And thus the damage is repaired, and entire fatisfaction made. But fuffering can be no good, upon any principle. It can, in itfelf, be no gratification or benefit to the pure and perfect juftice of God. He hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth. He is a tender, compaffionate God, and mifery can be no adequate compenfation for his goods which finners have received and wasted. The atonement, then, is not to be viewed as the payment of a debt, after our manner of negociation, but is rather to be confidered as an expedient which infinite wifdom has devifed, rendering it confiftent to forgive tranfgreffors. The mere fufferings of Chrift | could have had no avail, to fave, were it not for the great and extenfive ends which they brought to pass. And, as far as these ends can be fecured in a confiftency with the falvation of guilty men, God will extend mercy. He will fave to the uttermoft; for his mercy endureth for ever. We will now add a few reflections. and God is exhibited in his tranfcendent purity, viewing fin as odious, and delighting in holiness. Thefe truths are not lefs clear in the atonement, than they would have been in the final deftruction of the human race. Indeed, they are fet forth in a vaftly stronger light, on account of the matchlefs dignity of the divine Saviour. So that we are not to fuppofe, that God's compaffions can fail, by reafon of any limitation in the atonement which Chrift has made. 2. The fufficiency of the atonement does not imply that all are to be faved. The fatisfaction which Chrift has rendered, is not fuch as to reIcafe the obligation of the finner, and extinguifh the claims of juftice upon him. His character remains the fame as before. His ill-defert is not diminished; and he is entitled to nothing but the wages of fin. The fatisfaction is not fo fet to his account, as neceffarily to discharge him from the condemning power of the rightcous law. Chrift has not fo canicelled the debt of juftice, as that The atonement does not necef 1. We learn the fufficiency of the guilty offender must be fer the atonement. free. He is not fubftituted in the Chrift hath made full fatisfac-place of the finner, in fuch mantion to divine juftice. The atone-ner, that his fufferings muft, in ment is of infinite value. There equity, be taken in exchange for` is no deficiency in the merit of thofe which are the finner's due. the Redeemer. He hath taken upon himfelf the penalty of the farily terminate in the falvation of law, and fubmitted to it's con- all men, any more than in the redemning fentence. His amazingcovery of apoftate angels, who fufferings have difplayed its puri- kept not their fir eftate, God ty, juftice and holiness, not lefs, may have mercy on whom he will and even far more, than the crea- have mercy. He is fill left free tures' fufferings could have done. to difpenfe his mercies, as he When God Ipares not his own pleafes. If he fees wife ends to Son, but freely gives him up to be answered, by leaving a portion the agonies of the crofs, then fin of the human race to perish in appears to be fin; the law appears unbelief, he has a right fo to do. holy, juft and good; the divine Notwithstanding the rich atoneanthority is clothed with dignity,ment, the renovation of the creaVOL. I. No. 6. Сс ture ftill refts as an independent, favor, to be beftowed according to his wife and fovereign pleafure. And we may be affured that God will fave to the extent of his goodnefs. He will confer grace and glory upon loft finners, as far as he can do it confiftently with his own perfections, and the general good. 3. Thé fufficiency of the atonement is our encouragement, to fet about the work of our falvation. No one need defpair, on account earth is peace and good will to- An explanation of the Prophecy of (Continued from page 171.) NUMBER II. Daniel's vifion of the four beafts, of any defect in Chrift's fatisfac- G having effected his im tion. The chief of finners may come, and find ample provifion. Christ hath given himself a ranfom for all. He hath made fuch difplay of the excellence of the divine law, that this does not lie as an obstruction in the way to falvation. Whofoever will may come. The invitations of the gofpel are free and large. A great and effectual door is opened. And it must be encouraging to guilty men, to know that the way is cleared, and they may be forgiven upon their repentance. The richnefs of the atonement is calculated to keep the trembling penitent from defpondency. Who, in fincerity, ever fought, and was difappointed? mediate purposes by impreffing the mind of Nebuchadnezzar with an extraordinary prophetic dream, we do not find that he experienced any other divine impreffion, except that which premonifhed him of his own degradation and humiliation; but God proceeded to communicate his wife and holy defigns to his fervant Daniel. The firft of thefe communications, like the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, prefigured a connected feries and univerfal fystem of events to be effected in the kingdoms of the earth, to the end of the world. It confifted of a vifion, which is related in the following manner. Daniel Spake and faid, I faw in my vifions by night and behold the four winds of heaven frove upon the great feas, and there came up four beafts, diverfe one from We have reafon to blefs God for this confiftent plan of fhowing mercy. In his unfearchable wif-another. The first was like a lion, dom and goodness, he hath devifed a method, in which he can be juft, and yet the juftifier of fuch as believe. None but God, who comprehends his own existence, and the immenfe fyftem of creation, could have feen how the atoning fufferings of Chrift could have made fuch difplay of truth, as to render it confiftent to exercife mercy towards the apoftate creature. Glory to God, that on and had eagles wings, and the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to ftand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And, behold, another beast, a fecond, like to a bear, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they faid thus unto it, Arife, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, and it had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl: and dominion was given to it. After this I faw in the night vifions, and behold a fourth beaft, dreadful and terrible, and frong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and flamped the reft dae with the feet of it, and it was diverfe from all the beafts which were before it; and it had ten horns. I confidered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little born, before whom there were three of the firft horns plucked up by the roots, and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth fpeaking great things.-I beheld till the thrones were caft down, and the Ancient of days did fit-I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horns fpake; I beheld even till the beaft was flain and his body deftroyed and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beafts, they had their dominion taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a feafon and a time. I far in the night vifions, and, behold, one like the SON OF MAN came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and languages fhould ferve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be deftroyed. Thus we have Daniel's famous vifion of the four beafts. And as it is the prefent defign to explain the prophetic vifions of this book, this merits particular attention, But to fuggeft minutely, all the subjects comprized in it, if it were practicable, would protract the fubject to great extent, and perhaps embarrass, rather than edify the common reader. Let it therefore fuffice to give a In fummary and concise view of the fubjects and events prefigured by the emblems of this vifion. The identity of the explanation of this vifion by the angel, with the interpretation of the dream by the prophet, is a fufficient evidence that they related to the fame fubjects. They will therefore be united in the explanation. the interpretation of the dream, and of the vifion, we are explicitly informed, that the four different materials of the one, and the four beafts of the other, typified four different kings orkingdoms, which fhould fucceffively exift in the world. The prophet faw the four winds of heaven strive upon the great fea, the emblem of com motion and trouble, importing that these kingdoms fhould proceed from the agitations and contefts of the nations of the earth.-The different qualities of the materials which compofed the image, and the different characters of the beafts, denoted the different ftate, genius, tempers and manners, of the kingdoms which they respectively represented. Of these empires the BABYLONIAN was the firft, and was represented by the head of gold in the image, to denote its magnificence, opulence and fplendor, for which reason it is called (Ifa. xiv. 4) the golden city; as it was represented by the lion among the beasts to denote its majefty, grandeur and power. The wings on the back of it denote the rapidity of its conquefts, and the eagles' wings, its dignified and elevated ftate; eagles' wings in feripture being the fymbol of elevation, Exod. xix. 4. How I bare you on eagles' wings. They fhall mount up with wings as eagles, Ifa. xl. 31. If the plucking of the wings, in confe quence of which, according to the figure, it fell to the earth, from which it was lifted up and made to ftand on the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it, be applied to the empire, it denoted the humble condition, like that of man in his prefent afflicted ftate, to which it was fubjected by the arms of its enemies. If to Nebuchadnezzar himself, it fignifies his being depofed from his kingly throne, made to eat grafs like an ox, with the restoration of his reafon and royal majesty, after he had been taught by divine chaf. tifements, that the heavens did rule.--As this is the laft prophecy of the Babylonifh empire in this book, or even in the facred writings, it may be proper, in this place, to give a general account of it. BABEL or Babylon is the first name of a city which occurs in the hiftory of mankind after the flood. It originated from that tower which the fons of men built in the land of Shinar, as that derived its name from the confufion which God introduced among the builders, to fruftrate their impicus defign. It was built by Nimrod for the metropolis of his kingdom, Gen. x. 10. From that period it is not named in fcripture till the days of Uzziah, or, perhaps, more probably the days of Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; when it became an important fubject of prophecy to the prophets, Ifaiah, Jeremiah, &c. relative to its conquefts, do-diffufing its fplendid beams, and minion, and terrible deftruction the lion difplaying his majefty by the righteous judgments of and power. But the fucceffors God. In what political ftate it of Nebuchadnezzar being weak, exifted through that extended pe- or luxurious and effeminate, or riod, whether as an independent both, the empire foon began to kingdom, or a province of the em- decline; and the Medes and Perpire of Affyria, it is foreign to the fians, weary of the Babylonih prefent fubject to inquire, as that yoke, combined for its ruin, and whole term preceded that pro- fending an army under Cyaxares phetic series of events which is the Median king, and Cyrus the the grand fubject of this vifion. Though it be exhibited in the reign of Hezekiah, (Ifa. xxxix.) as an independent fovereignty, it is doubtful whether it is to be confidered as the lion, as it appears after this to have been fubject to the kings of Affyria, (fee 2 Kings xvii. 24, and 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11.) from whom it was liberated by the united arms of the Medes and Babylonians. Nabopollaffar, a Babylonish officer under the king of Affyria, availing himself of the effeminacy of his fovereign, affumed an independent ftate; and making affinity with the king of Media by the marriage of his fon Nebuchadnezzar with the daughter of the Median king, the two kings combined their arms for the conqueft of Affyria, fubdued that empire, flew its king, and completely deftroyed Nineveh, its capital. Nebuchadnezzar, taking the command of the Babylonifh army, by his military fkill and valor, fubdued all the adjacent kingdoms, and making fpoil of their treafures, and depofiting them in Babylon, he made his empire the most extenfive, and his royal city the moft opulent of any, perhaps, that the world had ever feen. In Nebuchadnezzar, that famous conqueror, in Babylon that magnificent and impregnable city, and in that empire now elevated to the zenith of earthly glory, we fee the head of gold with which it fhould opprefs the conquered nations. If any prefer a more particular interpretation, they may understand the three ribs to reprefent three kingdoms fubdued and oppreffed by it, Babylon, Lydia or Sardis, and Egypt, or any other they shall select for that purpose. It was faid unto this beaft, or kingdom, Arife, devour much flesh. And the deftruction of human kind, effected by its wars and conquefts abroad, and by infurrections and rebellions, murders, maffacres and affaffinations at home, exceed all defcription. Perfian prince, took the city and diffolved the empire. After this the golden head is not feen on the image, nor does the lion display his majefty before the beafts. Babylon, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, (Ifa. xiii. 19.) was no more called, The Lady of Kingdoms, (Ifa. xlvii. 5.) the empire was obliterated from the nations of the earth, after it had exifted an independent kingdom, computing from Baladan in the reign of Jotham, or Ahaz, king of Ju- | dah 209 years; from the revolt of Nabopollaffar, when perhaps it was moft rightly confidered the Golden head of the image, or the lion among the beafts, 87 years; 50 years after it had deftroyed Jerufalem; and 539 years before the birth of our Lord and Sav-dom of the Greeks, which preceded iour, Jefus Christ. After this very brief defcription of the Lion, or the empire of Babylon, let us proceed to the fecond beaft, which was like to A BEAR. It is most evident, that this beaft reprefented the empire of the Medes and Perfians, as it was next to the lion, and this empire fucceeded that of the Babylonians. It was reprefented by the breaft and arms of filver in the image, to denote the inferiority of it to the Babylonian, and the union of the two kingdoms to form one extenfive empire, and by a bear in the vifion, to denote its voracity and cruelty. It is faid to raise up itself on one fide, importing that the Perfian part of this kingdom outgrew and became more powerful and famous than the Median. It is faid to have three ribs in the mouth of it, to typify the flaughter of men and deftruction of lives effected by it. It is faid that thefe ribs were in the mouth, between its teeth, figpifying the tyranny and cruclty The tha beaft was like a LEOPARD. This beaft reprefent. ed the Macedonian empire, or as it is frequently termed, The king that of the Medes and Perlians. It was like a leopard, denoting its courage and fiercenefs; and the refolution, or rather rafhnefs and impetuofity with which Alexander (by whom this empire was founded) fought his battles and purfued his conquefts, were peculiar to himfelf. It is faid to have upon the back of it four wings of a fowl, to denote the celerity of its conquefts, as in the image it was reprefented by the belly and thighs of brefs in reference to the brazen armour of the Greeks. It is faid, And dominion was given to it. How aftonishingly thefe reprefentations were verified, will be perceived, only by confidering, that Alexander conquered the Medes and Perfians and reduced to his obedience their whole empire, comprizing all Alia Minor, Syria, Paleftine, Egypt, Mefopotamia, Chaldea, Media and Perfia, and added to this, the conquell of the numerous kingdoms between the Cafpian fea on the north, and the Indian ocean on |