TH

PART the THIRD.

253

CHA P. I.

Of the third Period of Weeks, or the feparate ONE WEEK, or SINGLE WEEK of the Seventy Weeks of this Prophecy.

E are come now to confider the remaining Week to be spoken to in the Prophecy before us, and the more diftinguished Half Part thereof. And thefe having one and the fame Ending, as that which in the prophetick Characters is the ending of the latter (a) Half part of this Week, is fo confequently of the whole of it; And as their respective Beginnings are difcoverable by the accomplishment of the EXPRESS CHARACTERS of the Half Week ending with the grand Event, or purpose of this one week, and its more diftinguifhed Half part, which is the deftruction of Jerufalem, as it will manifeftly appear anon, and especially as the Arguments which I fhall here occafionally make ufe of, will have equal regard to the Half Part of this one week, as to the whole of it, for these reasons I fhall not trouble the Reader with a separate discourse of the one week, and another of the Half part thereof, in their respective Beginnings, and mutual ending, but here a little leaving my former method, I fhall treat of both of them together, as their Express Characters lead me to make joint mention of them.

And in fo doing, I fhall firft give their EXPRESS CHARACTERS as they lie in the text, in the accomplishment of which this one week was furely to be known, and also the diftinguished Half part thereof. I thall then fet down their respective Beginnings, and their mutual Ending, as we find them in the feveral Hypothefes now before us: And afterward I fhall produce the feve

ral

(a) As the accomplishment of its predicted Events plainly shew that it was, and as we thall fee anon.

ral arguments which I fhall make use of, either for, or against them, as they fhall appear to approve, or not to approve themfelves by the real fenfe, and accomplishment of the EXPRESS CHARACTERS of this part of the Prophecy.

I am first to give the faid EXPRESS CHARACTERS. And they, as we find them in the prophetick Text are these following, v. 27. He shall make a (b) firm Covenant with many (c) in ONE Week; and in the (d) HALF part thereof be hall caufe the facrifice, and oblation to ceafe; and upon the (e) battlements the Temple fhall be the (f) Idols of the defolator (g) &c.

These are the several Express Characters of this part of the Prophecy, one whereof we fee is immediately appropriated to the one Week, the other two to the distinguished Half part of it.

Secondly, As to the feveral Hypothefes now before us in their refpective Beginnings of this one week, and Half part thereof, and their Ending of both, they are thus,

Firft, In the late Bishop Lloyd's Hypothefis (b), the feveral Exprefs Characters here being all of them, as we fhall fee anon, litterally fulfilled, the firft of the three in the beginning, the two other in the laft of the feven Years next preceding, and ending with the deftruction of Jerufalem in the year of the V. Æ. of Chrift 70 by the Romans (i), the Meffiah's future people, the here predicted Destroyers of the City, and fanctuary (k), the Bishop accordingly referr'd the accomplishment of all the faid Characters to them as being particular, or circumftantial Events here folemnly predicted to attend the grand Event, or Purpose of this one week, the Destruction of Jerufalem.

Thus the late learned Bishop understood this part of the Prophecy to the giving us the full and real accomplishment of the Express Characters of it in the letter of them.

But otherwise Dr. Prideaux, and Mr. Lancafter alfo taking the two former of thefe exprefs Characters in a figurative sense have referr'd the accomplishment of them to the Meffiah, tho' after a different manner, and in different parts of the faid Week, as it is evident from their refpective Hypothefes, as they here follow in this part of them.

The one week, and the Half Part thereof, ftand thus in Dr. Prideaux his Hypothesis (1).

From the Coming of our Saviour (viz. in the fifteenth (m) year of the reign of Tiberius) began the third period of these seventy weeks,

that

(b) In our Tranflation it is, He fhall confirm the Covenant; but as I fhall have occafion to thew anon, He shall make a firm Covenant, cometh much nearer to the Text. (c) In one Week: In our Tranflation, for one Week. But the former is juftified by the Context, as it follows that in (not for) Half of that Week, &c. As therefore here in, fo alfo there. And fo the Vul. Lat. render it, Heldomada una. (d) Not in the midft, as in our Tranflation, but in the HALF part thereof, as Dr. Prideaux (Con. Hift. pr 293) hath moft juftly obferv'd here. [See our Expof. in p. 6. in Not.]----And so it is in the LXX. So alfo in the Vul. Lat. and in the Syriack, and Arabick Versions. (e) See our Expofition p. 6. in Not.c. (g) The Romans. See p. 5. Not. c. A. D. 1713, fub Anno Chrifti 63. (Con. Hift. p. 293, 1. 11, &c.

(f) The idolatrous Enfigns, fee ib. Not. d. (b) As in the Chron. Tab. printed at Oxford, (i) See p. 5. Not. c. (k) Ver. 26, 27. (m) As in p. 292, ib.

that is, the ONE WEEK, which is fpoken of in the twenty feventh verfe, the Events whereof as there predicted are that for that week the Meffiah fhould confirm the covenant with many, and in the HALF part thereof (for thus it ought to be rendred [they are Dr. Prideaux's words, and the observation is most true here] where, in our English Tranflation we read the MIDST) fhould cause the facrifice, and oblation to cease. And fo accordingly (continues Dr. Prideaux) it came to pass. For during the feven years of his evangelical Miniftry, he did firft by his fore-runner the Meffenger, whom he had fent before him, and then by himself in his perfonal Miniftry confirm the COVENANT of the GOSPEL with many of the Jews, who were converted, and admitted thereto; And then in the HALF part of the faid week, that is, in the Laft Half part thereof, when he appeared in his own perfon in the fame Miniftry, on which John was fent before him, He caufed the SACRIFICES and the OBLATIONS of the Temple to ceafe, that is, firft by his PREACHING of the GOSPEL which was to fuperfede them, and then, Lastly by that GREAT SACRIFICE of Himself, which was once offer'd for all, in his death upon the Cross at the END of THIS (2) WEEK, whereby they were all abfolutely, and finally extinguished for ever.

Thus hath Dr. Prideaux referr'd this ONE WEEK, and the accomplishment of thefe two Express Characters of it, as here mention'd by him to the Meffiah. But as to the last of the three Express Characters of this week, or the latter of the two Characters of the Half part of it, that he hath wholly dropped in his Expofition of this one week; of which more anon.

Mr. Lancafter's Hypothefis in this part of it is as follows (0), He (viz. the MESSIAH) fhall make a Firm Covenant with many (viz. the Jews, and with them only, or chiefly) in one Week, viz. the feventieth. And in the MIDDLE (p) of the [faid] Week he fhall cause the facrifice, and oblation to cease, and bring over a Wing of Abominations; [i. e. ruling, prefiding over, or influencing an army of idolaters, viz. the Romans bearing in their Enfigns the Images of their Gods, &c.]

Thus Mr. L. hath referr'd alfo to the Meffiah the accomplishment of thefe Express Characters; but differing from Dr. Prideaux as to the accomplishment of the first of these Characters, as he makes it to have been accomplished by the Meffiak himself in the begin

ning

(n) As Dr. Prideaux makes our Lord to be cut off AFTER the whole 70 Weeks, or after VII Weeks, and LXII Weeks, and One Week: whereas, as I have formerly fhewn, this is directly contrary to the EXPRESS LETTER of this Prophecy, [ver. 25, 26] as the Meffiah was to be cut off after [VII Weeks, and] LXII Weeks; And, as I fhall here make it to appear, he could have nothing to do in THIS Week, as the Grand Purpose of it related not to him in their accomplishment, but to HIS FUTURE PEOPLE. (0) Chron. Eff. p. 7, 56. (p) Mr. L. hath given us fome fcripture Inftances, where the original word may fignifie the middle of a thing: But the LXX and Vul. Lat. and other Verfions [See the preceding Not. d] are all against him here, as they render it, as in our Tranflation the HALF.--. Befides there was no completion of the Express Characters in Mr. Lancaster's sense of them, nor in the Middle of the Week as it will hereafter appear,

ning of this Week, and for the firft Halt of it 'till his cutting off in the middle of it, and after that by his Apoftles in the latter half of it immediately following our Lord's Paffion; whereas Dr. Prideaux, as we have feen, affigns the accomplishment of it to the Meffiab in the perfon of John the Baptift in the former Half, and to the Meffiah in his own perfon in the latter Half: And however both of them have referr'd the accomplishment of the next Character, viz. of causing facrifice and oblation to cease, to the Messiah in his being cut off, yet they differ as to the time of his being cut off, Mr. L. bringing him to the Crofs in the middle of the feventieth week, Dr. Prideaux in the End of it.

But that they are both equally mistaken in all these their references, and affign'd accomplishments, and abfolutely wide of the immediate Event, or purpose of this one Week, and alfo that the faid week, and Half part thereof had their true and real accomplishment in all their fore-mention'd predicted Express Characters only in the above giv'n Expofition of the late learned Bishop, it will fully appear from a particular confideration of each of the faid Characters.

Firft, As to the Party predicted to accomplish them.

Secondly, As to the fenfe in which they were to be accomplished:

And

Thirdly, The time predicted for their Accomplishment.

First, The prophetick Characters of the One week, and Half part thereof confider'd as to the Party accomplishing had not their predicted accomplishment either in Dr. Prideaux's, or Mr. Lancaster's Expofition of this part of the Prophecy.

For not the Meiab firft in the perfon of his fore-runner John the Baptift, nor in his own perfon after, as in Dr. Prideaux's Hypothefis, nor the Meffiab by himself firft, and his Apostles after, as in Mr. Lancafter's, are any of them the Party here predicted to accomplish.

As for John the Baptift, and the Apostles, they are no otherwife fuppos'd to have been concern'd here, than as the Meffiab himfelf is fuppos'd to have been concern'd. But if he were not, neither could they. It will appear also anon that they could not be concern'd.Nor are they any where mention'd in the Text, or Context, tho' the Meffiah be. But that he is not the Party here predicted to accomplish either by himself or others, it is evident from the Text, as therein not the Meffiah, but his future people are manifeftly the Party accomplishing.

For not He, but they are certainly the next preceding Relative here. For when the Angel had told us, as he doth [ver. 26.] After threefcore and two weeks fhall Meffiah be cut off, 'tis plain that he had now done with him. He had now deliver'd the GRAND PURPOSES or EVENTS of two of the prophetick Periods, viz. firft of the feven weeks, and then of the threefcore and two weeks, which were to be foon followed by the Meffiah's being cut off (q).

He

(9) And the matter of Fact accomplished in full correfpondence with the time here predicted for its accomplishment, I hope that it hath been above shewn almost to a Demonftration.

He had yet a remaining Week to account for, having as above accounted only for fixty-nine Weeks of the Seventy determined ipon Daniel's People, and holy City, [ver. 24.] that is, the Jews. This Week therefore evidently remained determined upon Jerufalem. And accordingly the Angel immediately takes up his Prophecy concerning them, by declaring prefently upon the here predicted Cutting off of the Meffiah by them, that they were now no longer his People (r). And therefore they are plainly in all that follows, to the end of this Prophecy, a People giv'n up to Destruction in the fure Event of this One week determined for it by the Romans, who are the here predicted future People (s) of the Meffiah, in the words immediately following those of the rejecting of the Jews, viz. And the People of the Prince that shall come, (as in our Tranflation) i. e. the People of the Meffiah, or the Meffiah's future People, fhail deftroy the City, and Sanctuary, and the End thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war Defolations are determined (t).

So much in general predicting the deftruction of Jerufalem by the Romans.----Then (u) it prefently follows to the indicating, or giving the fure Signs, or Tokens of the One week and Half Part thereof here certainly predicted as to the Event, or determined Destruction, tho' otherwife as to time left at large, that however the faid One week, and Half part thereof, fhould infallibly be known by the following Characters evidently, and remarkably distinguishing it, viz. that in order to the effecting of this determined deftruction, the Party here concern'd to accomplish it fhould make a firm Covenant, [ver. 27] HE hall make a firm Covenant with many.---Who fhould do this?Who, but the next preceding Relative? But that is plainly the Meffiab's future People (w). Confequently not the Meffiah: who, tho' spoken of before, yet as I have been here fhewing from the Text, the Angel had now done with him, having by folemn prediction brought him to his Crofs. And therefore it is moft unreasonable, as being against all natural construction of the words, as well as the plain fenfe of the Context, to fuppofe that the Angel fhould come back again to him, without any new mention of him, to the giving him a part in the accomplishment of the Characters of this One week, and Half part thereof: All which Characters lie in the midst of the here litterally predicted deftruction of the Jewifb Church, and Politie, and in their accomplishment were therefore doubtless to make a great part in it.

I will not fay but in the Jewish manner of writing fometimes fuch reference to an antecedent Relative may poffibly be juftified. But I am bold to fay it, that nothing can juftifie fuch irregular reference here. There is no manner of room for it, as the Prophecy

(r) See our Expofition, p. 5. Notes c and h. (s) And who are therefore fo called, as the Christian Faith was after the Jews refufal of the Gofpel to be preached throughout the Roman Empire, which is call'd the 'Ooup'n, Matt. xxiv. 14. Luke ii. 1. And the Church to be formed out of fome Believers. (t) Ver. 26. () Ver. (w) For they are plainly the Party last spoken of, in ver. 26.

27.