cannot be understood to refer to Messiah's birth, but to the period when he first acted, or shewed himself, as leader."

The word after, ver. 26, must be taken, not for immediately after, but with a latitude, so as to comprehend all the remainder of the term of seventy weeks from the sixty-second week."

With regard to the beginning and ending of the great term of seventy weeks, Dr. Stonard remarks (and makes this circumstance the ground of his reasoning upon the subject) that the people and the holy city upon whom this period is determined, are the people and city, not of God, but of Daniel. Among other consequences from which, it will follow, that their restoration must have been such as the prophet himself contemplated.

"No man can suppose that Daniel would have considered his prayer answered by putting together certain rows of cottages, or streets of houses, even though they should be 'ceiled houses,' among and out of the ruins of Jerusalem, or by the mere erection of a Temple, unless the rites of religion were duly administered in it according to the sacred ordinances, or by the inhabitation of a Jewish people, unless governed and regulated by their proper laws and statutes of divine appointment. He certainly looked for a complete restoration of the city to its former size and pristine state, at least so far as to be a defenced or fortified city, which was essential to its character, as well as necessary to the security and well-being of its inhabitants, and for a temple, if not so magnificent as Solomon's, yet as holy in the perfect celebration of the divine worship, by a priesthood consecrated according to the order of the sons of Aaron, and for the redintegration of a polity both civil and ecclesiastical, altogether consistent with and agreeable to the institutions of Moses. Thus it also appears that the people and holy city of Daniel are not to be restrained either to the literal city, with Mr. Marshall and some other expositors, or to the figurative city, with Dean Prideaux and some others, but comprehend Jerusalem with its walls and fortifications, as well as its habitations, and the people under their proper national laws and government, with a priesthood duly celebrating all the sacred rites of worship. In conformity with this, it is to be observed, that the seventy weeks are suspended over the people of Daniel and over his holy city, alike over both; so that they are closely connected, and inseparably united, the figurative and the literal Jerusalem, under that term." A common point of commencement, consequently, must be assigned for their restoration, a common event must be fixed for the dissolution of both." P. 136.

Whether so much is to be inferred from the circumstance of the manner in which the city and people are spoken of by the angel, we will not say. If it be truly argued that the term of seventy weeks extends to the destruction of Jerusalem, it is well; but we request our readers to consider carefully the six particulars (ver. 25,) to be accomplished in that period, and then the

rest of the prophecy; and say, if this point is to be easily admitted. If so, there can be little doubt, that the period of seventy weeks was to commence when (to use our author's language) “Jerusalem should be completely rebuilt, both the broad street and the narrow lane, which by an allowable extension of their literal into a figurative meaning, may be presumed to comprehend all the parts, both the most important and the most minute, of the Jewish religion and polity;" and that it was to come to an end, not when they ceased to be the city and people of God (strictly speaking) but at "the point of time decisively fixed for their joint and total destruction."

Having thus arranged the time included in the great period, it is requisite to fix the smaller one of seven weeks, which Dr. Stonard determines to be separate from and independent of the other; prior to it, and ending where that begins. We have already stated that he urges the nature of the Hebrew language, and its proper construction, against the uniting of the numbers seven and sixty-two-and thereby forming the total sixty-nine. He in this place goes into further argument upon this head, in order to shew that the two terms must be taken separately; and considered as having relation, each to a different event or series of events; that is to say, the one to the work of building the holy city; the other " to the existence and duration of the same, as a city actually built both in a literal and figurative sense, as we have before seen." P. 157.

Dr. Stonard proceeds to argue that—

"The mention of a restored or rebuilt state of things, immediately following the act of rebuilding, plainly indicates that the term during which such state of things is to continue, is to commence immediately on the completion of the act of rebuilding and the establishment of things in a restored state. But the seventy weeks.. begin with the complete restoration of Jerusalem to its former extent, and to its proper character as a defenced city, and of the people of Judah to their civil and ecclesiastical polity... Both the sixty-two weeks, and the seventy weeks, therefore, have the same point of commencement... The seven weeks constitute a separate term from that of the sixty-two.." P. 160. The same line of argument (for we cannot go over it again) proves, of course, that it is prior also to the seventy.

Dr. Stonard concludes upon this head.

"This arrangement of the seven weeks is a matter of prime importance in the interpretation of the prophecy, and will be found to remove many of those difficulties and inconsistencies which have so greatly perplexed and obscured it. It is the remark of the great Joseph Mede, that, if these seven weeks could be well bestowed, the chiefest difficulty were taken from the prophecy."" P. 161.

And well bestowed and well arranged they are. And we are much indebted to the learned and laborious author for the pains he has taken, though we wish he had brought his thoughts into a smaller compass. But when we review the passage with reference to its accomplishment, how do we stand? "From the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah shall be leader shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks it shall be rebuilt, the street and the lane, but the times will be with straitness." This cannot mean, according to its natural construction, that only seven weeks shall elapse between the going forth of the commandment and the leadership of the Messiah. No: we must therefore read the passage more fully thus, From the going forth, &c. shall be seven weeks, and sixty and two weeks, during which latter period it shall be built again, but the times will be with straitness; i. e. the whole will be a season of much distress and difficulty. Now, to be sure, this may be the meaning of the writer, but it is not at all that which is expressed; and we are still in a strait, and in fear lest we put a forced and unnatural construction on the words of the author. In this difficulty may we suggest that perhaps we are carrying our views too far; and that the expressions here employed respecting the seven weeks, point out that period when a regular government was established under a leader or chieftain, appointed or anointed to the high office? We may save ourselves the trouble of stating objections to such an explanation, for they will start up readily at every one's bidding. But we will just observe, that if it be objected that the term "anointed" is thus applied to a different person in this verse from Him whom it manifestly designates in ver. 26, it may be answered, that the other term, "leader," or "prince," is so applied to two different persons in these verses by all expositors. Or, if no earthly leader may be allowed to possess the title of "anointed," may it not be applied to the Son of God, as Guardian of the Jewish people after their return to their own land? "Seven weeks shall elapse from the time of the commandment going forth till the Anointed One shall show himself the leader of his people by establishing them in their country and city, in despite of all opposition." This sounds harsh to our ears: Granted:-but would it have appeared harsh or extraordinary to the prophet Daniel? Certainly there is much in the writings of that extraordinary, highly favoured, and greatly beloved person, which would lead us to think that the office of the Son of God was known at that time and acknowledged, not only by

* Dr. Stonard, we perceive, has replied to this objection rather sharply in a note; which, however, requires further illustration.

him, but by others. We take no pains to support this conjecture, and indeed would purposely abstain from dwelling upon it, as our proper business is to report the opinions of others, not to put forth our own. But let it not be thrown aside, "caret quia vate sacro," because it wants the eloquence of Dr. Stonard to deck and dress it out to every advantage. The difficulties which surround the text and its interpretation are such, that one cannot but desire a solution of them; and that is likely to be the best, which will bring the words to the most simple and easy construction.

It is now high time that we should proceed to the accomplishment of the prophecy. This occupies the larger part of Dr. Stonard's volume, and is ably, accurately, and eloquently discussed. We shall take the different parts in the order in which the author has treated them, and give (as far as our limits will permit) the best analysis in our power.

And first for the beginning and end of the great period of Seventy Weeks. Dr. Stonard reminds his readers, that, according to positions already proved,

"The term must be deemed to take its beginning..from the period when Jerusalem was fully rebuilt in its proper character as a defenced city, and reinhabited by the Jewish people, serving God and living together according to the rites of worship and the civil laws ordained by Moses, then re-established in their proper force and efficacy....... Again," it "must be considered to have reached its end at whatever time the city and its inhabitants ceased to be in that state; that is to say, whenever the city should be destroyed, the temple demolished, and its religious services abolished... Now such a re-establishment of Jerusalem and of the Jewish polity therein is not like a single fact, of which the date is capable of being precisely defined, but consists in the series as well as assemblage, of a great number of events successively and gradually brought to pass; and among these it would be a matter of extreme hazard to fix upon that crowning one, by which the restoration of the city, with its ecclesiastical and civil polity, was consummated, Hence it must have been little else than impossible to say, in what precise year the term had its beginning, until its expiration enabled men to understand the mind of the prophetic spirit..... Hence it is evidently the more reasonable way of proceeding to take an inverted course, and having fixed the date of the expiration of the predicted term of weeks, to reckon backward by an easy computation to its commencement.

"In the present instance the point of termination is one of the most conspicuous events in the records of time, and it took place with the force and suddenness of a single blow. Jerusalem was all at once destroyed, the temple was burnt, the forms of its religious services were abolished, the frame of government dissolved, and the people scattered abroad; so that the literal and the figurative city sank together in a

common ruin. These events took place in the month of September, in the year of our Lord 70, according to the vulgar era. Here then we find the seventy weeks terminated; and hence consequently must their beginning be reckoned by a retrograde calculation to a point of 490 years distant from it, that is to say, to the year B. C. 420. Then, if ever, we shall find the instant of time, when the holy city of Daniel was in a restored state, corresponded to his expectations, and its own name; when it was not only a city of habitations, but a defenced and fortified city; when the temple worship, the priesthood, and the whole polity of the Jews, both civil and ecclesiastical, were thoroughly reformed and resettled." P. 203.

Dr. Stonard then goes into a laborious and minute investigation of historical events, from which he fixes the above date of 420 B. C. as the period marked by the conclusion of Nehemiah's labours in reforming the Jewish Church and State; and more particularly by that which may be considered as their crowning act, the expulsion of Joiada, the son of the high priest who had married one of the daughters of Sanballat the Horonite. This he takes "for the ultimate crowning event, by which the restoration of the people and city of Daniel was perfected; and from which consequently we must begin to reckon the seventy weeks."

To this date we have no objection: it was fixed by the excellent Dr. Hales; and from a variety of circumstances which are traced by Dr. Stonard, but in which it is impossible to follow him in this brief analysis, it seems likely to be truly fixed as the one great era of complete restoration and reformation. The fact of the two periods corresponding so exactly to each other is very satisfactory. But whether the seventy weeks should end with the dissolution of the Jewish polity, is still a question. Let us, however, proceed to the six particulars which are enumerated, v. 24, as to be brought to pass during this term: "To put a stop to transgression," &c.

Of the first five of these there will be little difference in the interpretation. The expression in the last, which is here translated" an holy of holies," has been variously understood. Dr. S. after remarking on the absence of the definite article, explains it of" the Holy of Holies of the Christian Church, into which one great High Priest hath entered, bearing his own blood." "The Christian Church is the new tabernacle, a spiritual one, in which the Most Holy Place is accessible to every worshipper, without exception of nation, office, or condition." The sacred unction here mentioned, and," communicating the character of superior holiness," he concludes to have taken place when Jesus himself was anointed with the Holy Ghost