ds in its papal form. From
the nature of the symbol, the prophet sees the _whole_ image
standing till it is smitten in its feet of iron and clay. This
does not mean that the four monarchies are contemporaneous, but
that they constitute one great system of oppression, in which
the power passes successively down from the head to the feet. It
is in its feet that the stone smites it, for it is in this its
last form that the kingdom set up by the God of heaven shall
encounter and destroy it. The toes, part of iron and part of
clay, well represent the kingdoms that grew up out of the old
Roman empire, with an intermixture of the northern nations.
These could never unite into a compact whole, like the original
pagan empire, yet they constituted a continuation of it in a
divided form.

That the fourth beast again (chap. 7:7-14, 19-28) represents the
same Roman empire appears from the following considerations:
(1.) Both here and in the second chapter a succession of four
great monarchies is represented, of which the first three are
admitted to have been universal. It is altogether reasonable,
therefore, to look for a universal empire in the fourth; but
that empire can be no other than the Roman. (2.) The fourth
beast is represented as the strongest and most terrible of them
all, which cannot apply to any other than the Roman power. (3.)
All its characters agree with those of the Roman empire, and
cannot be made to agree with those of any other power. Those who
understand by the little horn of the fourth beast Antiochus
Epiphanes, must consider the fourth beast as representing the
Syrian monarchy, or perhaps Syria and Egypt. But these belong to
the _third_ beast. They are two of the four divisions into which
his empire was broken, and which have just been represented by
the four heads and four wings of the leopard. (4.) No
persecuting power comes after this beast. Its dominion is
destroyed by that of the Messiah, who takes the kingdom and
holds it for ever. This can apply only to the Roman power as
perpetuated in its papal form in the ten horns, which correspond
to the ten toes of the image. Chap. 2:41-43. All the characters
of the little horn agree with those of the papal power; and
considering the vast influence which this has wielded, and still
wields, over God's church, we s