to his Brethren at Nazareth Luk. IV. 16. But they were so angry with him on the forementioned account that they coldly received him and at last were ready to have kill'd him Luk. IV. 28. Thereupon he went and setled himself at Capernaum Luk. IV. 31. which is therefore called his own City Matt. IX 1. From thence he went over all Galilee preaching and working Miracles Mar. I. 39. all the rest of that year Wherein May 23 began Daniel's 482 year Aug. 19th began the 17th of Tiberius and Dec. 25. began Christ's 34. 31 34 17 482 Christ returned from his Progress back to Capernaum Matt. IX 1. Mar. II. 1. and there being at the Custome house by the Sea side Matt. IX 9. Mar. II. 13 14. he called Matthew the Publican to be his Disciple Matt. IX 9. Mar. II. 14. Soon after this Iesus passing through the Corn fields his Disciples pluckt the ears of Corn did eat rubbing them in their hands Matt. XII 1. Mar. II. 23. Luk. VI. 1. This was on the Sabbath day which made the Pharisees yet more angry with him and Luke saith it was on the second-first Sabbath which was a great Aggravation Probably the 1st Sabbath of the year was in Tisri at or near the Feast of the beginning of the year and as that Feast was appointed to be kept in memory of the Creation so this Sabbah might be observ'd in memory of the day in which God rested from his Work But there was a 2d beginning of the year appointed in Nisan being the month of their deliverance out of Aegypt and this might well be the Sabbath in Passeover week which they observ'd in memory of that Deliverance For then was their Harvest of which the 1st Sheaf was to be offered to God on the morrow after the Sabbath Lev. XXIII 11. which is now our Easterday All agree that the Disciples plucking the ears of Corn was much about the time of the 3d Passeover After which our Saviour healed another cripple on the Sabbath day at which things together the Pharisees were filled with madness Luk. VI. 11. and took Counsell how to destroy him Matt. XII 14. But it seems they durst not attempt it at present for now there came multitudes of People from all parts of Palestine to hear him Mar. III. 7 8. This made it necessary for him to Ordain others into the Ministry Therefore having first prayed all night the next day he called and chose his XII Disciples Luk. VI 13. whom he ordained that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach Mar. III. 14. tho he did not send them from him till a good while after this But first taking them with him throughout all Galilee he preached there in every City and Village Luk. VIII 1. At Naâ—…m he raised a Widdows Son that was carrying forth to his burial Luk. VII 14 15. About the same time some of Iohn Baptist's disciples coming to him whom Iohn had sent out of his prison to our Saviour to satisfy them that he was the Christ our blessed Saviour gave them this among other Proofs of it that here they saw the dead raised Luc. VII 22. Soon after this he also raised the onely daughter of Iairus that was one of the Rulers of the Synagogue Mar. V. 22 42. Luk. VIII 41 55. After this he went on preaching and healing throughout the country But he was no where so ill received as at his owne town of Nazareth where they despised him for what they saw of the meaness of his Family Matt. XIII 55. Mar. VI. 3. So that no good being to be done there he left them and went on preaching and healing through out all the Citys and Villages of that country Matt. IX 35. Mar. VI. 6. In this 31 year of the Vulgar Aera May 18th began Daniel's 483d year Aug. 19. began the 18th of Tiberius and Dec. 25th began Christ's 35th year of his age It was toward the end of this year or the beginning of the next that Herod put Iohn Baptist to death Matt. XIV 10 11. Mar. VI. 27. of which see also Ios. Ant. XVIII 7. About the same time our blessed Lord having given the XII full Instructions sent them forth to preach the Gospel and to prove it with Miracles Matt. X. 1. Mar. VI. 7 13. Luk. IX 1 6. Accordingly they went through the Towns preaching and healing every where Luk. IX 6. b. 32 35 18 483 In the beginning of this year there was a great fame of the preaching of Christ's XII Apostles and of the Wonders they did in his Name Whereupon the People took up a fancy that Iohn was risen again and that this was HE. Luk. IX 7. Herod's heart also misgave him that it was true Mar. VI. 14 16. It happened about the same time that Iohn's Disciples came and told our Saviour of his Death and how they had buried him Matt. XIV 12. The XII also returned and brought an Account of what they had done in their Mission Mar. VI. 30. Luk. IX 10. Our Saviour understanding that Herod had a mind to see him Luk. IX 9. thought best to go out of his way He took the XII with him into a desert place belonging to the City called Bethsaida Luk. IX 10. Thither a great multitude followed him on the account of his Miracles Iohn VI. 2. And he taught them there Mar. VI. 34. Luk. IX 11. The people staying too late to get back to the places where they might have provisions Christ was pleased to feed them there with such as he had being onely five loaves and two small fishes With these he fed 5000 men besides women and children Matt. XIV 21. and yet after they had eaten and were filled the fragments that remained filled twelve baskets Matt. XIV 20. Mar. VI. 43. Luk. IX 17. Ioh. VI. 13. In this last place it is said that at this time the Passeover was nigh Ioh. VI. 4. by which it appears that Christ was not at this Passeover but that still he continued in Galilee For after this Miracle when the people would have made him King by force to avoid this having first shipt away his Disciples he withdrew himself into a Mountain to pray and from thence the night being stormy he followed them walking on the Sea and coming up into the Ship he went ashore in the land of Genesareth Matt. XIV 34. Mar. VI. 53. Thence he went through that whole region round about Mar. VI. 55. from thence to the parts about Tyre and Sidon Mar. VII 24 and thence back through Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee v. 31. There in the desert he fed 4000 men besides women and children with seven Loaves and a few little fishes whereof after they had eaten and were filled the fragments that remained were seven baskets full Matt. XV. 34 38 and Mar. VIII 1 9. It was soon after this as appears by our Saviours words to his Disciples Matt. XVI 9 10. that he had the
Vers. 23. But yet they could not hurt him Vers. 30. because his HOUR was not yet come So another time Ioh. VIII 20. when they would fain have layd hold on him the same reason is given why they could not because his HOUR was not yet come it could not be till the Passeover The latter time here mention'd was on the 23th of Tisri when our Saviour was teaching in the Treasury In the end of that day upon his saying those words before ABRAHAM was I am they took up Stones to cast at him But not to work Miracles needlessly he escaped from them in the throng and that probably by the help of his Disciples for they were then about him or near him Ioh. IX 2. He had no sooner escaped that storm but another was raised against him upon his working a Miracle on the Sabbath day It was his giving Sight to one that was born blind Ioh. IX 14. for which since they could not reach our Saviour they layd hold on the poor man and cast him out of the Synagogue Vers 34. The mean while our blessed Saviour in his return from Ierusalem met with his LXX Disciples who brought him an account of what they had done in their Ministry The first place he came to was Martha's house Luk. X. 38. She was a widow as Grotius thinks Her House was at Bethany Ioh. XI 1. about fifteen furlongs from Ierusalem Vers. 18. From thence he went on through the Cities and Villages Luk. XIII 22. which were prepared for him by his LXX Disciples No doubt it was by their means that wheresoever he came he found the People so ready to hear him As we reade Luk. XI 29. that in one place they were gathered thick together for that purpose So in another it is sayd there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. XII 1. innumerable multitudes insomuch that they trode upon one another But every where the Scribes and Pharisees got in among them Luk. XI 53 54. who were still laying wait for him seeking to catch something out of his Mouth that they might accuse him No doubt they were these that were still cavilling at his Miracles seeking Signs from heaven Luk. XI 15 16. But it appears they put the people on the same Vers. 29. and so again Luk. XII 56. where he gives them the same answer as he had done before to the Pharisees Matt. XVI 3. Our Saviour thus going on through the Cities and Villages where the LXX had been was now again making his journey to Ierusalem Luk. XIII 22. This was no doubt to the Feast of DEDICATION which was yearly held on the 25th of Cisleu above two months after the Feast of Tabernacles In his way to that Feast we find him at Peraea in Herod's Dominions Luk. XIII 31. There Herod kept his Court at Machaerus as we learn from Iosephus Ant. XVIII 7. and elswhere But he could not like to have the blessed Iesus so near him for His being there could not but mind the people of his forerunner Iohn Baptist whose death was very grievous to them It seems most likely that Herod for that reason sent the Pharisees to try if they could affright him out of those coasts It appears that our Saviour knew they came from Herod for to Him he sends them with this Answer go tell that Fox c. I cannot dye out of Ierusalem And thereupon he pronounced the Fate of that City that it should be layd desolate and should be left so till the time foretold Psal. CXVIII 25 26. even the Time when the JEWISH Nation shall turn to him saying blessed be he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. All this our Saviour repeated again Matt. XXIII 37 c. when the Hosanna-time at his coming up to Ierusalem was past and therefore it is not necessary that these words should refer to that particular Occasion That being indeed a fulfilling of that Prophecy Zech. IX 9. of Christ's coming to Ierusalem riding on an Asse in such manner as is therein described with all those Shews of public joy among the common People which were but a low Type of the universal joy that shall be hereafter at their Restauation Our Saviour's coming up now from Peraea to Jerusalem was to the Feast of DEDICATION before mentioned It was now that he had that dispute with the Iews Ioh. X. 24. upon which they were for stoning him more than once Vers. 31 39. but both times he escaped out of their hands And after the Feast he went again into Peraea Vers. 40. About this time on the 25th of December began the 36th year of his Age. 33 36 19 Our blessed Lord being returned from the Feast of DEDICATION made his abode in Peraea with his Disciples for some time Iohn X. 40. and there on the account of what they had heard Iohn Baptist say of him as well as what they saw of the Miracles that he wrought many believed on him Vers. 41 42. From thence at the desire of Mary and Martha he came into Iudaea again to help their Brother Lazarus who was sick unto death Ioh. XI 7 8. At his coming thither he found Lazarus dead and buryed some days before There in the presence of many witnesses our Saviour restored him to life which put his Enemies out of all patience The chief Priests and Pharisees from that day forth were in consultation together how to put him to death Now it was not safe for our Saviour to stay there nor to go to any place that they were acquainted with for they had given a Commandment that if any man knew where he was he should shew it that they might take him Vers. 57. Our Saviour therefore retired into the Country near to the Wilderness It was that which reaches from Iericho to Bethel Iosh. XVI 1. and which is called the Wilderness of Bethaven XVIII 12. There his retirement was in a City called Ephraim which seems to have been that where Absolom had his Sheep-shearing to which he invited David and his Sons II Sam. XIII 23. In St. Ierom's time there was a very great Village called Ephrea about 20 miles North of Ierusalem This long Wildernesse as Ioshua there shews was in the confines between Benjamin and Ephraim or between the Countries of Iudaea and Samaria as they were called in our Saviour's time Our blessed Saviour could not be safer than there in any place at that distance from Ierusalem and he could not well be further off being soon to return to Ierusalem for the Passeover was nigh at hand Ioh. XI 54 55. So near that they that sought his life were enquiring whether he would not come up that year Vers. 56. They were afraid he would stay away from this Passeover as he had done from the two last beforegoing But when our Saviour saw his time to come up to the Feast then out of his retirement he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee Luk. XVII 11. that is as the learned
the God of Israel but that God made him leave the doing of that to his Son Solomon But without that Addition the City alone David called a Ps. XLVIII 1. the holy Mountain of God Ps. XLVIII 1. And so did Daniel in this b Dan. IX 16 24. Prayer v. 16. which the Angel refers to vers 24. It was the City of Ierusalem that was called the holy Mountain by God himself Zech. VIII 3. Now indeed it was nothing but a Mountain of Rubbish without either Houses or Walls It was as David foresaw it would be a heap of Ruins without any Inhabitant and he made several * Ps. LXXIV LXXIX LXXX CII CVI CXXXVII all or most of them see Tract V. Psalms for it when it should be in that condition One of those Psalms Ps. CVI. it may reasonably be presumed Daniel had in his mind when he used the c Ps. CVI. 6. words of it in his Prayer 51. It may well be enquired what the reason should be why not so much for the Temple Daniel in his Prayer speaks so d Dan. IX 7 12 16 18 19. often of the City of Ierusalem that lay then in ruines and scarce †The Onely mention of the Temple in Daniel's prayer vers 17. where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy holy place is render'd the Sanctuary But some take that to be the same which the Angel calls thy holy City vers 24. once mentions the Temple of God which was in the same condition This deserves to be thought of so much the more because the Angel in his Answer to Daniel takes e vers 24. notice of his praying for his holy City and in his Prophecy tells him of a f Dan. IX 25. Commandment that there would be for the building of Ierusalem upon which the Wall should be built and the Street but the Angel saith nothing of the Temple in his Answer nor promiseth any thing of it in his Prophecy But at last g 〈◊〉 vers 26. where he speaks of the death of the Messias he saies that after that both the City and the Temple should be destroyed In these last words it was plainly implyed that there was a Temple to be built for there was none in being at the time of this Prophecy and it must be Built before it could be destroyed But there was no Promise of this 52. Now the reason of Daniel's saying so little of the Temple he knew that would forth with be built and therefore the Angel's saying nothing of the rebuilding of it was plainly this that Daniel was perfectly secure that the Temple should be built the Angel also knew that he was so having God's word for it not only that it should be done but that it should be now within a year or two He also knew who should Order the doing of it He saw and knew the Man even CYRUS by name of whom God had said h Esaia XLIV 28. it is He that shall perform all my pleasure saying to Ierusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy Foundation shall be laid 53. It was little more than a year after this that King Darius But he knew not when the City would be built died and Cyrus being his Successor did give out that order upon which soon after i Ezra I. 1. the foundation of the Temple was laid according to that k Esai XLIV 28. Prophecy of Esaiah But that was all that was done to it in Cyrus's time the building of the Temple being put off till the g Ezra IV. 5. 24. second year of King Darius which was some fifteen years after No doubt Cyrus gave also order or leave for the building of Houses at Ierusalem for the dwelling of thòse few that had to do about the Temple But for the Generality of the People that came up from Babylon h Ezra II. 70. they went to live in the Cities about which their Inheritances lay so that after all that Cyrus had done there were no more than scatter'd Houses or Sheds for present use at Ierusalem There were i Neh. VII 4. no Streets built to make it a City and much less Walls to make it defensible till the k II. 1. twentieth year of Artaxerxes which was above seventy years after this When that would be done Daniel had no manner of View there being no Prophecy in Scripture concerning it till that which the Angel now gave him in this l Dan. IX 24. Prophecy of LXX weeks Here indeed the Angel being to set the Time from whence he was to date the beginning of these weeks told him v. 25. these weeks were to begin m vers 25. from the going forth of the Commandment to build Ierusalem again and that there might be no mistake of his words the Angel shew'd what Commandment he meant by adding what was to follow upon it namely n Ib. that the Wall should be built and the Street even in a streight of Times This was clear to them that lived in King Artaxerxes's time when they came to see the o Neh. II. 5 6. Issuing forth of that Commandment of his in the year of his Reign p Neh. III VI c. before mention'd And to Us it is as plain by reading the account of it in the Book of Nehemiah who lived at that time and was employ'd by that King in that building 54. But Daniel who lived so long before being wholely ignorant Therefore he prayed for that chiefly of this till he had this intimation of it from the Angel in the words of this Prophecy it is no wonder that he was so passionately concern'd for the rebuilding of the City of Ierusalem as we see he was by his so often repeating it in his Prayer for his Church and Nation that being their Center of Union in all their Civil affairs as well as those of Religion 55. We are next to shew the ardent Zeal that he had for God's He also shewed his Zeal for God's Glory in the Arguments that he used in his Prayer Glory which especially appears in the Arguments that he made use of for the speeding of those his Petitions He made use between whiles of Arguments drawn from the Attributes of God that are known even by the light of Nature to them that have no Divine Revelation a Dan. IX 4 7. 9 c. Arguments from the Wisdom and Power the Truth and Holiness of God his Justice and Goodness and Mercy all these do afford us helps in Prayer some of them for the strengthening of our Faith and Hope and Resignation to God others also to mind us of those Divine qualities in which we are as near as we are able to conform our selves to the Image of God and thereby to qualify our selves for those Mercies and Blessings we ask of him which is the most proper use of such Considerations 56. But this holy
joyn'd with the Medes under their King Cyaxares Son of Astyages in his War against the Chaldeans which ended in the destruction of that Empire 13. But as to the Conduct of these against Babylon the Prophet c Ier. LI. 27. shewed how it should be in the next words Appoint a Captain against her cause the Horse †In the English i Ier. LI. â—…7 Bible it is her horses but the word her is not in the Hebrew nor is horses in the plural to come up as the rough Caterpillers for so they appeared as having their Backs all bristled with Sheaves of Arrows Thus the people of Elam are d Esai XXII 6. described in their fighting Attire being all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horsemen bearing the Quiver Esai XXII 6. where the word Perashiâ—… that signifies Horsemen sheweth plainly Bocharâ—… Geogr. S. IV. 10. Casielli Lex in 〈◊〉 whence the Elamites came to have the name of Persae or as they are now called Pharsi they being anciently noted for Horsemanship above all other Nations †Xenoph. Cyrop 〈◊〉 3 says of Persia that it was so mountainous a country that it was rare to see a horse in it And there were none but Foot in Cyrus his Army till after his first victory over Crasus Then he mounted them on Lydian horses and taught them all Horsemanship upon which they so valued themselves that as Xenophon saith in his time no Persian of any credit would be seen on foot by his good will Xen. Cyrop IV. 3. That Humour continues among them to this day But that was extraordinary which Sâ—…bo tells us That this was inscribed on the Tomb of King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was the best Horse-man and Archer Straâ—… XV. 730. D. 14. Of these Persae Cambyâ—…s was King but in dependance on namely by CYRUS Cyaxares King of the Medes at that time when the war broke out between him and the King of Babylon Cyrus who e Xenoph. Cyr. l. 2. is said to have been son of this Cambyses by Mandane Sister of King Cyaxares having ee Ib. 1. 5. then brought the Persian Troops into his Uncle's service was by him made Captain General of all his forces in that war There can be no doubt but it was He with his Persian Troops that was intended in that f Ier. LI. 27. Prophecy of Ieremy LI. 27. because he is named by the Prophet Esay as we shall g n. 33. afterward shew And therefore we may be assured that King Cyaxares together with King Cambyses before-mention'd were they that were called the Kings of the MEDES h v. 11 28. in v. 11 28. of that Chapter 15. The War continued many years in which Cyrus went on so They came and took the City of Babylon successfully that at last he came to besiege the King of Babylon himself in that his Capital City It was a City a Herâ—…d I. 178 179. which by walls of incredible height and strength with deep and wide ditches about them was made quite impregnable in all men's Opinion But it was much stronger b Ib. I. 186. by the great River Euphrates running through it out of which river the ditches were filled with water as high as they pleased that were to defend the place That King was so secure of the strength of it that having laid up all sorts of provisions for a siege of many years c Herâ—…d I. 190. as Herodotus saith of twenty years d Xenopâ—… Cyrop VII 5. as Xenophon saies he spared not on the usual Festival days to feast all his great men which was something extraordinary in a besieged City But his Feast being joyned with evcessive drinking that gave opportunity to the Besiegers to make a short end of their work For Cyrus knowing before hand when a great Feast probably their * Athâ—…n Deipnosoph XIV from Câ—…esias and Berosus Their Sheshach Ier. XXV 26 is Venâ—…s in all the Rabbins Comments as Broughton says p. 122. of his works Sacea would be e Herâ—…d I. 178 179. had employ'd a great part of his Army in cutting a vast number of Drains to be open'd all at once and so to let out the River at that very Time And then having made all things ready for an Attack he caused his Army to take that way all along in the channel where the Water being f Herâ—…d I. 19â—… then no higher than to the middle of the thigh they entered the City at midnight g Xenoph. Cyrop VII 5. when all that should have defended it were either drunk or fast asleep And then King Belshazzar himself being h Xenoph. Ib. killed whether by the Enemy or by his Dâ—…n V. 30. own Servants the City became an easy Prey to the Medes and Persians †This whole account we have partly from Herodotus but chiefly from Xenophon in his Cyropaedia The first of these Writers was born within theâ—…escore years of the time and the other not very long after There is no reason to think that either of them had ever read Daniel's History and yet having as they tell us received their Informations from the people of those Countries we cannot wonder that in all these things their Histories do so well agree with his writings They differ chiefly in the Names of Persons Daniel calling him Darius the son The Heathen writers not having the same Names that are in Scripture accounted for by their common changing of Names in the Eastern Nations of Ahasuerus whom those Greek writers call Cyaxares the son of Astyages and Daniel calling him Bâ—…shazzar whom they call Labynitus or Nabonidus whom also the Astronomer's Canon calls Nabonadius and Iosephus calls Naboandelus But this cannot be strange to any one that considers the manner of those Eastern Nations At Babylon Daniel himself as he tells us had his name changed to Belâ—…shazzar And of the Three that were brought thither with him every one had a Chaldee Name given him instead of his Hebrew So among the Persians likewise Zerubbabel was called Sheshbazzar by Cyrus when he put him into the Govenment and Esther being made Queen had her name changed to Haâ—…assa Of their Kings themselves the two that came between Cyrus and Darius whom Ezra ch IV. 5 7. calls Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes are called Cambyses and Smerdis the Maguâ—… by the Greek Historians It were easy to add more examples but these may suffice to shew that where in the Eastern Histories we read different names of Persons we are not from thence to conclude that they ' are not the same Persons but rather to judge of them by what we read of their Actions and of their other Circumstances 16. This was that which God had foreshewn to King Belshazzar DARIUS the Mede had that Kingdom himself by the hand writing on the wall together with Daniel's Interpretation Dan. V. 25 28. which will be farther consider'd in the a n. 24.
with the other a Ier. L. 2. Ierem. L. 2. But this belongs to another Prophecy which ought to be consider'd by it self 27. It is that long Prophecy against Babylon Ierem. L. and LI. and those of Ieremiah L. and LI. which the Prophet received in King Zedekiah's time and sent it to the Jews that were there at that time in Captivity Many of them were of the best of that Nation who had been carried thither together with Daniel and those three others of the Royal Family in King Iehoiakim's time or who went afterwards as the Prophet Ezekiel did and many others together with King Ieconiah God was so pleased to send them away from â—…salem before he would pour out his judgements on that wicked City and Nation But the mean while being Captives at Babylon many of them were in a very disconsolate Condition Therefore God was pleased to let them know for their Comfort that their stâ—…y there should be of no long Continuance when the Will of God was fulfilled on Ierusalem by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and his people it should not be long ere the like or greater judgements should be executed on Babylon and the Land of Chaldea Jerem. L. 1. c. After which God would soon give his people a Deliverance out of their present Captivity and would bring them back into their own Land b Ier. L. 4 8 v. 19 20. LI. 5 10. Ierem. L. 4 8 and 19 20 LI. 5 10. It is plain from c Ezra III. 12 13. Ezra III. 12. 13. that many of the Jews to whom this prophecy was given lived to see the fulfilling of it to a tittle save only the utter Desolation of that City and Country which was then foretold and has been long since fulfilled as Travellers see it at this Day 28. But they saw then in Daniel's time first the Assembly of great These they saw now fulfilled Nations come up against Babylon d Ier. L. 9. Ierm L. 9. It was e L. 41. LI. 48. foretold they should come out of the North L. 41 and LI. 48. The Medes did so and those other Nations mentioned ee LI. 27. Ierem. LI 27. whose Kings being subject to the Median King are therefore f LI. 11 28. called Kings of the Medes Ierem. LI. 11. 28. That the Median should come himself it is not said but that there g v. 27. should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a chief Captain or General over them v. 27 attended with Troops of horse bristled like Caterpillars that is Archers as we h see n. 13. have explained it These Troops now appeared to be Persians and their Prince Cyrus who came in the head of them i Ier. L. 42. LI. 27. had the Command of all this Army Ierem. L. 42. LI. 27. The Jews now saw what a Spoil all these Troops made in Chaldea as was k L. 10. foretold Ierem. L. 10. how they l v. 21 23 24 28. wasted and utterly destroyed all the Countrey v. 21. up to Babylon it self v. 23 24 28. and also m v. 29. encamped against that City round about v. 29. Now they saw the Sword upon the Chaldeans and on the people of Babylon on them of all ranks and conditions as was n v. 35 36 37. foretold v. 35. 36. 37. At last they came to see o v. 38. the waters gone from about Babylon v. 38. a LI. 36. her Sea dried up LI. 36. which was perhaps the great pool of Queen Nitocris 29. This last thing is placed next before the Destruction of that Especially in the taking of Babylon great City For as b see 〈◊〉 15. we have shewn from the ancient Historians the River Euphrates being let out and the c Herodot I. 191. Chanel of it made fordable so that the water thereof came not up above the middle of the thigh which was all brought to pass in one Evening then the Persians went down into the Chanel and waded through it making their way with fire and sword into the City So that as d Herod ibid. Herodotus saies both ends of it were taken before they in the middle of the City knew any thing of it But it was from the End â—…t which they first enter'd that the news came to the Court The â—…ophet foretold it would be so in e Ier. LI. 31. these words Ierem. LI. 31. one post shall run to meet another and one messenger to meet another to shew the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end It seems he was asleep and was waken'd with the news For as f Xenoph. Cyrop VII 5. Xenophon saies when a party of them that best knew the Place being detached by Cyrus for that purpose had broken into the Royal Palace there g they found him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lb. they found the King got up on his Legs and having drawn his Sword to defend himself But as Xenophon further saies they soon dispatched him and those that were with him or as the Prophet words it they laid him to sleep again and that h Ier. LI. 39 57. for ever Jerem. LI. 39 57. 30. In this last Instance they saw how true it was which the and the End of that Empire in Nebucadnâ—…zzar's Son 's Son Prophet Ieremy had elsewhere foretold that the Babylonian Empire was to last no longer than the Reigns of Nebucadnezzar and his Son and his Son's Son i Ier. XXVII 7. Jerem XXVII 7. This Prophecy of Ieremiah's was written in the first year of King Nebucadnezzar k v. 1. XXVII 1. The Jews now living when Daniel writ this had seen that Empire after Nebucadnezzar's death l Ios. Anâ—… X. 1â—… continued in his Son Evil-Merodach and in Belshazzar who was his Son's Son m Dan. V 11 28. Dan V. 11 28. they saw how God had made an end of that Empire They saw many other things happen which they could not but observe to be exactly the same that had been foretold in those Prophecies which they found recorded in their Scriptures 31. But above all the rest when they saw that City of Babylon all this done by a Persian taken by one that came out of Persia a Country that lay East from Babylon and especially when they heard that his name was Cyrus they could not but remember what was written of such a one in their Scriptures above a hundred years before this Cyrus was born It was n Esai XLI 2. foretold by the Prophet Esaia XLI 2. That God would raise up a Righteous man from the East and again in a Prophecy against Babylon o XLVI 1. Esaia XLVI 1. that he would call a bird of Prey a fighting Prince p v. 10. from the East v. 10. that God would give the Nations before him and make him rule over Kings that they should q XLI 2. be dust