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 thâ—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.
Chronologia Conciliorum So also in the year 326. It was endeavoured in the Councel of Nice That Bishops and Elders should refrain from their wives But Paphnutius opposed himself to the whole Councel urging that of the Apostle Mariage is honourable among all men and so far prevailed as to bring forth a decree of liberty that for chastity sake such might accompany with their wives Alsted in Chronologia testium veritatis But now though Antichrist was more early thrusting himself forth yet are we not thence to reckon his rise but from that time when the Apostacy grew eminent the Councels and Ministry being more generally corrupted which was about the aforesaid year 396. And certainly if at this time after all these things before mentioned were come forth we cannot yet see the Beast in the world but must come down lower to find him it argues that we either shut our eyes or are blind whilst we look for him The Argument then lies thus If that falling away which is foretold should be at the time of Antichrists Revelation were A.D. 396. then are we there to place the Beasts rise and accordingly thence to reckon the two and forty months and the one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes but the Antecedent is true therefore the consequent SECT 2. 3 Reason A third Reason of the foregoing Position may be taken from the following words of the Apostle vers 6 7 8. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time For the mystery of Iniquity doth already work onely he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way And then shall that wicked be revealed Out of which words I draw this conclusion viz. That the man of sin or the Antichrist was to be revealed when that which then did withhold and let viz. the Civil power of the Roman Empire which would not admit of any Competitor or the setting up of any other power equall with it or above it should be taken away i. e removed from the seventh Head which is the last Head of the ancient Roman Beast i.e. of Rome as it was a pure Civil state and placed some where else Now before we can frame any Argument that shall have in it a concluding force here are two things to be cleared viz. 1 Whether this taking away be to be reckoned from the time that the Civil power of the Roman Empire was wholly taken off the seventh Head and fixed some where else or whether from the time when this began to be 2 In case we incline to the one or the other what time are we to pitch upon in which this was done Concerning the first We are as I conceive to account from that time when this began to be done My Reasons are 1 Because it is proper and agreeable to the phrase of taking away to say a thing is then taken away when as such a beginning is made as irresistably causeth a total removing or taking away It is said Dan. 9.2 That seventy yeers were to be accomplished in the desolations of Jerusalem These seventy yeers are to bee reckoned from the first Captivity which was in the third yeer of Jehoiakim Dan. 1.1 2. 2 Chon 36.6 7. as is clear 1 Because the Scriptures speaking of the seventy years Captivity point us to Jehoiakims reign as the time from whence we are to begin our account Jerem. 25. vers 1. compared with vers 11 12. Chap. 29. vers 1 2. compared with vers 10. 2 Because Israel was to serve the King of Babylon but seventy years Jer. 25.11 12. These Nations shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years And after seventy years are accomplished I will punish the King of Babylon Now Israels servitude to the King of Babylon beginning in the dayes of Jehoiakim in case the seventy years were not to be begun till afterwards then should they serve the King of Babylon above seventy years 3 Because Israel was to be in Babylon but the terme of seventy years Jer. 29.10 For thus saith the Lord that after seventy years be accomplished I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place But Israel for a considerable part of them were carried into Babylon in the dayes of Jehoiakim if therefore we begin the seventy years afterwards then seeing that untill the seventy years were expired they came not out of Babylon their being in Babylon should be upwards of seventy yeers therefore I say that the seventy yeers of Jerusalems desolations are to reckoned from the first Captivity yet observe their desolations then were onely begun not perfected till nineteen years after in the eleventh of Zedekiah when City and Temple were destroyed 2 Chron. 36.19 yet notwithstanding doth the Holy Ghost reckon their desolations and captivity from the time the same was begun though the compleating of it was not till some yeers after So Dan. 7.26 It s said concerning the little Horn the judgement shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion And when is this taking away Ans When the Ancient of dayes begins to sit and the Thrones of the Beast begin to be cast down though yet the final destruction of this little Hâ—rn is not till afterwards vers 11. And observe if the ruine of the Roman Empire in its second state under Antichrist be to be reckoned from the time when this begins why not in its first likewise In Scripture Phrase therefore a thing is said to be taken away when the desolating and removing time is come and the work begun though yet the compleating of it be not till some time after 2 Because the Beast did not take up and exercise all the Civil power of the Roman Empire together or at once but did by little and little ingrosse the same into his own hands as the same by degrees fell off the seventh Head And if so then of necessity must the Beast who pills the seventh Head and robs him of his power have a being before as yet the seventh Head had lost all his power or was totally destroyed 3 Because if we begin not till this work was compleated then of necessity must we extend the forty months the one thousand two-hundred and sixty dayes beyond Daniels two thousand three hundred and his one thousand three hundred thirty five both which expire A.D. 1701. but so will not the one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes if we find not a beginning for them till the compleat devastation of the ancient Roman Empire To say some middle beginning may be found must be grounded upon some such substantial reason as may enervate the force of ours and withall be so carried on as that the admirable Harmony betwixt Daniels numbers and Johns may be preserved The conclusion therefore is That we are not to reckon this taking away from the time that the Civil power of the Roman Empire was fully removed from the seventh Head but rather from
among the first ten horns or the ten horns of the Monarchy as in its first state with this time and among the horns thus broken should the little Horn creep up i.e. from thence should the translation of the Monarchy be or from thence should Antichrists Kingdom begin so that indeed these words are so farre from weakning what we have asserted that they are a strong confirmation of our beginning that wee have stated it aright in stating the rise of the Beast Antichrist to be with the time of the invasion of the Goths and Vandals Thus notwithstanding the Objection our Argument stands firm viz. That the rise of the Antichristian Beast is a little before the rise of his Horns and therefore his Horns rising suddenly after the beginning of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days the forty two months the rise of the Beast himself is stated rightly with the year three hundred ninety six SECT 5. To the Arguments already laid down I shall adde an Argument or two more Arg. 1. The aforesaid ending of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days agrees most fitly to the time of killing the Witnesses The time of the Witnesses killing which is to be reckoned the last three days a half of the one thousand two hundred and sixty as see Generation Work Part 3. Chap. 1. Sect. 4. falls under the third Vial and a little before the first stirring of the Jews as is also there proved Sect. 5. in the first and third conclusions now as the third Vial is the Vial wee at present stand under as my discourse upon that Vial manifests so the first stirring of the Iews fals to be in the year one thousand six hundred fifty six as is proved Key Thesi 20 therefore it agrees well to the one and the other to end the one thousand two hundred and sixty days with the year one thousand six hundred fifty six Arg. 2. Taken from the visibility of those very things at this day which the Scripture hath fore-told us shall occur within the last three days and a half of the one thousand two hundred and sixty To give some instances First The Scripture fore-tels that within this time the Witnesses shall lie dead Their death shall be civil and Spiritual Civil in being stripped of Religion and Liberty Spiritual in subjecting themselves through a spirit of cowardize upon them to this Tyranny of the Beast rather then to run the hazard of life in opposing him The place of their lying dead shall be Germany the one to be their death the other the place I have proved Generation Work Part 3. Chap. 1. Sect. 7 8. whether considering the thing time and place have we not more then a little ground to conjecture that the present day is the day of the Witnesses killing and if so then considering that this time is the last three days and a half of the one thousand two hundred and sixty doth it not speak that the year we have stated as the end of the one thousand two hundred and sixty is the right viz. Anno Dom. one thousand six hundred fifty six Secondly The Scripture fore-tels That within the last three days and a half of the one thousand two hundred and sixty A war shall bee attempted First by the invisible Dragon then by the visible of which read Generation Work Part 3. Chap. 2. Sect. last against a remnant of the Womans Seed that shall stand up for Christ in the World within the day that their Brethren the Witnesses lie dead which shal be known by these two Characters 1. They shall walk in Gospel institutions 2. Have amongst them a Spirit of Prophecy Now whether the beginnings of the first War and probabilities of the second be not at this day more visible upon a people having the aforesaid Characters then ever heretofore I propound as a Quaere Thirdly The Scripture fore-tels that there shall be within this time a people in the World that shall favour the Witnesses and withall be so potent as to awe the Beast of whom mention is made Generat Work Part 3. Chap. 1. Sect. 9. Who yet setling themselves upon a worldly interest as their highest ayme shall neither openly declare for the Witnesses Cause nor against the Beast These are called They of the People and Nations and Kindreds and Tongues Revel 11.9 which cannot be interpreted the Popish party though Rev. 17.15 they are so described because in this place they are distinguished from the Popish party which in the following verse are set forth by another name viz. The dwellers on the earth Whether or no such a people be not now to be found I also put the question Fourthly The Scripture fore-tels That within this time there shall be a great League and combination of Nations the Beast now gathering together his Powers to defend himself the time being come that his Dominion is to be taken away as the Fourth Monarchy afterwards at the end of the one thousand three hundred thirty five dayes when it is to go to ruine gathers together all its power to that dreadful Battle of Armageddon to uphold it self Whether a Work like this be not now on foot likewise I propound as another Quaere Fifthly The Scripture fore-tels That within this time there shall be in the World a wonderfull triumph over the dead and suppressed Witnesses as supposing they and their Cause likewise to be now dead and sunk for ever Revel 11.10 Chap. 18.7 Whether doth the present time afford nothing that hath a look like this If all these things bee found true at this day have they not in them the weight of an Argument to prove That wee are upon the very ending time of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days Arg. 3. The forty two months the one thousand two hundred and sixty days may not be begun either higher of lower therefore they must bee begun with the aforesaid year That they may not bee begun any time higher is clear because from such beginnings the time is expired but this cannot be because the Witnesses to this very day my opinion is throughout all Europe but all must confesse in most places as Germany France c. do yet wear their Sackcloth the Woman as to this day abides in the Wilderness the Beast as to this day I really think in all the ten Horns but as to the greater part of them it is undeniable doth yet continue to rage against the Saints by persecuting them under the Notion of Hereticks or Schismaticks or Enemies to Civil Government because they cannot but declare That the day is come in which God will destroy as well his Monarchical Power as his Spiritual and Ecclesiastical to tread under foot the holy City by establishing Powers not of Christ but his own creating to bee Lords over Gods heritage to blaspheme God by blaspheming as did the wicked Pharisees those very Works and Truths of God counting them Erroneous Diabolical which
the elder and as some think Uncle to Cyrus things might go mostly under his name by reason whereof the name of Cyrus whilst Darius lived might be somewhat obscured therefore Daniel mentions him who of the two was vulgarly looked upon as the leading man in ordering affairs and doth not take so much notice of the other though yet he were in power equall with him And surely there might be a glorious design of Providence in obscuring the name of Cyrus about the time Babylon was taken through that of Darius for the name of Cyrus by reason of Isaiahs Prophesie was grown so famous amongst the Jews that had they but heard the name of Commander inchief before Babylon to be Cyrus they had not been so surprised with their mercy as it is ordinary with God to deal by his people in his more glorious appearances to be upon them before they are aware but whilst they little think of a Cyrus and hear a great noise of a mighty Darius Babylon is taken and instantly unlooked for appears a Cyrus as a first and leading man amongst the Conquerors which certainly could not but so soon as discovered which in all likelihood was presently as Babylon was taken when now the Jews within Babylon by converse with them come to have a more true understanding of the people themselves the state and affairs of the Conquerors wonderously affect the hearts of Gods people And whether or no as the perceiving on the one hand the seventy years to be out so some such amazing Providence as this concurring on the other might not be a whet to Daniels spirit the more to be earnest in striving with God for his People City and Temple I shall not the Scripture being silent therein take upon me to determine And this consideration of Cyrus being manifested and known to Gods people last doth well solve those words Chap. 8.3 The Ram had two Horns and the two Horns were high but one was higher then the other and the higher came up last Which words seem to have in them matter of objection against the thing we are speaking of and they seem to import as if that Cyrus who is the higher Horn of the two did succeed Darius and if so Then how is it true that hath been said They did both Reign together Now from what hath been said the Answer is easie that Daniel speaks not of the being of the two Horns but of their appearance the two Horns were both in being upon the head of the Ram when he pushed down the Babylonian Monarchy but now as to Gods people they did not both appear at once but Darius the lower Horn appears first and Cyrus the higher Horn after him so did they not to Daniel in the Vision first Daniel beholds the lower Horn then the higher But if this suffice not because there seems weight in the Objection it may be otherwise answered that Cyrus's coming up last is not to be understood in respect of his being a Horn but in respect of his being a Horn greater and higher then the other Horn A Horn he was of power and authority equal with Darius whilst Darius lived but a Horn of higher and greater authority then ever his fellow Horn had so he was not till after the death of Darius when the whole Monarchy which before was shared between them fell to him alone and in this respect Daniel sees him come up last If it be asked how long these two Darius and Cyrus did reign together I answer Two years at the end of which Darius who was sixty two years old when Babylon was taken Dan. 5.31 by death which is most probable or else by resignation devolves the whole upon Cyrus Now that they did reign together two years and no more is clear if we compare Dan. 1.21 with Dan. 10.1 Daniel Chap. 1.21 is said to continue till the first year of King Cyrus i.e. so long Daniel did survive In Chap. 10. Daniel sees a Vision in the third year of King Cyrus How may we reconcile these places did Daniel behold this Vision two years after he was dead No we may not think so but that which doth and onely can reconcile the places is this Chap. 1. speaks of Cyrus's sole reign i.e. reckons from that time he began to reign alone but Chapter 10. speaks of the whole of the time that he reigned from the taking of Babylon now that was three years until the time Daniel saw this Vision two of which he reigned together with Darius and the third which is called Cyrus's first Chap. 1.21 he reigned alone Here in our close it may be observed 1 That the first year of Cyrus Dan. 1.21 is not the same year with that called the first of Cyrus 2 Chr. 36.22 Ezra 1.1 The one signifies the first year of his reign after Babylon was taken the other the first of his sole reign which was not his first year but his third from the taking of Babylon 2 That Daniel dyed in the self-same year in which he saw his last and great Vision which was in the third year of the Persian Monarchy for he continues but till the first of Cyrus viz. of Cyrus's sole reign which I say is the same year with that called the third of Cyrus in which he saw his last Vision for therefore as I conceive doth Daniel who before had all along dated his Visions by the reign of Darius date that last by the reign of Cyrus to signifie to us how that in this third year of the Empire Cyrus did reign alone Daniel therefore continuing but till the first year of Cyrus his sole Reign and the year in which Daniel saw his last and great Vision being that year I therefore conclude that Daniel dyed in that very year in which he had his last Vision which neer approach of Daniels death seems to me to be hinted to him twice in the end of the Vision Chap. 12.9 Go thy way Daniel And again in the very last words of all But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the dayes The summe of all our whole discourse in this Section is That Darius the Mede did not belong to the Babylonian Monarchy but the Persian and that the first year of Darius the Mede and the first of Cyrus the Persian are one and the same year CHAP. II. Wherein in order to a more full clearing up of the foregoing account viz. of two thousand and three hundred dayes Daniels seventy weeks are discussed SECT 1. HAving in the fore-going Chapter fixed the Head of our Account viz. with what time we are to begin the two thousand and three hundred years I shall now through the Lords assistance go on and as that which necessarily comes next to be handled in order to the making up our Computation enter upon Daniels seventy weeks Chap. 9.24 25 26 27. This seventy weeks is a lesser Epock comprehended
Babylonians would permit such constant yearly Exercises in Babylon or no I am therefore inclined to think That the appointment and celebration of these Publique solemn Fasts was not in Babylon but upon their coming thence after the people of Israel had liberty given them by Cyrus to return from Babylon and were come up to Jerusalem with their hearts greatly raised through the present sense of their deliverance and also with expectations of something more then ordinary that God would now do for them and having no sooner set hand to the work but are stopped contrary to expectation they are now put upon looking backwards to see what might be the cause God should deal thus with them And to this their hearts being now melted and affected under the present sense of their deliverance they are in a frame and posture much better then while they remained in Babylon under a Cloud and a sense of wrath which we know ever unfits and makes a Soul uncapable of looking back upon former ways and walkings Now looking backwards they finde That they had received such and such heavy stroaks from God formerly which stroaks fell upon the whole Body of the Nation yet had they never as yet in any solemn way humbled themselves before God for those their sins and provocations which brought these stroaks upon them Hereupon they appoint several days of Humiliation to bee kept yearly till the anger of the Lord should be removed and the better to stir up their hearts through a putting them in remembrance by the stroak they appoint their days upon such and such times as the stroaks which did prove most fatal to them fel upon them which is all the reason can be given of the appointment of the Fasts in such and such Months as is before specified And therefore observe in the fourth of Darius in the ninth Month when now the people of God perceiving the storm to be well blown over the Temple-work being now on foot again and brought to some perfection do send men as Sherezer Regemmelech c. to enquire whether they should any longer it seeming that God was now pacified go on with that fasting which they had continued for seventy years the answer is given by the Prophet to the Congregation there present and the People that were in the Land ver 4.5 6 7 8 9 10. and not to those in Babylon of whom not one syllable is spoken A clear Argument that Sherezer Regemmelech c. were not sent by the people in Babylon as saith the generall opinion but were indeed employed being two Honourable persons by the whole Body of the People now in the Land to go up to the House of the Lord and enquire for them concerning this practice they had so long continued among them Whether Gods wrath seeming now to be pacified they should continue it any longer Answer hereupon by the Prophet is given to the people of the Land proving clearly that this Fast was not a Fast in Babylon but a Fast that had been kept up and continued by the people of the Land which as I have said began upon their coming thither and the cause till this day remaining had been continued by them ever since through which long continuance of time it was even now grown into a form therefore God by the Prophet seems at first to disown it Chap. 7.5 6. and yet afterwards as being a thing lawfull and good in its first institution though through continuance of time abused by them he ownes it Chap. 8.19 So that this text rightly understood is so farre from hurting us that contrariwise it brings with it a second testimony to prove the truth of our Assertion that it was seventy years betwixt Cyrus and the Darius that forwarded the Temple-work If any should yet think our measure to be misapplied and that surely it could not be so long as seventy years from the return of the Captivity to the end of Darius second I shall adde one consideration more viz. That Iddo who was Grandfather to the Prophet Zechary as appears Zech. 1.1 was one of them that came up with Zerubbabel as we shall finde Nehem. 12.4 which Iddo Nehemiah speaks of that it was the same person and not another of the same name appears in that we finde Zechariah and that in the daies of Jojakim sonne of Jeshua which well agrees to the latter times of Zechariahs Prophecy mentioned by name as succeeding in the line of Iddo ver 16. and though Zechariah is there recorded amongst the chief of the Priests yet doth not that hinder but it should be this very Zechariah seeing most ordinarily Prophets were taken from amongst the Priests Jeremiah was of the Priests of Anathoth and yet a Prophet Jer. 1.1 Ezekiel was a Priest Ezek. 1.3 and yet a Prophet All therefore that can be gathered thence is That Zechariah as hee was a Prophet so also he was one of the chief of the Priests Now Zechariah who mentions these seventy years being Grand-childe to one that came up with Zerubbabel it may very well bee thought that betwixt these two as much time as seventy years may be allowed and yet no monstrous Conclusion From the whole it appears That to fix the advance of the Temple-work upon the second year of Darius Longimanus doth not at all jarre but rather hath an admirable concurrency so as no opinion besides it with what seems to be most clear in Scripture as touching the time betwixt Cyrus first year and Darius second Withall though I would not be over-curious for I hate over-much niceness and curiosity in Notions as well as in Words yet let mee say hereby we gain this to run the time betwixt the beginning of the Babylonish Captivity and Christs Passion all along upon seventies the Number so famous for setting forth this time First We have Seventy years Captivity in Babylon Secondly Seventy years of mourning in the Land after their return thence before the Work of the Temple can go on Thirdly After that we have Seventy years and seven odde observe though we have some odde yet they run still upon the Number seven before the Jews can have liberty to build their City and form themselves into a Common-wealth for so many years passed betwixt Darius second and the time of Nehemiahs Commission Lastly We have Seventy Weeks which makes seven seventies from the building Jerusalem to the Passion of Christ In a word from the beginning of the Captivity untill Christs Passion we have ten Seventies and three odde years for though I mentioned even now seven odde years yet it must bee remembred that four years out of that seven are to be deducted to supply the want of those four years which I have before proved are to be cut off from the seventeeth and last of Daniels weeks these deducted there then remains three odde only Now allowing these three to the time Christ Preached which was three years we may then say That from the
years reign of Christ and the Saints all which things are concurrent falls to be Anno Dom. one thousand seven hundred and one about forty seven or forty eight years hence Yet whether or no Jesus Christ who tells us that for the Elects sake those days that is the days of the sore trouble which will befall the Jews more especially towards the ending-time of the last forty five years shall be shortned may not appear some years sooner and so cut short this determined time is a question too hard for mee to decide but the appearance of our blessed Lord the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ will put an end to this and all other Controversies When we shall see no more as all our sight now is through a Glasse darkly but face to face Now wee know in part but then shall we know perfectly even as we are known In faith of which blessed day let us rejoyce in expectation of it let us always bee found waiting and watching That whensoever our Lord cometh whether at even or at midnight or at the Cock-crowing or in the morning he may not coming suddenly finde us sleeping And what I say unto you I say unto all watch Mark 13.37 So enable us Lord to do and come O Lord Jesus come quickly Amen Amen The Calculation of Daniels 2300 Years shewing their beginning their end and the Harmony of other Mystical Numbers with this The several Periods The years of each Period The Harmony of other mysticall Numbers The total Sum. 1 From Cyrus first to Artax Muemons 20. 147.   2. From Artax 20. to Christs Passion A.D. 34 486.  633. 3. From Christs Passion to Julians act A.D. 366. 332.  965. 4. From Julians act to Beasts Rise A.D. 396. 30. With the beginning of this Period begins Daniels 1290 1335 years 995. 5. From Beasts Rise to the end of his reign A. D. 1656. 1260. Johns 1260 years begin end this Period 2255.   Concurrent with the end of this Period is the end of Dan. 1290. days the 30 of the former Period added to the 1260 of this making up that number    Thus Dan. 1290. and Johns 1260. concur in their end  6. From the end of Beasts reign to the end of the Fourth Monarchy A. D. 1701. 45. Concurrentwith the end of this Period is the end of Dan. 1335 years the 45 years of this Period added to the 1200. of the two former making up that number 2300.   Thus the 1335 the 2300. concur likewise in their end  A General Rule for the right understanding of Prophecies together with a more full opening the great Mystery of Daniels little Horn. IT is a most certain truth That every Prophecy left us in the Word of God hath in it self sufficient Characters to lead us by comparing the Characters of it with the minde of God in other Prophecies to the knowledge of the substance of that truth that is in it held forth for otherwise the word should be imperfect and not able to expound it self These Characters are the Keys of this or that Prophecy which when found it will be easie to unlock it but if these be missed all mens endeavours in opening Prophecies will be in vain and their labours lost These Keys in some Prophecies where a man can hardly go any way but one are quickly and with ease found but in others where by reason of the various turnings and windings there seem to be as many ways to go in as there are words the finding of them is a thing most hard and the Searcher in case he have not a better guide than himself shall never finde them The knowledge of the true Keys of any Prophecie from Counterfeit ones ariseth from the fitness of the Keys to the Wards of the Lock i.e. to the several parts of the Prophecie it self and all other Prophecies concurrent with it for this is certain that if the true Key be found it will open whatsoever lyes within that Prophecy or any other that hath dependence upon it Hence those Keys how neatly soever they may be wrought which will open but a part of a Prophecy but not the whole are not the true Keys but counterfeit Two things there are that are absolutely destructive to the finding of these Keys 1 An Affection to any pre-conceived opinion that may bee in a man as touching this or that Prophecy before yet hee hath found the certain Key thereof So farre as any such thing is in any instead of seeking the true key hee will make a key and form it to his own opinion 2 A founding Conclusions which should all bee built upon manifest demonstrations taken from the naked Letter of the Text and no other foundation upon Allegories i. e. because many things in this or that Prophecy seeme fairly to allude to such or such an event therefore must that event needs be the meaning of the Prophecy This is the most fallible way of interpreting Prophecies of all other for how easie a thing is it considering that some Prophecies as Daniels for instance lead us through many Ages as many as amount to no lesse than two thousand years and upwards that within so long a time a man should finde more occurrencies than one that will in many things agree to what is fore-told in such or such a Prophecy Hence come those innumerable mistakes of Expositors both of former later and present times also they run without a due respect to the indubitable Characters of the text the meaning of this or that Prophecy upon this or the other likely event and so as many likely events as mens reading or wits can help them to so many interpretations shall we have of the Prophecy And this evil hath crept in by that in some sense good but as it is ordinarily understood and made use of greatly abused Saying viz. That the best Interpreter of Prophecies is the event It is a most dangerous thing therefore to run from the naked Letter of the text when the meaning of any Prophecy is sought after to Allegorical flourishes because where the Letter is set aside and the Allegory made the rule of interpretation there can be no certainty of truth in regard Allegorical interpretations are as various as mens inventions Now how a man shall ever bee able to judge of truth in variety in case he have not some other rule to walk by than that which produceth this variety I cannot tell Although therefore it is confessed that many phrases in this or the other Prophecy do require a Spiritual meaning to be put upon them yet I say the Characters themselves by which this or that Prophecy as to scope and time is distinguished from all others are ever to be looked for in the naked letter of the Text which is the only standing and fixed rule and not in any Mystical or Spiritual interpretations which are as variable and uncertain as mens