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trodden under foot? And he faid unto me, unto 2300 days; then shall the Sanctuary be cleanfed.

Daniel reaffuming the affair of Antiochus in the eleventh Chapter, and continuing it in the twelfth,obferves three times. And one faid to the man clothed in linnen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linnen, which was on the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and bis left hand unto heaven, and fwore by him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times and a half: Itis plain, this fignifies one year, two years, and half a year, three years and a half. So then you fee the fecond time.

The third is obferved in the fame Chapt. And from the time that the daily facrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh defolate fet up, there shall be 1290 days.

Part 2.

V. 14.

Cap. 12.

C. IZ

V. 11

Lastly, The fourth time is found in the following verfe, Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to v. 12 the 1335 days. See then four different numbers. Two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings.

2300,

A time, times and half a time, that make three 1260, years and a half, and days.

One thousand two hundred fourscore and ten 1297; days.

And lastly, one thousand three hundred and thir- 1339* ty five days.

I do not know whether any Interpreters have The myte understood the mystery, but fee how I ex-y of the plain it.

Firft, we must know, that the first number of 2300 mornings and evenings, muft not be taken for 2300 days, as Interpreters take it; which forces them to go back to the very beginning of the reign Bb 2

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Part 2. of Antiochus. Two thousand three hundred morn→ 2300 mor- ings and evenings taken for fo many days, make fix evenings years, four months, twenty days. The prophanamake but tion ended in the 148th year of the Era of the Se1150 days. leucida as we fhall fee. So that we must go back

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even to the 142 year, to find there the beginning of thefe fix years, four months, and twenty days. And it were neceffary that the prophanation of the Sanctuary, and the ceffation of the daily facrifice fhould then begin. For the Prophet fpeaks exprefly of the cellation of the daily facrifice. How long shall be the vifion concerning the daily facrifice? And he receives this Anfwer, for 2300 evening and mornings. Yet 'tis certain, by the Hiftory of the Macchabees, and by the Prophecy of the twelfth Chapter of Daniel, that the prophanation of the Sanctuary, and the ceffation of the daily facrifice, begin not till three years after, viz. the 145 year of the Era of the Seleucida. I am perfwaded therefore, that we muft understand by it, two thoufand three hundred facrifices of the evening and the morning. And this will not be fcrupled by him that shall confider, First, That it is not ufual in the holy Tongue, nor in any other, to fay, two evenings and mornings, or three evenings and mornings, meaning two days, three days,&c. Secondly, That the ceffation of this daily facrifice that was offered morning and evening, being here spoken of, to this question, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily facrifice; a more proper and intelligible anfwer than this cannot be given, viz. It fhall be for two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings. That is to fay, There fhall be an interruption of two thousand three hundred facrifices. So that this number makes one thousand one hundred and fifty days. See then thefe four numbers. 1. Eleven

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1. Eleven hundred and fifty days, which make Part 2. three years, two months, and ten days.

2. A time, times, and half a time, which are three years and fix months.

3. One thousand two hundred fourfcore and ten days, which make three years and feven months.

4. One thousand three hundred thirty five days, that make three years, eight months, and fifteen days:

In the whole taking thirty days for every month, a round number, which the Holy Spirit hath chofen, to avoid broken numbers arifing from the inequality of the months: Which appears by this, that in the Revelat. 42 months and 1260 days, are taken for the fame thing. 'Tis fo, if 30 days be affigned to every month.

The firft.

Thefe four numbers are different, and the later always exceeds the former. There is fix months and five days difference between the least and the greateft. How can we reconcile this with the History? We find this hiftory in the four first Chap. of the first book of Macchabees. Though Book of this book be not Canonical, it deferves however a Macchabees very great efteem, and I do not at all doubt but it is a book that defers was left to the Church by a fingular Providence of veth God, that by it we might fee the truth of Daniel's Prophecy and at the fame time to instruct us in the different periods of the duration and end of Antichrif's Kingdom, fhadowed forth by that of Antiochus. See then how we must frame the Chronology of the four firft Chapters of this Book, to the end we may find an admirable agreement between the events and these four numbers in the Prophecy.

To understand what we are about to fay, it muft in the first place be obferved, that two things

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Part 2. ufually are Confounded, that must be very careWe muft fully diftinguifht in the perfecution of Antiochus: four pe- the firft is, the prophanation of the Sanctuary, the riods in the fecond is the ceffation of the daily facrifice. 'Tis fupperfecution of An. pofed, that they are the fame thing, or at least that these two things lafted one as long as the other. Which is not. fo; for the prophanation of the Sanctuary began fome months before the ceflation of the daily facrifice, & alfo it ceafed fooner. For the daily facrifice began not again, till fome months after the fanctuary had ceafed from being prophan'd; fee then the four Periods that must be obferv'd in the perfecution of the fewish Church by Antiochus.

The firft, from the ceafing of the daily Sacrifice, till its first beginning again.

The fecond, from the beginning of the prophanation of the Temple by the Gentiles, to the purification of the Temple begun by Macchabaus.

The third,from the beginning of the prophanation of the Temple by the Gentiles, to the finishing the purification of the Temple by Judas Maccha bans.

The fourth, from the beginning & the first prophanation of the Temple by the Gentiles, to its dedication & confecration, which was the very fame day that the first daily facrifice began again. The four numbers in the Prophecy anfwer to thefe four Periods.

1. The first number of 2300. evenings and mornings, anfwers to the ceflation of the daily facrifice; as is clear, and this fignifies, that from the ceafing of the last daily facrifice to the firft beginning again of the daily facrifice, there was to be an interruption of 2300. facrifices. i, e. 1150 days,which make three years,two months,& ten days.

2. The number, of a time, times and half a Part 2. time, i. e. three years and fix months, anfwers to the period, that ran out from the first prophanation of the Temple by the Gentiles, to the beginning of the purification of it by Judas Macchabans. And this fignifies, that from the first prophanation, to the beginning of the purification, there were exactly 3 Years and 6 Months.

3. The third Number, which is 1290. days, anfwers to the period that ran out from the first prophanation of the Temple by the Gentiles, to the finishing the purification by Macchabaйs: and this fignifies, that from the firft prophanation of the Temple, to the finishing its purification, there were 1290 days i. e. three Years and feven months.

4. Lastly, the fourth number, which is 1335. days, anfwers to the period that ran out from the first prophanation of the Temple, to its dedication and confecration. And this fignifies, that from this firft prophanation to the fealt of the dedication, there were 1335. days i. e. three years, eight months and fifteen days.

The three laft periods begin at the fame point viz. the prophanation of the Temple by the Gentiles; but they end at three different points. One at the beginning of the cleanfing of the Temple, the other at the end of this cleanfing, and the third at the day of confecration, or dedication. 'Tis to this Chro nology, that we muit accommodate the Hiftory of the first Book of the Macchabees, as we fhall prefently do.

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First, we must find a fixed and a certain point in the perthe Hiftory of the Macchabees, and the perfecution. fecution See, 'tis that of the confecration and dedication of to the book. the Temple. And on the 25th day of the 9th month, of the Mac

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