The errors of former commentators thus removed out of my path, I will proceed to the task I have undertaken, which is to find out the Power foretold under the type of the Little Horn. A task, in the performance of which I fhall endeavour to adhere conftantly to the following truths, of which I am firmly convinced, that "prophecy "came not in old time by the will of man, but "holy men of God fpake as they were moved "by the Holy Ghoft*;" and consequently that its defcriptive references to future events are effentially true, accurately perfect; and, whether figurative or literal, are, when rightly understood, unequivocal and perfpicuous and farther, that if any one of its defcriptive figns or marks does not tend to defcribe an event, or if any two of them are inconfiftent with each other, or if all of them do not accord in perfect unifon, in pointing out the principal character of the object we may have in view as the particular object foretold, any application in fuch a cafe muft be erroneous. Purfuing this track then, both in the interpretation and application of the figns to their proper events, let us hear the prophet. A He defcribes the power we are in fearch of, by the figurative name of a "LITTLE HORN." Now, in what refpects are we to confider this power as little? It cannot be with regard to territory, and number of fubjects, nor to its ftrength and power; because this sense of the word would directly be inconfiftent with thofe of all the other marks; and, as I have jufi obferved, every mark relating to the fame great event must harmonize. But the other marks reprefent it to be fo ftrong and powerful,, as * 2 Peter, i. 21. that that his look was more fout than his fellows *. He is to "make war with the faints, and to prevail "against them." He fhall " fpeak great words against the MOST HIGH; and he is to fubdue, "and pluck up by the roots, three of the first "horns," or independent ftates. 66 It cannot, then, be little in respect to ftrength and power; but he is, in the fenfe of the prophet, as I humbly apprehend, little," and of no weight, in the fcale of virtue and religion, and of little or no account in the fight and eftimation of God. He is "little," and worthless, because he is to exceed in wickedness all before him. In this fenfe the word is used in many paffages of Scripture, fuch as the following: "And Samuel faid, When thou waft "little in thine own fight, waft thou not made the "head of the tribes of Judah §?" "Now, there"fore, our God; let not all the trouble feem little "to thee, &c. " "Behold, he taketh up the ifles "as a very little thing." "But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the "thousands of Judah, yet out of thee fhall he come "forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Ifrael **" Moreover, his power, however great for a time, is little, because it is to continue but a little time when compared with other prophetic periods; and it is little indeed when compared with the power of Chrift, who, according to St. Paul, fhall con"fume it with the fpirit of his mouth, and deftroy "it with the brightness of his coming" With this fenfe of the word little, all its other tropes,, as we shall presently find, are in perfect agreement, * Ver. 20. Nehem. ix. 32. ‡ Ver. 25.- § 1 Sam. xv. 17. + Ver. 21. ** Micah, v. 2. †† 2 Thes, ii. 8. See comment upon the "Man of Sin. and therefore we may conclude it is the true literal fense. Let me then afk, where we fhall find a Power, which fo perfectly anfwers to this explanation of the "Little Horn;" a power fo worthless, fo wicked and abandoned, fo loft to all that is virtuous and good, fo avowedly impious in principle, and of courfe fo LITTLE in the fight, and fo low in the favour of God, as the revolutionary power of France? From this defcriptive name, the prophet proceeds to the particular marks of the "Little "Horn." The firft is, that it fhall "come up 66 among and after the ten horns." The French republic is exactly in this predicament, having come up among, and after the rife and establishment of the ten kingdoms before mentioned; and which were before and at the time of the reformation, ten independent states or horns, in respect to their temporal dominion, or civil heads, though subject to the fuperftitious domination and influence of the ecclefiaftical head of Rome. A fecond mark of this horn is, that it fhall be diverfe from the firft ten horns. Some commentators have thought this diversity was to confift in the form of its government; but in the Greek and Arabic verfions it is tranflated thus: "He fhall ex"ceed in wickedness all before him." Take the mark in either fenfe, it is ftrictly applicable to revolutionary France. The conftitutions of all the other ten ftates were founded on the principles of reason, justice, morality, and religion; and calculated to promote the order and peace of their refpective focieties. But all the conftitutions of the revolutionary government of France have been established on the principles of injuftice, .immorality, impiety, and atheism; and purposely contrived to foment a spirit of diforder, infurrection, anarchy, and wild tumult, not only in that particular fociety, but throughout the world. The conftitutions of the other ten ftates were calculated for duration, and not liable to fudden and violent changes; but the republican defpotifm of France was exprefsly calculated for change, is in its very nature revolutionary, and has undergone a variety of revolutions in the course of a few years. Indeed, it is fo" diverfe" from thofe of the other ftates, that it may be called a government per fe, neither refembling the other states, nor any thing else "either in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the "earth." If we take the Greek and Arabic verfions of the text, according to the practice of the ancient fathers of the church, that "he fhall exceed in wickedness all before him," the mark is fingularly de fcriptive of the revolutionary state of France. For the government of the ten horns, or ftates, before mentioned, and indeed of all other governments whatever, have intentionally been founded on a belief in God, and future rewards and punishments. But the revolutionary government of France has cunningly been devifed, and purposely established, on the unrestrained liberty of the human will, and the dark, myftical, but most mischievous equality of man; on a blafphemous and ruinous atheism, that fum total of all unrighteoufnefs and fin, united one all-deftructive focus; namely, the impious in DD 2. denial denial of the existence of a God, and his providence over the world. Another mark of the "Little Horn" is, "and behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a "man." This mark, Bifhop Newton (being refolved to apply every mark of this horn to the Pope), fays, "denotes his cunning, forefight, and policy." But how the eyes of a man can properly be taken for "cunning, and forefight," I am at a lofs to conceive. They will anfwer equally well for ftupidity, or fhortfightednefs; and therefore can be no mark to diftinguish the Power we are treating of. But an eye is often used in the Scripture as a fymbol for the mind*. It is put for the infinite mind, the perfect knowledge of God: and for the spiritual mind of man in his regenerated ftate by the word and grace of God. But neither of these fenfes could be in the contemplation of the prophet. He was defcribing a very depraved and wicked Power, and, therefore, he must have intended to compare its eyes, meaning its public mind and general conduct, to thofe of a man in his fallen, degenerate, and corrupted condition; in which his eyes, or mind, being prone to evil, are constantly in purfuit of it, and fee not the peace and ineffable felicity attending on faith and obedience to the God of heaven; or, as Chrift himfelf expreffes it, "having eyes that fee not" the will of God. Such are the "eyes," or the mind, of man in his fallen, ruined, and wretched fiate, as the Hebrew word Enofh, or man, denotes: but when regenerated by the grace of God, he becomes a new crea * Acts xxvi. 18. xxviii. 17. + Prov. xv. 3. Heb. iv. 13. St. Matt. viii. 18. ture; |