but the Meffids whom we prefent you. For on the one Hand, he really brought to that House a Glory wanting in the Former; fince Salvation, Life and Immortality were fully revealed in Jesus Chrit, who is the End of the Law, the fullling of the Oracles, the Center of Religion, and in whom the Sacerdotal, the Regal, and Prophetical Office, and all other Advantages the eas ever had, all terminate in their common Prindple. And he is on the other Hand the Defore of ib: Nations, fince the Nations actually desired him, and effectually embraced his Gospel, as foon as he was pleafed to reveal it to them.

But if after all that has been said, the Jews wI not yet yield up the Caufe, let them reflect on the Words of the Prophet Malachi, chap. 3. v. 1. which are exactly parallel to thefe. Bebeld fars God by the Mouth of that holy Man, I will fend my Mesenger, and be fhall prepare the Way before me; and the Lord whom je feek, shall fuddenly come to kis Temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ge delight in: Bebeld, he shall come, faith the Lord of Hosts

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tance, as a necellary Preparation to enter into the Kingdom of God, which he publickly affirmed was at hand: And besides, by turning the Hearts of the Fathers to their Children, and the Hearts of the Children to their Fathers;

when by his preaching, he induced Malach 4.6. them to a Reconciliation, and bap

tized them in Jordan, after they had confeffed their sins. 2. Sometimes the Prophets tell us, that he fhall fuddenly come to his Temple, as Malathi doth in this place: And fometimes they affirm, that he shall make the Glory of the fecond Houfe, greater than that of the former. 3. Thefe Prophets defigning to comfort thofe who with a fervent and holy Impatience expected the coming of the Meffias, tell them, Tet once it is a little while and he cometh, &c, and the Defire of the Nations fhall come.

Where it is remarkable that the Prophet might very properly have used this Expreffion according to our Senfe, but that he could not have ufed it according to the Jewish Opinion. For though there past a confiderable Period of Time between the Age in which the Prophets lived, and he coming of the Meffias, confidering the thing folutely in it felf; yet it is true, that great dice of his coming into the World, did feem to but of a very inconfiderable Space, because poke of it with comparison to that Time h he had been fo long expected. And Expreffion of thefe Prophets, are a fure his fecret Comparifon. For this ce more, and a little while, cannot the Time which was yet to ectation of that Bleffing, was that which they had already paffed

Gg 4

passed in the tedious expectation of it. And this will be found very true in the Prophecy which we have here explained according to our Principles.

But on the contrary, It will be intolerably obfcure, false, nay and abfurd too, if the Interpretation which the Rabbies give it, be allowed to take place. For if from the Days of Ma lachi, and of the Prophet Haggai, the Jews had ftill a longer Time to expect the coming of the Meffias, than the Time had been in which their Ancestors had expected him, from the Days of Noah to the Age in which those Prophets lived, how could thofe Prophets speak reasonably and with good Senfe, when they ufe fuch Expreffions as, once more, and a little while, and he shall come; Behold, he cometh?

But let us now haften to examine the Prophecy of Daniel, which Torch-like gives fo great a Light to all the others, that it cannot but make us hefitate for a while, which of the two we ought to admire moft, either the Evidence of the Truth which appears in it, or the strange Blindness of thofe that are not fenfible of it. But it is to no purpose to advance fuch Matters, unless we prove them also.

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

Where we shall examine thofe Oracles of Daniel, which foretel the Time of the Coming of the Meffias.

N order to this, we need but examine the three following Truths. 1. Whether the Meffias, or fome other Perfon, be understood in the 2nd, 7th, and 9th Chapters of the Visions of Daniel.? 2. Whether the Time of his coming, which is clearly denoted in them, be already past, as we pretend it is; or whether it be yet to come, as the Jews would have it? And lastly, Whether the Time of the coming of our Jefus, agrees with the Time of the coming of the Meffias, which was revealed to Daniel?

We shall join these three Chapters, the 7th, 8th and 9th together, because they all mention one and the fame Event, viz. the establishment of an everlasting Kingdom. Daniel in his Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, Chap. 2. tells him, that the Image of Gold, Silver, Brafs and Iron, with Potters Clay he had feen, did portend the rife of four great Monarchies and after having explained to him all the various Relations of that mysterious Dream, together with that which fhould come to pass after his Days, he further adds thefe Words, Verf.44. And in the Days of thefe Kings shall the

God of Heaven fet up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the Kingdom fhall not be left

to other People, but it fhall break in pieces avi confume all thefe Kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forafmuch as thon sawest that the Stone wa cut out of the Mountain without Hands, and that it break in pieces the Iron, the Clay, the Brass, the Gold and the Silver; the great God has made known unto the King, what shall come to pass hereafter.

It cannot be doubted, but that Daniel reprefented the very fame Event in the 7th Chapter, ver. 11, 12, 13, 14, &c. for in it he mentions four Beasts, which he fays, Thefe great Beasts which are Four, are four Kings which shall arife out of the Earth. And of an everlasting Dominion which was fome time after to be fettled, according to the words immediately following; But the SaintS of the most High shall take the Kingdom, and pof fefs the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. But that there may be no room left to doubt of this Truth, let us fee what Expreflions Daniel makes ufe of to defcribe the latter part of his Vifion. As concerning the rest of the Beasts, they had their Dominion taken away; yet their Life was prolonged for a Seafon and a Time. I faw in the Night Visions, and behold one like the Son of Man, came with the Clouds of Heaven, and came to the Antient of Days, and they brought him near before bim; and there was given him Dominion and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all People, Nations and Languages fhould ferve him: His Dominion is an everlafting Dominion, which shall not pass away, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

This fame Preccy is again repeated to Da niel in other di ent Terms, and under different Circumftance Chap. 9. where the Prophet, after having made excellent Confeflion and, Prayer, whereby him, that he

would