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 net. 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, rest, 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 respect 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, Dhana. 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 contínued 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 17720, whence. Evvideor. 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. Adosgales

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. np opened and vindicated. 31. Consent of Targums. 32. Talmuds, and most learned Rabbins. § 33. Sceptre long since departed. § 34. Story of Benjamin Tudelensis examined. Messiah long since come.

$1. TH HE 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 do 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

tion. As they have endeavoured to evade the force of the testimonies and arguments by which our faith and profession is confirmed, so are we to use diligence in the vindication and establishment of these, which we hope to do unto the satisfaction of the sober and godly, and wise, in our ensuing discourse.

§ 2. The first great promise of the Messiah, at large insisted on before, declared only his coming, and the end of it in general. This promise was recorded 50 ha, Psal. xl. 8. or, as our apostle, Heb. x. 7. exspaλidi Biß, in the beginning, head, or first roll of the book of God, namely, Gen. iii. as a stable foundation of all the rest that ensued. And it respected all the posterity of Adam, that they might have a refuge to which they might repair in all their distresses. When the world in unbelief rejected all care for, or respect to this promise, God left it to ways of its own choosing: last #arra ta 20m #ogiviodas Tais odors autwy, Acts xiv. 16. But in his sovereign grace and pleasure, he renewed the promise unto Abraham, with a restriction and limitation of it unto his family; as the family which was to be separated from the rest of mankind, and dedicated to the bringing forth of the Messiah in the appointed season, as we have declared. Upon the giving of that promise, with the call and separation of Abraham, by which the church became in a special manner vísible, there was nothing wanting to confirm the faith, and fix the expectation of those that desired his coming, but only the determination of the time when he should actually come.

And this was necessary upon a double account: 1. That those who were to live before his advent, might not only by faith see his person afar off, and be refreshed, as Cant. ii. 8. but also behold his day, or the time limited and fixed for his coming, and rejoice therein; and that not only as Abraham, who knew that such a day should be, John viii. 56. but also as those who had a certain day so limited, as that by diligent inquiry, 1 Pet. i. 11. they might take some special prospect of it. 2. To guide them who were to live in the days of the accomplishment of the promise, to a more earnest expectation of him, and desire after him, as Daniel had for the return of the people from the captivity, when he understood by books, that the time limited for it was accomplished, Dan. ix. 2, 3. Accordingly, in consequence of the prophecies representing the time of his coming, we read that at that season when he was exhibited, all men were in expectation of him, and prepared thereby to inquire after him, Luke iii. 15.

$3. Now this determination of the time inquired after, was first made by Jacob, Gen. xlix. 8-10. accompanied with the name of that patriarch in his family, from whom the Messiah was to proceed. And after this, there was only one other re

striction of the promise, as to the persons in whose line Messiah was to be born. By this additional restriction, that privilege, which originally rested in Abraham and his family, and which was afterwards restrained unto Judah and his posterity, was lastly confined unto David and his offspring, and was ever after left at large unto any branch of that family. And this I mention by the way, to prevent any difficulties about his genea logy. For as in the very first instance of the regal succession in the house of David, there was no respect had to primogeniture, 1 Kings ii. 22. so there was no necessity that the Messiah should spring from the royal family, although he did so; but only that he should be of the seed of David. For as after the promise given unto Abraham, the Messiah might have sprung from any family whatever of his posterity by Isaac, until the li mitation made by Jacob unto the person of Judah; and as after that limitation, he might have sprung from any family of this tribe, until the limitation of that privilege to the person of David; so no restriction or limitation being afterwards added, his production by any person of David's posterity in an alliance nearer to, or farther from the reigning line, was all that was included in the promise. To return, the words of the place above quoted are," Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thine hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp from the prey my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion who shall rouse

לא יסור שבט מיהודה ומחקק מבין רגליו עד כי יבא,him up -The sceptre shall not depart from Ju : שילה ולו יקהת עמים

dah, nor a law-giver or Scribe from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him the gathering of people." These last words are the basis of our argument; the former therefore we shall no otherwise consider, but as they give light and evidence to the interpretation of those which follow them.

$4. The great masters among the Jews are exceedingly perplexed with this testimony, and have therefore invented an endless variety of ways for enervating it, openly and loudly contradicting one another almost about every word in the text. Some would evade the sense of it, by interpreting a to be only a rod of correction, of support, say others; and pprn, they would only have to be a Scribe, such as they fancy their present Rabbins to be. Some by 77, understand the person of Judah, unto whom they ascribe I know not what pre-eminence, and not his family and tribe. Some would have to be separated from, that follows, because of the accent Jethib, and to signify for ever. Some by the Shiloh would have David intended, some Ahijah the prophet, some the city Shiloh, and most know not what. nap, some would have to be destruction, some