Countrey his People and the Temple in the manner which is recorded in the Book of Kings How could a sufficient number of Copies of it be dispersed over all his Kingdom in an instant to inform the People about the Ceremonials of the Passover which soon after was so Solemnly celebrated by them Or how is it possible that the Levites the Priests and People could have been all of the suddain instructed in all the points to be observed in the performing of that Holy Solemnity It is apparent that the Sacred Historian did for no other reason take notice of this Circumstance that the Book found was of Moses own hand Writing but to make it appear that their devout respect for this Book was not wholly stifled as having been by them carefully hid from the fury of their Idolatrous Kings and laid up in some secret place of the Temple where now they had so happily found it again Over and above what hath been said already we are to observe that how great soever the wickedness of the Kings of Juda and Israel was as well as that of their Subjects yet the same generally consisted in nothing else but the imitation of the Worship of their Neighbour Natitions as to some particulars which tho they were forbid by the Law yet they left the far greater part of their Religion in full force This we have an instance of in the time of Ahab where we find Elijah reproaching the Israelites with the Monstrous Alliance they had made betwixt the Worship of God and that of Baal which Queen Jesabel had introduc'd All this clearly proves that the Book of Genesis which is the first of the Books of Moses was never forged under his Name since it was always owned as the Writing of that Famous Author and is still so acknowledged by the Jews at this day CHAP. VII That it appears from Genesis that the Sabbath was constantly observed from the beginning of the World until Moses THe other Objection of the Atheists supposing that Moses was the Author of Genesis as we have now proved is this that it seems absurd to give credit to the Relations of a Person who lived so many Ages distant from the things he recites To answer this Objection we must first of all declare to them by what means the Memory of the Fact which Moses relates was preserv'd so lively and entire as to give Moses so distinct a knowledge of them and that it was not in his power to forge or add any thing of his own it being a thing known to the whole World as well as himself There is no way whereby we can more solidly evince that it is impossible the Creation of the World should be forged by Moses than by making it appear that the Law of the Sabbath hath a natural Relation to the Creation of the World and that it hath been always constantly observed from that time until Moses The same also will help us clearly to conceive after what manner the Memory of the Promise of the Messiah hath been preserv'd so distinct amongst those that lived since the Creation until Moses We are no sooner inform'd that the Sabbath is a solemn day ordain'd at first to celebrate and perpetuate the Memory of the Creation but we judge it impossible that so important an event commemorated every seventh day by vertue of a Divine Law should be an imposture But forasmuch as this impossibility is grounded on these two Propositions the one that God gave this Law of the Sabbath to the first Man the other that the same was observed by his Posterity ever since till the time of Moses and that God only renew'd it in the Law given from Mount Sinai these are the Truths I am now to clear and it is of more importance to be proved because tho the generality of Authors Ancient and Modern Jews as well as Christians are of this Opinion yet there are some of the Christian Fathers who seem to deny that the Sabbath was ever observ'd by the Patriarchs But it will be an easie matter to prove from Moses that the Antiquity of the Sabbath is such as I assert and at the same time to demonstrate the truth of the Creation as well as of the Promise of the Messiah which in a manner immediately follow'd it Moses in the second Chapter of Genesis Gen. II. 3. expresses himself thus And God blessed the seventh day and Sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which he had Created Which words clearly evince a Solemn Consecration of the seventh day to God's Service by its being made a Commemoration of his finishing the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth But because it may be said that the intent of Moses in this place was only to set down the reason why God set apart this day of all others to his Service by the Law at Mount Sinai we are to take notice that this appointment was made for Man's sake already placed in the Garden of Eden This we may gather from the order Moses observes For he sets down first the Formation of Man on the sixth day and his being plac'd in Paradise which he gives a more particular account of in the second Chapter and after these he relates God's resting from his Works and the Consecration of the Sabbath with the reason of that Law which he impos'd on Man and then adds These are the Generations of the Heavens and of the Earth when they were Created in the day that the Lord God made the Heaven and the Earth All that precedes these words is only a Relation of what pass'd in the seven first days and that which Moses sets down concerning Gods blessing of the seventh day and his Consecrating it ought as well to be accounted a Law appointing the seventh day for his Service as those other Blessings given to the Creatures according to their kinds are acknowledged as inviolable Laws of God by virtue whereof they subsist and are perpetuated each according to their kind by the way of Generation In the second place it is very remarkable that the Patriarchs maintain'd a Publick Worship at least since the time of Seth which it was necessary should be determined to some certain day and since we find that even at this time they distinguish'd between Beasts clean and unclean with respect to their Sacrifices which they could not do but from Revelation we have much more reason to conclude that God had set apart a time for own Worship and Service And indeed there are many evident signs that even then the 7 day was observed Kimchi Praefat in Psalmos I will not here peremptorily assert that antient Tradition of the Jews which tells us that the ninety second Psalm whose Title is a Psalm for the Sabbath was made by Adam himself who was made on the Evening of the Sabbath But this I dare assert that it is apparent Gen. VIII 10.12 that what
O my God yea thy Law is within my heart I have preached Righteousness in the great Congregation Lo I have not refrained my Lips O Lord thou knowest I have not hid thy Righteousness within my heart I have declared thy Faithfulness and thy Salvation I have not concealed thy loving Kindness and thy Truth from the great Congregation In the XVI Psalm he describes the inviolable stedfastness of the Messiah to the Service of God who had sent him to form a great People with the manner of his deliverance by God from all the powers of the World by raising him up from the dead and afterwards receiving him into Glory Psalm XVI 8. c. I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption Thou wilt shew me the path of Life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore In the XXII Psalm he describes the Agonies through which the Messiah was to pass the manner of his Death the Victory which he should obtain over his Enemies and the Conversion of those very Nations which had cast him off In the CIX Psalm he speaks of the Oppressions of the Messiah pronouncing great numbers of Imprecations against that very person who should signalize himself by persecuting his Innocence Hold not thy peace O God of my praise for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me they have spoken against me with a lying tongue Verse 1 2. Set thou a wicked man over him and let Satan stand at his right hand When he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become Sin. Let his days be few and let another take his Office Verse 6 7 8. Because that he remembred not to shew mercy but persecuted the poor and needy man that he might even slay the broken in heart As he loved cursing so let it come to him as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oyl into his bones Verse 16 17 18. In the CXIX Psalm he carries this Argument further in his Description of the Zeal of the Messiah for the House of God and of those insultings which he should meet with and the manner of their giving him Vinegar and Gall to drink with the hardning and rejection of those who had used him in that manner Save me O God for the waters are come in unto my soul I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me Verse 1 2. Let not them that wait on thee O Lord Ged of Hosts be ashamed for my sake Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel Because for thy sake I have born reproach shame hath covered my face I am beoome a stranger unto my Brethren and an Alien unto my Mothers Children For the zeal of thy House hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Verse 6 7 8 9. Reproach hath broken my heart and I am full of heaviness and I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none They gave me also Gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink Let their Table become a snare before them and that which should have been for their welfare let it become a trap Let their eyes be darkned that they see not and make their loins continually to shake Pour out thy indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them Verse 20 21 22 23 24. In the XCVII and XCVIII Psalms he describes the destruction of Idolatry when the promised Saviour should appear and when God should raise him upon his Throne The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof Psalm XCVII 1. Confounded be all they that serve graven Images that boast themselves of Idols worship him all ye Gods. Zion heard and was glad and the Daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy Judgments O Lord For thou Lord art high above all the Earth thou art exalted far above all Gods Verse 7 8 9. O sing unto the Lord a new Song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm have gotten him the Victory The Lord has made known his Salvation his righteousness hath he openly shew'd in the sight of the Heathen He hath remembred his Mercy and his Truth towards the House of Israel all the ends of the Earth have seen the Salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the Earth make a loud noise and rejoyce and sing praise Psalm XCVIII 1. 4. In the LXVIII Psalm he explains the glory of the Messiah and his Ascension into Heaven with the effusion of those gifts which he was to spread abroad for the Conversion of the Nations that God might dwell amongst the most rebellious Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the Earth O sing praises unto the Lord. To him who rideth upon the Heavens of Heavens which were of old lo he doth send out his voice and that a mighty voice Ascribe ye strength unto God his excellency is over Israel and his strength is in the Clouds O God thou art terrible out of thy holy places the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people Verse 31 32 33 34 35. The Prophets who lived in the time of David or soon after pursued all his Idea's One see 's that Nathan II Sam. VII foretells Solomon's glory and the honour which he should have in building that Temple of which David had formed the design before in such a manner that he clearly shews three things which will by no means agree with Solomon I. That God should raise up a Son to David after his Death and place him upon his Throne whereas Solomon was born and advanced to the Throne by David himself II. It was promised that his Government should be endless this is not applicable to the Royal Posterity of David who had but Twenty Successors who bore the Title of Kings III. That God particularly promises to be the Father of this promised Son which is not more applicable to Solomon than to David to Josiah or Hezekiah One see 's that Corah's Posterity gave that Account of Solomon's glory upon his marriage with the King of Egypt's Daughter He speaks of a Throne much more august then that Princes was and he represents to us a God consecrated with
of one that was Blind and another that was Lame at Alexandria He that would know the Particulars may consult Tacitus his History And last of all we ought to observe That the Jews do not only agree that this Oracle of Isaiah refers to the Messiah but they also still propose the Power of working Miracles as a Character which would render the Messiah very illustrious and certainly known CHAP. XVII That the Messiah was to be an illustrious Prophet THis Truth I have already asserted in the Reflexions I made on the Prophecy of Moses Deut. XVIII But one ought to explain this Character of the Messiah more particularly God having been pleased further to illustrate this Oracle of Moses First then We say that the word Messiah implies Anointing which was common to Kings Prophets and Priests and since David's time we find nothing more common than this Title in the Books of the Old Testament where we may observe that Moses was dignified with this Gift of Prophecy and that Samuel communicated the same to Saul and David when he anointed them to be Kings Yea the Jews to this day are of opinion that Elias the Prophet shall anoint the Messiah that is initiate him in his Prophetical as well as his Royal Function Secondly God more precisely signifies this Isai XI Vers 1 2 3. where he declares he would communicate all the necessary Gifts of the Prophetical Function to the Messiah There shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his Roots And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Counsel and Might the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord. So that he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his ears These words need no Commentary For the Jews refer them constantly to the Messiah and they plainly import that he was to be a great Prophet forasmuch as all the Characters which are there given to the Spirit which was to rest on the Messiah are the same which in the Old Testament we find attributed to the Prophets and may easily be taken notice of in the History of the Prophets especially of David and Solomon And much to the same purpose is that passage Isai XLII vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7. Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles He shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the street A bruised Reed shall he not break and the smoking Flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgment unto Truth He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set Judgment in the Earth and the Isles shall wait for his Law. Thus saith God the Lord he that created the Heavens and stretched them out he that spread forth the Earth and that which cometh out of it he that giveth breath to the People upon it and spirit to them that walk therein I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and will hold thine and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a Light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house In which Oracle one ought to take notice particularly of those things which the Jews apply to the Messiah 1. That God proposes the Gifts of the Spirit which he bestowed upon him as an Effect of his Love and the choice he had made of him 2. That the Messiah was to make use of the same as Rules for reforming the Country and propounding Gods Covenant to the Gentiles which clearly suppose the necessity of the Gift of Prophecy to qualifie him for such great Undertakings 3. That contrary to the thundring Character which distinguished the rest of the Prophets who were as so many publick Censors the Messiah was to speak with all meekness and sweetness to the Nations which should receive his Preaching One see 's that Isaiah repeats the same Idea's Chap. LXI vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind-up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of Vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them Beauty for Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mourning the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness that they might be called Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified And they shall build the old Wasts they shall raise up the former Desolations and they shall repair the waste Cities the Desolations of many Generations And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks and the sons of the Alien shall be your Plowmen and your Vine dressers But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord men shall call you the Ministers of our God ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles and in their glory shall ye boast your selves For your shame ye shall have double and for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their Land they shall possess the double everlasting joy shall be upon them In short he represents in this and the former Oracle the Gentiles as a People being in darkness and in the misery of a Prison from whence we may easily infer First That the Messiah was to be a Prophet how vile and abject soever that Character might appear in the eyes of the World as I have shewed that it was where I spake of the Prophets in general Secondly That he was to discharge these Functions during the whole course of his Life and that it was to be his chief Employment here upon Earth David had before signified Psalm XXII verse 22. that the Messiah was to declare the Name of God unto his Brethren viz. the Jews by exercising his Prophetical Function in Judea but the Holy Spirit did something more when he seem'd to point out Galilee as the place where this Sacred Doctor was chiefly to fix his abode This is in effect insinuated when God tells us that he was to begin his Ministerial Functions in the Tribes of Naphtali and Zebulon Isai IX vers 1 2 and 3. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation when at the first he lightly afflicted the Land of Zebulon and the Land of Naphtali and afterwards did more grievously afflict her by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Nations The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land
last Objection of Atheists is answered 120 Chap. 22. The Consequences of what we have proved in our foregoing Observations upon the Book of Genesis 126 The Contents of the Chapters of the Second Part of the First Volume Chap. 1. THat it cannot reasonably be doubted but that Moses is the Author of Exodus and of the three other following Books Page 137 Chap. 2. That both the Character of Moses 's person and the nature of the things he relates has always made Men read his Books with attention 146 Chap. 3. That the truth of the Miracles related by Moses cannot reasonably be doubted of 153 Chap. 4. A Continuation of the proofs of the truth of the Miracles wrought by Moses 158 Chap. 5. That Moses 's Description of the manner of God's giving him his Laws is evidently true 164 Chap. 6. Some other proofs that confirm Moses 's Description of the manner how the Law was given and promulgated 169 Chap. 7. That there is no just Exception can be made against Moses 's History in what relates to the Oracles which he hath recorded in his Books 173 Chap. 8. That the Testimony of the Jews is a constant proof of the truth of the Oracles related by Moses 177 Chap. 9. That it appears by the nature of his Relations that Moses had the Messias in view when he wrote the Book of Genesis 180 Chap. 10. That the same perswasion appears throughout the whole Conduct of Moses until his Death 185 Chap. 11. That Balaam 's prophesie which Moses relates is a further Argument of the same perswasion in him 188 Chap. 12. That one may see also in Moses 's Law plain Footsteps of God's Design in distinguishing these from whom he would have the Messiah to be Born. 194 Chap. 13. That the manner of God's promulgating his Law amongst the Israelites did much conduce to the distinguishing them from all other Nations 200 Chap. 14. That God seems to have designed to keep up a Spirit of Jealousie in the very Bosom of the Jewish Nation 206 Chap. 15. That Circumcision was a means of distinguishing the Israelites from other Nations 212 Chap. 16. That the Law of Moses engaged the Jews to the study of their Genealogies that they might certainly know that of the Messiah 219 Chap. 17. A Solution of some Difficulties in these Genealogies 223 Chap. 18. That the manner whereby the Law of Moses fixed the people of Israel to the Land of Canaan was to keep them separated from other Nations 228 Chap. 19. That the Law tied the people of Israel to the Land of Canaan and by several other means established the distinction betwixt Tribes and Families amongst them 234 Chap. 20. That the Laws which Moses made coneerning the state of Virginity did principally relate also to the Messiah which holds also as to several other Laws 241 Chap. 21. That it was the design of God by all these Ceremonies and particularly by that Veneration which he inspired the Jews with for the Tabernacle to preserve the Idea's of the Messiah whom he had promised in their minds by distinguishing them from all other Nations 249 Chap. 22. That it appears by the Books of Moses that this whole Model which God had framed was to last but until the coming of the Messiah 256 To the Courteous Reader THE Errata's are so small that they will not disturb the sense any where and so few that we need not trouble the Reader with a Table of them And therefore hope he will take such inconsiderable pains upon himself and excuse the Author REFLEXIONS UPON THE BOOKS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE For the Establishing of the Truth OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION CHAPTER I. Concerning the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion WE are to consider three things in the Christian Religion the Matters of Fact it propounds to us for true the Promises it affords us and the Worship it commands The Matters of Fact it propounds to us as true are that God created the World that he formed the first Man from whom the rest of mankind have been propagated that a while after this Man was created he violated the Law God had given him and that whereas he deserved to have perished for this his disobedience God was pleased instead thereof to comfort him with the hopes of a Saviour which was to be born of the Seed of his Wife that God hath actually sent this Saviour into the World which comprehends the whole Oeconomy of Christ viz. His Birth Life Preaching Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven c. The Promises it vouchsafes are the forgiveness of our Sins the Resurrection of our Bodies and a state absolutely happy for ever in Heaven And lastly the Worship or Divine Service it prescribes consists in Obedience to the Law of God in Prayer for the pardon of our Sins and his Protection and in a grateful Acknowledgement of what we owe him for all his Benefits towards us The first of these three parts of the Christian Religion viz. The Truth of the Matters of Fact it relates may be said to be the foundation of the other two viz. The Promises and Commands It is impossible to be perswaded that God hath created this World in which we live and made Mankind of one and the same blood that after the Fall he promised to save Men and did actually redeem them in sending Jesus Christ who suffer'd Death and being rais'd the third day Ascended into Heaven c. I say it is impossible to look upon these Facts as true without being assured that God will accomplish the Promises he hath made to us And it is as evident that we cannot be convinc'd of the truth of these Matters without being sensible of a strong obligation laid upon us to perform all the Duties of the Christian Religion As soon as a Man reflects upon his being Gods Creature he finds himself naturally oblig'd to obey God universally according to his utmost ability but when he comes further to believe that God did not destroy the first Man for his disobedience but was graciously pleased to promise him a Saviour for himself and all his Posterity and when moreover he is assured that God hath really sent this Saviour in the way and manner the Gospel relates to us we cannot conceive but that he must find himself under the highest engagements imaginable of rendring to God a religious obedience and believing his Promises But there is yet another obligation whereby Man is bound to obey God to pray to him and to offer him all manner of Religious Worship God by redeeming him hath obtained a new claim to and right over him and a more indispensable obligation is laid upon Man to submit himself to God in all religious Concerns as being not only created but also redeemed by him Reason acknowledgeth that if the truth of these things be once admitted nothing can be more just and natural than those consequences which the Christians thence infer All the difficulty
Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows This exactly sets forth the august Character of the Messiah and his Anointing to be the King of all Nations their Prophet and their Priest Psalm XLV 1. My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King my tongue is the pen of a ready writer Verse 7 8. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows Verse 16. Instead of thy Fathers shall be thy Children whom thou maist make Princes in all the Earth One see 's the same Prophets inviting all Nations in the XLVII Psalm to acknowledge the Kingdom of God which Daniel afterwards describes as that which the Jews already knew was to be governed by the Messiah One see 's Asaph describing in the L Psalm the manner of the Messiah's assembling all People and of his rejecting the ancient and Legal Service and prescribing a Spiritual one even Sacrifices of Vows and of Praise Verse 6 7 8 9 10. And the Heavens shall declare his Righteousness for God is Judge himself Hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices or thy Burnt-offerings to have been continually before me I will take no Bullock out of thy House nor He-goat out of thy Folds For every Beast of the Forest is mine and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills One sees the Author of the LXXII Psalm describing the glory and happiness of Solomon's Kingdom in such a manner that he carries his views as high as the Messiah at the same time He foretels the continuance of his Kingdom as long as the Sun and Moon endures that all the Kings of the World should bring Presents to him and that all the Nations of the Earth should worship before him Verse 5. They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and Moon endure throughout all Generations Verse 8. He shall have Dominion also from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the Earth Verse 11. All Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him Verse 17 18 19. His Name shall endure for ever his Name shall be continued as long as the Sun and Men shall be blessed in him all Nations shall call him blessed Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only doth wondrous things And blessed be his glorious Name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with all his Glory Amen and Amen One sees that Ethan the Ezrahite who is represented to us as the wisest Man in that Age after Solomon explains the promise made to David of a Son who should reign for ever and whose Throne should be immoveable in the LXXXIX Psalm This agrees to none but the Messiah whom he describes as the First-born of the Princes of the Earth and as the Son of God in a manner which is not applicable to any of David's Posterity except only to the Messiah Verse 19 20. Then thou spakest in Visions to the holy one and say'st I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people I have found David my servant with my holy Oyl have I anointed him Verse 24 25 26 27 28 29. My Faithfulness and my Mercy shall be with him and in my Name shall his Horn be exalted I will set his Hand also in the Sea and his right hand in the Rivers He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my Salvation Also I will make him my First-born higher than the Kings of the Earth My Mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven Verse 33.34 35 36 37. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lye unto David His Seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me It shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithful Witness in Heaven One needs only read over the Psalms which I have now taken notice of and which are almost all applyed by the Jews to the Messiah to see the great Number of Oracles which God gave in David's time concerning this matter not to speak of those which describe the Calling of the Gentiles which fill up the Book of the Psalms almost entirely I come now to the proof of the second Article which is to shew That the Oracles which David uttered are much clearer and much more particular than those which were given before This I hope to prove beyond all contradiction by considering two Psalms the one whereof describes the prodigious Humiliation of the Messiah and the other describes his Advancement at the right hand of God two of the greatest Truths declared by the Prophets and two the most singular of all the Characters which belong to the promised Messiah CHAP. XI Considerations upon the Sufferings of the Messiah and upon his glorious Ascension into Heaven foretold by David in the XXII and CX Psalms IT cannot be deny'd when one reads the XXII Psalm but that the person there spoken of is described figuratively as one exposed to the severest Sufferings from which he is afterwards delivered by the Divine assistance and advanced to rule an Empire which extends it self over all the Nations of the World and afterwards universally adored I. He that speaks cries out as if God had forsaken him and had stopped his Ears unto his Cry. II. He describes himself as a Worm and no Man as the reproach of Men and one despised by the people III. He takes notice that those who were witnesses of his Sufferings made a mock at them bidding him trust in God that he might deliver him IV. He ranks his Enemies amongst the Bulls of Bashan and raging Lions who according to the Prophetical way of speaking are the chief Men in the Nation Amos IV. 1. Ezech. XXII 25. V. He joyns the Dogs with them that is prophane persons or the Gentiles VI. He represents his Hands and his Feet as pierced with Nails VII He shews that he was stretched out before in such a manner that they might count all his Bones this expresses the Idea of a Man fastned to a Cross and exposed to the view of all the World as he afterwards describes himself to be quite dry'd up from the loss of Blood when he was crucify'd VIII He takes notice of their parting his Garments and IX Of their casting Lots upon his Vesture In short one see 's throughout all the
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God I will also forget thy children The Prophet Jeremy speaks to the same purpose Chap. V. vers 21 22 and 23. Hear now this O foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not which have ears and hear not Fear ye not me saith the Lord Will ye not tremble at my presence who have placed the Sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and tho' the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail tho' they roar yet can they not pass over it But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone And he reiterates the same Chap. VIII vers 7. The stork in the Heavens knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the Judgment of the Lord. Ezechiel prosecutes the same matter Chap. II. vers 5 and 8. calling the Jews a Rebellious House And Chap. XII vers 1 and 2. he saith The word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of Man thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious House who have eyes to see and see not they have ears to hear and hear not for they are a rebellious House Neither do the Prophets only represent to us in general the blindness of the Jews upon several occasions but they also very particularly inform us that he who was the most considerable person of their State and the great Minister of God should be notwithstanding rejected by them And here first It is worth our noting that Moses threatens the worst of Calamities to those who should refuse to hear the great Prophet like unto him whom God was to raise to his People Deut. XVIII vers 18. Secondly David Psalm CXVIII v. 22. expresses this in these words The Stone which the Builders refused is become the Head of the Corner From which words it is evident 1. That the Messiah was to be rejected 2. That he was to be rejected by those who were intrusted with the care of building the House 3. That this was to be before he should be acknowledged the great Minister of Heaven God speaks the same thing by Isaiah Chap. XXVIII vers 6. Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Which place is to be understood of the Messiah by the Confession of the Jews themselves Daniel follows the same Notion Chap. II. vers 34 35. Thou sawest till a stone was cut out without hands which smote the Image upon his feet and brake them to pieces and the stone became a great Mountain and filled the Earth On all which Prophecies we may make these Remarks 1. That Jesus Christ quotes most of them as such which by the Jews themselves were owned to refer to the Messiah Thus Matt. XXI verse 42. he saith Did ye never read in the Scriptures the Stone which the Builders rejected the same is become the Head of the Corner And St. Peter Acts IV. vers 11. This is the stone which was set at nought by you builders which is become the head of the corner St. Paul makes the same allusion Ephes II. vers 20. And are built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone And I Cor. III. verse 11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ And when Jesus Christ himself saith to Peter Matth. XVI verse 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church c. He alludes to that of Daniel Then was the Iron the Clay the Brass the Silver and the Gold broken to pieces together and became like the Chaff of the Summer threshing floors and the wind carried them away that no place was found for them and the Stone which smote the Image became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth Our Saviour applyes also to the Jews those Prophecies which foretel their being offended at the Ministers of Heaven in particular that of Isaiah Chap. VI. verse 9. Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not 2. We may observe that the Jews of old applyed those Prophecies as the Apostles did to the hardning of their own Nation as appears from that of St. Paul Rom. X. verse 21. But to Israel he saith all the day long I have stretched forth my hand unto a disobedient and gain-saying people 3. We must take notice That the same temper which was in the ancient Jews who rejected the Prophets was found in those who lived at the time of our Saviour and for this we need only to read the description which Josephus de Bello Judaico Lib. VII cap. 3. gives of them where he compares them with the Sodomites which is the Comparison Isaiah makes Chap. I. verse 10. And last of all we may take notice That Josephus acknowledges that this Blindness of the Jews was the cause of the final destruction of Jerusalem which was to succeed the Death of the Messiah according to the express Oracle of Daniel Chap. IX verse 26. CHAP. XX. That the Messiah was to dye and an Account of the several Circumstances of his Death TO be convinced of this Truth we need only prove that what is set down in Psalm XXII Isaiah LIII Daniel IX and Zachariah XIII and other prophetical passages of Holy Scripture is to be understood of the Messiah and the reading of them alone is sufficient to satisfie the meanest Capacity that the person they point at was to lose his life by violence with several very infamous Circumstances Now it is certain that both ancient and modern Jews interpret these places of the Messiah and it is as evident that the Apostles understood them so and therefore all along applyed them to Jesus Christ following therein the known explications of the Rabbies of their own Nation It is plain also That the Death and Suffering of our Saviour would have prov'd a more efficaci ous Argument to refute the Apostles than all the Miracles of Jesus Christ could have been to establish their Doctrine if the Prophetical Writings had not so precisely determined his Sufferings and Death with the several Circumstances of them It is also to be noted That the Prophecies referring to the Death of the Messiah are generally interwoven with Idea's which point to other Prophetical passages avowedly owned by the Jews to have Relation to the Messiah Thus if we compare Psalm XXII verse 28. with Psalm LXXII vers 8 9. we shall find the same Idea set forth in them both And because this Character was to be the most proper and distinguishing note of
Manna to rain down upon the Israelites and had opened the Sea for their passage 4. One ought to observe here That if Jesus Christ's Miracles were not like those of Moses two only excepted viz. his cursing of the barren Fig-tree and the drowning of the Swine this was to shew that he was not come like Moses to execute the Judgments of God but to exercise Acts of Grace and Mercy those now mentioned being sufficient to evince it was not for want of power If the Samaritan Woman argued very rationally when she said concerning Christ When the Messiah shall come will he do greater signs than these we may with more reason urge it now since we know not only that Jesus Christ hath wrought such great Miracles but also conferr'd upon his Disciples a power of doing greater Miracles than himself ever did CHAP. XI That the Predictions of our Lord Jesus Christ clearly prove him to be the Messiah ONe might have observ'd That John the Baptist foretold many things concerning the person of our Lord and the glory of his Ministry that Simeon foretold that he was to be a sign which should be spoken against and it is known how exactly these things were fulfilled But it will be more for our purpose to examine those Prophesies which were pronounced by Christ himself I pretend not to repeat them all here nor to shew by how many ways and upon how many occasions Jesus Christ did reiterate them this would take up too much time I shall only set down the chief of them and add some few Reflexions When Jesus Christ calls the Fishers to follow him he foretels that he would make them Teachers of the World I will make you saith he Fishers of Men. He promises to make them famous by Miracles and to send them the Gifts of his Holy Spirit which the People of Israel had now for above 400 years been deprived of He promised to give them an Authority over the consciences of men so that what they should forbid us on Earth should be forbidden in Heaven He foretels the Calling of the Gentiles to his Religion Many saith he shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Which is the more considerable because he seemed himself unwilling to shew any favour to the Gentiles whom he called Dogs according to the Language of the Jews He foretels the Rejection of the Jews The Children of the Kingdom saith he shall be cast out into outer darkness He foretels the Persecutions which were to happen to his Disciples from the Jews as well as from the Roman Governours They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into Prisons being brought before Kings c. He foretels that notwithstanding all these Persecutions yet his Church should not only continue assuring them that the Gates of Hell should never prevail against her but also should greatly flourish and encrease according to what David had foretold Psalm CX verse 3. alluding to the suddain fruitfulness which is caused by Dew He above thirty times foretels his Suffering and Death He foretels his Resurrection the third day He foretels that Judas should betray him S. Peter deny him that his Apostles should be scattered as soon as they should see him smitten He foretels the Martyrdom of S. Peter which he was to suffer for his sake and to S. John that he was to survive the destruction of Jerusalem He foretels that after his Ascension to Heaven he should begin the Call of all the Nations of the Earth When I shall be lifted up from the Earth saith he I shall draw all men unto me He often foretels the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple Behold saith he your House is left unto you desolate He foretels that many false Messiah's should come after him whom the Jews should receive tho' they had rejected him as an Impostor Several Reflexions may be made upon these Predictions of our Lord. In short one may observe at first That there are three sorts of them in the New Testament some of them were fulfilled soon after they were pronounced as those concerning the Ass which he sent his Disciples for those of his Death and Resurrection of S. Peter's denying him and the flight of his Apostles c. The Design of these was to establish the belief of those which were further off which is the Method of God himself the Father of our Lord in the Old Testament as I have observed Some of them related to matters which were more remote as the Wars for instance which Christ foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews Lastly There were some whose accomplishment was at a very great distance after many Ages some of them reaching to the end of the World. One see 's plainly that this mixture of our Saviour's Predictions which are of so very different sorts is of use to confirm the belief and ascertain the truth of them the exact fulfilling of the first Oracle making way for the belief and expectation of the second and so on till all be fulfilled One may observe afterwards That Jesus Christ and his Apostles on whom he according to his promise after his Ascension poured forth the Spirit of Prophecy did ordinarily follow the same Notions and Expressions which the Prophets of the Old Testament made use of Thus we find Jesus Christ makes use of Daniel's Notions where he speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem thus we see that he imitates the most illustrious Actions of the Prophets and to make his Predictions the more observed in accomplishing the Prophecy of Zachariah on Palm-Sunday in the midst of the acclamations of the People he weeps over Jerusalem as if its destruction were already come Thus Jesus Christ saith to S. Peter When thou shalt be old Joh. XXI 18. another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not thus foretelling his death Thus he instructs him in the Calling of the Gentiles under a representation of all sorts of Beasts commanding him also even as to the impure Animals Slay and eat All the Revelations are full of such Prophetical Idea's taken from the Old Testament from Genesis Isaiah Ezechiel Zachariah c. But here are other Reflexions of as great importance as the former The first is That the greatest part of these Predictions are nothing but a continuance and more distinct explication of the Oracles of the Old Testament concerning the Sufferings of the Messiah the Calling of the Gentiles the destruction of the Commonwealth of the Jews and besides they are continued to the last day of the World which is the end of Prophecy The second is That these Predictions had not the least probability upon which they might rationally have been grounded What likelyhood was there that Jesus Christ should be crucified he who raised the dead who commanded the Sea and Winds he whom they