03. MESSIAH,
CONSIDER'D, &c.
CHAP. I.
The Introduction; With a particular consideration of that first prophecy, respecting the MESSIAH, recorded in Gen. iii. 15.
HO' the prophecies of the Old Testament, concerning the Messiah, which have had their exact completion in Jesus, are not the only proofs of the truth of the Christian Religion; there being many others, viz. the nature, importance, and tendency of the doctrines of the gospel, the verity and reality of facts recorded in the New Testament, such as
A the the miracles of Christ, his resurrection from the dead, &c. yet are they real and unquestionable ones, and such as deserve our particular consideration; especially, seeing Christ, and his apostles, so frequently appealed to them, to confirm the truth of what they delivered. Salvation by Jesus Christ, is the great doctrine of the gospel, and the sum and substance of the Christian Religion, of which salvation, says the apostle Peter, the prophets have enquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, when it testified, before-hand, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. One main and principal branch of this salvation, is the forgiveness of sin thro' the blood of Christ; now to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins; and indeed Jesus and his apostles said none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles. It was the common and usual practice of Christ to direct his hearers to search the scriptures of the Old Testament, they are they, says he, which testifie of me; yea he expressly says that Moses wrote of him; he always spoke of his sufferings, and of several circumstances of them, as predicted by the prophets; and therefore after his resurrection, in order to lead his disciples into a thorough acquaintance with these things, beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself, and declared that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, a 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. b Acts x 43. c Acts xxvi. 22, 23. d Joh. v. 39, 46. e Luke xxiv. 27, 44.
and in the psalms, concerning him. The marks and characters of the Messiah, as fixed by the prophets, in the Old Testament, are very plain and visible in Jesus, which have been no small confirmation of the faith, hope, and joy, of those who have believed in him. Hence, says Philip to Nathanael, these two being some of the first that believed in him, and whose hearts were filled with joy at the first notice of him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Now tho' this kind of proof is not the only foundation of the Christian Religion, yet it must be esteemed a very considerable part of it, for we who believe in Jesus, are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, which foundation a late author has endeavoured to undermine, in several tracts on this subject of prophecy. Wherefore it highly becomes those who have any value for Jesus, the redeemer, to attempt the securing of it, against such bold attacks, and daring insults, upon the best and most excellent religion in the world. I am sensible that several prophecies have been already, in this present controversy, very learnedly and judiciously discussed, and sufficiently cleared from those exceptions which have been made against them, as also am conscious of my own weakness and inability to engage in such a work; yet, having the redeemer's glory at heart, and being fully assured of the goodness of the cause, as well as willing to contribute what I can towards the securing the honour of Jesus, the confirmation of believers, and conviction of infidels, I have undertaken the consideration of the prophecies of the Old Testa-
6 John i. 45. 8 A Discourse of the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion, &c. The Scheme of Literal Prophecy considered, &c. Letter to Dr. Rogers, &c.
A 2 ment, respecting the Messiah, which are either cited as such in the New, or are generally, by christian interpreters, referred to him; and shall attempt to prove, that they truly and properly belong to the Messiah, and have been actually and exactly fulfilled in Jesus, which must be no inconsiderable evidence of the truth of the Christian Religion.
I shall begin with Gen. iii. 15. which is the first prophecy respecting the Messiah, of whom in the volume of the book, in the first roll thereof, in the head or beginning of the book of God, it was written, that he should do the will of God; which was no other than to destroy Satan the old serpent, with his works, and rescue sinful and miserable man out of his hands, pursuant to this original prophecy, which was given quickly after man's apostasy from God, and stands at the head and front of the bible, from the giving forth of which, the Messiah has been spoken of by the truth of all God's holy prophets, which have been the world began.
From this, and the preceding verse, contain the judiciary sentence pronounced by God upon the serpent, for his concern in the apostasy of man from his creator, of the real causes of which, and the sinful methods were used to effect it, together with the dreadful consequences thereof, a particular account is given in this chapter. But for the writer, and more full explanation of those words, it will be proper to consider these two things
I. Who, or what is meant by the serpent, on whom this sentence is pronounced.
II. The several parts and branches of that sentence.
Luke i. 70.
First, It will be proper to consider who, or what is meant by the serpent. That a true and real serpent, and not the meer appearance or image of one, is here intended, is manifest, from its being reckon'd among the beasts of the field, ver. 1. from that cunning and subtlety which are there ascribed to it, and which are remarkably eminent in this creature, as also from the nature of the curse denounced against it, which was to go upon its belly and eat dust all the days of its life. These words cannot be understood solely, and alone, of a real serpent, but of Satan in it, and with it, and of that only, as used and actuated by him, he being the principal, this only the instrument, as will appear from the following considerations.
1. Speech is ascribed to it, which is peculiar to rational creatures; for the opinion of Philo, Josephus, Aben-Ezra, and others, that beasts, in their original and primæval state, were endued with a faculty of speaking, must be rejected as intirely fabulous; but this may well be understood of Satan speaking in the serpent, whose common practice has been to utter voices in persons possessed by him; nay, to give forth oracles from the Gentile idols, things inanimate, and may as well be supposed to form articulate words in the mouth of the serpent, as the angel of the Lord did in the mouth of Balaam's ass.
2. This serpent appears to be endued with reason and understanding; here is a design form'd by him against the glory of God and the happiness of man, managed with all the subtlety and contrivance imaginable, as well as malice and envy, which are very visible throughout his whole conduct, and can never be applicable to an irrational creature.
3. It is not reasonable to suppose, that human nature, as endued with reason, knowledge, and wisdom, even in it's full strength and glory, could be our.
out-witted, seduced and overcome, by a creature so mean and inferior to it.
4. The writings of the New Testament always refer the deception of mankind, to the malice and cunning of Satan; and that often, under the name of a serpent, *John* viii. 44. 2 Cor. xi. 3. Rev. xii. 9.
5. Tho' these writings are of no account with Jews and Deists, yet the sense of the former, respecting what we have now under consideration, perfectly agrees with them; many of their chiefest masters acknowledge, that Satan accompanied the serpent, was in him, was the cause of the ruin and destruction of mankind, and was principally intended in the curse, which also appears from the names they give the serpent, as סמא which signifies the God that hath blinded, to which the apostle has some regard, when he says, 2 Cor. iv. 4. speaking of Satan, the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not: also they call him, מלאך המוח, the Angel of Death, because he was the cause of death to Adam, and all the world; to this the apostle refers, when he tells us, Heb. ii. 14. that Jesus came to destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. Moreover, nothing is more usual with them than to call Satan נחש חיה מוני the old serpent, which is the very name St. John gives him, Rev. xii. 9. and xx. 2. and no doubt takes it's rise from this history of the serpent, in Genesis. But,
Secondly, I shall now consider the several parts of the curse denounced against the serpent, which are these, viz. to be the most accursed of all creatures, to go upon it's belly, to eat the dust of the earth, and live in a continual enmity with mankind, to which, tho' it would be hurtful, yet man i R. Saadiah Gaon & R. Samuel ben Hophni in Aben-Ezra in Gen. iii. 3. R. Bechai in ibid. R. Moses ben Maimon. in Mor. Nevoch. lib. 2. ch. 30. Targum Jon. in Gen. iii. 6. Rohar in Gen. fol. 127. 1. 2. Sepher Bahir & Imre Binah in ibid.
should have the advantage over it; all which has been exactly fulfilled in it; for the serpent is the most hateful of all creatures, and, however erect its posture might be before the execution of this sentence, it is certain that now it is a reptile upon the earth; the dust of which is its food; and between which and man there's a real enmity; man abhors the sight of a serpent, and a serpent abhors the sight of man, and tho' it may secretly, and at unawares, bite the heels of men, yet man has the advantage over it, so as he can easily bruise and crush its head, which, being most in danger, it is most careful to guard *. Now, the infliction of this upon the serpent is no ways unreasonable, since it was used by Satan as an instrument to bring about his vile and wicked designs; besides, by this curse, God shewed the more his detestation of the sin of Satan, in ruining mankind, and how much it was displeasing to him; seeing he would not suffer either principal or instrument to escape; for it must not be supposed that this curse only regarded this brute creature, but that it was chiefly designed against Satan, the sole projector and conductor of the whole affair; for it would not be agreeable to the justice of God, to inflict this on the instrument and let the principal go free; nor would there be any proportion between the sentence against man and the serpent, if this concerned the serpent only, which will appear more manifest, by considering the several parts of the sentence, and how they have been executed upon Satan.
First, One part of the curse is that he should go upon his belly, which is a periphrasis of creeping upon the earth, and is aptly expressive of the great dragon, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan,
* Franzii Hist. Animal. Sacr. par. 4. c. 1. Topsell's History of Serpents. p. 604, 606.
being s h ll f n in or. in ld being cast out of heaven into the earth, and his angels with him; where he now has his abode, and rules in the hearts of men, for which reason he is called the God and prince of this world, being never able to rise higher, and regain his place, and first estate, in the highest heavens, which is no small part of his punishment.
Secondly, Another part of the curse denounced against him is, his eating the dust of the earth, which designs the mean and abject condition in which Satan now is, who does not, as formerly, seed upon angels food, the joys of heaven, but entertains himself with base mean and earthly lusts, in which that impure spirit delights. Moreover, it may also intend the very great subjection of Satan, not only to Christ, the king of kings, who has lead captivity captive, but even to the meanest of his people, under whose feet the God of peace will shortly bruise him, which is no small mortification to that proud spirit: Thus the phrase of licking the dust of the earth is used in Psal. lxxii. 9. Mic. vii. 17.
Thirdly, As a further degree of punishment to him, it is threatened by God that he would put enmity between him and the woman, between his seed and her seed; the meaning of which is, that the woman, (into whose affections he had insinuated himself, and with whom he had had so much familiar conversation,) now seeing how much she had been imposed upon, and seduced by him, to the ruin of herself and posterity, should be filled with an enmity to him, which should be placed in her, as a punishment of him, and which enmity should not center in her only, but be transmitted to her seed, by which must be meant more especially the Messiah, who, by way of eminency, may be called the seed of the woman, who should oppose himself to Satan, and his seed, the evil angels, and the whole race of wicked and ungodly men, which would hate and persecute both him and his people.
Fourthly, For the filling up the measure of his just punishment. It is promised that an entire victory over him should be gained by the woman's seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel, for this word it, manifestly refers to the woman's seed, by which is intended the Messiah; nor can it be any just objection, to the application of it to him, that the word seed is a collective word, seeing it is often used to design a single person, as in Gen. iv. 25. xv. 2. and xxi. 13. That this is to be understood of him, will appear more evident, if we consider the following things.
First, That the person spoken of, is called the seed of the woman, and not of the man, which can agree with no other than the Messiah, who was to be born of a virgin, as was afterwards more clearly revealed by Isa. vii. 14. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel; which was fulfilled in Jesus, who was truly the seed of the woman, and of her only, being made of a woman, and not begotten by man, but was conceived in the womb of the virgin, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Secondly, The word הוא which is here rendred it, is one of the names of God, and is so used in Psal. cii. 27. but thou art the same, אתה הוא thou art II E. See also Isa. xlviii. 12. and thus the Jews frequently use it, nay, in Zohar they apply it to the eternal and blessed God, bruising the serpent's head, as expressed in this text, which well agrees with Jesus, who is the unchangeable, eternal, and omnipotent H E, the avid, who is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever, the true Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
* Seder Tephillot, fol. 2. 1. and p. 1. Edit. Basil. 1 Vil. Broughton's works, p. 231. 465. 490. 507.
B
Thirdly, The work he was to do deserves, consideration, and proves the person, spoken of, to be the Messiah, which was to bruise the serpent's head, i. e. to destroy Satan and all his works, set aside all his craft and cunning; crush all his machinations and designs, and overturn his whole empire; now this is frequently spoke of in the Old Testament, as the Messiah's work; and, in some places, a peculiar reference seems to be had to this original prophecy, as in Psal. cx. 6. which psalm solely belongs to the Messiah, where it is thus prophesied of him, he shall wound the heads over many countries, מחוץ ראש על ארץ רבה which may be thus rendered, he shall wound the head, i. e. him that his the head, or ruler † over a large country, which is no other than Satan, m the god and prince of this world, who was to be wounded, bruised, and destroyed, by the Messiah. Again, in Hab. iii. 13. it is said, * Thou wenteſt forth for the Salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedſt the head out of the houſe of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. Which, agreeable to Kimchi's reading and comment, who expounds it of the Messiah, may be thus paraphrased " As thou wenteſt forth for the salvation of thy " people, when they entred into the land of Canaan; ſo wilt thou go forth for the ſalvation of thy " people by the hands of Messiah, the ſon of David, who ſhall wound Satan, who is the head, the " king and prince of the houſe of the wicked, and " ſhall raſe up all his ſtrength, power, policy, and " dominion." Now all this well agrees with Jeſus; who has deſtroyed Satan, got an entire conqueſt
† The Hebrew word ראש is frequently used to ſignifie a Chief, a Captain, Ruler, or Governor, ſee Numb. xiv. 4. Judg. xi. 8, 9, 11. 1 Sam. xv. 17. 1 Chron. xi. 11. 20. Neh. ix. 17. Hof. i. 11. m Vid. Gejerum in loc. * Yarchi, in Psal. cx. 6. couples thoſe two texts together, as agreeing in one and the ſame ſenſe.
over
[ II ]
over him, has spoiled principalities and powers, and subverted his whole empire.
Fourthly, The sufferings of the Messiah, are very fitly expressed by the serpent's bruising his heel: Some by his heel understand his people, here on earth; and by bruising it, those persecutions which Satan and his emissaries are continually raising against, and afflicting them with; tho' it rather seems to intend his human nature, which, as the divine nature is the head and chief in Christ, this is the heel, the inferiour and lowest nature in him, which was frequently exposed to Satan's insults, temptations, and persecutions, and what he particularly struck at, and at length so far succeeded as to bring him to a shameful and ignominious death, the iniquity of his heels, the sins of his people, which he bore in his own body on the tree, then compassing him about.
Fifthly, Several Jewish writers have understood this clause, of the Messiah, and particularly the Targums of Jonathan, and Jerusalem; the former of which in his paraphrase of it, says, there shall be a healing for the heel, in the days of the king Messiah; and much to the same purpose says the latter. The Targum of Onkelo, seems well to express the secret, spiteful, malicious, and insidious manner, in which Satan attacked the Messiah, in the end of the world; by paraphrasing the words thus, he shall remember thee what thou didst to him of old, and thou shalt observe or watch him in the end. Tho' later Jews oppose the application of it to the Messiah, especially to Jesus, and two things are chiefly objected by them. First, that Jesus did not bruise or destroy Satan, but rather Satan was the procuring cause of the death of Jesus; to which I reply, that Satan so far gained his point, as to bring about the death of Jesus, we a R. Isaac. Chizuk, Eman. D. 1. c. 12.
B 2 christians dont deny, but then we assert, that Jesus, thro' death, destroy'd him, that had the power of death, that is the devil, by which we don't mean an annihilation of his being, but a dispossessing him of his power, a confounding of his schemes and projects, a destruction of his works, and a subjection of him to Christ, the triumphant conquerour, who has ascended on high, and led captivity captive. Secondly, they object that Satan still retains a power over persons; and that the apostle Paul himself acknowledges, that he hindred him and others from coming to the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. ii. 18. and that in Rom. xvi. 20. the same apostle speaks of Satan, as to be bruised, under the feet, of the followers of Jesus, and not as already bruised; to which I answer, that Satan indeed has often a permission from Christ, to do many things which tend to the disquietude, and discomfort of his people; but yet he can go no further than he has leave, which shows that he is entirely conquered by Christ, and in subjection to him; and tho' he is not fully, and compleatly bruised under the feet of saints, yet is he under the feet of Jesus, who has spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly.
A late author objects, that tho' Jesus might bruise the devil's head, or triumph over him, yet Jesus was the only person, that ever was born, whose heel the devil could not bruise, or over whom the devil could not triumph, by any attack whatsoever. But I have already shewn in what sense Christ's heel was bruised, by the devil, and how he, and his emissaries triumphed over him, having nailed him to the cross, and afterwards laid and secured him in the grave: But this triumph did not last long, for tho' he was crucified thro' weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God; tho' his heel was bruised, his head could not
• The Science of Internal Prophecy, p. 239 be;
be; for tho' he was dead, he is now alive, and will live for evermore.
In fine, from this first prophecy, we learn, that the Messiah was to be incarnate, born of a woman, and not begotten by man; that he was to suffer and die; as also, that he was to destroy Satan and his works, which Jesus has done: And it may be observed, that salvation was proclaimed, as soon as sin was committed, and a prophecy of a Messiah given forth, as soon as there was any need of one.
CHAP. II.
Shewing that the MESSIAH was promised to Abraham, and what advantages the nations of the world were to receive by him.
THE next prophecy, respecting the Messiah, or discovery that was made of him to the sons of men, was made to Abraham, Gen. xxii. 18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Now, in the former prophecy, it was left undiscovered and undetermined, out of what people or nation the Messiah should arise, and only, in general, declared, that he should be the seed of the woman; but in this it is expressed in plain terms, that he should be of the seed and posterity of Abraham; as Jesus, the true Messiah, was, who took not upon him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham, and is therefore justly called Abraham's son. But, for the better understanding of this prophecy, two things should be enquired into, 1. Who is meant by the seed of Abraham, in whom all nations should be blessed. 2. What adp Heb. ii. 16. 4 Matt. i. 1.
vantages the nations of the world should receive by this promised seed.
First, It will be proper to enquire, who is meant by the seed of Abraham, in whom all nations of the earth were to be blessed. Now this seed cannot intend Isaac, the immediate seed of Abraham, because this blessing, in the extensiveness of it, was never verified in him: Besides, 'tis carried down to his posterity, Gen. xxvi. 4. as not terminating in him, it not being intended of him; and, for the very same reasons, it cannot design Jacob, the immediate seed of Isaac, see Gen. xxviii. 14. nor has it ever received its completion in the whole body of the Israelitish nation, the posterity of Jacob; for what advantages have the nations of the world ever received from them? or when, and how have they been blessed in them, or the Jews ever been the occasion of any blessing to them? Whilst they continued in their own land, they dwelt alone, and were not reckoned among the nations; they kept themselves at the utmost distance from other people; their religion, laws, and customs being different from them; they would have no communion with them, either on a civil or sacred account; nor any conversation; they would not perform any civilities to them, no, not even the common offices of humanity; nay, there was a real enmity in the Jews against the Gentiles: The former thought it no crime to do any hurt or mischief to the latter, either in person or estate; nay, their hatred to them has run so high, as even to do all they could to hinder their everlasting salvation, and all arising from a mistaken sense of Deut. xxiii. 6. And since the destruction of their civil polity, and their dispersion, the nations have received no advantage from them; they have not been in a capacity to give them any assistance: so that as the nations of the world never have been, they never are likely to be blessed in those people, who have always been so far from being accounted a blessing to them, that their name has been used by way of reproach, and as a proverb, a taunt, and a curse, wherever they have been driven. From whence it appears, that the nations of the world never took up this, as a form of blessing among them, God bless you, as he did the Israelites or seed of Abraham; which a late author thinks to be the sense of the phrase here, from its use in all other places; in which sense, 'tis true, he has the concurrence of the greatest part of the modern Jews; authorities which he at other times treats with the utmost contempt: But no one instance can be produced, when the nations of the world ever used such a form of blessing as this; nor does the use of the phrase, in all other places, determine this to be the sense of it here: see Deut. xxix. 19. Psal. lxxii. 17. Isa. lxv. 16. Jer. iv. 2. where there is not the least foundation for such an interpretation. Besides, in parallel texts, the word is used in Nitha', in a passive form, as in Gen. xii. 3. and xviii. 18. and xxviii. 14. which directs us to the plain sense of the words in this. And as to Gen. xlviii. 20. the only place produced in favour of this sense, the word is purely active, and so no proof of the use of it in a different form; and though that text informs us what would be a usual form of blessing among the Jews; yet neither that, nor any other text, nor any history, either sacred or prophane, acquaints us, that that, or any other Jewish form of blessing, would be used among the Gentiles. Now, as it appears that this prophecy never had its completion, either in the more near posterity of Abraham, as Isaac or Jacob, or in his more remote, even the whole body of the
¹ The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p. 132, 133.
Jewish nation, in any age, or period of time, it remains, that some other person or persons must be fixed upon, which can be no other than the Messiah, even our Jesus, to whom the apostles have applied it; Acts iii. 25, 26. Gal. iii. 8. The import of which is, that the Messiah should be of Abraham's seed, and that the Gentiles should be blessed in him; and though modern Jews have coined other interpretations of this prophecy, yet the ancient ones understood it in the sense now given. Two things are principally objected by modern Jews against the application of it to the Messiah, and in favour of its intending the whole body of the Israelites: 1. They say the word seed cannot be understood of a single person, but is used collectively of a large number; but instances have been given, in the preceding chapter, where the word seed is used of a single person; so that St. Paul is to be justified, when he says u, Now to Abraham: and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.
2. They object that no blessing comes to the nations of the world, but through the Jews: to which I answer; 'tis true, that salvation is of the Jews; that to them belong v the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever; from whom the nations of the world receive all their blessings; but then we deny that the Gentiles receive any blessing from them, but only as through the Messiah, Jesus, one of their nation, r Sepher Chafidim, S. 961. in Allix's Judgment of the Jewish Church, &c. p. 57. r R. Isaac Chizuk, Emun. par. 1. c. 13. u Gal. iii. 16. w Rom. ix. 4, 5.
who was made a curſe, that the bleſſing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles. But
Secondly, Let us now conſider the advantages which the nations of the world were to receive from the Meſſiah, this promiſed ſeed. And it is to be obſerved, that by all the nations of the world, every individual perſon therein is not intended, but only ſome in all nations, who, with Abraham, believe in the ſame promiſed ſeed, as the apoſtle has taught us to explain this prophecy; So then, ſays he, * they which be of faith, are bleſſed with faithful Abraham. The Jews look upon it to be a ſufficient verification of this prophecy *, that ſome of the Gentiles, by means of their patriarchs, have been brought to the knowledge of the being, unity, providence, and omnipotence of God, which knowledge is the cauſe of all true bleſſedneſs: But the plain meaning of the prophecy is, that though the Meſſiah was to be of Abraham's ſeed, yet his poſterity alone were not to receive the advantage thereof; but his divine bleſſings were to extend to the ſeveral nations of the world.
The calling of the Gentiles, by the Meſſiah, was the great myſtery, which in other ages was not made known ſo clearly, as it is now under the Goſpel diſpenſation: there were indeed frequent intimations of it in the Old Teſtament, and the Jews could not be altogether ſtrangers to it, tho' nothing was more diſpleaſing and provoking to them: This temper of theirs, God long ago foretold by Moſes, ſaying, * I will move them to jealouſy with thoſe which are not a people, I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation; i. e. by calling and bleſſing them. Iſaiah, of all the prophets, ſpoke moſt largely concerning the bleſſings de-
* Gal. iii. 9. * R. Isaac Chizuk, Emun. par. 1. c. 13. * Deut. xxxii. 21.
C ſigned signed for the Gentiles by the Messiah; but the apostle says, that he was very bold on that account; for he was sure to incur the displeasure of the Jews; nay, run the risque of his life for being so. Near the time of the Messiah's coming, this controversy was much agitated in the schools of Hillell and Shammai, viz. Whether or no, when the Messiah came, the nations of the world would have any advantage by him? A vast majority were on the negative side of the question; though some few, such as old Simeon, and others, knew, that he was to be a light to the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel: but the greater part were so far from thinking, that the Gentiles would be redeemed by the Messiah, that they firmly believed they would be all destroyed at his coming, and have no favour or mercy shewn them. This notion Jesus and his apostles much opposed, and is the true reason of the grace and redemption of Christ being expressed in those universal terms, they so often are in the New Testament. The controversy was not then, as it is now, between the Arminians and Calvinists, Whether all and every individual of humane nature were to be redeemed by Christ; but, Whether any of the Gentiles should be redeemed by him, or no? which, as I said before, was determined in the negative: But Jesus and his apostles declared against it: Our Lord, in a discourse of his with one of their learned rabbies, says, God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten sin, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, let have everlasting life. By the world here, Christ means the Gentiles, as distinct from the Jews, as manifestly appears from the words of the apostle John, who lay in the bosom of Jesus, and must a Rom. x. 20. b Vid. Lightfoot Hor. Heb. in Joh. iii. 1- c Joh. iii. 16.
be allowed to be the best interpreter of his words. Now he tells us, that Jesus was the propitiation for our sins, meaning the sins of the Jews; for John was a Jew; and, says he, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world; wherein he explains the words of Jesus, and, at the same time, struck at the darling notion of the Jews. The apostle Paul uses the word in the same sense, Rom. xi. 12, 15. for there was much the same distinction then as now; there were Israel, and the nations of the world, as now the church and the world, the former of which the Jews claimed to themselves, and the other they gave to the Gentiles, whom they looked upon as rejected of God; but Jesus gave himself a ransom for all, for Gentiles as well as Jews, and the grace of God hath appeared to all men; the doctrine thereof, after the resurrection of Jesus, was no more confined to Judaea, but carried into the gentile world, by the first preachers thereof, who had a commission from Christ to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; whereby the blessings of the Messiah were conveyed to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews; which brings us to consider the several advantages which the nations of the earth were to receive from the Messiah, the promised seed, which are as follow:
1. Redemption, which is the source and spring of all the rest. The Messiah is frequently spoken of, in the Old Testament, under the character of a redeemer, and the Jews always expected him as such; many instances might be produced from thence as proofs of it: I shall content my self with mentioning one, which I the rather chuse, because it is cited in the New. The passage is in Isa. lix. 20. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transd 1 Joh. ii. 2.
C 2 gression in Jacob, saith the Lord. This, says Aben Ezra, is the Messiah. St. Paul cites the text in Rom. xi. 26. after this manner, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. The Jews quarrel with this citation, and charge the apostle with a perversion of the prophet's words, which, how justly, will appear by considering the principal differences between them: the prophet says, The Redeemer shall come to Zion; but, according to the apostle it is, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer: For the reconciling of which, it ought to be observed, that the servile letter sometimes signifies from, as well as to, when it is put in the room of a, of which some instances may be produced: see Exod. xvi. 1. and xix. 1. Numb. xxxiii. 38. Ezra iii. 8. 1 Kings xii. 24. compared with 2 Chron. xi. 4. Besides, the Messiah was to come out of Zion: Hence says David, 'O that the salvation or saviour of Israel were come out of Zion: so that our apostle fitly expresses the faith and expectation of the old Jewish church in this citation. The other difference is, in Isaiah; 'tis said, that this Redeemer should come to those that turn from transgression in Jacob; when the apostle says, that when he is come he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. The Jews, who quarrel with him for his version of this clause, would do well to consider, that this is exactly agreeable to the Septuagint version, the authors of which work were all Jews: besides, the Targum on the place favours our apostle's version and sense, which paraphrases it thus, The redeemer shall come to Zion, and so turn the rebellious ones of the house of Jacob to the law. From the whole it appears, that they have no reason to charge the apostle with a false citation or perversion of Isaiah's words, which not only de-
R. Isaac Chizuk, Emun. par. 2. c. 31.
Psal. xiv. 7.
clare the character of the Messiah, as a redeemer, but also acquaint us with the nature of his redemption; not a deliverance from the Roman yoke, as the Jews vainly expected; but this Redeemer was to remove ungodliness from Jacob; he was to redeem Israel from all her iniquities: Salvation by him was to be an everlasting salvation, and not a mere temporary one: and such a salvation old Jacob expected, who, whilst he was blessing his sons, a little before his death, breaks out in this pathetic manner, & I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord. Remarkable is the paraphrase of Jonathan ben Uzziel on these words; When Jacob saw, says the paraphrast, that Gideon the son of Joash, and Sampson the son of Manoah were appointed to be redeemers, said, Not for the redemption of Gideon do I wait, nor for the redemption of Sampson, because their redemptions are but temporary; but for thy redemption, O Lord, do I wait, because thy redemption is an everlasting one. Some copies read the last clause thus; but for the redemption of Messiah the son of David. Much to the same purpose also is the Jerusalem Targum on the place. From whence it appears, what sort of a redeemer, and what kind of redemption the ancient Jews expected, even such a redeemer as Jesus is, whose name was called to, because he saves his people from their sins, who is become the author of eternal salvation unto all those that obey him.
Now of this salvation and redemption, Messiah, the Gentiles were to part the Jews; for God gave him to be Gentiles, that he might be his ends of the earth; and according to the power of God, one that believeth, to the Greek. Though salvation
5 Gen. xlix. 12 of it came from among them, and to them it was first preached, yet it does not belong to them only, all the nations of the earth being to be blessed, in the Messiah, with this blessing.
The writings of the Old Testament abound with intimations of the Messiah, as a redeemer, and the nature of redemption by him; nor are they wanting to give us an account of the greatness of his person; they represent him as the mighty God, God's equal and fellow, as the Adon, or Lord, whom the Jews sought, of whom, in a time to come, it should be said, Lo this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation; tho' they also often speak of him as a man, as a son born, and a child given, as one that should be exposed to very great sorrows, hardships and sufferings, nay to death itself; hence it appears, that the Jews had no reason to quarrel with Jesus, as they did, for that he being a man made himself God; especially when his works declared him to be so; for the Messiah of the prophets was to be both God and man.
2. Another blessing, which the nations of the earth were to be blessed with, in the Messiah, or advantage they were to receive by him, is justification from all sin and condemnation; the apostle seems to have this blessing, designed for the gentiles solely in view, viz. citing Gen. xii. 3. he says, " and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. The people of God, under the Old Testament, were sensible that there was no justification before God, by any righteousness of their own, which they knew and acknowledged to be as
1 Ifa. ix. 6. 2 Zech. xiii. 7. 3 Mal. iii. 1. 4 Ifa. xxv. 9. 5 Gal. iii. 8.
filth:
filthy rags, wherefore they desired ¹ that God would not enter into judgment with them; for in his sight no man could be justified, i. e. by any works of his own. Now one part of the Messiah's work was m to bring in everlasting righteousness, for the justification of those that believed in him; hence one of his famous names and titles is, the Lord our righteousness n, and from him, these expected their justifying righteousness, o surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength — in the Lord, or according to the Chaldee paraphrase, in or by the word of the Lord, the eternal Aisio, shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory; which blessing the Jews were not to enjoy alone, for the Gentiles were to share with them in it, who were not only to see this righteousness in others, but to enjoy it themselves; for all the Messiah's people, whether Jews or Gentiles, were to be all righteous, and indeed at present the latter have the greatest share in this righteousness; for while p Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness; the gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith, which they have not from themselves, but from the Messiah Jesus, who is the q end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes, by whom they r are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses.
3. Another blessing, which the Gentiles, as well as Jews, were to receive from the Messiah, is peace. Peace and abundance of it were promised to be in the days of the Messiah; many p prophecies speak of it, one of the Messiah's titles is prince of peace; nay he is called the peace, because all true peace is owing
¹ Pfal. cxliii. 2. m Dan. ix. 24. n Jer. xxiii. 6. p Ifi. xlv 24, 25. p Rom. ix. 30, 31. q Rom. x. 4. r Acts xiii. 39 ¹ Pfal. ixxii. 3, - Ifa. ix. 6, 7. Hyg. ii. q.
to him, he is both the author and donor of it, which Gentiles as well as Jews participate of; for the Messiah was to speak peace unto the heathen, which Jesus has done, by preaching peace to them which were afar off, and to them which were nigh, i. e. to the Jews, who were a people near unto the Lord, and to the Gentiles, who were afar off from him; the one also being upon the spot where Jesus and his disciples first began to preach, the other at a distance from them; and this Jesus did, as having an equal right unto, and a real concern for both, being lord of all.
4. Pardon of sin is another valuable blessing, which the nations of the earth were to be blessed with in the Messiah, as well as the posterity of Abraham. This is one of those consolations in Isa. xl. 2. which Kunch: acknowledges shall be in the days of the king Messiah; 'tis part of the covenant, Jer. xxxi. 34. which was then to be more fully and clearly opened; this God promised, and this the ancient Jews expected on the score of the Messiah's being wounded for their transgressions, and bruised for their iniquities; tho' now they have lost the true notion of atonement for sin, which they expect not from the death of the Messiah, but from their own death; which, in their form of confession used by sick persons; they desire may be for the pardon, remission, and atonement of all their iniquities, transgressions, and sins, which is owing to their ignorance of the true expiation and forgiveness of sin, by the death of Christ, who is the propitiation, not for the sins of Jews only, but for those of the Gentiles also, for to him give all the prophets witness, that whosoever believeth in him,
¹ Zech. ix. 10. ² Eph. ii. 17. with which compare Isa. v. 7, 19. the same Phraeology is used in Zohar in Num. fol. 89. 3. ³ In Seder Tephillot, fol. 333. col. 2. ⁴ Acts x. 43.
shall receive remission of sins; which valuable blessing we have in Jesus, whose blood was shed for many, to obtain it.
5. Submission to the Messiah's laws and government, in and among the nations of the earth, as well as among the Jews, was promised and might be expected in the days of the Messiah. The apostle Peter seems to make the completion of the prophecy, now under consideration, so far as it respected the seed of Abraham, chiefly to lie in this, his words are these ¹ Te, says he, speaking to the Jews, are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God having raised up his son Jesus, hath sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Now, tho' the Messiah was sent to the Jews, and first made known unto them, the gospel first preached among them, and some of them turned to him; yet, by far, a greater number among the Gentiles, which was predicted in many prophecies; that when Shiloh was come, the gathering of the people, the nations of the world, was to be to him: as soon as ever the root of Jesse was set up as an ensign to the people, the Gentiles were to seek unto it, nay, the isles afar off were to wait for his law, and would readily embrace it, upon its first promulgation; all which have been more or less fulfill'd since the times of Jesus.
6. A very great effusion of the Spirit was promis'd and expected in the days of the Messiah; which was eminently fulfill'd on the day of Pentecost, quickly after the ascension of Jesus, to verify the prophecy of Joel, in ch. ii. 18. which ² many
¹ Acts iii. 25, 26. ² Vid. Kimchi, Rashi, and Aben-Ezra in Joel ii. 18. and Zohar in Numb. fol. 99. 2. and R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. p. 51.
D
Jewish writers acknowledge belongs to the days of the Messiah.
7. The nations of the earth were to be blessed with abundance of knowledge, when the Messiah came; the earth was to be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea; so that there would be no need for every man to teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they were all to know him, from the least of them unto the greatest of them: and this was so current an opinion, and so universally known and embraced, that the poor woman of Samaria could say, I know the Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things; which character well agrees with Jesus, who has opened the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, has made an ample discovery of his Father's mind and will, has brought life and immortality to light by the gospel, and diffused the savour of his knowledge in every place.
In fine, all blessings here, and everlasting happiness hereafter, were promised unto, and might be expected from the Messiah, by the nations of the world; of which blessings, the gospel of Christ has brought them the joyful tidings; for the salvation of God has been sent unto them, and they will bear it. And seeing 'tis so, no wonder that this promised seed of Abraham should be so much expected, so ardently pray'd for, and earnestly desir'd as he was; it need not therefore seem strange that he should be the delight of the Jewish nation, and the desire of all others.
Isa. xi. 9. Zohar in Lev. fol. 10. 1. Jer. xxxi. 31. Zohar in Lev. fol. 24. 3. and in Num. fol. 54. 4. John iv. 25.
CHAP.
CHAP. III.