⚫ reafon is affigned in both places for this command, via. ⚫ because there would be a long interval of time between the date of the prophecy, and the final accomplishment ⚫ of it. But the nearer that time approached, the more light fhould men have for understanding the prophecy itfelf; as is implied in the following words. Many 'fhall run to and fro, and knowledge fhall be increased. Many fhall be inquifitive after truth, and keep corres, pondence with others for their better information: and the gradual completion of this and other prophecies 'fhall direct observing readers to form a judgment con'cerning those particulars which are yet to be fulfilled,' But the latter words, though they may be admitted to have a peculiar reference to prophetic knowledge, may also be reasonably thought to refer to the augmentation of knowledge in general. But what is the time of the end? In its strict and proper fenfe, fays an intelligent commentator on Daniel, it is that time, wherein the ' years of Antichrift are finished 26.' Though the nature of the wonders foretold in this book of prophecy was thus imperfectly revealed to Daniel, fomewhat was communicated to him relative to the period of their accomplifhment. For one of the angels of the vifion is reprefented in v. 6 as faying unto another angel, in the prefence of Daniel, and for his information, how long fhall it be to the end of thefe wonders? And, fays Daniel (v. 7-12), I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and fware by him that liveth for ever, that it fhall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to fcatter the power of the holy people, all these things fhall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then faid

6 Parker on Dan. p. 122.

I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he faid, go thy way, Daniel: for the words are clofed up and fealed till the time of the end. Many fhall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked fhall do wickedly: and none of the wicked fhall underftand: but the wife fhall understand. And from the time that the daily facrifice fhall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh defolate fet up, there fhall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Bleffed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thoufand three hundred and five and thirty days.

The period here fpecified by Daniel, a time, times, and an half, fignifies, fays Mede, the 1260 years during which the ten-horned Beaft was to reign". The extract which follows is from the paraphrafe of Dr. Wells. And I heard the angel fwear by Him, that lives for ⚫ ever and ever, that it fhall be for a time, times, and an half of time, i. e. the said wonderful things are not to be accomplished, till the expiration or end of that portion of time of the Fourth Kingdom, during which (according to what was made known unto Daniel in a ♦ former vifion, viz. chap. vii. 25) the little horn fhall 'wear out the faints of the most High, and they fhall be given into his hand.' As the words, repeatedly employed by Daniel in ch. vii, the faints of the Moft High, are most certainly not to be understood of the Jews, but of genuine Christians; fo in like manner there is reason to believe, that that kindred expreffion, the holy people, has in ch. xii. exactly the fame fignification 2. The claufe

37 P. 885.

28

That the holy people, in ch. xii. v. 7 of Dan, is to be understood of genuine Christians, the learned Dr. Goodwin conceived to be unquestionable, p. 185. The Chriftians may,' fays bp. Newton (on Dan. vol. II. P. 48), ' full as well as the Jews be comprehended under the name of the • holy

claufe containing these words Waple 29 endeavours to illuftrate by referring to a paffage in the apocalypfe. By the accomplishment of the fcattering, or difperfion of the power of the holy people can,' he says, be meant ' no other than the woman's coming out of the wilder• nefs 30, where the holy people were dispersed and scattered.' But I do not conceive, that the prophet's words oblige us to conclude, that genuine Chriftians will ceafe to be oppreffed, immediately at the expiration of the 1260 years. When he fays, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and that when he fhall have accomplished to fcatter the power of the holy people, all thefe things fhall be finished; the meaning may be, that it is, for the 1260 years, that the whole body of true Chriftians fhall be principally exposed to the attacks of civil and ecclefiaftical tyranny; and that fome time afterwards, when the period of their being in a dispersed and precarious and perfecuted ftate fhall be completely accomplished, then that all the principal events foretold by Daniel fhall be finished. I fhall fhortly have occafion to introduce a quotation from St. John, wherein he has manifeftly copied from the 7th v. of the xiith ch. of

holy people. By the holy people,' fays a learned writer, who was quoted in the last chapter, and whofe fignature is Synergus (Comment. and Ef p. 481), I understand the Chriftians diftinguifhed by that general title * from the rest of the world, without any regard to their moral character, or any thing besides their outward profeffion' Thus it appears, that the appellation of the holy people, with refpect to extem of import, is difterently understood by different writers.

9 On Rev. x. 7.

It is in ch. xh. v. 6 of the Rev. that the fymbolic woman is repreented as flying into a wilderness,' (I am now quoting from Mr. Lowman,) to intimate, the condition of the church would be difficult and dangerous in these times, like the Ifraelites, when they wandered in the wilderness. The wilderness into which fhe fled intimates,' fays a foreign writer, the church's obfcurity, poverty, and diftrefs.' New Syft. of Apoc. p. 60.

Daniel,

Daniel, at the very time when he is fpeaking of the feventh trumpet and the deftruction of the antichristian empire". Here then the reader will be furnished with a new reafon for concluding, that each of the prophets is fpeaking of the fame period and the fame events.

Many, fays Daniel, fhall be purified, and made white, and tried. The perfecutions of the faithful,' fays Mr. Lowth, are defigned for the trial of their faith, and 'purifying their lives.' And from the time that the daily facrifice fhall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh defolate fet up, there fhall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. That this computation cannot refer to the defolate flate of Jerufalem and the profanation of its temple, appears evident, because a much longer period than 1290 years has elapfed, fince the city and the temple were expofed to the infults of Antiochus, or Titus, or Hadrian. The fame expreffions,' fays Mr. Lowth, made ufe of to defcribe Antiochus's perfecution, chap. xi. 31, are here applied to the defolations 'made by Antichrift, of which the former was a figure.' Mr. Wintle, to whom the public are indebted for a New Tranflation of Daniel, obferves, that the language is 'borrowed from the fervice of the Jewish temple, and applicable to the church of God in a variety of states. ' and forms: that it is here particularly meant to have its illuftration during the times of the Chriftian church muft,' fays Mr. Wintle, be evident, not only from the 'whole series of the foregoing remarks, but because the days, cannot be taken in their ftri&t fenfe, but must be understood for fo many years.' abomination of defolation,' bp. remarks, is a general phrafe 32.

The fetting up of the Newton in like manner To fet up the abomi

31 See the note from Vitringa, at the bottom of p. 299.

Vol. II. p. 193.

nation

nation that maketh defolate, fays Mr. Parker, is to establish antichriftian idolatries and fuperftitions, corrupt doctrine and unlawful worfhip;' and to take away the daily facrifice is to take away the true doctrine and worship inflituted by Chrift". Here,' fays Mr. Lowth, the time allotted for the perfecutions of Anti'chrift, till the church be entirely cleanfed and purified, 'is enlarged from 1260 days, denoted by time, times, and an half, ver. 7, to 1290 days.' The prophet immediately adds, Bleffed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thoufand three hundred and five and thirty days. The state of mankind, at the end of this fecond period of 45 years, is to be fubftantially meliorated 34.

Mr. Bicheno, who calculates, that the firft period which Daniel fpecifies, a time, and times, and an half, or the 1260 years, terminated in the year 1789, about which time alfo the refurrection of the witneffes and the earthquake in the Tenth Part of the city took place, confequently fuppofes, that the 1290 years will end in the year 1819, and the 1335 years in 1864. During the first of these periods, reaching from the year 1789 to 1819, he concludes, that all the feven vials are to be poured out; a feafon,' fays he, it is likely of great calamities, but 'efpecially to the enemies of Chrift's kingdom.-To 'gather and try the Jews preparatory to their converfon, to destroy the remains of tyranny, and to purify

Parker on Dan. p. 109, 133. 'The offering daily facrifices is an ex'preffion very proper to denote the external of the Chriftian worship.' Comment and Eff. ut fupra, fignature Synergus, vol. I. p 473.

Bp. Newton fays, it is, I conceive, to these great events, the fall of 'Antichrift, the restoration of the Jews, and the beginning of the glorious millennium, that the three different dates in Daniel of 1260 years, 1290 years, and 1335 years, are to be referred,' vol. III. p. 393. That the Jews will be restored to their own land in the courfe of 30 years, after the conclufion of the 1260, I do not, however, myself conceive to be at all probable. See Rom. xi. 25.

' and