the extracts. But it is apprehended, that an objection of a different kind is far more likely to be alleged. The quotations, it is feared, have been dispersed with too lavish a hand. In forming my own opinions, a confiderable benefit has, however, refulted from the occafional confultation of a number of writers: by comparing their fentiments, and gathering their scattered lights, I have been enabled more nicely to weigh the evidence of their feveral interpretations, and to afcertain the import of particular paffages with a degree of affurance, which I otherwife could not have obtained. And the numerous extracts of a fimilar tenor, however chargeable with tedioufnefs, will, it is hoped, be productive of the fame benefit to the reader; that of imparting to him a ftronger affurance in the alleged interpretations.

Indeed, this was perhaps my moft difficult task. I was fearful, on the one hand, of ftating the interpretations of the commentators in fo brief a manner, that they fhould not be of authority, and should be unadapted to carry conviction to the mind. On the other hand, I was equally apprehenfive, left my accumulation of quotations and of references1s fhould be fo great, as to

It is principally on account of Daubuz's vast accumulation of references and authorities, that his cómmentary on the Apo. calypfe has rarely been perufed, though perhaps more valuable than any other, and certainly enriched with more copious flores of learning.

become

become intolerably tedious. Whether a middle course has been pursued with any degree of fuccefs, is for the reader to determine.

Let him not, therefore, form the erroneous fuppofition, that authorities have been omitted to be quoted, only when no authorities1 were to be obtained. And it may be observed, that, to different comments, I had recourfe for dif ferent purposes; and, of no one point, have all those been examined to which I had accefs. The profecution of a contrary method would, indeed, have been a task, at once toilfome, inconvenient, and fuperfluous.

With respect to the philological obfervations which it was neceffary to introduce, and the remarks on Greek words, care has been taken that they should not be numerous; and, to prevent the reader from being impeded by them in his progress, the greater part of them have been thrown into the notes.

As the Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is an expenfive work, and of great extent; as Mr. Gibbon is a writer of the highest rank, with refpect to the ability which he difplays, and the information which he communicates; as he will be exempt from all fufpicion of partiality to the Chriftian religion, and

19 The interpretations of particular paffages, after being collected, have not unfrequently been thrown afide; for fometimes one commentator is moft happy in the clearness of his illuftrations; fometimes another.

of

of any defign to throw a light on the subject of prophecy; I have thought myself justified in extracting from him a confiderable number of paffages, in order to illuftrate the effects of Christianity and the predictions of fcripture. With respect to thofe of my readers who have previously perufed them, it is fufficient to remark, that, befides being quoted for a purpose to which they were never before applied, they are unquestionably deferving of a fecond perufal.

Concluding that those writers, who poffefs an acknowledged fhare of reputation, are the best entitled to a favourable hearing, and are most likely to obtain it, to them I have generally appealed; and from the more obfcure annotators on the apocalypfe have sparingly quoted. Bishop Newton, fpeaking of those who have commented on it, fays, our obligations are 'owing to three particularly, MR. MEDE, VI6 TRINGA, and DAUBUZ20. To them, therefore, I have often recurred; and, as I know no commentator, who can be compared with the laft of the three, and with DR. LANCASTER who has copied from him, for the accuracy, the care, and the confiftency, with which they have explained the prophetic fymbols, I have quoted from these two clergymen with more than ordinary frequency.

The fize of the prefent publication would have been greatly reduced, had it not been 20 Differt. on the Proph. vol. III. p. 8.

con

conceived, that there was an intimate dependency of its several parts, and had they not appeared to be fo adjusted, as mutually to impart light and evidence. Among the most powerful of the motives, which have prompted me to admit so many citations and authorities, is my folicitude to fhew, that a great part of my ideas on prophecy have long ago been entertained by fuch as have made that fubject their study; and that they muft, therefore, have been fuggefted by an inspection of the prophetic fymbols themfelves without any retrospect to those great events, which have recently arrested the attention, and now shake the governments, of the European world. Many paffages alfo I have been induced the more eafily to infert, because they proceed from fuch writers, as can never be charged with entertaining fentiments hoftile to tthe power either of kings or of priests. Of the ftrong declarations, which occur in the !prefent volumes, refulting from the ftudy of prophecy, and levelled against civil tyrants or facerdotal ufurpation, not a few, indeed, will demonstrate the mighty power of truth, and the irrififtible clearness of fome parts of the fcriptural prophecies; for it will be feen, that fuch declarations have not unfrequently escaped from the pens of thofe, whofe profpe&ts, prejudices, and fituations powerfully prompted them, on fuch fubjects as thefe, to caution and to filence. Often would the labour cof writing have been less than

that

that of collecting. But it was the aim of the author to convince; and this aim, in many cafes, appeared most likely to be attained by appealing to writers, who are diftinguifhed by their abilities or their learning, and whofe opinions carry with them a degree of weight and authority.

Should the reader be of opinion, that any of the more important conclufions, contained in the following pages, are unaccompanied by any fa tisfactory proofs; let him recollect, that he will not, from that circumftance, be authorized in deciding, that they are incapable of being proved, Let him be reminded, that no error is more frequent than to attribute a deficiency in the mode of treating a fubject to the subject itself. That he may not, in this instance, be deceived by this error, and that the contents of the prefent volumes may be the less likely to disappoint him; I think it right to acknowledge, that, in confequence of having altogether neglected the study of Daniel and the Apocalypfe, I know not that I had, till the year before laft, and before a part of it had paffed away, read a fingle page of any one of the writers on thofe two prophets. Let it also be remembered, that the researches of a fingle individual on a subject like this, if it be a part of his object to collect authorities on any particular points, even if carried on for feveral years, muft neceffarily be partial and confined.

When I look back on the comparatively small

por