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Prophecies from thefe latter Times, have yet been able, or indeed fo much as pretended to account for the exactnefs of the Numbers on their own Hypothefes. Nay, I believe many of them are fcarce able to flew that any one of thofe many Numbers of days, or Collections of days, by which the Periods are every where determin'd in that Book, do fit the Events whereof they would expound them, on that Hypothefis that they fignify bare days in the vulgar Acceptation. Since therefore fuch a task is, in a manner needlefs; and fince it would be look'd upon as too great an Anticipation to attempt it fo foon, before we have laid any farther Foundation for the understanding of that Prophecy, I fhall wave it, and proceed to the next Argument, why days are not in thefe Prophecies to be taken for bare days, but for years, viz. V. Because the strangeft inconfiftencies and abfurdities pofSee Furien par. 2. chap.1. fible will follow from that Hypothefis. For if days be only days of 24 hours in thefe Books, then thofe famous duraDan. vij. 25. tions of the little Horns Tyranny, and of the Beafts with 10 and xij. 7. Horns Dominion, and their collateral Visions, which are deApoc. xj. 2. 3. termin'd by a Time, Times, and a part; by Time, Times, and a and xij. 6. 14. half, or three years and a half; by 42 months; and by 1260 days, mult fignify no longer an Interval than that literal fenfe does contain in it, a space of between three and four years only; which is utterly abfurd to fuppofe or imagin in this cafe. For (1.) 'Tis beyond measure ftrange, that fo great a part of the whole Prophetick Scriptures fhould be intirely engag'd about fo fmall and inconfiderable a fpace as three years and an half; as if that fhort Interval was to have more regard to, and ado about it than above 2000 years befides; and as if nothing else almost remarkable should happen in the whole Period of the Chriftian Church till the end of the World, but what was to be confin'd to these three years and an half. This is fuch a prejudice against that Opinion, as is not eafy to be got over by confidering Men. (2.) 'Tis not only very improbable, but plainly impoffible that fo many things, and of fuch quality as are to be perform'd in this time, fhould all be done in three fingle years and an half. Take this and fome following Arguments almost in Mr. Mede's own words, «Ten Kingdoms are to be founded

Mede P. 742. 743.

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"at the fame hour with the Beast. Apoc. 17. People, and "Nations, and Tongues to ferve and obey the Beast. Chap. "13. He is to make war with the Saints, and overcome them. "ibid. To caufe a 1 that dwell upon the Earth to worship him. "ibid. Babylon is to ride the Beaft fo long that all Nations fall "drink the wine of her Fornication, and all Kings of the "Earth commit Fornication with her. Chap. 17. & 18. The "Merchants, and all those who have Ships in the Sea are to "grow Rich by Trading with her. Chap. 18. These things fhould ask more than three years work, or four either. (3) That King, State of Government, Sovereignty, Seigniory, or what you will, of the Beaft under which the Whore fhould ride him, is mention'd immediately upon a former, which in Comparifon, is faid to continue but a short space. Apoc. 17. 10. Doth not this imply, that this latter State, wherein the Whore fhould ride the Beaft, was to continue a pretty long Space? which in no tolerable fence three bare years and an half can be faid to be. (4.) If the 1260 days of the Witnesses (which begin and end with the Times of Antichriftian Tyranny) be literally to be taken, then must their three days and an half, wherein they ly flain by the Beast, (chap. 11. 9.) be fo taken alfo. But how is it poffible that the Nations and People of the Earth should make Feafts, fend Gifts and Presents one to another in three days and an half? How fhould the half day be a competent Time to distinguish or limit any of the Actions there mention'd? If the Holy Ghost had meant nothing but Days, would he have been so precife for half a day? (5.) Six of the feven Trumpets, and the things which they bring to pafs by neceffity of Contemporation are almost all included in the Antichri ftian Times, as will appear hereafter. Now let any Man care fully read thofe Trumpets, and then tell me, whether they can all be confin'd to little more than three years and an half.. At least let him read the fifth and the fixth Trumpets, and fee. whether all their large Contents, particularly the Torment-. ing and killing the third part of Men, can be fuppos'd to require no more than fo many Months fpace, as are therein refpectively mentioned.

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VI. We appeal to the Event. If the Times of Antichrift lafted no longer than, on this Hypothefis, must be fuppos'd, a bare three years and an half, fhew us them in Hiftory. For the fix first Heads of the Roman Empire, the last whereof Apoc. xvij. ro, was prefent in St. John's time, has been extinct above 1200 years; and the feventh which was to continue but a short Space, can make no great difference in the Computation. All feven therefore are paft near the fame space of time, and no other of the Ancient Forms of Government, but that of the 10 Contemporary Kings, which is the State of the Beaft himself, has fince return'd into play. If therefore the Time of Antichrift be only the space of three years and an half, they are now paft near 1200 years ago: and therefore may be pointed to in the Hiftories of the paft Times. But fince no body, with any colour of Truth or Probability, can fhew us thefe three years and an half, at the time when they must have happen'd, 'tis evident they are otherwife to be underftood: nay, and fo to be understood, that they may not yet be intirely over, which can be no otherwife done, than by taking days in a Prophetick sense for fo many years, according to the foregoing Inftances to this purpofe. And to conclude.

VII. Lastly, Let it be fhewn through all the Prophecies of Daniel, or of St. John; or I think, I may add, of the whole Bible, that in any one inftance, at leaft relating to the Chriftian Difpenfation, where Times of things predicted are exprefs'd by days, they have been anfwer'd by the Event according to the letter; and the things have agreeably come to pafs at the end of fo many bare natural days. But if no fingle inftance can be produc'd to that purpose, give us leave to follow that primary and moft eminent Example of the 70 weeks Prophecy; where, by the confeffion both of the Jewish and Christian Church, a day is taken for a year or, which is the fame thing, y a week, which in all other places of the Bible fignifies * feven days, is taken

* Verùm enimvero contra plane ac Grotius pronunciavit, yw five Hebdomas abfque omni additione femper fignificat Hebdomadem dierum; nifi fchemate prophetico Dies Hebdomadis, Annos fignificent; quemadmodum

for

for feven years.
And to Interpret the reft of the like Pro-
phecies of fo many years in the Event, as we find days in
the Prophecies thereto relating. And fince we can here po-
fitively appeal to the Event on our fide, and allege the ex-
act fulfilling of the Ancient Prophecies in this fenfe of days
for years; as will appear in the Sequel of this Effay, there
can remain no reasonable Doubt in the Cafe. But that in
Prophetick Stile relating to the Chriftian Church, days eve-
rywhere denote years.

Corollary 1. Since therefore it appears that thofe Sacred Prophecies of the Scripture determin'd by exact Periods, which relate to the Chriftian Church, and the Times of the Meffias, make use every where of a day for a year; and fince, as Hypoth. 1. we have already obferv'd, and as 'tis own'd by all, the An- prius. cient Prophecies relating to the Jewish Church, ufe a year still in its literal Acceptation for a single year. It will deferve to be obferv'd upon any doubt concerning the Prophecies, whether they relate to the Times of the Jewish, or those of the Chriftian Church? which of thefe different Stiles are made ufe of therein. For if it be evident that the years do fignify thofe Large and vulgar Intervals, fo call'd, they have the Character of the Jewish Times. But if the words of Time be fous'd that it appears a day is put for a year, a week for feven years, or the like; they have the Character of the Chriftian Times, and ought to be expounded accordingly.

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Coroll. 2. Since therefore at the Conclufion of the Apocalypfe the Duration of the happy Millennium is not determin- Apoc. xx. 2--7. ed by days, in the Prophetick Stile, but by years in the vulgar Acceptation; that Prophecy is to be fuppos'd chiefly to concern the Jews; and to relate to the Times after their Conver

hic fit apud Danielem. Vide Gen. xxix 27. 28. Exod. xxiv. 22. Levit. xij. 5. Numb. xxviij. 26. Deut. xvj. 9. 10. 16. 2 Par.viij. 13. Jer. v. 24. Cl. Mor. Op. Theolog. P. 178.

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But you will fay the Etymology of the Hebrew word is as applicable to fevens of years, as fevens of days, and therefore this inftance proves not. I answer, The Question lies not in the Etymology, but the Ufe; wherein G always fignifies levens of days and never tevens of years. Wherefoever it is abfolutly put, it means of days, is no where us'd of years. Mede p. 743.

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Dan. ij.

fion to the Chriftian Faith: and not to belong to the Church of the Gentiles only, before that time.

II.

The fourthKingdom in Daniel, is the Roman Empire.

This Propofition is fo plain at firft fight, upon the bare reading of the words of the Prophecy, and comparing them with the Hiftories of the paft Ages; efpecially on Suppofition that the three former Kingdoms were the Babylonian, the Medo Perfian, and the Grecian, which is own'd by all, that one can hardly think it worth the while to fet about the proof of it. And when it is withal confider'd that this has ever been the unanimous Interpretation of the Jewish as well as of the Chriftian Church in all Ages, if we except a very few late Authors; and that the Papifts do fully join with the Proteftants herein, tho' it be highly against their Intereft to do fo: it cannot but feem a little unnecessary to infift any farther upon it. And truly, as to my own Opinion, I fhould rather chufe to deny, what all are forc'd to grant, that the three firft Kingdoms, denote thofe three beforemention'd the Babylonian, the Medo-Perfian, and the Grecian Monarchies, than, allowing thofe to be fo, to difpute the fourth of them, and pretend it might be fome other than the Roman Empire. Yet becaufe fome few of late have ventur'd to deny it; and because it is a principal Foundation of all our Enquiries into thefe Matters, I fhall not wholly omit it, but fet down the words of the Prophet out of his double Vision hereto relating; and then point at the principal Arguments which eftablish the certainty of the prefent Propofition therefrom; and fo refer the Reader to those Authors who have prov'd it more at large, and have shewn the conftant Agreement of the Jewish and Christian Church thereto. The words are thefe.

Ver. 31. Thou, O King, faweft and behold, a great Image: That by King, this great Image whofe brightness was excellent, ftood before thee, in thefe Prophe- and the form thereof was terrible.

cies,is generally

meant Kingdoms; fee fully prov'd by Mr. Garret in his Difcourfe concerning Antichrif. p.47.&c.

32. This

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