not inconsistent with Faith which we find him praised for in the Catalogue of the Antient and Famous Worthies by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews And truly there are other Great Offenders besides our Iephthah mentioned in that Panegyrick So it is the Sacred History acquaints us by enumerating sundry Instances that Persons beloved of God and of the greatest Integrity have been guilty of the most heinous Miscarriages Especially it may be observed of those that are very Active and Warm in their Religion that they sometimes are subject to some Unwarrantable Bigotry which unhappily leads or rather drives them to something worse Particularly we see this in the Example before us and let us mind the Design of Heaven in it This Renowned Warrior and Judge was suffered by the most Wise Disposer of all Events to câ—mmit this great Folly that we may be convinced of the Insufficiency of Humane Strength that we may see that the Best Men egregiously offend in some things that they are a Compound of Spirit and Flesh half Angel and half Brute and that it may appear to the World that there is no Perfect and Consummate Vertue in this Life This is the Conception I have of Iephthah's Case but every one is left to his Liberty to frame what other Notions of it he pleaseth The fourth Text enquired into viz. Dan. IX 24 25. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy People and upon thy Holy City to finish the Transgression c. THIS is another Famous Prophesie concerning the Time of our Lords Coming but more especially as I shall shew in the sequel of this Exercitation concerning the Time of his Passion and leaving the World My design in treating on these Words is to offer what I conceive is most Observable in them to assign what is most proper and pertinent towards the leading us into the true Meaning of this Noble Prediction to remove the Difficulties and Obscurities that lie either in the Text or Context to correct the Mistakes of some Writers upon both to render the Words Clear Plain and Intelligible as to which most Expositors have been Deficient to present you with a Particular Computation or Chronological Calculation of the Years contained in the Seventy Weeks and in the whole Attempt to let you see that this Prophesie was spoken of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ the True Messias that it is really fulfilled and that this fulfilling of it is a Demonstration of Christ's being come and consequently of the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Religion In this Chapter you read that the Holy Prophet Daniel foreseeing * V. 1 2. in the first Year of Darius that the Seventy Years Captivity was now coming to an end ‖ V. 16. prayed for the Restauration of Ierusalem And whilst he was directing his Prayers to Heaven * V. 20 21. the Angel Gabriel the same Divine Messenger as you may observe who appeared afterwards to the Virgin Mary and told her that the Time of the Messias's Coming was accomplished came and informed him concerning that Important Matter and told him That as the Israelites had been Captives Seventy Years and were now to be delivered so within Seventy Weeks of Years the Mâ—ssias should come and be a Deliverer and Saviour This I conceive is the reason of this Mystical way of speaking and describing the Time It alludes to the Captivity of Babylon which was to last Seventy Years That was the determinate Space of the Captivity after which they were to be delivered and to return back to their own Land So in like manner the time of the Administration of things until the Redemption from the Captivity of Sin and Satan's Tyranny in the World is circumscribed in a Number that answers to that viz. Seventy Weeks of Years instead of Seventy Years Seventy Weeks are determined upon thy People and upon thy Holy City to finish the Transgression and to make an end of sins and to make Reconciliation for Iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness and to seal up the vision and Prophesie and to anoint the most Holy It hath been intimated already that by Seventy Weeks here are to be understood not Seventy Weeks of days but of Years each day for a Year which Seventy being multiplied by Seven every Week consisting of Seven days make 490. Now that it is usual in Scripture to signifie Years by Days I need not be very laborious in proving Life is measured by Days Years are meant when Days are expressed as in Gen. 5. 5. All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty Years And so of Seth v. 8. and Enos v. II. and Gainan v. 14. and Enoch v. 2â— And that a Day is put for a Year and consequently that a Week is taken for a Sepâ—enary of Years or the space of Seven Years is most evident from Lev. 25. 8. Thou shalt number Seven Sabbaths or Weeks of years unto thee i. e. Forty nine Years So in Gen. 29. 27. a Week is interpreted Seven years in the same Verse But we need not be very Sâ—licitous here because as to this there is no Controversie between us and the Iews who are the Persons we are concerned with in this Prophesie * Seder Olam R. Solomon in cap. 9. Dan. They willingly grant that Weeks not of Days or Months but of Years are here meant and that the Seventy Weeks are seven times Seventy Years that is 490 Years It is said Seventy weeks are determined upon thy People and upon thy Holy City i. e. There is a Certain Determinate Time set viz. Four hundred and ninety Years within which Period the Jewish People and Nation and the City of Ierusalem in a special manner shall experience very Strange Alterations Within that space of time the Mâ—ssias shall come and the Wonderful Effects and Fruits of his Coming shall be such as These 1. There shall be the finisâ—ing of Transgression and the making an end of sins By the Light of the Gospel which shall be preached at his Coming Men shall see the Error of their ways and be convinced of their Sins and shall leave off their former Evil Courses 2. There shall be a making of Reconciliation for Iniquity The Blood of Christ shall make an Atonement for the Sins of the World 3. Everlasting Righteousness shall be brought in The Legal and Mosaical Services shall cease and a more Pure and Spiritual Worship shall take place and continue for ever 4. There shall be the Sealing or the finishing for ' â—is the same Hebrew word which was used before in this Verse and was translated making an end of the Vision and Prophesie i. e. When these things before mentioned shall come to pass there shall be a Fulfilling and Accomplishing of the Prophesies concerning the Messias and his Kingdom Then it shall appear to the World that they are Ratified and Verified The Seal is set upon them 5. There shall be the anointing of the most Holy Then
the present case This Seventieth or last Week may be divided into three parts and we have ground for this Division in the Prophesie it self which mentions the midst of the Week If there be a Middle there is also a Beginning and an End In the beginning of this Prophetick Week which you know consists of Seven Years the Messias confirmed the Covenant i. e. The New Testament by his Holy Doctrine Life Laws and Miracles and now his Apostles preached the Covenant of the Gospel The Week began with his Baptism Three Years and a half before his Passion in the fifteenth Year of Tiberius at which time Sixty nine Weeks or Four hundred and eighty three Years were accomplished and the Seventieth Week succeeded The Beginning or Former part of this Week consisted of above Three Years and it is distinguished into four Passovers The first Passover of Christ's Publick Ministry is mentioned in Iohn 2. 13. from whence begins the first Year of the Seventieth and last Hebdomade of Daniel The second Passover you find in Iohn 5. 1. compared with Iohn 4. 35. Here begins the second Year of the Seventieth Week The third Passover whence the third Year of Daniel's last Week takes its Rise is in Iohn 6. 4. The fourth Passover when Christ our Passover was slain about three Years and a half after his Baptism produced the fourth Year of the last of Daniel's Weeks This is that which is called the Midst of the Week as you have heard in the midst of the week he shall cause the Sacrifices and Oblations to cease This was verified when the Messias by his Death abolished the Old Law and Covenant when the Sacrifices ceased by this High Priests making an Oblation of himself on the Altar of the Cross. Though the Middle in the Stile of Scripture be not always properly and exactly taken yet here in this Prophesie it is to be understood in the Strict and most Proper Sense for Christ Suffered and Died in the fourth Year of this Prophetick Week which is the very Middle of Seven yea in the Middle of that fourth Year which is yet more Exact and Precise Now if Christ was put to Death in the Middle of the last Week as the Angel foretold then the Seventy Weeks cannot be terminated in Christ's Death because there were but Sixty nine Weeks and a half compleated at that time And if there was half a Week behind for the Middle part of the Week was but short Christ's Death taking up but little time then the Latter part or End of the Week must contain in it Three Years and a half or thereabouts and consequently the Seventy Weeks or Four hundred and ninety Years ended not just at our Saviour's Death but about Three Years and a half after it which was the thing to be proved This is the most Exact Account that I can offer to you I know there are * Trâ—ullian Chrysostom Sulpâ—tius Seâ—â—ruâ— Drusius Scâ—liger Calvisius Learned Writers and Chronologers who extend the Period of the Seventy Weeks to the Destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian but they were unwarily drawn into this Opinion by fixing their Minds on those words in the Prophesie The People of the Prince that shall come shall destâ—oy the City and Sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a Flood and unto the end of the War Desolations are determined And again For the overspreading of Abominations he shall make it desolate Which without doubt are a Prediction of the Overthrow of the Temple and City of Ierusalem by the Roman Armies And because this is joyned with the Seventy Weeks those Persons think that the Weeks end at this time But this is no necessary Consequence because here is only mentioned what shall follow upon the expiring of the Seventy Weeks the direful Recompense of the Jews cutting off the Messias is foretold This horrible Devastation shall happen not long after the 490 Years are compleated but you cannot conclude thence that these Years were just fulfilled at the Devastation and Ruin of Ierusalem in the second Year of Vespasian It remains now that I give you the Particular and Distinct Computation of these 490 Years which yet it is something difficult to do by reason of the Uncertainty in Chronology as must be confessed by all Persons that have consulted variety of Authors and those that have not done so are no Competent Judges here but the Disagreement among these Writers is not so great as wholly to discourage us I have laid their Calculations together and have duly compared them and upon an impartial ballancing of the whole difference among Chronologers in computing these Years I settle the Accompt thus The Twentieth Year of Artaxerxes's Reign was in the Year of the Worlds Creation 3497 at the end of the 81 Olympiad and the time of Christ's Passion was in the Year of the World 3983 at the beginning of the 203 Olympiad and consequently the fourth Year after Christ's Passion was A. M. 3987 and the beginning of 204 Olympiad This Calculation is indifferently fixed and will be agreed to by all Parties that are moderate Now if you reckon the Years that were between these two Periods viz. between 3497 and 3987 you will satisfie your selves that they were just 490 Years and no more which is the very Number that the Seventy Weeks amount to and consequently from the Twentieth Year of Artaxerxes to the time of our Saviour's Passion were no more nor no less than 490 Years This might be particularly made good from the Distinct Aera's between these Great Periods and which are of note among Chronologers but I think it is superfluous to undertake this seeing in Helvicus and other Chronological Tables they are very plain But I will go another way to work for the satisfaction of the Reader I will trace these 490 Years through the several Reigns of the Kings that were in those times and thence I will demonstrate that from the Twentieth Year of Artaxerxes's Reign at which time the Decree came forth for the Rebuilding of Ierusalem as hath been sufficiently proved to our Saviour's Passion were 490 Years or according to Daniel's Sacred Arithmetick Seventy Weeks Take it thus Artaxerxes reigned Twenty Years after his sending Nehemiah to build the City and Walls Then succeeded Xerxes and Sogdianus two Brethren Artaxerxes his Sons but it seems they were of no account at all and are therefore omitted by some Historians but others own them and say they reigned a very short time We may allow them as Writers generally do a Year After these Darius Nothus sat on the Throne Twenty three Years then Artaxerxes Mnemon reigned fifty Years Some say more but I imbrace their Opinion who say he reigned but fifty because I have before exceeded some Mens Accompt when I set down Twenty three Years for Darius Nothus whereas some assign him but Nineteen Then reigned Darius Ochus Twenty six Years Arses or Arsanes Four and Darius Codomannus Six So that the
shall be set up an Eternal Priesthood excelling that of the Law then Christ Jesus shall be the High Priest and he shall be solemnly Appointed and Consecrated to that work and Office The Messiah the Anointed One is meant here and that by the Confession of the Iews themselves Thus far I think we have made all very plain It follows v. 25 26 27. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the Commandment to restore and to build Jeruâ—alem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be Seventy weeks And threescore and two weeks the street shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times And after the threescore and tâ—o weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself And the People of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a Flood And unto the end of the War Desolations are determined And he shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week he shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease and for the overspreading of Abominations he shall make it desolate even until the Consummation and that determined shall be poured on the desolate Here before I Paraphrase on these words I am to observe to you that the Angel divides the Seventy weeks into three parts viz. Seven weeks and sixty two weeks and one week which he doth to give a more Distinct Account of what was to happen in that Period of time The Seven weeks of Years i. e. 49 Years were fulfilled when the Building of the City of Ierusalem was compleated The Sixty two weeks of Years were fulfilled in the space of time between the finishing of the City and Christ's Manifestation at his Baptism In the one Week viz. The last Week of the Seventy Christ was put to Death Thus the Time is reckoned by Parts as it is usual among the Hebrews to express a Number by parts which might be done altogether in whole Twenty Shekels five and twenty Shekels and fifteen Shekels shall be your Maneh or Mina Ezek. 45. 12. So here in the Weeks of Daniel the Seventy Weeks or former Summ of 490 Years is divided into Seven weeks i. e. 49 Years and into Sixty two Weeks i. e. 434 Years and into one week i. e. Seven Years in all Seventy Weeks or 490 Years Having premised this I will briefly descant on the words From the going forth of the Commandment to restore and to build â—erusalem i. e. From the going forth of the Word of God or of the Edict of the Persian Princes concerning the rebuilding of Ierusalem and the Finishing of it unto the Messias the Prince i. e. To the time when Christ will manifest himself and shew himself to be the Prince Lord and Head of the Church the Saviour and Redeemer of the World by his Dying for it shall be seven weeks i. e. Forty nine Years in which time the Jews rebuilded their City and Temple peaceably For to this must those words in this Verse be referred The street shall be built again and the wall even in troublesome times and threescore and two weeks which make in all 69 Weeks or 483 Years And after the threescore and two Weeks which immediately succeeded the Seven Weeks that is after 69 Weeks viz. in the Seventieth Week being 484 after the Restoring of the Temple shall the Messiah be cut off he shall suffer Death upon the Cross but not for himself which Clause plainly testifies that this is spoken of Christ who suffered and died not on his own account but for us that he might deliver us from Death and Damnation And the People of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City c. Which is a brief Description of the miserable condition of the Jews when Titus Vespasian the Roman Prince came with his terrible Army and besieged Ierusalem and took it and utterly destroyed it Which was the Fruit of their putting to Death the Lord of Life And he shall confirm the Covenant the new Covenant spoken of by the Prophet Ieremiah with many even with all true Israelites who believe in him And this he shall do for one Week or in one Week viz. in the remaining Week which is the Seventieth in Number Then in a more signal manner the Gospel-Covenant shall be ratified and confirmed And in the midst of the week he shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease i. e. In the last Week and in the fourth Year of that Week which may be called the middle of it all Sacrifices and Oblations shall be abolished and nulled by Christ his once Offering up Himself on the Cross for in the midst of this last Prophetick Week Christ made the Oblation of himself And in the next words For the overspreading of Abominations he shall make it â—â—esolate c. There is set forth as in the former Verse the dismal Consâ—quence of the Jews putting Christ to Death viz. The Besieging and Sacking of Ierusalem by the Roman Armies which were Abominable and Detestable and are called by our Saviour with Allusion to this place without doubt the Abomination of Desolation Matt. 24. 15. This is a brief and plain Exposition of the Text and Context And from the several particulars here mentioned any unprejudiced Man may see that Christ and none else is meant here It is impossible with any shew of reason to apply the words to any other though some Jewish Writers have attempted it but in a very sorry and ridiculous manner as you may briefly see in * Demonstrat Evang Prop. 9. Huetius It is certain that this Prophesie directly points at Christ and his Coming and Manifestation and lets us know that there shall be Four hundred and ninety Years between the going forth of the Commandment to rebuild Ierusalem and his full Manifestation in the World But now Great Disputes arise about the True and Exact Beginning and Ending of these 490 Years which for the Satisfaction of the Curious I will undertake to give some account of The Greatest Dispute is about the Beginning for there were several Orders and Commands about building Ierusalem hence it is Difficult to tell from which of them we must date our Account We know that the Seventy 〈◊〉 begin from the going forth of the Commandment or Word to restore or build Jerusalem But the Word or Commandment concerning that matter was both Divine and Humane from God and from the Persian Kings Which of these is meant here As for the Word of God touching the building of Ierusalem That was at several and very different times You have the Divine Promise about it from the Mouth of Isaiah ch 44. 26. and 45. 13. and of Baruch the second and fourth Chapters and of Ieremiah 25. 12. and 29. 10 c. From this latter Promise especially * Lyranus Vatablus Galatinus and many of the Hebrews some have dated the Seventy Weeks but therein are
much mistaken for they go back too far Baruch and Ieremiah prophesied six hundred and Isaiah above seven hundred Years before Christ so that it cannot be that the Seventy Weeks should begin from their Prophesies because these were long before that Time can be fixed Therefore it is impossible these Divine Predictions and Promises should be meant here Others look to that Divine Word from the Mouth of the Angel to Daniel At the beginning of thy Supplications the Commandment came forth Dan. 9. 23. These Supplications were made in the * Dan. 9. 1 first Year of Darius the King of Babylon Therefore the Commandment went forth in the first Year of this Darius which was just about the end of the Captivity and consequently the Seventy Weeks began at the end of the Seventy Years Captivity when the Angel brought that Message to Daniel in the entrance of Darius's Reign Hence Calvin confideâ—tly averreth That those Seventy Years and the Seventy Weeks are joyned together If we interpret the going forth of the Commandment concerning a Divine Word this is a very probable Opinion but if you compare Verse 23 and 25. you will find that they speak of two Different things The Commandment that came forth in the former place is not the same with the going forth of the Commandâ—ent to restore and to build Jerusalem in the latter place The first only signifies that a Word or Message from God came to the Angel and that He was to discover it to Daniel as it follows in that Verse I am come to shew thee I am come to tell thee that Word and Commandment which I have from God But the second speaks of something which was to be afterwards in pursuance of the foregoing Message There should be within the compass of a few Years a Formal Command or Decree for the re-edifying of Ierusalem and from that time and that only the Seventy Weeks were to take their Rise It is probable then that the Word of Man i. e. The Command or Edict of some Prince is here to be understood by the going forth of the Commandment Now there were several Edicts of Princes which went forth for the restoring of Ierusalem and that at different Times There are no less than four Edicts mentioned by Ezra and Nehemiah we will enquire to which of these the Inchoation of the Seventy Weeks belongs The first Edict we read of is that of Cyrus the first Emperour of the second Monarchy in the first Year of his Reign when he set forth a Proclamation for the â—ews Return under their Commanders Zorobabel and Ioâ—hua 2 Chron. 36. 22 23. 1 Ezra 1 2 c. 5. 13. 6. 3. which is confirmed by the Apocryphal Writings of 1 Ezra 2. 2 3 4. Accordingly * Origen Clâ—meâ—s Alexandrinus Tertullian Calvin L' Emperâ—ur Beroaldus Broughton Willâ—t Lightâ—oot some begin the Edict or Going forth of the Commandment from the first Year of Cyrus i. e. of his Reign in Babylon for he had reigned near Thirty Years before in Persia. But the beginning of his Reign in Babylon was contemporary with the end of the Seventy Years Captivity The second Edict was made by Darius in the second Year of his Reign Ezra 6. 1 2 c. Hag. 1. 1. For Cyrus being employed abroad in the Wars and at last treacherously out off by the Scythians against whom he then warred and the Enemies of the Church being very vigorous at home the Work was stopped for a time But this King renewed it and set it forward by his Decree therefore †Sâ—aliâ—â—r Perâ—rius Petavius Mede some begin the Number of Daniel's Weeks from this But here it is disputed by some whether this Darius was Darius Hystaspis or Darius Nothus * Eusebius Cyril of Ierusalâ—m Pererius Petaviuâ— Liâ—â—ly Vsher. Some hold it was the former and ‖ Severus Sulpitius Scaliger Helvicus Drâ—sius Iunius Mede some contend it was the latter For there is a great Controversie among Historians about the placing of these Persian Kings their Names being so often confounded by those that write of them But the former of these Opinions bids fairest for the Truth Yea indeed it will be found upon a strict Search that Darius called Nothus was not Emperor of Persia till a considerable time after for there were 140 Years from Cyrus to this Darius whereas the Temple was built in less than a third part of that time Whence we may conclude that this Darius spoken of by Ezra was not nay could not be Darius Nothus The third Edict or Decree was of Artaxerxes in the seventh Year of his Reign This is the Subject of the whole seventh Chapter of Ezra therefore some are of the Opinion that the Computation of Daniel's Weeks commenceth from this time There is some Dispute whether this Artaxerxes was Artaxerxes Mnemon or Longimanus but it goes generally among the * Eâ—sebius â—osil Funeciâ—s a Lapide Ludoâ—icus Capillus c. Learned for the latter and there is good reason for it because this Artaxerxes Mnemon did not reign till several Years afterwards The fourth and last Edict went forth in the Twentieth Year of the Reign of this Artaxerxes Longimanus when he gave Nebemiah a Commission to build and repair Ierusalem with Gates and Walls Nehem. 2. 1. to v. 9. Accordingly * Chrysostoâ— Theodoret â—ulius A. fricanus Zonaras Bede Salianus Vorstius Pererius â— Lapide Bishop Montague Pe avius Bish Vâ—her some take the beginning of the Calculation of the Seventy Weeks from the twentieth Year of the Reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus Now of these four Opinions concerning the Beginning of the Seventy Weeks or 490 Years this last seems to be the most probable yea 't is more than probable for this is the thing which I offer here to be noted that the Rise of the Seventy Weeks is to be taken precisely from that Royal Decree and no other wherein 't was ordered that the City Ierusalem should be built This one thing being attended to will lead us to a right understanding of the true and only Epoche of Daniel's Weeks Indeed the main reason why the Expositors who have undertaken to give an account of these Prophetick Weeks have been mistaken is because they overlook'd this They saw they were to take their beginning from the going forth of the Commandment but they were not solicitous to observe which of the Commandments or Decrees it was They did not take notice that the Seventy Weeks were to begin from the going forth of the Commandment to restore and build Jerusalem As for the other Decrees viz. In the Reign of Cyrus and Darius and in the seventh Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus they were for rebuilding the Temple only not the City and therefore cannot be meant here Consult the Book of Ezra and you will find that the first Edict of Cyrus was only for the Jews to go back and to build the House of the Lord. And afterwards Darius renewed the Grant
for building the Temple only and no more And it is said expresly That Artaxerxes in his seventh Year gave leave to the Jews to take care of whatsoever was needful for the House of their God Ezra 7. 20. There is not a word in these three Commissions concerning the building of the City the Street and the Wall Therfore I infer that the last Commission is meant here which was expresly for rebuilding the City and the Walls and Gates Accordingly Nehemiah to whom the Commission was given raised the Walls and set up Gates and so finished the Building of the City which was in the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes This hath not been taken notice of by several Learned Men and hath caused them to mistake the True Aera of this Prophesie But certainly this is a very useful and necessary Key for the opening of the Text. You see plainly that the Prohesie begins from that time when Nehemiah was sent to effect this and not before for there was not before this Time any License or Power given to the Jews to restore and build the City Artaxerxes and he only was the Prince that did this he gave order in the Twentieth Year of his Reign for the Restoring and Re-edifying of Ierusalem and setting up the very Walls of it which was the last thing to be done Therefore in the Twentieth Year of this Artaxerxes was the Beginning of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel I think this matter is very evident in it self And besides as to the forementioned Edicts the first of them viz. That of Cyrus cannot be the beginning of the Seventy Weeks because there are above 560 Years from Cyrus to Christ's Death for Cyrus's Edict was about the Sixtieth Oâ—ympiad and Christ's Death was about 202 Olympiad And the three other Epoches are also too much backward to be thought to be the times when the Seventy Weeks began There are * Isaac Vossius De la Haye some that hold they commenced from the Compleating and Finishing of the Building of Ierusalem which was in the Three and twentieth Year of the Reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus when Nehemiah made a Feast of Dedication of the New City Neâ—em 12. 27 c. which is called the Sacrifice of Dedication and of Finishing the Temple 2 Macc. 2. 9. That this was in the Three and twentieth Year of Artaxerxes may be gathered also from Iosephus in his * Lib. 11. c. â— Antiquities At that time all was compleated the Work was at an end and to this purpose the Authors of this Opinion understand the going forth of the Commandment in a Sense far different from what was represented in the foregoing Opinions They maintain that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 25. is the going out or ending of the word and accordingly is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Septuagint and by the Vulgar Latin Exitus and so signifieth the Fulfilling and Accomplishing of the Commandment or Edict concerning Building Ierusalem Or this Motza dâ—bar is Exitus rei the finishing of the Thing for a word instead of a thing is an usual Idiom in the Hebrew and in other Oriental Languages and so the meaning is that from the Actual and Real Compleating of the Building of the City unto the Messias shall be Seventy Weeks therefore from that time the Weeks begin But this is but a Critical Notiâ—n and hath no considerable weight in it especially if you remember that this Phrase the going forth of the Commandment was used once or twice before in this Chapter I ask then the Authors of this Opinion whether it is to be understood so then as well as now If they say not then they must give a reason why it should be understood so here and not before which I believe they are not able to give an account of neither did they think of this when they espoused the former Notion But if it be understood here as before then there is this palpable Absurdity to be granted that the thing was finished in the Twentieth Year of Artaxerxes's Reign and yet that it was not finished till the Twenty third Year of his Reign whereas there can be but one finishing To which I add That it is evident from other places of Scripture that Motza dabar is no other than the Promulgation of the Command or Decree for so this going forth signifies in Dan. 2. 13. and Esther 1. 19. When the Edict is published and made known then 't is said to go forth Wherefore the foresaid Opinion is a mere straining and perverting of the Hebrew Phrase So much for the Beginning of Daniel's Seventy Weeks It is most clear and evident that they began from the Decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus in the Twentieth Year of his Reign For this must be rembred That the Edict here spoken of is meant of the rebuilding of Jerusalem the Streets and the Walls but mentions not the rebuilding of the Temple I grant that the City was begun to be built before this Edict came forth as may be gathered from Ezra 4. 12. but there was no Royal Command and Authority for this only the Jews were necessitated to build some part of the City that they might have a Habitation and Shelter to be in whilst they were erecting the Temple But afterwards Nehemiah came with Authority from Artaxerxes and with a particular Order and Express Command to build what was wanting in Ierusalem to erect the Walls and effectually to finish the whole Work There was no Edict for doing this but this Particular one in the Twentieth Year of Artaxerxes's Reign In the next place I am to speak of the End and Period of these Weeks Hippolytus the Maâ—tyr placed it in the Birth of Christ others in his Bapâ—ism and some in his Preaching but * Asriâ—anas Bede Lâ—râ— Burgâ—nsis Mâ—rcator Funccius Bucboltzâ—r Lansbâ—rgius Pererius Beroaldus â—acob Lud. Capellus Eroughton Willâ—t Lightfoot most terminate the Seventy Weeks in his Death for then those things were fulfilled which the Prophesie mentions viz. Finishing the Transgression making Reconciliation for Iniquity c. These were the proper Fruits of the Passion and Death of Christ and therefore it is most reasonable to believe that the Seventy Weeks or Four hundred and ninety Years expired with our Saviour on the Cross. But though this in the Latitude of speaking be very true yet if we would be Exact we must say that the Four hundred and ninety Years ended not just at Christ's Death but Three Years and a half or thereabouts after it This I will make evident to you thus The Angel expresly saith That after the Threescore and two Weeks joynâ—d to the Seven mentioned immediately before which together make Threescore and nine Weeks shall Messiah be cut off Whence it is plain that Christ's Death falls within the Seventieth Week for if it be after the Threescore and nine Weeks it must necessarily be in the Seventieth Week when there are no more reckoned beyond that as is
whole time of the Reign of these Persian Kings was 130 Years from the time of the Decree to rebuild Ierusalem Upon the Death of Darius the last Persian Monarch Alexander the Great succeeded in the Monarchy and reigned six Years After whose Death reigned the Ptolomees or Lagidae in Egypt for I will trace the remaining Years by this Line and not by that of the Kings of Syria or Macedon these being more intricate in this order Ptolomaeus Lagi Forty Years Ptolomaeus Philadelphus Thirty four Ptolomaeus Euergetes Twenty five Ptolomaeus Philapator Sixteen Ptolomaeus Epiphanes Twenty four Ptolomaeus Philometor Thirty five Ptolomaeus Eurgetes Twenty nine Ptolomaeus Physcon Seventeen another Ptolomee Ten another called Soter Eight Ptolom Dionysius Thirty Cleopatra Twenty two at which time the Greek Monarchy ended after it had held out 296 Years After her Death Augustus who was properly the first Emperor of Rome and began the Roman Monarchy reigned 43 Years whom succeeded Tiberius in whose Eighteenth Year our Blessed Lord suffered which two Numbers viz. Eighteen and Forty three put together make Sixty one Years Now then reckon all these Summs viz. 130 Years of the Persian Kings Reigns 296 Years of the Successors of Alexander 61 Years of Augustus and Tiberius and you will find that they amount to 487 Years which wants Three Years of the Compleat Summ viz. 490 Years or Seventy Weeks Wherefore to supply this we must remember that Christ suffered as the Prophesie expresly saith in the midst of the last Week and so by adding Three Years we shall make the 490 Years compleat I cannot say this Calculation of the Years of the Kings is Exact nor can any Man say that any other is for there is no little Obscurity in the History relating to those Monarchs and the right Order and Succession the true Number and Names of them and the time of their Reign Wherefore the Accompt must be taken and fixed with some Latitude and we must be content with this because we can attain to no other But from what I have offered we are as to the main certain of the Truth of this Prophesie and we cannot doubt of the Evidence of the Accompt in general It is most plain that the Seventy Weeks are to be reckoned from the Twentieth Year of the Reign of King Artaxerxes Loâ—gimanus in which Year and not before the Royal Decree came forth to restore and build the City and to finish the Temple which Zerobabel had begun and it is as plain that these Seventy Weeks had their Expiration about the time of our Saviour's Passion and Death Or if we exactly and precisely make the Computation we must say that his Death fell in the middle of the last Week After all this I must freely declare that we need not be Dogmatical and Punctual in the Interpreting this Prophesie Though I offer that Calculation before specified as the most Probable yet this is certain that if you take the Beginning of the Seventy Weeks according to some of those other Opinions and fix them to their respective Endings you will find that they do not fall much amiss they do not considerably come short of Seventy Weeks of Years nor are they much redundant Which truly is as much as we can rationally expect in the Present Case considering that the Chronology of that time is Difficult and Intricate and Historians hugely differ in the Account of the Years of those Monarchs Therefore * Hiâ—ronym in loc Augustin de Civ Dei l. 18. some of the Antient Fathers shun the Question about the Beginning and Ending of the Seventy Weeks and hold it too Difficult to solve Yea a Modern Father of the Protestant Churches abroad declares that here is place only for ‖ Coâ—jectuâ—â utendum eâ—t Calvin Conjecture and accordingly he propounds his But this is too Loose and Lavish And much more is that of another †Reinold Praelect 1â—8 Writer who absurdly imagines that the Seventy Weeks are to be taken indefinitely as if a certain Number were here put for an Uncertain one This no Man of deliberate Thoughts can swallow down because this great Number is afterwards divided into lesser and more distinct Portions as much as to assure us that a Determinate Number was meant for if the parts of the Number be definite and determined if they be fixed for such particular Transactions then it must undeniably follow that the whole Number is definite and fixed also But yet it must be acknowledged that it is very Difficult to determine the Exact Beginning and Punctual Ending of these Prophetick Weeks I have after the Attempts of many others propounded that way which seems to me most probable and I submit it to the Censure and Judgment of the Reader Some take the beginning of the Calculation from one thing and others from another but the general Reason of them all is the same for at that Time they think the word went forth for the Restauration of Ierusalem But I having fixed the going forth of the word i. e. The Royal Commandment or Decree I having by unquestionable Arguments determined this I hope there is no farther occasion of disputing about the True Beginning or Epoche of the Seventy Weeks And having gained this Point we have secured the next also for the End of these Weeks depends upon their Beginning and must be regulated and determined by it when we know one we are not to seek for the other However though some place the End of this Computation at one time and some at another yet they all agree in the Main that is they all confess that the Seventy Weeks are placed in some Period between the Return from Babylon and the last Overthrow of Ierusalem And consequently they agree in this that these Seventy Weeks are long since past and gone And that our Saviour is meant by Messiah in this Prophesie no Man can have any reason to doubt in the least for who can these Descriptions and Characters which you meet with here agree to but to Christ The Messiah was to be cut off for the sins of others which can be understood only of Christ Iesus who was the Lamb of God that came to take away the sins of the World So likewise the making of Reconciliation for Iniquity is the alone Office of Christ our Messias And therefore the Old Jews used to say the Messias should be Ish caphar a Man of Propitiation a Man that should make Atonement and Satisfaction for Sin To Christ alone belong the bringing in and confirming the Covenant the New Law and Religion of the Gospel And the causing the Sacrifices to cease i. e. The Abolishing of all the Mosaick Rites and Ceremonies can be meant of none but Him Particularly as to the last of these it is plain that Christ was to come whilst the Iewish Temple stood and whilst Sacrifices were offered for he could not make them to cease unless they were in being Now then the Sacrifices being
was looked on as a base and dishonest thing to be found guilty of it The being taken was criminal the not stealing cunningly was the thing that was faulty Lastly Lying had the Approbation of the Chief Philosopher among the Pagans It is lawful to Lie for the Good of the Common-wealth saith Socrates as he is quoted by his Scholar * De Repub l. 2. Plato Thus you see what were the Corrupt Ethicks of the Heathen World for tho many of these things which I have mentioned are repugnant to True Philosophy yet being maintain'd and sometimes practised by the Masters of Philosophy they are justly reckoned among the Deceits of Philosophy However if these latter Instances be not so home to the purpose it is certain that no Man can pronounce so concerning the others before-mentioned which were some of the chief Ingredients and Principles of the Gentile Philosophy But tho I have given you this Large Account of their Mistakes in Morality yet I will pursue this Matter a little farther and according to what I propounded shew you in the next place that the Philosophy the Apostle speaks of was Deceitful in that it was grosly mistaken about the Happiness of Man It was mistaken and consequently deceived Men as to this Grand Point 1. By not assuring them of a Future Life 2. By giving no notice of the Eternal Duration of it 3. By not determining wherein True Happiness consists 4. By not directing them to the Right Way to it 1. It deceived them by not assuring them of a Future Life The Future Existence of the Soul tho it was a Notion dictated by the Light of Nature and Reason and sometimes positively and plainly asserted by some of the Philosophers yet it was disputed and doubted of among them at other times by reason of false Principles which they had wilfully taken up and thereby clouded their Reasons and the Natural Dictates of their Minds as also because of Interest and Sensual Pleasure which stifled the Rational Actings of their Souls Upon these accounts a Future State was hardly believed by some of the Philsophers and wholly opposed by others The Epicureans as you have heard flatly denied it And it is no wonder seeing their Language was after this rate * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laâ—rt in Epicuro We can have no Notion of an Incorporeal Thing unless it be a Vacuum †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. They therefore that say the Soul is Incorporeal talk vainly and idlely ‖ De Placit Philosoph l. 4. Plutarch attests that Democritus held the Soul to be corruptible and that it perished together with the Body It is true the Pythagorâ—ans and Platonists asserted that the Soul went on Pilgrimage and flitted from one Man to another Yea they held that Mens Souls passed into Brutes as well as into other Men and he that was a Man a while ago is now an Ass a Wolf a Dog or some other Animal But this is vain Philosophy indeed and all that we can build upon it if it were true is this That the same Man is often begot and as often born and dieth Indeed Plato * In Phaedone seu de Animo brings in Socrates before his Death treating of the Immortality of the Soul he makes him speak some things that are Admirable Excellent and Divine but other things are Poor Mean and Frigid he presents him as dubious and uncertain wavering and inconsistent with himself That Socrates doubted of a Future State and the Soul's Immortality may be gathered from that Passage of his which Plato inserts †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Apologia Socratis If these things we speak of be true Again Socrates saith ‖ Ibid. One of these two is absolutely necessary either Death utterly deprives us of all Sense or we pass from hence to another place It seems he looked upon Death either as a Sound Sleep or a Long Journey but he could not certainly tell which Plutarch * De Consolatione ad Apollon had this very Notion of it and on that account concludes that Death is not Evil. After this wavering manner speaks the Great Roman Philosopher †Si supremus ille dies non extinctiâ—nem sed commutationem aâ—â—ert loci quid optabilius Si autem perimit ac delet omnino quid melius quà m in mediis vitae laboribus obdormiscere iâ—a conniventem somno consopiri sempiterno Cic. Tusc. Qu. l. 1. If the day of Death be accompanied with the Change of Place only and not an utter Extinction What can be more desirable than Death Or if it makes an end of us and quite annihilates us What is better than when we are wearied with the Labours of this Life to fall asleep and never to wake again In like manner Seneca ‖ Mors nos aut consumit aut emittit emissis meliora restant onere detracto consumptis nihil restat Epist. 24. Death doth either consume or sends us out of this World into another if the latter be true there are better things remain for us when we are sent out hence and have laid aside our Terrestrial Clog and Burden but if the former be true then there is nothing remaining for us being utterly consumed and consequently no Hurt can befal us that is our Comfort Again he thus faintly and ambiguously talks * Fortasse si modò sapientum vera fama est recipitque nos locus aliquis Epist. 63. Perhaps if the Report of Wise Men be true and if there be any such thing as a place hereafter to receive us c. Thus Antonine the Royal Philosopher cannot tell whether Death be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Extinction or a Translation whether it be an Annihilation or a Change of our Condition And many †Siquis modò extinctis sensus inest Val. Max. l. 4. c. 6. others have thus expressed their Doubtfulness about another Life But most remarkable is that Passage of Xenophon in the Life of Cyrus whom that Wise Historian represents as a Great Hero and Singular Pattern of Vertue We must expect therefore that he will make him speak like a Brave Prince furnished with true and sound Notions of things He tells us that this Great Man lying on his Death-bed and having certain Presages of his approaching Departure out of the World commanded his Courtiers to come to him and called his Sons and Friends together and spoke to them to this purpose ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Instit. Cyr. l. 8. You ought not to think you know certainly that I shall be nothing after I cease to live here For let me tell you the Soul whilst it is in this Mortal Body doth not live tho it gives Life to the Body but when it leaves the Body then it properly lives then it acts and is truly knowing and wise The Tortures and Punishments inflicted on Murderers by Souls thrust out of their