shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts One ought to observe two very considerable things in this Prophecy The first That the Messiah was to come suddainly The second That Malachy expresly points to us that the appearing of the Messiah was to be during the second Temple the words of the Prophecy distinctly expressing it And sure it is that all who gave any credit to these Oracles did understand them so For first Both Jews and Gentiles looked for the Messiah during the second Temple We find a passage express to the purpose in Tacitus and it was on this ground that Josephus gave the Title of Messiah to Vespasian 2. They expected him at the end of the Seventy Weeks which was the Third Year after the Death of Jesus Christ This was the occasion of their being deluded by so many false Messiah's about the time of our Saviour and a little after 3. They never despair'd of his coming taking the Promise of the Messiah's coming to be conditional when as indeed it was absolute until they began to believe that the term set down by God himself was expired 4. The reason of their cursing those that compute the times set down so distinctly and precisely by Daniel was because they found themselves disappointed in his Calculation finding that the time which Daniel had pointed at for the coming of the Messiah seem'd to be already expired 5. 'T is but of late that they have try'd to evade it by maintaining that the Temple will be built a third time and that then the Messiah shall appear but this evasion is unanswerably refuted 1. Because Daniel assigns a certain term which is expired 1600 Years since 2. Because he expresly tells us That the desolation of the Temple was to be for ever as will appear in the following Chapters And 3dly Because Haggai in effect calls the Temple of which he speaks The second or third House by which expression he so distinctly points out the second Temple to us that it would be ridiculous to suppose it meant of a third Temple to be built 1700 Years after the ruin of that of which he prophecied CHAP. XIV That the Messiah was to be born of a Virgin of the House of David HItherto we have seen that the Messiah was to be born of the Posterity of Abraham by Isaac of that of Isaac by Jacob and of that of Jacob by Juda. This hath been sufficiently made out already I have also shew'd from the Oracle in the I Sam. Chap. VII That he was to be born of the Posterity of David and we find the same very particularly and fully set down in the LXXXIX Psalm The following Prophets have exprest themselves to the same purpose Isaiah XI vers 1 2 3. and the Prophet Jeremy hath pursued the same Idea's Chap. XXIII vers 5 6. and Chap. XXXIII vers 15 16 17. Neither do the Prophets only distinguish the Messiah by his being born of a Virgin but also by determining that Virgin to the House of David Neither need I repeat here what I have already observ'd That this is a Truth the Grounds whereof God had laid down in his first promise viz. The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head where he makes mention of the Seed of the Woman only without naming that of the Man the word of Seed or Posterity very evidently designing a Man to be born of the Woman which is acknowledg'd by the Jews in another Prophecy and the same which the Apostle St. Paul takes notice of as a Maxim generally owned by the Doctors of the Synagogue Galat. III. It is also evident that the word Woman plainly denotes the Sex of which this person was immediately to be born It was obvious to judge That something miraculous was to attend the Birth of the Messiah We see Isaac born of a barren Mother past the Age of Child-bearing We find also something very singular at the Birth of Sampson and Samuel and 't is well known that the promise of the Messiah was something far greater than the Birth of these now mentioned how illustrious soever they might be and that therefore probably his Birth was to be attended by a greater Miracle But because this was a thing wholly new we ought to observe in what manner God did particularly foretel it The Prophecy of Isaiah expresseth it thus Chap. VII vers 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz saying Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God ask it either in the depth or in the height above But Ahaz said I will not ask neither will I tempt the Lord. And he said hear ye now O house of David is it a small thing for you to weary men but will ye weary my God also Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel Butter and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse the Evil and choose the Good for before the Child shall know to refuse the Evil and choose the Good the Land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings The Lord shall bring upon thee upon thy People and upon thy Father's House days that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Juda even the King of Assyria Where we may observe 1. That the Promise here is made to a wicked King but of the Family of David to whom the Prophet particularly addresses himself 2. That this Prophecy was given at a juncture of time very capable of awakening their attention to it at a time when the State of the Jews was reduced to the greatest extremity and the House of David in particular in a very great consternation 3. The Prophecy was utter'd by a very illustrious Prophet who was of the Royal Family 4. It was sealed and confirmed with the Prediction of the Birth of a Child which came to pass accordingly 5. It is set forth as a very extraordinary sign instead of that which the wicked King refused to ask when Isaiah offer'd it him in the Name of God. I am not ignorant that the Modern Jews deny that this Character of being born of a Virgin belongs to the Messiah but it is an easie matter to confute them For first Would it not have been ridiculous for the Apostles to go about to apply this Oracle to their Messiah if it had not been a thing universally own'd by the Jews that this was the meaning of Isaiah's Prophecy Is it not evident that this Character so difficult to gain belief would rather perplex than strengthen their proofs And yet certain it is that St. Matthew has done so Chap. I. verse 23. as likewise St. Luke Chap. I. verse 31. Justin Martyr observ'd That the Notion of this
a new Society which was to be regulated not by the Laws given on Mount Sinai but by those which were to be published from Mount Zion CHAP. XXIII That the Gentiles in the time of the Messiah were to be called to the Knowledge of the true God THis Article being one of the most important and most visible Characters of the Times of the Messiah and also the great effect of his Ministry we see that God had a particular care to divulge the same by a multitude of Prophetical Representations of it For not only had he declared that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head Gen. III. 15. that is the Works of the Devil And we can't deny but that the Errors and Idolatries of the Gentiles and their Vices which arise from thence were the Fruits of Sin which this unhappy Spirit brought into the World. It was not only foretold that God would perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Sem Gen. IX 27. by uniting the Posterities of both those Patriarchs in one and the same Religion Not only had he signified that the Messiah should reign over the Children of Seth that is over all the Posterity of Noah the Off-spring of Cham not excepted Not only had he foretold that all Nations Kindreds Gen. XII Ch. XVIII XXII and Families should be blessed in the Messiah But God went much further afterwards for as the Light of the Revelation encreased so the same was declared more distinctly For 1. The Patriarch Jacob tells that the Messiah should be the desire and expectation of all Nations Gen. XLIX verse 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people be 2. Moses threatens the Jews that if they despised the Law of God Strangers that is Gentiles should be preferred before them Deut. XXVIII verse 43. The Stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high and thou shalt come down very low The same Prophet menaceth them from God that he would stir up their jealousie by calling a foolish people to his Service and Worship Deut. XXXII verse 21. They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God they have provoked me to anger with their vanities and I will move them to jealousie with those which are not a people I will provoke them to anger with a foolish Nation Nothing can be said more express and particular than these last words of that great Law giver and Founder of the State of the Jews 3. David sets forth the Empire of the Messiah as that which was to reach over all the Earth Psalm II. verse 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession And Psalm XXII vers 27 28 29 30. All the ends of the World shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the Kingdoms of the Nations shall worship before thee For the Kingdom is the Lords and he is the Governour amongst the Nations All they that be fat upon the Earth shall eat and worship all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him A Seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord for a Generation Psalm LXXII vers 8 9 10 11. He shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the Earth They that dwell in the Wilderness shall bow before him and his Enemies shall lick the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer Gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him Which Prophecy is the more remarkable because the Promise made to Abraham is there repeated in so many words viz. That all Nations of the Earth should be blessed in the Messiah Psalm-CII verse 15. So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy Glory And Psalm CX verse 2. The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine Enemies One ought to transcribe almost the whole Book of Psalms to take notice of all the passages which are to this purpose The Prophet Hosea declares in general terms That it was not an impossible thing for those who had been God's people to cease to be so or for those that were not his people to become his people Chap. I. verse 10. Yet the number of the Children of Israel shall be as the Sand of the Sea which cannot be measur'd or numbred and it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them ye are the Sons of the living God. Isaiah mentions this so often and in such an emphatical manner that it seems to be the main thing he drives at in all his Writings Chap. II. verse 2 3. he speaks thus And it shall come to pass in the last days that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the top of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem And Chap. XI verse 10. In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek And Chap. XVIII verse 7. he makes a manifest allusion to the expectation of all Nations In Chap. XLII vers 1 2 3 4. he repeats the same thing Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I will 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 streets A bruised Reed shall he not break and the smoking Flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgment unto the Earth and the Isles shall wait for his Law. Chap. LV. vers 4 5. Behold I have given thee for a witness of the people a Leader and a Commander to the people Behold thou shalt call a Nation that thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the holy One of Israel for he hath glorified thee But one see 's these Truths in their greatest lustre in the LX Chap. of his Prophecies vers 3 4 5. The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising Lift up thine eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together they come to thee thy sons shall
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
Oracle as we understand it hath been entertain'd amongst the Heathens who built their Fable of Perseus upon it whom they pretend to have been born of a Virgin. 3. It appears that all those Laws which I mentioned in my Reflexions upon Exodus and the following Books Chap. XX. and which have Relation to the distinct knowledge of the state of Virginity receive much light from this Notion and are without it altogether useless 4. 'T is evident that the Jews did not dispute this Character till after they saw that the Christians apply'd it to Jesus Christ and thereupon have fallen upon such childish Fancies as may justly cover them with Confusion But we shall be yet further satisfied hereof if we add to all these just Prejudices only the following Reflexions on the terms the Prophet makes use of The first is That the LXX Interpreters have in translating this Prophecy made use of a word that signifies a Virgin and not a young Woman as the Jews have understood it since our Saviour's time The first who rejected the Interpretation of the Septuagint was Symmachus In Dialog cum Tryphon Tertull. cont Jud. cap. 9. who lived in the second Century as it is observed by Justin Martyr and Tertullian who for this reason accuse the Jews of having falsified the Holy Scripture The second is That the Hebrew word expresly signifies such an one as according to the Law of Virgins was kept under Lock and Key from the Eyes of Men according to the custom of the Eastern Nations and especially of the Jews which continues amongst them till this day The third is That this word hath been taken by the Africans in the same signification as St. Jerome observes The fourth is That the Prophet doth set forth this Child-bearing as a Prodigy and Miracle altogether unheard of and as a particular Character by which the House of David was to be strongly confirmed in the hope of seeing the accomplishment of the Promise which God had made of setling an eternal Kingdom upon it which could not be accomplished but by means of the Messiah The fifth is That tho' some Jews have applyed this Prophecy to King Hezekiah Raschi in h. l. which yet to others of them seems very ridiculous he being Nine years of Age when the Prophecy was uttered by Isaiah and themselves never making use of this Evasion except in their Disputes against the Christians and so on this occasion have dropt a Confession which alone was sufficient to confound them Yet it hath been a thing so generally received amongst them That this Prophecy did respect the Messiah that after they had applyed it to Hezekiah one of their most famous Doctors concludes Gemar in Sanhed Cap. Chelech That they ought to look for no Messiah since the time of Hezekiah that Prophecy having had its accomplishment in him an Opinion which those that succeeded him have rejected with the greatest abhorrence The sixth is That the Title of Immanuel given to this Son whose Birth is here promised is represented to us Chap. VIII as the Name of him who was Lord of the Land which is a true Representation of the Heir promised to David to whom David said O God thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows Psal XLV 7 8. The seventh is That the Prophet Isaiah having alledged and cited two Witnesses Uriah the Son of Shemaiah a Prophet who was put to death by Jehoiakim and Zechariah the Son of Jeberechiah the former of which lived long after Ahaz and the latter since the Captivity under Darius King of Persia according to the account the Jews themselves give of them he sufficiently hints by this Circumstance That the Prophecy concerning the Birth of the Immanuel he speaks of was to be fulfill'd many Ages after and not in that Age wherein he prophecies CHAP. XV. That the Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem of the Family of David which at that time was reduc'd to a private state GOD had not only pointed out the time in which the Messiah was to appear with the miraculous Manner and Circumstances of his Birth but he had also named the Family the Place with the State and Condition of the Family in which he was to be born as a triple Character by which he might be known I say first That according to the Divine Oracles the Messiah was to be born of the Family of David as will appear if we consider the following Oracles 1. God expresly promiseth as much to David II Sam. Chap. VII a place I have quoted before which proves that the Messiah was to be born of the Family of David 2. It appeareth that David believ'd this himself from Psalm CXXXII vers 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 and 18. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it of the fruit of thy Body will I set upon thy Throne And after having said Verse 12. That if his Children would keep his Covenant that their Children also should sit upon his Throne for evermore And this because Vers 13 14. the Lord had chosen Zion and desired it for his habitation c. and promised Verse 15. That he would abundantly bless her Provision and satisfie her Poor with Bread that he would Verse 16. Clothe her Priests with Salvation and make her Saints shout for joy He subjoyns Vers 17 18. There I will make the horn of David to bud I have ordained a Lamp for mine Anointed His Enemies I will clothe with shame but upon himself shall his Crown flourish It is very evident That by this Horn of David is to be meant a King the Messiah whom he distinguishes by that Expression from all the rest of David's Children And Zachariah in his Song of Praise Luke I. verse 69. applying it to our Saviour puts the Matter out of all doubt 3. Hence it was the Prophets took occasion to give to the Messiah the Name of David So Ezek. XXXIV vers 23 24. And I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my Servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepherd And I the Lord will be their God and my Servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it 4. The Jews are and have always been firm in this perswasion grounded on the foresaid and other like places of Scripture which they constantly refer to the Messiah I say in the second place That the Divine Oracles expresly point out Bethlehem for the Birth-place of the Messiah Micah the V. Verse 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from the days of Eternity The Jews acknowledge that this Oracle speaks of the Messiah and indeed the Prophet distinguishing by Bethlehem adding the word Ephratah whence the Family
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
he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell asleep and was gathered to his Fathers and saw corruption But he whom God raised again saw no corruption In like manner we find St. Paul alluding to that of Hosea XIII vers 14. in I Cor. XV. vers 55. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory CHAP. XXII That the Messiah was to ascend into Heaven and send down from thence the miraculous Gifts of Prophecy Languages c. THis was a thing which might rationally enough be expected Deut. XVIII 18. for the Messiah being to resemble Moses who had not only the Gifts of the Holy Spirit himself but also in a manner communicated the same to the Heads of the Congregation of Israel it was reasonable to infer That the Messiah was to receive much more eminent Gifts and to communicate them to far greater numbers But besides this God had expresly promised it by David Psalm CX vers 1 2. where he represents the Messiah sitting at the right hand of God. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool The Lord shall send the Rod of thy strength out of Zion Rule thou in the midst of thine Enemies It is worth our noting that Daniel represents to us the same Notion where he speaks of the Kingdom of the Messiah Chap. VII vers 13 14. I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of Days and they brought him near before him And there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed Where doth God dwell unless in Heaven David expresses himself in term which import something too great to be applyed to the Symbolical Ark of the Covenant Psalm XXIV vers 7 8 9. Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel c. He speaks further of the glorious Kingdom of the Messiah Psalm XLV vers 5 6 7. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies whereby the people fall under thee 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 the oyl of Gladness above thy fellows 'T is evident that David addresses himself there to the Messiah because he stiles him a God anointed above his Fellows And he pursues the same Idea Psalm LXVIII vers 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Nothing can be imagined more express than these words which lively represent to us the Ascension of the Messiah and the pouring forth of Prophetical Gifts to bring the Heathens to the Service of God. Isaiah speaks the same Chap. XLIV vers 3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine Off-spring The waters here spoken of according to the ordinary stile of the Prophets are nothing else but the Graces of God's Spirit Joel expresses himself very plainly in this matter Chap. II. vers 28 29 30 31 32. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit And I will shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke The Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call Nothing can be conceived more particular than this Oracle concerning the effusion of the Prophetical Gifts upon the Servants of the Messiah after his Ascension For 1. he clearly hints at the several ways of Prophecy which shall be bestowed upon the Subjects of the Messiah 2. That this great Event was to be before the Destruction of Jerusalem which St. Peter foretels as a thing at the Door Acts II. vers 30 31 32. after he had shewed that the wonderful effusion of the Spirit at Pentecost was a litteral accomplishing of the Prophecy of Joel he adds Therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an Oath to him that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne he seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his Soul was not left in Hell neither his Flesh did see Corruption This Jesus has God raised up whereof we all are witnesses Ezechiel goes on with the same views with Joel Chap. XXXVI vers 26 and 27. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them And Chap. XXXIX verse 29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them for I have poured out my Spirit upon the House of Israel saith the Lord God. And Zachariah agrees with both the foregoing Prophets Chap. XII verse 10. And I will pour upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his First-born 'T is obvious to make these following Observations upon these Oracles 1. That the Messiah was to be raised above the reach of any of his Enemies 2. That he was to ascend to Heaven and to be instated there in Glory in order to his being dignified and glorified above all Nations 3. That he was from thence to send down Prophetical Graces plentifully which made his entrance into Heaven a kind of Triumph 4. That this great Event was to precede the destruction of Jerusalem to which the Prophet Joel in the fore-cited place seems to allude The Messiah was to form
come from far and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side Then thou shalt see and shine and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee And Chap. LXII vers 2. The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness and all Kings thy glory and thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name And vers 11 and 12. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the ends of the World say ye to the daughter of Zion behold thy salvation cometh behold his reward is with him and his work is before him And they shall call them the holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be called Sought out a City not forsaken And Chap. LXV vers 1. I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not I said behold me behold me unto a Nation that was not called by my Name And Chap. LXVI verse 18. It shall come to pass that I will gather all Nations and Tongues and they shall come and see my Glory Amos who was contemporary with Isaiah speaks the same thing Chap. IX vers 11 12. In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruins and I will build it as in the days of old That they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the Heathen which are called by my Name saith the Lord which doth this The Prophet Micah also follows the Prophet Isaiah step by step Mich. IV. vers 1 2 3. But in the lasts days it shall come to pass that the Mountain of the House of the Lord shall be established in the top of the Mountains and it shall be exalted above the Hills and people shall flow unto it And many Nations shall come and say Come and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for the Law shall go forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shall beat their Swords into Plow shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up a Sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more Zephaniah is as clear as any of the rest Chap. II. vers 11. They shall worship him every one from his place even all the Isles of the Heathen And Chap. III. vers 9 10. Then will I turn to the people a pure Language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent From beyond the Rivers of Ethiopia my Suppliants the daughter of my dispersed shall bring mine offering Jeremiah in the Fourth Chapter of his Prophecies vers 2. confirms the same Truth as likewise Chap. XVI vers 19. and more expresly Chap. XXXI verse 34. And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. After the return of the Captivity we find that the Prophets still pursued the same Idea's Haggai II. vers 7 8. And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this House with Glory saith the Lord of Hosts The Silver is mine and the Gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts Zechariah speaks in like manner Chap. II. vers 10 11. Sing and rejoyce O daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord. And many Nations shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto thee And Chap. VIII vers 20 21 22. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts it shall yet come to pass that there shall come people and the inhabitants of many Cities and the inhabitants of one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also Yea many People and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. And Chap. XI vers 10. he expresses the same thing more distinctly And I will cut off the Chariot from Ephraim and the Horse from Jerusalem and the Battel bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace unto the Heathen and his Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the Earth Malachi speaks to the same purpose with the greatest clearness imaginable Chap. I. vers 10 11. Who is there among you that shuts the doors or kindles fire on mine Altar for nought I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand for from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts On all which passages one may make these Observations 1. That all this whole Series of Idea's hath as much connexion to one another as the words of those Oracles have which we have now alledged 2. That these Prophets have set it forth with all its possible Characters by the Original of these People calling them the Children of Seth by their Countreys Egypt Assyria the East and West by their Idolatry by their Aversion to the Jews their Ignorance c. 3. That these Prophecies were generally understood by the Jews of old of the Calling of the Gentiles as appears from the use the Apostles made of them when they preached to the Gentiles 4. That forasmuch as God had ordered Proselytes to be received into the Jewish Communion he seem'd thereby to have hinted to them that what he had enjoyn'd them as to particulars ought with much more reason to be practiced in general to all the Nations of the World and ought also to be universally desired 5. That the Modern Jews themselves constantly believ'd that the Messiah should lead the Gentiles to Repentance So Kimchi Moses Maimonides and many other Authors since the Talmudists 6. That the Opinion which the Jews have entertained That the Messiah as a great Conquerour was to subdue the Nations proceeds only from the sense of the Oppression they have been and still are under which makes them so earnestly desire a temporal deliverance from the power of the Gentiles by means of the Messiah and the pompous expression of some of the Prophets have strengthen'd this belief in them tho'