vacation how outragious wil hee bee when he shal bee afraid of his owne overthrowe He hath striven elswhere about some Countries or at the uttermost about the Empire but now he must fight for his life where he must either overcome or else not onely undergoe the yoak of subjection but be utterly destroyed and die with extreme torments He hath often times in vaine caried almost infinite forces into the field how will hee be furnished now when he shal perceive all now shal bee hazarded at once for ever Out of these streights of time anie one maie easily conjecture what horrible turmoiles the Cruel beast shal make but also on the newe and Christian peoples part there wil bee no lesse grievous a tryall when they shal see this horrible and fearfull tempest immediately to follow the faith which they so lately had professed For they may imagine God to be angrie because they have forsaken their fathers religion and have embraced christian which their ancesters did so hate therfore the Spirit doth foretell the grievous troubles of those times least anie man by the sharpenes therof should fall from the truth God doth vsually turne tbe rage and furie of the adversaries unto his owne praise and glorie if other escapes be stopped up he opeÌ„eth a passadge thorow the sea bringeth out of the lions den and preserveth safe in the fierie furnace neither doth hee still the raging waves vntill wee see our selves allmost lost Wherfore as of old in Egpt so salvation will now sodainly shine forth but then especially when all thinges seeme desperate and past recoverie But how is this affliction most grievous of all former onely which some one greater should after succeed not so but of all without exception for it shal outstrippe all the former and it selfe shall be last which an everlasting deliverie shall presently folow for hereunto is joyned the resurrection after which no calamitie is to be expected of the Saincts How therfore should it either agree to either Antiochus or Romane who whatsoever mischeife they did it was but a flea-biting to this miserie of a thousand six hundred yeeres wherin as yet the Iewes doe lye buried But this fit or sharpe assault is not come as yet seing the deliveraunce is not yet happened which shal fall out in the midsts therof Who shal bee delivered they are first noted by their nature then by grace by nature Thy people By grace Every one that shal be found written in the book That sheweth the nation of the Iewes which were Daniels people comming of Iacob the same common root and stock So in the beginning of the verse also standing for the children of thy people wherby he teacheth that this deliverance is not preseÌ„tly but to be expected in their posteritie namely their Children but how manie ages after shal appeare afterwards This prophecye therfore is proper to the Iewes but thence it will not folowe also as proper to the time of Antiochus seing the Iewes maie be afflicted as Gods people howsoever they suffer not for Mosaical ceremonies as it will fall out when they come to the faith I would that worthie Broughton had considered this he would not have so drawne all with a wrye necke unto Antiochus But there shal bee also a choice and difference in this people Theire deliveraunce shal not be so confused to bring all to eternall life but those onely which together with this outward safetie from these great dangers shal bee by saving faith adopted for sonnes whose name God in his everlasting decree hath written in the book of life for it is not in him that willeth or runneth but in God that sheweth mercie neither is it in our power to receive faith or beleeve but is onely theirs who have the earnest pennie of election It is very likely therfore that some of the Iewes wil hold so obstinately their legall rites and institutions that neither with the famous deliverance of their nation nor with that exceding glorie wherwith the truth shal then flourish will they suffer themselves to be separated from their superstition And manie of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shal awake vers 2. Such hath bene the trublous estate whence they shal be delivered The condition into the which they shall shift and passe is waking out of the dust of the earth which is afterward layd downe by a distribution of saincts and reprobates in this verse and againe of saincts alone in the next verse As concerning the wakinge all our expositours that I could see doe refer it to the last resurrection of the bodies Some Iewes contrariwise doe apply it to the restoringe of the Church which they sâ—ie shal bee in this world Wee must freely and diligently search on which side the truth is all prejudice laid aside It maketh against ours that all these thinges namely the end of the former chapter first verse of this are so linked together in a continuall course and order among themselves for that is meant by the band of time in the beginning of the chapter At that time shall Michael the Prince stand vp as if he should say At what time the kinge of the North shall pitche his tents in the land of tsebi Iudea it selfe theÌ„ shall that great trouble oppresse them then shall happen this admirable deliveraunce then shall this resurrection be accomplished therfore howsoever in other places passage may be made from the birth of Christ to his second appearinge yet in this place it cannot where such a band doth come-in betweene And vnlesse we doe allow of this connexion what a huge heap would there bee in the prophecie what a gulfe to let scape and skip a thousand six himdred years and more I know not how manie especially which hath gone so leisurely and orderly to this very place and was cheifly ordeined for the Iewes to whom he affoardeth no comfort at all if he passe and flie presently from Christ first exhibited vnto the latter end of all thinges This one thinge may seeme sufficient to refute the exposition not onely of this verse but also of all which ours doe bring vpon the ten last verses of the former chapter which they wil not have reach beyond the first comming of Christ when as yet the Angel hath gone step by step through all ages from thence as wee have made it plaine I hope Seing therfore all these thinges are necessarily coupled and joyned together among themselves if that voyage of the King of the North into the land of tshebi be either the expedition of Antiochus or the Romanes into that countrie then this resurrection which immediatly foloweth is either not proper or if it be proper then that exposition of Antiochus and the Romane is not true and naturall But you will say Let us hazard the losse of that exposition rather then suffer this of the resurrection to be taken so from us Let it be a continuall orderly prophecie let it be
ends in other places The text of the whole 12. CHAP. 1 And at that time shall Michael stand vp the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall bee found written in the booke 2 And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt 3 And they that bee wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to rightousnesse as the starres for ever and ever 4 But thou O Daniel shut vp the words and seale the booke even to the time of the end many shall runne to and fro and knowledge shall be increased 5 Then I Daniel looked and behold there stood other two the one on this side of the banke of the river and the other on that side of the banke of the river 6. And one said to the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river How long shall it bee to the end of these wonders 7. And I heard the man cloathed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shal bee for a time times and an halfe and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things shal be finished 8. And I heard but I vnderstood not then said I O my Lord what shall bee the end of these things 9. And hee said Go thy ways Daniel for the words are closed vp and sealed till the time of the end 10. Many shal be purified and made white and tryed but the wicked shal doe wickedly and none of the wicked shall vnderstand but the wise shall vnderstand 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away the abhominatiō that maketh dosolate set vp there shall bee a thousand two hundred ninety dayes 12. Blessed is hee that waiteth and commeth to the thousand three hundreth and five and thirty dayes 13. But goe thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at at the end of the dayes THE ANALYSIS or Resolution HItherto of oppressours now their deliveraunce is handled which in the generall and in this kinde is both out of great affliction v. 1. and afterwards to an vnchangeable condition and estate vers 2.3 but in his qualitie it is both sealed vers 4. and hath a double opposition of time the first proper to the Angel whose preparation sheweth the number of Angels and the place vers 5. But the conference doth consist of a question ver 6. and an answere consisting partly in gesture and partly in wordes vers 7. The second opposition of the time is such as a man at length should vnderstand also the occasion wherof was also the ignoraunce and the question of Daniel vers 8. The answere of the Angel is partly negative and refusinge v. 9. partly consolatorie as wel universally which belongs to all Saints whom he sheweth this darknes and obscuritie shall nothing hurt ver 10. and withall yeeldeth help an◠assistaunce to vnderstand the double time expressly determined first vers 11. the second vers 12. as also particularly which belongeth to and concerneth Daniel himselfe vers 13. THE SCHOLIA or Exposition Vers 1. Vers 1. And at that tyme shall Michael stand vp the great Prince THis last Catastrophe and turning doth prosecute three things in order who shall deliver from whence and whom Some would have Michael here the defender to be Christ and it is very certaine that he is the great Prince yea by farre the greatest of all the Prince of his elect people who hath delivered his church alwaies and will deliver it herafter yet the name of Michael here seemeth to be some certaine Angel whose ministerie the great Prince will vse in this battaile In the later end of the tenth chap. before he is spoken of as a certaine helper with whose aide that glorious Angel assisted seemeth notwithstanding to complaine of his being alone There is none that holdeth with me saieth he in these thinges but Michael your Prince But more plainly there in vers 13. And lo Michael one of the cheife or first princes for Christ is not one of the cheife princes as if he were of a certaine order of Angels and had a Companion of power but all the Angels as servitours doe Minister vnto him But thou wilt say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acad Hasharim is not one of the princes but first of the princes verily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of order sometimes when it is joyned with nownes of time as in one of the moneths that is to say in the first day of the moneth Levit. 23.24 And so with this our Prophet in one yeare of Darius that is in the first Dan. 9.1 From whence in one of the Sabaoths for the first daye of the weeke But the same word joyned with others is for the most part of number not of order as behold the man is become like one of us Gen. 3.22 He doth not mean as the first of us of which sort are manie other places That may be added also that the Archangel Michael in Iude 9. Doth put off the Divil to the Lords judgment as if himselfe had not power and authoritie to restraine him which yet notwithstandinge Christ doth exercise Mar. 1.25 as in manie places elswhere in the Gospel Neither is it likely that the Apostle if he had meant Christ would not have called him by his proper name especially when he doth bring his argument from the greater whose force is much lessēed if that which is greatest of all be not called by his owne but by a farre inferiour title Yet doe I not so dispute of this as if I meant willingly to contend with anie man about that matter but onely to finde out truth wherof very great care is to be taken as much as may be even in the smallest matters Neither is it of necessitie that things must be done by the ministerie of an Angel from heaven in such sort as no part therof should be acted by man but Christ may raise and stirre up some excellent man in whose person he may present a visible Michael as in that battaile of Michael and the Divil in Apocal. 12. we have seene But what kinde of ministerie soever it shal bee in what maner this Prince shall come prepared and furnished to the battaille it is at large declared in Apocal. 19.11 Secondly whence he shall deliver is from such a troublesome time as was not the like from the begining of the nation vnto that very time The Turk is alwaies intolerable even in peace rest and
their heads and stand upon their feet who lately were troden under foot of all and were almost brought to dust with the weight of their long and tedious afflictions Out of whom those whose hearts the Spirit shal endue with love and faith shal surely awake and come out of the graves having now obteined the dignitie of the children of God Who shal enioy eternall life not onely because they shal have the fruition therof in heaven but also because there shal bee a perpetuall felicitie in earth not to be steined with former troubles of the former ages anie more but it shal continue pure and spotlesse until their departure into heaven for now wil God wype all teares from their eies and there shal bee no more death nor sorow nor crying nor paine for the former thinges are passed away Apocal. 21.4 But the rest who being partakers of the deliveraunce shal yet persist in the wicked blindnes of their hearts they shal rise in deed but to eternall destruction seing after this time there is now promise of mercie to them and of calling them to the faith wherby alone wee apprehend and laie hold of salvation for all the Iewes will not give consent to the same truth but some of them will presevere and persist in their ould hardnes of heart howsoever God shal give a cleere testimonie to his sonne by subduing all their adversaries There is no place therfore left in the new Ierusalem for the fearfull and unbeleevers and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters all lyers which is specially spoken of the obdurate and hardened Iewes allthough the men of the same ranke in all other nations also shall bee in the like estate and condition Rev. 21.8 Vers 3. Vers 3 And they that are wise shal shine as the brightnes of the firmament The other distribution of them that rise is of saincts onely wherof some be people some bee the teachers both are illustrated by a similitude they of the firmament these of the starres For I doe agree with learned Calvin who taketh Hamashchilim intransitively as also a litle after in the tenth verse where with out doubt knowledge is not tied unto teachers which thence appeareth because Hamashchilim the wise are there opposed Lerishagnim to the wicked for onely the saincts all of them are truely wise but the wicked allthough they excell in pollicie craft and subtiltie in all trades customes of living yet notwithstanding are emptie and void of all sound and true wisedome and are in very deed said to bee fooles as Salomon doth often call them But now all the people and whole companie of the faithfull shal bee pure cleane shininge with bewtie of intire holines like vnto the firmament it selfe whither no cloude aspireth nor anie earthlie pollution ascendeth to cast anie aspersion or blott therupon The firmament is often covered all over with thicke cloudes and taken out of our sight but heere it is spoken of not as it often seemeth to us but as it is in its owne nature But they that justifie others by teachinge admonishing exhortinge reproovinge and comfortinge which are parts and duties of the Teachers and they which enioy publicke office in the Church shal bee the solidest and clearest parte of their spheare and compasse and shal become shining starres wherwith this firmament shal be bewtified and adormed themselves in the mean time enioying the chieffest glorie So in the first christian Church the ministers were starres which one like the sonne of man walking betweene the candlesticks d d beare in his right hand Apo. 1.20 These teachers of the Iewes shal enioy like glorie which are precious stones in the Apoc. 21.19 wherof is built the wall of the new Ierusalem It is to be observed here that the Doctors and Teachers are described by that present dutie not formerly past for matsedikim doth signifie them that doe justifie and not that have justified or turned to righteousnes by which argument we have shewed before that the last resurrection is not heere intended in this place where there wil bee no use of present teachers but the former past labours onely shall be rewarded Farthermore we maie observe that here is a lesse reward both of people and teachers then that which God hath laid up for all his owne against the last daie who shal bee like as the sunne If therfore the Angel doe heere now speak of the greatest glorie of the saincts why should he signifie it by the resemblance of the firmamente besides what singular thing have the teachers if they atteine to no more then that which is common to the teachers here in this life These are all starres as the place even now spoken of did teach us but now they are also called angels whose likenes and similitude seemeth to be the highest top of our felicitie and happines Indeed they are called angels but by reason of their ministerie onely and not of their present glorie The Spirit therfore would shew us by the rewards themselves that this is some other resurrection then that which shal be of all men at the last Vers 4. Vers 4. And thou Daniel shut up the wordes and seal the book Hitherto is the first part of the chapter now he commeth to the rest where first is a sealing consisting of a precept the putting in of a tacite close objection The precept is of shutting the wordes and sealing the book even to the time of the end But how should this bee Should Daniel keep it to himselfe alone wherfore then did he commit it to writing The Angel woulde have him write it in thesame wordes and after the same maner which he had received it to adde nothing of his owne by way of exposition to cleere the matter Daniel knew well how obscure and darke these things would be to the readers and he himselfe vnderstood the whole matter very well as he witnessed in the beginning of the vision and he vnderstood the thing had understanding of the vision ch 10.1 therfore the learned and eloquent man could have cleered the obscurities with such wordes if he might freely have done it as none of the simplest sort need to have bene anie where gravelled therat But the Angel doth not give this libertie but commaundeth to wrap it up in the same obscuritie wherwith he sawe it covered at the first deliverie therof from himself This doe I take to be the true proper meaning of this shutting sealing for Daniel had heard these thinges of the Angel neither had hee anie other way to shutt thē up but by writing obscurely and not in open playne termes But wherfore doth he bid shut up the wordes and seal the booke Are the book and these wordes the same all one It often cometh to passe that some short and litle writinge is called a booke as the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ Mat. 1.1 such like But
happily heere in this place the wordes are this very prophecye froÌ„ the beginning of the tenth chapter the book all his visions in generall which he is commaunded to hide in a profound stile hard to be knowne and to put them together in a book after God had last spoken to him in this kynde of visions but the former visions were alreadie written before so as it is better to referre words and booke to the same thinge yet so as the thinges should be kept close and not be hid for ever but onely to the time of the end of what end Of a perfect end or soone after to be perfected nigh at hand as it seemeth and a litle before the end when thinges lately buried in obscure darknes shal be brought forth into open light Daniel might have objected that so the elect should be deprived of the fruite of a most holie and divine revelation The angel meets with it as if he should saie Let not that trouble thee for manie shal come to and fro and knowledge shal be increased that is to saie although these thinges be hard and difficult yet some wil take great paines in searching out the truth and by wise discourse gather one thing of another wil level very neere yea and hit the mark it selfe and will much increase knowledge which thing indeed wee have seene come to passe both in the Iewes and in our owne men who by diligent search have found out manie remnants of this gold scattering heere and there and therby have brought much profit both to themselves and to the Church But for what cause would God have these thinges shutt up for a time First that the wicked by seing should not see and by hearing should not heare wherfore Christ spake in parables to the vnbeleeving Iewes and Iohn was commaunded to seale up those things which the thunders uttered Apoc. 10.4 Secondly That securitie should not growe upon the Saincts by the expectation of a long time to whom the opinion of an end alwaies approaching should bee profitable whereby they may have their Lampes alwayes in a readines Thirdly that there might be a testimony of Gods truth in those auncient times when the wicked at length shall know that those things were foretold many ages before which themselves doe finde most true after it is too late 4. Lastly because this obscuritie shall not take away all understanding of the Saincts but shall whet only their diligence in searching to whom the Angell promiseth a further profiting and proceeding seing by their godly labour and diligence God doth make over to the godly all his mysteries secrets in Christ And J Daniel looked behold two standing Vers 5. So is the seating now followeth the first designing of the time the preparation whereof doth propound unto as two other Angels and thâ— place where they stood The number seemeth to be added for the confirmation of the whole matter In mens Courts God hath appointed every matter should be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses Deut. 19 15. After the same manner the more are sent that the matter might be more confirmed and humane infirmity regarded provided for Now might the Prophet try his right by Law with the Angell if he had deceived or the thing foretold him should not com to passe The place where they stood was at the bank of the river one at one side of the bank and the other on the other side and the river was Hiddikel as we learne by the 10. chap. verse 4. the third river of Paradise Gen. 2.14 It is not certainly knowne whether the Prophet were bodily present by this river or the sight thereof were afoarded him after a prophetical manner If it be this there is some great matter in it why this alone should be offered to his very viewe above all the rest but if he were bodily present which I rather thinke Daniels company flying away for feare chap. 10.7 neither can it be without cause that he maketh mention rather of the river then of the region and country And we shall see assuredly that of the fowre visions which were shewed to Daniel three of them were at the waters And not without good cause when as visions doe foreshew the affaires of nations and people to be done in ages to come and waters do both lively resemble the troublesome tempests of worldly businesses with the variable and inconstant condition of people and also thereunto are frequently used in scripture as in Ezech. 26.19 When I shall make thee a desolate cittie by bringing up the deepe upon thee and great waters shall cover thee But waters doe dâ—ffer according to the diversity of the things thereby signified In the first vision the fowre Windes of heaven strove upon the great sea and fowre great beasts came up from the sea chap. 7.2.3 because as the Sea is the collection gathering together of waters so there was intreated of the matters of all people which should all be disturbed with these fowre Kingdoms The second vision was at Vlai no sea but only a river unknowne not famous not sett out with any note at all of any excellencie so in that vision the Empire of the whole world was not intreated off but some particular nations the Medes Persians and Grecians in which the prophecy stoppeth his narration as it were in some creek of a great sea and a river drawne and derived out of the deep chap. 8.2 The last vision was at Hiddikel a particular River also but such a one as flowed out of Paradise eveÌ„ as the matters therin handled doe specially respect a particular people but holy elect whose spring originall doth come out of Paradise the infinite grace of a mercifull God which runneth thence along thorow the stock of the holie Patriarchs in all ages as it were thorough a channell The former visions were also shewed for the Churches sake onely but they declared flourishing nations First the fowre great Monarches afterward the Medes Persians Grecians This alone sheweth the full deliverance of the holy people and therefore they were given at the sea and unknowne waters like to people of no account with God but this was given at the holie River that he might more lively set before our eyes the condition of that auncient holy people by the election of grace Such a River therfore is it Now the Angels doe not stand both on one side but are severally placed and keep both the bankes because God defends this people on every side by his Angels to whom he hath given in charge not onely to be carefull of some of their matters and careles of the rest but to perfect all things which doe concerne the safetie of his elect This is a great comfort in time of so long a divorce when they understand that their God careth for theÌ„ and that there remaineth a seed of election amongst them though the blind world seeth