Danie.1's Prophecy Vindicated. things ; Hitt, Maanifell that our Argument from this place, isnot at all concerned in the exadChronological Computation of the times, whereunto the accomplifhmentof this Prophecy relates.' And Secondly; Shall demonitrate that this difficulty is con- querable, by giving a clear and fatisfactory account of the time fpecítied and limited, filch as is not able untoany Material Objection. I irti, It is eí iident in general that here is given out by, the Holy Ghoft himfelf, a computation of the Time wherein the Mesh was tocome, and to perform the work allotted unto him. And this giveswarrant unto the kind and nature of Argument which we now infft upon. No fmall part this was of the Churches Treafure of old, and a bleffed Guide it wouldhave been unto the Faith and Obedience of them concerned therein, had it been diligently attended unto. But having finfully negle- dedit in its feafon, they have ever fine wickedly oppofed it. To Daniel it was granted as a great favour, relief and priviledge, upon his deep humiliation and fer- vent fupplications, as himfelf records. Whileff, faith he, I was 'freaking and praying; ( with falling, fackloth, and affles, v.3: ) and cénfeffing my fins, and thefins of my people Ifrael, andprefentieeg my fupplications before the Lordmy God, for the holly Mountain ofmy God;, yea, whileff Iwaspeaking in prayer, the man Gabriel whom I had Peen in theYi- ftonat the beginning, being caufed to fly lwiftly, touched me about the 'time of the evening Oblation: and he informedme, and talkedwith me, and fail, 0 Daniel Iam now comeforth to give thce skill andunderftanding. At the beginning of thy 'applications the commandment came forth, and lam come. Whew thee, for thou art greatly beloved ; therefore underhand the matter, and confider theYifion, feventy weeks, et.c. v. zo, 21, 22, z3. This was the Anfwer that Godgave him upon his great and fervent prayer for the Church, and that for his relief, comfort and fupportment; whence it is evidently manifeft, that the great bleng of the Church was enwrapped in it. And the computation of time mentioned, was granted as a light to guide the Jews, that.they might not Ihipwrack their fouls at the appointed féafon. Butwhen the time of its accomplifhment drew nigh, they being generally grown dark and carnal, and filled with prejudices againtt the proper work of the Mefeab; wholly difregarded it. And fisce the mifery that is come upon them for not difcerning this time and Judgement, moil of them do cry out againtt all computations of time about the comingof the Meab, although they are plainly called anddireded thereunto byGod himfelf. Neither can theyconceal the vexation whichfrom hence they receive, by finding the. deign of the Prophecy fo di- redly againtt them. Hence this place of Daniel, as to the time of the comingof the Metfiah, as thefifty third Chapter ofIfaiah, for hisOffice and Work, are juflly cfteemed the racks and tortures ofthe Rabbin:. .It may not therefore be amifs in our way to take .a littleprofped of. their perplexity in this matter. In the Talmud. Traîlat. Sanedrin, they have laid down this generalRule, Malepereant qui temporum articulo: fuppetunt quibu: venturas eft Mefflab. Or as they exprefs it by a folemn Curie in the name,of Rabbi Jonathan, a great man among them. i+e1+7 1attnio t7tt9 iaw rum , let their bones rot who compute the times of the end. And in Sheba. Jehuda, ( wherein they followMaiinonides in Jad. Chazekab, TraIiat. de Regib. cap. 12.) they .give a particular account of that folemn Malediction againtt the Computers of times. Itwas invented, they fay, becaiefe upon the miiffake,s of their reckoning:, or failings of their calculations, the people are apt ,to defpond, and begin toMeet that he is already come. Soopenly do theyown it tobe an invention to flicker their unbelief againtt their convifdions. Yet this hath not hindered fonfe of their chiefeftDofiors,when they hoped tomake Tomeadvantage ofit,(aswhen they law their Difciples under any diftrefs eticlinable unto Chriftianity) togive out their conje- dures without any refped unto theTalmudicalCurfe. So the Author of Shalfcheleth Hakkabala affgns the year for the coming.of the Mejahrobe the 5335th from the Creation; which according to their computation fell out about the year of the Lord byour account 1575. Another would have itto be in theyear 5358, that is, twenty three years after, in the year 1598. Abarbinelinhis Comment on Ifaiah comes thort of thefe ; atligning it to. the year 4263. or 5294. at the farthelt; for hehad great ex- pectations from the iffue of theWars between the Chek/ians and Saracens that were in his dayes. Their utmoftconjecture in Zobar is uponthe year 5408. which with theirwonted fuccefs, fell out in the year of our Lord 1648. or thereabouts. And all thefe Calculations were invented and fet on foot to ferve fome prefent exi- gency. But theTalmudieol Curfc andCenfure is pointed directly againtt them that would conclude 175 . 4'. 22$ 4.23.
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