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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94356	Knovvledge of the times or, the resolution of the question, how long it shall be unto the end of wonders. By John Tillinghast, a servant of Jesus Christ.	Tillinghast, John, 1604-1655.	1654 (1654)	Wing T1179; Thomason E1467_1; ESTC R203797	191,673	390

repent to be arraigned as such before his Throne another day who will then passe a Judgement of persons and things not as they are in mens interpretations but according as he hath left them in his Word yea let it be seriously considered and laid to heart whether or no the condemning this blessed Doctrin the glorious truth of the Age viz. of the Fifth Monarchy or Christs visible Kingdom considering that no five Parties this day in England have so much to say from the Word for their particular opinions though all they have to say be put together as may be said for this be a thing justifiable before Gods people or rather in the sight of God and out Father especially too when as the persons condemning have never to this day given the truth a fair hearing by using such endeavours for the finding out the minde of God in this thing as they might and as lies in their power to do and which were there nothing else but the dis-satisfaction of Gods people God declares from Heaven that he calls upon them to do yea whether or no is not this very act of theirs a dealing more injuriously with the blessed Truth of Christ the least ïota of which is of farre greater worth than Men and Angels than ever did the Pagan Powers of the Roman Empire in the Apostles days with the persons of particular men though Malefactors who always refused to pass a Sentence till they had heard what the accused could speak Acts 25.16 yea whether or no such persons whose words and actions are Patterns unto Multitudes will not have much to answer for unless they repent if so be Christ shall one day finde it that by their slight speeches or frowning carriages towards the truth of the Generation the generality of poor souls that know nothing but are meerly led by example shall be emboldned encouraged to slight revile oppose persecute that truth in which his honour is more nearly and immediatly concerned than in any other truth besides it And is it not possible that a man with a faithful and upright heart but considered as mistaken or darkned in his Principles may do all this Did not Paul act with an upright heart considering he acted zealously according to his light whilst yet he persecuted the Church and the true way of the Lord And in such Cases is it not the better and safer way for a man to fear his own heart and to be jealous that it acts under some distemper and so makes not a judgement of it self in the light of the Lords Spirit but in the darkness of temptation than to bee confident of it especially too when a general fear of such a thing dwells upon the hearts of Gods people David concluded himself then for certain to be under a temptation when he saw that otherwise hee must condemn the generation of the righteous Psal 73.15 Much more I could say but that it is no delight to dig into a Wound To conclude therefore seeing the visage of our times both in respect of the great opposition this day made to the truth of the age and in many other respects is grown pale and black and that blessed Cause of Christ that of late looked with a fresh and amiable countenance begins now to appear wan with Death in the face of it is it not high time for the Saints and all those who wish well to Sion to cry mightily to the Lord and to give him no rest to humble themselves greatly before him for those manifold abominations committed in the Land especially that Pride Luke-warmness Wantonness unthankfulness for Mercies past love of this present World open licentiousness gross Apostacy that superabounds even among those that bear upon them the Name of the Lord which things have given our Father just cause not only thus to frown but to depart from us for ever Yea is it not high time if wee have a tongue for Christ now to speak for him if bowels now to sympathize with him if tears in our eyes now to pour them forth before the Lord if groans in our hearts now to send them up into Heaven if faith in the Word and promise of God now to act it if exhortations in our Breasts now to bring them forth and speak often one to another and will not the Lord hearken and hear and shall not a Book of remembrance be written before him for them that now fear the Lord and call upon his Name Yea will not God say concerning them and they shall bee mine in the day when I make up my Jewels and though they are Children full of failings yet for this service sake I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him surely he will And should not this consideration added to all the rest that the set time of our Redemption is at hand which dwelling every day more and more upon my heart hath caused mee to speak work up our hearts to all these things and beget in us noble resolutions to hazard whatever is precious to us in the World for the sake of Christ and his now despised Cause which though trampled upon at present yet shall it suddenly arise with Power and great Glory and then shall all its enemies melt away before it as the Snow before the Sun then shall the Armies of Heaven march forth with the Lord in the Head of them and the Princes shall bee afraid of his Ensigne whose fire is in Sion and his furnace in Jerusalem The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this So beleeves he and so he prays who is From my Study in Trunch this 4th day of the 9th Month 1654. A poor sinful Creature unworthy to make mention of the name of the Lord John Tillinghast Errata PAge 2. line 10. for so even this also read so even in th●s also p. 3. l. 26 27. for such knowledge also is the root of grace r. such knowledge is the root of grace p. 4. l. 14. for apace this way r. apace this way p. 6. l. last for be with Jew and Gentile r. betwixt Jew and Gentile p. 17. l. 18. for are the same r. both which are the same p. 22. l. 15. for at r. as l. 16. blot out which p. 37. l. 20. for current r. concurrent p. 43. l. 29 r. Bishop of Rome Purgatory p. 45. l. 25. r. they are to be p. 77 l. 27. for consists r. insists p. 82. l. 31 32. for terrible to the Saints r. tetrible to the Nations p. 85. l. last r. Crowns p 87. l. 11. for in r. into p. 89. l. 13. for the beginning r. our beginning l. 21 22. for the aforesaid ending of the 1260. days r. the ending of the 1260. days from the aforesaid beginning p. 109. l. 24. for eleven r. eleventh p. 129. l. last for 1230. r. 1150. p. 137. l. last forhurt r. hurts p. 14 1. l. 29. for also v. 3. r. v. 3. also I. p.

several of the Reasons we have before laid down to disprove the former opinions fall with equal force upon this as might be shewed but I forbear because the reason of the Text lies so directly against this that there needs no more to be rehearsed There is but one Decree more that any can imagine and that is of Artaxerxes in the twentieth year of his Reign and given forth to Nehemiah of which we may read Nehem. 2. Now this as I conceive is the Commandement from the going forth of which we are to begin this Epock of four hundred and ninety years My reasons are 1 Because this Commandement came forth in as solemn a manner as any of the other The first Decree of Cyrus came forth presently upon Daniels praying and mourning so doth this upon Nehemiahs Chap. 1.4 5. The one hath as solemn a rise as the other 2 Reason Because the work that this Decree concerned was a work in its self as famous every whit as the work of the Temple as appears First By the large description we have left us of the thing by the Lord himself a whole Book viz. Nehemiahs being written in a manner upon this subject in which we have the work in the parts and circumstances of it more exactly laid down then is the work of the Temple in the foregoing Book of Ezra Secondly The great opposition it met with by enemies declaring it to be a work wherein Gods cause and glory was greatly concerned Thirdly The calling of this work Gods work Neh. 3.5 and a work in which God did so eminently appear in carrying it on and defending the workmen that the very enemies themselves confesse the work to be wrought of God Nehem. 6.16 which considerations are sufficient to silence some exceptions I have met with undervaluing this work of Nehemiah as a private businesse and a thing too mean to be made the Head of this famous Epock And indeed I have sometimes thought that one reason why so large a story is left us of this work might be because without a knowledge hereof we could never have found the certain time with which we are to begin Daniels seventy weeks which is a thing of so great concernment as the Head of no one number in Scripture like it 3 Because this Decree agrees much better to the Angels words then either the Decree of Cyrus or any of the other two For observe the Commandement spoken of by the Angel is a Commandement to restore and build Jerusalem Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the Decree to restore and to build Jerusalem Yea such a building as should rear up again the street and walls of Jerusalem as the following words shew Now neither of the former Decrees did this for when Nehemiah first thought upon the work the walls of Jerusalem were broken down the Gates burnt with fire Nehem. 1.3 4. after the work of building the walls was finished yet the houses were not builded Nehem. 7.1 4. the City was large and great but the people were few therein and the houses were not builded The meaning surely is That notwithstanding there might be here and there particular houses in which the people did reside yet Jerusalem as a City with houses compacted making a street was not yet built which is the thing the Angel mentions to Daniel to the end we might not look upon the building of some particular houses to be in the intent of the Holy Ghost the building of Jerusalem but rather reckon it from the time when walls and street began to be built But now in Nehemiahs time both these were done he built the walls of Jerusalem and that in so short a time as was even a miracle Nehem. 6.15 and he built the houses also and Artaxerxes Decree did authorize him to do both these Chap. 2.5 8. And this was a larger power then ever was given before by any of the precedent Decrees 4 Because this beginning stands reconciled as our computation of the two thousand three hundred dayes by virtue of it will make appear with those Scripture-principles which require a concurrence in their ends betwixt the two thousand three hundred dayes and the one thousand three hundred thirty five and also the one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes and the one thousand two hundred and ninety which all the other beginnings are at variance and open war with What shall I say more to make the whole of this long Discourse clear and undoubted in one word Consider That the Jews had a twofold Restoration and a double building-work First A spiritual Restoration or a Restoration as they were a Church and a building-work attending that viz. Of the Temple Secondly A Civil Restoration or a Restoration as they were a Commonwealth and a building-work attending that viz. Of the City Jerusalem Both these Daniel in his prayer had been pleading for viz. The Restoration of City and Sanctuary Accordingly in the answer given to him by the Angel we have a double Command First A Command which concerned the first only viz. The Temple-work which was the Command of Cyrus and is that Commandement which is said to come forth at the beginning of Daniels supplication vers 23. i.e. whilst Daniel is praying Cyrus enacts this Law and so part of Daniels prayer had a present answer Secondly A Command respecting the second viz. The work of the City and Common-wealth which is the Commandement to restore and to build Jerusalem vers 25. The coming forth of this was to be for future and I take it this latter Commandement hath therefore this particular notation Of building Jerusalem that Daniel nor we might not mistake and account it the same with the other vers 23. Now observe the Angel fixing the Head of the seventy weeks upon the Command for building Jerusalem it is a clear Argument that we are to begin the seventy weeks with the Jews Civil Restoration not their Spiritual The Conclusion therefore is That the Commandement from the going forth of which we are to begin our four hundred and ninety years is the Commandement of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah in the twentieth year of his Reign Thus much as touching our beginning of this famous Epock of Daniels seventy weeks or four hunddred and ninety years SECT 5. Having found out the beginning of Daniels seventy weeks our next Enquiry must be where we shall end them Worthy Mr. Mede with whom we have been contending already about the beginning is of opinion that we are to end the seventy weeks with the destruction of Jerusalem But having before proved his Beginning to be false his End must necessarily be so too And indeed the most of our Reasons but the three first especially laid down to disprove his beginning do lye as strongly against this end take the same as it is asserted by him or any other But that which here I shall farther adde is That this ending of the seventy weeks is altogether repugnant

malice which now lying upon them made all charges ineffectual but also find a fair opportunity to draw up a new charge But God who knows the rage of his enemies and takes care of his people had provided otherwise and turns this their crafty rage against the work even to a promoting of it as appears from the issue Chap. 6. As for the third foot of the Objection taken from Hananies report My Answer is That the breaking down of the wall of Jerusalem and burning the Gates relates to the ruines of Jerusalem in the dayes of Nebuchadnezzar My Reasons are 1 Because no Scripture mentions any building of the walls of Jerusalem betwixt the time of Cyrus and Nehemiah the forementioned Texts I have proved too weak therefore we have no ground for faith that ever such a thing was 2 Because its likely if the walls had been rebuilt by the Jews that came up in the dayes of Cyrus and afterwards broken down again by enemies and gates burnt they would also as well have broken down the Temple and burnt that for their malice was as great against the one as the other yea if more against any it was the Temple which being the place of the Jews worship was most abhorred by the Adversaries who hated them only for Religion sake but this was not done for Nehemiah coming to Jerusalem found a Temple there Neh. 6.10 3 Because should I grant which yet I cannot there being not one tittle of Scripture for it that City and Wall was built before yet must we confesse withall that this work was an obscure thing and no way to be compared with the after famous building of Nehemiah memorized by a whole Book written particularly upon that subject and therefore not fit in comparison of the other to be made head of Daniels Seventy weeks As for the ground of this part of the Objection That it could have been no news to Nehemiah to have heard of the ancient ruines by Nebuchadnezzar Ans Neither indeed was it nor is the businesse between Nehemiah and Hanani a hearing and telling of news as we commonly understand the word they were more spiritual and better employed then so Hanani was a faithful man one that feared God above many Neh. 7.2 This holy man coming to Nehemiah another choice Spirit two choice spirited men being now met together having both of them great hearts for the cause of God they as 't is comely for Saints at all times when they have the like opportunity to do presently fall into discourse about things that concern the people of God and Gods cause at that day and all the news that passeth between is indeed matter of so spiritual a concernment that it is too low a term to call it news Saith Nehemiah to Hanani brother Hanani how fares it with our brethren at Jerusalem O saith Hanani their condition is sad they are still in the old posture a reproach to the Heathen and the wall of Jerusalem lyes broken down the gates burnt with fire This thing this good man reports not so much as a matter of news though in part of it news there was as indeed a thing which was the present burden grief and affliction of his own soul and the souls of the remnant at Jerusalem how that Jerusalem the building of which they had long expected continued still a heap and withall how that now as it is Gods ordinary way to affect the hearts of his people and heighten his enemies against a work when the time thereof is come the thing lay more heavy upon the spirits of all the remnant then ever and also the enemies did more reproach them with their unbuilt City then ever In this last lay all the news if we may so call it Nehemiah upon hearing this and through that heart-warming discourse that had passed between them goes home from this meeting wondrously affected with the condition of Gods people and cause and betakes himself to his Closet and there spreads the whole before the Lord the issue whereof is favour in the sight of the King and authority from him to go to Jerusalem and build it Thus much by way of answer to the Texts in which the force of the Objection lyes Secondly I now come to adde two or three Considerations from Scripture which may be an answer to the whole of the Objection 1 Consideration Whether it be not a very strange thing to suppose that the Jews having been charged with such a thing as building Jerusalem and the work they were about stopped upon it that yet afterwards the original Copy of Cyrus Decree being found out among the Court-Rolls in the second yer of Darius and transcribed by Ezra Chap. 6.1 2 3 4 5. not one word should be mentioned of that about which had been so much noise and stir by the enemy but as the Command Chap. 1. So here the Decree should run altogether upon building the Temple and not a tittle in it of Jerusalem which who can think otherwise but that had there been but the least clause in Cyrus Decree empowring the Jews to the building Jerusalem upon which the Jews had undertook it Ezra though it were to vindicate the actings of his Nation and to shew that what they did which was so ctyed out against and they suffered so much though unjustly through forged accusations for was not without Law and Authority would not doubtlesse had the Jews been really guilty of the act or the Decree allowed them any such thing in transcribing the Decree have left it out 2 Consideration Whether the very words and manner of expression used by the Angel do not import an Effective command such a command as upon the going of it forth did cause a restoring and building Jorusalem vers 25. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the Commandement to restore and to build Jerusalem Observe the Command is a Command expresly to restore and to build which it is not proper to call that Command which by vertue of it self alone doth never produce any such effect considering too that Gods Commands as we are to look upon this though he use man as an instrument are every of them alwayes effective Now let it be considered whether the naked Decree of Cyrus ever had any such effect nay is not the contrary evident viz. That for many years after the going forth of that Decree even untill the twentieth of Artaxerxes Jerusalem lay waste as a ruined heap Neh. 1.3 and when the time of building it came the work had for its basis not that Decree but a new one of Artaxerxes by which only Nehemiah acts and not at all by the Decree of Cyras as is manifest from the whole of his Book 3 Consideration Whether the Angels giving Daniel so many serious hints to pry well into this thing and to take heed of a too hasty concluding any thing lest he should mistake vers 25. Know therefore and understand vers 23.