the two first kingdoms reprefented in Nebuchadnezzar's dream were the Babylonian and the Perfian. As to the reft there hath been fome controverfy, but with little reafon or foundation for it, only that fome perfons are troubled with the fpirit of contradiction, and will difpute about the plaineft points. III. His belly and his thighs of brass, (ver. 32.) which Daniel interprets (ver. 39.) And another third kingdom of brafs which jhall bear rule over all the earth. It is uni verfally known, that Alexander the great fubverted the Perfian empire. The kingdom therefore which fucceeded to the Perfian was the Macedonian; and this kingdom was fitly reprefented by brass; for the Greeks were famous for their brazen armour, their ufual epithet being xaxxoxlaves Axaoio, the brafen-coated Greeks. χαλκοχίτωνες Αχαιοι, Daniel's interpretation in (4) Jofephus is, that another coming from the weft, completely armed in brafs, fhall deftroy the empire of the Medes and Perfians. This third kingdom is alfo faid to bear rule over all the earth by a figure ufual in almoft all authors. Alexander himfelf (5) commanded, that he should be called the king of all the world; not that he really conquered, or near conquered the whole world, but he had confiderable dominions in Europe, Afia, and Africa, that is in all the three parts of the world then known; and (6) Diodorus Siculus and other hiftorians give an account of embaffadors coming from almoft all the world to congratulate him upon his fuccefs, or to fubmit to his empire: and then efpecially, as (7) Arrian remarks, did (4) την δε εκεινων ἑτερο τις απο δύσεως καθαίρησε χαλκον ημφιεσ E. illorum autem imperium alius quidam ab occidente veniens deftruet, ere totus obductus. Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 10. Cap. 10. Sect. 4. p. 457. Edit. Hudfon. (5) Accepto deinde imperio regem fe terrarum omnium ac mundi appellati juffit. Juftin. Lib. 12. Cap. 16. Sect. 9. Edit. Grævii. (6) κατα δε τέτον τον χρόνον, εξ ἅπασης σχεδόν της οικεμένης ήκον #pecbess. น. 7. A. quo tempore è 3 cunctis fere orbis terrarum partibus legati ad Alexandrum venerunt, &c. Diod. Sic. Lib. 17. p. 622. Edit. Steph. p. 579. Tom. 2. Edit. Rhod. (7) και τότε μάλιςα αυλόν τε ανα TW Aλegardfor και τοις αμφ' αυτο φανηναι γης τε άπασης και θαλλασ ons suploy. ac tum primum Alex-andrum fibi ipfi et qui cum eo erant univerfæ terre ac maris dominum vifum effe. Arrian. de Exped. Alex. Lib. 7. Cap. 15. P. 294. Edit, Gronov. Alexander Alexander himself appear to himself and to thofe about him to be mafter both of all the earth and fea. That this third kingdom therefore was the Macedonian, every one allows, and muft allow: but then it is controverted, whether this kingdom ended in the perfon of Alexander, or was continued in his fucceffors. St. Jerome faith (8) exprefly, that the third kingdom fignifies Alexander, and the kingdom of the Macedonians, and of the fucceffors of Alexander. Which is rightly named brazen, faith he: for among all metals brafs is more vocal, and tinkles louder, and its found is diffufed far and wide, that it portended not only the fame and power of the kingdom, but alfo the eloquence of the Greek language. Another commentator obferves, (9) that this kingdom is compared to the belly, to denote the drunkenness of Alexander, and the profufe luxury of his fucceffors efpecially of the Ptolemies. It was a ftrange wild conceit in Grotius and others, to think that the kingdom of Alexander and of his fucceffors made two different kingdoms. Grotius was indeed a very great man, and for the most part a very able and ufeful commentator: but the greatest and ableft men have their weakneffes, and none have betrayed more weaknefs, or committed more errors in chronology and history. than he hath done, in explaining the prophecies. His notions here are as mean and contracted, as they are generous and inlarged in other inftances. The Seleucide who reigned in Syria, and the Lagida who reigned in Egypt, might be defigned particularly by the two thighs of brafs. Of all Alexander's fucceffors they might be pointed out alone, because they alone had much connection with the Jewish church and nation. But their kingdom was no more a different kingdom (8) Et regnum tertium aliud aneum, quod imperabit universæ terræ. Alexandrum fignificat, et regnum Mace donum, fuccefforumque Alexandri. Quod rectè æneum dicitur: Inter omnia enim metalla æs vocalius eft, et tinnit clarius, et fonitus ejus longè latèque diffunditur, ut non folum famam et potentiam regni, fed et eloquentiam Græci fermonis often. derét. Hieron. Vol. 3. p. 1081. Edit. Benedict. (9) Confertur hoc ventri, ad notandum Alexandri crapulam, et fuccefforum ejus præcipue Ptolemæorum effufam luxuriam. Tirinus apud Poli Synopf. from from that of Alexander, than the parts differ from the whole. It was the fame government ftill continued. They who governed were ftill Macedonians. The metal was the fame, and the nation was the fame: nor is the fame nation ever reprefented by different metals, but the different metals always fignify different nations. All ancient authors too fpeak of the kingdom of Alexander and of his fucceffors as one and the fame kingdom. The thing is implied in the very name by which they are ufually called, the fucceffors of Alexander. Alexander being dead, (1) faith Jofephus, the empire was divided among his fucceffors; he doth not fay that fo many new empires were erected. After the death of Alexander, faith (2) Justin, the kingdoms of the eaft were divided among his fucceffors: and he ftill denominates them Macedonians, and their empire the Macedonian; and reckons Alexander the fame to the Macedonians, as Cyrus was to the Perfians, and Romulus to the Romans. Grotius himself (3) acknowlegeth, that even now the Hebrews call thofe kingdoms by one name the kingdom of the Grecians. There is one infuperable objection against the kingdoms of the Lagida and of the Seleucida being a different kingdom from that of Alexander, becaufe if they are not confidered as parts of Alexander's dominion, they cannot be counted as one kingdom, they constitute properly two separate and distinct kingdoms. IV. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron, and part of clay, (ver. 33.) which is thus interpreted by Daniel (ver. 40, 41, 42, 43.) And the fourth kingdom fhall be ftrong as (1) Tihutnoun@ de Aregardes, My age as Tus diadexes sepioon. Alexandro autem vita defunéto, imperium inter fucceffores divifum eft. Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 11. Cap. 8. Sect. 7. P. 505. Edit. Hudson. (2) Poft mortem Alexandri magni, duin inter fucceffores ejus orientis regna dividerentur, &c. Juftin. Lib. 41. Cap. 4. Sect. 1. Speaking of the Parthians, Poftremò Macedonibus triumphato oriente fervierunt. Cap. 1. Sect. 5. Hi poftea diductis Macedo nibus in bellum civile, &c. Cap. 4. Sect. 2. Adminiftratio gentis poft defectionem Macedonici imperii fub regibus fuit. Cap. 2. Sect. 1. Sic Arfaces quæfito fimul conftitutoque regno, non minus memorabilis Parthis, quam Perfis Cyrus, Macedonibus Alex ander, Romanis Romulus, matura se. nectute dedecit. Cap. 5. Sect. 5. Edit. Grævii. (3) Etiam nunc Hebræi ifta imperia uno nomine appellant regnum Gracorum, Grot. in Dan. VII. 7. iron; forafmuch as iron breaketh in pieces, and fubdueth att things; and as iron that breaketh all thefe, fhall it break in pieces and bruife. And whereas thou faweft the feet and toes, part of potter's clay, and part of iron; the kingdom fhall be divided, but there fhall be in it of the ftrength of the iron, forafmuch as thou faweft the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay; fo the kingdom fhall be partly strong and partly broken. And whereas thou faweft iron mixed with miry clay, they fhall mingle themselves with the feed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. Here are farther proofs that the kingdoms of the Seleucidæ and of the Lagidæ cannot poffibly be the fourth kingdom, because the marks and characters here given of the fourth kingdom by no means agree with either of thofe kingdoms. This fourth kingdom is defcribed as ftronger than the preceding. As iron breaketh and bruifeth all other metals, fo this breaketh and fubdueth all the former kingdoms: but the kingdoms of the Lagidæ and of the Seleucidæ were fo far from being ftronger, that they were much weaker, and less than any of the former kingdoms. This kingdom too is reprefented as divided into ten toes: but when or where were the kingdoms of the Lagida and of the Seleucidæ divided into fo many parts? Befides, the metal here is different, and confequently the nation should be different from the preceding. The four different metals muft fignify four different nations: and as the gold fignified the Babylonians, and the filver the Perfians, and the brafs the Macedonians; fo the iron cannot fignify the Macedonians again, but muft neceffarily denote fome other nation: and we will venture to fay that there is not a nation upon earth, to which this defcription is. applicable, but the Romans. The Romans fucceeded next to the Macedonians, and therefore in courfe were next to be mentioned. The Roman empire was ftronger and larger than any of the preceding. The Romans brake in pieces, and fubdued all the former kingdoms. As Jofephus faid, that the two arms of filver denoted the kings of the Medes and Perfians; fo we might fay in like manner, that the two legs legs of iron fignified the two Roman confuls. The iron was mixed with miry clay, and the Romans were defiled with a mixture of barbarous nations. The Roman empire was at length divided into ten leffer kingdoms, anfwering to the ten toes of the image, as we hall fee hereafter. Thefe kingdoms retained much of the old Roman ftrength, and manifefted it upon feveral occafions, fo that the kingdom was partly strong and partly broken. They mingled themselves with the feed of men; they made marriages and alliances one with another, as they continue to do at this day; but no hearty union enfued; reafons of state are stronger than the ties of blood, and intereft generally avails more than affinity. Some expound it of the fecular and ecclefiaftical powers, fometimes agreeing, fometimes clafhing and interfering with each other, to the weakening of both, and endangering their breaking to pieces. Or if by the feed of men we are to understand the fame as by the daughters of men (Gen. VI. 2.) thofe of a falfe and different religion, it may allude to the intermarriages, which feveral of the European nations, and particularly the French Spanish and Portuguese, have made with the Indians Africans and Americans. Thus fome of the ten kingdoms who call themselves fons of God, and the only fons of God by adoption, have mixed with the feed of men, with ftrangers to him; and yet no folid union enfues. Which obfervation was fuggested to me by an unknown Correfpondent, Mr. Hercules Younge, an ingenious Clergyman of Carrick in Ireland. The Roman empire therefore is reprefented in a double ftate, firft with the ftrength of iron, conquering all before it, his legs of iron; and then weakened and divided by the mixture of barbarous nations, his feet part of iron, and part of clay. It fubdued Syria, and made the kingdom of the Seleucida a Roman province in the (4) year 65 before Chrift; it fubdued Egypt, and made the kingdom of the Lagida a Roman province in the year 30 before Chrift: and in the fourth century after Chrift, it began to be torn in pieces by the incurfions of the barbarous nations. VOL. I. (4) See Ufher, Prideaux, and other chronologers. St. |