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that men of mean and abject condition, do come unto kingdoms and empires, and are made lords of many countries.' It is so indeed; they say nothing of him but what may be equalled in the stories of the nations of the world, especially considering the shortness of his reign, which they begin to think shall not be above forty years.

§ 31. But do these things answer the promises made concerning him from the foundation of the world? Is this the meaning of the promise given unto Adam? Was this the end of the call and separation of Abraham? this the intention of the promise made unto him, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed? Is this only the import of it, that towards the end of the world many of them shall be conquered? Was this the intent of the oath made unto David, and of the sure mercies confirmed to him, and his, thereby? Do all the promises in the prophets, expressed in words glorious and magnificent, end in a warrior, inferior it may be unto many of those whose destruction they prophesied of? Or is not this rather a way to expose the whole Old Testament unto scorn and reproach, as making the promises thereof not to extend to that degree of glory, which in other warriors the penmen of it despised; or at least making these promises to have a respect to things only of the same nature with the worldly success of these conquerors? Was this the expectation of the fathers of old? Is this that which they desired, prayed for, longed for, esteeming all the glory of their present enjoyments as nothing in comparison of it? Was it for this the Messiah was to be the hope and desire of all nations? Did God set him forth as the great effect of his love, grace, goodness and faithfulness towards men, and then bring forth a military king, in whose exploits they were not all to be concerned? Was the church in travail for so many generations to bring forth this fighter? Had they no eye of old unto spiritual and eternal things in the promise of the Messiah? Of late indeed Josephus Albo tells us that the doctrine of the coming of the Messiah is not fundamental. And Hillel of old maintained that Hezekiah was the Messiah; he should have been so, saith another, had he composed a song unto God. Barcosba a seditious necromancer is the Messiah, says R. Akiba. He shall come, it may be, immediately before the resurrection, saith Manasseh. But do these thoughts suit the faith, hope, prayers and expectations of the church of old? Do they answer any one promise of God concerning him? No man not utterly unacquainted with the Scripture can give the least countenance unto such imaginations.

$32. What all this while is become of the work every where in the Scripture assigned unto the Messiah? To whom is that work abandoned? Who shall break the serpent's head? Who

shall take away the curse that entered 'on sin ? Who shall be a blessing unto all nations? To whom shall the Gentiles be gathered to be saved by him?. Who shall be a priest after the order of Melchizedec? Who shall have a body prepared for him to offer in stead of the sacrifices of the law? Who shall have his hands and feet pierced in his suffering, and his vesture parted by lot ? Who shall make his soul an offering for sin ? Who shall be bruised, grieved and afflicted by God himself, because he shall bear the iniquities of his people? Who shall make atonement for transgressors and bring in everlasting righteousness? Who shall for ever make intercession for transgressors? And who shall sit at the right hand of God in his rule over the whole world ? All these things, and sundry others of the like kind, are openly and frequently promised concerning the true Messiah, not one of which is to be accomplished in or by him whom they look for. But these men indeed take a way to destroy all religion, and to turn the whole Bible into a story of earthly things, without either life, spirit, or heavenly mystery

in it.

$33. It is acknowledged that there are many promises of mercy and glory unto the church in the days of the Messiah expressed in words, whose first literal sense represents things outward and tem poral. And there is a threefold interpretation of them contended for. The first is that of the Jews, who would have them all understood according to their literal import, without the allowance of any figure or allegory in them. But nothing can be more vain than this imagination; nor do they make use of it, but where they suppose that it will serve their present design. For the wisest of them do grant, that in the days of the Mes siah the nature of things shall not be changed, but only their use; yet many of these promises in their first literal sense, import a full and direct alteration in the heavens and earth and all things contained in them. So Isa. xi. 6, 7, 8. Lions, bears, leopards, cockatrices, asps, calves, and young children, are said all to live, feed, and play together. And Ch.1x. 7. That the flocks of Kedar, and the rams of Nebaioth, should minister unto the church ; ver. 16. that they should suck the milk of Kings; and ver. 19. that the sun should no more give light by days and yet ver. 20. that it should no more go down. Ch. lxv. 17. That new heavens and a new earth shall be created, and that the old shall be remembered no more; that trees and fields shall rejoice and clap their hands for gladness; with other things innumerable in the same kind. Now if they grant, as they must do, unless they intend to expose all sacred truth to the scorn and contempt of atheists, that these expressions are figurative and allegorical; they must do the same in all other promises of earthly things, as of pcace, plenty, victory, long life, dominion,

wealth and the like, these being set out in the same kind of allegorical expressions. At least they cannot make them in the strict literal sense of the words the object of their faith and expectation, unless they can by some infallible rule declare, what is figuratively to be understood in them, and what properly, or which promises are expressed allegorically, and which not. And this they can never do. The event therefore is the only infallible interpreter of the meaning of such prophetical predictions; whatever precedes that, is but conjecture. Wherefore,

§ 34. Secondly, Some interpret all these promises and prophecies spiritually, without the least respect unto those outward terrene things, which in figurative expressions are used only to shadow out those spiritual, heavenly and eternal things which are intended in them. And indeed this way of interpretation which Calvin follows in all his commentaries, is attended with great probability of truth. For as the main ends and work for which the Messiah was promised, are, as we have proved, spiritual and eternal, and as it is evident, that many promises of things relating unto him, and of the condition of them that believe in him, are allegorically expressed, (it being the constant way of the Old Testament to shadow out spiritual and heavenly things, by things earthly and carnal,) this way of interpreting the promises, seems to have great countenance given unto it, both from the nature of the things themselves, and from the constant tenor of the prophetical style. According unto this rule of interpretation, all that is foretold in the Psalms and Prophets, of the deliverance, Test, peace, glory, rule and dominion of the church, of the subjection and subserviency of nations, kingdoms, rulers, kings and queens to the church; intends only either the kingdom of grace, consisting in faith, love, holiness, righteousness and peace in the Holy Ghost, with that spiritual beauty and glory which is in the worship of the gospel; or the kingdom of heaven itself, where lies our happiness and reward. And indeed this interpretation of the promises, as in respect of many of them it is evidently certain, true, and proper, they being so expounded in the gospel itself; so in respeet of them all it is safe, and satisfactory to the souls of believers. For they who are really made partakers of the spiritual good things of the Messiah, and are subjects of his spiritual kingdom, do in this find and acknowledge, such liberty, rest, peace and glory, such durable riches, as they are abundantly content with, whatever their outward condition in this world may be. And to this exposition, as to the main and prime intention of the promises, the whole doctrine of the gospel gives

countenance.

$35. Thirdly, Some acknowledging the kingdom of the Messiah to be heavenly and spiritual, and the promises generalVol. I,

S

ly to intend spiritual and heavenly glory and riches, that is, grace and peace in Christ Jesus, do yet suppose, moreover, that there is in many of them an intimation given of a blessed, quiet, peaceable, flourishing state of the church even in this world, through the power of the Messiah. But this they do with these limitations. 1st, That these promises were not made unto the Jews as they were the seed of Abraham according unto the flesh, primarily and absolutely, but unto the church, that is the children of Abraham according unto the promise, heirs of his faith and blessing. That is, they are made unto all them who receive and believe in the promised Messiah, Jews and Gentiles with whom, as we have proved, the privilege of the church, and interest in the promises was to remain. 2d, That the accomplishment of these promises is reserved to an appointed time, when God shall have accomplished his work of severity on the apostate Jews, and of trial and patience towards the Gentiles who have been called. 3d, That upon the coming of that season, the Lord will by one means or other take off the veil from the eyes of the remnant of the Jews, and turn them from ungodliness unto the grace of the Messiah; after which, the Jews and Gentiles being made one fold under the great Shepherd of our souls, shall enjoy rest and peace in this world. This they think to be intimated in many of the premises of the Old Testament, which are brought over unto the use of the church as yet unaccomplished, in the book of the Revelation. And herein lies all the glory which the Jews can or may expect, and that only on such terms as they as yet will not admit of. But these things must all of them be spoken unto at large, when we come to answer the objections which they take from them, to our faith in Jesus Christ.

§ 36. That which above all things manifests the folly and irreligion of the imagination of the Jews about the person and work of the Messiah, is the event. The true Messiah is long since come, and hath accomplished the work assigned unto him. He hath thus made known the nature of the first promises, and of the promises consequent on these; he hath thus also made known the nature of the salvation which he was to effect. And in nothing has he answered the expectation of the Jews, who had departed from the faith of their forefathers, except in his genealogy according unto the flesh. And this fact, namely, that the Messiah is already come, is the second ground on which all the discourses and reasonings of the apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews is founded, and which being absolutely destructive of the Judaical infidelity, shall be fully confirmed in our ensuing

dissertations.

EXERCITATION XII.

1. Second principle supposed by the apostle Paul in his discourses with the Hebrews. The promised Messiah was then come, and had done his work. 2. The first promise recorded, hana. Promise with the limitation of time for his coming necessary. §3. First determination hereof made by Jacob, Gen. xlix. The promise confined to Judah, afterwards to David, no more restrained. §4. Jews self-contradicting exceptions to the words of Jacob's prophecy. §5. Interpretation of Jarchi. $6, 7. Of Aben Ezra examined. Who meant by Judah. § 8, 9. The tribe. Not his person proved, § 10. Sceptre and Scribe how continued in Judah. The same polity under various forms of government. How long they continued. 11. Did not depart on the conquest of Pompey. Nor reign of Herod. § 12. Continuance of the Sanhedrim. The name 1770, whence. Evvigio. The place and court of judges. Jews etymology of the word. § 13. Institution of that court, Num. xi. 16. § 14. The order of the court. § 15. Place of their meeting. Asgales.

2. John xix. 13. § 16. Qualifications of the persons. Who excluded. §17. Their power. § 18. Punishments inflicted by them. $19. The lesser courts. Mistake of Hilary. § 20, 21. Shiloh who, and what the word signifies. 22. Judaical interpretation of refuted. 23. Argument from the words. § 24. Rule granted unto Judah. Proved by the context. § 25, 26. Consent of Targums. § 27. Judaical evasions removed. § 28. Rise and signification of the word Shiloh. 29. Messiah intended thereby. $30. p opened and vindicated. § 31. Consent of Targums. 32. Talmuds, and most learned Rabbins. § 33. Sceptre long since departed. § 34. Story of Benjamin Tudelensis exa mined. Messiah long since come.

§ 1. THE second great principle which the apostle supposes in all his discourses with the Hebrews in his Epistle to them, and which he lays as the foundation of all his arguments, is, that the Messiah whom we have proved to have been promised from the foundation of the world, had actually come, and had finished the work appointed for him, before the Epistle was written, This the Jews pertinaciously deny unto this very day, and this denial is the centre in which all the lies of their unbelief da meet; and in consequence of their unbelief, they continue in a deplorable condition, crying for and expecting his coming, who came long ago, and was rejected by them. Now this is the great difference between them and Christians, and that such a difference as hath a certain influence upon their eternal condi

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