above 23 years 23 years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar ; which may be the reafon of Daniel's speaking of him as the only king, thou art this head of gold, and after thee fhall arife &c, the reft being to be confidered as nothing; nor do we read of any thing good or great that was performed by them, II. His breaft and his arms of filver, (ver. 32.) which Daniel interprets (ver. 39.) And after thee fhall arife another kingdom inferior to thee. It is very well known, that the kingdom which arofe after the Babylonian, was the Medo-Perfian. The two hands and the shoulders, faith (2) Jofephus, fignify that the empire of the Babylonians should be diffolved by two kings. The two kings were the kings of the Medes and Perfians, whofe powers were united under Cyrus, who was fon of one of the kings and fonin-law of the other, and who befieged and took Babylon, put an end to that empire, and on its ruins erected the Medo-Perfian, or the Perfian as it is more usually called, the Persians having foon gained the afcendent over the Medes. This empire is faid to be inferior as being less than the former, minus te as the Vulgar Latin tranflates it, becaufe neither Cyrus nor any of his fucceffors ever carried their arms into Africa or Spain fo far as Nebuchadnezzar is reported to have done; or rather inferior as being worse than the former, deterius te as Caftalio tranflates it, for (3) Dr. Prideaux afferts, and I believe he may affert very truly, that the kings of Persia "the worst race of men that ever go"verned an empire." This empire from its first establishment by Cyrus to the death of the last king Darius Codomannus lasted not much above 200 years. Thus far all critics and commentators are agreed, that the two first kingdoms reprefented in Nebuchadnezzar's dream were the Babylonian and the Perfian. As to the rest there hath been fome controverfy, but with little reafon or foundation for it, only that fome per were (3) Prideaux Connect. Part 1. B. 2. Anno 559. Nerigliffar 1. (4) την δε εκείνων έτερος τις από δύσεως καθαίρήσει χαλκον proposes. ημφιεσμένος. illorum autem imperium alius quidam ab occidente veniens deftruet, ære totus obductus. jofeph. An tiq. perfons are troubled with the spirit of contradiction, and will dispute about the plainest points. III. His belly and his thighs of brafs, (ver. 32.) which Daniel interprets (ver. 39.) And another third kingdom of brass which shall bear rule over all the earth. It is univerfally known, that Alexander the great fubverted the Perfian empire. The kingdom therefore which succeeded to the Perfian, was the Macedonian; and this kingdom was fitly reprefented by brass; for the Greeks were famous for their brazen armour, their ufual epithet being χαλκοχιτώνες Αχαιοι, the brazen-coated Greeks. Daniel's interpretation in (4) Jofephus is, that another coming from the weft, completely armed in brafs, fhall destroy the empire of the Medes and Perfians. This third kingdom is also said to bear rule over all the earth by a figure ufual in almost all authors. Alexander himself (5) commanded, that he should be called the king of all the world; not that he really conquered, or near Conquered the whole world, but he had confiderable dominions in Europe, Afia, and Africa, tiq. Lib. 10. Cap. 10. Sect. 4. P. 457. Edit. Hudfon. (5) Accepto deinde imperio, regem fe terrarum omnium ac mundi appellari juffit. that Juftin. Sect. 9. (6) XXT* that is in all the three parts of the world then known; and (6) Diodorus Siculus and other hiftorians give an account of embassadors coming from almost all the world to congratulate him upon his fuccefs, or to fubmit to his empire: and then efpecially, as (7) Arrian remarks, did Alexander himself appear to himself and to those about him to be mafter both of all the earth and fea. That this third kingdom therefore was the Macedonian, every one allows, and must allow: but then it is controverted, whether this king dom ended in the perfon of Alexander, or was continued in his fucceffors. St. Jerome faith (8) exprefly, that the third kingdom fignifies Alexander, and the kingdom of the Macedonians, and of the fucceffors of Alexander. Which is rightly named brazen, faith he for among all metals brafs is more vocal, and tinkles louder, and its found is diffufed far and κεμένης wide, ac tum (6) κατα δε τείον του χρο- τε άυλῳ Αλέξανδρον και τοις αμφ' νον, εξ άπασης σχεδόν της 140 αυτον φανηναι γης τε άπασης ήκον πρεσβεις, κ. και θαλασσης κύριον. T. λ. quo tempore è cunctis fere orbis terrarum partibus legati ad Alexandrum venerunt, &c. Diod. Sic. Lib. 17. p. 622. Edit. Steph. p. 579. Tom. 2. Edit. Rhod. primum Alexandrum fibi ipfi et qui cum eo erant univerfæ terræ ac maris dominum vifum effe. Arrian. de Exped. Alex. Lib. 7. Cap. 15. p. 294. Edit. Gronov. (8) Et regnum tertium aliud ancum, wide, that it portended not only the fame and power of the kingdom, but also the eloquence of the Greek language. Another commentator obferves, (9) that this kingdom is compared to the belly, to denote the drunkenness of Alexander, and the profufe luxury of his fucceffors especially of the Ptolemies. It was a ftrange wild conceit in Grotius and others, tq think that the kingdom of Alexander and of his fucceffors made two different kingdoms. Grotius was indeed a very great man, and for the most part a very able and useful commentator: but the greatest and ablest men have their weakneffes, and none hath betrayed more weakness, or committed more errors in chronology and history than he hath done, in explaining the prophecies. His notions here are as mean and contracted, as they are generous and inlarged in other inftances. The Seleucida who reigned in Syria, and the neum, quod imperabit univerfæ terræ. Alexandrum fignificat, et regnum Macedonum, fuccefforumque Alexandri. Quod rectè æneum dicitur: Inter omnia enim metalla æs vocalius eft, et tinnit clarius, et fonitus ejus longè latèque diffunditur, ut non folum famam et potentiam regui, fed et eloquentiam Græci fermonis oftenderet. (9) Confertur hoc ventri, ad notandum Alexandri crapulam, et fuccefforum ejus præcipue Ptolemæorum effufam luxuriam. Tirinus apud Poli Synops. (1) Tehov |