A commentary upon the whole Old Testament, added to that of the same author upon the whole New Testament published many years before, to make a compleat work upon the whole Bible. Vols. 2-4. Wherein the divers translations and expositions, literall and mysticall, of all the most famous commentators both ancient and modern are propounded, examined, and judged of, for the more full satisfaction of the studious reader in all things, and many most genuine notions inserted for edification in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A work, the like unto which hath never yet been published by any man, yet very necessary, nor only for students in divinity; but also for every Christian that loveth the knowledge of divine things, or humane, whereof this comment is also full. Consisting of IV parts. I Upon the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. II Upon the historical part, from Joshua to Esther. III Upon Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomons Song. IV Upon all the prophets both great and small. By John Mayer, doctor of divinity.

CHAP. IX.

IN this chapter Daniel sheweth, how that in the first year of Darius the Medi∣an hee understanding by Jer. 25. that at the end of 70 yeares God would bring back again the captivity of his people from Babylon, set himself by prayer and fasting most earnestly to seek unto God, now that this time was accom∣plished, for the fulfilling of this his gracious promise, and in this his devotion he continued confessing sins, & the justice of Gods proceedings against his peo∣ple therefore, and entreating for mercy, till the Lord sent the foresaid Gabriel unto him, who telleth him, V. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and the holy City to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation for ini∣quity, * 1.1 and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse, and to seal up the Vision and Prophesie, and to amount the most Holy. But before I come to speake upon these words, it will bee necessary to resolve a question about the fulfilling of the 70 yeares spoken v. 2. whether they were now ended or no, or when they ended, and to finde this out, when they began. But touching this I have spoken upon 2 King. 25. 9. shewing the divers conjectures of divers, but approving that, which begin∣neth the 11. of Zedekiah, the 19 of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned 43, and there∣fore 24 years, in the time of his reign passed, of these 70 Evilmer. 30. Ragassar 3. Labassardas 6. Belshaz. 5. Darius 1. Cyrus 1. But since according to others I have gone upon another reckoning, Dan. 5. counting to Nebuch. 35 years, to Evilme∣rodach 18, to Belshazzar 17, leaving out the other two mentioned also by Josephus, in making which accounts Authours are so divers, that I can determine no∣thing certainly, only this is certain, that about this time 70 yeares were ex∣pired, which is proved by the event, the Jews set at liberty to return, and what∣soever others conjecture, the time of reckoning must needs begin Anno 11 of Zedekiah, because Daniel calleth them here 70 yeares of desolations, and the time of Jerusalem lying desolate could not begin till then, because that nei∣ther from Jehoiakims 4. year, nor his 11. nor Iehoiachins captivity can the reckon∣ing be begun, seeing all this notwithstanding Ierusalem and Iudah were inha∣bited till Zedekiah An. 11. And after this Nebuchadnezzars time could not be above 26 yeares, because Evilmerodach was King An. 37. of Iehoiachins cap∣tivity, out of which deduct 11 of Zedekiah, and 26 yeares remain, after which if we allow to Evilmerodach 30, as some doe, and but 14 to Belshazzar, where∣as some reckon 17. we shall come to the full time, the first of Darius. But to leave this, as touching which we can have no great certainty, let us come to the 70 weekes here spoken of, at the expiration whereof God promiseth farre greater matters for the comfort of his beloved servant Daniel, and of all his faithfull people, for our incouragement to seek unto God with all ear∣nestnesse for the deliverance of his Church in Faith, for in so doing we shall both prevail in respect of the thing desired, and to hear also of far more that the Lord will doe, then we have desired.

For the computing of these 70 weeks, every week being 7 years, together * 1.2 490. I have spoken so largely in my continuation of the History at the end of Nehemiah, that I shall not need to say any more thereof in this place, but refer the studious reader thither. For this place, the Angell speaketh here,

1. Generally of that which should be done in the 70 weeks, all together, For thy people and the holy City to finish transgression, &c. 2. He distinguisheth these weeks into 7 weeks, and 62 weeks, v. 25, 26. and one week again into two, in the first part whereof the sacrifice should cease, and then for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate. V. 27. Touching the generall, that by 70 weeks are not simply understood so many weeks, but so many weeks of years is plain, because otherwise after their return out of captivity they should have had their City destroyed again in one year and 18 weeks, which was before it was built a∣gaine, yea which is as strange, both City and Temple must have been built in 7 weeks, and therefore the Rab. themselves seeing into this, acknowledge weeks of years to be here meant, as I have in the place before cited shewed. In saying 70 weeks he alludeth to the 70 years then passed wherein they suffered by a tedious captivity, but now he sheweth, that they being returned into their own land should dwell there againe 7 times as long as they had lived in exile, in which time an expiation for sin should be made, and everlasting righteousnesse by the Messiah or Christ brought in, and his whole time is ten Jubilees, where∣in this reckoning of weeks of years first begun, only before it there was a week * 1.3 of years, the last whereof was holy, in which they might neither sow nor reap but let the land rest, and for the rest of old upon the 7 year, and the year after 7 times 7, now 70 weeks, consisting of ten times such a number are appointed, to shew the rest to come to all the truely faithfull by the Messiah. And as Po∣lanus noteth, here are three benefits coming by Christ to the faithfull reck∣oned * 1.4 up, 1. To keep from defection. 2. To seal transgressions. And 3. to expiate sin, in which words he rendreth it in stead of these, to finish transgres∣sion, to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity. By keeping from defection he understandeth the keeping of the remnant of the faithfull from falling from Gods grace through unbelief in Christ, when so many of that Nation should by sealing up transgressions, the forgiving thereof, they being hidden and covered: the expiation of sinne by Christs offering himself for their sins, and the Heb. will well bear this reading and exposition. But R. Solomon he saith, turneth all this another way, viz. to keep them by a longer continued exile, then that of the Babylonian captivity from falling away to wickednesse any more, their sufferings in all this time being satisfactory for their sins past, so that when there shall once be an end hereof, they shall be a righteous people for ever. But this is a devillish device to keep them in blindenesse, and to harden their hearts against the true Messiah in expectation of another yet to come, and is contrary to the evidence of this place, and the explanation here∣of following, vers. 25. which is so clearly for our Christ, that it cannot possi∣bly * 1.5 be evaded. From the going forth of the commandement to restore and to build Ieru∣salem shall be 7 weeks and 62 weekes, and the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. In which words the proceedings to come according to the generall prediction, vers. 24. are more particularly set forth. 1. The going out of the Decree to build Ierusalem, and the houses in the streets thereof and the wall about it, which should not be without great trouble 7 weeks, that is, 49 yeares, the time of a Iubilee. 2. The time which should intervene after this, untill the comming of the Messiah and his cutting off, 62 weeks, vers. 26. that is, 434. yeares. 3. Another week in the midst whereof the Sacrifice should be made to cease, and in this time the destruction of the City, vers. 27. that is, in 7 years more, all together being 490 years. But before we come to the open∣ing of this further, I will return again to vers. ••4. And first, by the keeping from defection the obsignation of sin and the expiation thereof, Polanus rightly * 1.6 saith, that one part of the benefit coming by Christ is meant, viz. the taking away of evill, and by the bringing in of everlasting righteousnesse, the other part which standeth in the collation of good. The evill taken away is 1. of sinne, when through sanctification attained by the spirit sinne is mortified and it reigneth no more in our mortall bodies. 2. Of guilt, the handwriting, * 1.7 that is against us, being cancelled. 3. Of punishments out of Gods justice due for our sins either in this or in the world to come, for from all these the true

beleever is delivered through him our most blessed Saviour, and Redeemer.

The good collated is everlasting righteousnesse, which is not only that of san∣ctification, because it is but in part, but the righteousness, whereby the beleever standeth righteous, and so shall stand for ever, which is righteousnesse every way perfect according to that, which is by the law required; and in none is this righteousnesse to be found but in Christ alone, who came not to dis∣solve * 1.8 the law, but to fulfill it; yet this righteousnesse is made ours by faith through imputation, whereby we come to be accepted of before God for per∣fectly righteous, as if we had in every thing all the dayes of our lives fulfil∣led all righteousnesse.

Qu. If it be so, that Christ in fulfilling the law in all things, brought in [Qu.] everlasting righteousnesse, as hath been said, what need was there, that he should dye for our justification and salvation? Answ. It was necessary for us that Christ should suffer death for us sinners, that we might be delivered from everlasting death, and that by fulfilling all righteousnesse he should make a compensation for our unrighteousnesse: for the precepts of the law cannot be satisfied but by doing them, and the comminations of the law for transgressions cannot be satisfied but by dying for them: and so bearing the punishment due therefore: So Christ by bearing the punishment due to us, * 1.9 and by his obedience covered and abolished our disobedience. Thus likewise Justin Martyr taught of old; saying, As Adam subjected all men to death by sinning, and made all our nature obnoxious to sin; so Christ revoked and abolished all this, by leading a life free from all sin, and suffering death for our sins: And indeed in suffering he fulfilled all righteousnesse, which was begun, and in acting whereof he continued all his life; but in his death his obedience was most perfected, and the greatest love of all was shewed. If it be said, when God gave Adam a commandment to be kept at the first, and annexed a penalty in case he should break it; we cannot conceive that any other thing was meant, but either he should keep the commandment, or dye the death; and therefore Christ having kept it in every thing, which was since given in charge, it should seem, that there was no need to the bringing in of righteousnesse, that he should suffer death also. Sol. It is true, if Adam had obeyed that com∣mandment, and never broken it, he could not have been required to bear the punishment of death also; but he transgressed, and we in him, and therefore both this punishment must be born, and Christ, who came as a second Adam, must obey and persevere in obedience also to the end, that through him, stand∣ing in the stead of him and his sinfull posterity, perfect righteousnesse might again be brought in, and we delivered from Adams unrighteousnesse in both parts for ever.

If it be said, forsomuch as Christs perfect obedience is ours, we need not [Ob.] live in obedience to Gods laws, but as we lust. I answer, he obeyed not only to make a compensation for our disobedience, but also to give us example, as he saith, Learn of me, &c. and therefore disobedience and loosenesse of life in us * 1.10 is inconsistent with faith in him, for how can he be judged to beleeve in Christ that followeth him not as farre as he is able, but rather goeth from him and followeth his enemies, the Devill, the World, and the Flesh?

If it be said, Christ was bound to keep the law because he was a man, and it is every mans duty to obey the law for himself, and when he doth so, this [Ob.] extendeth not to another, but to himself only; therefore Christs obedience and righteousnesse cannot be ours. Sol. 1. Although the man Christ were tyed to obey, yet Christ God was not. 2. He was not made man for himself, but for us, and therefore obeyed for us. 3. Man is not bound to obey because he is a man, but because God hath subjected him to laws, as Christ was not, but only in re∣lation to us; as it is said, God sent his son made of a woman, and made under the law * 1.11 to redeem &c.

If against justification or righteousnesse imputed to us, that is, Christs [Ob.] righteous living, it be objected, that S. Paul never teacheth so, but of justifica∣tion by his death, or bloud; it is answered, this implyeth his obedience also,

for he saith that he came in the form of a servant and humbled himself herein * 1.12 to serve and obey to the death of the Crosse; yea, it is expresly said, that as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, many * 1.13 were made righteous. Divers other questions are moved and answered by Pola∣nus upon this place, but whoso desireth to see them, may have recourse unto him, I think divers of them overcurious, and that these are enough to be mo∣ved and resolved here.

The next thing here spoken of, is to seal up the vision and prophesie, whereby is meant, putting an end to all prophesies touching the Messiah, as having their accomplishment in him, for the setting forth of whom, they were prin∣cipally stirred up from time to time, that wrote them, and therefore Hebr. it here to seal up the Vision and the Prophet, no Prophet being to come after to set forth visions or prophesies touching him. According to which our Lord saith, that the law and the Prophets were till John, and Hebr. 1. In former times God spake divers wayes, but now, by his Prophets: It followeth, and to anoint the most holy, that is, Christ, with the fulnesse of the Spirit, as in his baptism, of whose fulnesse we all receive. For the words to anoint, cometh of the same radix that the Messiah doth; and it is, the holy of holyes, by which name the most holy part of the Temple was commonly called Sanctum Sanctorum, and here the Messiah is thus called, to shew, that he was by the Sanctuary prefigured in his body, as he also intimateth, when he saith, Destroy this Temple, * 1.14 and I will raise it up again in three dayes: for he spake this of his body. So then here is shewed, that within the compasse of the 70 weeks, great things should be done for the Jews, if they had grace to make use thereof; their City with the Temple and walls, should be built, the expected Messiah should come to their everlasting comfort in respect of the expiation of sin made by him, and introducing of righteousnesse, a sign of whom, should be the anointing with the Holy Ghost by coming down and resting upon him.

Now to come to the division of this time, v. 25. the first 7 weeks making 49 years, are the time after the going out of the decree for the building of the City and Wall, which by Polanui is begun anno 2. of Darius Nothus, who gave out his Decree, and to the end of his reign were 18 years; then Artaxerxes * 1.15 in the 20 of his reign sent Nehemiah to build the Walls, who tarryed there about it, 11 years, which being put all together, make 49 years. But he in rec∣koning thus bringeth in not only the cutting off of the Messiah, but also the destruction of Jerusalem, following 36 years after, within the compasse of this whole time of 70 weeks; which indeed cannot be done, unlesse the computa∣tion be so begun.

But in my foresaid continuation I have, following others, begun it anno 7. of Artaxerxes, when Ezra was sent to Jerusalem, because from thence to the passion of Christ were just 70 weeks, as I have there shewed more at large. Neither can it be hence proved, that the destruction of the City and Temple should be within the compasse of this time, but only that after this, it should be for the abominable wickednesses of the Jews: whereas the dividing of one of these 70 weeks from all the other, and the dividing of that week into halfs (v. 27. He shall confirme the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the oblation and sacrifiee to cease,) may seem to make against the suffering of the Messiah at the end of the whole time first named, it is to be noted, that he saith not, he shall be cut off in the midst of the week, but only he shall make the sacrifice to cease, that is, he at his beginning to shew himself publickly to be the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, as John the Baptist called him immediately after his being baptized, shall from thence∣forth be counted the only propitiatory sacrifice for sin; and that the continu∣all sacrifice of a lamb every morning and evening, should upon his offering of himself upon the crosse, cease, and be available no more, to shew which further the Temple should be destroyed not long after, and never be reedified, so that there should then be a cessation of sacrificing per force for ever after. And for the computation made by Polanus, the words before going, after 62 weeks the

Messiah shall be cut off, shew that the destruction of Jerusalem cannot possibly be brought within the compass of the 70, because that 62 and 7 before them being deducted out of those 70, one only wil remain, that is, seven years, but Jerusa∣lem was not destroyed til near 40 years after his cutting off; neither is it said, in the sixty second week the Messiah shal be cut off, but after 62. To come there∣fore to the explanation of each passage here according to this account. In saying 7 weeks and 62 shall be to Messiah the Prince, he meaneth not, that these two should strictly be divided, but that within the first number the City and Wall should be built, and in the compasse of 7 and 62 put together, the Messiah should come. For the naming of 7 first, it is done because 7 weeks of years make a Jubilee, and so it is an holy number, of which the spirit of God de∣lighted to speak, especially in setting forth deliverance from servitude, return to possessions, and making publick joy. It is not hereby necessarily implyed that so many years should passe, before that all the things here spoken of should be done, but in this compasse of time they should be done, as they were in the dayes of Nehemiah.

But it may be doubted how the computation of the 70 weeks can be from the 7 year of Artaxerxes, seeing no decree came out then, but in the time of Nehemiah in his 20 year: For the resolving of this, it is said, that the same which is said to be the 20 year was the 7; the 20 since he began to reign to∣gether with his father Xerxes, and the 7 since he began to reign alone. Of the time when the Wall was built and the troubles thereof see in Nehemiah. After * 1.16 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself, Hebr. and shall have nothing, that is, be counted by the Jews as vile and nought, Vulg. Et non erit ejus populus quieum negaturus est: a manifest place to convince all gainsayers, that Christ Jesus was to be cut off by a violent death, and despised, as Esay 53. it is also prophesied, whereas the Jews would not beleeve in him for this cause, affirm∣ing that the Messiah must continue alwayes, and the Prince of the people that shall come, shall destroy the City and Sanctuary, this is a Prophesie of the judgment to come upon the Jews, after their cutting off of the Messiah, by Vespasian the Ro∣man Emperour, and is not to be counted within the compasse of the time of 70 weeks, and the end thereof shall be with a floud, and to the end of the war desolations are determined: that is, the Roman Army, as a great and irresistible floud bear∣ing down all things, like unto Noahs floud, wherein so few persons were pre∣served; so the coming of the Assyrians is set forth by a floud, Esay 8. 7. and to the end of the war, &c. that is, this war being ended and all destroyed hereby, desolations shall follow for ever; not desolation, as in the 70 years captivity, but desolations without end, as hath been hitherto proved true by experience, the floud that then overflowed Judea, overflowing it as it were still in the stu∣pendious effects hereof, even as ground into which the Sea hath broken, that cannot be delivered any more, but lyeth waste alwayes.

And he shall confirm the covenant with many, for one week, and in the midst of the * 1.17 week shall make the sacrifice to cease: This by Rabbi Solomon, is applyed to the Roman Prince before spoken of, with whom he saith a covenant was made by the Jews for 7 years, but being not kept on the Jews part, in the fourth year after the making thereof, the Romans destroyed both the City and San∣ctuary, and then the dayly sacrifice, as must needs, when they had no place to offer it in any more, ceased for ever. But of such a covenant betwixt the Ro∣man Emperour and the Jews, no Historian maketh any mention, and there∣fore it is a Rabbinicall fiction. The truth is, the end of the City being spoken of, as by the overflowing of a floud by way of anticipation, to join together the cause, the crucifying of Christ, and the effect, viz. the coming of the Ro∣man Prince, and destroying the City never to be rebuilt, but alwayes to lye desolate; now he returneth to Messiah the Prince again, shewing what he should do in the last of the weeks before spoken, he shall confirm the Covenant with many, that is, through preaching the Gospell and doing miracles, he shall convert many unto him, and so confirm by his bloud the covenant, called the new covenant, before spoken of by Jeremiah, which is the covenant of

grace and life; and he saith, not to all, but to many, because the generality of the Jews rejected him.

For the Sacrifice made to cease in the midst of the week, herein respect was had to the time of our Lords preaching, before his suffering death, which put an end to all carnall sacrificing, sith that therein that was perfectly done, which was by oblations and sacrifices prefigured. For this time was but three years and an half, which is half a week of years; and here the Angell varieth from the one week of the 70 before spoken of, to an half week of Christs preaching, to denote justly by this circumstance again the very time of his death, as he had spoken at large of it before, saying, after 62 weeks the Messiah shall be slain, and more restrainedly 70 weeks are determined for the expiation of sin, and bringing in of everlasting righteousnesse, which was the time of Christs death. For neither can this half week be referred to the ceasing of the sacrifice through the destruction of the Sanctuary, because even they that bring that de∣struction within the compasse of these 70 weeks, say not that it was before the last year hereof, therefore not three years and an half before that time ended: nor can it be referred to the last of the 70 weeks, for then Christ must have suffered before the last year of the time here determined above three years, un∣lesse we shall say, as I said before, that his being published to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, is here called the causing of the sacrifice to cease.

And for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even till the con∣summation and that determined shall be poured out upon the desolate. The Vulg. in the Temple shall be the abomination of desolation, and even to the consummation and end the desolation shall persevere: Hebr. untill the consummation and consumption determined poured out upon desolation: there being nothing in the former words, that signi∣fieth Temple, but only to make this to agree with Mat. 24. where the abo∣mination of desolation is spoken of, but without any such supply, that agre∣eth well with this, and thereby it appeareth, that the abomination overspread∣ing here spoken of, was the cause of this desolation: for Jerusalem was then so full of abominable sins, as Josephus saith, that if the Romans had not come to destroy them and their City, it might well have been expected that God should have rained down fire and brimstone to consume them, as he did upon Sodom; as hath been said in my continuation of the history before spoken of; where I have also shewed the manner of the destruction of Jerusalem. Of these words the meaning is, that for the Jews abominable sins universally corrupt∣ing all the land, the City and Temple should be ruined, and so continue after the desolation, to which it should be brought for ever, desolation being thus, as it were, added to desolation. And therefore if any thinke of the reedify∣ing of Jerusalem again after the Jews conversion, they are by this manifestly concluded against us holding contrary to the truth. For although the Lord saith, thy habitation shall be left desolate, till thou sayest, Blessed be he, that cometh in * 1.18 the name of the Lord, and the building of Jerusalem upon her own heap be spoken of, and everlasting peace to be to Israel after this; yet it cannot hence be inferred, that the Jerusalem and Temple of wood and stone shal be built there again, but a glorious Church in that land spiritually understood. And whereas many Rabbins of the Jews blindfold their eyes from seeing into the true meaning of this place, by diverting them to some other interpretations hereof; none of them yet can deny, but that the time here set is long agoe past, even ever since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; and by consequence the Messiah cannot be yet to come, as they expect, but came then, and was approved by Gods Angels, and an allmighty power shewing it self in him; so that nothing but a spirituall judgment upon their souls, whereby they seeing see & perceive not, hindereth them from seeing to beleeve unto this day. And when this judg∣ment shall be taken off, they shall see and look up to him whom they have pierced, and mourn; which till then, by the greatest evidence of reason out of their own Prophets, they cannot be made to do.

And therefore pray we to the Lord to hasten the taking off of the vaile of

blindnesse and give them a sight of him, who in all their sacrifices was con∣tinually pointed at, that beholding at length his glory and unparalleld love, they may melt into teares for their so long continued obstinacy, and be saved.

Notes

• * 1.1

  V. 24.
• * 1.2

  Contin. histor. p. 190.
• * 1.3

  Levit. 25.
• * 1.4

  Polanus.
• * 1.5

  V. 25.
• * 1.6

  Polanus.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 6. 12. Col. 2. 14.
• * 1.8

  Mat. 5. 19.
• * 1.9

  Just. Mart. de confes. fidei.
• * 1.10

  Mat. 11. 28.
• * 1.11

  Gal. 4.
• * 1.12

  Phil. 2.
• * 1.13

  Rom. 5.
• * 1.14

  John 2.
• * 1.15

  Ezra 4. 24. chap. 6.
• * 1.16

  V. 26.
• * 1.17

  V. 27.
• * 1.18

  Matth. 23: