north," here first alluded to, that "he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed." "The glorious land" can mean no other than Judea, elsewhere called "the glory of all lands." Ezek. 20. 6. Here therefore we have a point of connexion between the history of these sovereigns and the affairs of the people of the Jews. The king here spoken of is Antiochus the great, who in general was friendly to God's people. But in the course of his wars with the Egyptians, the Jews' country suffered much by the presence of his armies; especially whilst they were employed in driving out the forces of Egypt from the strong hold of Jerusalem. His alliance with the Jews appears to be adverted to in the mention of this circumstance, that there would be "upright ones with him" in the attempt which he made to recover the whole extent of the dominions once annexed to his crown. His rash enterprise against the rising power of Rome, here called "the isles," is also pointed out, as well as his signal discomfiture, and his inglorious end.

His son and successor is described as "a raiser of taxes," which is an evident allusion to the exertions he had to make to pay the heavy tribute imposed on his father by the Romans; for which purpose it is probable he exacted contributions from the Jews. But especially did they suffer under the reign of the next king, Antiochus Epiphanes, here described as "a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries." The cruel usage of the Jews by this wicked king of Syria is related at the beginning of the first Book of Maccabees; where also we find it mentioned that in the prodigality of his gifts he "abounded above the kings that were before him." 1 Macc. 3. 30. There too we learn, that he did much worse than spoil the Jews of their worldly goods, he profaned their sanctuary, and seduced many from their allegiance to the Lord their God. Indeed he used the most abominable cruelties, with a view to exterminate the profession of true religion out of the land; under the pretence that all his subjects should be one people, and leave their own laws and own religion for his. See 1 Macc. 1. 41-64. Perhaps the noble resistance which he met with, on the part of the faithful Jews, was not a little animated by the prophetic hint here given of his failure towards the end of his career; "it shall not be as the former, or as the latter." Certainly we have much in God's word, to inspire us with a like courage in resisting unto death, if ever the arm of secular power should thus enforce amongst us idolatry or infidelity, and leave us no other choice but to renounce the faith or die. At such an hour may God ever support his afflicted servants, and enable them to witness a good confession, under the full assurance of faith, that the days of all such persecutors are numbered, whilst the crown of all such martyrs is eternal!

Of the king that shall do according to his will. 30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return,and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end because it is yet for a time appointed.

36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

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40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries : and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

LECTURE 1386.

That we must resolve to honour the God of our fathers. The prophetic narrative in this chapter has hitherto run on without any considerable break, except in passing over about an hundred and fifty years, between the wealthy_king of Persia and the mighty king of Grecia. See ver. 2, 3. In what follows, the angel who is speaking, after mentioning the repulse of Antiochus Epiphanes by "the ships of Chittim" or the Roman power, takes up the history of that power, passing on at once to the chief points in which it has stood connected with the history of the church of God. Whilst yet heathen it polluted "the sanctuary of strength," when it became the means of destroying the temple at Jerusalem. Much more did it do so after it adopted the profession of Christianity; by corrupting the purity of the Christian faith. Both in its heathen state, and when professing Christianity, it has been notorious for persecuting those who cleave stedfastly to the Gospel of God. Both as a secular power, and as an ecclesiastical power, it has used flattery and force to the uttermost, for the upholding of falsehood in opposition to the truth.

From the division of the Roman empire into two distinct portions, the western and the eastern, there arose a corresponding distinction between the churches of the west and of the east. And it is remarkable, that in each of these great portions of Christendom, there has been a signal encroachment upon the sovereignty of Christ in his kingdom; each based upon the corruption of truth, and the ungodliness of life, which secular influence had fomented in the church; the one still bearing on its front the cross of Christ, but dishonouring it by all manner of idolatry, the other altogether superseding Christ and the Gospel, by the impostor Mahomet and his Koran. We consider that these two great desolations of the church have been pointed out in the previous visions of the prophet. See chap. 7, 8. Possibly one or other of these two, or both, may be meant by the wilful king, whose character, and actions, and end, are here foretold. But it is more probable, that this awful description points to a power professedly infidel, a king who may perhaps marshal in his ranks unbelievers gathered both from the west and from the east, the dregs of both the Romish and Mahometan superstitions. The events of our own times have shewn us how ripe the world is for such a power to arise; if it have not already arisen. Time will shew how soon it is to attain the eminent success, and helpless end, here set forth. It is enough for us to know, that however exalted in power, wealth, or glory, such a godless king may be, his end is foretold by God, no less clearly than his rise. It is enough for us to resolve, that even if our own beloved nation were, for its sins, given up to the sword of such rulers, or to the ascendancy of such principles, we would still at all risks honour that God of our fathers, whose kingdom never ends, and on whose help we may ever confidently rely, for it will never fail.

The resurrection of the dead. The end of these wonders.

1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the

waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

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13 But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

LECTURE 1387.

Of waiting patiently for the fulfilment of God's sure word.

The vision, which has occupied the two preceding chapters, is here continued, and concluded. We must therefore bear in mind, that it is an angelic being who is here speaking, on purpose that Daniel may understand the things concerning his people, revealed in the "scripture of truth;" that is to say, in the visions which he had formerly written down. See ch. 10. 14, 21. Let us lift up

our hearts in prayer to God, that we also may be helped hereby, in understanding, if it be his gracious will, the wonderful things here recorded. The words are indeed said to be "closed up and sealed till the time of the end." But being written in God's book, they are doubtless written for our learning. Some profit we at any time may derive from the study of them. And who shall say, that we are not now so nigh unto the time of the end, as that the words may be beginning to open, and the seal may be about to be broken? And to whom will the vision be first made manifest, for their comfort and joy in the Lord, if not to those, who study it with attention the most diligent, and at the same time with humility and reverence the most deep?

It is evident that the events mentioned in this chapter are as yet future. We can therefore only state it as a probable conjecture, that the children of Israel will yet experience some signal deliverance, as many of them as are Israelites indeed, as many as shall then become Christians. In like manner we here see reason to expect, that at the same time there will be a season of such tribulation as was never before experienced on the earth. After this we find a reference to the resurrection of the dead, implying the resurrection of the body, as well as the immortality of the soul, and clearly distinguishing between the end of the ungodly, and the blessedness of them that are wise unto salvation, and especially of such as glorify God by turning others unto righteousness. And we have also here set down two marks or characters of the time of the end, the time until the arrival whereof these words are to be closed, this book sealed, namely, that "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Surely there is much in our own times, at least in our own land and in some others, corresponding with this description. Surely when we consider the nature of both these characters, we shall expect, that they will spread rapidly from land to land, even unto the ends of the earth. And surely also we have seen enough of the fruits which come of knowledge without religion, and of activity uninfluenced by piety, to be aware that a time of unparalleled trouble is likely to be nigh at hand.

But if with Daniel we inquire, "what shall be the end of these things?" though we are certainly much nearer than he was to the time, we shall find ourselves as yet unable to attain any certainty in the matter. Before indeed he asked the question, it had been very solemnly announced, that the end of all is unalterably fixt; and the period had been expressed in the language used in one of the previous visions, and there supposed to signify twelve hundred and sixty years. See ch. 7. 25. Two other longer periods are also here mentioned, all three probably dating from the same commencement. But which is the true commencement of these periods seems at present to be a thing hidden from our eyes. For when the "time, times, and an half" are spoken of, nothing at all