by Cyrus,* another by Darius, the third by Artaxerxes Longimanus, in the seventh Year of his Reign, and † the fourth by the fame Prince in the twentieth Year of his Reign. And let us take which of these they please, and suppose these Weeks, inftead of Weeks of Days, to denote, according to the Explanation of the Prophet § Ezekiel, Weeks of Years; and it is manifeft that the Meffiab must be long fince come. So that there is no need of a critical Enqui ry into into every minute Circumftance of this Prophecy to fhew that the Meffiab fhould be already come.

But it is not only manifeft from this Prophecy of Daniel, but alfo from the Prophets Haggai and Malachi that the Messiah was to come before the Deftruction of the Temple of Jerufalem by Titus. For thus faith the Prophet Haggai, when Speaking of this fecond Temple that was Built by Zerubabel; Who is left among you, that far this Houfe in her first Glory? · And how do you fee it now? Is it not in your

*

Eyes

Ex. vi. 1. + Ex vii. 1. 26. § Nebem. ii. 1, 3, 6.

V. 14. Ezek, iv, 6.

Eyes in Comparison of it as Nothing? Tet now be Strong, O Zerubabel, faith the Lord, and be Strong O Joshua the Son of Jofedec the High Prieft, and be Strong ye People of the Land, faith the Lord, and work: For I am with you faith the Lord of Hofts, according to the Word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, fo my Spirit remaineth among you; fear ye not. For thus faith the Lord of Hofts, yet once, it is a little while, and 1 will fbake the Heavens, and the Earth, the Sea, and the dry Land: And I will fbake all Nations, AND THE DESIRE of ALL NATIONS SHALL COME, AND I WILL FILL THIS HOUSE WITH GLORY, faith the Lord of Hofts. The Silver is mine, and the Gold is mine, faith the Lord of Hofts. THE GLORY OF THIS LATTER HOUSE SHALL BE GREATER THAN THE FORMER, faith the Lord of Hofts; and in this Place will I give Peace faith the Lord.

which Text though the modern Jews endeavour to apply otherwife, yet it is plain that fome of the moft learned of the

Jews

fers quoted in the Talmud applied it to the Days of the Mefsiah; for thus you will clearly find it afferted under the Title Shanedrim Section Helec, where R. Akiba is faid to have expounded thefe Words yet a little while and I will bake the Hea vens and the Earth, of the Days of Meffiah the King, and of the Time that was to fucceed between the Deftruction of the firft Temple, and the coming of the MefJiah.

For if this Houfe which was built by Zerubabel, which, with regard to the Materials and outward Ornaments that compofed it, with regard to the Silver and Gold expended on it, was as Nothing in Comparison to the former Houfe, and which according to the Conceptions of the Jews themfelves, wanted five honourable Marks of the divine Favour, which were in the firft Temple; viz. The Ark of the Teltimony, the Holy Fire, the Holy Oil, and the Urim and Thummim; If this Houfe, I fay, was yet to exceed the former Houfe in Glory, to what can the preferable Excellency of this latter Houfe

be

be attributed, but to this, that the Defire of all Nations was to fill it with Glory? And if no better Reason can be affigned, does not this prove to a Demonftration that the Defire of all Nations, that is, the Messiah in whom they are all to be bleffed, fhould come before the Deftruc tion of this fecond Temple?

*

And accordingly the Prophet Malachi, who was the laft Prophet that was fent to the Jews, when speaking of this fecond Temple, declares in the Name of God, faying, Behold I will fend my Mellenger, and he ball prepare the Way before me, and the Lord whom ye feck, fall fuddenly come to his Temple'; even the Meffenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in: Behold he fball come faith the Lord of Hofts. Which Pallage of Scripture is by R. Mofes Maimonides in his Hilcoth Melachim pofitively applied to the Messiah. Where he Says that "in the

Days of Mefsiah the King the Genealogy "of Ifrael fhall be revealed at his Mouth "by the holy Spirit that fhall reft upon « him, as it is faid in Malachi. iii. Behold "I will

Mal. cxi.

I will fend my Messenger and he ball prepare the way before me. R. Kimchi in his Comment upon this Paffage Says, alfo, This Lord whom ye feek, is the King Meffiah, and he is alfo the Angel of the Covenant.

*

Whereas if the Messenger or Angel, of the Covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, was to come to this Temple, his coming muft certainly have been before that Temple was deftroyed. Which is still further confirmed by a Tradition mentioned in the Talmud which I have before quoted in my firft Letter: Where it is faid that this World is to laft 6000 Years which are fubdivided into three Periods, two thousand of which are reckoned the Days of Inanity or Emptiness, two thousand the Days of the Law, and two thousand the Days of the Messiah. Whence it appears that the Mefsiah ought to have come when this World was about four thousand Years old; and about which Time it is certain that the fecond Temple was deftroyed, the Jews driven out of Judæa, difperfed over the Face of the whole Earth, and thereby an