add, with a fidelity and a piety truly admirable, "the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom;"-thus pointing out to Nebuchadnezzar that he was entirely indebted for his possessions, influence, and glory, to the great Supreme; and insinuating, at this solemn moment, a lesson of the greatest practical importance both to the individual he was addressing, and to all who might hereafter be called to sway the sceptre.

"The breast and the arms of silver," are said to be emblematic of "another and inferior kingdom," which was to "arise after" that of Nebuchadnezzar. This was the MedoPersian. The arms represent the two kings of the Medes and Persians, whose dominions were united under Cyrus, when he captured Babylon in the year B. C. 538. By the term inferior, some suppose there is a reference to the moral character of the kings; others refer it to the rapidly declining glory and short duration of that empire. From Cyrus to the last monarch elapsed only 200 years. According to the Arabic version, however, the meaning is simply, that this empire should be next in order; and perhaps the best principle · of interpretation is to disregard the mere comparative value of the metals which compose the image.

The third kingdom is indicated by "the belly and thighs of brass." It is said to "bear

rule over all the earth." This alludes to the Macedonian or Greek empire, founded by Alexander the Great. His conquests were so extensive as fully to justify the description; for Europe, Asia, and Africa, were made sensible of his power. The epithet of brazencoated Greeks, by which they were distinguished, on account of their eminence in military prowess, seems appropriate to the vision, though no stress need be laid upon it. The Persian monarchy terminated in the overthrow of Darius Codomanus, at Arbela, in the year B. C. 331. After his death (B. C. 323), the empire was divided by Alexander among his four generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. The thighs of brass have been thought to represent the kingdoms of the Seleucidæ, in Syria, and the Lagidæ, in Egypt; which constituted the last branches of the Greek empire.

The fourth kingdom is pointed out by the image having "legs of iron; and feet, part of iron and part of clay." The interpretation is, that it shall be "strong as iron,” and shall "break in pieces and bruise." To the Macedonian or Grecian succeeded the Roman empire, whose iron temperament, evinced alike in the valor and hardiness of the people, and the vigor, perseverance, and oppressive consequences of their military achievements, and whose division into the Eastern and Western

empires, verify the two legs of the image. This emblem may also have a further and more specific reference to those. Imperial persecutions of the church of Christ, which have spread their sanguinary hue over the pages of history, stained the memory of their perpetrators with the deepest dye of guilt, and accumulated upon their heads a weight of fearful responsibility.

The feet and toes being "part of iron and part of clay," exhibits the division of the kingdom, and its finally enfeebled state, "being partly strong and partly weak;" through the relaxation of ancient discipline, and by "mingling with the seed of men"-or, in consequence of the intermarriages and leagues with the nations that inundated them from the North, but with whom, nevertheless, they could not amalgamate. The toes may represent the kingdoms which resulted from the entrance of the Goths, Huns, and Vandals, who were at first permitted to settle within the Roman precincts, though they afterwards become independent. But the Roman and Northern nations were so dissimilar in their habits and character, that they never could form one uniform people.

It may be inquired why only four empires are exhibited in this prophecy? The reason probably is, that those were the empires with whom the Jews came in contact, and by whom

they were oppressed. The Turks, indeed, conquered Palestine, but not while the Jews held possession of the country.

The "stone which smote the image," is explained by Daniel as referring to the setof the kingdom, which is to stand upon the ruins of preceding empires.

ting up

Bishop Chandler has justly remarked, that, by the stone being a species of mineral altogether different from that of which the image was composed, it was implied, that "this new kingdom should be not only different in number, or a distinct empire, but of another nature from that of the image." The concurrent opinion of the best expositors may justify us in assuming that the stone which was "cut out of the mountain without hands," and "smote the image," is an adumbration of the KINGDOM OF CHRIST. The correspondence of the figure with the facts, and with other descriptions in the sacred volume, appears sufficiently to verify this application. Bishop Newton remarks, that "the fathers generally apply this to Christ himself. . . . . . but it .` should rather," he says" be understood of the kingdom of Christ, which was formed out of the Roman empire, not by number of hands, or strength of armies, but without human means and the virtue of second causes." It seems more strictly consonant to the spirit of this prophetic vision, in which the head of

gold is to be regarded as comprehending Nebuchadnezzar and his dominions, to consider both Christ personally, and Christ in his government, that is, Christianity, as equally represented. The term stone is frequently applied to Christ in prophecy. Compare Gen. xlix. 24, Isa. xxviii. 16, Psalm cxviii. 22, Matt. xxi. 42, Mark xii. 10, Luke xx. 17, Acts iv. 10, 11, Eph. ii. 20, 1 Peter ii. 4-8. The word mountain, into which the stone is said to expand, is also employed as descriptive of the establishment of the Saviour's dominion in "the last days," Isa. ii. 2. The stone is described as "cut out of the mountain," which may be conceived to refer to the locality of the kingdom, namely, the mountainous country of Judea. It is further affirmed, to be cut or torn out" without hands," that is, without human hands: it was to be accomplished solely by the power of God. An illustrative expression may be found in the epistle to the Corinthians. The body to be possessed at the resurrection is characterized as "a house not made with hands," 2 Cor. v. I.

The stone is seen to "break in pieces the iron, the brass, the silver, and the gold ;" and they became "like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors," which "the wind carried away, that no place was found for them." The expression alludes to the threshing-floors in Eastern countries, which were usually placed