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Stone was cut out without Hands, which fmote the Image upon its Feet, that were of Iron and Clay, and brake them to Pieces. Then was the Iron, the Clay, the Brass, the Silver, and the Gold broken to Pieces together, and became like the Chaff of the Summerthreshing Floors, and the Wind carried them away, that no Place was found for them and the Stone that fmote the Image became a great Mountain, and filled the whole Earth.

Then Daniel proceeds and fays, This is the Dream; and we will tell the Interpretation thereof before the King. Thou O King art a King of Kings; for the God of Heaven bath given thee a Kingdom, Power, and Strength, and Glory, Thou art this Head of Gold. And after thee shall arise another Kingdom inferior to thee. That is, the Kingdom of * Perfia, which was denoted by the Breaft and Arms of the Image which were of Silver; which Kingdom was erectB. 2

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*This Vifion of Daniel's is univerfally acknowledged by all the Jewish Rabbins, as well as Chriftian Divines, to refer to the four great Empires of the World, viz. the Affyrian, Perfian, Grecian and Roman; and the Stone which was cut out without Hands and fmote the Image, to reprefent the Kingdom of the Mellich.

ed by Darius and Cyrus out of the Ruins of the Kingdom of Affyria poffeffed by Nebuchadnezzar, and his Succeffors.

And another Kingdom, fays Daniel, of Brafs Shall arife which shall bear Rule over all the Earth. That is, the Empire of Greece, which fhall fucceed the Perfian Empire by the Conquefts of Alexander over Darius.

And the fourth Kingdom fhall be ftrong as Iron; forafmuch as Iron breaketh in Pieces, and fubdueth all Things: And as Iron that breaketh all these, so shall it break in Pieces and bruife. That is, the Roman Empire, which brake in Pieces and fubdued all the Kingdoms round about it, and brought all the Potentates in Europe, Afia, and Africa, which was the Extent of the thẹn known World, into Subjection under its Power.

And, fays Daniel, whereas thou faweft the Feet and Toes, Part of Potters Clay and Part of Iron; the Kingdom fhall be divided, but there fhall be in it of the Strength of Iron. That is, this Empire, notwithstanding its great Power, fhall be rent in Pieces, and Thall be divided into feveral leffer Principalities, as fo many Toes; and yet nevertheless it fhall not be fo much reduced, but that there fhall fill be left fo much of its Im

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perial Power, as may be faid to partake of the Strength of Iron.

And forafmuch as thou faweft the Iron mixed with miry Clay; and as the Toes of the Feet were Part of Iron, and Part of Clays fo the Kingdom shall be partly firong and partby broken,

And whereas thou faweft Iron mixed with the miry Clay, they shall be mingled among the Seed of Men. That is, thefe Toes, or these new erected Principalities, shall not be Occupied by Perfons belonging to the Roy al Family, but being mixed with miry Clay, fhall be divided among the Invaders of this Empire, who fhall be of the Seed of Men, that is of low Extraction, and not of Royal Blood. In Confirmation of the Truth of which Part of this Prophecy, I think I need only mention the Remark made by the Authors of the Univerfal Hiftory, on the Invafion of the Western Empire by Odoacer, who made himself King of Italy. "At length, fay they, Italy with its proud "Metropolis, which had for fo many Ages - given Law to the Reft of the World, was enflaved by a contemptible Barba

*

Univ. Hift. Vol. VII. B; iii. Ch. 31.

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❤rian, whofe Family, Country, and Na ❤tion, are not well known to this Day.”

Then the Prophet proceeds: Nor shall they cleave one to another, even as Iron is not mixed with Clay. That is, thefe Toes, or thefe feperate Kingdoms fhall never unite again into one Principality. Which is a Truth that we daily fee verified by the feperate Interests, which the various Kingdoms in Europe, Afia, and Africa at prefent purfue; and the Independency which they still preferve on the Roman Empire, of which they were formerly only fo many Provinces. And which we may be affured will never be united again under one Universal Monarchy, till the Stone cut out without Hands becometh great Mountain, that is, till the Kingdom of the Meffiab.

For, fays Daniel, and in the Days of these Kings fhall the God of Heaven fet up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the Kingdom fhall not be left to other People; that is, while this Empire thus continueth divided, the God of Heaven shall erect a new Kingdom, which shall not be left to other People, that is, fhall not defcend like the Inheritance of other Kingdoms to a Succeffion of Princes, but shall remain un

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der one continued Head; and shall break in Pieces, and confume all thefe Kingdoms, and it fhall fland for ever.

Whence it is reasonable to conclude that this laft Kingdom, which is alluded to by Daniel under the wonderful and fupernatural Emblem of a Stone cut out without Hands, which became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth, and which is particu larly specified, as fet up by the God of Hea ven never to be deftroyed, and which, fhall not be left to other People, but fhall ftand for ver, is the Kingdom of the Meffiab.

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Which will still appear more plainly under the next emblematical Vision that was thewed to the Prophet Daniel, which is still more particular both in the Description of this Kingdom of the Meffiah, and of the Time of its being fet up.

For fays Daniel,* In the first Year of Belhazzar, King of Babylon, Daniel † bad a Dream and Vifions of his Head upon bis Bed. Four great Beafts came up from the Sea, di wers one from another. The first was like a LION, and bad Eagles Wings: and, fays Daniel, I bebeld till the Wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the Earth, and

Dan. vii. 1, c.

+ Heb, Saw:

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