Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 23

Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture · Scripture 23

p. 497DANIEL.

CAP. I.

WHich he caried into the land of Chaldea to the temple of his false god;2 Which he caried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god, and hee brought the vessells into the treasure-house of his god. not so much for the ordinary use of his Priests, as to be laid up for monuments in the Treasure-house that pertained to his Idol god, even Bel, the god of the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians.

Such as might bee fit both for birth, and person,4 And such as had ability in them to stand in the Kings palace. and parts, to be attendants upon the Kings person, &c.

But Daniel, finding by the change of their names,8 But Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himselfe with the portion of the Kings meate, nor with the wine which he dranke, therefore he requested of the Prince of the Eunuches, that hee might not defile himselfe. that there was no other meant but a change of their religion, and manners, resolved to hold his owne holy courses; and determined in himselfe, not to eate of those Babylonian dishes, that were prepared for him by the Prince of the Eunuches; which he could not possibly doe, without much danger of defilement; since both their meat, and manner of dressing had in them much contrariety to the Law of God; therefore he requested the Prince of the Eunuches that hee might enjoy the liberty of his conscience, and might not be pressed to the use of a prohibited diet.

They were specially appointed, therefore,19 Therefore stood they before the King. to wait upon the Kings person.

CAP. II.

IN the second yeare after Daniel and his fellowes were admitted to the attendance of Nebuchadnezar,1 And in the second yeare of the reigne of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreames, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleepe brake from him. the King Nebuchadnezar dreamed a divinatory, and perplexed dreame, wherewith he was much disquieted; both, for the matter of the dreame, and for the losse of it out of his memory; the thought whereof did so afflict him, that his sleepe departed from him.

I have utterly forgotten the thing that I dreamed,5 The thing is gone from me: if yee will not make knowne unto me, the dreame, with the interpretation thereof. which for the time did exceedingly affect me; now then that which I require of you, is, to recall to my thoughts the dreame that I had, and to give me the interpretation of it, &c.

p. 4989 For ye have prepared lying, and corrupt words to speake before me, till the time be changed.Ye have intended onelyonly to delude me with lying, and delatory answers, untill some other occasions may divert me from this earnest inquiry, &c.

With him and in him is all perfection of knowledge, and power of illumination.22 The light dwelleth with him.

39 And after thee shall arise another Kingdome inferiour to thee, and another third Kingdome of brasse, which shall beare rule over all the earth.After thy line is expired, there shall arise another Kingdome of the Medes and Persians, who shall sway the scepter, yet so, as they shall not arise to that glory, and magnificence which thou hast attained; These are the brest and armes of silver, which thou sawest joyned to the golden head of thine Empire; And after this succession of government is ended, there shall come a third Kingdome in the place thereof, which shall be that of the Grecians; lesse glorious and excellent then the other of the Medes,; which shall be, as brasse in comparison of their silver, or thy gold, the extent of which third Empire shall reach to the rule of the whole earth.

40 And the fourth Kingdome shall bee strong as yron: forasmuch as yron breaketh in pieces, and subdueth all things, and as yron that breaketh all these, shall it breake in pieces, and bruise.The fourth Kingdome shall be that which shall arise out of the division of the Grecian Monarchy, upon the death of Alexander the great; in which, the severall Kings of Asia the lesse, and Syria, and Aegypt shall beare the sway; but especially, that of Seleucus Nicanor, which shall have the rule of Syria, and Babylonia, and shall over-top the rest, & offer most violence to the Church of God; which shall be as the legges of yron; in respect of strength and hardnesse; for as yron breaketh all things in pieces, so shall this tyrannicall government crush, and extremely oppresse Gods people.

41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters clay, and part of yron: the kingdome shall be divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the yron, for as much as thou sawest the yron mixt with mirie clay.And whereas thou sawest the feet, and toes, part of clay, and part of yron, it foreshewes to thee the same fourth Kingdome, divided in it selfe, and in processe of time, weakened, & sensibly abated of the former power; the yron of it figures strength, and power, but the clay, fragility, and weaknesse.

And as the toes of the feet were part of yron, and part of clay,42 And as the toes of the feet were part of yron, and part of clay, so the kingdome shall bee partly strong, and partly broken. so those substitutions, and under-governments, which shall bee subordinated to this fourth Kingdome, shall be of a mis-tempered mixture, some of them strong and able to subsist, others weake, and brittle.

43 And whereas thou sawest yron mixt with myrie clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another even as yron is not mixed with clay.And whereas thou sawest yron mixed with a baser kinde of clay; it fore-signifies, that these Kingdomes thus divided, shal indevour to unite, and conjoine themselves by leagues of marriages, for Berenice the daughter of Ptolome Philadelphus, King of Aegypt, shall be matcht with Antiochus King of Syria; but this conjunction p. 499shall not hold, neither shall be any more possible to continue, then it is possible that yron and clay should make, and hold a perfect mixture.

And in the dayes of some of those Kings,44 And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdome, which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdome shall not be left to other people, but it shall breake in peices, and consume all these Kingdomes, and it shall stand for ever. which shall be derived from this stocke, (and namely of Herod; who shall tyrannically usurpe the Kingdome of Judah) shall the God of heaven send the Messiah, and shall erect that spirituall Kingdom of his, which shal never be destroied; and this Kingdome shall be proper to Gods Church, and shall be administred, & ruled only by his anointed King, the Saviour of the world, and shall out-weare the forenamed Monarchies, and when they are extinct, and forgotten, shall last for evermore.

This Messiah is the stone,45 For as much as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountaine without hands, and that it brake in pieces the yron, the brasse, the clay, the silver, and the gold. which thou sawest cut out of the mountaine, without hands, that is ordained, and sent from heaven, by the eternall counsell and decree of the Almighty; who by his omnipotent power, and infinite wisedome, hath determined to subvert all these successions of Kingdomes, and Monarchies, according to his good pleasure, &c.

Then the King Nebuchadnezzar,46 Then the King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they shold offer an oblation, and sweet odours unto him. as admiring the propheticall spirit of Daniel, and imagining some divine power to be in him, worshipped Daniel, and commanded his people, and servants that they should offer sacrifices to him, as to a more then humane person.

Then Daniel, as desiring to prefer his parteners,49 Thē Daniel requested of the King, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affaires of the province of Babylon, but Daniel sate in the gate of the King. and colleagues, made suit to the King, that he would make Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the chiefe rulers over the Provinces of Babylon; But Daniel was appointed to be the prime officer of the Kings court.

CAP. III.

THen the Chaldeās,1 Nebuchadnezzar the King made an image of gold, whose height was three score cubits, and the breadth thereof sixe cubites, hee set it up in the plaine of Dura, in the province of Babylon. moved with envie at these Jewish governors, and desiring to have some advantage against the Jewes, moved Nebuchadnezzar to erect an image of gold (as a monument of his owne greatnesse) seventy foot high, and nine foot broad, which he set up accordingly, not in some obscure desert, but in the well knowne, and frequented plaine of Dura, in the province of Babylon; for the use of publike adoration.

There are certaine Jewes, whom,12 There are certaine Iewes, whom thou hast set over the affaires of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: these men O King, have not regarded thee, they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image, which thou hast set up. at the request of Daniel, thou hast made governours over the province of Babylon, even Shadrach, &c. these men, O King, have not given that respect to thee, which thy greatnesse p. 500requires, they are refractary to thy commands, and enemies to thy gods; refusing to serve them, or to worship thy golden image; which is so much more intolerable, for that they have dared thus to affront thee in that very province, the charge whereof thou hast commited unto them.

16 O Nebuchadnezzar we are not carefull to answere thee in this matter.O King Nebuchadnezzar, wee are not to seeke of a ready answer to this charge of thine; neither can we take any thought to avoid this danger, which thou threatnest unto us.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us.If thou have firmely and resolutely determined to deale thus with us; we know that our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us, &c.

25 And the forme of the fourth is like the Son of God.And the forme of the fourth is very bright and glorious, above the possibility of all humane beauty and resplendence.

28 And have changed the Kings word.And have boldly varied from that charge which was given by the King, &c.

CAP. IV.

8 Whose name was Belteshazzar according to the name of my god.WHose name was (since his comming to Babylon) changed to Belteshazzar, in allusion to the name of Bel, the great God of the Babylonians, &c.

13 And behold, a watcher and an holy one came downe from heaven.And behold, an holy Angell of God came downe from heaven; one, who is charged with the carefull inspection of these earthly things. And he cryed, &c.

17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones.This charge is not given by the sentence of one Angell alone, but by the joynt consent of all the powers of heaven, &c.

19 Then Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar,) was astonied for one houre, and his thoughts troubled him: the King spake and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dreame, or the interpretation thereof trouble thee, Belteshazzar answered and said, my Lord, &c.Then Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar) was much troubled in his thoughts for the space of a whole houre, not with the disquisition of the signification of the dreame, but with the consideration of those great, and fearefull things, which were portended, and fore-signified, by that dreame, unto King Nebuchadnezzar.

It is decreed in heaven, and the execution of it, is committed to the Angells of God, that thou shalt be driven from the society of men,25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eate grasse as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shal passe over thee, till thou know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdome of men. and in an extremity of a sottish melancholy, thou shalt both spend thy time amongst the beasts of the field, and repute thy selfe as one of them, and accordingly demeane thy selfe, both for thy diet, and lodging; so as whiles thou liest abroad, thou shalt bee wet with the dew of heaven; and seven p. 501yeares shall passe over thee, in this forlorne condition, till God have throughly humbled thee, and taught thee to know, and acknowledge his infinite power, &c.

Wherfore, O King, as it hath pleased thee to inquire my interpretation of this dreame of thine,27 Wherefore, O King, let my counsell bee acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sinnes by righteousnesse, and thine iniquities by shewing merciemercy to the poore, if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillitie. so now vouchsafe to accept, and regard the counsell which I doe thereupon give thee; since God hath threatned these things against thee, be thou carefull to turne away from those sinnes wherewith thou hast provoked him, unto an holy and righteous cariage before him; in stead of those sinfull courses which thou hast hitherto taken, resolve now to demeane thy selfe religiously, towards God, and mercifully towards his afflicted people; and if there be any possible meanes to continue thy peace, and welfare, this is it which I have now prescribed thee.

All that time hee endured, abroad,33 And his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his haire was growne like Eagles feathers, and his nailes like birds clawes. the extremity of the cold in winter, and of the scorching heat in summer; untill his haire was over-growne to cover his body, in a savage manner, and his nailes were growne over his fingers like clawes, so as he was become not more neglected, then monstrous, and deformed.

CAP. V.

NOw when those seventy yeares were expired,1 Belshazzar the King made a great feast to a thousand of his Lords, and dranke wine before the thousand. which God had appointed for the reigne of Nebuchadnezzar, and his issue, Belshazzar, his debauched grand-child made a sumptuous feast, to a thousand of his Lords and (besides his custome) sat with them openly, at that royall banquet.

Belshazzar whiles he was drinking wine,2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessells, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Ierusalem, that the King and his Princes, his wives and his concubines might drinke therein. commanded (in a scorne and reproach to God) to bring forth those vessells of gold, and silver, which his Grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had brought out from the Temple of God, which was in Jerusalem; that the King, and his Princes, his wives, and concubines, might please themselves in insulting upon that God, whose spoyles they were.

So verse 3.

And, as they dranke their wine in these once-hallowed vessells; they triumphed over that God,4 They dranke wine and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brasse, of yron, of wood, and of stone. to whom they had beene consecrated; and magnified the power of their idolls of gold, and silver, &c. as if by their might these victories had beene atchived, and these rich spoiles obtained.

p. 5025 In the same houre came foorth fingers of a mans hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the Kings palace, and the King saw the part of the hand that wrote.In the very same houre, whiles they were offering this affront to the God of heaven, it pleased the just & powerfull God, to shew, that he tooke notice of this presumptuous impiety; and therefore hee caused a sudden and dreadfull apparition of the fingers of a mans hand, as it were, writing over against the Candlestick, where it might best be seene, upon the plaister of the wall of the banqueting house; and the King only, at first, saw these fingers that thus wrote.

Then the Kings colour began to goe away, and he waxed pale,6 Then the Kings countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joynts of his loines were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. and gastly; and his minde was so troubled at this fearefull, and strange sight, that he grew (as it were) suddainly paralytick; his joynts seemed, as if they had beene quite loosed, and, in an extremity of trembling, his knees smote one against another.

And this is the writing that is written, Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin;25 And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel Vpharsin; that is, God hath perfectly numbred and reckoned up the daies both of the Babylonish Empire, and the Jewish captivity; and their utmost date is now comne; And the same God hath well considered all thy waies, and actions; and hath found thee utterly unanswerable both to his benefits, and to thine owne place; and therefore hath determined to cast thee aside, as light gold, not fit for further use; And now hath taken a course to cut thee off from the earth; and to give thy Kingdome into the hands of the Medes and Persians.

30 In that night was Belshazzar the King of the Chaldeans slaine.And accordingly that very night Belshazzar the King was slaine by the hands of Gadata, and Gobrya, two of Cyrus his noblemen; who, that very night, surprized Babylon, and became Lord of that Monarchie.

31 And Darius the Median tooke the Kingdome, being about threescore and two yeares old.And Darius, the Median, father in law to Cyrus, by the consent and appointment of Cyrus, (whom he had aided in this warre) tooke upon him the Kingdome, being threescore and two yeares old.

CAP. VI.

4 Then the presidents and princes sought to finde occasiō against Daniel concerning the Kingdome, but they could finde none occasion nor fault.THen the other two presidents, and the hundred and twenty Princes sought to get some advantage against Daniel, in matter of government, or accounts for the Kings profits, but they could finde none, &c.

All we the presidents and governours, and Princes of thy Kingdomes,7 All the presidents of the Kingdome, the governours, and the Princes, the counsellers and the captains have consulted together to establish a royall statute, & to make a firme decree, that whosoever shall aske a petition of any god or mā for thirty daies save of thee O King, he shall be cast into the den of Lions. have consulted, which way we may doe thee the most honor; and most ingratiate thee with thy subjects, now, at thy first entrance into thy throne; and we have found no way more faire, and plausible then this p. 503we have decreed, that none of thy subjects shall (for the space of thirty daies) make any petition to any God, or man, save to thee, O King; that by this meanes they may be brought and inured to an awfull, and divine conceit of thy greatnesse, and may be incouraged to have accesse unto thee, for the more indearing of thee to them, upon the grant of their suites; and, if any man shall violate this decree, we have sentenced him to be cast into the den of Lyons.

Now,10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, hee went into his house, and his windowes being open in his chamber toward Ierusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, & gave thankes before his God, as he did afore time. when Daniel knew that this writing was signed (which he well understood to be irrevocable) he, notwithstanding, continued his wonted devotions, to his God; He therefore, being in his house (not willing to conceale his pious exercises) opened the window of his chamber, to the south-west-ward, that he might (according to Salomons word, and the practice of Gods people) looke towards the Temple (though now demolished) and kneeling upon his knees, three times a day, at morning, noone, and evening, he prayed to God, and gave thankes before his God, as he had wont.

He bent all his thoughts,14 And set his heart on Daniel to deliver him, &c. and laboured by all meanes possible to deliver Daniel.

CAP. VII.

I Saw in my vision by night; and behold,2 Daniel spake, and said, I saw in my visiō by night, and behold, the foure winds of the haevē strove upon the great Sea. to shew mee the blustring and unsteddy state of all these earthly Kingdomes, and affaires, me thought, the foure windes of the heaven blew, and fought (as it were) together upon the great sea.

And from that sea (which signifies the world) there arose foure great beasts, divers one from another,3 And foure great beasts came up from the Sea, divers one from another. to represent those foure great Monarchies, whereby the Kingdomes of the earth are swayed; which had and shall have different formes of administration.

The first, which was the Babylonian Monarchy,4 The first was like a Lion, & had Eagles wings, and I beheld till the wings thereof were pluckt, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feete as a man, and a mans heart was given to it. was a Lyon, in respect of the power and fiercenesse thereof; but this Lyon had Eagles wings, to shew the incredible swiftnesse, and speed of his conquests. And I beheld, till those severall regions, and commands, wherewith the Babylonian had fethered himselfe, and furnished his empire, were pluckt away, by the hands of the Medes and Persians; so as now these wings of his soveraintie, being pulled and plumed, (wherewith he formerly soared up) he was faine to trust to his feet; and therein to finde his owne weakenesse; whereby his courage was so abated, p. 504that in stead of the stoutnesse of a Lyon, he was glad to take up with the weake heart of a man.

5 And behold, another beast, a second like to a bear and it raised up it selfe on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it, and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.The second Monarchie of the Persians, was figured by the second beast, it was like a beare, lesse noble, and generous then the Babylonian; more slow, and dull, but no lesse cruell; and it raised up one dominion of all those former Kingdomes, united to the Babylonian empire; and this devouring beast had three ribs in his mouth; to shew the torne and wasted remainders of all those Kingdomes (in all the three coasts of the knowne habitable world,) which he hath greedily eaten up; to whom it was by the just decree of the Almighty encharged, that hee should rouze up himselfe, and destroy many nations, in revenge of those quarrells that God had against them.

6 After this I beheld, and loe, another like a leopard, which had upon the back of it foure wings of a fowle, the beast had also foure heads, and dominion was given to it.After this, I beheld, and loe the third Monarchy of the Macedonian or Graecian, (being presented by a Leopard) succeeded; more fierce and subtile then that other of the Medes; which, by reason of the exceeding swiftnesse of dispatch (especially of Alexander the great, in his atchievements) had foure wings attributed unto it, This great Empire was divided (upon the death of Alexander) into foure Kingdomes; and for the time, it was of great power, and large dominion.

After this, there was in my night visions, represented unto me,7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadfull and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great yron teeth; it devoured & brake in peeces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it, and it was divers from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten hornes. the tyrannous Asiaticke kingdome, in the figure of a fourth beast, which was dreadfull, and terrible, and exceedingly strong; it had great teeth of yron, to signifie those cruell pressures, wherewith it should teare and grinde the distressed remainders of Gods people; and it did accordingly exercise extreame tyranny over them, by devouring them, and crashing their bones in peeces, and stamping them under his feet; and this beast, as it could not (by reason of the many varieties which were found in this government) be figured by any one shape, so was it, in the fell and bloody disposition thereof, quite different from the former; And in this regiment there shall ten Kings succeed; which were represented by the ten hornes of this beast.

8 I considered the hornes, and behold, there came up among them another little horne, before whom there were three of the first hornes pluckt up by the rootes, and behold in this horne were, &c.And I tooke good view of those ten hornes, which signified the ten Kings; and I saw one little horne, which came forth amongst the rest, & the last of the ten, which in the comming up, defeated three of those ten; and behold in this horne, there were eyes of sharpe understanding, and quick conceit; but, withall, there was a mouth which was full of blasphemy.

9 I beheld til the thrones were cast downe, and the ancient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snow, and the haire of his head, like the pure wooll; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheeles as burning fire.As in my vision I saw the erection, and the standing of these great Monarchicall thrones, so I saw the casting of p. 505them downe, by the long-suffering, yet just hand of the Almighty: for which purpose, I saw a glorious representation of his judgement set; and therein was a majesticall resemblance of the Judge, even the eternall God, whose being was before all times; who was all compassed about with perfect purity, and righteousnesse, signified by the whitenesse of his garment, and his haire; his throne was full of terrour, even like to a fiery flame; and the wheeles (on which it stood) were as a burning fire; to shew that his judgements will unavoidably finde out his enemies, and consume them.

To the same purpose was there a representation of a fiery streame, issuing forth from before him,10 A fiery stream issued, & came forth from before him, thousand thousands ministred unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him, the Iudgement was set, and the bookes were opened. signifying the execution of his vengeance upon his enemies; infinite numbers of glorious spirits stood before him, to waite upon his Majesty; & according to the formes of humane Judicature, there were laid open the acts, and most certaine records of those things which had beene done by these foure beasts; but especially by the last of them.

I beheld then, and I saw the last Monarchie,11 I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horne spake; I beheld even till the beast was slaine, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. and that proud horne thereof (the last King of that ranke) whose mouth had dared to speake those great blasphemies, called to reckoning for those notorious impieties, and himselfe destroyed, and cast into that unquenchable fire.

As concerning the rest of those Monarchies,12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. they had (by the just decree of this Judge,) their dominions weakened, and in a sort extinguished; yet so, that they had some small remainders of a being, till the appointed time that God had set for the Romanes to put a full dispatch unto them.

Moreover, I had, in my night visions,13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the son of man, came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of daies, & they brought him neere before him. represented unto me one, like to Jesus Christ, the Son of man, (who is withall, the eternall son of God) who to shew his deity, came in the clouds of heaven to descend to the earth; and now, in the fulnesse of time, came to take our nature upon him, and to accomplish the great worke of mans redemption; who presented himselfe before God the Father, as the Mediator betwixt him, and mankinde.

And there was all power given him in heaven,14 And there was given him dominion and glory, and a Kingdome that all people, nations and languages should serve him, his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not passe away, and his Kingdome that, which shall not be destroyed. and earth; and he was, by the eternall decree of God, appointed to be the glorious King of his Church for ever; so as there can be neither any bounds, nor any terme of his dominion.

p. 50615 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.I Daniel was much perplexed in my thoughts at the consideration of these wondrous visions, and was unquiet in my selfe, till I might attaine to the interpretation thereof.

16 I came neere unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this; so he told me, and made me know the interpretation.I came therefore (me thought) to one of those glorious Angells, which stood about the throne, and inquired of him the meaning, and purpose of these representations, &c.

17 These great beasts, which are foure, are foure Kings which shall arise out of the earth.These great beasts which are foure, are the resemblances of foure great Empires, which shall successively arise on the earth; The Babylonian, Persian, Macedonian, Asian.

18 But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdome, and possesse the Kingdome for ever, even for ever and ever.But at last, after all the persecutions, and oppressions of violent enemies, the Church and Saints of God shall prevaile, and shall have, and enjoy, the benefit of the perpetuall and peaceable government of Christ, their King, for evermore.

19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast.Then was I earnestly inquisitive after the signification of the fourth beast, &c.

See verse 7. and 8.

21 I beheld, & the same horne made war with the Saints, and prevailed against them.I beheld, and that last horne (which was the last of the race of Seleucus) persecuted Gods people exceedingly, and prevailed against them.

23 Thus hee said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth Kingdome upon earth, which shall be divers from all Kingdomes, and shall devoure the whole earth, and shall tread it downe, and breake it in pieces.Thus he said, the fourth beast resembleth the fourth of these great imperiall governments, which shall bee worse to Gods people then all the rest; this shall be the usurped Kingdome of the posterity of Seleucus Nicanor, which, upon the extinction of the line of Alexander the great, shall set up a new Kingdome in Babylon; and tyrannize most cruelly over the Church of God, the people of the Jewes; and waste, and destroy it, to his utmost.

24 And the ten hornes out of this Kingdome are tenne Kings that shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be divers from the first, and hee shall subdue three Kings.And the ten hornes, are ten severall Kings, which shall arise and succeed, out of this stock, in this government; and the last of the ten (which shall be more cruell, then his fellowes) shall be that bloody King, Antiochus Epiphanes, who shall defeat, and displace three Kings, to make roome for himselfe.

25 And he shall speake great words against the most High, and shall weare out the Saints of the most High, and thinke to change times and lawes; and they shal be given into his hand, untill a time and times, and the dividing of time.And he shall blasphemously, and impiously oppose himselfe against the religion of the most high God, and shal indeavour, all he can, to root out the Jewish people, and shall goe about to change, or abrogate, their solemnities, and their lawes; and they shall (in the just proceedings of God) be given up into his hand, for the space of three yeares, and somewhat more.

p. 507But the powerfull and righteous Judge of the world,26 But the judgement shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume, and to destroy it unto the end. who noteth all his wicked courses, shall soone call him to account for all his cursed impiety, and intolerable cruelty; and shall bring his Kingdome to utter ruine.

And after this the Son of God being exhibited upon earth, his Church shall be enlarged,27 And the Kingdome and dominion, & the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven, shal be given to the people of the Saints of the most High, whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. so as all the Kingdomes & dominions upon earth shall submit themselves to the regiment of their God, and Saviour.

Hitherto, I have related the speech, which the Angel had with me,28 Hitherto is the end of the matter; As for mee Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me but I kept the matter in my heart. concerning these great affaires of the Church, and the world; As for me Daniel, my thoughts were much perplexed with the consideration of these wonderfull visions; and my very countenance could not but bewray much trouble in my heart; but I did carefully lay up, and meditate on all these dreadfull representations.

CAP. VIII.

THere was a second vision represented unto me,2 And I saw in a vision, and it came to passe when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam, and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Vlai. wherin, me thought, I was at Shushan, in the royall palace, within the borders of Persia; and was sitting by the river Ulai; which runneth by the said Palace, and city.

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and I saw certaine other resemblances of those same three Kingdomes, and Monarchies, which shall follow upon the expiration of this of Babylon, which is now neare to an end;3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river, a ramme which had two hornes, and the two hornes were high, but one was higher then the other, & the higher came up last. the first wherof was represented to me, under the type of a ramme with two hornes, in signification of the two Kingdomes united of Media and Persia, and these two soveraignties were very high and great; but the Median government was in time before that of Persia; and the higher in power was the later in time.

I saw this Persian Monarchy assayling all the nations round about, both towards the West, and the North,4 I saw the ramme pushing west-ward, & north-ward, and south-ward, so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand, but hee did according to his will & became great. and the South; neither could any Kingdome stand before it, or be free from the power, and subjugation thereof; by the spoiles and ruines of all which, this Kingdome became great.

And, as I was considering, behold a rough goate, figuring the Grecian, or Macedonian Empire,5 And as I was considering, behold, an hee goate came from the West on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horne betweene his eyes. came from p. 508the West, and invaded all the Kingdomes of the earth; and he came on, so swiftly, as if he had not touched the ground in his passage; and this Empire was famoused, and enlarged by an eminent King, which was Alexander the Great, who is set forth by that notable horne, which arose betweene the eyes of this Grecian goate.

6 And hee came to the ram that had two hornes, which I had seen standing before the river, and ranne unto him in the furie of his power.And this Macedonian Monarch came to the Persian Ramme, which had those two great titles, & Kingdomes; and set upon him in the fury of his great, and unresistible power.

And I saw him assault the Persian Monarchy, being moved with choler,7 And I saw him come close unto the ramme, and he was moved with choller against him, and smote the ramme, and brake his two hornes, and there was no power in the ramme to stand before him. and rage, and smite it, and break off his two great dominions of Media and Persia; and there was no power in the Persian to stand before him, &c.

Therefore the Macedonian Monarchy waxed very great, and strong: and when it was at the strongest, Alexander the great (who was the remarkable horne betwixt the eyes of that goat) (in his returne from his Eastern conquest) died;8 Therefore the heegoat waxed very great, and when hee was strong, the great horne was broken, and for it came up foure notable ones, toward the oufre windes of heaven. and in his stead came up foure governours, which were the chiefe commanders under him, and divided his Kingdomes amongst them; even in all the coasts of the world; Cassander possessed himselfe of Macedonia, Seleucus of Syria, Antigonus of Asia the lesse, and Ptolomee of Aegypt.

9 And out of one of them came forth a little horne, which waxed exceeding great, toward the South and toward the East, and towards the pleasant land.And shortly after, the government comming into two hands, Seleucus of Syria, and Ptolomee of Aegypt, out of the one of them (namely Seleucus) there came forth, at last, a King, which seemed but of small power at his first beginnings; even Antiochus Epiphanes, who became afterwards exceeding great, extending his dominions both to the Southward, and to the East, and to the choice, and pleasant land of Judea.

10 And it waxed great even to the host of heaven, and it cast downe some of the host, and of the starres to the ground, and stamped upon them.And this King grew mighty, and insolent; daring to warre against the God of heaven, & his Saints on earth; and against some o… them he prevailed accordingly; casting to the ground, and trampling upon those that were most noted for piety, and holinesse.

11 Yea hee magnified himselfe even to the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast downe.Yea, he presumed to exalt himselfe so farre, as to offer defiance to the God of heaven; and by him, the daily sacrifice (which God hath injoyned to his people, and all the publike service required by Gods Law) was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary defiled and broken downe.

12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast downe the truth to the ground, and it practised and prospered.And a whole armie of apostates were given over (by reason of their great sinnes and transgressions) to take p. 509part with him against the holy worship of God; and they spightfully opposed the truth of God, and prevailed in their impious practices.

Then I heard one Angell speaking;13 Then I heard one Saint speaking, and another Saint said unto that certaine Saint which spake, How long shall bee the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the trāsgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary, and the host to be troden underfoot? even an Angell speaking to Christ, the eternall Son of God, who hath all secrets exactly numbred; and saying to him; How long shall be the continuance of the matter contained in this vision? how long shall the daily sacrifice be abolished, and interdicted? How long shall be the time of this desolation, which our transgressions have caused? How long shall it be, that the sanctuary, and the people of God shall be troden under foot?

And he said unto me,14 And he said unto me, VntoUnto two thousand and three hundred dayes, then shall the sanctuary bee cleansed. (in whose behalfe this question was moved by the Angell) It shall bee for the space of two thousand, and three hundred naturall dayes, or, sixe yeares, three moneths, and eighteene dayes; at the end whereof the sanctuary shall be cleansed, and Gods worship restored.

And I heard the voice of him,16 And I heard a mans voice betweene the banks of Vlai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. who was the word of his father, speaking in the tone of a man, betwixt the banks of Vlai; which called, and said, Gabriel, it is the pleasure of him who is the God of spirits, that thou make this man to understand the vision.

Vnderstand, O Sonne of man;17 Vnderstand O Son of man, for at the time of the end shall be the vision. for at the expiration of the time determined, shall this vision be accomplished.

See verse 2. of this chapter.

The interpretation of the rest of this Chapter is in the precedent verses.20 The ramme which thou sawest having two hornes, are the Kings of Media, and Persia.

And towards the latter end of the Kingdome of the Seleucidae, when the transgressions of the world,23 And in the later times of their Kingdome, when the transgressions are come to the full, a King of fierce countenance, and understanding darke sentences, shall stand up. and of my people are come to their full height, there shall arise a King of a fierce countenance, and disposition; and one that is of a great wit, and deepe understanding; even Antiochus Epiphanes.

And his power shall be great; yet shall not hee doe so great things by his power, as by his craft, and suttlety;24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his owne power, and he shall destroy wonderfully. by both, he shall destroy wonderfully, &c.

By faire, and colourable treaties,24 And by peace shall destroy many, he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall bee broken without hand. and pretences of p. 510peace he shall destroy many; hee shall exalt himselfe against God himselfe; but he shall speed accordingly; for he shall be brought to a most miserable death by the immediate hand of God, plaguing him for all his wickednesses.

And the vision which concerned the continuance of this calamity for the space of so many naturall dayes,26 And the vision of the evening, and the morning which was told, is true; wherefore shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many dayes. as are therein expressed (namely 2300.) is true, wherefore make thou ful account of the performance of all this vision; and keepe it close to thy selfe; for it will be long, ere all things contained in these severall visions shall be accordingly accomplished; even no lesse then the space of three hundred yeares.

I was secretly astonished in my selfe at the consideratiō of this vision,27 And I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. but I kept it to my selfe, (according to the command of God by his Angell) and did not reveale it unto any man.

CAP. IX.

2 I Daniel understood by bookes the number of the peeces, whereof the word of the Lord came to to Ieremiah the prophet that he should accomplish seventy peeces in the desolations of Ierusalem.I Daniel understood by the relation of those histories, which were written of those affaires, & times, that the number of yeares, which God had in his word to Jeremiah the Prophet, predefined, for the continuance of the captivity of the Jewes, and the desolation of Jerusalem, viz. seventy yeares, were now neare to their expiration.

14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evill, and brought it upon us.Therefore the Lord hath let slip no oportunitie, nor no meanes, that might inflict just punishment upon us, &c.

21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seene in the vision at the begining, being caused to flie swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.Whiles I was uttering my prayer unto God; The Angell Gabriel, whom I had seene before in my late vision, being sent immediately from God, came to me, and cheared me up, about the time of the Evening sacrifice.

24 Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousnes, and to seale up the vision and prophesie, and to anoint the most Holy.Within the space of foure hundred, and ninety yeares (which are seventy weekes of yeares, or seventy times seven) the people of God shall have a double blessing happily conferred upon them; that is, a free and gratious remission of sinne, and everlasting righteousnesse, by the exhibition, and by the death, and passion of Christ the Saviour, who shall fulfill all those prophesies which have p. 511beene before of him, and shall preach to the world that saving Gospell, which is only able to give them life; and by his eternall Priesthood shall make way for his Church, to the true Holy of holies, even the glorious sanctuary of heaven.

Know therefore, and understand, that from the first yeare of King Cyrus,25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandement to restore and to build Ierusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weekes, and three score and two weeks, the street shall be built againe, and the wall even in troblous times. wherein his edict goes forth for the returne of the Jewes to their native country, and for the building of Jerusalem, untill the death and accomplishment of the great worke of the Messiah, shall bee foure hundred and ninty yeares; or seventy weekes of yeares (accounting seven yeares to a weeke;) which said number of four hundred ninty yeares, shall be thus reckoned and subdivided; fourty nine of the first yeares (which are seven weekes of yeares) shall be taken up in the building of the Temple, and restauration of Gods worship, and service: from thenceforth to the last septenary of yeares, when the Messiah shall suffer death, shall be foure hundred thirty foure years; In which time the city and the walls shall indeed bee built up, but the people of the Jewes shall undergoe manifold troubles and vexations.

And after the end of the said foure hundred thirty foure yeares, from the restitution of the Temple,26 And after threescore and two weekes, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himselfe, and the people of the Prince that shall come, shall destroy the citie, and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the warre desolations are determined. shall the Messiah bee slaine, not for any cause that shall bee found in him, but for the sinnes of men, which by that redemption, he shall expiate; neither shall he have any more part in that city; for the Romans shall soone after come, and destroy Jerusalem, and the Temple; and shall sweepe away all before them, like some violent inundation of a flood; and, from the beginning to the very end of this warre, there shall be grievous desolations to this people.

And in the last of those septenaries,27 And hee shall confirme the Covenant with many for one weeke: and in the midst of the weeke he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the over-spreading of abhominations hee shall make it desolate, even untill the consummation, and that determined shall bee powred upon the desolate. he shall by preaching of the Gospell of peace and institution of Evangelicall sacraments, establish and confirme his everlasting Covenant with all beleevers; and in the midst of that septenary, he shall put an end to all the legall sacrifices, and rites, by his one all-sufficient sacrifice made for the sinnes of the world; And, for the sinfull citie Jerusalem, he shall cause it to be over-runne with the abhominable Legions of the Roman victors to the utter desolation thereof, and shall not cease till all the judgements which are determined unto it, be fully consummated, and poured out upon that miserable citie.

p. 512CAP. X.

4 As I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel.I Was (in vision) by the side of the great river Tigris.

5 Then I lift up mine eyes and looked, & behold a certaine man clothed in linnen, whose loines were girded with fine gold of Vphaz.And behold, the Sonne of God stood before mee, in the forme of a man clothed in pure white linnen (to signifie his perfect holinesse) and his loines were girt about with a girdle of the finest gold.

His body was of a bright celestial colour; and his face glorious, and shining, like the appearance of lightning; his eyes (from which nothing can be hid) were beamie,6 His body also was like the Berill, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his armes, and his feet like in colour to polished brasse, & the voice of his words, like the voice of a multitude. and piercing, like flames of fire; his armes, and feet were resplēdent, like to polisht brasse, to signifie the purenesse and unquestionable perfection of his proceedings; and the voice of his words was mighty, and forcible.

And when I heard the dreadfull voice of his words, I was cast (as it were) into an extasie; with my face groveling to the ground; being, for the time, bereft of the use of my senses,9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleepe on my face, and my face toward the ground. through astonishment.

But that Angell which hath the guardian-ship of the Kingdome of Persia, pleaded earnestly with mee, for these one and twenty daies, in a desire to retaine thy people somewhat longer; but loe, Michael, one of the chiefe of Angels,13 But the Prince of the Kingdome of Persia withstood me one & twenty daies; but loe, Michael one of the chiefe Princes came to helpe me, and I remained there with the Kings of Persia. who standeth out in favour of thy nation, came to advance, and to set forward the execution of my will, concerning my Church; But I decreed for holy and just causes, to withhold my appearance from thee, for a time upon the occasion of the affaires of the King of Persia.

I am induced to interpret this Prince of the Kingdome of Persia, to bee an Angell; because, in the same verse, and verse 21. Michael is termed the Prince of Israel; and one Prince of these Spirituall governments is brought in pleading against another; Neither is it probable that Christ is here meant by Michael, sith it is▪ hee who in this glorious appearance speaketh to Daniel, concerning Michael.

20 Then said he, knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I returne to fight with the Prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, loe the prince of Grecia shal come.Knowest thou wherefore I came unto thee? Even least thou shouldst thinke thy selfe neglected by my absence, or delay; and now, I will returne to plead with the Angell of Persia for your remove; and when I, together with my people am gone forth thence, the Angell that is for Greece, shall come, & prevail mightily against the Persian Kingdome.

21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth, and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince.But I will shew thee the particularities of these passages, which are enrolled in the counsell of Gods everlasting decree; wherein, I will let thee know, that neither p. 513the Persian, nor the Grecian Monarchy shal long subsist; but ye, my Jewish people, shall not be cut off, notwithstanding the great malice of your enemies, neither shall ye need to feare; for Michael your Prince, and spirituall Guardian, is ready at hand to attend your safety, and to yeeld his service to mee, in your protection.

CAP. XI.

ALso, I, in the first yeare of Darius the Mede,1 Also, I in the first yeare of Darius the Mede, even I stood to confirme and to strengthen him. even I (though insensibly to men) stood out for the confirmation of that Monarchy of his.

And now I will shew thee the true event of future things. Behold,2 And now will I shew thee the truth, Behold, there shall stand up yet three Kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be farre richer then they all; and by his strength through his riches he shall stirre up all against the Realme of Grecia. there shall stand up three Kings successively in Persia, after this Darius, who shall yeeld up his Kingdome to his partner, and successor; namely Cyrus, Cambyses his sonne, and Darius Histaspis; And the fourth (which shall be Xerxes the son of that later Darius) shall be farre richer then they all; both through the treasures left by his father, and his owne exactions; and in the pride and confidence of his strength, and great riches, he shall stirre up all those of the East, to warre against Grecia.

But, a mighty King, even Alexander of Macedon,3 And a mighty King shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and doe according to his will. shall stand out against him, and shal over-throw the Persians; and shall rule very powerfully, & with great freedome, and absolutenesse.

And when he shall have thus overcomne,4 And when hee shall stand up, his Kingdome shal bee broken, and shall bee divided toward the foure windes of heaven; and not to his posteritie nor according to his dominiō which he ruled: for his Kingdome shall be plucked up, even for others besides those. and continued his Monarchy for seven yeares, his Kingdome shall be broken in peeces; and shall be divided amongst his foure peeres, towards all the foure coasts of heaven; divided, I say, not to his posterity, for the two sons of Alexander the great, (namely Alexander, and Hercules) shall shortly after die without issue; but to foure of his chiefe commanders, Seleucus shall have Babylon, Cassander Macedonia, Antigonus Asia, and Ptolomee Aegypt; but these Kings shall not be able to carry that sway and greatnesse, (in this subdivision of their state) which that great Monarch bore before them; For his Kingdom shall be pluckt up, and parcelled out to others besides them of his owne loines.

Now, I shall tell thee what shall befall,5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and of one of his princes, and hee shall be strong above him, and have dominion. after this division; in the intercourse of the affaires betwixt two of these great sharers of the Monarchy; The King of Aegypt (who is the King of the south) shall be strong, and mighty; and one other of the posterity of one of those p. 514Princes (even of Seleucus Nicanor) shal be stronger then he, &c.

6 And in the end of yeares they shall joyne themselves together: for the Kings daughter of the South shall come to the King of the North, to make an agreement, but he shal not retaine the power of the arme, neither shall he stand nor his arme, but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and hee that strengthened her in these times.And after some yeares these two Princes, the one being the King of Aegypt, or of the South; the other, the King of Syria, or of the North, shall joyne in a league together; For the King of Aegypts daughter (viz. Berenice, the daughter of Ptolomee Philadelphus) shall match in mariage with Antiochus Theos, the King of Syria; But she shall not able to maintaine, and continue either her mariage, or the league betwixt those Kings; Neither shall the said Antiochus hold firme to his ingagements, but the said Berenice shall be forsaken, and given up by Antiochus, who shall receive againe his former wife Laodice, lately cast off, (to make way to that other wedlock with Berenice) and afterwards, upon warre hereupon raised betwixt Ptolomeus Euergetes, the brother of Berenice, and Antiochus King of Syria, she shall (together which her sonne, and all her retinue) fall into the hands of Seleucus Callinicus the Sonne of her rivall Laodice, and by him be miserably slaine.

7 But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate▪ which shall come with an armie, and shall enter into the fortresse of the King of the North.But out of the same stock whence she came, shall one stand up, in revenge of her death, even her brother Ptolomee Euergetes, which shall come with an armie, and enter into the fortresse of the King of Syria, &c.

So when these things are thus dispatched in Syria, the King of Aegypt shall come backe, and returne into his owne land.9 So the King of the South shall come into his Kingdome, and shall returne into his owne land.

But the sonnes of Seleucus Callinicus, King of Syria, (which were Seleucus, Ceraunus, and Antiochus the great) not digesting this defeat,10 But his Sonnes shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, & overflow and passe through: then shall he returne, and bee stirred up even to his fortresse. and slaughter, shall raise a new warre against the King of Aegypt, and gathering great forces together, shall come powerfully up to invade, and recover those parts of Syria, whence they were driven; and one of them, shall so farre prevaile by his strong incursions, that he shall passe… thorough Syria and Judea, and having rescued them, shall returne to his owne fortresse.

And the King of Aegypt, Ptolomee Philopator, being herewith exeedingly moved to rage,11 And the King of the South shal be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the King of the North: and hee shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his hand. and desire of revenge, shall come forth the third time, and fight with the King of Syria, viz. Antiochus the great; and shall bring a great and mighty army against him; the issue whereof shall be, that the forces of Antiochus shall bee delivered into the hands of Philopator the King of Aegypt; and Syria, by this meanes, againe recovered from him.

12 And when hee hath taken away the multitude his heart shall be lifted up, and he shall cast down many ten thousands, but hee shall not bee strengthened by it.And when he hath had this great victory, the heart of the King of Aegypt shall be lifted up with pride; and p. 415he shall fall to a cruell persecution of Gods people, wherof he shall slay many thousands, but all this weakening of his pretended enemies, shall be no strengthening of his power.

For the King of Syria (Antiochus the great) shall yet againe come upon the Aegyptian with greater forces,13 For the King of the North shall returne, and shall set forth a multitude greater then the former, & shall certainly come (after certaine yeares) with a great army, & with much riches. then the former, and shall set upon him more strongly, and fiercely then before.

And in those daies many of the neighbour nations shall take part against the King of Aegypt;14 And in those times there shall many stand up against the King of the South: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision, but they shall fall. also many of thy people shall turne Apostates, following Onias, and to fulfill that prophesie of Esaiah (That the altar of the Lord shall be in Aegypt) shall build a Temple at Heliopolis; but they shall faile of their hopes, and utterly miscarry.

So Antiochus the great King of Syria, shall come,15 So the King of the North shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities; and the armes of the South shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there bee any strength to withstand. and besiege the strongest cities and forts of Aegypt, and shall take them; and the forces of Aegypt shall not be able to stand against him.

But the said Antiochus comming against the Aegyptian, shall doe what he pleases,16 But he that commeth against him shall doe according to his owne will, and none shal stand before him, and he shal stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed. and none shall so much as resist him; and when he hath subdued that land, he shall also seize upon Judea (that glorious land of Gods chosen people) and shall lay it waste by his powerfull armie.

And he the said Antiochus shall addresse himselfe and the whole power of his Kingdome,17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strēgth of his whole Kingdome, and upright ones with him: thus shall he do, and he shall give him the daughter of women corrupting her: but shee shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. (and that not without faire and plausible conditions) to get the full and peaceable possession of Aegypt; for which cause, hee shall give his daughter Cleopatra, to wife, unto Ptolomee Epiphanes; treating with her by corrupt counsell to destroy her husband; but she shall not be mis-carryed by that wicked counsell of her father, but shall rather favor and adhere to her husband.

After this,18 After this shall hee turne his face unto the Iles, and shall take many, but a Prince for his owne behalfe shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease without his owne reproach, he shall cause it to turne upon him. shall Antiochus King of Syria set upon more remote nations, and shall take many of them; but the Romane Governour shall soone represse him, and take away the reproach cast upon that state, by those his victories, and shall returne the reproach of a foile upon p. 516him, in forcing him to dishonourable conditions, of disclaiming any right in, or challenge to Europe, for ever after.

19 Then he shall turne his face towards the fort of his owne land: but hee shall stumble and fall.Then shall he be glad to retyre himselfe to his owne forts in Syria; but even there, he shall miserably mis-carry; for, whiles he shall goe about a sacrilegious pillage of his Idoll Temple by night, the inhabitants shall fall (in great indignation) upon him and his souldiers, and kill them in the place.

After him, there shall succeed in his roome, a sonne of his,20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the Kingdome, but within few daies he shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle. Seleucus Philopator, or Soter, who shall be a great exactor upon his subjects, and a spoiler of the sacred treasures of the Temple; but within a few daies after this sacrilegious practice, he shall be destroyed by poyson, in the hand of Heliodorus, by the subornation of his brother Antiochus Epiphanes, affecting the Kingdome after him.

And, in his place, shall thereupon succeed a vile and notoriously-wicked,21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdome, but he shall come in peaceably, and obtaine the Kingdome by flatteries. and infamous person, even Antiochus Epiphanes; to whom, the States of that Kingdome shall not willingly yeeld the regiment thereof, but he shal by treachery, and secret circumvention worke himselfe into the throne, so as he shall come in, without any publike opposition, aad shall by fraud, and flattery possesse himselfe thereof.

22 And with the armes of a flood shall they be overflowen from before him and shal be broken, yea also the Prince of the covenant.But, when he is once setled in the throne, he shall as it were, with a strong deluge, beare over, and kill those that stood against him, yea even his brother Seleucus; (or, rather Ptolomeus Philometor,) who joyned in the league with him, shall be spoiled by him.

23 And after the league made with him, hee shall worke deceitfully, for hee shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.And, after the league made thus with Philometor, he shall worke deceitfully, for he shall (upon faire pretences of friendship to his nephew) come into Aegypt with a very small troup; but such pick't and able men, as by whose hands he shall doe great matters.

He shall upon these pretences enter peaceably upon those territories of Syria,24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province, and he shall doe that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers fathers, he shall scatter among them the prey and spoile, and riches, yea and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds even for a time. which were under the command of the Aegyptian, and shall set garison souldiers in the chiefe forts, which his fathers never did before him, and he shall corrupt the souldiers with bribes; to make them his; and shall lay plots for the taking of the strongest holds of Syria; when he shall finde the time fit for his purposes.

p. 517And he shall raise great forces against the King of Aegypt, his nephew, the son of his sister Cleopatra,25 And he shall stirre up his power, and his courage against the King of the South with a great armie, and the King of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mightie armie: but hee shall not stand, for they shall forecast devices against him. namely Ptolomee Philometor; and shall set upon him with a great armie; And the King of Aegypt shall raise a powerfull armie to meete him; but shall not be able to stand before him; for his nobles shall devise treacherous counsells against him, to betray him.

Yea, his very courtiers,26 Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meate shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow, and many shall fall downe slaine. and professed servants shall be the meanes of his destruction, and the army of Antiochus shall defeate that of Philometor, and many of them shall be slaine.

And,27 And both these Kings hearts shall be to do mischeife, and they shall speake lies at one table? but it shall not prosper, for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. when Antiochus shall have over-run a great part of Aegypt, and this warre shall seeme to have an end, and a colourable reconciliation shall be treated; both these Kings hearts (viz. of Syria, and Aegypt) shall bee secretly set to doe mischiefe to each other; and they shall make false professions of friendship, at one Table; But their designes shall not prosper; for the time appointed for the issue thereof, is not yet comne.

Then shall Antiochus returne into his land of Syria,28 Then shall hee returne into his land with great riches, and his heart shall be against the holy Covenant, and he shall doe exploits, and returne to his owne land. with great riches, the spoiles of Aegypt; and his heart shall be set to oppose the ordinances, and true religion of God, professed by his people; which when hee hath bloodily persecuted, he shall returne into his owne land.

At the time appointed by God (which is, two yeares after the peace made) when Philometor being falne off from him,29 At the time appointed hee shall returne and come toward the South, but it shall not be as the former, or as the later. shall have …de meanes to procure the aide of the Romane forces …all Antiochus returne, & come towards Aegypt; but it shall not bee with that prosperous successe, that he had formerly; and shall once more have afterwards.

For the Roman sea-forces,30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him, therefore hee shall be grieved & returne and have indignation against the holy Covenant: so shall he doe, hee shall even returne, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy Covenant which lie in the Mediterranean Sea, shall come against him, and drive him backe; therefore hee shall returne with sorrow enough; and shall be full of indignation against the holy religion of the Jewes; He shall even returne; and shall hold intelligence with Jason, and Menelaus, and other apostates from the true religion; to doe further mischiefe to the Church of God.

And the Roman governors shall aid him in this horrible profanation of Gods Temple, and worship,31 And armes shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and they shall place the abhomination that maketh desolate. and both he, and they, shall take away that daily sacrifice which p. 518God hath appointed; and they shall place abhominable idols in Gods Temple, and shall fill the holy place with Pagan-souldiers, whose worke is nothing but ruine and desolation.

34 Now when they shall fall, they shall bee holpen with a littell helpe, but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.Now when they fall from their faith and religion, they shall have but small helps to raise them up, and recover them; yet the example of the constancy of some worthy Martyrs shall be a meanes to work upon divers of them; but very many shall through their flatteries, and plausible perswasions be drawne away.

35 And some of them of understanding shall fall to trie them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed.And not onelyonly those of the meanest ranke for knowledge, and understanding, but even those which are noted, and eminent, shall fall; wherein Gods purpose is for the tryall, and purging of his Church, that the hypocriticall professors being removed, it may be pure & holy; but this tryall and affliction shall not be perpetuall; it shall bee till the end of that time which God hath appointed unto it.

36 And the King shall doe according to his will, and he shal exalt himselfe, and magnifie himselfe above every god, and shall speake marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation bee accomplished.And this proud Antiochus shall doe what him listeth; and shall exalt himselfe, and magnifie himselfe above all that is called God; and shall speake horrible blasphemies against him, that is the onelyonly true God, and shall goe on prosperously in his wicked courses, till the full measure of Gods indignation be made up against him; and till the time of his severe judgement shall come, &c.

He shall be a perfect Antichrist, not regarding even those gods,37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god, for he shall magnifie himselfe above all. which his fathers worshipped, but scorning all whatsoever deities; and shall be void of those naturall affections which are commonly incident into men; being only bent to fulfill his cruell▪ and bloody desires, without all respect either to m… …or to God himselfe, over whom he shall, in the pride of his heart, exalt himselfe.

38 But in his estate shall hee honour the God of forces: and a God whom his fathers knew not, shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.But yet in the seat or Temple of God in Jerusalem he shall fashionably honour Jupiter Olympius, a Grecian god, whom his fathers knew not, (as being only acquainted with the Syrian deities,) him, I say, he shall honor with gifts and offerings of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pleasant things.

Thus shall he do in the most strong holds of Judea; setting up the image and worship of this strange god,39 Thus shall he doe in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge, and increase with glory, and he shall cause them to rule over many, & shall divide the land for gaine. in thē all; and, those base persons, whom he shall affect, he shall advance to great glory; and shall cause them to rule over many better then themselves; and shall share the land of Judea amongst them, for a reward of their unworthy service.

p. 519And at the time fore-appointed by God (which shall be two yeares after the setting up of this Idolatry in Judea) shall the King of Aegypt make head against this Antiochus King of Syria,40 And at the time of the end shall the King of the South push at him, and the King of the North shall come against him like a whirle-winde with charets. and the King of Syria shall come against him, like a whirle-winde, &c.

And having over-runne Aegypt,41 And he shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be over-throwne. he shall againe enter into the goodly land of Judea, and many Countries shall be wasted by him, &c.

And the Ethiopians shall submit themselves to him, and follow him in his warres.43 And the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

But tydings shall come to him, from the East,44 But tidings out of the East and out of the North shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many. which shall trouble him; viz. that the Parthians have invaded his coasts, and so also frō the North of Aegypt, where he shall then be; that the Jewes are endevouring a revolt from him; therefore he shall goe forth of Aegypt, with much fury, and revengefull resolutions to destroy many.

And he shall resolve to settle his palace in Judea betweene the Mediterranean, and the dead Sea,45 And hee shall plant the tabernacles of his palace betweene the Seas, in the glorious holy mountaine, yet he shall come to his end, and none shal help him. even in the glorious holy mountaine of Sion; yet he shall be defeated, and brought at last to his end; and when he shall have diverted his forces against the Persian, he shall be shamefully foyled, and none shall helpe him.

CAP. XII.

ANd at that time,1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall bee a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a natiō, even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the booke. when Antiochus shall have left his affaires in Judea together with his sonne, to the charge of Lysias, and shall goe himselfe, upon his expedition, against the Parthians, then shall Michael stand up, that great Archangel, which standeth for the children of thy people, very seasonably, in respect of the great trouble, and affliction of that nation; which shall have beene so great, as never was since there was a people upon earth; and at that time, shall be begunne the happy deliverance of thy people, even of every of my elect servants, whose names are written in the Booke of life.

But the full deliverance of all my chosen ones (which is figured by that other) shall be onelyonly accomplished in the day of their finall resurrection,2 And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. wherein all flesh shall arise from their graves; though to different, and contrary ends; for some shall rise to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting confusion.

And they that are spiritually wise to know God, and themselves, shall have meet proportion of glory,3 And they that bee wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament, and they that turne many to righteousnesse, as the starres for ever and ever. and shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament; but, those p. 520which are the meanes to convert, and save others, shall be yet more glorious, and shall shine as the starres in that firmament for ever.

But thou, O Daniel, keepe thou these words to thy selfe;4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, & seale the booke even to the time of the end: many shall runne to and fro, and knowledge shall bee increased. record them safely, but, when thou hast done, seale them up, till the determined time, when they shall bee communicated to the world; at which time many shall take paines to be informed of my truth, and the state of my Church; and knowledge shall be increased.

Then I Daniel looked, and behold there stood two other Angels by the side of the bancke of the river Tygris,5 Then I Daniel looked, and behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bancke of the river, and the other on that side of the bancke of the river: one on the one side, and the other on the other side.

And the one of them, as desiring to looke into these great mysteries,6 And one said to the man clothed in linnen, which was upon the waters of the river; How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? said to Christ, the great Angell of the covenant, who was the man clothed in linnen; and who stood upon the waters by Tygris, all this while; How long shall it be to the end of all these wonderfull events?

And I heard Christ, the eternall Sonne of God, to to answer him againe;7 And I heard the man clothed in linnen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held vp his right hand, and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, that it should bee for a time, times and an halfe: & when he shall have aacōplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. who lifting up both his hands towards heavē, the place of his throne, sware by Himselfe, and his eternall Father, and blessed Spirit: that this calamity of his Church shall be but short, even for the space of onelyonly three yeares, and some few dayes; after which, the true worship of God, (which shall be defaced at Hierusalem) shall be restored; and at the end whereof, the hostile power of Antiochus, wherewith Gods people shall have beene annoyed, and grievously vexed, shall be scattered, and utterly defeated.

And I Daniel heard, but I did not distinctly and clearly enough understand the answer that was given; then I besought Christ,8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things. the Word of his Father, that he would be pleased to give me a more cleare and full understanding of these things.

9 And he said, Goe thy way, Daniel, for thy words are closed up, and sealed till the time of the end.And he said; Goe thy wayes Daniel, and content thy selfe with so much as is already revealed unto thee, for the particularities of these prophesies are not to be fully conceived, till the time of the fulfilling of them.

In the meane time know, that this generall affliction which shall befall my Church,10 Many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall doe wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. shall have different issues, for many who are Gods elect shall be bettered thereby, and made more holy and perfect; but others againe, shall rather be hardned in their wickednesse; and none of the wicked shall regard either the judgements, or mercies of p. 521God, or take heed to these promises or threatnings, but the godly wise will lay both of them to heart accordingly.

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall bee taken away by Antiochus Epiphanes,11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shal be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand & two hundred and ninty dayes. and that abominable armie of his shall seize upon the Temple, and all the holds of Judea, untill the time that the same Antiochus shall be forced to yeeld to, and confirme the reformation made by Judas Macabeus, shall be three yeares, seven moneths, and thirteene dayes; which shall be, seven moneths and three dayes after the banishing of that shamefull idolatry of Antiochus, and the beginnings of his happy restauration of Gods true worship.

Yet, even after this blessing,12 Blessed is hee that waiteth, and commeth to the thousand three hundred and five and thirtie dayes. there is another worth your expecting, which is the death of this cruell Tyran, Epiphanes; that shall fall about two moneths after this later period; happy is he therefore that waiteth patiently upon God, and lives to see this effected, at the end of three yeares, and about nine moneths from the first erection of that his detestable idolatry.

But goe thou thy way, and rest in peace,13 But goe thou thy way till the end bee: for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of the dayes. contenting thy selfe with so much, as is revealed to thee; and quietly hold that station, wherein God hath placed thee, in an humble and silent expectation of these events, till the very end of thy dayes.