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which Year, in the Month Nifan, Jefus
Chrift fuffered Death upon the Crofs; XII.
and by his Death took away the Guilt of
Sin, appeafed the Wrath of God, and
procured Juftification for all believing
Penitents; or, in the Language of the
Angel, He finished Tranfgreffion, and
made an End of Sins, and made Recon-
ciliation for Iniquity, and brought in
everlasting Righteoufnefs. At the fame
Time all the Types and Prophecies which
concern'd the Life, Suffering and Death
of the Meffiah, were punctually fulfil

led;
and fo the Vision and Prophecy
were fealed up. Moreover, Jefus Chrift
during his publick Miniftry acted as a
Prophet; at his Death he was confecra-
ted a Prieft for ever after the Order of
Melchifedec; and after his Resurrection
He enter'd upon his Kingly Office, and
was invested with all Power in Heaven
and in Earth; to all which high Func-
tions He was anointed with the Holy
Ghoft, which the Father gave to Him
without Measure; and fo the most Holy
was anointed.

WE

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WE may farther observe, that the feventy Weeks are by the Angel divided into three diftinct Periods, i. e. into feven Weeks, fixty two Weeks, and one Week.

THE Seven Weeks, containing forty nine Years, are allotted for restoring Jerufalem, and building again the Street and the Wall; i. e. for the Settling and Reforming the Jewish Government in Church and State; which Work having met with much Oppofition, was finished by Nehemiah, forty nine Years after it had been begun by Ezra.

To these seven Weeks fucceeds another Period of fixty two Weeks, or four hundred and thirty four Years; which will bring us down to the Time when John the Baptift preached in the Wildernefs, and prepared the Way of the Meffiah. Our Lord himfelf hath warranted us to date the beginning of the Gospel from this Time; for, faith He, the Law and the Prophets were until John, and fince that Time the Kingdom of God is preached. And fo from the going forth

of

of the Commandment to reftore and build again Jerufalem, unto the Meffiah the Prince, were seven Weeks and threescore and two Weeks.

THESE were followed by a third Period of one Week, or feven Years. The Miniftry of John the Baptift continued three Years and a half of these feven; and during the remaining three Years and a half, Jefus Chrift in Perfon preached the Kingdom of Heaven, and invited Men to embrace the Terms of the New Covenant; which Covenant he in the End of the feventh Year ratified with his Blood, which he fhed for the Sins of Men. By his Death the Ceremonial Law was abolished, and the Sacrifices and Oblations commanded by it ceafed to be of any farther Ufe; they having been inftituted only as Types of that one available Sacrifice, which Chrift offered to his Father upon the Altar of the Crofs; himself being both the High-Priest, and the Lamb of God bearing the Sins of the World. And thus after feven Weeks and threefcore and two Weeks, i, e. in

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the

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the laft of the feventy Weeks, Meffiah was cut off, but not for himself. And He confirm'd the Covenant with many for one Week; and in the half, the latter half of the Week, He caused the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease.

NOT many Years after the Death of Chrift, the Guilt of his innocent and facred Blood drew on the Jews that terrible Vengeance, which God executed upon them by the Hands of the Romans, who fully verified thofe Words of the Prophecy, The People of the Prince that fhall come fhall deftroy the City and the Sanctuary; and the End thereof shall be with a Flood, and unto the End of the War Defolations are determined, and with the abominable Armies he shall make it defolate, even until the Confummation, and that determined fhall be poured upon the Defolate.

THE Prophet Haggai plainly declares, that the Meffiah fhould make his Appearance in the second Temple; the very Foundations of which were, as the fers themfelyes teftify, torn up with a

Plow

Plow-fhare, so that not one Stone was left upon another, above fixteen hundred Years ago. This Prediction of Haggai is in the second Chapter of his Prophecy at Verse 6, and it runs thus; Thus faith the Lord of Hofts, yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the Heavens, and the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry Land ; and I will shake all Nations, and the Defire (or Expectation) of all Nations shall come, and I will fill this House with Glory, faith the Lord of Hofts. The Silver is mine, and the Gold is mine, faith the Lord of Hofts. The Glory of this latter Houfe fhall be greater than of the former, faith the Lord of Hofts; and in this Houfe will I give Peace, faith the Lord of Hofts.

By fhaking the Heavens and the Earth and all Nations are fignified thofe great Commotions and Revolutions in the Kingdoms of the World, which happen'd between the Time of this Prophecy and the Nativity of our Saviour. For in that Interval of Time the Perfian Empire was fuddenly overthrown by the Grecians;

Y

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