1-22-1933 nec Everendo admodum in Christo Patri, ac Domino, Domino SYMONI permiffione Divina Epifcopo Elienfi; Præfuli tum moribus fanctiffimis, tum eruditione fummâ longe colendiffimo minùs pietati veræ & minimè fucatæ, quam bonis literis, facris præfertim & divinis promovendis Nato: Ecclefiæ Anglicanæ, Reformatar, Catho licæ, Decori egregio atque Ornamento: Sacratiffimo fuo in Republicâ Christiana Ordini quà concionando, quà fcribendo, quà gubernando, eximio femper, & jam longævo Exemplari: Qui Sacrarum Scripturarum amore à teneris impensè captus, cognitione à pueris penitùs imbutus, eafdem optimis Commen tariis illuftrare ad supremam usque 1 ¿ta illa Dei O. M. Oracula nifi cum Dabam Cantabrigia XVII. Cal. Maj. : : : I a 4 و AN ESSAY ON THE Revelation of Saint John. PART I. HYPOTHESES OF OBSERVATIONS. T HOSE Prophecies of the Scripture which explicit; and make use of a men. II. Those Prophecies of the Scripture which relate A Dan. IX. 24. &c. Church of the Gentiles upon the rejection of the Jews, are cover'd and enigmatical; and make use of a Day for a Year. Thus the Jews themselves confess it is in the most famous of all Prophecies, that of Daniel's 70 weeks: which they expound of fo many years as those weeks include days; and the Christian Church not only allows, but earnestly contends for the same Interpretation, as being a main foundation of her Faith. And this being the primary and most undisputed Prophecy of this kind ought certainly to be allow'd as the best Rule and Guide for the rest; and so this Hypothesis might be taken for granted. But to prevent all exception it shall be particularly prov'd under the first Propofition hereafter. III. The number of Days included in Prophetick Tears is to be the fame that the Computation of the Age and Nation of each Prophet does require. Thus Daniel living in Chaldea and Perfia uses their year, of 360 days: and St. John living in the Roman Empire, in those places where he does not follow and explain Daniel's Numbers, uses that Empires Computation of 365, or 365 days. 1 IV. The particular fort of Year also refer'd to by a Day in several Prophecies, is partly to be interpreted from the same Foundation, and to be accounted by the Computation and Stile then in use, when the said Prophecies and their Periods began. Thus all those Prophecies of Daniel, which are dated from his own Times, or began while the Chaldean or Persian Stile was in use, must be suppos'd by a Day to intend a Chal Chaldean or Persian Year of 360 days. But such as were dated long afterward, from the Roman Times, and refer intirely to them; may justly be expounded of the Roman or Julian Years. Thus also every one of the Prophecies of St. John being dated in, and wholly belonging to the Roman Times, ought to be expounded of the Roman or Julian Tears upon all occasions. Act. ij. 172Tim iij. r. 2 Pet. iij. 3. V. Where any Prophecies of the Old Testament, or at least towards the conclusion of it are exprefly said to belong to the Time of the End; to the latter Days; to the last Days, or the like: They relate, if not to the very end of the World, yet at least to its last great Age the Days of the Meffias. This is so exprefly the Explication of 1 Pet. i. 20. the Writers of the New Testament; and is, I Heb. i. 2. think, so generally allow'd by the Jews themselves, 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2. See Furieu that I shall not stand to prove it more particularly. part. chap. 3. VI. Intire Numbers of years, or months, or days in see Chronol. the Prophecies of Scripture, as well as in its p. 8. Chronology are us'd with great exactness; and comprehend no more than fix months, or fifteen days, or twelve hours on either fide: that is, they imply the space mention'd to be nearer to that number than the next, either over or under, according to the most natural and strict fignification of the words themselves. Thus 1260 days may Apoc. xi. 3. be any space between 1259 and 1260 days. Thus 42 months tween 415 and 42 months; and 37 months any Dan. vij. 25. space between 36 may denote any space be- ver. 2. interval between 4 and 37; and 5 months any Apoc. ix. 5. 10. and 5 months. Thus three years and an half, or a time, times, and an half, ma y A 2 fignify |