":k. V \> ^y ^ a 1100 Wnyni* AMniM, SuM 1100 SMMf Sprtng. Maryland 20910 301/587-8202 Centimeter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 mm Inches 1.0 t 3 4 Itt 1^ 12.2 lU IM ■ u |4£, ■2£ ■ 1.8 11.25 lU 11.6 HI.4 I ~\ MfiNUFfiCTURED TO RIIM STPNDfiRDS - BY PPPLIED IMPGE^ INC. CIHM Microfiche Series (Monograplis) ICMH Collection de microfiches (monographies) ■W- •t" Canadlan InttlniU foe Htotorlc^i Mlcror«irc^MCtlo«. / l~tlt«t c««dl«. d. mIcrofproducUont Wttorlqu.. r.. Ttchnicalwid BibNofrapliie Notts / Nottt Mchniq[un t MMiograpliiquM th* Imtitutt hat atttrnpttd to dbtain ttw bMt orifiiMl cojiv avnlabto for f ilmint. Faaturas of itiit co^ wrtiidi OMV ba MbliofraphicaNv uniqMa. Mrtiich may alttr any of tiMimafat in liw raprodoetiMi. or writkh may •ifnifieantiv ehanti tha inual mathod of fiimini. ara chadiad balow. L'lnttitut a microfilniA la maillaur aiiainplaira tiu'il lui a M pOMiMa da aa proeurar . La* dMaih da eat axamplaira qui lont pa«it4tra tmiqua* du point da vua bibUoflraphi9Ma. qui pauvant modifiar una imaia raproduita. ou qui pauvant axifar uiw niodif iciatidn dafM la HMtfioda norniaia da f ipnaia lont indiquai □ Colourad eovan/ Couvartura da cqulaur ECoirart d a mipd/ Couvartura □ Colourad pagas/ Rata* da eoulaur ca 0Covan rattorod andAK iamihatad/ Couvartura rattaurte at/ou paliieuMa □ Covar titia minint/ La titra da couvartura mfnqua □ Colourad maiM/ Cartts ftegraphiquai an eoulaur r. QPMn rastorad and/or laminatad/ . P^ iai rattauria* at/ou paMieulia* Pafat diseolourad. stained or foxed/ Pages dicolortes, tachaties ou piquias □>B9as detached/ Pages d«tach«es □ Coloufod ink (i.e. other than Mue or Mack)/ Encra da eoulaur (i.e. eutre que Meue ou noire) 0Sho«»through/ Transparence □ Coloured plates and/or illustrations/f Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with ottier mettrial/ ■ ReM evec d'autres documents . I TV-*^ □ Includes index(es)/ Comprend un (des) index D Title on heeder taken from:/ . „Le titre de I'en-titt provient: Title page of i^nif/ . Page de titre m la livraison |~~~| Caption of issue/ Titre de depart de la livraison □ Masthead/ inerique (piriodiques) de la livraiion Additional comments:/ > Commentaires supplAfnentaires: Pages filmed individually except for pages S-d* this item is fikned'ettiM reduction ratiA cheeked bek»w/ Ce document est film^ eu ttux de riMuction indiqui ci-dessous. ' '•or . :.- MX'.' ■ 18JC .•:•• 22X 26X XX t2X liX ED m »x nx 3 32X oopy flimad hf th« gMMrotlty 0f : TktUiMClNmliafCwN* knkhm Vicwrti ^niMnliy AfcMvM ImagM appMrini BOMibto eontldaring fof th« originil oopy m 'fHmlng oontraot opoe tHMfi roprodueod thonkt horo or* tho bott quality condition and iagibility |ln koaping with tha itlpna. Original eoplaa In ptii baginning with tha jfrpi tha laat paga with a ^! aion, orthabaaltedv othar orlplnal ebpiaji f ifst paga with a prjn aion. and anding oh 1 or llluatratad ImpraUii papar eovara ara fllmad aovar and anding on itad or llluatratad impraa- jwhan approprtata. All fllmad baginning on tha or llluatratad lmpraa> laat paga with a printad n.. '.■■...,.■, Tha laat raeordad f^inia •hall contain tha avimliel TINUEO'1. orthaMbol whichavar appliaa.! on aaeh mierofleha ■>»> (maaning "CON* V (maaning "END"). Mapa. plataf , eharb. late., may ba fllmad at diff arant raductlort railoa. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly inolfidad liji ona axpotura ara fllmad baginning ih tha dbpir laft hand eomar, latt to right and top to tajfttsm, aa many.lramaa at raquirad. T^a folli^wirig diagrama llluttrata tha mathod: I * ■jfi 1 / I'axamplalrt Hlmi fut raproduH grAca i la g*n«roalt* dm i TIN URilitf CiNMli tf CaMt ArckivM / : Victifli UaivMillv Aralil tj^T Laa Imagaa aulvantaa ont AtA raproduitaa avae la plua grand aoin, eompta tanu da la eondltion at da la iwtiatA da I'axamplalfa fllm4««at an oofiformM avae laa eonditlona du eontrat da fllmaga. Irafu Laa aiiamplalraa orlglrafuK dont la aouvartura an paplar aat ImprimA* font fllmAa an aommancant par la pramlar plat af j|n tarmlnant aolt par la .damlAra paga qui odmporta una amprainta dlmpraaalon ou dlllua^tion. aolt par la aaeond plat aalon la aaa. Toufe laa autraa axamplairaa orlglnaux aent fttmto jbn eqmmanpanfpar la praihlAra paga qui ebmporia una amprainta dimpraaaion ou dlllu^tration at w tarmlnant par la damlAra paga qui pompf rta una taNa amprainta. j .. v? Un daa aymbolaa auhranta apparattra aur la damlAra Ihiaga da ehaqua mierofleha, taion la eaa: la aymbola -^ aignif la "A iU IVRI". la aymboia ▼ aignlfia "FIN". Laa eartat. planehaa. tableau)^, ate., pauvant Atra filmte A daa taux da ridueti^ diff Aranta. Loraqua la doeumant aat trap grand pour Atra raprodult an un aa^l eliehA. M aat f HmA A partir da I'angla aupAriai^r gaueha. da gaueha A drolta. at da haut an bat.| an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nAeaaaa^a. Laa diagrammaa auivanta llluatrant la mAthi^da. ■■ I- ■;:%:; '2' • . ■ . ■■:3 V ■ ' ' i ■' ■* ^-^A-H" 'X: TffW" fifl^ffmmfry^Wf^mmm J»^^-."-"» 4.W.V.. < t-v THIES IMAGE OF PROPHECY. "^ ^!'.* N&- - ■ \ *- l' . ■ y ■ ■ ■ ■ IN WHICH 'fnB Vision of Nebuchadnezzar, KING OF BABYLON, : * AS INTERPRETED BY . (^ DANIEL THE PROPHET, . ■ . V \^,'.\- :•■ :.■'■■■■'■■■..: -^ . '■-^■■^■- V IS EXAMINED.$|fROM ■ • W ■: - . • ■ ■ -^- \ . ■■■ THE P0ST-MILLE2LIAL 'standpoint AND SHOWN TO BE MOT oR^ i^T VARIANCE ^ WITH, ■ . ^UT ENTIRELY SUBVERJSiyB ©P THE '•■*■'' PRE-MILLENIAL THEORY. By rev. T.L WILKINSON. PRICE, 5 JCENT8. RRANTPOBDi<: MINTED KT tHB OFPICS OF TBS TBLKORAM FRDfTING CO. ..■/ 1884. -S:, >«'SSSt -\ ■ i- • ■ ■.♦; ; r" ^•-s- i < ti ■ ,:>.• . a.c{ Z v^ INTRODLXTION. The author of this sermon from ettrl> youth has been mdire or less interested ui hearing and reading about the time and ge- companiments of the Second Advent. Also in the order of divine Providence, a few years since my field of labor was in a section of country where Pre-Millenialism held almost undispufed sway. Soon after that I was drawn uito a public debate in which this question played an important part. These pircumstances encour. aged and compelled me to make the matter a subject of careful and diligent investigation. The result was to confirm me in the belief that Pre-Millenialism was without scripture warrant, and could only be maintained by a perverted use of the Word of God, and vj^ too, in spite of the fact that so many eminent scholars and cmp^tians had embraced it. I found, in the course of my investigations, that every pre-millenial writer, without exception, appealed with great confidence, if not triumph, to the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in support of his theory. This led me to give special consideration to this portion^f scriptvire, and I soon saw that great violence was done to it in order to make it serve a needy and erroneous cause. I discovered that Daniel's interpre-/ tation of this sublime vision was utterly subversive of pre-millen- ialism, and in my debate it was virtually abandoned by my an- tagonist as if it were a scuttled ship. Under these circumstances the reader will not wonder at my^ surprise at finding, a few years since, in the Montreal Witne$Sy a sermon on this very subject by the Rev. Canon (now Bishop) Baldwin of Montreal, in which the pre-millenial theory was strongly urged and defended. To pre. vent others from being misled by the ertor it contained I wrote a criticism of the sermon, but the judicious editor preferred to avoid anything that would provoke discussion on theological mat- ters, and wrote me proposing that I should preach a, sermon on the same subject, send him the manuscript, and he would pub- lish- it instead of the criticism. I complied with his proposal JjUiTED CHURCH ^■■■ ' ' ' ARCHIVE^- ■'■- ■':'7 ^;... ^- *•• Nebuchadnezzar's Dream JL SEBMON. ••And in the ftocond year of the reixn of Nobuchadner/.^ar, Nebachad- ne/7.ar droaitied dreams wherewith hiH spirit was tronbltKl, and hia sleep brake from hiin." — Daniel, 2: 1. . After the ovciwhelmiivg defeat of the prophets of Baal on Mount XJarniel, in the days of Elijali, the question as to the vanity oTidolson the one hand, and the existence and sovereignty of God on the Qther, shouhl have heon forever settled. But the game battle in Various forms ha?« often be^n repeated, and still rages. Tlio (Jod of Israel has, on many occasions, and in various ways, vindicated his claims to the veneration and love of man- kind, but as'a race, we have been slow to learn the lessons tauglit us, and slower still to put them- into practice. One ot those occasions on which the God of heaven came to assert his claims, was when his people Were captives in Babylon. Idolatry was in the ascendancy; it. was exacting, oppressive, and unjust in its demands, persecuting in its spirit, and arrogant in its pretensions. The holy vesssls of tne liord's hauselii^d b^en carried into an idol temple at Sl^iar; a ^aughty and nnpious monarcl) sat upon the throne, ani^)i demand was about to be made upon God's chosen ones to bow down and "yi^orsliip a great image of gold which the king purposed to setup in |he plain of Dura. Doubtless in his day-dreams the indistinct outlmes of this great image were already floating before his mind, Sid from day to day assuming more definite, if jiot mpre gigantic proportion^. Partly, no doubt, to strengthen the faith of his people, and so prepare them for the fiery ordeal through which they were soon to pass, and partly to impress tl)# mind ofNebu chadnezzar with a sense of the divine power and supremacy; the Almighty proposed to put til© claims of this proud oppressor to the test. The boundlessness of the divine resources is seen in the sequel. Taking advantage of Nebufchadnezzar's image- mania, the Divine Spirit visits him in his night- visions, and prob- ably while dreaming out his favorite project, gives him a glimpse of an image m much greater, so much brighter, so much more terri- ble than anything lie had ever seen, or dreamed about before, that he became affrighted and ♦'his sleep brake from him." As you. are doubtless aware, upon awaking he could not recall his ^ \M 4ft 6 o dream. Yet his spirit was so troubled that he was in agon v of mind to know what it was. And surely he might ascertain when Babylon was full of ''magicians and astrologers, and sorcerers," and wise men; accordingly he had them summoned into his presence, and demanded of vhem that they would make known to him tlie dream, and the interpretation thereof, on pain of being cut to pieces and their houses made a dunghill. Notwithstanding the confidence he had hitherto reposed in them, of course they could do neither theone nor the other. We need not trace partic- ularly what immediately ensued/further than to remark that astrol- ogy, sorcery, magic, and all the arts of divination were placed in contrast with the wisdom and power of Israel's God, to the infin- ate disparagement of the former, and the infinite honor of the latter. Daniel, the prophet of the Lord, comes forward to tell the king his dream and the interpretation thereof. v I. THK DREAM. In his dream the king saw "an image whose brightness was excellent, and whose formlwas terrible^ standing befbre him. His head was of gold, ;J*is arpis and breast of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, his |eg9 of iron, and his feet part of iron, and part of clay." He also saw "a Stone cut out without hands, which smote th(3 image upon his 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 chaflf of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them awa^, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." n. THK INTERPRETATION. V; 1. The Irmge. — ^Daniiel says the image represented four great kingdoms, and he also indicates with considerable clearness what kingdoms they were. Beginning with the kingdom of^abylon or Chaldea, represented by Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold, we have in the supeession, first, the Medo-Persian; second, the Grecian or Macedonian, and third, the Boman. What particular elements in these four kingdoms were represented by the gold, silver, brass, iron and clay, js-liot so generally agreed upon. That they could not have been intended to represent mere civil power or human forms of government, is evident from the fact that there is no necessary h^stiUty between Christ's' kingdom and the civil power. Not only is this the case, but the civil or secular power is an ordinance of God, and must be right in itself, and so long as exercised in righteousness must be well-pleasing to Him. Hence he uses the language of men relating to earthly kingdoms with which to describe figuratively, his own rule and authority in the moral world. Whatever the image represents will be destroy- ed; but it is h i gh l y i mpr o b a ble that earthly kingdoms and govern - i II "t* iH ■ ■ ' -.l^- ■ - ■ -.■.,'■■ ■ ■ -7!^ ■■ ■ ^ ■ ' -^ . ments will ever be destroyed, at least while time continues. "Kings sliaUi be nursing lathers, and their queens nursing mothers" to the ^huroh; but if earthly kingdoms are to pass away, theif kings and queens- will also pass away. The Psalmist says (72: 10 11 ) •;Thb kings of Xarshish and of the isles shall bring presents ; .the kmgs of Sheba and Seba shall oflfer gifts; yea, all kings sharfr&ll down before Ilim; all nations shall serve him." "The nation and kingdom that will not serve him shall perish: yea, thou nations shall be utterly wasted." (Isa. 60: 12.) Not so, however, of other nations. They are to become "the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ." Now, all this clearly implies that the nations of the earth are to be subject to Christ, and also that their distinct nationalities will be preserveSi. Christ, however, as the head of the Church, will be "King of kmgs, and Lord of lords." If the antagonism of the stone is not to secular power, therefore, in itself, it is improbably that it would be to the jirticular forms, or even the different degfrees of that power found in these particular kmgdoms. But if the seculai power was not intended, what would be? This is the question it devolves upon us, in humble dependence upon God, to answer. It seems reasonable, as a point from which to set out, that the elements in the image which were to be destroyed by the stone, would represent somethmg in the kingdoms in question that was the most antagonistic td the interests of the stone,— the most diverse in character and influ- ence. And what would that be hni anti-ChrUtianiim or idolatry^ Moreover it is a fact, susceptible of the most satisfiictory proof, that, from the days of Nimrod, the^4Qunder of the Babylonian monarchy, until its final overthrow, idolatry had been incorpora- ted with the national faith and civil government, and constituted one^of the most jfwteht influences for controlling the populace. In &ct, ^ the nations represented by this image were idoUtrous nations; tnd what is somewhat remarkable, the idolatry of these nations was largely of one particular type, and that type was pe- culiar m its character. It was not mere superstition, |n the ordmary sense, or man> religious instinct misgaidea and per- verted through ignorance; but it was, from its very incipiency, a dehberate and impious attempt to usurp the power and preroga- tives of Jehovah, and transfer the spiritual allegiance of mankind to their earthly sovereigns. This attempt was inaugurated and contmued by the sovereigns themselves. It did not originate with the common people. Nor was it done "by rude opposition, but by insidious addition and vitiation." Nimrod himself, the originator of this system of jdolatiry, is said to have been a "proud, daring, and ambitious man," who, "urged on by the great autiior of aU evU, daringly claimed divine honor, and thus prepared the way for unlimited idolatry." {GenHle' Nations, J?. ^31.) He was "adored by the Ch a ld ea n s , und e r th e name > ',1 / %\.i; \*', of Bel-DominuB. and as the image of the sun." In fiict it IS H, -^. 8 f quite clear that he "not only assumed a regal hut also a sacred and divine character. To such an extent, indeed, was this carried that "the memory of the monarch seems to have been pearly lost in the celebrity of the god!" In short, he seems tohave claimed to he the promised seed of the woman who was to estab- lish a divme government upon earth, to which all people should be subject. P is certain that he was worshipped as divine, and that he was the original of the god Bel, or Belus, the principal divinity of Chajdea. Thus the foundations of an idolatrous system were laid, the object of which was to aUenate men's hearts from God, undermine his au<*ibrity among mankind, personate and supplant the "Cord Jesus Christ as God's incarnate Son, and so, if possible, entirely overturn the kingdom of God and thwart his designs in the redemption of our _ world. The whole system, in fact, bears the marks of satanic guile, iand shows most clearly that the original author of man's ruin was now planning to prevent his redemption. The king himself being at the same time the head of the civil and sacred administration, and Invested withr divine prerogatives, the sacred and secular affairs of the kingdom were all cast in the same mould, and had no separate existence. They touched each other at every point, and were in fact almost identical. Such in brief, were the princi- pal characteristics of the system oi idolatry originated i by Nimrod. So rapidly did the contagion of this superstition sptead abroad that, in order to preserve mankind t-om universal cOirruption, as hi the days before the flood, God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, that he might make him the repository of the divine will, and raise up a people among whom the knowledge and wor- ship of the true God might be preserved. From this time forward a miglity conflict raged between the true and false religions. The God of Abraham demanded the universal homage of mankind, jttid the ^ods cl the nations resisted those demands. The divine claims wer^not enforced by political measures, or carnal ordinan- ces, nor were his worshippers attracted by the glittering pageantry and imposing ceremonials of idolatry. To hearts depraved by naiure, ftill of prid^, and enveloped with dariqiess, incapable of being moved by morai motives or chariided and controlled by holy principles and influences* the latter possessed the greater power. Hainan nature, corrupted by the fall, proved to be congenial soil for superstition and error. It is not surprising, therefore, that once incorporated with the national theology of any land, idolatry should become exceedingly prolific. Such appears to have been the case in Babylon. The gods of Babylon conisequently became not only numerous, but gigantic and costly. It is estimated that the statue of^l, or Belus, which was^ also called Jupiter, was 40 feet in height, made of beaten gold, and weighed 1,000 Baby- loniah talents* A B a 1)ylopi8h t al ent being esti m ated at ^B.dOO / • 8t«rling» the whole image would be worth upwards of $17,000, } 4 " ■n; . /:- V i?? . » ■•■•"'■ f^ ,-i!* : 'i :■■-■;■-.. . ,'0 ■;.■•. .■; ;. :- .. . :•, ^ 000. - Tbe Temple of Belus is said to have been a half a mile in circumfereDce, and a furlobg in height. From all that is known of this expensive system of idoktry it is believed that it retained the principal features by whicl} it ^m characterized in its origin viz: the union of the regal and divine prerogatives in the person of the monarch— until long afte# the days of ^ebuchadnezzar, though perhaps it found its fullest exemplification in him. lia harmony with this view, it is tolerably^ certain that the great image which he caused to basset up in the Plain of Dura wm intended to be a statue of himSelf, amd that, in demanding with eo much imperipusness that religious worship should be offered to it throughout his dominion, he was but enforcing his own claims to be regarded as a god. The prophpcy of Isaiah, _ Chap. .14:18, 14, renders this view exceedingly probable. Speaking, evidently of this very monarch, he savs, "For ithou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will ej^aft my throne above the stws of God; I will sit also upon the mornkfof the-cougregation m the i sides of the north; I will ascend above the heists of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." It is evident from this prediction that Nebuchadnezzar would lay claim to the rehgious homage and veneration, not only of his own people, but also of the people of God, who are supposed to be meant by the "stars of God;" while "the mount of the congregation in the sides of the nortii," doubtless means Mount Zion, or Moriah, on which the temple stood, and where the congregation of the Hebrews met to worship the God of heaven. It is' rendered by Dr. Clarke. "The mount of the divine presence." Now, if the foregomgxemarka are just, and assuming that the prediction concerning him was. verified, then Nebuchadnazzar did, in fact, arrogate to himself divine prerogatives and power, and in his pride and presmnption he endeavoured to "exalt himself above all that was Oalled God, ot that was worshipped, so that he, as God, sat in the temple^of God, showin^himself thathe was God;" t^nd thus he earned for the royal city the unenviabla distinction, ** Babylon the great, the Motkei' of Harlots, and aba»iination» of the earth.': Who, then, can determine that when Nebuchadnezzar made: this "image of gold whose height w^s thre&^-score cubits, and set it up in the Plam of Dura," he was not saying in his heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. . . I wdl be like ^ the MostHigh?"-Orif not at this time, at what more probable tune would it have been? It is certain that at this time he reqiured "the stars of God," or the princes and nobles of Isratel, to bow down before an image under- penalty of death. His pi'oBpects for realizing this unholy ambition, to say the leist. were never so bright as at this time. The Jews were hie vassals, he possessed, "a kingdom, power and strength, and glory, and wheresMVw: the childreii of men dwelt, the beasts of tbe field, 9^ the fowJa of the heaven had been given into his haiids, and he %m ruler of them W\ n *' .' Y ^-^f te^™ *^ '-^^T'\J "^ •\ xo V all." if ever he was.-iii a position to vie with the Almighty it was now. Had not Qc^'s power tolprotect his people against this powerful rival failed? Had he not led the Israelites into captivity in spite of their God ?. Might he not therefore, adopt the impious language of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, in his mes< sage to the nobles of Jerusalem ''Hath %ny ofthe gods of the nations delivered at all his land out -of the l^and of the King of Assyria?" He doubtless failed to trace the subjection of the Jews to their unfiuthfulness, on account of which God was using him as a scourge to punish them, but vainly regarded himself as more than Jehovah's equal, and imagined that ho could set him at defiance; and if ever there was a time when such impious pre- tentions werjB justified by circumstances that time had come. If ^evera king who had swayed the Babylonian sceptre, was in a po- sition to make tliem good, that king was Nebuchadnezzar. If, therefore, the battle were to the strong, and the race to the swift, his aims would be accomplished and his unholy ambition grati- fied. He doubtless felt confident of success, and already began to piide himself upon his siipremacy when, lo! his day dreams are interrupted by this vision of the night, in which the hand- writing of his doom is seen upon the wall. Under such circum- -stances, with /what significance and propriety would these words of Ihmiel apply to him as the ruling head of this idolatrous empire, and the impious aspirant after divine honors: "Thou.art this head of gold." But, as we have before intimated, thi? same feature of idolatry ran down through the succeeding Idngdoms of Media, Macedonia and Bome, glltdually degenerating/however, into the lowest and most revolting forms of licentiousness and corruption, as seen ^n^ the gradual deterioration of the image. We cannot, pro'bably, more clearly or concisely describe these facts than in the language of the. late George Smith, the distinguished archsB-' ologist: "Babylon, intensely devoted to this Satanic superstition, passed away; Persia arose to rule the nations; but it was under the same malign influence. The king there, too, was worshipped ^ as divine; and although the good Spirit had given a large com- ^^ mtmication of truth, it was so completely overlaid with the profane • assuifkption of king and priest, that the people Were left blindly to worship the sun, or tiie sacred fire. "Greece then arose to exercise the suprem&cy over the world, and presented a marked display'of the continued collision between these antagonistic powers. Highly endowed with intellectual inight,richly favored with divine influence,possessing every element of human greatness in most abundant measure, Greece was anfuthful to the light of truth, and the influence of God. 'Bin reigned unto death;' a low, corrupt, sensual, and debased idolatry prevailed, until the reasoning mind turned away in disgust, and disowned, even the existence of God. ■'-i^ te 1^ \r't ' *.tS ^*+T!ft44*ife '■tf^.f V m m 11 ;-■ ' ' *'Bome ^was but an unworthy representation of Greece. Starting on lier career of progress with much of truth and divine teaching, Rome became infinitely corrupt. Her idolatry was as vast in its range, and as vile as possible. Never rising so /-high in intellect, or genius, or art, as Greece, Borne plunged deeper, if it could be, in infamous impurity, until the inspired apostle de- clares, 'God gave them up' (unto vile affections, Rom. 1: 26). Thus Satan reigned during successive centuries, grasping author- ity over the physical nature of min (Acts xix), directing and endowing the human mind, until, notwithstanding the possession of boundless power and immense learning, human nature in Rome sunk to the lowest level of infamous degradation, so that it may be questioned whether in any part of the world it can now be found BO very vile."— ^Oentile Nations, p. 623. So far as these remarks apply to Rome they are fully confirmed by the apostle in the first chapter of his epistle to the Romans, from the 2l8t verse, and to a large extent his language is applicable te the previous kingdoms also. "When they knew God they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginajiions, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible, God into an image made like to corruptible man," &c. vl« * • • Now if anything ^Jliras needed to complete the proof that it iS this anti-Christian, or idoktrous element in these kingdoms that this vision has to do with, we have that proof in the object made use of to represent it. It was an imajfe, • — the most appropriate and expressive emblem of idolatry that could be conceived. There is a propriety in Everything that God does, and certainly the utmost propriety jg seen in the selection of an image to repre- sent hnage worship; and of an image in liuman form to represent the deification of human nature. But if mere temporal power or civil government be intended, no matter what the form, we fail to see the propriety of this figure. It seems so clear that it was the idolatrous element in these kingdoms that was represented by t&is image, that we are at a lops to know how any other opinion could ever Ijtave found acceptance. V^xi may be asked, did the gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, iM^clay features of this idolatry, all exist in the Bomaii period, or whenever the contact of the stone took place? We reply, that tiie distinguishipg .characteristic of the whole system, from Nimrod down to Nero, and beyond, was essentially the same, and throughout the whole of this period it might be justly and most appropriately reprisented by an image in human form, inasmuch as that distinguishing characteristic was, as we have abown, the deification of human nature. As before intimated, the various elements of which the imt^e was composed were employed to describe the moral deterioration that took place in . -i 12 the system after the days of Nebuchadnezzar. Yet we can easily # conceive that all the phases of that system, from the best to the worst, rnight be found to exist, less or more, in any, or all of the periods it was designed to include. There was, doubtless, the ♦•miry clay" element in Nebuchadnezzar's days, but it was not the prevailinfl element. So there was doubtless, the"golden" ele- ment in the Roman period, though i< was not at that time the prevailing element. Tiie phase of the system which (UstinftuiMhed it in the respective periods referred to, was unquestionably intended to be represented by the various metals, though we are certainly not to suppose that the one phase of the system alone existed in each of these periods. To assume that such was the case would involve a suddenness of transformation between the respective periods utterly at variance with the facts of the case. All that seems necessary to a proper understanding of the matter is that a gradual deterioration of tiie system took place during the contin- uance of the four kingdoms in question, as indicated in the differ- ences betw;een gold, silver, brass &c, until it becaYne as base and corrupt in its teachings and influences, as the •' miry clay" that was mixed with the iron iji its feet. Thus the whole image would be present whenever the contact of the stone took place, so long as the" system it represented remained entire. 2. The Stune. — ^In seeking an interpretation of this we are not left to conjecture. Daniel has explained it so clearly that there is no room for misconception. After describing what was repre- sented by the image, he proceeds to interpret the meaning of the stone. Hj says, in verses 44 and 45, that, "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which sliall never ' be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever, forasmuch as tbou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold." These words clearly identify the stone with thia "Kingdom of the God of heaven." Observe, too the propriety of this figure. Christ is frequently called a Stone in Scripture, for reasons which we need not now discuss, and believers are also called "stones," or ^•lively stones;" hence there is the utmost propriety in represent- ing that kingdom of which Christ is the royal head, and believers • the royal subjects, by the figure of a stone. Notice, • (a.) This stone was "cut oitt of the .mountain without hands," which is supposed to denote its spintuality. So the phrase "without hands" usually signifies in Scripture. "A lioiise not maAo wi+ii i,o«^c" evidently denotes a spiritual house. "Circum- cision made without hands," doubtless meaxis spiritual circum- oiBiqn. — *'A tabernacle hot made w ith haudB- * evidentl y means a spiritual or heavenly tabernacle. S ' hands" denotes the spirituality of t Sd is within you." So the Apostle Paul, Rom. 11: 17, Mtys, For the longdom' of Gk>d is not meat and drink; but nghtMtaLLiesff and ptace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." These fassagJi <;Learky show tliat the kingdom of God is to be invisible, and demgnedi to regulate tlie secular affairs of men only so far as to see that they are conducted \ n's spiritual and int»0nMeant in |^ te to the dem- brass, and iron; in righteousness, Buiving to do chiefly with . eternal interests. (A.) This kingdom was to be compara rise, — a mere stone. Such an agency would item utterly ina olition ot a colossal image of silver, and gold, but, "It is pot by might, nor by power, but l||L.iBy Spirit, saitlr- the Lord of Hosts." J As compared with gold and silver, a stone wsbnost valneless. So Christianity, as cotniMured with tlie impo3iiHi silos of supersti* tion, is, in the world's estimation, about as little wiprth. Christ is *a root out of a dry gronnd." He was poor. H« iad. not where to lay his head. Henc« the Jews "stumbled" lU ■on. This stone was undoubtedly intended to represent something small at first, such as wvuld be like a stone for size in comparison with this ^eat image. In describing the same kingdom Christ compares it to a "a gnsn-^f mustard° seed, Uie smallMt of all seeds," and to "a little loaven." As compared with the numbers noAgnificence and wealth of earthly king^^ms, Christ's cause wall T^y small. His followers were "a little fltibk." (c.) Notwithstanding all thisT the kingdom of God is to be rietorioW. "It shall brm in pieces, and consume aU these king- doms," v. 44. "It brake M pieces Uie iron, the brass, the cla^. the silver, and the gold," ▼. 4ff. "It smote the ima^ upon his feet that were of iron and clay^ and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the elay, and iLie brass, the silver, and the gold^/ broken to pieces together, and beoame Uke ike chaff of the saminsr threshing-floors," vs. 84, 85. Some 'have understood this language as implyiiur that vidsnoe -mraid'be made use dl^ and fierce judgments emploved in the demolition of Uie imsge, but w^ think thsi nothing of the kind is intended. T?he l»pgnage is not to be littianiHaed toiy titote than the things described. If « literal transaotidn were bmg described theoi ife 8hsiild-say>that fiolenoe was intended.' But ifvthe destraotion dT idolatry by the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, or GfaristiaiBiiy, be meant, then nothing mora oaa» be intended than Jlivt, the. i^oteni^ of Christianity iit »nlyiigiviBe^iritlreiq.tiently em^lpyslcfir aJprnJlarptttywRi t"^*^S*^*^ ^* ,> T**f fi^U ^^^ *f . «- ' *'^"St*^^, ■ ■■-■ li" ;■ hi« 'Znl?'?^^'* ""^f ^°^ by Isaiah, (41; 16, 16), promiseB his people a complete conquest over their enemies, who are represented as mountains, he says, -behold I ^KLke thefa new, sharp, threshing mstrument having teeth: thoiShall thresh ^h!?i*^^°''°*'^"'*"d«^a"°»aJ^e'the hills as ^f\^. ^ Shalt «Mrthem, and the wind shaU carrjr them a^ay, and the whirled shaU scatter them/' The sa4 thought is also expressed^ by our Lord himself wnen he says. Etike 20; IS, "Whosoever shall fall upon this stone shaJl be broken but ° ^®^f« tmtrma/, and "fill the whole ^V: i4?i>^?2T '°"^'"^' — ^ ^^\ ^- i- ii; forev^- -t^^i^^^t^® ^ ■ }^ ff}^^9' *^it ishaft^ ;.8iaii4 . lorey^r. y, 44. In support of this, see Ps^r 146- 18 • Dan 7tl4; Lttkel:88 ;Heb.l:^; I8a.9:7^ v^^ ^^' ,;:"•_; ■/''•'•"";::; ■'••^^iraisTABiJSK^iBNt/'. ..:.':..-. ; * :; ■^■■- r •- T-f, ' ^V^ -A ^xestiondrconsidwableinterest arises justheWas to ^^wSw^w *^"'"}^°gdom;of the God of h^aven^' ^i^^ be lthS^**i^?^*^'^"?*'^ that some place l^e time o^^esteb ' Ifimentm ttie fntur^ and some in the past. Baiiiel says exprewljr ^ ., ^ r. ^- r. f. *.i*t*s.^«^r>,'»''i:^'t ^^f-** ' 16 'Jf !■ fv ?.. that it was to take place "In the days of these kings," or the kingdoms represented by the image. The Roman kingdom, the last of the series, is undoubtedly past. No Yestige of it remains. Those who place the time in the future, therefore, interpret the image as repreBenting*not fourkingdoms, as Daniel, but fourteen, * making each of the toes of the image to represent a kingdom. They would thus divide the Roman kingdom into ten other king- doms, and a3 long as any one of these ten kingdoms remains the time for the establishment of God's Kingdom will not have ex- pired. It will be sufficient, however, tonote^r»«, that Daniel . makes not even the remotest allusion to such ten kingdoms, in explaining this vision to Nebuchadnezzar ; hence we infer thatior the purpose of this vision no such thing was intended; and second- ly, as if to prevent any misconception, Daniel expressly includes the toes of the feet in the fourth kingdom. He says, verses 41, and 42, "Whereas thou sawest the feet and toes part of pother's clay, and part of iron, the kingdom (not kingdoms), shall be divided." How divided ? See next verse: "And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and p^urt of clayi so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brol^." The division of the king- - dom, then, will not consist of its being ^vided in^o ten other/ kingdoms, but in its being "partly str^g and partly broken," or "brittle," as the margin reads. This is further sustained by,thft 48rd verse: "And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with mry clay, they shall mingle themselves with theseedof men: butsball not cleave one to andther, even as iron is not mixed with miry clay." Now, let it be observed while l)aniel includes the toes with the feet in verse 41, to represent the fourth kihgdfiia, so he uses the ,t9e»«i^V||)WPe 42 to represent the same Mngdom. Cet^ tai^StoSSJBoftepresent at tho same time the Roman kingdom anfSS'BBSSbesides. The only legitimate inference is, there- fore, that the kingdom of the God of heaven is either set up already, or Daniel's interpretation was erroneous. Assuming the former to be the correct ujfet^ice, we %ould inquire if that king- dom is established, when 'jSwddit^have taketo place, if not at the introduction of Christiaiiity ? iflie divinely commissioned har- binger came "preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying. Re- pent ye for the kingdom ofheavenisat hand." Mark 9: l.But^vhy quote:«cripture to prove our position ? The whole New Testament is full of it. Almost evdry parable our Lord uttered was designed to illustrate its nature. He is "exalted a Prince,'* as well as a Saviouriand"he must reign till all his enemies are put beneath his feet." Then shall the universal shout go up, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shiJl reign for ever and ever." . , sit may be said that the destruction of the image is to be sudden, and therefore cannot be harmonized with the foregoing yiew. We reply that the suddenness of the destruction is only im- ,i t 9 '.■^ .'fc y'* y* ' A" ' ' '*- 1 »»"' * • ( .^i...,. ^T^i <-H »., ft 1 ■^,! •<^ lis ■ipimiy: Daniel s&ys nothing about it. H« spfeakfl only of ttaimmghneu. fit niay require one year, or it may require one ttaoa8M]d,:or even ten thousand for aught that appears to the con- teAty intDimel. The ilniting was to begin in the days bf the foetor jBaiBiH ->t)^ridd, and eontinne until the forms of anti- Christian tnwteJH^nes^nted by the image were effectually destroyed, as de- voted by fliar being "gronudtoBowder." Aadaorely Anticfirist ndter reeoired snohaa effdotuiablow as it did ty the ministry and work of J^wis. l»«ii^:|Niifaediiwhenhe p^^ tolheAthe- itaMwfcomiibe text **Td. the todmownG*^ gomtel maoRyWd^evesy belietiBj^ puyer sinoe the days of dhrist hac JBto a Mow aimed at the image, ahd etery soot i«olaiined fbom ttedomiBion "^M it were the yoice bf* great mtdtiti^, and as the voic0 of " mimy waters, and a^ ^e wfce m Bttightyihimderings. flaj^g; Alleluia I for the lx*d God om- mpotent reigneth." Even so, como Lord Jesus. Aimii. a%. ^. Wm ~^' ' - i^gaKv, '-% - , 1 • ♦ ■4 • ^ 1 l. ^» ♦. UNITED CHUR"- AJRGHlyES TA . » 'Y t ^ .] vj- ;ik