eAn ExPOSITION ~ 2. In the 10thVerfe (immediately before) he had again repeated, and a fe. P A R T 11. cond Time mentioned this !all: fcattering the Holy People ; and this, as a Pre– Lf'V"'..J face to his Anfwer about the Time when it lhould be, that all lhould be linilh'd, .511any ( fays he) Jba/1 be made white, and tried, and purified, &c. (namely, by this their lafr Scattering) ; and then he fubjoins, verJ I r. [ And from the Time that the daily Sacrifice is taf<!n away, (that is, from Julian's Time) jha/1 be 1290 Days J namely, unto the end of this lafr Tryal mentioned, even when this Scat– tering the Holy People, or killing the Witne!Tes, !hall b~ ~ccomplilh'?· He mentions it thus, on purpofe to !hew, that be makes that k!lhng the Wttne!Tes, theTerminiH ad quem of hi• Account. You heard afore, that Antiochtn's three Years and a half, (fpoken of Chap. I r. 31, 32·) was the Type of this three Years and a half; and lo, be ufetb the very fame Phrafe here of this, that be had there ufed of that Trial, Chap. I I. 3)· Many ( fays be) fbaU then faU, to try thent to purge them, and to mal<! them white. Yea further, I verily believe, that on; Reafon why he fingleth out Julian's Time as the Term or Moment from which be reckons, unto this !all: fcattering the Witqe!Tes, rather than any other Time from which to begin this Account, is, Becaufe that for the Comfort of the Church, be was to pitch upon the End of the like Scattering unto that of Julian's, when (as was before obferved) Popery lhould, after the Reforma· tion, prevail again, and the Power of the Beafr make a Scattering of the Saints, before the final Ruin of that Power ; even as Heatbenifm, afier it was purged out of the Empire, was then again fet up by Jufian, with the killing the Holy People, by the Authority of an Heathen Emperor, before its final over– throw and extirpation : And fo, that Scattering in Julian's Time was cbofen, rather than any other Occurrence, as that from which the Computation of this Time lhould begin ; Becaufe through the likenefs of it, it was mofr fuitable to refemble the Occurrences about this killing the Witne!Tes, with which this Time was to have end : This being jufr the like Time of Trial, as that in ]ulian's DaJ'S was; and therefore be thus pitcbetb upon that. Whereas, bad be intended to reckon the Pope's Time, Times, and a half, and the exatl: ending of it, be might (and furely rather would) have reckoned from fome other more eminent Mark fuitable unto it, that accompanied his firfr Beginning and Rife, r~tber than this beterogeneal Pa!Tage of ]ulian's Perfecution, (which yet is bomogeneal with this !all: Slaughter of the Witne!Tes). And, 3· Unto the Time ofthat latter Period of I335 Days, verJI2, (when it !hall come) he adds a [ Ble.Jfed is he that cometh, &c.] ; Which to me founds, as if the former Period had fome eminent Ble!Tednefs alfo in the beginning or dawn– ing of it; but yet, not to be compared with this other which is to follow. And it i,, as if he had faid, Ble!Ted indeed is be that cometb to the end of the 1290 Days, when the Scattering of the Saints !hall be accomplilli'd, and when they !hall Rife, to die no more : But Ble!Ted, and thrice ble!Ted is be that com– eth to the other Time of 45 Years more; for then begins that fir!l: and great Refurreltion, that brings us to Chri!l:'s Kingdom. And therefore be tells Da– niel, Thou fhalt ftand up izz thy Lot, &c. even thou, as well as others; and !halt enjoy the Ble!TedneiS of tbofe Times. And this Speech is (in a manner) all one with that which John ufeth, when be fpeaks of the beginning of thefe Tboufan~ Years, Chap..2o. 6. Ble.Jfed is he that hath part in the Firft RejitrretliDI1. So that, m the firll Pertod (of I 290 Years) !hall alfo begin ble!Ted Times in comparifonof tbofe fore-going: For now the Scattering of the Holy People by Amichrill, is for ever accomplilh'd. Now then, the Angel's-Scope here in this I tth Chapter, being to explain that Speech of his in Daniel, (for this I 11h Chapter I take to be as a Comment upon that his Speech there); and be (namely, the fame Angel) there men– tioning a Scattc;ring of the Holy People, which lhouldaccomplilh all, and fo be the !all: of their Perfecutions ; and making the ending of that Scattering, to be the beginning of that famous,and to be noticed Time, when is to be thefinilhing of all tbofe great Things (which are to be done, e're Cbri!l:'s Kingdom begins, and the glorious Refurreilion) namely, the Ruin of the Pope and Turk, (the Preparations unto which, are to begin from the end of that Scattering): Hence it is, that be dotb fo largely inli!l: Qn this Iafr and eminent killing of the Witne!Tee,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=