexander Ægos, or the fon of the goat and fome of Alexander's fucceffors are reprefented in their coins with goat's horns. Newton.

1 Daniel viii. 3, &c.

two

two horns-and ran unto him in the fury of his power, And I faw him come clofe unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and fmote the ram, and brake his two horns, and there was no power in the ram to ftand before him, but he caft him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he-goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; [Alexander died at the height of conqueft, and in the prime of life] and for it (or, instead of it) came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. [Alexander's four Captains, who divided his kingdom; Caffander held Macedon, and Greece, and the western parts-Lyfimachus had Thrace and Bithynia, and the northern regions-Ptolemy poffeffed Egypt and the fouthern countries-Seleucus obtained Syria and the eastern provinces.] And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the fouth, and toward the eaft, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the hoft of heaven; and it caft down fome of the hoft, and of the ftars to the ground, and ftamped upon them. Yea, he magnified

himself, even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily facrifice was taken away, and the place of his fanctuary was caft down. And an hoft was given him against the daily facrifice by reason of tranfgreffion, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practifed, (or wrought) and profpered."

To this description I fubjoin the explanation given by the angel previous to any obfervations upon it-" And in the latter time of their kingdoms, [that is, of the four kingdoms which fucceeded Alexander's kingdom] when the tranfgreffors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark fentences, shall stand up. And his power fhall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall deftroy wonderfully, and shall profper, and practise, and fhall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy alfo he fhall caufe craft to prosper in his hand, and he fhall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace fhall deftroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken without hand. And, the vifion of the evening and the morning [an Hebraifm fignifying a day] is true: wherefore fhut thou up the vifion, for it fhall be for many days."

"This little horn is, by the generality of interpreters both Jewish and Christian, antient and modern, fuppofed to mean Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, who was a great enemy and cruel perfecutor of the Jews; but then all allow that Antiochus Epiphanes was a type of Antichrift m." Bishop Newton however, adopting the opinion of Sir Ifaac Newton, leaves Antiochus wholly out of the queftion, and applies it to the Roman power, which firft fubdued Macedon and Greece, the capital kingdom of the goat, by which, he fays, the Romans became a born of the goat. But notwithstanding his very ingenious Differtation " upon this fubject, I cannot but think there remain as great reasons for applying this Prophecy in the first instance to An tiochus Epiphanes, and in the last to Anti-chrift, without contradicting the accuracy of its application, in many points, to the Romans. The plan of this Work obliges me to refer the Reader to Bishop Newton's Differtation for a clear difplay of the fulfilment of this Prophecy, both by Antiochus and by the Ro mans; for it appears to me that he establishes the antient opinion even while combating it,

Bishop Newton, c. 14.

Bishop Newton, vol. ii. Diff. 15. See alfo Sir Ifaac Newton.

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