Prince.

Or rather this relates to the last Times of the Turks, when the Perfians and Tartars fhall invade them, according to the Sibylline Oracles, who mention these Tidings of the Jews returning.

45. And he shall plant the Tabernacle of his Palace between the Seas, in the glorious holy Mountain, [i. e. the Ottomans fhall come to befiege Ferufalem, as Gog is defcrib'd to do by Ezekiel and Zechariah] and there receive a fatal Overthrow.

Dan. Ch. 12, Ver. 1. And there shall be a time of trouble, fuch as never was fince there was a Nation. This is the Defcription of a fecond Invafion of the Turks, when they fhall take Jerufalem, as is describ'd in Zechariah, Chap. 14.

Ver. 2. And many that fleep in the Earth fhall awake. Then fhall be the Refurrection. 3. And they that be wife shall be as the brightness of the Firmament. This is a short Description of the Millennium.

Note, There are two Questions in this Chapter, the firft Verf. 6. How long shall it be to the end of thefe Wonders? that is, till the Jews Difperfion is finish'd. Ver. 7, is the Answer, A time, and times, and half a time. And this is plainly the whole time of Antichrift's Kingdom: See Dan. ch.7, v.25. They fhall be given into his hands until a time, and times, and the dividing of time. And if this be the computation of Antichrift's Kingdom, then the 11th Chapter is a description of it: And this is interpreted by St. John, Revelat. ch. 11, ver. 2.

The

The Holy City fhall they tread under foot forty and two months; that is from A. D. 637, 1260 Years.

The fecond Queftion is, Dan. ch. 12, ver. 8. What shall be the end of these things? Tid xala Tiray, how long will the laft things continue? viz. The time of Trouble, fuch as never was fince there was a Nation, Ver. 1. of this Chapter. The Answer to this is a twofold Computation, ver. 11. From the time the daily Service of the Chriftians (not Sacrifice) fhall be taken away, (or chang'd, ἀπὸ καις» παραλλάξεις, ενδελεχισμέ ) and this will be, according to Zech. 14, when the Nations shall be gather'd against Jerufalem, and take it: And this is the time of the flaying the two Witneffes, Rev. 11, three Days and a half, that is three Years and a half, 1260 Days: But Daniel adds 30 more, 1290, when the Antichrift will receive his fatal Blow. These are only the continuance of the time of the Troubles mention'd in the firft Verfe, for fo Daniel had made a computation of the time of Antiochus's Oppreffion of the Jews, in ch. 8, v. 14, 2300 Days.

V. 12. Bleffed is he that cometh to the 1335 Days: Then all the time of Trouble will be perfectly ended, and the Millennium and the Refurrection begin.

13. Thou shalt ftand in the lot at the end of the Days, laft computed. The beginning of this Computation must be when Jerufalem is taken, as is defcrib'd by Zechariah, ch. 14, then the Chriftian Service shall ceafe for fo many Days, 1290.

Note, That Daniel obferves the historical order of Events, the Roman Kingdom last of the four Empires, and the little Horn after the divifion into

ten

ten Horns, and the Fudgment shall fit, and take away his Dominion.

Daniel, Chap. 8, purfues the order of History, and relates the Fate of the Perfian Empire, That it shall be conquer'd by the Grecians, and then that shall be divided into 4 parts, and one of these fhall take away the Daily Sacrifice Jusia, (not denis) and defile the Sanctuary 2300 Days.

Daniel, Chap. 9, relates the Destruction of Jerufalem by the Romans, after the coming of Chrift, who caus'd the via to cease, by destroying the Temple.

Daniel, Chap. 10, has another Vision, which in order of History must begin after Chrift, and the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus: And, to introduce this History, he mentions three more Races of Kings after Cyrus, in whofe Reign he had this Vision, and then follows the Hiftory of the Saracens, St. John's firft Beaft; and the Turk is his fecond.

Note, St. Jerome at firft began the Mistake, in applying the 11th Chapter of Daniel to the Hiftory of the Grecian Empire; but confeffes, that the latter end belongs to Antichrift. And this Opinion Grotius follows. But 'tis evident, that the Affairs of the Grecian Empire, fo far as concern'd the Jews, were fufficiently predicted in Chap. 18, And the Duration of that Affliction is different from the Computation in Chap. 12; therefore Chap. 11. can refer only to the Rife of the Sara, een King of the South, and the Turk the King of the North: And he who will compare the coming of the Turk over Euphrates, his Conquests in Sy

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ria, Afia minor, and Greece, which are defcrib'd by the Sibylline Oracles, and many other Particulars there mention'd, concerning the Deftruction of Conftantinople, the Wars of Selymus in Ægypt, the Return of the Jews, the Deftruction of Gog, &c. will think this Expofition more probable, because agreeing with all the other Prophefies.

By the Verfes noted the Text must be compar'd with this Expofition; the Text being omitted becaufe it may be had readily in every one's Bible, I must add, That the Septuagint is more correct than the English Translation, which differs from the other very much; and we want a fuller Hiftoof the firft Battels betwixt the Saracens and Turks, the Hiftory of the Turks in Syria, and the Conqueft of Perfia by the Saracens. Many Circumftances in thefe Hiftories are neceffary, but are omitted by our Hiftorians.

ry

The Old Prophets and Efdras compar'd with the Sibyls and Revelations.

HE Old Prophets and Efdras agree with the Sibyls and Revelations in thefe three things; 1st, That the Jews fhall return from their prefent Captivity; 2dly, That Antichrift fhall come, and afflict the Jewish Nation, and be deftroy'd afterwards; 3dly, That Chrift's Reign fhall fucceed in a happy Millennium.

1. I will first fhew the agreement of the Old Prophets, in afferting the return of the Jews. And it must be obferv'd that all the Old Prophets first declare GOD's. Judgments againft

against the Jews, which must fucceed in following Ages, not only before CHRIST, 'but after, till the End of the World; as is most evident in Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah. And after thefe Afflictions, the Prophets promife GOD's Mercy to that Nation, and a long Profperity of that Kingdom, after their return from their Captivity.

Deut. chap. 30. ver. 4. Mofes tells the Ifraelites, that GOD would deliver them from their Captivity when they return'd to their Obedience. Ver. 4. If any of thine be driven out into the uttermost parts of Heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather them. Ver. 5. And the Lord thy God will bring them into the Land which thy Fathers poffefs'd, and thou shalt poffefs it.

Hofea, in his Prophefies, chiefly prophefies concerning the People in Samaria, and calls them Ifraelites; by which he diftinguishes the ten Tribes from Judah.

Hof.chap. 1. ver. 10. Yet the number of the Children of Ifrael fhall be as the Sand of the Sea. Ver. 11. Then fhall the Children of Judah, and the Children of Ifrael be gather'd together, and appoint themselves one Head; and they Shall come out of the Land; for great shall be the Day of Jezreel. Jezreel is a City of the Ephraimites. Jeremiah, ch. 30. v. 9, calls their Prince David their King.

Hof.ch.3. ver.4. And the Children of Ifrael (not of Judah, who only return'd with another Tribe, after the Babylonish Captivity) fhall abide many days, without a King, and U 2

without