Prophecies from these latter Times, have yet been able, or
indeed so much as pretended to account for the exactncis of the
Numbers on their own Hypotheses. Nay, I believe many
of them are foarce able to thew that any one of those many
Numbers of days, or Collections of days, by which the Pe-
riods are every where determin'd in that Book, do fit the
Events whereof they would expound them, on that Hy-
pothesis that they fignify bare days in the vulgar Acceptati-
on. Since therefore such a task is, in a manner needless; and
tince it would be look'd upon as too great an Anticipation to
attempt it so soon, before we have laid any farther Foun.
dation for the understanding of that Prophecy, I shall wave
it, and proceed to the next Argument, why days are not in
these Prophecies to be taken for bare days, but for years, viz.

V. Because the strangest inconsistencies and absurdities pos-
See furien
par
. 2. chap.1

. fible will follow from that Hypothefis. For if days be on

ly days of 24 hours in thefe Books, then those famous duraDan. vij. 25.

tions of the little Horns Tyranny, and of the Beasts with 10 and xij. 76

Horns Dominion, and their collateral Visions, which are deApoc. xj. 2. 3. termin'd by a Time, Timoes, and a part ; by Time, Times, and a and xij. 6. 14. half, or three years and a balf; by 42 months; and by 1260 days,

mult signify no longer an Interval than that literal sense does
contain in it, a space of between three and four years only;
which is utterly absurd to suppose or imagin in this case. For
(1.) 'Tis beyond measure strange, that so great a part of the
whole Prophetick Scriptures should be intirely engag'd about
fo {mall and inconsiderable a fpace as three years and an half; as
if that fhort Interval was to have more regard to, and ado about
it than above 2000 years besides; and as if nothing else almost
remarkable should happen in the whole Period of the Christi-
an Church till the end of the World, but what was to be con-
find to these three years and an half. This is such a prejudice
against that Opinion, as is not easy to be got over by confider-
ing Men. (2.) 'Tis not only very improbable, but plainly im-
poffible that fo many things, and of such quality as are to be
performd in this time, should all be done in three angle years

and an half. Take this and fome following Arguments almost
Medep: 742.
in Mr. Mede's own words, “Ten Kingdoms are to be founded

« at 743•

1

“at the fame hour with the Beast. Apoc. 17. People, and
“ Nations, and Tongues to serve and obey the Beast. Chap.
“13. He is to make war with the Saints, and overcome them.
« ibid. To cause a l that dwell upon the Earth to worship him.
« ibid. Babylon is to ride the Beast so long that all Nations Mall
“ drink the wine of her Fornication, and all Kings of the
“ Earth commit fornication with her. Chap. 17. & 18. The:
« Merchants, and all those who have Ships in the Sea are to

grow Rich by Trading with her. Chap. 18. These things-

should ask more than three years work, or four either. (3.)

That King, State of Government, Sovereignty, Seigniory,

or what you will, of the Bealt under which the Whore should

ride him, is mention'd immediately upon a former, which

in Comparison, is faid to continne but a Phort space. Apoc.

17. 10. Doth not this imply, that this latter State, wherein

the Whore should ride the Beast, was to continue à pretty

long Space? which in no tolerable fence three bare years and

an half can be faid to be. (4.) If the 1260 days of the

Witnesses (which begin and end with the Times of Anti-

christian Tyranny) be literally to be taken, then must their

three days and an half, wherein they ly Nain by the Beast,

(chap. 11. 9.). be so taken also. But how is it pollible that

the Nations and people of the Earth should make Feafts, fend

Gifts and Presents one to another in three days and an half?

How should the half day be a competent Time to distin.

guish or limit any of the A&tions there mention'd? If the

Holy Ghot had meant nothing but Days, would he have

been so precise for half a day? (5.) Six of the feven Trum--

pets, and the things which they bring to pass by necessity

of Contemporation are almost all included in the Antichri.

ftian Times, as will appear hereafter. Now let any Man care.

fully read those Trumpets, and then tett me, whether they

can all he confind to liule more than three years and an half.

Ar lease let him read the fifth and the sixth Trumpets, and see

whether all their large Contents, particularly the Torment..

ing and killing the third part of Men, can be suppos'd to

require no more than fo many Months space, as are thereins

respectively mentioned.

VI. We appeal to the Event. If the Times of Antichrist lasted no longer than, on this Hypothesis, must be suppos'd, a bare three years and an half, thew us them in History. For

the fix first Heads of the Roman Empire, the last whereof Apoc. xvij. 10, was present in St. John's time, has been extinct above 1200

years; and the seventh which was to continue but a short Space, can make no great difference in the Computation. All seven therefore are past ncar the same space of time, and no other of the Ancient Forms of Government, but that of the 10 Contemporary Kings, which is the State of the Beast himself, has since return d into play. If therefore the Time of Antichrist be only the space of three years and an half, they are now past near 1200 years ago: and therefore may be pointed to in the Histories of the past Times. But since no body, with any colour of Truth or Probability, can shew us these three years and an half, at the time when they must have happen'd', 'tis evident they are otherwise to be understood: nay, and so to be understood, that they may not yet be intirely over, which can be no otherwise done, than by taking days in a Prophetick sense for so many years, according to the foregoing Instances to this purpose. And to conclude.

VII. Lastly, Let it be shewn through all the Prophecies of Daniel, or of St. John; or I think, I may add, of the whole Bible, that in any one instance, at least relating to the Christian Dispensation, where Times of things predicted are express’d by days, they have been answerd by the Event according to the letter; and the things have agreeably come to pass at the end of so many bare natural days. But if no single instance can be produc'd to that purpose, give us leave to follow that primary and most eminent Example of the 70 weeks Prophecy ; where, by the confession both of the Jewish and Christian Church, a day is taken for a year : or, which is the same thing, yi30 a week, which in all other places of the Bible signifies * seven days, is taken

Verùm enimvero contra plane ac Grotius pronunciavit, yav live Hebdomas abfque omni additione semper fignificat Hebdomadem dierum; nifi Achemate prophetico Dies Hebdomadis, Annos ligaificent ; quemadmodum

for

for seven years. And to Interpret the rest of the like Prophecies of so many years in the Event, as we find days in the Prophecies thereto relating. And since we can here positively appeal to the Event on our side, and allege the exact fulfilling of the Ancient Prophecies in this sense of days for years; as will appear in the Sequel of this Essay, there can remain no reasonable Doubt in the Case. But that in Prophetick Stile relating to the Christian Church , days everywhere denote years.

Corollary 1. Since therefore it appears that those Sacred Prophecies of the Scripture determin'd by exact Periods, which relate to the Christian Church, and the Times of the Messias, make use every where of a day for a year; and since, as Hypoth. 1. we have already observ'd, and as 'tis own'd by all, the An- prius. cient Prophecies relating to the Jewish Church, use a year still in its literal Acceptation for a single year. It will deserve to be observ'd upon any doubt concerning the Prophecies, whether they relate to the Times of the Jewish , or those of the Christian Church? which of these different Stiles are made asse of therein. For if it be evident that the years do fignify those large and vulgar Intervals, so call’d, they bave the Character of the Jewish Times. But if the words of Time be fansid that st appears a day is put for a year, a week for seven years, or the like; they have the Character of the Christian Times, and onght to be expounded accordingly.

Coroll. 2. Since therefore at the Conclusion of the Apocalypse the Duration of the happy Millennium is not determin- Apoc. xx. 2.-4. ed by days, in the Propherick Stile, but by years in the vulgar Acceptation ; that Prophecy is to be fuppos’d chiefly to concern the Jews; and to relate to the Times after their Conver

hic fit apud Danielem. Vide Gen. xxix 27. 28. Exod. xxiv. 22. Levit. xij. 5. Numb. xxviij. 26. Deut. xvj. 9. 10. 16. 2 Par.viij. 13. Jer. v. 24. Cl. Mor. Op. Theolog. p. 178.

But you will say the Etymology of the Hebrew word VZW is as applicable to Tevens of years, as sevens of days, and therefore this instance proves not. answer, The Question lies not in the Etymology, but the Use ; wherein ylw always signifies sevens of days and never levens of years. Wherefoever it is absolutly put, it means of days, is no where us’d of years. Mede p. 743.

I

fion to the Christian Faith: and not to belong to the Church
of the Gentiles only, before that time.

II.
The fourth Kingdom in Daniel, is the Roman Empire.

This Proposition is so plain at first sight, upon the bare reading of the words of the Prophecy, and comparing them with the Histories of the past Ages; especially on Supposition that the three former' Kingdoms were the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, and the Grecian, which is own'd by all, that one can hardly think it worth the while to fet about the proof of it. And when it is withal consider'd that this has ever been the unanimous Interpretation of the Jewish as well as of the Christian Church in all Ages, if we except a very few late Authors; and that the Papists do fully join with the Proreftants herein, tho' it be highly againft their Intereft to do so it cannot but seem a little unnecessary to inlift any farther upon it. And truly, as to my own Opinion, I thould rather chuse to deny, what all are forc'd to grant, that the three first Kingdoms, denote those three beforemention'd the Babylonian, the Medo-Perhan, and the Grecian Monarchies, than, allowing those to be so, to difpute the fourth of them, and pretend it might be fome other than the Roman Empire. Yet becaufe fome few of late have ventur'd to deny it; and because it is a principal Foundation of all our Enquiries into these Matters, I shall not wholly omit it, but set down the words of the Prophet out of his double Vision bereto relating; and then point at the principal Arguments which establish the certainty of the present Proposition therefrom; and so refer the Reader to those Authors who have prov'd it more at large, and have shewn the constant Agreement of the Jewish and Chriftian Church

thereto. The words are these. Dan. ij .

Ver. 31. Thoui, o King, Sawest and behold, a great Image: That by King, this great Image whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, in these Prophe. and the form thereof was terrible. cies, is generally meant Kingdoms ; fee fully prov'd by Mr.Garret in his Discourse concerning Antichrift. P.47.&c.