works of the highest utility and magnificence. To him the famous city of Babylon owed whatever it possessed of strength, of beauty, or convenience,-its solid walls with their hundred gates, immense in circuit, height, and thickness-its stately temple and its proud palace, with the hanging gardens-its regular streets and spacious squares-the embankments, which confined the river-the canals, which carried off the floods-and the vast reservoir, which in seasons of drought (for to the vicissitudes of immoderate rains and drought the climate was liable) supplied the city and the adjacent country with water. In a word, for the extent of his dominion, and the great revenues it supplied-for his unrivalled success in war-for the magnificence and splendour of his court-and for his stupendous works and improvements at Babylon, he was the greatest monarch, not only of his own times, but incomparably the greatest the world had ever seen, without exception even of those whose names are remembered as the first civilizers of mankind-the Egyptian Sesostris and the Indian Bacchus. But great as this prince's talents and endowments must have been, his uninterrupted and unexampled prosperity was too much for the digestion of his mind. His heart grew vain in the contemplation of his grandeur: he forgot that he was a man; and he affected divine honours. His impious pride received indeed a check, by the miraculous deliverance of the three faithful Jews from the furnace to which they had been condemned. His mind at first was much affected by the miracle; but the impression in time wore off, and the intoxication of power and prosperity returned upon him. God was therefore pleased to humble him, and to make him an example to the world and to himself, of the frailty of all human power-the instability of all human greatness. I say, an example to the world and to himself; for it is very remarkable, that the king's own con.

version was in part an object of the judgment inflicted upon him: and, notwithstanding what has been said to the contrary, upon no ground at all, by a foreign commentator of great name, it is evident, from the sacred history, that object was accomplished; and it was in order to the accomplishment of it that the king had warning of the impending visitation in a dream. That a dispensation of judgment should be tempered with such signal mercy to a heathen prince, not, like Cyrus, eminent for his virtues, however distinguished by his talents, is perhaps in some degree to be put to the account of the favour he showed to many of the Jews his captives, and in particular to his constant patronage of the prophet Daniel. At a time when there was nothing in his situation to fill his mind with gloomy thoughts, "for he was at rest in his house, and flourishing in his palace," he saw in a dream a tree strong and flourishing: its summit pierced the clouds, and its branches overshadowed the whole extent of his vast dominions: it was laden with fruit, and luxuriant in its foliage: the cattle reposed in its shade, and the fowls of the air lodged in its branches; and multitudes partook of its delicious fruit. But the king saw a celestial being, a Watcher and a Holy One, come down from heaven; and heard him give order with a loud voice, that the tree should be hewn down, its branches lopped off, and its fruit scattered, and nothing left of it but " the stump of its roots in the earth," which was to be secured, however, with a "band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field." Words of menace follow, which are applicable only to a man, and plainly show that the whole vision was typical of some dreadful calamity, to fall for a time, but for a time only, on some one of the sons of men.

The interpretation of this dream was beyond the skill of all the wise men of the kingdom. Daniel was called,

who, by the interpretation of a former dream, which had been too hard for the Chaldeans and the Magi, and for the professed diviners of all denominations, had acquired great credit and favour with the king; and before this time had been promoted to the highest offices in the state, and, amongst others, to that of president of the college of the Magi. Daniel told the king, that the tree which he had seen so strong and flourishing was himself,-that the hewing down of the tree was a dreadful calamity that should befal him, and continue till he should be brought to know" that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will."

Strange as it must seem, notwithstanding Daniel's weight and credit with the king-notwithstanding the consternation of mind into which the dream had thrown him, this warning had no permanent effect. He was not cured of his overweening pride and vanity, till he was overtaken by the threatened judgment. "At the end of twelve months, he was walking in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon,"-probably on the flat roof of the building, or perhaps on one of the highest terraces of the hanging gardens, where the whole city would lie in prospect before him; and he said, in the exultation of his heart, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the seat of empire, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" The words had scarcely passed his lips, when "the might of his power and the honour of his majesty" departed from him. The same voice which in the dream had predicted the judgment, now denounced the impending execution; and the voice had no sooner ceased to speak than the thing was done.

This is "the matter,"--this judgment, thus predicted and thus executed, is the matter which the text refers to "the decree of the Watchers" and "the word of the Holy Ones." "The matter is by the decree of the

Watchers, and the requisition is by the word of the Holy Ones;" and the intent of the matter is to give mankind a proof, in the fall and restoration of this mighty monarch, that the fortunes of kings and empires are in the hand of God,—that his providence perpetually interposes in the affairs of men, distributing crowns and sceptres, always for the good of the faithful primarily, ultimately of his whole creation, but according to his will.

To apprehend rightly how the judgment upon Nebuchadnezzar, originating, as it is represented in the text, in the "decree of the Watchers, and in the word of the Holy Ones," affords an instance of the immediate interference of God's providence in the affairs of men, it is very necessary that the text should be better than it generally has been hitherto understood: and the text never can be rightly understood, until we ascertain who they are, and to what class of beings they belong, who are called "the Watchers" and "the Holy Ones;" for, according as these terms are differently expounded, the text will lead to very different, indeed to opposite conclusions, to true conclusions, if these terms are rightly understood-to most false and dangerous conclusions, if they are ill interpreted.

I am ashamed to say, that if you consult very pious and very learned commentators, justly esteemed for their illustrations of the Bible generally, you will be told these "Watchers" and "Holy Ones" are angels,-principal angels, of a very high order, they are pleased to say, such as are in constant attendance upon the throne of God. And so much skill have some of these good and learned men affected in the heraldry of angels, that they pretend to distinguish the different rank of the different denominations. The "Watchers," they say, are of the highest rank; the "Holy Ones," very high in rank, but inferior to the "Watchers:" and the angels are intro

duced upon this occasion, they say, in allusion to the proceedings of earthly princes, who publish their decrees with the advice of their chief ministers.

This interpretation of these words is founded upon a notion which got ground in the Christian church many ages since, and unfortunately is not yet exploded; namely, that God's government of this lower world is carried on by the administration of the holy angels, that the different orders (and those who broached this doctrine could tell us exactly how many orders there are, and how many angels in each order)—that the different orders have their different departments in government assigned to them: some, constantly attending in the presence of God, form his cabinet council; others are his provincial governors; every kingdom in the world having its appointed guardian angel, to whose management it is intrusted others again åre supposed to have the charge and custody of individuals. This system is in truth. nothing better than the Pagan polytheism, somewhat disguised and qualified; for, in the Pagan system, every nation had its tutelar deity, all subordinate to Jupiter, the sire of gods and men. Some of those prodigies of ignorance and folly, the rabbin of the Jews who lived since the dispersion of the nation, thought all would be well if for tutelar deities they substituted tutelar angels. From this substitution the system which I have described arose; and from the Jews, the Christians, with other fooleries, adopted it. But, by whatever name these deputy gods be called,--whether you call them gods, or demigods, or dæmons, or genit, or heroes, or angels, the difference is only in the name; the thing in substance is the same: they still are deputies, invested with a subordinate, indeed, but with an high authority, in the exercise of which they are much at liberty, and at their own discretion. If this opinion were true, it would be difficult to show that the heathen were much