'9+ 'Computation of Daniel's UJ/ee(r. tion of them, thepeople had done little more then built thebare fabrick, all things as to the true orderof the Worfhip. ofGod remaining in great cpnfufion, and the civil hate utterlyneglected. But now in this Commiffion of Ezra, he is not only directed to fet the whole Worthip of God in order, at the charge of the King, chap. 7. 16, 17, 18, 39, 20, 21, 22, 23. But alfo that he fhould appoint and éreét a Civil Government and Magiftracywith fupremepower overthe lives, liberties' and chair of men, to be exercifed as occalion required, v. 25, 26. Which alone, andno other, was the building ofthe City mentioned by Gabriel ; for it is not walls and houfès, but Policy, Rule and Government, that makes and conl'itutes aCity. 4, 23. And it is veryconsiderablewhat a convi6tion of the neceffity ofthis work, was then put upon the fpirits ofthe Governours of the Perfran Empire for the King himfelf he calls Ezra the Scribe of theLaw of theGodofHeaven, owning him therein for thetrue God; for hewho is the Godof Heaven, isGod alone, all others are but the dunghill gods ofthe Earth, v. 12. Again, hedeclares that he was perfwaded, that if this work was not done, there would be wrathfrom Heaven upon himJe f his Kingdom, and his Son, v. 23, Theliven Counfellors they joys in that Law, 0.54. And the mightyPrinces oftheKing- dom a(lihed Ezrainhis work, v. 28. So that no command thatconcerned that people beforeor after, was accompaniedwith that folemnity, or gave fuch glory unto God as this did. Betides, the whole work ofthe Reformation of the Church, the reffitu- tion of the Worfhip ofGod, therecollefr ion and recognition of the facredOracles was begun, carried on and finifhed bythis Ezra, as we elfewhere at large have declared. All which confiderations falling in with theaccount before infifted on, makes it nia- nifeft that it was this, and no other Decree that was intended by the Angel Gabriel; and froththence unto thedeath of the Meab, was feventyweeks, or four hundred and ninetyyears, the juft and true limitation of which time we have been enquiring after. 2d I declared atthe entrance of this difcourfe, that the force ofour Argument from this 5. placeofDaniel again(( the7ews, doth not depend on this Chronological Computation of the time determined. All then that Iaimed at it, was to vindicate it in general from fuch perplexities, aswhereby they pretend to render the whole place inargumentative : And this wehave not onlydone, but alfo fo flared the account, as that they are not able from any records of times psff, to lay any one confiderable objeélion 'again(' it, or which maynot be eafily folved : Returnwe now to what remainsofour former de- figned difcourfe. EXfrGitatlo
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