"And He fhall speak great Words against the "moft High, and shall wear out the Saints, &c.

But as this is the latter end of a Vision, that consists of several parts, which by the Defcription are Explained to be Succeffive to one another, it is not poffible to apprehend the full Evidence of what is meant by these last Words, without obferving their Connection and Confistency with what goes before, and with other Visions on the fame Matter; and then it will, I believe, be paft difpute, to what they relate, and to what Period of Time alone they can be applyed.

They are part of the first Vision which Daniel himself had Originally, as I observed before, which was in the firft of Belshazzar, and this Vifion contains a general Abridgment of the Hiftory of what was to happen from his own Time downwards, in a distinct Method, which he himself expreffes thus, in short,

"Thefe great Beasts which are Four, are "Four Kings, which fhall arife out of the Earth. "But the Saints of the most High shall take "the Kingdom, and poffefs the Kingdom forever, even for ever and ever,

The

25.

Dan. VII

17.

18.

The fame Series of Hiftory had been expreffed as methodically, but not so particularly in the Vision which Nebuchadnezzar faw, and which Daniel interpreted to him, and ended with telling Dan. II. him, that "The Great God had made known to "the King what should come to pass hereafter.

45

VIII.

XII.

The Vision of the third of Belshazzar, and X. XI. that of the third of Cyrus, ferve in most particulars, to illustrate and explain that of the first Dan. VII of Belshazzar, and all these confidered together, are fufficient to clear up History, till the latter Period of the fourth Beast, and to make that more evident, what is in Daniel must be compared with the defcriptions given by St. John in his Revelations of The great Red Dragon, and of The Beaft which rofe up out of the Sea; and of The other Beast which came up out of the Earth: XVII.7. And of the Woman and the Beast that carrieth ber.

Rev.XII.

3.

XIIL 1:

117

Now that all these things may be confidéred in their proper place and order, there does not feem to be a more natural and eafy Method, than first to go through Nebuchadnezzar's Vifion

of

of the great Image, with Daniel's interpretation of it, and then to refume the fame Subject as it is reprefented to Daniel himself under the figure of four Beafts, and there to take in the concurring places of Scripture which generally allude to that figure, and but feldom to Nebuchadnezzar's great Linage.

This laft therefore as it is a compleat abridgment of it felf, will give the moft familiar and eafy notion of the main Scope of Daniel and St. John's Prophecies, and when that is well apprehended, it may be attempted with better Succefs to range in order the particular branches of them, and the circumftances which have attended the great turns and most remarkable changes which have happened in the World.

Dan, II.

I.

SECT. I V.

Nebuchadnezzars Vision of the great Image.

"IN

N the fecond Year of the Reign of Nebu "chadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed "Dreams, wherewith his Spirit was troubled, "and his Sleep brake from him.

"Then the King commanded to call the "Magicians and the Aftrologers, and the Sorcerers,

and the Chaldeans, for to fhew the King his "Dreams, fo they came and ftood before the King.

"And the King faid unto them, I have dreamed "a Dream, and my Spirit was troubled to know "the Dream.

"Then spake the Chaldeans to the King in Syriack, O King, live forever! Tell thy Ser"vants the Dream, and we will fhew the << Interpretation.

"The King anfwered and faid to the Chaldeans,

"The

"the thing is gone from me, if ye will not make "known unto me the Dream, with the Inter"pretation thereof, ye fhall be cut in Pieces and your Houses shall be made a Dunghill.

"But if ye fhew the dream and the Inter- Chap. II, "pretation thereof, ye fhall receive of me Gifts "and Rewards, and great Honour, therefore "fhew me the Dream and the Interpretation "thereof.

They anfwered again, and faid, let the King tell his Servants the Dream, and we will fhew "the Interpretation of it.

"The King answered and said, I know of "certainty, that ye would gain the Time, because "ye fee the thing is gone from me.

"But if ye will not make known unto me the "Dream, there is but one decree for you, for

ye have prepared Lying and Corrupt Words "to fpeak before me, till the Time be changed, "therefore tell me the Dream, and I fhall know "that ye can fhew me the Interpretation thereof. "The Chaldeans answered before the King, "and faid, there is not a Man upon the Earth F

"that

7.

8.

94