( 945 ) by way of expo(ition to cleere the matter. Daniel knew well how obfcure anddarke thefe things would be to the readers,and he him- felf underftood the whole mattervery well, as he witneffed in the beginning of the vifion, and hee under(tood the thing, and had undedtandingof thevifion,Chap.to. r.therefore the learned, and eloquent man, could have cleered the obfcurities with fuch words, if he might freelyhave done ir, as none of the fimpltf} fort need to have been any where gravelled thereat. But the Angel Both not give this libertie, but command eth to wrap it up in the fame obfcuritie wherewith he Taw it covered, at the first deliverie thereof from himfeif. This do I take co be the true , andproper meaning of this (hutting and fcaling:for Danielhad heard thefe things of the Angel, neither had he any otherway to (hut them up,but by writingobfure- ly, and not in open and plain terms. But wherefore doth he bid Phut xp the words and Peal the book? Are the book and thefe words the fame and all one? It of.en cometh to paffe, that force fhort and little writing is called a book, as the book of the generation of Iefus Chrilt,Aíat.r. r.& filch like. But happily,here in this place,the words are this very prophecie,from the beginning of the I o. chapr. and the book,all his vifions in generali , which he is commanded to hide, in a profound (tile , h rd to be known , and to put them together in a book ; after God hath laff fpoken to him in this kind ofvifions, but the former vifions were already written before , fo as it is better ro referre, words, and book, to the fame thing ; yet fo, as the things fhould be kept clofe, and not be hid for ever , but onely to the time of the end : of what end ? Of a perfect end , or Toone after to be perfefted : nigh at hand , as it feemeth, and a lit- tle before the end, when things lately buried in obfcure darkneffe, lhalbe brought forth into open light. Daniel might have obieaed, that fo the Elea fhould be deprived of the fruit of a moft holy, and divine Revelation. The Angel meets with ir, as if he fhould fay, Let not that trouble thee,for many (hall come to and fro,and knowledge (hall be increafed, that is to fay, although thefe things be hard and difficult, yet force will take great paieies in fearching out the truth, and by wife difcourfe gather one thing of another, will levell very neer, yea, and hit the mark it felf, and will much increafe know- ledge ; which thing indeed, we have feen to come to paffe, both in the lewes, and inour own men, who by diligent fearch have found out many remnants ofthis gold, fcattering here and there,& thereby have brought muchprofit, both to thernfelves,and to the Church. Bolt,
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