the stone cut out of the Mountain and breaking in peeces these former Governments Touching which stone let these things bee inquired Quest 1. What is meant by this Stone Quest 2. What is meant by that phrase cut out but not with hands Quest 3. How doth it smite the Image upon his feet of Iron and Clay and how doth it break them to peices and when Quest 4. What will be the effect of this Stones smiting of the Image Answ 1 To the first I answer That by Stone is meant a Kingdom as may appear by comparing verse thirty four with verse forty four where it is so called The word there used for s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kingdom is the same that is used to express the Civil Power and Government of the other Monarchies vers 39 40 41. which argues that the Kingdom here spoken of is not as some apprehend it to be a Spiritual and internal Kingdom whereby Christ reigns in the hearts and Consciences of his people but it is an external Kingdom whereby hee rules and guides the World with Righteousness and Judgement Psal 98. 9. He comes to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity Of this Kingdom it is spoken That the t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Government shall be upon his shoulder The word there used is always put for Temporal Government as we call it not for Spiritual for a Dominion over the bodies and estates and outward actions of men not for a Dominion over their Consciences and Spirits Of this Kingdom and Government it is said to begin in the days of the ten Kings or Toes of the Fourth Monarchy vers 44. And in the days of them of these Kings shall the God of Heaven cause to arise a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed c. The words are very observable hee had spoken of the toes of the feet and their unequal mixture in the next preceding verses and now in this verse he saith u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the days of them that is in the days of these Toes as the Pronoun relative doth necessarily infer And then by way of Exegesis addeth a description of the dignity of those Toes they were Kings Now in the days of these Kings he saith The God of Heaven x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shal cause to arise a Kingdom which doth inferre that the Kingdom here spoken of is such as had not a being or to use the Prophets words was not caused to arise until the days of these Ten Toes or Kings Whereas the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ and his Regiment in the Souls and Consciences of his people was begun many years before the time of these ten Kings yea long before any of all the great Monarchies even from the beginning of the world The Kingdom therefore here spoken of cannot bee meant of an inward and Spiritual Kingdom but of an external Kingdom over mens bodies and outward actions This Kingdom is here described First By its Divine original It is cut out but not with hands vers 34. 45. Jesus Christ the y Gen. 49. 24. Stone of Israel received this power from the Father actually in the days of these ten Kings towards the end of the Fourth Monarchy Dan. 7. 14. And to him was given absolute Soveraignty and Glory and Dominion and all People Nations and Languages shall serve him c. Secondly This Kingdom is described by the perfect constitution of it it is such a Kingdom that shall never z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee destroyed or as the word signifies shall never be corrupted the Constitution being Divine and the Administrators thereof Saints it can neither be corrupted nor destroyed as it is said Dan. 7. 14. where the same word is used Thirdly The perpetuâ—ty of it is set forth in these words Shall a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never be destroyed and therefore it is called an everlasting Kingdom Dan. 7. 14. These are the Three principall Characters of the Kingdom of Christ or the Fifth Monarchy as it is called Answ 2 To the Second I answer That the cutting out of this Stone but not with hands doth deny that it is from any Human policy or contrivement and therefore the Dominion and Soveraignty thereof is from above My Kingdom is not of this world Joh. 18. 36. And therefore his Servants would not then fight for it till the time was come which the Father had appointed And then he goeth forth to Warre and his Servants with him vers 12. 7. 17. 14. Answ 3 To the Third Question I answer He smites the Image or Image-Government by the Ministry of his Word Rev. 19. 15. Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the Nations This is the first Act as I may say of this Stone Which argues that when the season comes for Christ to challenge his Kingdom his Servants first prepare his way by publishing to all the world his Royal Power and Soveraignty and declaring the incroachments of worldly Powers upon his Royalty whereby the free passage of Judgement and Justice hath been obstructed and the inhabitants of the Nations deluded with an Image-Government And having thus sent his Heraulds before to advertise the People and Nations hee then comes to break and crush them with his Iron Scepter and rules them with a rod of Iron Rev. 19. 15. Psal 2. 9. And who is it that doth not see or at least may that Christ hath already begun to break the Nations and Governments in the World and in these our Nations also in the late Warres and revolutions of State And is not this some beginning of his Kingdom As for the time when this shall be done it is said in the days of them of these Kings that is Christ will first send abroad his Heraulds and such as will not stoop to him he will break in peeces whilst yet these Kings and Kingdoms or various kinds of governments have a Being And hath not Christ made good all this before our eyes The Servants of Christ as Heraulds have gone before to publish the Royalty of this only and blessed Potentate witness Mr. Archer M. Tho. Goodwin and many others and some to this day suffer for their boldness in that behalf And that Christ hath ruled with his Iron Rod is manifest to our own experience We all know what strange Revolutions and overturnings of this Government after that hath been already made Answ 4 To the Fourth I answer That the effects of this Stones smiting the Image-Government of the Fourth Monarchy upon its feet are clearly expressed to be two First by the Ministry of his Servants he so smites them with the word of his mouth that they become as the chaff of the Summer Threshing-floors The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifieth such an action as reduceth this Image of Gold Silver Brass Iron and Clay into most fine and subtil dust
open Seals Wherefore since the wisdome of God saw it not good to set Looks upon Prophecies but Seals and since none hath prevailed nor was judged worthy to open these Sealed Books but the Lamb Let us waâ—t with faith and patience till Christ open the Book and then wee shall see him delineate the persons and things intended in the Actings of his providence And so doing wee shall neither be deceived our selves nor mis-lead others For which end it is that I have thus opened my self in these poor broken expressions ere I proceed to the unfolding of Daniels Prophecies Intending to speak briefly to those Prophecies only which are already accomplished or in accomplishing and shall proceed no further than Christ hath gone before mee in the Actings of his Providence This being premised I shall briefly come to speak of those Prophecies which are unsealed and first of this Dream or Vision of Nebuchadnezzer The Explication Dan. 2. 31. 31. Vers One great Image It is very remarkable that in this Dream God represents to Nebuchadnezzar the true and proper nature of all earthly formes of Government which should be in the world during the time of the four great Monarchies after Nebuchadnezzar had demolished that Government which was of Christs own institution untill the time that he would restore the same and deliver the Kingdome and greatnesse thereof unto the Saints of the most high under the representation of an h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies any form or figure which we make or fancy to our selves An invention of our own or according to our own minds IMAGE even the Image of a Man Which doth denote unto us thus much that all the governments instituted and erected in the world under these four Monarchies by men or by humane policy ever since the Government of Christâ— own institution was laid aside even to the time of the i Acts 3. 21. restitution thereof are in Gods account but very Images or all of them put together do but make up this one Image as it is here called And though I cannot say these Images and Formes of Government of mens devising are those Images forbidden in the second command for the word is not the same nor do civil formes of Government imediatly concern the worship of God yet this is observable that in the next chapter Nebuchadnezzar frames to himself a Golden Image for divine worship Semblable thereunto Which hath ever since been the wofull Concomitant and bitter fruit or result of such â—mage Government Wherefore Paul taking notice hereof that it hath been the constant practise of Gentile Nations to modle their Divine Worship and Church Administrations according to the form of their Civil Governments he advertiseth the Romans not to be conformed to the world Rom. 12. 2. His meaning is as Mr. Cotton hath often observed he would not have the Saints in Rome to modle their Churches and Church-Administrations according to the Pattern of the Roman Civil Power This IMAGE is here called k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Image although it comprehended all the Four great Monarchies and Kingdoms under it To shew that all of them are but parts of this one Image And their Governments are but Image-Government Now the Characters of this IMAGE are these four 1 It was so great to wit it comprehended the Four Monarchies or Kingdoms as it is interpreted Verse thirty eight thirty nine forty 2 It is described by the outward Pomp and Splendor not only of the Head but all the parts of it his splendor or brightness excellent And this is a common Character of all the Four Monarchies and Kingdoms under them they all affect worldly pomp and glory 3 It is said to stand before him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports the acceptance that this Image-Government found in the hearts of all the Kings and Monarchs And so the word is used Psal 1. 5. to stand with acceptance And this shews the complacency and content they take both in their pomp and splendor and in the Government new Modelled by them This is the Third Character 4 This Image is described by the Tyrannical spirit that appears in all of them from the first to the last from the highest to the lowest His visage l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terrible dreadful or formidable This is not here put for a Character of the Little Horn Dan. 7. but for a common Character of the great IMAGE and all the Four Monarchies comprized therein and the several Kingdoms appertaining thereunto and this ever hath been and ever will be the close of all Image-Government of mens devising Terrour and Tyranny are indelible and inseparable Characters of all worldly Governments whatsoever Pleasing indeed are their new devised Governments to themselves as was shewed before else they would not indure that they should stand before them But terrible dreadful and tyrannical are they to others that cannot comply with them nor fall down and worship them These are the Four Characters which are common to all the Four Monarchies and the parts thereof and they are true of the whole Image and every part thereof The next thing remarkable in this IMAGE or Image-Government Vers 32. is the progress they make from evil to worse they are always best at first At first they are good gold they themselves pretend so and many others think so And comparatively they may be called good gold because their Actions at their first rising are more just and righteous than afterwards they prove to be A kinde of necessity putting them upon it that they may ingratiate themselves and their New Image with the people And it is most natural that the Head which is the most noble part should first be brought forth but this continues not long The durance of the Babylonian Monarchy or head of Gold was but seventy years the special Character of this Monarchy is the unity of it in which respect it is called the Head which is but one In the next place it degenerates from Gold to Silver which is a Mettal of a baser alloy and this is interpreted vers 39. of another Kingdom and Government succeeding the Babylonian and inferiour to it This Government for the nature was meaner and baser more formidable and obnoxious to the Church of Christ but of longer durance and so was the Persian Monarchy The Character of this Monarchy is Union and Division together it is one Breast but two Arms Medes and Persians Dan. 6. 8. Thirdly from Silver it becomes Brass which shews the worsness of the Third or Graecian Monarchy which more bitterly infested the Jews with Warres and set up the abomination of desolation as Daniel shews at large in his eighth Chapter The division of this Monarchy is expressed when he saith his Thigh of Brass He doth not say thighes of Brass for that would imply only a two-fold division of Alexanders Successors which was Four-fold Dan. 8. 22. but he saith its thigh of brass
said that wee are not to understand three as a definite number but as a number of perfection denoting divers and many of the Horns I wish it may be wel weighed how unsafe such an interpretation may be For if it be granted that three in this Prophecy is not a definite but an indefinite and uncertain number put for Many will it not open a door to some to question the Trinity of Persons in the God-head and to say there are many persons because three is counted a number of perfection and doth not denote a certain but an uncertain number which would be of dangerous consequence Besides it may justly be inquired where the Scripture accounts the number three a number of perfection Often wee read of seven so used as the Seven Spirits of God the Seven Golden Candlesticks the Seven Churches of Asia the Seven Starres the Seven Angells the Seven Seals And it is usuall in Scripture to reckon by Sevens But I do not remember the like rotundity in the number three And if wee should make such an interpretation of the number three as if it were put for an indefinite number it would render the Accounts of Scripture very uncertain which is not safe to be admitted In the Fifth and last place let it be considered how the Characters of the Little Horn afore mentioned will suit unto Charls Stuart the late King in every particular For First He was a King Secondly Hee was one of the ten Horns or amongst the ten Horns or Kings appertaining to the Fourth Monarchy or great Beast Thirdly Hee was by originall a Scot and by consequence a little Horn for as much as Scotland is one of the least Kingdoms of the ten And as hee was the least in respect of his originall Nation so also hee was least or youngest by birth He was not the oldest but the youngest sonne of James And hee did spring up as Daniel saith from being a King of the least of the Kingdoms to be a King of three Kingdoms Fourthly Hee did in a great measure pluck up by the roots all the three Nations or Kingdoms by his prerogative If you understand by that Metaphor religion and the civil rights of the Nations Which are to the Nations as roots be to the tree And hee made use of his prerogative to that end For hee said hee would not leave a Puritan in all his Dominions And it is well known how farre hee proceeded to root up religion and the Nations Civil Rights and to introduce an arbitrary government and Popery into all the three Nations Fifthly Hee was a vigilant Prince and politick and had the eyes of a man as Daniel speaketh Sixtly His Spirit was bent against God and against his people and against the waies of God as might be instanced at large Seventhly Hee was a Prince of a wilfull resolute spirit insomuch as King James his Father sometimes would say of him that through his wilfullnesse hee would lose the three Nations Eightly Hee made warre against the Saints the better part giving denomination to the whole throughout the three nations Witnesse the displaying of his Banners first against the Parliament not they first against him And witnesse the Commissions hee granted to the Popish-Rebells in Ireland against the Godly party there Ninthly Hee made use of his prerogative to the extirpation of religion and the Nations Civil Rights as farre as lay in his power infesting all the three Nations with intestine and bloody warres Tenthly Who is it that knows not how hee oppressed his Subjects with Taxes Loans Ship-monys c according as it is said of the Little Horn that he did wear out the Saints the whole taking denomination from the better part Eleventhly It is a thing well known that hee had a secret design to change the antient Government of the Nations and instead thereof to have ruled by his Proclamations And what else did his billetting of forrain Souldiers up and down the Country import before the begining of these late warres Twelfthly It is apparently known not only to these Nations but throughout the world that hee was brought to a Judicial tryal and received his sentence before the High Court of Justice Thirteenthly Hee was unkinged as I may say and divested of his royalty when the Court proceeded against him as Charls Stuart a delinquent without any Kingly title Fourteenthly All these Nations yea the whole World can witnesse that hee was beheaded and slain by dismembring as Daniel fore-told Fifteenthly It is well known and still remains upon record that after his beheading the State removed away all soveraignty out of the Nations by a publick Act of State Sixteenthly We know it to be a truth that though Charls be beheaded and Soveraignty abolished yet the rest of the Horns or Beasts appertaining to the Empire still retain their power and Soveraignty and so are like to do for a short season Seventeenthly It needs no proof that all these things have been thus acted as upon a Stage in the latter end of a time times and half a time Our times drawing nigh to the expiration of the Fourth great Beast or Monarchy as it is acknowledged by most Now let every judicious and unbyassed Reader consider and laying all that hath been spoken by mee or others in the ballance of the Sanctuary looking up to Heaven for direction and then comparing the word of God the dispensations of his providence together let them judge as God shall cast in any light who it is that is meant by this little Horn. And if any doubt should arise about the Characters I have collected out of the Text whether they be the proper Characters of this little Horn because some good men express them otherwise let the Reader himself be judge which of the Characters have best footing in that Scripture that describeth this little Horn. For to fetch Characters from the second Eighth or Eleventh chapters of this Book wil be altogether improper and raise a mist before the Readers eye unlesse it could be manifested that those Chapters speak of the same thing which with submission to better judgements I may be bold to say hath not yet been done nor can be For as much as the matter of those Visions doth apparently differ from this of the little horn as in part I have shewed upon the second Chapter and am now about to shew further in the opening of the eighth Chapter Dan. Chap. 8. 1 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar a Vision appeared to mee even to me Daniel after that which appeared to me at the beginning 2 And I saw in a Vision and it came to passe when I saw that I was in Shushan the Palace which is in the Province of Elam and I saw in a Vision that I was by the River Vlai 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold one Ram standing before the River and to him two horns and the two Horns were high but
the one higher then the e Heb the Second other and the higher came up last 4 I saw the Ram pushing Westward and Northward and Southward so that no Beasts could stand before him neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand but hee did according to his will and magnified himself 5 And I was considering and behold a He-Goat of the shee Goats came from the West upon the face of the whole earth and touched not the earth and that He-Goat had a horn of sight between his eyes 6 And hee came to the Ram f Heb. Master of those two Horns that had those two horns which I had seen standing before the river and ran unto him in the fury of his power 7 And I saw him come close unto the Ram and hee imbittered himself against him and hee smote the Ram and brake his two horns and there was no power in the Ram to stand before him but hee cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him there was none that did deliver the Ram out of his hand 8 And the He-goat of the Shee-goats magnified himself and when he strengthened himself that great Horn was broken and in the room thereof ascended a Vision of four towards the four Winds of Heaven 9 And out of that one of them came forth one Horn even the youngest by birth and it waxed very great towards the South and towards the East and towards the pleasant Land 10 And it magnified it self against the Host of Heaven and it cast to the earth from that Host and from those Stars of Heaven and stamped upon them 11 Yea it magnified it self against the Prince of that Host and from him the daily Sacrifice was taken away and the place of his Sanctuary was cast away 12 And thou O Host shalt be given up because of the daily sacrifice with transgression and it shall cast down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered 13 Then I heard one Saint speaking and another Saint said unto that certain Saint which spake How long shall be this Vision concerning this daily Sacrifice and this transgression making desolate to give both the Sanctuary and Host g Heb. For a treading to be troden under foot 14 And he said unto me until evening and morning two thousand and three hundred then the Sanctuary shall h Heb. Justified be cleansed 15 And it came to pass when I even I Daniel saw the Vision that I sought the meaning and behold one standing before me as the appearance of a man 16 And I heard the voyce of a man between the banks of Ulai and he called and said Gabriel make that very man to understand this Vision 17 And he came near where I stood and when hee came I was afraid and fell upon my face and he said to me Understand O Son of Man that towards the time of the end this Vision will be 18 And in his speaking with me I was overwhelmed with sleep upon my face towards the earth then he touched me and caused me to stand i Heb. Vpon my station upright 19 And he said Lo I am making thee to know that which shall be in the k Heb after part of this indignation latter end of this indignation for it shall be at the appointed time of the end 20 That Ram which thou sawest the Lord of those two Horns are the Kings of Media and Persia 21 And that He-Goat that shag-haired Goat is the King of Graecia and that great Horn that is between his eyes is the very first King 22 And that was broken and four stood up in the room thereof four Kingdoms shall stand up in the Nation but not with his power 23 And in the after part of their Kingdom when those transgressors are compleat a King of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up 24 And he shall strengthen his power but not with his power and he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practise and he shall l Or Corrupt destroy the mighty even the people of holy ones 25 And through his policy he shall also cause craft to prosper in his hand and in his heart he shall magnifie himself and by peace shall corrupt many he shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes but he shall be broken without hand 26 And the Vision of that Evening and of that Morning which hath been told is truth as m Heb. and thou for thee shut up this vision because it is for many days 27 And I Daniel fainted and was sick some days then I rose up and did the Kings business and I was astonished at the vision but none understood it The explication of the words IN the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the King These words do plainly hold forth to us the time when Daniel saw this Vision to wit in the third year current of Belshazzars reign which as is commonly taken was the last year of Belshazzar the Babylonian Monarchy together As Mr. Tillinghast well observes in his Knowledge of the times p 134. line 14. But to say it was after Belshazzar was slain and Darius and Cyrus did reign is more than the text will allow and we may not adde unto the text The words of the text do rather hold forth the contrary For when it is said in the reign of Belshazzar it always in Scripture language to my best remembrance implies that that King was then living And let it be considered how it can with reason be spoken or how it can stand with truth to say a man doth reign after he is dead Besides Daniel dates his Solemn Fast and Humiliation Chap. 9. and his Prophecy Chapter 11. from the first of Darius And what good reason can bee imagined that Daniel should chuse to date this Vision from the reign of such a profane Epicure as Belshazzar suppose he had been dead then from the reign either of Darius or Cyrus who were propitious to the people of God and then living But I pass it over as a point that doth not at all hinder the main scope of the Vision which way soever you take it Yet some little obscurity it puts upon the Scriptures Chronology for which cause I would in a few words give you the Chronology of Daniels Acts for the help of such as shall inquire into the same 1 Daniel was carried Captive in the third year of the reign of Jehojakim Dan. 1. 1. which cannot be understood of the third year of Jehojakims reign after his first Coronation for the Fourth of Jehojakim was Nebuchadnezzars First Jer. 24. 1. And he cannot be imagined to carry away any Captives ere himself was created Monarch But this third year of which Daniel speaks it is the third year of Jehojakims administration and government after he became tributary to Nebuchadnezzar whereof we read 2 King 24. 1. And that was the last of Jehojakim
hee stumbles not because hee seeth the light of this world But if a man walk in the night hee stumbleth because there is no light in him And such was the distribution from the beginning Gen. 1. 5. And God called the light Day and the darknesse hee called Night and the Evening was and the morning was the first Day These two parts which wee commonly call artificiall added together do constitute a whole day of twenty four hours which wee call a Naturall day In summe therefore the Angels answer amounts to thus much to satisfy the Saint who made inquiry how long God would give the Host and the Sanctuary to be troden under foot Namely for the space of 2300 artificiall daies Which is all one as if hee had said 1150 naturall daies or three years and two months For though in this verse there be an Ellipsis or defect of the Conjunction Vau or the Demonstrative Article He yet in the 26 verse you have a supplement of both Where it is said and the Vision of THAT Evening and of THAT morning is truth It is not therefore rightly translated 2300 daies as in our new translation which hath given occasion to some to mistake the Angells answer and to think hee here speaks of propheticall daies But search wee the Scriptures throughout and wee shall never find the Holy Ghost expressing propheticall daies in that phrase of speech putting an Evening for a year and a Morning for a year Nor were it proper so to speak because there is no revolution of the Sun in twelve hours space Alwaies when Scripture speaks of propheticall daies in the Old Testament he useth the word Joâ— or day As Ezech. 4 5 6. Three hundred and ninty daies a day for a year And forty daies putting a day for a year So Dan. 11. 12. Wherefore I conclude that since no instance can be given from Scripture where Evening and Morning are put for a year but for parts of a Naturall day wee are to understand the Angell to speak of 2300 artificiall daies distinctly and orderly succeeding one another Secondly For the time of the end it is expressed in these words then shall the Sanctuary be justified or cleansed As if hee should have said this justifying of the Sanctuary doth terminate the number of daies foretold And having the determinate period given it is as easie a matter after the accomplishment to account backward to the beginning as it would be to account forward from the beginning to the end I am not ignorant that some godly men do apprehend these 2300 daies to be spoken of propheticall daies or years and they make their account to beginne either with the Persian Monarchy or with the Babylonish Captivity But I cannot consent with them unlesse I could consent unto such a sence of the original words as I can no where find in Scripture Otherwise I should rejoyce to concurr with such worthies whose praise is in the Gospell and men whom I do so highly honour in mine heart as fellow witnesses But let mee be excused if I cleave more close to the Scriptures than to them Amicus Plato amicus Socrates sed magis amica veritas I shall leave every one liberty to abound in his own sence till more convincing light shall appear which may give just occasion to entertain second thoughts And for help in this case I shall leave these Queries upon that interpretation Quere 1 First If wee beginne the account with the Capivity then let it be inquired how it can stand with the nature of a Vision to runne backward from the time of the Vision to seek an Epocha or beginning of such an Account For as much as Visions are representations of things present or to come to the eye either of the body or of the mind but not of things past Quere 2 Secondly If wee beginne the account with Cyrus let it be inquired how it can be said of the reign of Cyrus that the Host of Heaven the Saints and the Sanctuary were given unto treading Could the Sanctuary the Temple be given to a treading in the first of Cyrus before it was built And did not Cyrus in his first year command that the Temple should be built and how can that agree with the Text which saith it was given for a treading Again how can it be said of the Host the people of God that they were given for a treading Did not Cyrus in his first year proclaim liberty to them And how can that be called a treading under foot Object If any say there happened an obstruction of the Temple-work soon after they beganne and Gods people were troden upon with the false accusations of Tobiah and Sanballat c. Answ Yet let it be considered how suitable or unsuitable this will be to the number 2300 and to the end of the same whether you understand them to be Naturall or propheticall daies For if you take them to be 2300 naturall daies wee know the Temple was hindred much longer time in the re-edifying thereof And if you take it for 2300 years wee know it was not neer so long time from the hindrance of the Temple untill the finishing of it in the daies of Artaxerxes or the cleansing of it in the daies of Antiochus Epiphanes So that I see not how that interpretation can any way suit with the words of the Text. And if it be said the Temple is to be taken in a spirituall sence and the cleansing of the Temple also which cannot be expected to be accomplished till the end of the Fourth Monarchy how can that stand with the Angells words which saith the Temple shall be justified in the daies of one of Alexanders successors long before the fourth Monarchy had a Beeing Vers 17. Towards the time of the end this Vision will be The Angel that he might beget in Daniel also in us a right understanding of this Vision tells us that the season in which these troubles should happen shal be towards the time of the end What is the meaning of that Read the 23 vers there it is said that in the after part of their Kingdom who succeeded Alexander this Horn shal arise that shal tread the Sanctuary and the Host under foot 2300 Evenings and Mornings Which after part is in this present verse called towards the time of the end and vers 19 it is called the appointed time of the end Vers 22. But not in his power That is not with the power and might of Alexander As if hee should say these four Kingdoms which stand up after Alexander shall not be comparable to him for power This is spoken of all the four Kingdoms that succeeded Alexander But the same words are spoken of that Horn which was a King of fierce countenance a younger Brother He shall strengthen himself and shal be a puissant Prince but not with his power vers 24. The meaning is this Horn shal be a potent Prince but not comparable to
Alexander For so I understand the phrase to import in both the verses Vers 24. And shall corrupt or destroy the mighty even the people of Saints That is by corrupting them he shall destroy them For the word doth signify both to corrupt and destroy And how doth hee corrupt them Answ By peace and tranquillity vers 25. granting them a quiet possession of their outward estates so be it they will forsake the Lord and his pure worship to follow after Idolls This is the constant Spirit of Image-government to set up Image-worship of one kind or other such as suits their own fancies and their Government best Vers 26. Shut up the Vision because it is for many daies Not propheticall daies or years as hath been shewed but Naturall or Artificiall daies This phrase many daies hath given occasion to some to apprehend that the 2300 evenings and mornings must needs be understood of a longer tract of time than so many artificiall daies and nights or three years and two months But let this phrase of speech be weighed in these Scriptures following It is written Lev. 15. 25. If a woman have an issue of blood y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many daies c. And 2 Sam. 14 2. Be thou as a woman that had mourned for the dead many daies And Deut. 20. 19. when thou shalt besiedg a City many daies And 1 King 2. 38 39. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many daies And it came to passe at the end of three years c. So that it is apparent from these instances of Scripture and many more which might be given that in Scripture-language three years are accounted many daies and sometimes also they are used to expresse a shorter season Wherefore this phrase cannot argue the number 2300 to be the greatest Epocha in Scripture as some have apprehended Nor is it indeed the greatest number of daies in Scripture For 2300 evenings and mornings make but 1150 daies which falleth far short of 1260 daies in the Revelation and 1290 daies Dan. 12. 11. and of 1335 daies Dan. 12. 12. But let this suffice to remove away the occasion of stumbling from such as have not searched diligently the use of that phrase Many daies Vers 27. And I Daniel fainted and was sick some daies The sad calamities that were to befall Gods people did so deeply seize upon the Prophets spirit that hee fainted and was sick How long he doth not expresse but some daies Afterward Daniel being Ruler of the Province of Babylon and continuing in that place to this time as hath been shewed hee rose up and did the Kings businesse as ruler of the whole Province of Babylon Let this suffice to have spoken by way of interpretation of the words and now come with mee to consider the speciall characters of this Horn so much insisted upon in this Chapter And the Characters whereby hee is distinguished you shall find to be in number thirteen First It proceeded out of THAT successor of Alexander which was the brasen thigh of Nebuchadnezzars Image and raged most against the Church of Christ and was of longest continuance to wit Seleucus 2 Hee is not the first born of any of that race but a younger Brother vers 9. 3 Hee is a cruel Prince as it is written vers 23. hee is a King of hard countenance 4 He is a Prince of deep understanding vers 23. understanding dark sentences 5 Hee is a subtile politick Prince vers 24. through his policy hee shall cause craft to prosper in his hand c. 6 Hee corrupteth the consciences and conversations of many through Peace and tranquillity vers 25. 7 Hee makes great preparations against Egypt in the South and Persia in the East and against Judea the glory of all lands vers 9. 8 Hee is a Prince of a proud Spirit according as it is written vers 11. hee magnified himself 9 Hee opposeth the people of God in a speciall manner vers 10 11. hee magnified himself against the Host of heaven and against the Prince of the Host 10 Hee profaned the Temple and Ordinances thereof vers 11. By him the dayly sacrifice was taken away from the people of God and hee cast away the place of the Sanctuary 11 All these things were transacted in the after-part of the Kingdome of Alexanders successors vers 23. And in the after-part of their Kingdom shall arise a King of fierce countenance c. 12 The manner of his death was by some divine stroak from Heaven and not by warre or treachery vers 25. he shall be broken without hand 13 The durance of this Horns prevalency against the people of God is expressed by the certain number of artificiall Nights and Daies and the determinate cloze of that number vers 14 unto two thousand and three hundred Evenings and mornings then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed Now haveing opened the most obscure places in the Text and collected the Characters of this Horn let every judicious Reader see and consider whether they do best suite unto Antiochus Epiphanes or to the Roman-Civil or Antichristian state And let us not hastily condemn the Macchabees and Saints of that age who living whilst things were transacted applyed this prophecy unto Antiochus Epiphanes nor Josephus and after him Tremellius and Junius and others who have done the like For who can deny that this Antiochus Epiphanes descended of Seleucus whose posterity continued longest and was most outragious against the people of God of all other the successors of Alexander And is it not manifest in stories that hee was younger Brother of Seleucus Philopater son of Antiochus the great Is it not notoriously know that he was a most cruel Prince of deep understanding and policy Did he not corrupt and destroy many through Peace and tranquillity Did not hee make great preparations against Egypt in the South Persia in the East also against Judea Was not hee excessively pround Insomuch that hee thought the very waves should obey his command Did hee not invade Iudea and prosper through his policy And did hee not pollute the Temple and Temple-worship And was not all this done in the latter part of the Kingdome of the Selencidae And was not hee cut off by Gods own hand without any hand of man As for the durance of this Kings rage and prevalency wee may gather it very neer out of the story of the Macchabees though they principally note out the flux of time from setting up the abomination of desolation untill the purifying and cleansing of the Temple which was exactly three years and ten daies or 1103 daies not giving us the exact day when Antiochus entred the Citty yet it may be probably collected that it could not be lesse than 1150 daies which makes 2300 Evenings and Mornings as Daniel did foretell And who would not conceive that this Prince unto whom all these Characters do so exactly agree is the Horn intended by Daniel Let the indifferent Reader judge Now
Darius it will make up the just number of 49 years as the Angell here speaketh From which time count 62 years untill Christ was 25 years of age according to the Law Num. 4. 3. From which time Christ beganne to confirm the Covenant from one week as the Angel speaketh and to prepare for the full execution of his office in his 30 year current then in half of that week to wit the latter half he made the sacrifice and oblation to cease offring up himself once for all in the very close of the same And thus you have the totall summe and the integrall parts to agree and constitute the just number of 490 years from the WORD that went forth from Cyru unto the death of Christ Now the close or end of Daniels account is twice expressed The end of Daniels weeks First When the Angell tells Daniel in one grosse summe that seventy weeks are determined vers 24. to end at the death of Christ as all these expressions do fully import to restrain transgression to seal up sins to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse For without blood there is no remission of sins Heb. 9. 22. We were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 10. Therefore it is most clear that the seventy weeks did determine at the death and resurrection of Christ For if Christ be not raised our faith is in vain wee are yet in our sins 1 Cor. 15. 17. Secondly The end of these seventy weeks is expressed when the Angel makes a distribution of them into parts allotting the last week unto Christs confirming the Covenant saying and in half of that week he shall be cut off c. That is he shall be wholly set apart to the mediators office during that half and in the close thereof shall offer up himself by death This half I take to be the latter half And so the account of the particulars doth agree with the totall summe of seventy weeks Some would have it understood of the former half of the week but that will not agree with the summe totall nor can it stand with truth for in 69 week an half is not 70 weeks And it had been as easie in that language to have said 69 weeks and an half as to say in half of that week Wherefore I conclude that those 70 weeks of Daniel were terminated in the death of Christ and neither before nor after Thus much I thought necessary to speak of this ninth chapter in respect of the various interpretations which men do give of the Chronologicall part thereof Which opens a door to some to question the Doctrinall part not only of this but of other Scriptures also For if Scriptures be uncertain or untrue in any respect it will infirm the credit of their Testimony in every respect I might have added much more but that I affect brevity only one word let me adde which I have pretermitted to advertise those that are not acquainted with the original that in all the Commission granted to Nehemiah where some with overmuch confidence do fix the beginning of Daniels weeks there is not one word of i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Command k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edict Decree or l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclamation once mentioned And therefore cannot with any colourable ground bee accounted to bee the going forth of that WORD m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the Angel speaks to Daniel Wherefore as the Angel commands Daniel let us weigh all interpretations in the ballance of the Sanctuary DAN Chap. 11. Vers 1. Now I in the first year of Darius the Mede stood in my station to confirm and strengthen him 2 And now I will declare to thee the truth Behold there shall yet stand up three Kings in Persia and the Fourth shall be farre richer than all and by his strength with his riches he shall stir up all even the Kingdom of Graecia 3 And a mighty King shall stand up and he shall rule with great Dominion and shall do according to his pleasure 4 And as he shall stand up his Kingdom shall be broken and shall be n Hebr. Halfed or divided in halfs divided towards the four Winds of Heaven but not to his posterity nor according to his Dominion wherewith he ruled for his Kingdom shall be plucked up even for others besides those MY intention is not at this time to insist largely upon this chapter but only to shew from Scripture how many Persian Kings there were from Cyrus unto Alexander the first Graecian Monarch That men may better judge of the falshood and uncertainty of Graecian Stories that have forged thirteen Monarchs or Kings of Persia to have reigned after Cyrus But let the Sons of Sion that love the truth hearken to what God hath spoken by the Angel in the words of Truth Vers 1. Now I These words hold forth to us a description of the Angel that spake to Daniel In the former Chapter wee read that Daniel had a Vision in the third year of Cyrus King of Persia And an Angel appeared to him to shew him what should befall in after times Now I to wit the same Angel But what I or what Angel is it Even the Angel that stood to confirm and strengthen him To strengthen whom Not Darius the Mede for he was at this time dead but Cyrus the Prince of Persia of whom you read in the twentieth verse of the former Chapter And when was this Angel first designed to this service to attend at the Court of Persia In the first year of Darius the Mede And now you may read the Angels name for that Angels name was Gabriel who first appeared to Daniel in the first year o◠Darius Dan. 9. 21. So that it seems this Angel Gabriel was designed to attend the Persian Princes Court and to order the affairs thereof even from the first taking of Babylon during the continuance of that Monarchy as the words Dan. 10. 20. seem to import where it is said And when I am gone forth that is when I depart from the Court of Persia and am discharged from attendance there then behold the Prince of Graecia coming Vers 2. I will shew thee the truth Why did the Angel ever shew him any thing that was not truth what then doth he mean to use this expression Doubtlesse the Angel did fore-see that there would be many false and forged relations and stories of these Persian Monarchs which would trouble the Chronologie of the Scriptures Now that he might fortifie the Sons of Sion against such kinde of Forgeries he gives unto Daniel a perfect and true relation of the Persian Monarchs that he might leave it upon Record to all posterity saying and now I will shew thee the truth where he makes a great distinction Now what is this Truth which the Angel declares to Daniel Behold saith he there shall yet stand up