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numbers. So in the prophecy of Jonah, both in the Hebrew and Latin text, it is said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown;" but the Septuagint saith plainly, and that in letters at length, rgis nugas, that is, “yet three days and Nineveh shall be destroyed." Which is a difference not newly crept in, but an observation very ancient, discussed by Austin and Theodoret, and was conceived an error committed by the scribe.9 Men therefore have raised

different computes of time, according as they have followed their different texts; and so have left the history of times far more perplexed than chronology hath reduced.

Again, however the texts were plain, and might in their numerations agree, yet were there no small difficulty to set down a determinable chronology or establish from hence any fixed point of time. For the doubts concerning the time of the judges are inexplicable; that of the reigns and succession of kings is as perplexed; it being uncertain whether the years both of their lives and reigns ought to be taken as complete, or in their beginning and but current accounts. Nor is it unreasonable to make some doubt whether in the first ages and long lives of our fathers, Moses doth not sometime account by full and round numbers, whereas strictly taken they might be some few years above or under; as in the age of Noah, it is delivered to be just five hundred when he begat Sem; whereas perhaps he might be somewhat above or below that round and complete number. For the same way of speech is usual in divers other expressions: thus do we say the Septuagint, and using the full and articulate number, do write the translation of seventy; whereas we have shewn before the precise number was seventy-two. So is it said that Christ was three days in the grave; according to that of Matthew, "As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth :" which notwithstanding must be taken synecdochically, or by understanding a part for a whole day; for he remained but two

Scribe.] Writing 7 for, which in the second transcript.—Wr. might easily bee, not in the original, but

nights in the grave: for he was buried in the afternoon of the first day, and arose very early in the morning on the third; that is, he was interred in the eve of the sabbath, and arose the morning after it.'

1 after it.] Before day: the whole being scarce 34 houres while he was in the grave, which is not the one halfe of three days and three nights, nor can be salved synechdochicallye.

'Tis strange to see how all the nation of expositors, since Christe, as yf they were infected with a disease of supinity, thinke they have abundantly satisfied the texte, by telling us, that speech of Christe comparinge himself to Jonas, must be understood synechdochically, which is: 1. not only a weak interpretation; 2. but ridiculous to Jews, Turks, and Infidels; 3. and consequently derogatory to the trueth; who expressly puts in the reddition, 3 dayes and 3 nights, by an emphaticall expression. Which as itt was punctually fortold, the express time of 3 dayes and 3 nights; soe itt was as punctually performed (usque ad apices) for as Jonas was 3 days and 3 nights in the whale, which admits noe synechdoche; soe the sonn of man was in the grave 3 dayes and 3 nights without any abatement of a moment. That which begat this error was, a mistake of the dayes and nights, spoken of Jonas. And from thence not only unwarrantably but untruly applyed to Christ's stay in the grave. Wee must therefore distinguish of dayes and nights, and take them either in Moses' sense, for the whole revolution of the to the eastern pointe after 24 houres: which most men by like contagion of error, call the natural day, wheras itt is rather to bee cald artificiall, as being compounded of a day and a night, wheras the night is properly noe parte univocall of a day, but a contradistinct member there

to.

Now in this sense yf the days and nights bee conceived; itt is impossible to make good the one halfe of 3 dayes and 3 nights by any figurative or synechdo

chical sense for from the time of his enterring, very neer 6 at even on Friday to 6 at even on Saturday are but 24 houres: to which adde from 6 at even to 3 or 4 next morne (for itt was yet darke, when Mary Magd. came and saw the stone remooved) viz. 10 houres more, they will make in all but thirty foure houres,

24

that is but 1
10 day and night of æqui-
noctial revolution. Or else in our Saviour's
sense, Jo. xi. 9, where by the day
Christe understands, the very day-light,
or natural day, caused by the presence
of the sun; to the which night is always
opposed as contradistinct, as is manifest
from that very place. For as itts alwayes
midday directly under the O, soe there
is midnight alwayes opposite to mid-
noone through the world. And these 2
have runn opposite round the world,
simul et semel every 24 houres since the
creation, and soe shall doe, while time
shall bee noe more. I say therefore that
thoughe in respect of Jesus' grave in the
garden he lay but 36 houres in the earthe
yet in respect of the world for which he
suffered, there were 3 distincte dayes and
nights actually in being, while hee lay
in the bowels of the earthe: (which is
to be distinctly noted to justifie of him,
who did not, could not, æquivocate.
Friday night in Judæa, and a day op-
posite therto in the other hemisphere,
just 12 houres; Saturday 12 houres in
Judæa, and the opposite night 12 hours;
Saturday night in Judæa, and the opposite
day elsewhere at the same time. And
hee that denyes this, hath lost his sense:
for I ask were there not actually 3 essen-
tiall dayes and 3 nights (sub coelo) during
his sepulture. And yf this cannot be
denyed by any but a madman, I aske
againe did Christe suffer for Judæa only,
or for the whole world? least of all for

Judæa, which for his unjust death was
exterminate and continues accursed. Soe
that henceforth wee shall need no sy-
nechdoche to make good the prophetick
speech of him that could not lie: who
sayde, sic erit Filius hominis in corde
terræ tribus diebus et tribus noctibus:

and this was truly fulfilled usque ad momenta, and therefore I dare believe it, and noe Jew or Turk can contradict itt.

(Hee that made the several natures of day and night in this sense; sayd hee would lye in the grave 3 of these dayes and 3 nights.)-Wr.

This is ingenious, and to its author it seems abundantly satisfactory, proceed

Moreover, although the number of years be determined and rightly understood, and there be without doubt a certain truth herein, yet the text speaking obscurely or dubiously, there is oft-times no slender difficulty at what point to begin or terminate the account. So when it is said, Exod. xii, the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was 430 years, it cannot be taken strictly, and from their first arrival into Egypt, for their habitation in that land was far less; but the account must begin from the covenant of God with Abraham, and must also comprehend their sojourn in the land of Canaan, according as is expressed Gal. iii, "The covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was 430 years after cannot disannul." Thus hath it also happened in the account of the seventy years of their captivity, according to that of Jeremy, "This whole land shall be a desolation, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years."* Now where to begin or end this compute, ariseth no small difficulty; for there were three remarkable captivities, and deportations of the Jews. The

* Chap. xx.

ing on the hypothesis that as our Lord suffered for the whole world, the duration of his suffering must be understood with reference to the whole earth. The Dean adds to the two nights and one day which elapsed in Palestine,-the corresponding two days and one night, which elapsed at the antipodes of Judea. But this is liable to objection. It is just as truly synechdochical as the interpretation of Sir Thomas-only that it takes two points on the earth's surface instead of one for the whole. Besides the ingenuity is needless. The Jews were in the habit of speaking synechdochically in that very respect that they speak of each part of a day and night (or of 24 hours) as a day and night-vúxonusga. So that if Jonah was in the deep during less than 48 hours, provided that period comprised, in addition to one entire 24 hours, a portion of the preceding and of the following 24 hours, then the Jews would say that he had been in the deep 3 daynights or 3 days and 3 nights. As if we should say of a person who had left home on Friday afternoon and returned on Sunday morning, that he was from

home Friday, Saturday, and Sundaythis might be thought to imply considerable portions of the day of Friday and of Sunday-but certainly it would not be necessary to the accuracy of such a report that he should have started immediately after midnight of Thursday, and returued at the same hour on Sunday. And yet he would otherwise not have been from home on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday-but only during parts of those days. With the Jews common parlance would only require that our Redeemer should have been in the heart of the earth, from the eve of the (Jewish) sabbath, however late, to the morning of the first day, however early, in order to justify the terms in which they would universally have spoken of the duration of his abode there-as comprising three days and three nights. We may observe too, that three days are uniformly spoken of as the time of our Lord's abode in the grave, whether it is spoken of typically or literally. Thus he says of himself, "I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I am perfected."

first was in the third or fourth year of Joachim, and first of Nabuchodonozor, when Daniel was carried away; the second in the reign of Jeconiah, and the eighth year of the same king; the third and most deplorable in the reign of Zedechias, and in the nineteenth year of Nabuchodonozor, whereat both the temple and city were burned. Now such is the different conceit of these times, that men have computed from all; but the probablest account and most concordant unto the intention of Jeremy is from the first of Nabuchodonozor unto the first of king Cyrus over Babylon; although the prophet Zachary accounteth from the last. "O Lord of hosts, how long! wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?"* for he maketh this expostulation in the second year of Darius Hystaspes, wherein he prophesied, which is about eighteen years in account after the other.

Thus also although there be a certain truth therein, yet is there no easy doubt concerning the seventy weeks, or seventy times seven years of Daniel; whether they have reference, unto the nativity or passion of our Saviour, and especially from whence, or what point of time they are to be computed.

2

2

* Chap. i, 12.

I nativity or passion.] The learned thinke they have reference [that is of their determination] to neither of them. For most of the learned conceive, that those 70 weeks, or seven times seventy [viz. 490 years] ended with the destruction of the citye; which was 70 yeares after the nativitye, and 38 after the passion of Christe: and then 'twill bee noe hard matter to compute the pointe from whence those 490 yeares must bee supposed to begin which wee shal find to bee in the 6th yeare of Darius Nothus; at what time the temple being finished by Artaxerxes commaund, formerly given Ao. Regni 200. the commaund for the building of Jerusalem also was given by this Darius Nothus, Ao. Mundi, 3532, which agrees exactlye with Scaliger's irrefragable computation. But to see this difficult question fully decided, and in a few lines, I can give no such direction, as that which Gregorye hath lately given us in his excellent tract de Eris

et Epochis, cap. xi, which was publisht this last year 1649, and is a work worthye of a diligent reader.—Wr.

On referring to Rev. T. H. Horne's analytical view of Daniel, I find the following brief summary of this period. Its commencement "is fixed (Dan. ix, 25,) to the time when the order was issued for rebuilding the temple in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes. (Ezra vii, 11,) seven weeks, or fortynine years, was the temple in building (Dan. ix, 25); sixty-two weeks, or four hundred and thirty-four years more, bring us to the public manifestation of the Messiah, at the beginning of John the Baptist's preaching; and one prophetic week or seven years, added to this, will bring us to the time of our Saviour's passion, or the thirty-third year of the Christian æra,-in all 490 years."-Introduction, &c. vol. iv, p. 1, ch. vi, § 4.

For thus it is delivered by the Angel Gabriel, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people;" and again in the following verse; "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,unto the Messiah the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks, the street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublesome times; and after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off."3 Now the going out of the commandment, to build the city, being the point from whence to compute, there is no slender controversy when to begin. For there are no less than four several edicts to this effect, the one in the first year of Cyrus, the other in the second of Darius, the third and fourth in the seventh, and in the twentieth of Artaxerxes Longimanus; although as Petavius accounteth, it best accordeth unto the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, from whence Nehemiah deriveth his commission. Now that computes are made uncertainly with reference unto Christ, it is no wonder, since I perceive the time of his nativity is in controversy, and no less his age at his passion. For Clemens and Tertullian conceive he suffered at thirty; but Irenæus a father nearer his time, is further off in his account, that is, between forty and fifty.

4

Longomontanus, a late astronomer, endeavours to discover this secret from astronomical grounds, that is, the apogeum of the sun; conceiving the eccentricity invariable, and the apogeum yearly to move one scruple, two seconds, fifty thirds, &c. Wherefore if in the time of Hipparchus, that is, in the year of the Julian period, 4557, it was in the fifth degree of Gemini, and in the days of Tycho Brahe, that is, in the year of our Lord, 1588, or of the world 5554, the same was removed unto the fifth degree of Cancer; by the proportion of its motion, it was at the creation first in the beginning of Aries, and the perigeum or nearest point in Libra. But this conceit how ingenious or subtile soever, is not of satisfaction; it being not determinable, or yet agreed

3 know, &c.] Dan. ix, 25.

These dates however different from

the one in the first year, &c.] A. M. those assigned by the most eminent of 3419; 3430; 3492; 3505.-Wr. our more recent chronologists.

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