1-12-1933

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Everendo admodum in Christo Patri, ac Domino, Domino

SYMONI permissione Divina Episcopo Elienfi; Præsuli tùm moribus fanctissimis, tùm eruditione fummâ longe colendiffimo ; nec minus pietati veræ & minimè fucatæ, quàm bonis literis , facris præfertim & divinis promovendis Nato: Eccle: siæ Anglicanæ, Reformatæ, Catha. licæ, Decori egregio atque Ornamento: Sacratislimo suo in Republicà Christianâ Ordini quà concio. nando, quà fcribendo, quà gubernando, eximio semper, & jam longævo Exemplari : Qui Sacrarum Scripturarum amore à teneris impense captus, cognitione à pueris penitùs imbutus, easdem optimis Commentariis illustrare ad fupremam usque

eta illa Dei O. M. Oracula nisi cum ipsis mortalitatis exuviis jure ponenda censet: Brevia hæcce Vaticiniorum Apocalypticorum, omni Thefauro chariorum, Specimina, juxta methodum Cl. Medi 78 yaxaeito demonstrativam, pro modulo noftro adornata, in animi perquam grati, summéque devoti telleram perennem, atque umnubouvor, Quà par est Reverentia, Lubens Meritoque Dat, Dicat, Confecrat, Gulielmus Whifton

Dabam Cantabrigia XVII, Cal. Maj.

A. D. MDCCVI.

I

Α Ν

E S S A Y

ON THE

Revelation of Saint fohn.

PART I.

HYPOTHESES or OBSERVATIONS.
I. "HOSE Prophecies of the Scripture which

relate to the Jewish Church are open and
explicit; and make use of a Tear for

that known space of time so calld, without any covert or mystical Signification. Thus the 400 years of the Sojourning and Afiction of Gen. XV. 13: Abraham's Seed: the 70 years of the Captivity of Jer. xxv.11.12. Babylon: the 390 years of the forbearance of Ezek. IV. 4, 5, God to Israel: and the 40 years of his forbear. 6. ance to Judah: and very many the like durations, are unanimously and certainly expounded of the same real numbers of years by all Commentators: and the exact completion of them, at the time e- . very where specify'd, in that most obvious accep

tacion, puts the matter beyond dispute with all II. Thofe Prophecies of the Scripture which relate to Christianity, the Times of the Mefias, and the

А

Church

mer.

Dan, IX. 240 &c.

Church of the Gentiles upon the rejection of
the feces, are cover'd and enigmatical; and make
use of a Day for a Tear. Thus the Jews them-
selves confess it is in the most famous of all Pro-
phecies, that of Daniel's 70 weeks: which they
expound of so many years as those weeks include
days; and the Christian Church not only allows,
but earnestly contends for the same Interpretati-
an, as being a main foundacion of her Faith.
And this being the primary and most undisputed
Prophecy of this kind ought certainly to be al-
low'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 same that the Computation of

the Age and Nation of each Prophet does re-
- quire. Thus Daniel living in Chaldea and Per-

sia 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 3654 days.
IV. The particular fort of Tear also refer'd to by

a Day in several Prophecies, is partly to be inter-
preted from the same Foundation, and to be ac-
counted by the Computation and Scile 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 Tear of 360 days. But such
as were dated long afterward, from the Roman
Times, and refer intirely to them; may juftly be
expounded of the Roman or Julian Tears. 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.
V. Where any Prophecies of the Old Testament,

or at least towards the conclusion of it are ex-
presly 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,

A&t.ij. 17. yet at least to its last great Åge the Days of the 2 Tim iij.r. Messias. This is so exprelly the Explication of Pet

. 1:20

. the Writers of the New Testament; and is, I Heb. i. 2. think, so generally allow'd by the Jews tliemselves, 1 Tim. iv. 1, z. that I shall not stand to prove it more particularly.

See Jurieu

part2. chap. 3. VI. Intire Numbers of years, or months, or days in See Chronoh

the Prophecies of Scripture, as well as in its p. 8. Chronology are usd with great exactness; and comprehend no more than six months, or fifteen days, or twelve hours on either side: 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 12591 and 12601 days. Thus 42 months may denote any space be- ver. 2. tween 41 and 423 months; and 37 months any Dan. vij. 25. space between 36 and 377; and 5 months any Apoc. ix. 5, 1o. interval between 4, and 31 months. Thus three years and an half, or a time, times, and an half, may

signify

A 2