Computation ofDaniel's FPPeeks. 185 ExercitatioXV. Chronological Computation oftheTimes determined in Daniel's weeks,. Difficulty thereofaa- knowkdged. Beginning before the Reign of Cyrus rejeied, Double beginning of the Kingdomof Cyrus. That over Perfia. That over the Babylonian Monarchy. ForreignAc- counts to be flittedunto the Scripture. Beginningof the Reign ofCyrus over Perfia when. Over the whole Empire when. Thefpace of timefrom thence to the deftruttion of Jerufalem, 599 years. Duration of the 'Perftan Empire. Of the Empire of the Seleucidee to the Rule ofJonathan among the Jews.. Duration of the Egyptian Kingdom, or Reign of the Ptolomey's Fade ofthe Hafmonæans andHerod the Great. From the Birth of Chilli, to the delhrutlionof Jerufalem: From thefirth DecreeofCyrus, to the.deftru lion of Jerufa- lem 599yearn. Preeife Endof DanielsWeeks, the death of the Meffnah. 37 Tears tal{en from thefarmer account. Opinion of Reynolds. Examined, rejetled. Meaning ofTiro cut off; limited ; not abbreviated. Vulgar Latin, and Mountacue noted. Opinion of the ,fen's, rejetfed. AccountofBeroaldus, Broughton, Genebrand, Willer. The Decree of Cyrusnotintended in the Prophecy. Of the LifeandAge ofNehemiah. He came net up with Zerubbabel. The Decree ofDarius. What Darius that war. Hyftafpes. Not the Decree intended. This Dariusnot Nothus ; proved againft Scaliger. The Decrees ofAr- taxerxes to Ezra andNehetniah examined. Longimanus, not Memor, intended. De- cree unto Ezra proved to be the Decree mentioned. Hat there isfomedifficulty in finding out the trueand exafk computation of 'f . 8- 1 the timehere limited,all Chronologers andExpofttorr do confefs : Nether is there any thing that belongs unto theaccount of the times mentioned in the Scri- pture, that hath been debated of old, or of late, with more difference ofopinion, or diligenceof indeavour. And the Holy Ghofl himfelf by the Angel feems to intimate this difficulty untoDanielin the double caution given him about it.in the preface ofthe Revelationmade unto him, v., 23. pia hS and nrano3 artí1 declaring that not or- dinary wifdom, diligence, confideration and under(ianding, is tobe uféd in the inveffi- gation ofthetime here determined.. Nor is it neceffary to fuppofe that Daniel himfelf exactly underfloodthe beginning and ending cf the time or weeks mentioned. The hiding ofthe prccifc time intended, . was alto greatly fubfdrvient unto the providence of God, in the work he had to do by the Meffiab, and what that people were to do unto him. Thegeneral notation of it, fufficed for the directionof the godly, and the con- viclion ofunbelievers, as it doth unto this day. And it may be, we (hall not find any compatation, that will exactly anfwerin all particulars andfratlions to a day, mouth, or year. And that either becaufe of the great darknefs and confufion of fome of the times fallingunder theAccount, or elfe becaufe perhaps it was not the mind of God That ever the timefhould be Co precifely calculated, or that any thing whichhe reveal- . ed for the ftrengthening of the faithof his Church, fhoulddepend onChronological nice- ties. It (hall fuffice us then to propofe and confirm fuch, an Acc.,unt of thefe Weeks, which infallibly comprizingthe fubllance of the Prophecy, contains nothing in it con- trary to the Scripture, and isnot liableunto any ju(l rational exception. And hereinI (hall not examineall the feveral Accounts andComputations that by learned men ofold, or oflate, have been given, (being elevenor twelve in number) but onlymention thoji which carry the faireftprobability, and the greatnefs of whofeAuthors or Abetters, call for our confideration. In the fief place, we may wholly lay afide the confideration of them, who would It. 2 date the Weekrfrom anytime whatever beforethe Mil year of the Reign, and tieff De- cree ofCyrus. Among theft are, Lyra,Burgenfis, Galatinus, and he fromwhomhe bor- rowed his Computation Raymandus Martini. Theft fix the beginning of the Weeks on thefourtbyear of Zedekiah, as they fay, when ferenciabgave out his Prophecy about the BabylonífhCaptivity, and the return from it at the endoffeventyyears; indeedthe fourth yearoffeboiakim, and, not of Zedekíab, as is apparent, Pr. 25. i, i r. Of the like nature is theaccount ofSolomon, f archi, among the Jews, whodates tht time limited from the dettruslion of theTemple by the Cbaldean4 But both theft, at- Bb counte
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