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Extraordinary Events the 'Doings of Got>% atukmarvellons in pious Eyes.
Illuflrated in a
SERMON
A T T H E
South Church in Bo ft on, N. E.
ON THE
General Thanksgiving,
T bur f day, July 18. 1745.
Occafion'd
By taking the City of Louisbourg on the Ifle of Cape-Breton, by New-England Soldiers, af- iiited by a Britijh Squadron.
By Thomas Prince, M. A.
And one or" the Paftors of laid Church.
pfhl. xcviii. 1, id 0 fmg unto the Lord a new Song, for hat/7 done marvellous Things : His Right-hand, end his holy Arm hath gotten him the Victory : The Lord hath made known his Salvation, his Right eoufr.efs hath Ids openly l: \ Sight of the Heathen.
EDINBURGH:
Printed by R. Fleming and Company. i;^6v
Price Six-pence,
To His Excellency
William Shirley, Efq;
Captain General and Gover- nor in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Majfacbufetts-Bay in New-England, and Vice- Admiral of the fame :
OUR Excellency be- ing, under the Di- vine Conduct, the principal Former and Promoter of the pros- perous Expedition to Cape- Breton ;
DEDICATION.
Breton ; of fuch vaft Im- portance to the Trade, Wealth, and Power of Great- Britain, as well as Safety of Her American Colonies \ and fo much to the Glory where- with GOD has crown'd His Majesty's happy Reign :
The following Sermon
is, in Gratitude and Juftice,
with all Submiffion,
Dedicated
By
Tour Excellency's Moft obliged
Obedient Humble Servant,
Thomas Prince.
A
Thanksgivi ng
SERMON.
P sal. cxviii. 2,3. This is the LordV T)oing J It is marvel- lous in our Eyes J
WITHOUT any Reference to the prime and particular View of the Words-, I (hall now only obferve the general Truth repre- fented in them, and then apply it to the fpeciai Oc- cafion of the joyous Solemnity of the prefent Day.
For, the general Truth exhibited in the Text is this — that fome extraordinary Events, without being pro- perly term'd miraculous, have fuch lively Characters of their being the Doings of God, as they are evi- dently fo to unprejudic'd and careful Obfervers, and. appear marvellous in their pious Eyes.
By fome extraordinary Events, I mean fome remark- able Ones in the natural and moral World, even in the prefent Ages as well as the former, which greatly affect humane Societies or particular Perfons, efpecially the People of God *, and theft Events con- nected with the various Means and Caufes leading to them.
By Events not properly term'd miraculous ; I mean, when God does not appear to work on his Creatures
in
6 A Thanksgiving-Sermon
in a Manner contrary to the ufual IVays of his Work- ing, yfo?£/y in themfelves confider'd.
And by their having fuch lively Characters of their leing the Doings of God , as they are evidently fo to un- prejudiced and careful Obfervers \ I mean, thefe Cha- racters are diftinguifhly bright and legible to fuch qualified Perfons: Or if they are inadvertent, or un- der a Prejudice ; they are not like to fee them to be the Doings of God, much lefs admire them in a pious Manner, or yield him the Glory of them. See Pfal. xcii. 4,— -6.
But to clear this Truth, we muft confider thefe three general Heads, as the Time allows- -
I. In what Manner may the fovereign God be faid to operate ufually among his Creatures.
II. When have his providential Operations fuch live- ly Characters of their being his Doings.
III. The pious Admirations they fhould raife up in us, and which they happily raife if we are duly difpofed.
I. In what Manner may the fovereign God be faid to operate ufually among his Creatures.
And here we muft needs obferve •, that as there are three Sorts of Creatures or created Subftances, viz. Corporeal, Spiritual, and composed of both *, fo there is a different Sort of Operation of God upon and among them.
i. In his Operation on merely corporeal or material Subftances — He not only by his continual Influence, preferves them in their Being, Nature or elTential Pro- perties of Solidity, Extenfion, &c. which he has been pleas' d to give them ; but to this Influence he alfo feems to add his further ufual Operation in thefe three different Manners, viz.
10 la
for the taking of Cape-Breton. 7
(1) In continually cabling all material Subftances to incline towards each other, in regular Proportions to their Quantities and Diftances : Which is com- monly called the Law or Power of Attraction or Gravity.
{2) When they come to a certain Nearnefs, he by a contrary Operation moves them, in regular Pro- portions all-, to fly off: Which is commonly called the Law or Power of Repu'.fion ; without which all material Subftances on Earth would foon unite in one folid Body.
(3) When they are forced within a certain Near- nefs, he, by a different Operation, makes them move and join together in certain Degrees of Power: Which is commonly called the Law or Power of Co* hafion ; without which there would be no fuch Thing as Union or Co-herence in material Subhances.
And thefe are called the three prime and general Laws of Nature in the material World ; whereby he chiefly appears to govern it. Bat yet it is mod evi- dent, that he confines not himlelf to thefe : For he plainly operates in diverfe other Manners on the Planets, Comets, Rays of Light ; as alio in the Cafes of Electricity, Magnetifm, Cold, Heat, &c. which are Co many various Ways of his Operation, needful for the Schemes of Providence, and the Bleffing and Chaftifing of the World.
And in the different Proportions of all the various Powers and Actions above-mentioned, there is no doubt amazing Wifdom ; which I leave the Learned, of Leifure, to confider.
To which we muft likewife add, that for the per- fect Government of all Things here below, in a due Accommodation between the material and the moral World, for the latter of which the former is made, preferv'd and govern'd 5 — It is doubtlefs needful, that
the
8 A Thanksgiving-Sermon.
theabfolutely iovcreign, wife and omniprdent Lord, Proprietor, and Ruler of all, mould referve to him- felf the iuft Liberty, either mediately by brutal Ani- mals, Men or Angels •, or where their Powers are infufficient to anfwer his wife Ddigns, by his imme- diate Influence (which tho' unfeen by Men may be ken by Angels, to move and order all material Sul> itances this way or the other, as He fees beft,
And it feems abfurd to fuppofe, that the infinite God* who is ablolute and ali-original Lite and Power, fhould conrtantly afford to Angels, and Men, yea to the moft minute Animalcule the Power of moving material Subftances, even contrary to the above-mentioned- Laws of Nature every Moment j yea that he mould be continually making Millions of Animals with luch a Power as this •, and yet con- fine himfelf from doing as much as they, by his im- mediate Power. Thus, for Inftance, he now affords me by a fingle Breath the Power of moving Millions of Atoms upwards againft the Laws of Gravity : And can we imagine that this great and univerfal Agent has confin'd himfelf from doing as much upon all Occafions, by his immediate, tno' fccrct Influence ? or even infinitely more than this : As in railing, turning, allaving Winds and Seas, and numberleis other Operations, where other Powers inieriour to his are inlufficient to compals his Dcfigns
So, in Scripture, the vail Varieties of Winds and Seas, of Clouds and Vapours, Snow, Fire and Rain, Cold and Heat, and other material Sab-nances, are reprefented as continually directed by him, to fulfil his Pleafure. See Job xxxvi, xxxvh, xxxviii. Pfal. lxv, cxlvii, cxlviii, &c.
Nor may this be accounted property miraculous— For 'twould be fl range indeed that the huge Leviai lhould by a Power derived horn Him, throw up a
Cloud
for the taking 0/ Cape-Breton, £
Cloud or Water into the Air •, or even the moll: mi- nute Animakulum, by the Pad* of a Fin, in a Mo- ment raife up Millions of watery Particles againil the Laws of Gravity, without a Miracle : And yet for the Great God to raife up a fingle Atom by his im- mediate Power, mould be eftecmed a Miracle. And as long as thefe are the ufual, tho' the immediate Ope- rations of God ; they are no more miraculous, than his immediate Impreffion of Gravity on material Sub- fiances, or on any primary Subftance, whereby the ImprtfTion may be made on others.
2. In his Operation on Subfances purely fpiritual— He not only by his continual Influence preferves them in their diftinguifhing Exiftence, Nature or effential Properties of Life, and Powers of Perceiving, "Think- ing, voluntary Motion, &c. He has been pleas'd to give them ; but to this Influence He alfo feems to add his further ufual Operations in thefe three Ways.
(1) By producing and continuing fecret, inward Bents or Difpofitions in them •, as the holy Bents of holy Angels, and holy Souls departed, &c.
(2) By raifing and continuing Ideas in their Ima- ginations, Memories and Understandings ; as alfo imprefling them with various Perceptions of Delight- ox Trouble, whereby he chiefly feems to rule the mo- ral World •, fo he continually gives the Millions of holy Angels his Directions, and they are confcantly attending to him, and in every Part of the Univerfe accompliihing his Orders -, and fo he makes the holy- Angels happy with Perceptions of pure Delight, and the finfal Angels wretched with Perceptions of Anxiety.
- (3) By awakening, Sharpening, Strengthening, guiding their intelletlual Powers, to conceive' and penetrate, compare, diftinguifh and judge of Things, and con- trive and form their Schemes, and by exciting their
B ° Pur-
10 ^Thanksgiving Sermon
Purfuits ; whereby he fecretly and wonderfully go- verns in the midft ofnumberlds Contingencies among the Creatures.
And then,
3, With refpecl to Creatures composed of Subftances both corporeal and fpir it ual, as brutal Animals and Men ; his Operations on them may be of all the various Kinds together, according to their feveral Natures and Capacities, we have in brief defcribed ; befides uniting them, keeping them united, and fome peculiar Impreffions of Pleajure, Pain, &c fuitable to their myfterious Union.
And it feems highly reafonable to think, that where the Powers of inferiour Creatures fuffice not to accomplifh his Dcfigns, He employs the higher, or both together : And where they are all inefficient, He puts forth his Power above them ; makes them inftrumental as far as may be, and then acts by his own fuperiour Influence.
As to brutal Animals— they no doubt receive their various Inftincls from him ; and he may by Angels often give them Ideas, and rule them.
And as to 'Men— He no doubt infpires their vari- ous Geniufes -, as alfo frequently, if not continually, ufes Angels, the Evil by PermifTion, the Holy by Com- mand, to fuggeft Ideas to them -, and then ufes them to fuggeft Ideas to one another -, which are inftrumental Caufes under his permiffive, controlling and directive Influence, of numberlefs Paffions, Appetites, Con- fultations, Projects, Refolutions, Actions and Events. He awakens, fharpens, ftrengthens, guides the in- tellectual Powers of Men: And where the Powers of Angels are inefficient to give compleat Ideas to per- form his Schemes •, He may fecretly by his immediate Operation, utterly unknown to Men, fuggeft innu- merable Ideas in them j and therewith infufe his ex- citing
for the taking 0/" Cape-Breton. 11 citing Influence of Zeal, Activity, Courage and Re- folution to fulfill his Councils.
Nor may the unknown Suggejlions of good Angels be accounted proper Infpiraticns •, any more than the Sue geftions of Satan, when he railes up in our Minds Ideas of Scriptures, as he did in the human Mind of Christ: Qr when one Man by Signs fuggelts Ideas to others, and excites their Courage. Nor are the Ideas and Excitations receiv'd from God, either mediately by Men or Angels, or immediately by Him- lelf, proper Infpiraticns : Any more than hjs infufing Millions of Spirits every Moment into new Seeds or Embrios of Animals, making them alive and active , or infufing into them various Inftincts or Geniufes 5 or imprefiing them with Pleafures, Pains, C5V.
For, by Infpiration I mean the certain Revelation he has been pleas'd to give of Himjclf and of his Will, and of Things pad and to come, by Christ and his Prophets and Apoftles of old, put into the Bible and confirm'd by Miracles, as a definitive Rule of Faith, Worfhip, moral and religious Conduct. li- very Kind of Idea and Excitation or Propenfon in us, whether arifing merely from our own Minds, or from evil or good Men and Minifters, or from evil or good Angels, or even immediately from God himlelf, are therefore all to be brought to this only infpired Rule, and tried thereby ; for which End it was infpired and confirmed. And the true Origin of our Ideas and Excitations is kept concealed from us, (without any internal Criterion to judge from whence they come, as the Prophet, had of Old) that by this known divine Rule we might for ever try them. In which Trial, we are carefully to ufe our intellectual Powers : And being aware that in the midft of all we need the Help of God, both in underltanding the Rule and in the Application of it ; to Him we
rnuft
iz A Thanksgiving- Sermon
mud humbly and ever repair in Christ, and feek
for Guidance.
For Illuftration— I might eafily bring a Multitude of Scriptures •, but the Time would fail me. I fhall only cite Deut. xxxii. i Sam. ii. 2 Sam. xxii. i Chrcn. xxix. Job v. xii. xxxii — xxxv. PfaL xxxiv. xlvii. ciii. civ. cvii. and cxiii. I/a. xxviii. and xliv. ~Dan. ii. and iv. Joel \. and ii. Matih. x. 29, 30. Acts xvii. 24, — 28.
In fhort, all Nature, both inanimate and animate, both human and angelical is full of God ; full of his perpetual moviig, guiding and over-ruling In- fluence j and as the Apoftle perfectly expreffes it, Eph. i. 11. Who worketb all things according to the Couifel of his own Will.
B-it then I may not omit to obferve, that agree- able to Scripture-revelation, the eternal Word or Son ot God, who with the eternal Fa the r and Spirit create.! all Things ; in a perfect Union vvich thole Divine Perlbns, He alfo upholds and rules the "World from the Time he made it : But from the Fall, He rules it alio in the fpecial Form ofaMEDiATOR : And upon the Exaltation of his human Nature to Heaven, it is advanced to a wondrous Participation with his Divine Person, in his fupreme Dignity, tranfeendent G:ory, and univerfal Empire. Sttjchn i. Jppb. i. Col i. Heb. i. &c.
And thus have we (hewn in what Manner may the Sovereign God be faid to cerate ufua'ly armng his Creatures.
We now come more briefly to confider,
II. When have his providential Operations fuch live- ly Characters of their being his Doings, as they are evidently ib to unprejudie'd and careful Obfervers.
Even the common Operations in the merely mate- rial World, the more we fearch them, the more they appear to be the Doings of God. But there is fuch a
natural
for the taking of Cape-Breton. 13
natural Atheilm, Biindnefs, and Prejudice in us, as we are averfe to fee it, and prone to afcribe them to • Nature only, or any thing elle than his ever acting Influence. A terrible Storm of Thunder and Light- ning, or a more fearful Earthquake, or fome extra- ordinary Danger or other, feems needful to bring us to fee his Operations in Nature.
And fo it is likewife in his mixt Operations of Pro- vidence. When there is only a Circle of common Occurrences, we are apt to imagine there is only a Courfe of Nature, blended with the common Pow- ers, Arts, Contrivances and Actions of Men ; and the Doings of God appear not in them. We have therefore Need of fome extraordinary Work of God in Providence, to awaken our Minds, and more evi- dently fhow his Doings. And this he gracioufly condefcends to give us in the following Cafes.
1. When in Affairs of vafl Importance, rhere is a wonderful continued Train, and timely Coincidence of innumerable Varieties of Means, both in the mate- rial and moral World together, without our Power and beyond our Profpect, all confpiring to fome great- Event, exceeding happy in its prefent' Influence and future Tendency.
For tho' in fuch extraordinary Works of Gos> as thefe, the fevered Parts confidered Jingly are his ufw al Operations, and don't affect with Wonder, orv ihike our Minds with fo clear and ftrong an Evi- dence of their being his Doings : Yet to fee them all fo perfectly adjufted, as to make up One, great, wife, curious and corfijhnt Scheme, to accompiifli an Event of vafl Importance ;- — This yields fufficient Evidence of wife Defign and fuperior Management in Him, who has all the Powers of Nature, Men and Angels in his Hands, and over-rules them all to fulfill His Purpofes.
This
14 A Thanksgiving-Sermon.
2. This yer appears with a ftronger Evidence, and even dill more wondrous ; when among a great Number of furprizing and important/»d^«/j, there are many (o momenluous and critical, that if any one had not fallen precifely in its fpecial Place and Juncture, there would have been exceeding great Imbarafs- ments and Hindrances ; and many others fo effen. that if all and every one had not come in exact!;/ as they did, the great Event had fail'd, and the main Scheme with all its vaft and curious Apparatus, totally mifcarried.
3. When in exceeding difficult, perplexed and dange- rous Cafes, which look almoft dejperatc, and much more which feem in a Manner loft, there opens at once a great Deliverance, beyond our Power and Thought : And much more ftill, when the Deliverance opens with Succefs, and the very Means of our Diltrels and Danger are made fubfervient to our Profperity and Safety.
4. And laftly, When in this Conjuncture, the So- vereign God is more than ufuaily acknowledged, looked to and trufted in, an extraordinary Spirit of Prayer is raifed up in many ; and all thefe furprizing Incidents and Means, with all our wonderful Sal- vations, Succefs and Happinefs, come on in punc- tual Anfwers to many fervent and fiducial Addrejfes to Him.
I might mention other Cafes, and illuftrate theft ; but the Hour would fail me. And to make the lar- ger Room for the Application, we muft be alfo fhort on our
III. General Head ; which is to reprefent thepious Admiration which thefe extraordinary Appearances and Works of God mould raife up in us, and which they happily raife if we are duly difpofed.
Adm-
for the taking of Cape-Breton. Xf
Admiration is one or the fublimeit Actions of a created Spirit. It is the rifing up of the Mind in a refpectful View of fomething it fees and owns to be fuperior to it. And when it rifes to the reve- rent View of God, it rifes to the higheft and mofl worthy Object, and pays him fome of the Honour in the higheft Meafure, eternally due to his tranfcen- dent Excellencies and Operations.
And as this All-wife Creator has made us ca- pable of this noble Attion, and in our very Make in- fufed a Difprfition to it on extraordinary Appearances ; he therefore frequently does extraordinary Things in Providence, to awake our Attention and excite our Wonder •, to give us more open Difplays of his fupreme Wifdom, Power and Government, and raife our due and reverent Admirations of him.
In the heavenly World \ from the inexhauflible Source of his infinite Perfections, no doubt there now are, and wilb be eternally furprizing Difplays of his Glories, to the perpetual and entertaining Wonder of the happy Inhabitants. Bur, as in tbeje lower Re- gions we frequently need them, he frequently gives them : And if ive were as obfervant as Eliphaz, we fhould find abundant Caufe to cry out in Admirati- on of God as he, Job v. 9. Who does great Things and unfearchable, marvellous 'Things without Number.
But when the Sovereign God is pleafed, in diflin- guijhing Favour to us, to go out of his common Courfe, and fhow a vaft Contrivance, and over-rule a Multitude of all Kinds of Caufes, making them confpire to fome great and happy Event, or do fome- thing extraordinary for our Salvation and vaft Ad- vantage •, Then he more highly obliges us,
and more loudly calls to coniider his wondrous Works \ to fee Him, i. e. his iuperiour Hand and
Excel-
16 A Thansgiving-Sermon
Excellencies in them, and pay our due and diftin- guifhing Admirations to him.
Then we fhould carefully Jay afide every Preju- dice : And our obliged Souls fhould open to every Beam of Light, and Evidence of the Operation and Care of God in all the Parts of the Providence, and forming them all into an admirable Syftem. We mould enlarge our Views to fee the vaft Importance of his wondrous Work, both to Ourfelves and O- thers, in all its Branches : And attentively mind the various Springs and Incidents in the Run of the Whole, and how they all furprizingly confpire to a profpe- rous Iffue. Nor yet— content wirh the bare viewing of thefe •, but our grateful Minds fhould fee the Wif- dom, Power, Juftice, Holinefs, Truth and Goodnefs of God illuftrious in them •, and then confider how He mould thus be working for Us, while we were unwor- thy of the lean: of his Mercies. Laftly, in our ad- miring Views of the whole Work of God, our Souls mould rife into the higheft reverent Admiration of Him •, and then break out in molt thankful Praife, as the pious Plalmiit— -It is the Lord*j Doing ! It is marvellous in our Eyes !
And all this is clearly mod due to God on fuch Appearances, it is the lively Bent and Practice of un- feigned Piety.
But we muft haften to apply thefe Things, in Purfuance of our fir ft Defign, to the great and ex- traordinary Occajion of this happy Solemnity.
For, the Sovereign God, who ruleth by his Power for ever, and does what he pleafes among the Sons of Men, has, by a furprifing Courle of Providence, led us into a mod adventurous Enterprize againft the French Settlements at Cape-Breton, and their ex- ceeding ftrong City of Louijbourg, for warlike Power the Pride and Terror of thefe Northern Seas \ and
for the taking 0/" Cape-Breton. 17
bv a wondrous Series, and happy Coincidence of va- rious Means, delivered them into our Hinds. And this, in a moil fignal Manner, is The Lord'j Doing in the prefent Day ; and is truly marveHcus in every :, yea, I may lay, in every unprejudiced and con* Jiderate Eye.
And here, I mall endeavour thefe two Things, as the Sealbn allows.
1 . In brief lay open to View the vaft Importance of the Place, that we may more clearly fee the Greatnefs of the Mercy in giving it to us : And then,
2. Look into the wondrous Seems of Pr:v
and fee fome of the various and furprizing Steps that led to the happy Acquift
I. In brief lay open to View the vajt Importance of the P.'ace, that we may more clearly fee the Greatnefs of the Mercy in giving jt to us.
The Ijland belonged originally to' the Britijh pire : Was at firfr comprizea in the general Name and grand Patent of New England in 1620-, but in the following Year let off and included in Nova Scotia by a ieparate Patent ; ana fmce, in Nova Sto/ia com- prehended in the Royal Charter of the Majjackufetts Province in 1 69 1 .
It abounds in the befu of Tit-ccal known in Ame- rica : And fo near the Surface of the Earth and Coafl of the Sea, as to be very eafiiv dug and put in Vef- fels. Yea, from 1 7 - 3 , Lahontan had told us of the Trench Ships loading with and carrying the fame to Ga-idalupe and Martiriuo, for the refining of Sugars, to their great Advantage. And its commodious Har- bours; with its happy Situation in the Centre of our Filhery, at the Entrance of the Bav and River of Canada, and in the Wake of all the Trade from Eu- rope to the Britijh Colonies on the Ma tZ .. of Ame-
C ricUm
io A Thanksgiving-Sermon
rka3 and both from them and our Weft-India I/lands to Europe \ rendered the Place of fuch vaft Impor- tance,— that I remember, while in England, when we came to know the Tory Miniftry had by the Treaty of Utrecht 171 3, refign'd it to the French •, all true-hearted Britons who knew the Circumftance of the IJland, mod grievoufly lamented the Refigna- tion, as full of teeming Mifchief to the Britijh Trade, Wealth and Power, and as one of the molt fatal Acts of that unhappy Miniftry.
And the mijcbievous Conference has fince every Year been a growing Confirmation of their judicious Prof- pects. For the French well knowing the vaft Ad- vantage of their Acqurfition, have built a walled City on the moft convenient Port both for Trade and For- tification ;---for thefe Thirty Tears been adding to its natural and artificial Strengrh •, and by immenfe Sums, and the .utmoft Art and Diligence, made it one of the ftrongeft Fcrtreffes in America, if not in Europe : Such as was not like to be taken without a very powerful, skilful and refolute Army both by Sea and Land, or being ftarved to a Surrender. In fhorr, it was the Dunkirk of North America, and in fome Refpects of greater Importance.
For, by Means of this IJland and Fortification, the French have every Year enlarged their Fifhery^ and thereby their Trade, Wealth and Shipping : And by Fifhing cheaper than we, they have more and more commanded the Trade of Spain, Portugal and Italy-, drawn away their Gold and Silver, and greatly di- minifh'd our Trade and Fifhery, a principal Source both of the / ritilb Wealth and naval Power.
So pernicious a Settlement was this, — that for a- bove thefe Twenty Tears, it has feem'd to me, 'twere worth the while to engage in a War with France, if 'twere for nothing elfe but to recover this moft impor- tant
for the taking of Capt-Breten. 19
cant IJland to the Britijh Empire. Tho' a War was dreadful, the Neceflity and Hazard feem'd every Year to increafe : The longer 'twas deferr'd, the. more powerful and dangerous they grew, and the lels our Hope of their being ever reduced.
Yea, from the .Confideration of fuch a /freng De- fence, the Advantage of Wood, Sea-CoaI% Fiftxry, and Free-Gift Land in this and the neighbouring Iflands, the Settlement of Thoufands of People on them alrea- dy, and the innumerable Poor in the Sea-Coaft Towns of France, ever fwarming and coming over to them ;— it feems highly probable, that if the Peace continued much longer, there would be in a few Years Time fuch a Multitude of French Inhabitants, as with the growing Numbers in the bordering Con- tinent of Nova Scotia and Canada, with the Addition of the Indian Nations, would exceedingly vex and wafte, yea, endanger the Conqueft of our Englifh Colonies.
At length, without our feeking, and in the moft critical Time, the Lord was pleafed to leave them to precipitate a War upon us. An unexpected Seafon opens to make the dangerous Trial , if the Almigh- ty would pleafe to profper us. And now all the northern Colonies, and ours efpecially, began to fed their deftructive Power and Influence : In a few Months Time, infefting our Coafls, taking our Ship- ping, ruining our Fifliery and Trade, deftroying Canfo, invading Annapolis, reducing us to Straits, and carrying our People captive into a Place almoit impregnable.
And as it was a Source of Privateers and Men of War diftreffing to us ; it was alfo a fafe Refort, both of their Wed and Eaft India Fleets, to their great Ad-
vantage in returning homeward.
Of
io A Thanks giving- Sermon
Of fuch vafi Importance was this Jtrong Port of our Enemies -, and this poflcffed by one of the moil en- terprizing, powerful and active or Nations.
But in the Wifdom of God, the ftronger it grew, the better in the Iffue for us : The French having built a regular City, and laid out immenfely more to render it both ftrong and commodious, than we fhould, if the Place had been in our Power. Yea, it feems moft likely, that if they had not poffefTed it, there would neither have been a Battery, nor even a Houfe in the Port to this Day •, no more than in ma- ny fine Harbours of Nova Scotia •, which tho* fo near the Fiihery, have been neglected by us for fo many Years, from the Peace of Utrecht. Bjt now in a few Weeh Time, the lovereign God has pleafed to give us the Fruits of thefe Thirty Tears prodigious Art, Labour and Expence of our Enemies -, and this by Means of fo fmail a Number, lefs than Four thou- fand Land-men, unafed to War, undifciplir.'d, and that had never feen a Siege in their Lives. It is the LoPvD'i doing ! it is marvellous in cur Eves !
II. Let us therefore look into the wondrous S of Providence, and fee fome of the various and fur- prifmg Steps which led to the happy A
And thefe we may review under thefe two Heads-.
i . The rem e S:eps winch led to the .dange-
rous Enterprize. And,
2. The furprifin^ ling us therein.
i.] The remarkable S.eps of Providence which led Us to the adventurous Enierp,
I have already hinted at thefe two Particulars. —
i. Our Emmies being left of God, in Oppofition to all the Rules of Policy, but in too early Confidence of their fufHcient Growth of Power, while engaged with the Queen of Hun ary, to hurry into a War with tts, while their trading Slips were moftly abroad, their
I\Tavy
for the taking of Cape-Breton. 21
"Navy not ib well prepared, and ours by the previous War with Spain, equipt and ready to employ its Power for our Defence and their Annoyance: It feems in as happy a Juncture as we could wifh for, without which, we fhould not have had the Advan- tage or Opportunity which they have opened to us.
2. The People of Cape-Breton early and foddert- ]y feizing Canjb, invading Annapolis, and M. De Vi- vicr going to ''France for additional Forces by Sea and Land, to renew the Affault in the Spring of the Year,-— were improved by God as a Means of rou- zing us up with the Senfe of Danger, and of exci- ting our Govemour to implore the King for fome naval Help : Wirhout which it feems that Commo- dore Warren with his Three Ships of War had not been ordered from our Weji-India IJhnds to New-En- gland; tho' then, I fuppofe, without any fpecial View to this important Enterprize.
3. By the Cape-Brehners taking and carrying fo many of our People into their Harbour and City, they were obliged to return them to us : Whereby we came to be more acquainted with their Situation, and the proper Places of landing and attacking : And, at the lame Time, it is in the Ifiue happy, they were not fully aware of the prodigious Strength of the Fortifications, or of the great Number of Men with- in and near them ; or we never had prefumed on fuch an Enterprize : Yea, 'tis happy that fome few, who better knowing the Place, gave the more exadt Accounts, and fpake difcouraging ; yet we were lb fet on fending, they were not regarded.
4. God was pleaded to give laji Summer a great Plenty of Provision to our northern Colonies ; where- by we were this Spring prepared to fupply fo great an Armament : And at the fame Time cut fhort the Crops in Canada^ and the French Wefi-India IJhnds •,
whereby
2,i A Thanksgiving-Sermon
whereby 'twas apprehended that Thofe at Cape-Bre- ton were confiderably ftraitnedy and that both the Canada-French and Indians were hindered the laft Year from troubling our Inland Borders.
5. By our Accounts of the Uneafinefs of the Switzrs there, for want of Pay and Provifion •, and the Call and Wants of their Eaft and Weft India Fleets in the Fall of the Year, and their Supplies with Men and Victuals, if not Ammunition •, 'twas repre- fented the remaining French were further weakened \ and we were the more encouraged. And 'twas fur- ther remarkable, that their Store-Ships from France in the Fall came fo late on their Coaft, and the Win- ter there fet in fo early and fierce, as to keep them out of their Harbour, and drive them off to Mar- tinico.
6. From the fanguine Reprefentations made by our returned Captives, of the Eafinefs of our taking the Place by an early Surprizal before any Help could come, either from France or Canada ; God was pleafed to lead our Govenwur, vigilant and active for our Safety and Welfare, into the Project , And ear- ly forming the Scheme, in the moft timely Seaibn, in the midft of Winter, when our Intercourse abroad was fealed up, to move and prefs it on the General A]Jembly\ and after, in a convenient Time, on our neighbouring Governments j and with wondrous Reso- lution, Circumfpection and Afliduity, purfue the fame.
7. Tho' when the Affair was firft propofed to the General Court, the Difficulties fcemed fo great, and the Expence fo finking to this poor People, that they law no Light to venture without a powerful previous Help from England; yet upon further Reprefentations, that the Seafon would likely be loft for ever, &c. the Af- fair was onexpectedly reconfidered : And the Sove- reign
for the taking Cape- Breton. ^3
reign God lb over-ruled the Ab/ence of diverfe wor- thy Reprefentatives, who judged it too vaft an Un- dertaking for us, that 'tis laid the final Refolution for it on January 25. was juit carried but by one Majority : And even that and other Votes had been loft, if the fuperior Greatnef* of the E^pence had been then imagined, it ibon abundantly exceeding their Expectations.
8. When the General Court had agreed on this great Enterprize, it is furprizing to think, with how profound a Secrefy\ fo many Members in the Centre of fo populous, obferving and inquifitive a Town as this, for fo many Days, kept their Confultations, till the various Parts of the Plan were fettled, Com- mittees chofen, and all Things ripe for inlifting Sol- diers, hiring Vefiels, buying Materials and Provisi- ons: And as furprifmg to fee with what a general Silence all thefe Things were done in this City and Land ; and the Army and Fleet equipt and ready to fail, while the Reft of the World had fcarce any Intelligence of our Preparations.
9. As ibon as ever the Defign was known among us, it was a marvellous Thing, that when this Pro- vince had lately loft fo many hundred Men Voluntiers in the fad Expedition to Carthagena, not One in Ten being alive to return, their Wives left Widows, and their Children Orphans j— -yet to fee fo many likely Men, and I conclude the mod of them Owners of Lands and Houfes, or Heirs of the fame, and many religi- ous, in all our Towns, readily lifting even as pri- vate Soldiers, with the fmall Wages of Twenty-five Shillings New Tenor a Month, to leave their gainful Farms and Trades, as well as Parents, Wives and Children, all as fret Voluntiers, to ferve their God, their King and Country, in this hazardous Enterprize : Yea, more to lift than the Court deiired : And that
fo
^4 <A Taanksgivng Sermon
fo many M^n or" diftinguifhad F/£«r£ fhould cheer- faily offer themfelves— even Four of his Majesty's Council tor thisP/'0W#«,among them the Hoil William piVperreli Elq; the firft of the Council ; as alfo the Hon. Deputy Governour of Connecticut Colony, and *fc w/^ Others of publick Ejhem and character.
io. It was wonderful alfo to fee that during thofe 7W ufually fcormy Months of February and March, the only Seafon for our Preparation, God was pleated to give us iuch a conftant Series of moderate and /<?/> Weather, as in that Time of the Year has fcarce ever been known among us: So that there was hardly a- ny Impediment to our Officers going about and en- lifting, or our Soldiers in marching, or our Veflels in fitting, or our Coafters in bringing us i^rovifions, or our Committee of War in their various Prepara- tions, till all were ready to fail.
1 1. The extraordinary Thought, Contrivance, Or- der, Management and quick Difpatch, not only of His Excellency, but alfo ot our Council of War, feems wonderful— that Gentlemen unus'd to fuch Af- fairs, fhould in Two Months Time, think of and get ready every Thing fui table for fo great and various an Armament by Sea and Land : So that nothing proper feems to have been omitted. And I have heard fotne exprefs themielves with Wonder to fee how Things would happen :— -Juft as they wanted fome Kind ot Materials or provi/ions, an unexpect- ed Vejj'el would come in and bring them.
12. It was alfo wonderful — that tho' the Small Pox, which has been fo fatal and dreadful to us, came into this Town and Harbour, as our Troops were coming in both by Land and Water, and con- tinued all the Time they were quartering and an- choring here, very few of the Officers or Soldiers having had it, and we were full of anxious Ap-
prehenfions
for the taking of Cape-Breton, if prehenfions •, yet it neither hinder'd them, nor did the dangerous Infection jpread amorg them •, which in that critical Juncture would, afcer all, have whol- ly overthrown the Enterprize.
And now our Army of Three Thoufand Land Sol- diers, with all Kinds of Stores, being ready to fail about the 20th of March, in about a Hundred Vef- fels, befides Five Hundred Soldiers more lent from Connecticut, and Three hundred and Fifty from New- Hampjhire—wt had almoft every gloomy Profpect to make us tremble.
- For our Inland Borders were now left bare of a great Part of their Strength, by the lifting of fo many of their able Men Vohmtiers in the Expediti- on. And if the Enterprize fucceeded, the heavy Debt would almoft fink us. But if, for our Offen- ces, God were carrying forth a great Part of the Flcwer of cur Country to be deffroyed, a moft dif- mal Scene of Ruin feem'd to follow! They were to fail Five Hundred Mies to the Enemies Ifland, in a raw and fiormy Time of the Year. And if the fear'd Infection had taken Place, and fhould break out among them, efpecially after their landing, what a. general Terror would feize them from the Hand of God, which there was no refitting, and in what a miserable Cafe would they be! A naval Power with Stores and difciplin'd Troops, were alio early ex- pected there from France, to conquer Nova Scotia : And after all the Labours of our unwearied Gover- vour,to obtain fome Men of War from our neighbouring Colonies and Weft India Ifiands, to come and protect and help us, our hopeful Profpect s feem'd to dwindle a- way— and we could fee no other but that, if Two Sixty Gun Ships of cur Enemies, which were early ex- pected, mould arrive before we took the Place, they
D wouid
z6 A Thanksgiving-Sermon
would foon make our Fleet and Army Captives :— -
And then what would become of this Country !
So they mud run the moft defperate Hazards. The Hearts of many of the wifed afhore now feem'd to fail. Some repented they had voted for it, and others that they had ever promoted it. Somejudged it bed after ail for every Man to go home -, and the Thoughtful among us were in great Perplexity. — But yet a Wonder it was to fee, that thofe who were venturing into the Danger, feem'd to be fulled of Trud in God and Courage. Many fill'd their Veffels with Prayers -, and asking Ours, they threw themfelves into the Divine Protection, in the Name of God they fet up thdr Banners, and away they fail'd. Pray for us, and we'll fight for you— was the valiant and en- dearing Language wherewith they left us.
Thus have we traced fome of the remarkable Steps which led to this dangerous Enterprise. We now come
2.] To view fome of the more fuprifing Steps of Providence fucceeding therein to the happy Accomplifh- ment.
And as thefe are more in Number than can be reckon'd, I may here but mention a few—
i. As it was very encouraging to think how many pious aad prayerful Perfons were embarqu'd in the Caufe, which we accounted the Caufe of God and his People •, it gave further Ground of Hope to fee fuch a Spirit of Supplication given to many in this Town and Land on this Occafion. For befides the folemn Days of publick and general Prayer appointed by thefe three Governments, there were particular Days obferved in feveral Congregations. There were alfo in diverfe Towns religious Societies, fome of Women as well as others of Men, which met every Week, more privately to pray for the Prefervation and Succefs of their dear Countrymen : And I have been well in*
formed
for the taking of Cape-Breton. 2.7
Formed of their extraordinary Fervency, Faith and Wrcftlings, as fo many Jacobs, in this important Sea- fon.;ijfo/. cviii. 10— 13. was ullially among our Peti- tions: As alio, "That God would preferve, direct " and fpirit our Friends, and furprile and terrify our 46 Enemies, and make them yield without much *' Blood-ihed, and in fuch a Manner as the Work and " Glory might appear to be his alone."
2. God then began in a remarkable Manner to hear our Prayers : In that when lb many Veffels fail'd from Hence, and from Tfew-Hampfhire and Connecti- cut, in fueh a turbulent Time of the Year, thro' a Courfe of Five hundred Miles on the Ocean ; they every one arriv'd at Canfo, the Place of Concourle, about ^Ar/y Miles on this Side Cape- Breton, without the Lois of more than One Soldier and Three Seamen, and but Fifteen fick \ and Time enough to meet together and refrefh. themlelves, and get into Order for their Defcent at Louisbourg.
3. It was remarkable alfo, that God was pleas3d to keep our Enemies Shore and Harbour inviron'd, with Ice longer than ufual : So that none of their Veffels could enter nor go forth for Intelligence, 'till our Twenty Gun Cruizers (which our Governour fent above a Fortnight before the reft of the Fleet) came thither : And that fome of their Veffels coming early to 'them, both before and after the Harbour was open, were happily intercepted and taken by Ours ; whereby our Enemies within fail'd of their Supplies, and We were recruited by thofe without,
4. That by a moft gracious, feafonable and won- derful Direction of God, thro' our Governourh Sol- licitatlons the Fall before, the brave and active Conv modore Warren, a great Friend to thefe Plantations, is ordered by the Government in England, to come immediately with Three Men of War from Antigua to
Bojlon •,
*8 A Thanksgiving-Sermon.
Bofton: That on his Voyage hither near Cape-Sables, he, on April 12 th, met with a Fifhennan, who in- formed him of our Army's being gone to Canfo the Week before : That on board the Fifherman there was One of the bed of Pilots, who had got out of the Way of our Committee of War, to avoid being prefs'd for the Service : That tho' the Commodore wanted frefh Provifion and Cloaths for his Men in fo cold a Climate and Sealbn ; he wifely confider'd the neceflltous Cafe of our Army, took the Pilot, generoufly tack'd about, went after them, overtook them at Canfo, to their great Joy ; and inftead of flopping, pafs'd on to watch the Harbour of Louis* bourg, that no Supply from Canada, Martinico or France might flip into it : Without all which a 64 Gun Ship, with near 600 Men and full of Stores, had en- tered, and this great Affair had been foon defeated.
5. That the Commodore, by the Fifloermen, fent his Order for the King's Ships that mould be found in thefe Parts, forthwith to follow him : That the Fifherman timely arriving, our Governour immediate- ly fent the Order to a 40 Gun-Ship at Pifcataqua, ready to convoy the Maft- Fleet for England: And tho' fiie was got to Sea, yet by a Boat the Order reach'd her ; and fending her Fleet into Harbour, fhe bore after the Commodore, and quickly join'd him : So that oar A my before they fail'd from Canfo% had the Comfort of four Men 0$ War, under God, to protect and help them.
6. That tho* our Fleet and Army (laid near three Weeks at Canfo, within 20 Leagues of Louisbourg, and within Sight of their Ifland •, yet the People There knew running of it, 'till early in the Morning April :o, whei they were fo furprifed to fee us, that they had no Time to get in the frefh Provifion and Force of the neighbouring Country to help them. It
feems
for the taking of Cape-Breton. 29
feems very wonderful, that none of the French or Indians, near to Canfo, mould happen to fee us, and give our Enemies Intelligence of us : And when our fleet and Army were compleat and ready, the Ice went off at once ; and the Winds and Weather con- fpir'd to favour our Defcent on the Ificnd.
7. It is alfo remarkable, that the French had made no Fortification at the Place of our handing, tho' 'tis faid they defign'd it, and were preparing for it : And tho' they had Six hundred regular Troops, and about Fourteen hundred other Men in the City, that yet they fhould make fo fmall an Oppofition at our going alhore: That God fo encourag'd and help'd the few who landed firft and engaged them, as to beat them away with the Lois of Eight of their Men
fain, feveral wounded, and cIen taken captive, without the Lofs of One of Ours : That thereby he ftruck a Terror into our Enemies : And tho' our People were fo eager of Landing, they were ready to quarrel to get into the Boats, and the Surf ran high •, yet all our Army landed fafely, without overfetting a Boat or lofing a Man.
8. That He mov'd them to improve the Time, and forthwith march up Five Miles, thro' a thickety, rocky, hilly and boggy Country, and enclofe the City. That in the following Night he led fome of our Soldiers, thro' ftrange Places to the Store-hoitfes near the Grand Battery, which was ftrongly fortified with Walls and Ditches, and at each End a very thick Bomb-proof Tower : That the Store-houfes full of combuftible Matter, being fet on Fire, burnt and flauYd in a horrible Manner, and in the Night in- creas'd the Enemies Terror : That the Wind alio bear- ing a prodigious black Smoke upon them, in which expecting our Army to enter, they were every Soul frighted out of it into the City : And that in the
Mom-
$o A Thansgiving-Sermon
Morning but thirteen of our Men obferving there was neither FJag flying, nor Chimney fmoaking, nor Perfon appearing, but the Gates open, i$c. ventur'd in and took PoffeiTion.
9. That yet the Enemy aware of their fatal Er- ror, foon after came with Forces in many Shaliowaes to recover it : But eight of the thirteen going out of the Battery, and meeting with about eight more of our Friends, run to the Water-fide, and ib p'icd the Boats with fmall Arms, as damp'd and hinder'd them, 'till feeing more of our Forces coming, the Boats turned back to the Town again : And if they had come but one Hour fooner, they had regain'd the Battery before we found it deferred. And thus this ftrong Fortrels of 3 2 great Cannon, 30 of them 42 Pounders, which might alone have maintain'd itfelf againft all our Army, the Lord deliver'd into our Hands, without the Lois of a Man, or Shot of a Gun, and before we demanded it : Whereby he at once faved us both Time, Toil and Blood, and fur- prifingly gave us a great Power over the Harbour, as well as io many of the largeit of the Enemies Can- non, with a great Number of their own Balls and Bombs to improve againft them.
10. That our Army was preferved from the dan- gerous Infection : And tho' being open to the Air, Fogs and Dews, upon the melting of the Ice, in a raw Climate and Seafon of the Year, the Camp. Dyfentry feized many ; yet fome of our Phyficians in their Letters fignified, that it looked almoft miracu- lous, they fhould io foon and generally, without Means, recover.
1 1'. That they fhould be infpir'd with wondrous Courage, Eagernefs, A:iiroity and unfainting Strength: Be fupported under their extraordinary and conftanc Toils, Fatigues and Labours in carrying Stores?
drawing;
for the taking 0/ Cape-Breton. }f
drawing Cannon over Hilis and Valleys, among Rocks and thro' Moraflfes, up to the Middle in Mire* and in digging Trenches, raifing Batteries, firing Shot and B,>mbs almoft inceffantly both Day and Night againft the City : And that God fo fpeedily taught their Hands to war, and their Finders to fight* as prefently to throw them with great Exactnefs, and do continual Execution among our Enemies ; dif- mounting their Cannon, beating down their Houfes, Gates, Walls, Flankers, and greatly diftrefling them.
12. That when a new 64 Gun Ship from France with near 600 Men, and great Quantities of Arms and Stores, came fo near the Mouth of their Har- bour, and before a fair Wind, that two Hours more would have given her Entrance ; fhe was happily difcover'd by lome of our fmaller Ships, who led her along to the larger, and loon made her ftrike, tho* after near two Hours clofe Engagement ; wherein 'twas wonderful fhe loft above thirty Men, and they but five : And tho' by the Fog in the Night they loft her, yet in the Morning they happily recovered her; to the growing Discouragement of the Befieged, and our increafing Strength and Benefit.
That tho* to fhow our Dependence on God conti- nually, He was pleafed to fuffer the barbarous In- dians, twice to furprile and murder fome of our People •, yet in feveral Land-Encounters, both with French and Indians, in diverfe \ arts of the Ifland, He was pleafed to give us the Victory.
That by Means of the extraordinary quick Dif- patch of a Mejfenger, our Governour in February fent to the King for naval Help ; God was pleafed to fend fo many Men of War fucceffively, as by the. I2ch of June, wich the 64 Gun Prize, and thofe who were there before, to amount to Eleven ; to the finking Fear of the Enemy, and the riling Joy of
our
$ 2, A Thanksgiving - Sermon
our Fleet and Army ; as aJ;o to preferve a happy Harmony between our various Officers.
That tho* God was pleafed to humble us in de- feating our Attack in the Night on their ftrong IJlani Fort, yet He happily guided, and with iuprizing Strength, Agility and Quickneis, helped us to hoilt up fome of the heavieft Cannon and Mortars on the Light Houfe Cliff, which overlooked that Fort in which they trufted to hinder our entering into their Har- bour : And then ajjijled in calling our Bombs fo ex- actly, as after the two or three firft, to throw in every One of the reft, and do fuch Execution as quick- ly beat them out of this ftrong Hold they thought impregnable, and frighten the City to a fuiet Sur- render.
That God mould move them to it in that critical Moment, when the Navy and Army had juft agreed on a general, defperate and fierce AJfault both by Land and Water, which was like to be exceeding bloody, and of doubtful Confequence : For upon the Capitulation, when our Forces enter'd the City, and came to view the inward State of its Fortificati- ons, they were amazed to fee their extraordinary Strength and Device, and how we had like to have loft the Limbs and Lives of a Multitude, if not have been all deftroyed •, and that the City fhould furren- der when there was a great Body of French and In- dians got on the I/land, and within a Days March, to molelt us.
That in all our clofe and conflant AfTaults and Skirmifhes, fome of our Batteries being within Pijlol Shot of the City, and receiving fuch a vaft Num- ber of Balls and Bomb?, almoft continually by Day and by Night, we fhould not have above twenty flain at our Batteries, and not above an hundred in all, in fo raw a Climate and Seafon j and under
fuch
for the taking of Cape-Breton. 33
Rich Fatigues not lofc above a hundred more by Sicknefs ; and of fo many Vejfels tranfporting and cruizing, in fo many Storms in March and April, Joofe but One, tho' this a Cruzier of a hundred Men, fuppofed to be overfet, is a grievous Lois.
That in the Time of the Seige, there were many other furprizing Events in our Favour— fuch as timely Supplies to our Army, either by Tranfports or Pri- zes, as we were near to want them — That the very Balls from our Enemies Cannon were of no fmall Ser- vice, being as fa ft almoft as they fell, catch'd up and put ineo Ours, and returned with Advantage — That digging a French to protect our Men, and meeting a Rock in the Way, we could not remove, juft as we left it, a Bomb from the Enemy came down In the mod fuitable Spot, and without any Harm removed it for us, &c.
That from the Army's leaving Canfo, April 29, to their landing April 30, and during all the Siege, there fhould be fuch a continual Series of fair Wea- ther, as was never known at that Time of the Year, in the Place before, till their entering into the City, June 17, and then the Clouds to gather Blacknefs, and pour down Rain for Ten Da^s together ; which, would have fpoil'd our Batteries, filled our Trenches, and greatly hinder'd and difabled us ! — It feem'd to clofc the Scenes of Wonder !- -As if the Sovereign God would fufpend the hurtful Operations of Na- ture, till he had quite accomplifh'd his great DeJIgn, ddiver'd the Fortrefs into our Hands, and led us in- to a Place of Shelter.
In the mean while, it is alfo remarkable, that the North American Coafts have been unmollefted by both the French and Spanijh Weft India Privateers, till this great Affair was ended. And that by Means q£ Du Viviefs Project of taking Annapolis in the Spring
34 JL Thanksgiving- Sermon
or Summer, both o.ir French and Indian Enemies have been all this Time diverted horn our expoied Inland Borders, they being drawn to Menis, and to make a tranfient Show at Annapolis •, fo he was guided in- to this mifchievous but fruitleis Project, and to go even to France, to promote o.ir Safety, and give us an unmollefted Sealbn for the taking of Loaisbour^h.
Laftly,That tho'our Gove RNouR,ourGENE ra l Court, the Council of War, the General, the Commo- dore, the Officers and Soldiers, both bv Land and Sea,hzve difplay'd a wondrous Wildom, Zeal, Courage, Re- iolution, Diligence, and unwearied Application ; yet they have the: eminent Honour in receiving thele from God, and in his employing them to atchieve and bring about luch a glorious and happy Addition to the Britifh Crown and Empire: Nor without his mmberlefs other Directions would all their Skill, Care, Toil and Diligence, have availed any thing: And to Him be therefore all the Glory. For the infi- nitely inferiour Brightnefs fparkling in them, is whol- ly derived from Him, both by his original and continual Influence, like the Glitters of Diamonds from the Morning Sun, and when He wholly hides his Light, they vanifh. And yet the briilant Dia- monds are more to be valued than unfhining Pebbles.
And thus have we feen this Pajfcge of Scripture, in a remarkable Manner exemplified in the prefent Day.
And now who can, in common Reafon deny a particular Providence in this great Affair I Who can in Reafon imagine that fuch a Multitude of various and contrary running Wheels, both of material Cau- fes and fpontanecus Agents, mould all. be made to work together, and in the midft of Thoufands of Difficulties and Contingencies, in the happieft Sea- funs coincide to accomplifh this great Event,
without
for the taking of Cape -Breton. 3? without a sup re am Contriver^ Mover and Direc- tor? We may a thoufand Times more confidently apprehend the moji curious Engine in the World to be made without Defign, and to work without a moving Power.
Yea, Thofe who own not *thefe to be the Operati- ons of God, as a wife, fovereign, tree and actual Ruler among Men and Elements, muft not only de- ny the Scriptures, but even the very Foundations of all Religion, or Adoration of this fupream Governour. For they muft deny there is any Need, or Duty, or Wifdom, of fearing Him, or praying to Him, or hoping on Him in any Emergencies •, or of acknow- ledging, admiring, praifmg, loving, or thanking Him, for the great eft and moji marvellous Salvations.
But as for Us— An the Name of God, our God in Christ, yea in the Name of the Son of God, as fupream Lord and Ruler of Heaven and Earth, of Men, Angels and Elements, we lifted up our Banners : To Him we looked and prayed : In Him we put our Truft and fought : And now, He has heard and profper'd, to Him we will aicribe the Praife.
Whatever Infiruments or Means He ufed, we will blefs him for them ; we fee them torm'd, endow'd, excited by Him j we fee them in his mighty and all-active Hands, deriving Strength and Guidance from Him, and employed continually to fulfil his Pleafure. We will own, the Work is his in the higheft Senfe : It was all comprehended in his fove- reign View, Defign and Providence, begun, carried on, accomplished by his all-governing Wiiuom, Power and Efficacy ; and the whole together is mar- vellous in every ferious Eye.
When
;.6"' A Thanksgiving-Sermon
When the Tidings came of iurrendring the City, ct we were like Them that dream : Our Mouth was •' fili'd with Laughter, and our Tongue with fmg- " ing: Even the Heathen faid, The Lord hath done " great Things for them ; and We— The Lord hath " done $reat Things for us, whereof we are glad. *£ Not unto ns, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy *; Name g ve Glory : Our God hach done what foe- et vcr he pi afed : The Lord ha:h been mindful of " us: And we will blefs the Lord from this Time ** forth and for ever. Thine, O Lord, is the ct Greamefs, and the Power, and the Glory, and 64 the Viftory, and the Majefty : For all that is in " the Heaven, and in the Earth is thine : Thine is cc the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as ci Head above all : Both Riches and Honour come 6t of Thee, and Thou reigned over all, and in thine " Hand is Power and Might ; and in thine Hand *6 it is to make Great, and to give Strength to ai! : * Now therefore our God, we thank Thee, and 4C praife thy glorious Name. Give Thanks to the " Lord, call on his Name, make known his Deeds *' among the People : Sing unto Him, fing Plalms *' unto Him, talk ye of all his wondrous Works : " Declare his Glory among the Heathen, his mar- *' vellous Works among all Nations.1*
O that when we have ftwg his Praife, we may not ungratefully forget his Works, or return to Sin, which is to rob Him of his deierved Glory, and fly in the Face of our great Preferver and Benefactor : It is the vileft Degree of Ingratitude and provoking Bafe- nefs : It is to fight againft Him, who has been mar-^ velloufly fighting for us, and given us a wondrous Se- ries of great Salvations. Yea, this will be the dan- gerous Way to move Him to turn our Enemy, to change the Courfe of his flighted Difpenfations,
ani
for the taking ^Cape-Breton. 37
and give the Place into our Adveriaries Hands again, with a more dreadful and mifchievous Incrcaic of Power than ever, to punifh us. And the Sins of DriinkennefstProfanation of the Name and Day of God, Uncleannefs, bijullice,OppreJfion, Contempt of Christ, and Optofition to the Purity, Power and Practice of his holy P^eligion, are fome of the higheft and mod dangerous Provocations and Preparatives to ruinous Judgments.
Yea, diftingitifhing Appearances of God to fave and profper us, are diftinguifhing Obligations, not only to diftinguifhing Degrees of Joy and Praife, but alio to diftinguifhing Degrees of Piety •, i. e. of active Grati- tude and Love to God, of perpetual Contrivances and Labours to promote his Glory and holy King- dom in Ourfelves and Others, and to a conftant Life of Service to His Caufe and People. And as the Failure of this will not be a rendering to Him ac- cording to his fignal Benefits, but a moil ungrateful Treatment of Him *, his Eyes are always on us, to obferve us now, and to judge and recompence us here or hereafter.
But let us rejoice, not only in our cwn Salvation* the Salvation of all our Cohnies, and fome of the molt important Branches of the BritiCv Trade ;- -But let our Joy rife higher, that hereby a great Sfopp of Antichriftian Power is taken away, and the vijibls Kingdom of Christ enlarged. Methinks, when the fouthern Gates of houifoourg were opened, and our Army with their Banners were marching in, the Gates were lifted up — the Gates were lifted up, and the King of Glory went in with them. Even the Sont of God, the Lord of Hods, the Lord ftrong and mighty in Battle— having gained the Conqueft, he rode in in Triumph and took PofTefTion. He (kt up his Standard, proclaimed his Gofpel of Peace, the
glad
33 A Thanksgiving Sermon, t§c. glad Tidings of Salvation, opened the Prifons, re deemed his Captives, and began to receive his grate- ful Incenfe of pure Adorations. O that There, in Purity of Worfhip, Doctrine and Converfation, in the Power of his Grace, and in the Glory of his Holinefs, He may reign and fhine to all the Iflands round about, as long as the Sun and Moon endure.
And as 'twas one of the chief Difgraces of Queen Anne s Reign, to refign this TJland to the French, it is happily one of the Glories of King George the Second's, to recover it to the Britifh Empire. O that it may remain united thereto for ever, and fo perpe- tuate the Glory. O that under the Influence of Bri- tifh Liberties, in a happy Confiitution of Civil Govern- went, and the divine Care and Blefling, even Lou- tjbourg id elf, 'with Cape-Breton, and all Nova Scotia, may revive and flourifh. May they have religious, wife and generous Governours, that may be as r.wfing Fathers to them ; encourage them in . lety, Virtue and good Order, promote their Trade, and protect them in their Properties and Liberties.
Laifly, May this happy Cor.queft be the dawning Earnefi of our divine Re dee me r's carrying on his Triumphs thio* the Ncritern Regions, till He ex- tends his Empire from die Eqftern to ihzTVejiern Sea, and from the River of Canada to the Ends of Ame- rica.— THEN from the uttermoii Parts of the Earth fhall be heard Songs, even Glory to the righteous God ; They fhall lift up their Voice, they mall fing for the Majefty of the Lord, they fhall cry aloud from the Sea ; they fliall glorify die Lord in the Woods and Valleys, on the Lakes and Rivers, in the Moun- tains, in the Iflands : And the Heavens and the Earth fhall be filled with his Glory, and eccho with hi* Praife,
F I N I X
Prophecy defended, 113
thsm. But I infill, That no Exception of P a r t this kind has been m.-.de to any of thole. II. Books of the Old {tt£jmetit9 from whejic-e- v^-vvi thefe Prophecies are cited, nor to any of the PafTages I have cited from them.
2. Tb-at fome are .fo ebfcure, as not to have their .Literal Meaning determined with Certainty.- The .con trary.. to this is mofr. manifestly 'true of die. Prophecies now un- der Confi.dera<tion, For if one were ./ion> to chufe Words, whereby to exprefs that Event, to which they are applied, it would be difficult to invent a plainer and more in- telligible Way- of exprefling it, than in the very Words of thole -Prophecies.
-
3. That, fome have moft apparently an- other literal Meaning, if considered in the Con'.ext from whence they are taken. But we appeal to the Context, and to the Occafion upon which thefe Prophecies were deliver- ed as a farthet Confirmation of the Senfe and Conftruction we put upon them ? and I may venture to fay, Let them be corifi- dered with, or without their Context, they will not bear any other tolerable Con- ftrudtion.
4. That fome are general and indeter- minate in Circumftances, and relate to fuck co?)imon Events, as mu ft fome Time or other, and fome of them often, come to pafs. No- thing like this can be faid of the Prophecies before us. . For confidering the Circumftan-
T
1 CQS
ii4 The Argument from
Part ces of the World at the Time of their De- ll, livery, nothing could be lefs expected, than
Ks^y^ the Aceomplifhment thereof. There never had been any Inftance thereof: The Ap- pearances of Things had a quite contrary Afpecl, and humanly fpeaking, the Pro- bability was much greater, that a fmgle, People, of themfelves prone to Idolatry, and befet with idolatrous Neighbours , mould at length be fwallowed up in their prevailing Superftitions, than that all the Nations round them fhould forfake the Gods they had ferved for Ages immemo- rial, and devote themfelves to the G o d of Jfrael. mon ■■■.-<■ ,
I have infilled the longer upon tkefe Prophecies, (longer than may feem needful, confidering how clearly they are expreffed) not only becaufe they give us a general Draught of the Mejjias-Sche?ne, which ex- tends itfelf to all Mankind without Re- fpect to Perfons or Nation, in Oppofu-ion to the Mofau-Scheme> which refpecTed the Ifraelites only as a peculiar People j but alfo becaufe they may ferve as a Founda- tion for the furer Interpretation of feveral Pafifages of the OldTeftament, whftm fome Men have imagined were accompli/h'ed in Davids Solomon, Hezekiab, or Zorobabel, in which they were no more concerned, I than Mofes was in the Converfion of the Gentile World -to Chriftianity. I muft defire the Reader therefore, if he be fatisfied thefe Prophecies, .-ill it the Purpofe to -whicli tht-y
are
Prophecy defends.:. ti%
are applied, to keep them in Mind, and Part look upon it henceforward as an ?::ab limed II. Point, That the Scriptures of the Old Trfra- <*~v^»* ment had m View a general Cc?:vcrficn of zhs Gentile World fr:m ih roas Static ic
Worfhip of the 0;:e -True God. For it will ferve as a Confutation of that groundlefs Notion, That all the Prophecies contained therein^ relate immediately and literally to the Jewifh Nation md their Affairs, in or near the Times ivhen thefe Prophecies were deli- vered 3 and alio as a Key to explain feveral other Prophecies, which befpeak the fame Event, but are yet more particular as to the Perfon and Time, when and by whom it was to be accomplished.
Sect. II. •
H a v i n g proved, that the great Con- verfion wrought among the Siji&fes, by Means of Chr ist and his Doctrine, was clearly and exprefsly revealed by the Pro- phets under the Old T : I ihall now proceed to the Con fide ration of feme other Prophecies, which befpeak the fame Event, but with the Addition of feverA Circumftances relating to the Accompliih- ment of it. And becaufe Jfaiah feems to me to be more particular, than any of $k& other Prophets, in fpecifying the 'Circim- ftames of that great Event, I propole to confider next the Prophecies cited from him I 2 ia
ti6 The Argument from
Part in the preceding Chapter, and to juflify the II. Ufe I have made of them.
But before I fpeak to the particular Prophecies referred to, it may not be amifs to make fome Reflections upon the whole Prophecy, and the Occafion of it. The Tribes of Ifrael in the Time of Ifaiah were frequently attacked, and often very grie- voufly oppreffed by their Heathen Neigh- bours. God thought fit therefore to ac- quaint them by his Prophet, That their great Iniquities, their Ingratitude to him, and their unconquerable Propensity to Ido- latry, were the Caufes of it. Therefore thou haft forfaken thy People, the Houfe of Jacob, becaitfe they be replenilhedfrom the Eaff, and are Soothfayers like the Philiftines, and they pleafe themfelves in the Children of Strangers (u). And we find the Prophet from Time to Time adding, to his Re- proofs of them for their Iniquities, feverer Threatnings ftill of Invafions, and Oppref- fions, and Ravages and Devaluations to be expected from the Heathen round about them, till their Country mould be quite laid wafle, and their whole Nation carried into Captivity.
But left this miferablc Proipecl: of Things fet before them by the Prophet, and confirmed by the growing Greatnels of their neighbour States, mould quite di-
V
(.'/) Ifaiah ii. 6.
Prophecy defended. 117
fpirit die Sincere and Well-difpofed among Part them , and tempt them to fay in their H. Hearts, " To what Purpofe do we ftand \s~sf^>J " out, and ftrive in vain to preferve a Re- " ligion, the Reverfe of that which is prac- " ticed by all the Nations round us, and " by Reafon whereof we are envied, and " continually oppreffed by them? We " are but a Handful of Men, in Compa- ' ' rifon with the idolatrous States and Na- " tions, which look upon us with an invi- " dious Eye, and continually lie in wait for " our Ruin. Firft or laft therefore, we " mud fubmit, or be totally extirpated. " Why then fhould we draw upon our- ii ielves, and entail upon our Pofterity, " fuch a Scene of Mileries, for the Sake '5 of a Religion, which we can never be " able to maintain againft fuch potent " Adverfaries ? We mull either quit our " Religion, or utterly perifh in our At- '•'• tempts to defend it. " I fay, Left this fad Profpect fhould tempt the Sincere and Well-difpofed to renounce their Religion in utter Defpair of preserving it ; God was pleafed to foften his Threatnings with com- fortable Aflurances of his Protection, and Support of the Upright in their greateft Extremities ; that, notwithftaning Idolatry had overfpread the Earth, and the Wor- fhippers of the One True God, were but few in Number, yet they fhould never be i wallowed up in the overfpreading of Ido- latry, hue Idolatry idelf, fhould in time £ive Way to the Worfhip of the God of I 3 IfrpeL
n8 The Argument from
Part lyrael. Nay, though God did intend for a IT. Time to give up his "People into the Hands
VY^ of their Enemies, who mould lay all their Country wafte, and carry them away Cap- tives into a ftrange Land ; yet he would nor only reftore them again to their Coun- try, and to the quiet Enjoyment of their Religion in their own Land, but would al- fo make himfelf known among the Heathen, who fhould be converted from dumb Idols to ferve Him the Living and True God : So that contrary to their Expectation, in- ilead of Idolatry prevailing againfb his Wor- ihip, his Wprfhip mould prevail and fpread itfelf over all the idolatrous Nations round about tnem.
This is the Subftance of the whole Pro- phecy. And I think it cannot but be ob- served from thence , That this Profpect of the Messia s's Days, ( wherein that great Conversion, fpoken of by the Pro- phet, was wrought among the GtrJ'des) though a very diftant one, was yet very well fuited to his Purpofe, and was very proper to fupport the finking Spirits of God's People at that Time; who might otherwife very juftly have conceived, from what they had fuffered, and were like to fuffer through the overfpreading of Ido- latry, that their Religion mull quick - Iv have funk under the Weight of it, ::nd that it would be next to impoflible for them to maintain it againft a World
Qi
Prophecy defended. 119
of Idolaters, that fcemcd bent upon its P a r t Rum. J\.^
- And this Obfervation may ferve effec- tually to remove a Difficulty, the Ap- pearance whereof feems to have milled die great Grot'ms in interpreting feveral Parts of this Prophecy, and put him upon look- ing out for Events in or near the Time of the Prophet, anfwering to thofe Paflages, which in the cleared, fulleft Manner be- fpeak the Converfion of the Gentile World. But his Attempt manifeftly failed of Suc- cefs : For if we compare thofe Paflages with the Events to which he has applied them, there is fcarcely any Refemblance to be found between them. Nay, fome- times, we are obliged to depend upon his mere Imagination only, that there were fuch Events, there being not the leaft In- timation given of them in Hiftory. . And it appears in feveral Inflances (#), that . Grotius himfelf was fenfible, that Ijaiati* . Words could not without Impropriety and . Conftraint, be made to anfwer the Purpofes to which he has applied them, acknow- ledging, that they do more plainly fwfly, 4 ana
■
. (x) Sed in Chrifto hsec & quae praeeedunt habent fignihcationem multo ut auguftiorem ita & planiorem, Grot, in If£ i:c. 7. — verbis a Deo fie directi:. " ut fmptllcris Hrppidiufque in res Chrifti, quam in alas quas primo iignificare Efaias voluit, convenirent. Id, in Ifai. xl. See a/Jo bis Notes on Chap. liii.
120 The Argument from
Part and \clsarl) anfwer Evei.ts which were ao II. compliihed through Christ.
To what Purpofe then are thofe Endea- vours, to find out Events nearer the Pro- phet's Time, which yet, without great Vio- lence ufed, will not tally with the Pro- phet's Words ? Is the Connection of the Prophecy rendred more eafy and natural thereby ? No : For fuppofing the Prophet — to have had Refpecl to Events, which were not to be accomplished till the Times of the Mess i as, it would notwithstanding erTeclually have ferved his Purpofe ; which was to fupport the finking Spirits of the true Ifaraelites, who had great Reafon to apprehend, that their Religion would be fwaliowed up by Idolatry : And in fuch Circumftances nothing could be a greater Comfort and Encouragement to them to perfevere in the Worfhip of the True God, than an Affurance by his Prophet, that he would not only protect them there- in, but in procefs of Time, would caufe that Worfhip to prevail among thofe very idolatrous Nations, who then feemed bent upon the Extirpation of it ?
• The two firfl Chapters of Ifaiahy I do not doubt, will confirm this Obfervation. The Prophet in the beginning of zht/irjl Chapter having drawn up a heavy Charge agamic his People of Ingratitude, and the vi-Jeft Iniquity , fubjoyns a very heavy Threatning thereto, i'er. j, %. Tour Ccuvrry
W
Prophecy defended. 121
is deflate, your Cities are burnt mtb Fire, Part your Land Strangers devour it in your Pre- II. fence, and it is deflate as overthrown by ^•"V^J. Strangers : And the Daughter of Zion is left as a Cottage in 'a Vineyard, as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers, as a befieged City. Suppofe now a true Jfraelite reflecting feri- oufly upon this State of Things, confider- ing on the one Hand the very great Cor- ruption of the Generality of his Brethren in Principles and Morals , on the other Hand God highly incenfed therewith, and threatnmg to give them over to the Will of their Enemies, and withal the Nations round about them ready at all Times, as Opportunity ferved, to make aPrey of them ; what lefs could he conceive from this View of Things , but that his Religion muft quickly have an End, and that all Hopes of maintaining; it long; in fuch Circumftan- ces were groundlefs ? How feafonably therefore to difpell this melancholy Ap- prehenfion, does the Prophet in the Begin- ning of the fecond Chapter foretell the fu- ture great Encreafe of the Worfhippers of the true God, by the Converfion of the Gentile Nations ! As if he had faid, " Be " not afraid of the utter Extirpation of M your Religion ; for though Idolatry does *' greatly prevail and is yet like to pVe- " vail, and though many of your Breth 14 have been foolifhly deceived thereby1;
t in Times to come your Go *v 10'manifeil himielf by Revelation to *4 Wo.-ld, that thole Very Nations Ihffl
<c now
122 The- Ar gument from
Part <c now wholly" given to Idolatry, and are II. <c zealous to propagate it, fhall forfajce " '■" it and be turnea unto the Lord, a'nc} " voluntarily devote themfelves to his Wor- cc fhip and Service ". The Prophet's Words are, It Jh all come to pa/sin the I aft Days, that the Mountain of the Lord'.; Houfe /hall be eftablijhed in the Top of the Mountains ', and Jhall be exalted above the "Hills, and all Nations fall flow unto it. And many People Jhall go and fay, Come ye md let as go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the Houfe of the God of Jacob, end he will teach us of his Ways ant. ivill walk in his Paths ; for out of Zion . go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerufalem.
The Note of Grctius upon this Place will not, I believe, be of any great Weight againft us, when it is well confidered. He fays, (y) " This Prophecy has Refpett to " that Time, when the City of Jerufalem " was delivered from the Siege laid againft " it by Rezin King of Syria and Peh.ih " King of Ifrael ". I think he coujd not have fixed upon a more unlucky Point of Time, wherein to have fought for an Event, in any wife agreeable to the Pro- phet's Words. It was iri that very wick- ed Reign of Ahaz, that idolatrous Prince, who absolutely rejected the God off. and gave himfelf up to the worfl Abomi- nations
ly) Grotiift in <c
Prophecy -Jtfwdek 121
nations of the Heathen Nations round -him, Part
continued therein to the Day of. his H. Death. It is very .likely that in fuch a v^V^ Reign as this, the Wormip of Goo at Jerufalem appeared to the neighbouring States in fuch an amiable Light, as to en- gage them to forfaake their own Religions to joyn with the Jews in theirs !
By what Event then does Grotius fay this Prophecy was fulfilled ? " Many of " the People (fays he) who were Enemies " to the Syrians ', betook themfelves to " Jerxfalem, as the fafefl Place of Refuge, " and there worshipped God in the Court " of the Gentiles " (z). Is there any Hi- flory for this ? In Jofephus, in the Books of Kings and Chronicles there is not any diftant Intimation of it, not any Ground to fuf- pec~t, that any People out of neighbouring States fled for Refuge to Jerufalem at that . line.
But admit they did ; what is this to g Purpofe ? The Prophet does not fpeak : few Refugees out of adjacent Nations, bur. of the Nations themfelves, i. e. the Generality of the People belonging to them : He does not fpeak of Perfons act- ed by any civil or temporal Motives, or upon a View of Self-prefer/ation > bun m on a religious View, joyning themiUvts £.<_■ the Woriliippers of the true God for
the
l-.C
(z) Grotius in locum
124 The Argument from
Part the Sake of their God and their Religion. II. The Prophet expreffes the Motive upon which they lhould act, thus : And he p. all teach us of his Way, and we will walk in his Paths.
But fuppofe there were no Difficulty about the Motive upon which they a<fted, I will be bold to fay, That it is utterly groundlefs and contrary to Hiftory to fup- pofe, that there were any Profelytes, made in the Reign of Ahaz, who came and let- tied at ferufalem, and worfhipped God in the Court of the Gentiles. Ahaz reigned many Years after the Siege was raifed ; but it appears (a), that he was not the leaif reformed thereby. He devoted himfclf ra- ther more to Idolatry than before : For he cut in Pieces the VeJJels of the Houfe rf God, and JJjut up the Doors of the Houfe of the Lord, and he. made him Altars in erary Comer of Jerufalem : And in every f vera I City of Judah he made high PUce; to b^m Incenfe to other Gods (b). Grains fure did not confider this, or otherwife he would never imagined a grer:t Number of Profe- lytes coming over to JerufJem, and wor- ihipping God in the Court of the Gentiles, at a Time, when the Temple was pillaged, the Service thereof totally difcontinued, and the Place itfelf feemed wholly to be g* idolatry.. I am fir from fufpecVng-
Gretictt
vd ,:>:>n3n "
-' Kings xvi. 2. 2 Chrcm. xxviii, [b) lb. ver. 24, 25.
.Prophecy defended. 125
Grotius of any ill Intention in any of his Part Writings : Yet from this and feveral other II. Inftances of like Kind, he feems to me to v/vV have been very willing to invent double Meanings of the Prophecies, having in this Place, for the Sake of two, made one the molt unaccountable that ever was invent- ed.
Having fufficiently refuted the fup- pofed primary Senfe of this Prophecy given by Grotius, I might infer from thence, that the Application of it to the Mes- siah's Days (whereto Grotius himfelf al- lows it does agree) is not typical or fecon- dary, but conformable to the proper Senfe and intended Meaning of the Prophet. Nevertheless, becaufe a Part of it is figu- ratively expreffed , it may be proper to explain it according to the common Method of interpreting Books (V), and to fhew the exact Accompliihment of it through Christ.
When the Prophet fays, The Mountain of /ZvLord'j Houfefoall be efablifhed en the Top of the Mountains, and exalted above the Hills, every body I believe will acknowledge, that he fpeaks by a Figure, that he never meant, tc That the very Mountain upon which the " Temple flood, mould be moved out of " its Place, and raifed to fuch an Emi- ct nence, by being placed upon the Top of
" other
(c) Scheme, &c p. 389.
tt6 The Argument from
pAkT " other high Mountains, as to become II. « vrfible to diftant People and Nations."
^/"V-"^ The Figure is a common one, and eafy of Solution : the Place ufually frequented by the Worfhippers of the True God, is put for the People frequenting it. And then the Meaning of * the Prophecy will be this : " The Church, or People of God, in the " laft Days mail be fo remarkably dill in - c< guifhed by Divine Favour, that diftant «l Nations fhall hear of it, and be engaged *' thereby to quit their former Superftiti- " ons, and voluntarily devote themfelves «* to the Worfhip of the God of Jfrnd, «c defiring to be taught his Ways, and to *c walk in his Paths. " Nay, the Prophet declared in plain Words, what that extra- ordinary Favour was, which God intended his People, and by Means whereof the Gen- tiles fhould be converted unto him : For, faith he, out of Zion fiall go forth the 1 and the Word cf the Lord from Jeru- falem.
This to me feems the plained and mod natural Conftruclion we can put upon the Prophet's Words in this Place, neither am I aware that they are capable of any other tolerable Conftruction : The grand Event foretold thereby, is no other, than what I have already proved the Prophets under the Old Teftament had certainly in their View : I" have alfo obferved, how, and for what End, the Prophet Ifaiahm particular might rationally be fuppofed to have Refpect to
that
Prophecy defended. zzj
that Event : So that I cannot conceive .any Part one portable Exception to be made, either II. to our Interpretation of the Prophecy, or \*^V<J to the Application of it to tne Times of the Me ssi as. For then a haw did go forth out of Zion , and the Word of the Iso&b fro?n Jerufalem, /. ^. God did at that Time reveal himfelf to his People in fo remarkable a Manner, that diftant Na- tions and Countries foon became acquaint- ed with it, and were engaged thereby to change their" Way of Worfhip, and to adore
the God of Ifrael.
: t -
■ W e find the fame Event largely infilled
on in the lxth Chapter of this Prophecy. It abounds with poetical Figures in defcribing the feveral Nations to be converted, and Manner of their Converfion : Yet I think : ': very plain and determinate as to iain Point, and mould judge it hardly poffible to be fufpecled, but that the Pro- phet mull have had in View a general Con- verfion of the Gentile World to be wrought Ipv iome extraordinary Means, which mould arife out of the Jeizifh Nation.
The Prophecy is addrefied to the ftp* foretelling fome extraordinary Light, which mould arile among them, whilft all the Nations round them were in Darknefs. Arifi, fii;n% for thy Light is come, end the K?fory of the Lord is rifen upon thee. For % ibl Darbiefs Jhall cover the Earth, Darhiffeihe People': hi the Lord
3£rb
1 28 The Argument from
Part fhall arife upon thee, and his Glory fhall bf II. feen upon thee. The Words Light and Dark- nefs, are without doubt figuratively ufed in this Place ; and they are known Metaphors, fignifying, fometimes Profperity and Adver- fity, but more frequently Knowledge and Ig- norance. Now Grotius is of Opinion, that the Light here promifed to the Jews, is that of Profperity : (d) Confequently, the Darknefs, which is faid to cover the Earth, mull mean Adverfity and great Affliction. We are to enquire therefore, whether (ac- cording to this Opinion of Grotius) the Affairs of the Jews were ever in fuch a flourifliing Condition, as to have all the Nations round them at their Beck : For admitting his Interpretation of the firfi Part, that mult be the Conftruclion of the Sequel, where it is faid, The Gentiles fhall come to thy Light, and Kings to the Bright nefs of thy Rijing. The Abundance of the Sea fiJoall be converted unto thee, the Forces of the Gen- tiles fhall come unto thee. Therefore thy Gates fhall be open continually, they fh all not be flout Day nor Night, that Men may bring nnto thee the Forces of the Gentiles, and that their Kings may be brought. Grotius in in- terpreting thefe PafTages, has confined him- felf to no one Period of Time, nor to any Series of Events, to prove the Accomplifh- ment of the Prophecy according to his own Scheme •, but reels from one End of xhtjewifh Hiftory to another to pick up
fimilar
[d) Grotius in locum,
Prophecy defended. \ 2 y
fimilar Events, pretending one Verfe has Pa?.t Refpedt to the Time of Zorobabel, and the next to the Times of the Maccabees.
And then to what infignificant Events, compared with the Words of the Prophecy, does he refer them ? Ver. 3. Gentiles Jhall come to thy Light, and Kings to the Bright- nefs of thy Rifing, does not fignify any Benefit the Gentiles mould receive by their Light, according to his Interpretation ; but the Congratulations only of fome neighbouring States, upon their Reftoration from Capti- vity. Ver. 5. The Abundance of the Sea Jhall be converted unto thee, the Forces of the Gen- tiles Jhall come unto thee, is interpreted of the Trade the Jews had with the Syrians after their Reftoration, in which the Tyrians fhewed them no more Favour, than they were willing to fhew to all People that would trade with them. Ver. 5, 6. which, fpeak of feveral Nations coming to them9 bringing Gold and Incenfe, Jhev/mg forth the Praifes of the Lord, and minijlring to them and their God, he refers to a defen- five Alliance with the Nabathites and fome other Arabians, in the Time of Judas Mac- cabeus. Ver. 1, 9, 10. he refers back again to their Reftoration from Captivity. And in the next Verfe, he defcends again to Judas Maccabeus. Ver. 11, 14. which plainly fpeak (as the whole Chapter, nay, and the whole Prophecy does) of a volun- tary Submifficn of the Gentiles, he interprets of Edom and Moab, who were compelled to K fubmiti
1 3<> The Argument from
Part fubmit, being worried in Battel, by Judas II. Maccabeus.
In fhort, this whole Prophecy, which plainly befpeaks fonie extraordinary Favour of G o d towards his peculiar People, which fhould have a remarkable Influence upon all the States and Nations round them, is explained away upon a few triffling, inde- pendent Incidents, the like whereof may well be fuppofed to have happened, within the fame Compafs of Time, to them, or any other People whatfoever. I will not de- ny but that the Prophets do frequently bring together very diftant Events, and fpeak of them in the fame Prophecy with- out Diflinction of Time : But then you may obferve, that the Matters treated of are of a very extraordinary or important Nature ; and fuch Prophecies are to be confidered as an Epitome, or fliort Collecti- on of the molt remarkable Even ts, which fhould befal them in the latter Days ; whereas common Occurrences will not bear to be fc treated, either in Way of Hiftory, or Prediction.
There being therefore fuch good Rea- fon to reject, the Interpretation of Grotius, let us examine this Prophecy with a View to the M e s s i a s's Days, and confider, whe- ther according to rational Conftruolion, and the common Method of interpreting Books, it will bear to be fo applied.
.Light
"... . - -
Prophecy defended.
Light being a known and common Metaphor, fignifying Knowledge or Illumina- tion of the Underftanding, it cannot be thought an improper or {trained Conftruc- tion of the Prophet's Words, fpeaking to a People who had frequently been enlighten- ed by Divine Revelation, to interpret them thus : Viz.
Isaiah lx.
i Arife, Jhine, for thy Light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is rifen upon thee.
Exert thyfelf, let. the World fee thy Light •, for G o d has enlightened thee, and in a glorious manner revealed himfelf to thee.
2 For behold, the Darknefs jhall cover the Earth, and grofs Darknefs the People : but the Lord /ball arife upon thee, and his Glory Jhall be feen upon thee.
For Ignorance mail prevail over all the Earth, and the grofs Folly of Idolatry and Superftition mall o- ver whelm die People thereof : But the Lord fhall teach thee better, and in a miraculous manner reveal himfelf to thee.
3 And the Gentiles So that idolatrous
Jhall come to thy Nations fhall hear
Light, and Kings to thereof and be con-
K 2 verted
I*2
Part^ Brightnefs of thy II. Rifing.
The Argument from
verted thereby ; e- ven their Kings as well as People fhall embrace that heaven- ly Doctrine revealed unto thee.
4 Lift up thine Eyes round about, and fee : all they gather them- felves together, they come to thee, thy Sons fhall come from far, and thy Daughters fhall be nurfed at thy Side.
The Influence thereof fhall not ex- tend itfelf to one or another Nation only, but to all the Nations round thee ; even di- ftant Nations fhall become as thou art, worfhip the fame God with thee, and be accounted as thy Sons and thy Daugh- ters.
Hitherto the Prophet fpeaks of the Converfion of the Nations in general. In the following Verfes particular Nations are fpecified, Maritime Places being defcribed by their Shipping and Merchandizes, o- ther People by the Cattel and ProducT peculiar to their Country, others again are diftinguifhed by their Enmity "to God's People ; and all are fuppofed, by Means of that Light or Revelation to' be "commu- nicated to G o d's People, to be converted, and to fhew forth the Praifes of the L o r d, Ver. 6.
It
Prophecy defended. 133-
Part It may be objected, That v. 10. The II. Sons of Strangers Jhall build up thy Walls, \*^Y**J &c. plainly, refpecls the Return of the Jews from Captivity, and the Rebuilding of their City. But I anfwer, That the Building here fpoken of does fignify the Church or People of God, They {hall call thee, The City of the L o r d , the Zion of the Holy One of Ifrael, ver. 14. We have already obferved a like Inftance in this Prophecy (<?), where the Mountain of the Lord's Houfe, evidently fignifies the Church or People of God. And according to the fame Figure mud thofe Words of the Prophet be interpreted,
(f) Behold, I will lay thy Stones with fair Colours, and lay thy Foundations with Sap- phires, and I will make thy JVindozvs of Agates ; and thy Gates of Carbuncles, and all thy Bor- ders of pleafant Stones. For had the Prophet been fpeaking of a material Building, he would hardly have reprefented the moft precious Stones as laid in the Foundation. And this Scnk of the PafTage in Difpute is yet farther confirmed by what immedi- ately follows, Therefore thy Gates Jhall be open continually, they Jhall not be Jhut Day nor Night, that Men may bring unto thee the Forces of the Gentiles, and that their Kings may be brought ; which has no manner of Refemblance to the State of the Jews upon the Rebuilding of their City (g) : But 13
K 3 exactly
(e) Ifaiah ii. 2. (/) Ibid, liv, 1 1, izx
(g) Nchem. vi. 16, vii. 3.
i $4 The Argument from
Part exactly true of the Church of God, when II. miraculoufly enlightened by the Revelation WN) of the Gofpel.
But the main Hinge, upon which the Interpretation of this Prophecy depends, is a right underffanding of that extraordinary Light promifed to God's People, which mould influence the Nations of the Earth. Fcr if it means enlightening of them by Revelation ; then it will follow, that the Influence thereof upon the Gentile World muft mean their Converfion thereby. And in Confirmation hereof I cannot but ob- ferve, that this Conftruction does but ren- der the Prophecy agreeable to, and of the fame Import with, feveral other Prophe- cies of the Old 'Teframent already cited, and proved to have Refpect to the fame Event. I add further, that the felf-fame Event, which is here attributed to the Influence of fbme extraordinary Light to be communi- cated to the Jezvs, is by this very Pro- phet in another place fpoken of and attri- buted (as I have already proved, (b) to the Going forth of a Law out of Zion, and the Word ef the L or d from Jerufalem. No- thing therefore can be more reafonable, more agreeable to the common Method of interpreting Books, than to fnppofe the Light fpoken of in the one place to flgnify the fame with the Word of the Lo'Difi the other ■> efpecially when we corf- &g mat
• ' '-• 2$A4bt
t
WVpon If*l. u, 3,
Prophecy defended* 135
Light is not only a common Metaphor fig- Part nifying Knowledge or better Information, II. but alfo that the Law or Word of God is in the Old Teftament (i) frequently called a Light, and faid to enlighten Men. But as an irrefragable Argument confirming the Senfe of the Word in this difputed Place, let it be obferved, that wherever this Prophet fpeaks of a Light , which iliould influence the Gentiles, he means fome Revelation by which they mould be converted, as will appear from other Paf- fages of this Prophecy yet to be con- fioered.
From thefe Prophecies it does appear, That the Means of that great Converfion to be wrought among the Gentiles, fo clear- ly foretold by mofl of the Prophets under the Old Tefiament, was to arife out of the Jewijh Nation. I (hall now proceed to other parts of this Prophecy, which flill keep the fame Event in View, which fur- ther difcover God's Intention of fending a fpecial Meffenger for that Purpofe ; where we fhall alfo find a Character and De- fcription of the Perfon to be employed therein.
God having exprefsly foretold the Cap- tivity of his People in the latter part of the xxxixth Chapter, proceeds in the follow- ing Chapters to comfort them with graci- ng ous
[i] Pfal.xix. 8. cxix. 105,130. Prov. vi. 23.
136 The Argument from
Part ous Afiurances of Reftoration from that II. Captivity,, and with a glorious Profpect
WV**-' of future great Mercies they fhould receive upon their Refettlement in their own Land. Grotius himfelf acknowledges, that thofe Prophecies relate to Events at fo great a Diftance , that the Generation to whom they were delivered could not be fuppofed to be perfonally concerned therein. It can- not therefore feem ftrange, in a prophetic Account of things at fo great a Diftance, to find fome Notice taken of an Event the moil remarkable in all the Jewijh Hiftory , viz. the Coming of theMESsiAs and the Confequences of it. There are Pafiages in the latter part of this Prophecy which by the ConfefTion of Grvtius do more plainly and clearly agree thereto, than to any other Event ; though he has endeavoured, (but I am perfuaded without Reafon) to explain them otherwife.
Chap. xli. 27. God tells his People, J will give to Jerufalenr one that hringeth good Tidings, and in the Beginning of the next Chaper adds this Character of him, He jhall bring forth Judgment to the Gen- tiles, — and the JJIes Jhall wait for his Law. I need not fay how eafy and obvious the Application of this Character is to .Christ : Yet we. are told (k) " That there is not " the leal! Colour to underftandfitof him], " bur quite another Perion ythxxtittoti'us
" under-
(#J Scheme, p. 137: - j
Prophecy defended. 1^7
" understands to be the Jewifh People, and Part " our judicious Commentator White to be II. " Cyrus. " A notable Confutation this ! O^V^- We muft not underftand it of Christ, becaufe there are two Commentators, who have endeavoured to explain it otherwife, but cannot agree on whom to fix it ! My Reply therefore is, Juft as Grotius and White confute us, lb Grotius confutes Wlnte and White Grotius : And what are we the. wifer for this fine Chain of Reafoninsr !
'o
.But after all our Adverfary grofly mif- takes one of his Authorities: For Grotius does not underftand this Prophecy of the Jenijb People, but of Ifaiah himfelf (/): So very willing is he to take any tiling for Truth, upon any Authority, even with- out Examination ; provided it gives no Countenance to the Chriftian Scheme. He is forward enough to tell us on other Oc- cafions, that the Appeal does not lie to this or that, or any Commentator ; but to the Prophets themfelves, and to that Mean- ing of their Words, which is to be found out by the common Method of interpreting Books, viz. the Rules of Grammar and Crituifm.
I appeal therefore to the Prophecy Melf- againfl both his Commentators. That it is not- to be underftood of Cyrus or of any othef w.rrlike Prince, appears plainly from ".us-Chan; cter in it, He /hall not cry, nor
(/) Grotius in locum.
1 3 8 The Argument from
Part lift up, nor caufe his Voice to be heard in II. the Street. A bruifed Reed Jhall he not
W'V^ break, and the fmoking Flax Jhalll he not quench. Befides it is the Character of one infpired by God to teach his Ways unto the Gentiles \ I have put my Spirit upon him, he jhall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles : For the Word Judgment in this Prophecy ufually fignifies Knowledge, or true Difcre- tion. By his Means this Judgment mould be eftabliflied in the Earth ; even very diftant Nations fhould embrace it, Coun- tries divided by Sea from that Continent to which Judea belonged fhould comply with it : For fo we are to underfland the Word Jfle, according to the Language of the Old Teftament, (m) when it is faid, The Ifics Jhall wait for his Law. This is the prin- cipal diftinguifhing Character of the whole Prophecy, and the Perfon fignified thereby is therefore called, ver. 6. A Light to the Gentiles.
This Character will no more fit Ifaiah than it does Cyrus. For Ifaiab's Commifli- on extended to the JewiJh People only : His Doctrine was delivered to them, with- out any Meafures taken, or Inftructions given to publifh it among the G entiles . It does not appear, neither is there the leaft Realbn to fufpect, that any Heathen Nation was enlightened or converted by Means thereof ; but the fame grofs Ignorance and
SuDer-
(fn) See Gen.x. 5. Jet. ii. 10. 1 Mac. i, I.
Prophecy defended, 139
Superflition in religious Matters, which Part prevailed among the Gentiles in this Pro- II. phet's Time, continued to prevail among v-/"V^«^ them for many Ages afterwards. It is cer- tain, that the Event foretold in this, and feveral other parts of this Prophecy, did not take Effect till the Publication of the Chriftian Doctrine : Confequently the Per- fon here reprefented, as principal Actor therein, mull mean the Author of that Doctrine, to whom every Character of the .Prophecy does exactly agree, which there- fore renders the Application of it to him every way juft and reafonable.
But it will appear to be yet more ne- ceffary, if you add to it another Prophecy (Chap, xlix.) which fpeaks to the fame Ef- fect, and gives you the Character of a Pro- phet, who mould be remarkably inftru- mental in the Converfion of the Gentiles ; but a Character which will in no wife fit Jfaiab , or any other Prophet before Christ. The Perfon fpoken of is intro- duced ver. 1 , calling upon the JJles and the People at a great Diftance to hearken to him, and urging the Unfuccefsfulnefs of his Endeavours towards his own People, as the Reafon for it, ver. 4. 1 have laboured in vain, I have fpent my Strength for no&ghf. and {n vain, yet farely my Judgment is vith the Lord, and my Work pith my God. But! 'he Is comforted with the Refoluticn Go: - ' thereupon, which is recited, %¥l 5, 6. jfnd now faith the Lord thai
140 The Argument from
Part formed me from the Womb to be his Servant, - II. to bring Jacob again to him, Though Ifrael Vw^V^«-^ be not gathered, yet Jhall I be glorious in the Eyes of the Lord, and my God Jhall be my Strength. And he faid, It is a light thing that thou Jhouldft be my Servant to raifs up the Tribes of Jacob, and to rejlore the Pre- ferved of Ifrael : / will alfo give thee for a Light to the Gentiles, that thou mayeft be my Salvation unto the End of the Earth.
How can thefe Words with any Colour or Shadow of Reafon be underftood as fpo- ken of Ifaiah ? who, neither by himfelf, nor by any fubordinate Minuter appointed by him, ever attempted the Converfion of the Gentile World ? It is true (as Grotius obferves (n), that Ifaiah had many Reve- velations communicated to him concern- ing the Gentiles, and what fhould be wrought among them in future Times : But he had no Revelation directed to them, neither can it be fuppofed that his Doctrine had any Influence upon them, like that which is here fpoken of. For admit that a confide- rable Number of Profelytes were made to the Je-zvifh Religion from among the Gen- tiles, and many of them by Means of Ifaiah*^ Prophecies ; yet it muft be fuppofed, when this happened, that the State of Religion among the Jews was in a flourifhing Con- dition, and the People generally very care- ful and zealous in obferving it ; So that
the
(x) Grctiui -in loeam.
Prophecy defended. 141
the Influence thereof upon the Gentiles , Part mull have been at bell, but inconfiderable, IL in Companion with the Influence it had WW. upon the Jews. But in this Prophecy the Supposition is quite reverfed ; the Prophet fignified thereby is reprefented as com- plaining of a great Failure and Ill-fuc- cefs among his own People, and makes the extenfive Influence of his Do&rine among the Gentiles his greateft Glory. This was in Fact the Cafe, when Christ appeared. Though his Doctrine met with great Op-< pofition from the Jews, and was embraced but by Few among them ; yet among the Gentiles it prevailed and fpread itfelf in a moft furprizing Manner, and not till then was there any Prophet, who might with any Propriety of Speech be faid, to be a Light to the Gentiles, and for Salvation to the End of the Earth.
The Sequel of the Prophecy is a noble Defcription of that great Converfion to be wrought among the Gentiles. All Obfta- cles to their Converfion are faid to be re- moved, ver. 11. I will make all my Moun- tains a I Fay, and my high Ways Jball be ex- alted. In Confequence whereof, it it added, ver. 12. Behold, thefefhall come from far, and htbefefrom the North and the JVe§f, and the ft frojto the Land of Sinim. Grotius would un- de#(feind.-thefe and the like Paffages of, the J ends returning from their Captivity. But how inconfiflendy with the former Part of the Prophecy, which fpeaks of lite. Jezus as
reftored,
142 The Argument from
Part reftored, ver. 6. and fpeaks of them as an II. inconfiderable Part of God's People com-
v-^VN-' pared with thofe who mould be converted to him from among the Gentiles ? The Sup- pofition of Grotius, is no lefs inconfiftent with what follows, ver. 19, 20. Thy wafie and thy dt 'folate Places, and the Land of thy Definition, /hall even now be too narrow by Reafon of the Inhabitants. — The Clnldren which thou Jhalt have after thou haft losl the other, fhall fay again in thine Ears, The Place is too flrait for me, give Place to me that I may dwell. How can this be ap- plied to the Circumftances of the Jews up- on their Reftoration ? Was the Land of Canaan then, or at any Time afterwards, till the Times of the Mess i as, too fir ait and narrow for God's People? Does not the Queftion, ver. 21. Who hath begotten me thefe ? plainly fuggeft a great Addition of Strangers, not of the natural Seed of Abraham ? And does not the Anfwer given, ver. 22. Thus faith //^Lord God, Be- hold, I will lift up mine Hand to the Gentiles, and fet up my Standard to the People : and they Jhall bring thy Sons in their Arms, and thy Daughters Jhall be carried upon their Shoulders, as plainly declare, that this great Increafe of God's People fhould be owing to the Converfion of the Gentiles, who up- on that Account, fhould be reckoned as. Sons and Daughters, i. e. the true Seed of Abraham ?
The
Prophecy defended, 14$
Part This Prediction of the wonderful In- II. creafe of God's Chuch by the Converfion ^/*V^ of the Gentiles, immediately following, and indeed depending upon the Promife of a Perfon to be a Light to the Gentiles, plain- ly proves that Ifaiah, who had no Con- cern in the Event, could not be the Perfon interred, and that we ought firft. to find out the Event, before we can fix upon the Perfon by whofe Influence, it mould be ac- compliihed.
But there is another Character in this Prophecy, which will in no wife fit Ifaiah, ver. 7. Thus faith the Lord, To him whom Man defpifeth, to him whom the Nation ab- horreth, to a Servant of Riders, Kings /hall fee and arife, Princes alfo Jhall worjhip. How far the abject part of the Character may fuit Ifaiah, I will not difpute : But I am fure there is no Foundation for applying the latter part to him, nor can any thing be more unreafonable than to fuppofe, as Grotius does, that nothing was intended thereby, but the Refpecft fhewed to Ifaiah by King Hezekiah, and Eliah?n who was over his Houfhold. That a Jewijb Pro- phet fhouid be well treated by a Jewifh King and his firft Minifter was nothing ftranee, though it had fome times happen- ed otherwife. Befides it is to be fuppofed, that Ifaiah had experienced, and been well affured of, the Favour of Hezekiah and Eliakim, at the Time when tab Prophecy
was
The Argument from
was delivered. How ridiculous therefore ic is to fuppofe, that a Thing fo well known mould be made the Subject of divine Re- velation, and be introduced in that pom- pous Manner, Thus faith the Lord, the Redeemer of Ifrael ? But if we confider the Words as a Continuation of that Perfon's Character promifed in the preceding Verfe to be a Light to the Gentiles and for Salva- tion to the End of the Earth, we mall natu- rally be lead to underftand the Kings and Princes here fpoken of, as fignifying Gentile Kings and Rulers, who by the Influence of that Light and Knowledge communicated to them by this extraordinary Meflenger of God, mould be engaged to reverence him, and fubmit themfelves to the Doctrine re- vealed by him.
This feemingly inconfiftent Character of one greatly defpifed and humbled, and yet held in great Efteem and Reverence by Kings and Potentates of the Earth, as it cannot but be applied (confidered with the reft of the Prophecy) to Christ the Author of our Religion •, fo it will ferve as a Key to explain another Prophecy at no great Diftance from it, where we have exactly the fame Character enlarged upon and more fully exprefTed. Chap. lii. -i 3, .14, 15. Behold my Servant fhall deal ■prudently, he fhall be exalted and extolled and be very high. As many were afionifhed at thee (his. Vifage wasfo marred ?nore than any Man, and his Form more than the Sons of
Men)
Prophecy defended. 145
Men) fo ft) all he fprinkle many Nations, the P a r t Kings Jhall /hut their Mouths at him : For II. that which had not been told the?n Jhall they ,wv-s«—> fee, and that which they had not heard Jhall they confider. Here you have plainly (as in the former Prophecy) a Servant of the Lord, reprefented in a very low and ab- ject State, and yet by his Miniftration in- fluencing the Nations of the Earth, and commanding the Attention and Regard of the Rulers thereof. If therefore Unity of Character and Circumftances be a ra- tional Ground for applying divers Pro- phecies to the fame Perfon or Event, there is the o-reateft Reafon for doing it in this Cafe-, becaufe the Prophecies in Compari- fon, convey the very fame Ideas, with on- ly different Words i And this admitted, I am fure they cannot be fo properly applied to any one as to Christ our Lord.
Nevertheless, Groiius has thought fit to divide thefe two Prophecies, wherein there is fuch an exact: Uniformity of Cha- racter, between two different Perfons, ap- plying the former to Jfaiahy this to Jeremiah. But the former Application, I have already proved to be unreafonable and groundlefs, and this will appear to be more fo.
For Grotius is inconflflent with himfelf in fuppofing any thing to be faid of Jeremiah in this Place ; having told Us in his Prefa- tory Note to the xl and following Chapters of this Prophecy, That the '< Predictions . L << con-
146 The Argument from
Part " contained therein, look forward to a II. " great Diltance of Time, fpeaking of
Vx^V^j " Events which mould happen from the " Time of the Capivity, for a long Time " afterwards. " And accordingly he him- felf interprets what goes before, and what immediately follows, this fuppofed Prophecy concerning Jeremiah, of Events fubfequent to the Reft oration of the Jews from their Captivity. Nay, he allows (0), the Begin- ning of Chap. liv. to be a Continuation of the fame Subject the Prophet had been Jpeaking to in the Beginning of Chap, lii, the Connection whereof he would fuppofe to be broken by the Interpofition of a Pro- phecy concerning Jeremiah, whofe Charac- ter had no manner of Relation to the Pro- phet's Subject, even according to his own Interpretation thereof. Can any thing be more unreafonable than fuch a Suppofition !
But farther, as the Context has confefTed- ly nothing in it to countenance the Applica- tion of this Prophecy to 'Jeremiah •, fo the Prophecy itfelf totally difcountenances it, as will appear by that violent Abufe of Words and Language committed by Grot'uts to make it fit him. Some Parts of the Pro- phecy we allow will fit Jere'miah, or any ". other fuffering Prophet : But the principal Characters will in no wile fit him •, and therefore Grotius himfelf acknowledges, *l That in many Inftances they are ac-
"• cording
{0) Grodus in Locum,
Prophe'Cy defended. 1 47
" cording to the Letter more applicable Part " to Christ, and rather belong to him II. " than Jeremiah " (p).
How can it be imagined, that a Pro- phecy concerning Jeremiah mould be in- troduced in this pompous Manner, Chap. lii. 7. Hozv beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings, that publifheih Peace, that bringeth good Ti- dings of Good, that publifheth Salvation, that faith unto Zion, Thy God r eigne th ! If there was ever a Prophet among the Jews, who might more properly than another be called a MefTenger of bad Tidings, it was Jeremiah. The whole Courfe of his Mini- stry, was almoft one continued Denuncia- tion of Vengeance, and a Threatning of the greatefb Evils that ever had befallen them. It is true, as Grotius oblerves, he did foretell that after Seventy Years thofe Evils mould have an End. "What then ? Did this intitle him to be called in fuch a peculiar Manner the Publimer of Peace and of good Tidings ? To tell a Man he muft undergo a long and grievous Fit of Sick- nefs, of which at length he mould reco- ver, would hardly be thought an agreeable MeiTage, or ferve to make the MelTengef" welcome.
But to leave the Introduction and pro- ceed to the Character end Circumflances L z of
{/) Grotius in locum.
148 The Argument from
P a r t of the Meffenger, v,er. 13. Behold my Ser- ■II. • vant Jhall deal prudently, be Jh/zll be exalt- ed and extolled and be\very high. , This was never true of Jeremiah, nor any thing like it. For till the Captivity, he was (conti- nually oppofed and opprcffedj and a great, part of that Time he fpent in a Prifon and a Dungeon. When the City was taken, the Captain of the Chaldean Guards fet him at Liberty, and gave him his Choice,, whe- ther he would go to Babylon, or remain in fudea. He chofe the latter, where he lived fome Time privately, without having any Power over the poor Remains of the Peo- ple that were left there, till he was carried by Force into Egypt : Where, as Hiitori- ans conjecture, he was ill-ufed till the Day of his Death. And is this the Man, that was to be exalted and extolled and made high'? Is it thus that Grotius makes /, fpeak of Perfons alpout his own Time, WM\ a perfect hiftorical Conformity? (q) ,T:lke this Liberty, and you may make any Pro- phecy ferve any Purpofe.
ii lluonn >, ni After the fame Manner, . is
explained away upon the fame Perlon. He'
JJj all fpr inkle (or purify) 7nany;,~Naxt{o7Q, Kings Jhall (hut their Mouths at kitn? ; i. e. attend and pay Regard to the DciCtrine delivered by him. The .. Conversion of rhe Nations is a Subject frequently inliilcd up- on-by Ifaiah ; and no doubt -cril
(?) Scheme, &c. p.' 389.
Prophecy defended. 149
parts of this Prophecy, which fpeak there- Part of; KSVe Refpect to the fame Event : But II. we muft not look for an Accomplifhment L^V"^ of it in, or about, the Time of Jeremiah-, for never was there lefs Appearance of Re- formation, either in Judea, or in other Countries. Nor is there any Room to ima- gine, (as Grotius pretends) that Nebucha- donojbr or Nccho paid any Regard to the Words of Jeremiah. Nebuchadonofor had' not the Curiofity to fee him when he was at Jerufalem. He ordered him indeed to be treated civilly, becaufe he had not been in the rebellious Scheme of his Brethren : But that he paid any Regard to him, as a Prophet of God, can hardly be fufpect- &$'. As for Necho, it is more than proba- ble, if ever he heard his Prophecies, that he defpifed them \ and Hiftorians are in- clined to think, that he ufed him ill upon that Account, becaufe he foretold the De- struction of Egypt. So far was it from be- ing true, that Kings and Nations were particularly 'attentive to what was fpoken by Jeremiah, that it feems to have been in a peculiar manner his Fate, to be ne- glected by all to whom he prophefied.
But Grotius has taken the molt intole- rable Liberty with one of the plaineft Paf- fages in all the Prophecy, Chap. liii. 5. H¥ was wounded for our TranJgreJ/iotis, he •iv as bruifed for our Iniquities, the Chaftife- vmUt of our Pence was upon him,- and with his Stripes we are healed. It is certain, that- L 3 th?
1 50 The Argument from
Part the J&zvs in Jeremiah's Time fuffered all the II. Evil God had threatned them with in the
U^Y^J greateft Extremity. Neither his Admoni- tions, nor his Sufferings, nor Perfeverance in admonifhing them notwithflanding his Sufferings, could engage them to flee from the Wrath that was coming, but it came upon them to the uttermoft. How then could his Sufferings be called the Chaftife- ment of their Peace ; when their Peace de- pended upon their hearkening to, and treat- ing him refpecriiilly as a Prophet •, when by his Chaftifement their Crimes were ag- gravated, and the Punifhment thereof be- came greater and more inevitable ? Could they be faid to be healed by his Stripes, whofe Wounds by that very Means became more incurable ? They might have been healed thereby, fays Grotiks ! But I fay they might rather have been healed without them : Forafmuch as he who embraces the Means of his Recovery is more likely to do well, than he who fpurns at and abufes them. In fhort, if to make his Soul an Of- fering for Sin, ver. 10. to be Jlricken for $he cfranfgre£ion of others, ver. 8. if to %ear the Sin of many, ver. 12. the Chaflife- vieni of their Peace, the Lord having laid on him the Iniquity of us all, ver. 6 ; all which ExpreiTions have a plain Allufion to the Manner of making Atonement for Sins by Sacrifice -, if thefe muft be explained away upon a Perfon fullering by the ill Ufage of others, without any good Effect m reconciling Men to God, which was the
very
Prophecy defended. 151
very Cafe of Jeremiah ; . then the Rules of P a r t Grammar and Criticifm have nothing to do II. in determining the Senfe of Scripture ; but *^-\~*-J we are to prefer the moll arbitrary Mean- ing, that any Commentator can put upon it.
Another Circumftance in this Pro- phecy grofsly abufed by Grotius, is ver. 8. He zvas cut off out of the Land of the Living. The obvious Sence of thefe Words, which are commonly underftood to fignify a vio- lent Deaths did not pleafe Grotius upon a double Account ; becaufe it does not ap- pear that Jeremiah met with a violent Death ; and becaufe the Sufferings of the Perfon fpoken of, and even his Death, (if that be foretold) • muff, be fuppofed accord- ing to the Scope of the Prophecy to pre- cede his Exaltation and the Succefs of his Miniftry. How therefore to difpofe of thefe Words, which in all Languages fig<- nify Deaths is the Difficulty. To remove it he obferves, that Jeretniah was caft into Prifon, and afterwards into the Dungeon, where perhaps there was no living Soul befides himfelf. And thus he was cut off out of the Land of the Living ! But to he in the Land of the Living is a Phrafe which frequently occurs in Scripture, and always figniiies the State of the Living in Opposi- tion to that of the Dead. Hezekiah, fpeak- ing his Sentiments upon that Sentence of Death fent to him by the Prophet Ifaiah, L 4 exp re fifes.
15 2 The A r g.u m ent /rowi
Part expreffes hjmfelf thus (r), i _/&<*# 7/0/ y£<? the II. Lord, .w /£? LrtW qf /&* Livings I foall
v^V*^ /"<? .Maw »o more with the Inhabitants thereof. The Confpiracy of the Men of Anathoth. againft Jeremiah, to take away his Life by Violence, is expreffed in thefe Words (s)9 Let us dejlroy the Tree .with the Fruit there-* of, and, let us cut him off f ram the Land of the Living. Where the very felf-fame Words with thofe we have now under Exa-. mination, are ufed to exprefs the Murther of a Perfon by Violence.
Hitherto therefore you have the Suf- ferings and Death of the Perfon, who is the Subject of the Prophecy, and the End of both plainly revealed in Terms by no Means applicable to Jeremiah. And iri Confequence thereof, even of his Death, you have an Account of his Exaltation* and the Succefs of his Miniftry, which can- not therefore belong to Jeremiah. Ver. 10, ii , 12. When thou /halt make his Soul an Offering for Sin, he foall fee his Seed, he foaM prolong hit Days, and the Pleafure of the Lord foall profper in his Hands. He foall fee of the Travail of his Soul, and foall be. fatisfied.. Therefore will J divide him a Por- tion with the great, and he foall -dkideJbh Spoil with the jlrong, : becaufe . he hath pwred fitt his Soid unto Death. If this Succefs and ^Satisfaction in his Miniftry had not been fo
often
r .jr). .Xfaiah vxxvilv. j i . (/] Jer. xi. 19, 21-. ,
/ . i 1
Pr ophecy defended. 155
often and plainly mentioned as the Confe- Part quence of his Death : Yet Jeremiah muft II. have been out of the Queftion. For he L^V^J. never lived to fee the leaft Succefs of his Labours ; the People in the very Teeth of Ruin were always averfe to his falutary Counfels •, even when the City was taken, and all the Evils he had been for a long Time pronouncing againft it had taken Ef- fecl, ftill they would not hearken to him, but rumed violently into Meaiures, which he told them would be attended with the worft Confequences. And then, where was his Portion with the great, and how did he divide the Spoil with the Jlrong ? Grothis mod ridiculoufly fuppofes this was fulfilled, when the Captain of the Guard gave him Victuals and a Reward, and let him go (t). Thus -every Beggar may be faid to have his Portion with the great ; and the Captive, that is fpoiled, may be faid to divide the Spoil with the Jlrong, when relieved by the Bounty of his Conqueror. But fure this is not interpreting Scripture according to the Rules of common Senfe, nor the obvious Meaning of Words, nor the Connection of the Difcourfe, nor yet according to Scripture it- felf •, where the obvious Meaning of the Phrafe is (u) to be great, to be fuccefsful, to prevail over Enemies.
Do
(/) Jer. il. 5; {u) Excd. xv. 9. ' Prov. svi.^9.
Jfaiah ix. 3.
1 54 The Argument from
Part
II. Do I need to fay more to prove the Im-
V"Vs-> propriety, the Unreafonablenefs, and the utter Abfurdity of applying this 'Prophecy to Jeremiah ? Having been fo long in confuting this groundfefs Application of the Prophecy, and having upon another Occafion (x) urged the NeeeJJity, as well as the Propriety, of applying it to Christ our Lord ; I mall not detain my Reader any longer, but while I take Notice of a few peculiar Exceptions made by the Au- thor of Scheme, &c. which have not been already confidered.
Upon Chap. lii. 13, he fays (y) " The a Words, exalted and extolled very high, " fpeak only of an earthly Exaltation, " which does not agree to Jesus". But it will eafily be obierved, that no Reafon can be given from the 'Text to confine the "Words to an earthly Exaltation. A real Exaltation certainly was intended j and if he can prove, as he formerly hinted (.?), that none can be real, but an earthly or temporal one, we are anfwered. I think it a real Exaltation that the Nations of the Earth fubrhitted to him, acknowledged him for their Lord, profeffing the high- eft Reverence and Obedience to be due to him.
Upon
(x) Sera. VI. (y) Scheme, &c. p. 209.
[z) Grounds, &c. p. 33.
Prophecy defended. 153
Part
Upon thefe Words, He made his Grsnue IT. with the Wicked and with the Rich in his vA^ Death, he obferves, that White has difco- vered fome Difficulty in the Conftru&ion thereof. From wl^ence he concludes, (a) That it is " an obfcure Place, on which 4' nothing ought to be built, while it is fo " obfcure. " Let this be granted, I de- lire to build nothing upon it, the reft of the Prophecy is furficient for our Purpofe without it. But I can fee no Difficulty in it, nor any Occafion for fuch a Tranfpofi- tion of Words, as Write fpeaks of. For it is true of Jesus, that he made his Grave zcith the Wicked (refpedting the Circumftance which brought him to his Grave) and with the Rich (rdpecling the Place of his Bu- rial).
There are feveral other Exceptions made by our Adverlary, taken from the Notes of Grotius upon this Prophecy, whofe Interpretation thereof I have already con- futed, and thereby obviated the Objections borrowed from thence. I fhail therefore leave the Reader to reflect upon the diffe- rent Interpretations of the Prophecy in Dif- pute, and to judge, which feems moil " calculated to fubvert the clear and un- '• doubted Meaning of the Prophecy flow- " v:<-? from the Terms and Connexion, and " to introduce the moft chimerical Mean-
" ing,
(-') Scheme, p. 21&.
The Argument from
ing, contrary to the common Senfe of " the Words and the Connexion of the " Difcourfe (b).
The Prophecies cited hitherto, fpeak of a general Converfioi> of the Gerjiles, of an extraordinary Meflenger to be employed by God for that Purpofe, in which we have feveral Accounts of his Cha rafter and Circumftances. To which therefore IYhalf add others, which fpeak of his Far Thus Chap. xi. 10. hi that Day there / he a Root of Jeife, which flail ft and fdr an Erf:gn of the People •, to it flail the Gentiles feek, and his Reft flail be glorious. As in the fitond Chapter it was figuratively faid, that the Mountain of the Lord'; Houfe mould be ib exalted, as to draw all Nations to it : fo here it is faid, that a Perfon ot David's Line mould become fo confpicuous in the Earth, that as an Enfign fet up to gather Men together, fo fhould he be to the Na- tions of the Earth. To him they mould ktk and have Recourfe, acknowledge him tor their Ruler and Governor, and lubmit themfelves to be guided by his Directions. This Prophecy therefore docs not lhpfamy mean, as our Adverfary would fuggeft {V} upon the Authority of Grotius, "" That " many of the Gentiles being converted to " the true God fnall feek and have Re- ' " courfe to Hezekiah ". For there is no- thing in the Prophecy, or the Context, to
...... . ]•
", Sclierrie,, p. i\g. [c] 'To. p.
»iJ
Prophecy deft n ded.
:e Event to Hezekiab's Days ; nor is there any thing in the Hiftory of his Reign, that can tempt one to fufpect an Accom- plimment thereof in him.
In rthis Prophecy, rijere is an evident A- greement. in Character, with fevera] others; cited, .from this Propnet : Where there"" is a Pcriijn ' ipoken "of, whofe Million mould have a very remarkable Influence upon the Gentile World, to whom Kings and Nations mould attend and pay Homage, andwbofeLazv the IJIes (very diftant Parts of the World) JJjould. zvait for. Such agreeing Characters to be met with in the fame Author, ought in Equity to be brought together, and di- ligently compared •, and if no Inconfiftency can be found between the one and the other, it. is but reafonable to fuppofe they were de- livered upon the fame View ; efpecially when the Truth of them cannot be fo well accounted for upon any other Scheme, whi'ch is the very Cafe in the Inftance now before us.
And in Confirmation hereof, I mail add another Prophecy, containing the fame Cha- . racier, which mult alfo be applied, as the, former was, to. one of David's Line, fcjftp* Iv. a, 4fl 5- I will make an everlafting Co- venant with you, even the fare Mercies pj David. Behold^ 1 have given him for, a. IVil- ■ nefs to we People, a header and Conwiander to the People. Behold^ thou Jhalt call a Na- tion that thou knozveft not, and Nations that
kijow
1 5S The Argument from
Part know not thee, /hall run unto thee, becaufe of II. the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One
VV0 of Ifrael ; for he hath glorified thee. How it could ever enter into the Head of Grctius to interpret this Place of Jeremiah, is to me inconceiveable. There is not in the Con- text a Syllable relating to the Times of Je- remiah, nor in the Text any the leaft Refem- blance of his Character. For how was he a Witnefs to, a Leader and Commander of the Nations ? The Influence he had over his own People was inconfiderable, no Pro- phet ever had lefs, his Inftructions were as conftantly difobeyed, as they were given. But the Prophecy fpeaks of One who mould be acknowledged by other Nations for their Ruler and Commander, which no body can fufpect to have been the Cafe of Jeremidh. Admit the Character would fit him : Yet it fliould feem to me, that the 'Text very plainly fixes it upon a Perfon of a quite different Family. Behold, I have given him for a Witnefs, &c. Flere is a plain Reference to fome Antecedent ; and upon examining the Context, that Antecedent mull be allowed to be contained in thefe Words, The jure Mercies of David. Whether therefore the Reference be to a Perfon called by the Name of David, or to one fignified by that Cha- racter, The fure Mercies of David ; either Way, according to rational Conftruction, we muff, fuppofe one of David's Line was in- tended, and confequently Jeremiah muft be excluded:. And I hope to make it appear in the Sequel of this Difcourle, that the
ftre
Prophecy defended. 159
fa ye Mercies of David, fpoken of in this P a r t Place, have Refped to fome Covenant II. made with David concerning his Seed (J). v/V**' From whence it will be rational to con- clude, That the Root of Jefje, promifed Chap. xi. 10. which mould ft and for an Enfign of the People, to whom the Gentiles jhoidd feek, and the Perfbn here promifed to be a Witnefs to, a header and Commander of the Gentiles, muft mean the fame Per- fon : Becaufe the Characters of both Pro- phecies exactly agree in Subftance and Cir- cumftances with one another.
These Characters are applicable to none of the Seed of David but Jesus Christ ; for the Gentiles had Recou rfe to none but Him, Him only did they acknowledge for their Leader and Commander. And this will yet more certainly appear, if we conlider the Confequence of his being appointed their Leader, mentioned, ver. 5. of this Prophe- cy : Behold, thou/halt call a Nation that thou bicwesl not, and Nations that knew not thee, fhall run unto thee, becaufe of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Ifrael ? for he hath glorified thee. This muft be under- stood of very diftant Nations, People that were not known to, that knew nothing of, the People of God in the Prophet's Timej that rhey mould joyn themfelves to the Wor- fhippers of the True God, and worihip the fame God with them. Now it is utterly
groundless
U] Pfalm bcxxu
160 Kf Argument/^?
groundlefs to fuppofe, that this Event had any Accomplifhment, till the Chrijlian- Scheme took Effect ; and therefore it is equally groundlefs to fuppofe, that this Lea- der and Commander of the Gentiles could be any other Perfon, than Jesus the Author of that Scheme.
I have now done with the Prophecies cited from Jfaiab, and my Vindication of them. Wherein I have been careful to ob- ferve, that the PafTages referred to are not only properly applicable to Christ, and the Events of his Doctrine •, but alfo that they cannot properly be applied to any other Perfon or Event whatsoever. And I hope I have alfo given a rational Account, How it came to pafs that Events at fo great a Diftance mould be foretold by Ifaiab : Obferving, that the diftant Profpect of thofe Events, was juft Matter of Encou- ragement to the true IJraelites* to perfevere in their Religion, notwithilanding the un- happy Circumfrances they were then fallen into, and the much greater Evils which were like to beful them upon that account.
Sect. III.
From Ifaiab, I (hall proceed to the Pfalms, and the Prophecies cited from thence : There being, as I think, not on- ly exprefs mention made of the fame Cha- racters and Events, but alfo an evi
Con
Prophecy defended. 1 6t
Connexion between the Prophecies of the Part one and the other. II.
When Jfaiab fpake of the fare Mercies of David, without mentioning the particu- lar Mercies referred to, it is natural to fuppofe, that he had Refpect to fome known Promife, or A flu ranee made to David of future Mercies ftill to be look^ ed for, even in Ifaiah's Time. It is there- fore reafonahle to have Recourfe to the Book of Pfalms for a more full and de- terminate Defcription of thofe fare Mer- cies. Accordingly we find in Pfalm lxxxix, a particular Account of Mercies engaged for to David in the ftrongeft and mod fo- lemn manner, Where the Faithfulnefs of God in the Performance is fo frequently repeated, that the Pfalm is made remar- kable by that very Circumftance. It is called, ver. 2. Mercy to be built' up for ever, Faithfulnefs eftablifhed in the very Hea- vens : A Covenant, upon which God fays, / have fworn unto David my Servant, ver. 3 5 'My Faithfulnefs and Mercy Jh all ~be with him, ver. 24. My Mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my Covenant fhall ft and fasJ with him, ver. 28. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips. Once have I fworn by my Holinefs, that I will not fail David, ver. 34, 35. -And what is the Subject, upon which all thefe repeated, ftrong Affurances were given to David? To eftablifh his Seed for ever^ and to build up his Throne to all Generations, v. 4. "M T*
162 The Argument from
Part To make his Seed to endure for ever, and his II. Throne as the Days of Heaven, ver. 29. And
Ks^/^sl again, ver. 36, 37. His Seed fh all endure for ever, and his Throne as the Sun before me. It Jhall be eftablifhed for ever as the Moon, and as the faithful Witnefs in Heaven.
May not this then very properly be called, the fure Mercies of David ; where the Oath and Faithfulnefs of God are fo frequently repeated to confirm the Mercy promifed ? Can there be a plainer Refe- rence in the Words of one Prophet, to a Promife made to another than this is ? Can there be a furer Comment therefore upon Ifaiah's Words, than that which this Pfalm affords us ? — But what do we infer from this ? The Inference is plain •, fince it ap- pears from this Pfalm, that David's Seed is the Subject of the fure Mercies engaged for to David ; therefore when God, fpeaking after- wards by his Prophet of the fure Mercies of David, adds, / have given him for a Witnefs to, a header and Commander of the Gentiles, He muft be underftood to fpeak of a Seed of David, that he mould be a IVitnefs to, a Leader and Commander of the Gentiles. Which not only confirms the Interpretation I had given of that Place in Jfaiah ; but alfo dis- covers an indifputable Relation between thefe two Prophecies, and proves them to have Refpect to the fame Perfon.
An d this will be the more readily grant- ed, when it is obferved, That the principal
Fads
Prophecy defended* 163
Facts infilled on in both theie Prophecies Part had, and ftill appear to have, their Ac- II. complifnment in Christ; that thefe fure "s-'~v~s-^ Mercies of David, were fulfilled in him on- ly. For according to Ifaiah, the Gentiles have acknowledged Him for their Leader, even diftant Nations, formerly unknown to G o d's peculiar People ; and they ftill con- tinue to profefs Obedience and Subjection to him as their Lord and Governor. Ac- cording to the Pfahnifl, the Throne of Da- vid, the Government of God's People, is devolved upon this Seed of David: In Him it has remained for many Ages, and is con- tinued as the Days of Heaven ; and we have no Reafon to doubt, but it Jhall endure for ever as the Sun, be eftablifhed for ever as the Moon, and as the faithful Witnejfes in Heaven.
T h e r e is, I remember, a fmart Remark
upon this Way of explaining one Prophet
by another, upon which it has been afked
(e), " How comes Ifaiab's fuppofed Expli-
" cation of David, to be an Argument
te againft our Adverfaries ? They very
" probably think David's Senfe ought to
" be determined by David's own Words,
" and not by the Interpretation of an Au-
« thor, to whom they pay no Regard,
" and who, if he intends to interpret Da-
" vid, they think, miftakes him. " To
which I anfwer, That I am not arguing
M 2 ad
[i) Scheme, bV p. 137.
The Argument from
ad hominem, but ad rem. There may be a Sett of Men, who think differently from the reft of Mankind, and may value them- felves for fo doing : But I am not obliged to admit all their Notions as true, nor to argue always from their Principles. I think I may reafonably fuppofe two Authors of the fame Nation, Language and Religion, to have in many Refpecls the fame Views and Senti- ments of Things -, and when they treat of the fame Subject, I may expect fome Light from the one, for the better understanding of the other : And if the facred Writers may be allowed the fame Quarter, that profane Authors meet with, I would fuppofe Ifaiah to understand David better, than any of our Modern Wits, as I would fuppofe Quinttilian to understand the Language and Sentiments of Cicero better than Tdland. But if I mould confider the two Prophets I have appealed to, as infpired Writers, and upon that Ac- count capable of understanding, the one the other, more certainly than other Authors, I fhould think myfclf ' excufable- -, becaufe' the different Facts foretold by them, ""'{peak- ing of the fame Subject, were exactly "ac- complifhed in the fame Perfon.
r
Turn to another Pfatm (Ixxii.) and we mail find both thefe Circumstances of the Extenfivenefs and Perpetuity of his Dominion, which I have collected from two different Prophets, united, and foretold by David of the fame Perfon, even one of his own Seed. The Perpetuity of his Dominion is
exprefled,'
Prophecy defended. 165
expreffed, ver. 5. They JJjall fear thee «;Part long as the Sun and Moon endure, throughout II. all Generations. The Extent of it, ver. 8. \S*Y^J He Jhall have Dominion alfo from Sea to Sea, and from the River unto the Ends of the Earth, i. e. His Dominion mould be not only over that Continent where Judea ftood, but alfo from the Waters bound- ing that Continent to the Ends of the Earth. It is added therefore, vtr. 9. They that dwell in the Wildemefs Jhall bow before him, and, his Enemies Jhall lick the Dujl, ver. 1 o. The Kings o/Tarihifh and of the IJles (Places di- vided from that Continent by Sea) Jhall bring Prefents, the Kings of Sheba and Seba Jhall offer Gifts, ver. 11. Tea, all Kings Jhall fall down before him, all Nations Jhall fervs him. And in is not faid, that his Dominion mould be thus extended by Conqueft, but by reafon of the good Influences of his Government, as appears from the follow- ing Verfes. Upon which it is faid, ver. 1 7. All Nations ft all be blejfed in him, and JJjall call him blejfed. Is it not therefore moft ridiculous to fuppofe, " that the Words " fignify manifestly, what Grotius fays, that " it fhall be a Saying among all Nations, " Let your Reign be like his (f) ; " when the whole Context plainly fixes and confirms the obvious Meaning, to be the true Meaning of the Place, by reprefenting the Nations of the Earth, not only as fubmitting to, but alfo partaking of the good Influences of his M 3 Govern-
CO Scheme, p. 136, 137.
i66 The Argument from
Part Government, and upon that Account fhew- II. ing forth his Praifes, ver. 15.
Here then let me re-affume the Confi- deration of the Promife made to Abraham (g), In thy Seed Jh all all the Nations of the Earth be bleffed, which was renewed to Ifaac (h), and repeated again to Jacob (i), and is in this Pfalm limited to one of David's Seed. Is there any one parallel Place of Scripture, which countenances the Interpre- tation of our Adverfaries, That it mould be made a proverbial Form of Blefling a- mong the Gentiles, " God blefs you, as " he did the Seed of Abraham, Ifaac, st Jacob, or David? " Do the Prophets any where fuggeft, that the Jews, as a pe- culiar People, mould ever be fo remarkably happy and fuccefsful, that the Nations of the Earth mould make their Happinefs the Object of their Wifhes, and the Meafure of that Happinefs which they wifhed might be beftowed on thofe they loved ? Why then mull Words fo plain, be wrefted to a Senfe, which has no other Place of Scrip- ture to confirm it, and in which Senfe they never were acccmplifhed ?
Take them in their obvious Meaning, and you may find frequent In fiances of Scripture fpeaking to the fame Purpofe. All the Prophecies hitherto produced, fig-
nify
{g) Gen. xxii. 18. [b] Ibid, xxv'i. 4.
(0 Ibid, xxviii. 14.
Prophecy defended, 1 6 7
nify God's gracious Intentions tov/ards the Part Gentile World, of revealing hi mfelf to them, II. of recovering them out of a State of Ig- norance and Superftition, and taking them into Covenant with him. This was the Bleffing intended them, and I am not a- fhamed to call it a real Bleffing. Then mod of thofe Prophecies prove, that this Bleffing was to be conveyed to them by Means of the Seed of Abraham •, that out of the People defcended from him mould arife a Prophet to be a Light to the Gen- tiles, and for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth *, and that this Perfon to whom the Gentiles Jhould feek, for whofe Law the Ijles Jhould wait, mould be of the Houfe and Lineage of David. What need I fay more to juftify the obvious Meaning of a Paf- fage, which is confirmed by fo many pa- rallel Places of Scripture, that befpeak the fame Thing, which we fuppofe intended by that plain Promife made to Abra- ham.
But to proceed. The fecond Pfalm mud be underftood of the fame Seed of David with the Pfalm laft-cited. Where God promifes to the Perfon who is the Subject of it, A/k of me and I /hall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the uttermoft Parts of the Earth for thy Poft feffion. It has been thought, but very ab- furdly, that the uttermoft Parts of the Earth may mean the utmofl Bounds of the pro- mifed Land, and fo the Pfalm may be M 4 applied
16S The Argument//^
f art applied to David. But it ought to be ob- II. ferved, that when the uttermoft Parts of
V"V-V the Earth are fpoken of, in Confequence of foraething faid concerning the Heathen, the Words will not (according to rational or fcriptural Conftruction) bear that Limi- tation. The fame Words have occurred in fome of the Places already cited, and they are likewife to be met with in feveral Places in the Book of Pfalms, but in none of thofe Places will they admit of that li- mited Conftruction. All Attempts there- fore to apply them to David, or Solomon, or any one of the Seed of David, but Christ our Lord, muft be fruitlefs.
I would obferve farther, That the Character of the Perfon fpoken of in this Pfalm, taken all together, entirely agrees with the Character of the Servant of the Lord given by Ifaiab, chap, lii, liii. It i-9 the Character of a Perfon greatly defpi- fed and oppreffed, yet rifing out of that abject State into a State of Glory and Greatnefs, Kings and Nations- being made fubject to, and obeying him.
A'n:d as Ifaiah in that Prophecy fore- tells the End of .his Sufferings, that he mould make his Soul an Offering for<Sin, and juftify many by bearing their Iniquities, and make lnterceffion for 'Tranfgreffors, which are Characters belonging to the Prieftly Office : $o -David, Pfalm ex, fpeaks of a Perfon highly ] favoured of: God, appointed by
him
Prophecy defended. 16*9
him to be a Priefi for ever after the Order Part of Melchizedeck. And there is good Rea- II. fon for applying both thefe Prophecies to Lf^Y^J. the fame Perfon and Event ; becaufe they both fpeak of an extraordinary Prieft, pe- culiar in his Character, and different from thofe of Aaron's Order. Ifaiab's Prieft is not fuppoled to offer Gifts and Sacrifices according to the Law, but to offer him- felf to God for us : David's Prieft could not be fuppofed to offer thofe Sacrifices, becaufe he was of a different Order from that of Aaron, to whom the Offering of thofe Sacrifices was exprefsly limited by the Law. And fince the Priefthood was to be changed, according to David, it was rea- fonable to think that the Method of Atone- ment fhould be changed likewife ; and the rather, becaufe it feemed improbable that the Blood of Bulls and of Goats fhould take away Sins. The Prophecy of Ifaiah there- fore might be looked upon, as an addi- tional Difcovery made to what had been foretold before by David -, as it relates the Manner in which that extraordinary Prieft fhould make Atonement for Sins. I fhall only add, that this Prophecy has efcaped the Attacks of our Adverfary, and is, I think allowed by all Commentators to re- late only to Jesus the Author of our Religion.
I have- now finrfhed my Vindication of the Prophecies cited 'from the Pfalms ; which I fhall conclude with obferving,
That
1 jo The Argument from
Part That there appears to be a great Harmo- IL ny between the Prophecies of David and
v"Y">-' Ifaiah relating to the Messias. And there are very plain Indications, that Ifaiah was fenfible his Prophecies related to the fame Perfon, who had been prophefied of before by David. The only Difference in their Characters, feems to me to be this, That David infifts chiefly on the Character of the M e s s i a s as King, Ifaiah on his Cha- racter as Prophet : And as the Messias was to fuftain both Characters, this Diffe- rence is eafily accounted for.
Sect. IV.
There is another Circumftance relating to the Messias, revealed in the Old Te- jlament which very well agrees with the Cir- cumftance of his Family juft now infilled on, That is the Place of his Birth, which is foretold by the Prophet Micah. This Pro- phet prophefied in the fame Reigns that Ifaiah did ; and his Prophecy is in Subftance much the fame with that of Ifaiah, only fhorter, and confequently lefs particular. He alfo reproves the People for their Ini- quities , foretells the Defolation of their Country, and the Captivity of the People : But to comfort them under that fad Pro- fpect, he foretells their Return from that Captivity, adding likewife fome of the moil; remarkable Events, which fhould befol them after their Restoration. Among which
we
Prophecy defended. 171
we find the general Converfion of the Gentile Part World fpoken of, in the very Words of a II. Prophecy cited from Ifaiah, which I have vVV"^ already confidered, Chap. iv. 1, 2. In the lafi Days it /hall come to pafs, that the Moun- tain of the Houfe of the L o r d, Jhall he efta- hlijhed in the 'Top of the Mountains, and it Jhall be exalted above the Hills, and People ft hall flow uuto it. And many Nations Jhall come and fay, Come, and let us go up to the Moun- tain of the Lord, and to the Houfe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his Ways, and we will walk in his Paths : For the Law Jhall go forth out of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerufalem. Soon after we have a Character of the Perfon, by whole Means and Influence this Effect fhould be wrought among the Gentiles, Chap. v. 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the Thoufands of Judah, yet out of thee Jhall he come forth un- to me, that is to be Rider in Ifrael, whofe Goings forth have been from of Old, from everlafling. — ver. 4. For now Jhall he be great unto the Ends of the Earth. Ver. 5. And this Man Jhall be the Peace.
This Prophecy, it is laid, was intended of Zorobabel ; but in my Opinion there is not one Character in it that fits him. Beth- kJpkm is there fixed to be the Place of his Birth, as Gr otitis proves from parallel Places of Scripture, where the Word, rendered come forth, fignifies to be born : Confequent- ly, to come forth out of Bethlehem, fignifies
to
The Argument from
to be born at Bethlehem •, which was con- fefiedly not the Cafe of Zorcbabel. Befides, is it not a grofs Abufe of the Prophecy to make it fay, that Bethlehem fhould become famous through a Perfon, who was neither born there, nor (as far as we are able to judge) ever refided there ? And then, how is the next Character applied to Zorobabely Whofe Goings forth have been from of Old, from everlafting ? " Becaufe, fay they (k), he " had his Origin from an illuftrious Houfe " of old, and a royal Family of Five hun- *' dred Years {landing. *' This Interpreta- tion is a very ftrained one, and I think mult difappoint the Reader, inftead of fa- tisfying him. They may call it an ** Ori- " ential fwelling Expreffion, fignifying a <c common Matter : " But I am fure they can find no parallel Inftance in the Old Te- /lament to juftify it.
But I do not urge the Prophecy upon this Account. I infill chiefly upon that pe- culiar Character in it, which runs through, and diflinguifhes mofl of the Prophecies already confidered, ver. 4. He /hall be great unto the Ends of the Earth. To apply this Character to one, who was no othe'rwife remarkable, than as he was chofen Leader of a Captive People, upon their Return to their own Land, who having put their Af- fairs" in fome Order returned; arid- died 'in the- Place of his Captivity, is utterly un-
' juftifiable.
."-
(£) Scheme, &e. p. 201.
Prophecy defended, 173
juftifiable. And indeed our Adverfary has Part wifely declined meddling wich this Charac- II. ter, having no Pretence for applying ic to VXV^-*
Zorobabel.
It is added, ver. 5. And he Jhall be the Peace. Of what ? Of the Earth ; for that is the proper Antecedent. And accordingly the Sepuagint renders the Place, Keti stsu. avt» tfgnpn. And thus interpreted the Pro- phecy is exactly parallel to, and expreffes the fame thing with, another Prediction of a later Prophet concerning the Messias (/). He Jhall [peak Peace unto the Heathen : And his Dominion jhall be from Sea to Sea, and from the River to the Ends of the Earth.
But our Adverfary objects (and it is his only Objection againfl the Application of this Prophecy to J e s u s) faying (m), This " Application of it is in the fulleit Man- " ner confuted by the Context, which de- " fcribes the Ruler in Terms perfectly in- «c confiftent with the Character of Jesus, "and particularly when it fays, He Jhall " he {he. Peace, , when the AfTyrian Jhall " come into our Land,. &c. ■ Which
".Words are fo plain as not to need the " leaft Comment, to mew them to he, in- *' applicable to the peaceable Times, and " to the Perfon of Jesus ". Upon which I obferve, that this feemingly ftrong Ob- jection
(I) Zech. ix, 10. (m) Scheme, p. 201.
1 74 The Argument from
Part jection is founded upon a manifeftly wrong II. Pointing of the Place, whereby two Cha-
s/V^1 racters are confounded and blended toge- ther. The Character of the Ruler to be born at Bethlehem ends with thefe Words, And he /hall be the Peace. The Words which follow will appear, by barely read- ing them, to belong to other Perfons ; When the Aflyrian /hall come into our Land, and when he /hall tread in our Palaces, then /hall we rai/e againft him /even Shepherds and eight -principal Men. And they /hall wa/le the Land of AfTyria with the Sword, and the Land of Nimrod in the Entrances thereof. Can thefe Words be disjoyned, When the Aflyrian /hall come into our Land, and when he /hall tread in our Palaces ? Would you, upon due Reflection, tack part to one Sentence, and part to another? Is there not evident Reafon for keeping them together ? If fo, then let the Text fay what was to be the Confequence, when that mould happen, Then /hall we raife againft him /even Shepherds, and eight prin- cipal Men -, and they mould be avenged upon him, as the next Ver/e declares, for that Invafion of die Land. A plainer Cafe I think there cannot be. Let the Reader confult the Prophet himfeif ; and let him obferve likewife , , that this muft be the Cafe, even upon Suppofition the Ruler to ht born at Bethlehem Signified Zorobabel.
Having removed this only Objection againft applying Micah's Prophecy to
Christ,
Prophecy defended. 175
Christ, I fhall endeavour to defend a- P a r t another parallel Prophecy, which I alledg- II. ed in Confirmation of it, Zech. ix. 9, &c. w*N*V Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion, fhout O Daughter of Jerufalem : Behold thy King cometh unto thee \ he is jufi and having Sal- vation, lowly and riding upon an Afs, and upon a Colt the Foal of an Afs. And I will cut off the Chariot from Ephraim, and the Horfe from Jerufalem, and the Battle-bow Jhall be cut off '; and he fhall fpeak Peace to the Heathen, and his Dominion Jhall be from Sea to Sea, and from the River to the Ends of the Earth.
C( These Perfonal Characters (fays our " Adverfary (n), Righteous One, Saviour •, " lowly, and riding upon an Afs, feem too " general and indeterminate to ground our •* Interpretation upon. " Admit they are : Why then has he taken Notice of them, ( fince they do not exclude Jesus ) and overlooked that very diftinguifhing Charac- ter of the Me ssi as, that peculiar Mark, fo conftantly fixed upon him by almoft all the Prophets, than which, none could more effectually diflinguifh him from -any Jewifh King or Ruler, His Rule and Influence over the Gentile World ? If he thought this Character applicable to Zorobabel, why has he not told us, when, and how, and by what Authority he fpake Peace to the Hea- then % what Sort of Dominion that was,
which
(n) Scheme, &c. p. 144.
176 The Argument from
Part which he had over fo great a Part of the II. Earth, and by what Means it was acquired ? ' This Task is fo ill performed by Grotius, that he might juftly think it better omitted, than repeated.
But it is faid (0), " That the Words " of Zecbary related originally to ZorobabeU " or fomePerfon who came from Baby Ion; " becaufe the Word, which in our Tranfla- tion is rendered having Salvation, fignifies in the Hebrew, faved. This Objection had been obviated, Men of the beft Skill in the Original having obferved, T\iz.t pajfive Par- ticles, when ufed as Nouns, have an attive Signification. In Confequence whereof the Chaldee, the Septuagint, the Vulgate and all Verfions have rendered the Word aclively. But dill it ought to be rendered pajftvely ! And why ? Becaufe Mr. S— fays fo; whole Authority fufficiently dejlroys the Foundati- on on which the Bijhop, and all other Tran- flatprs have -proceeded (p). Was there ever fuch an Anfwer ! Could a Man, that in al- moft every Page decries Authority, and calls aloud for obferving the Rules of Gram- mar and Criticifm , write thus without Blufhing to himfelf ! But this was all he had to urge againft the Application of this Prophecy to Christ : And in my Opi- nion, luch Objections as thefe help to con- firm it.
Sect. [0) Scheme, &t. p. 145, . (/) lb,
pROPHEC.i: defended.
Sect. V.
I have now done with thofe Prophecies, Which relate ' chiefly to the Character and Circumftances of the Messias, and to the great Event to be accomplished through him. I mall therefore now proceed to other Prophecies, which relate more immediate- ly to the 'Time of his Appearance. Many of the Prophecies already produced, which were delivered long before the Captivity, plainly fignify, that it mould not happen till after their Reftoration ; but how foon, or how long after, they do not determine. The Prophets after the Captivity, circum- fcribe the Time a little more, and by Circumftances fix a Period, within which Men might expecl his Coming.
Thus the Prophet Haggai fpeaks {Chap. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9) in the Words of God : Tet once, it is a little while,— and I will /hake all Nations, and the Defire of all Nations /hall come, and I will Jill this Hcufe with Glory—, The Silver is mine, and the Gold is mine-—* The Glory of this latter Houfe /hall be greater than of the former,— and in this Place will I give Peace, faith the Lord of Ho/ls'.- The Chriftian Interpretation of this Place, is very well known, viz. That during the Continuance of the fecond Temple, which was then building, God would fend the Mess ias, called in the Text, the N - . Defire
1 78 The Argument from
Part Defire of all Nations, who by his Prefence II. fhould fill that Houfe with Glory, by which L^Y^J it fhould exceed in Glory the former Houfe built by Solomon.
It is worth obferving, with how much Art and Sophiftry, our Adverfary has ftretched his Differtation on this Place to a very great Length, without ever attempting to give us a different Interpretation of it, or of- fering any Objection againft the Interpreta- tion which had been given, except one al- ready obviated, contained within the Five laft Lines of his Remarks (q). A very Learn- ed and Judicious Writer upon this Subject, befides feveral critical Obfervations upon the Text, proving it to be properly applicable to the Mess ias, had urged in Confirma- tion of it, many parallel Places of Scrip- ture, fpeaking of a Perfon, whofe Miniftry fhould have a very beneficial Influence up- on the Gentile World, one to whom the Gen- tiles fjould feek, whofe Law the ljles fhould wait for, and who fhould be a Bleffmg to the Nations of the Earth -, concluding (as he very juflly might) that fuch a Perfon might very properly be called, by a fubfequent Prophet, the Defire of all Nations. This gave our Adverfary a Handle to leave the Text in Difpute, which he knew not how to difpofe of, and to amufe his Reader with a great many little Cavils at thofe parallel Places, which were but barely hinted at,
till
') Scheme, &c. p. 142.
Prophecy defended, 179
till he mould be imperceptibly diverted Part from attending to a Text, which carries II. more Weight with it, than the Author of W^ Scheme, &c. will ever be able to remove.
But to bring this Difpute to a fhort Iffue, and if poflible, to confine our Ad- verfary to the Queftion in hand, I would ask him a few Queftions : Whether a Per- fon intended to be a Benefit, or Blejpng to the Nations of the Earth, by converting them from dumb Idols to ferve the Living: and True God, may not very properly be fignified by this Expreffion, The Defire of all Nations ? Whether that Expreffion^ con- fidered either in Comparifon with other Places of Scripture, or in Comparifon with any fubfequent Event, can otherwife be fo properly applied ? Whether the Coming of fuch a Perfon during; the Continuance of the fecond Temple, his being prefented in it, and frequently honouring it with his Prefence, may not as properly be faid, to fill that Houfe with Glory, with greater Glory than the former, as Bethlehem Ephra- tah, the lead among the Thoufands of Ju- dah, is faid to be glorified above the other Cities of Jitdah, by being the Birth-place of a Ruler, who fhould be great unto the Ends of the Earth (r) ? If therefore Jesus was a Perfon, whofe Miniftry and Doctrine had fuch Beneficial Influence upon the Na- tions of the Earth •, if he did appear in the N 2 World
(/■) Micah v. 2—m
iSo The Argument from
Part World during the Continuance of the fe- ll, cond Temple, and did frequently honour it with his Prefence -% whether the Pro- phecy in Difpute, be not fairly and ftrictly applicable to him ; fo ftrictly, that it can- not properly be applied to any other Per- son or Event whatfoever, ?
There is one Objection, as I obferved before, made againft it, which is this : (s) " That this Prophecy was to be accom- " plifhed in a little while after it was deli- w vered, which feems a Phrafe not, very <c applicable to a Fact Four hundred Tears *e after." To which I anfwer, That the Phrafe a little while, does not relate to the Coming of the Defire of all Nations : For there were firft to be great intermediate Events, great Revolutions and Changes in the-States and Kingdoms of the Earth ; and after this Jhaking of all Nations , then the Defire of all Nations mould come. Accord- ingly, there did happen very great Revo- lutions of States and Empires -, and foon after the full Settlement of the lafl great Empire in Auguftus Ccefar, Christ was born.
■
Another Prophecy which fignifies a Time, within which the Me s si as mould appear, in much the fame manner with the former, is, Mai. iii. r. Behold, I will, fend myMeJ/cnger, and he fhall prepare the Way be- fore
0) Scheme, &c. p. \^z'.
Prophecy defended. 181
fore me : and the Lord whom ye feek, Jhall P a rt fuddenly come to his Temple, even the MeJJ'en- - IL - ger of the Covenant whom ye delight in : Be- \^^Y>^ bold, he Jhall come, faith the "Lord of Hofts. In this, as in the former Prophecy, the Advent of an extraordinary Perfon is pro- mifed during the Continuance of the fecond Temple ; as in the former, he is called, the Defire of all Nations, in this, he is called the MeJJenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in. And no doubt the Jews, who had long groaned under the OpprelHons of the Heathen, had great Delight in the Ex- pectation of a Perfon to arife among them, who mould have Rule and Influence over the Heathen World ; Which gave Occafion to that great Exultation in Zechary, Rejoyce greatly, O Daughter of Zion-, fhout O Daugh- ter of J erufalem : behold, thy King conieth, — i and he Jhall fpeak Peace to the Heathen, and bis Dominion Jhall be from Sea to Sea, &c.
Our Adverfary neverthelefs, after fome Cavils about Jews and their Opinions in this Cafe, and after having put in his Claim of Rights on Behalf of Deifls, &c. That they are not obliged to find out the Meaning of the Prophets, or Completions for their Prophecies, or to embrace Meanings and Completions found out to their Hands (it), yet, out of his great Condefcenfion and Goodnefs, " being inclined to doju- N 3 . " ftice
(/) Zech. ix. 9. («) Scheme, &c. p. 116.
1 82 The Argument from
Part " ftice to the Jewijh Writings (#), " has II. thought fit in the prefent Cafe to wave his
V/Y^J Privilege, and undertakes to prove, <c That " the whole Context of Malachy is incon- " fiftent with our Explication, and alfo " to aflign the true Meaning of Mala- " ch (y)- Which true Meaning of Mala- chy, as he calls it, is one grofs Heap of So- phiftry and Forgery.
Ci The Second Mejfenger in Malachy, cc is to come to his Temple as Lord and Pro- " prietor thereof. " True. " That is, to " dwell and prefide there, to give Oracles, £C and to fet up the Jewijh Forms of Wor- £i fhip " (-).— All Invention ! The Text fays nothing like it.-— " Is to come fudden- tc ly or immediately, "— But in RefpecT: to what ? To the Mcjjcnger fent to prepare the Way before hi?n ; fo Christ immediately
fucceeded John Baptifl. • " Is fly led the
Ci Miffmgsr of the Covenant. "- Allowed.
But of what Covenant ? — " The Jewijh Co- 46 venant, the Covenant made with Le/uL the tc "Covenant made with the Fathers." — Mere Fiction againft all Probability ! For Mofes was the Meffenger of that Covenant, whom
the Jews never expected again. " And
}< is to pwify ike Sons of Levi.5' — This was the Reiuk of the Covenant made by Christ : for it is fiid (a), That a great Company of the Fr'ufts were obedient to the
Faith.
[x] Scheme, p. 119. (y) Ibid. p. Jto. (z) Ibid. (*)'A<3s vi. 7.
Prophecy defended, i S3
Faith. But the Addition of our Author, — Part " That thqy may duly perform the Jewi/b II. " Ceremonies as of old, " is an Inter- polation of his own, which has nothing in
the Prophecy to fupport it. " And
4« for a firther Defcription of this Meffen- <• ger, we have God's Threatning, that cc when this Meffenger comes, he will ex- <c act Obedience to his Ordinances, from " which the Jews had fwerved. "— Down- right Equivocation ! For by Ordinances, he would have you underftand the Ceremonial Part of the Jewijh Law. Whereas the Place, referred to to, ver. 5. exacts Obe- dience to Laws purely Moral, to which Obedience is ftriclly required by the Go-
fpel. " God alfo fays on this Occafion,
" that he changes not. " ■ A Continuation
of the fame Cheat ! Whereby he would re- prefent God purpofing never to change the Ceremonial Law. • " And he promifes
" that they [the Jews'] fhall live in their " own Land." True: Upon Condition, that they keep his Statutes, and obferve his Laws. " And he afterwards bids them, " remember or keep the Law of Mofes. " — And who doubts, but they were obliged to keep the Law of Mofes, till fome other Law or Covenant mould be fubftituted in its Room ? *
Thus ends this famous Comment ! A
Comment purely his own ; which difcovers
itfelf not to have been borrowed from Grotius,
or any x>ther ferious Writer! But after all
N 4 this
184 The Argu.me n.t from
Part this Defcant to ajfign the true Meaning of II. Malaehi, he feems to have failed us in two
W^V*^ material Points, . Who was the Firft,- Who was the Second Mefienger promiied. Of the Ftrft he fays nothing. And he is not clear as to the Second ; unlefs by thefe Words, " All which plainly relates to " God, " (c) he means God was that Second Mefienger. And if this be his Meaning, I mall not endeavour to confute him, till he has told us, (upon Suppofition God was that Mefienger) Who it was that fent him.
Sect. VI.
•
I am now come to that famous Pro- phecy of the Seventy Weeks in the Book of Daniel j " which, fays our Adverfary, " (d) feems to be the Sheet- Anchor of the " Caufe, and therefore merits a very par- *s. ticular Examination. .'* And for this Reafori he has doubled his Endeavours (I might add his difhoneft Tricks and Shifts in Controverfy too) to« wrefl it from us : . For not content with giving us a new and whimfical Interpretation of the Prophecy, new even to himfelf (having in the Difcourfe ef the Grounds, &c. laid hold on another •>) he endeavours here to.- -reprefent the Book itfelf, from whence it is taken,, as fpurious, • and .forged, by iome Jews long after the
.mil Time
>/) Scheie., ptj, P, ^1. ..... [d) p.. 173, . \
Prophecy defended. 185
Time of Daniel. I mull confefs I am not Part at all concern'd at this; becaufe it will II. ferve to difcover the Folly of fuch At- UOT^J tempts, and the Wickednefs of them that attempt it.
Our Adverfary begins his Differtation with this Remark (<?), " That the famous " Daniel, mentioned by Ezekiel, could not " be the Author of the Book of Daniel, " — For Ezekiel, who prophefied in the " fifth Year of Jehoiakim King of Judah> " implies Daniel at that Time to be a <c Perfon in Years. Whereas the Book of " Daniel fpeaks of Daniel at that Time " as a Youth ". Here is a Falfification of Hiftory, in which every Reader is able to Confront him. Daniel was carried cap- tive- to Babylon about the fourth Year of Jebciakim. He was then a Youth, not much lefs than twenty Years old, accord- ing to the Reprefentation of the Book of Daniel: For he was then chofen by AJb-_ penaz out of the Children of Ifrael, as one Jkilful in all Wifdom, and cunning in Know- - ledge, and nndcrjlanding Science (/)-, and^ he gave upon that Occafion a very notable Inftance of his Integrity, Piety and Dif- cretion. When then does Ezekiel fpeak of" Daniel ? In the very next Year, according. ' to Scheme, &c. in the fifth Tear of Jehota- ' hm, in the fourth of whofe Reign Daniel was carried Captive. But if you will be- '
lieve
£?) Scheme, &c. p. 149. \f) Dan. i. 4, c5V.
i %6 The Argument from
Part lieve Ez>ekiel himfelf, if you will believe II. UJher arid Grotius (whofe Authority this
v<^Vv^' Author has the Confidence to appeal to on this Occafion) and all that have wrote upon this Subject, it was at leaft Twelve Years afterwards, when Ezekiel fpoke of Daniel. For Jehoiakim, in the fourth of whofe Reign Darnel was carried to Babylon, reigned Seven Years afterwards (g). He was fucceeded by J eh oi akin •, in the fifth Year of whofe Captivity Ezekiel began to pro- phecy (h). Ezekiel had prophefied for fome Time, before he mentioned Daniel ; fo that Daniel muft have been upwards of Thirty, when Ezekiel fpake of him. i
Nor does Ezekiel fay any thing of him, but what was very confident with his Cha- racter at thofe Years. For he was particu- larly famous for an early Piety, great Sted- faftnefs in Religion, and an immoveable Adherence to the Law of his God. And this rendered him the more acceptable to God; becaufe even in his younger Years, the Temptations of a Court could not di- vert him from it. And for that Reafon lie is reckoned a Third with Noah and Job, whofe Interceffion was of great Avail in the Sight of God (i). He was likewife be- fore that Time by Divine Afliftance become famous for Wifdom, above all the wife Men of Babylon, and by the King preferred be- fore
[g) aChron. xxxvi. 5. (b) Ezek.
(/) Ezek. xiv. 14, 20.
Prophecy defended, 1S7
fore them (k). Upon which Account he is P a r t reckoned by Ezekiel (I) as famous for his II. Wifdom, to a Proverb. There is there- v/v%/ fore a perfect Agreement between the Book of Darnel, and the Prophecy of Ezekiel m this Matter : Confequently the Objection founded upon a fuppofed Difagreement is groundlefs ; groundlefs even in the Opinion of the Objector, who to give fome Colour to it, found it necenary to have Recourfe to a moft notorious Falfhood.
What is faid of Daniel by Ezekiel, may ferve to take off the Force of another Ob- jection, That " Daniel is omitted among " the Prophets recited in Ecclefiajlicus ; " which our Author thinks would not have been (jn) " had the Book under his Name « ' been received as a Canonical Book by the " Jews, when Ecclefiajlicus was published. " To which I anfwer, That the Author of Ecclefiajlicus did not intend to give a Lift of Canonical Books or their Writers ; and therefore there is no mention of the Book of Job or its Author. His Defign was to fraije famous Men, that excelled in any Kind (n) among their Fathers, Rulers as well as Prophets. And this appears to have been done with no great Exactnefs -, ,but as they occurred to Memory ; fome being mentioned in improper Places, and
the
(i) Dan. ii. 48. (/) Ezek. xxviii. 3. [m) Scheme. &V. p. 152. {?) Eccluf. xliv, I, &c.
i88 ^ Argument/?-^
Part the particular Praifes of fome that were II. very famous being omitted. The Objec- tion therefore, if it proves any Thing , proves too much, and particularly that there was no fuch famous Man as Daniel among their Tribes : Whereas it appears from Ezekiel, that there was fuch a Per- fon, exceedingly famous in his Genera- tion.
Another Objection is, That " by " the unanimous Confent of the Jews the " Book of Daniel was reckoned among " their Hagiographa, and not among the " Writings of their Prophets. " (o) This I allow, and from thence I argue the Ge- nuinefs of it : Becaufe their Hagiographa were not a Collection of Books fpurious or doubtful ; but were always reckoned a Part of their genuine Canonical Scriptures, which they divided into three Branches, the Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa. I allow alfo with the Learned Reland (p), that the, Reafon of their placing him among the Ha-- geographers, was not becaufe he foretold fo clearly the Coming of the M e s s i a s. But then I infill likewife, that it was not becaufe they looked upon him as an uninfpired Wri- ter : For they have put the Pfalms of Da- vid likewife in the fame Clafs. And the Reafon they give for it is, That neither David nor Daniel lead a prophetic Life, both' of them having fpent the greateft Part of
- - ■ ■ their
. . : -■
(*) Scheme, &c. p. 153. (/) p. 154.
Prophecy defended. 189
their Time in Courts. They allow in par- Part ticular, that Daniel had divine Revelations II. communicated to him, but not in the W"V**-> prophetic Way, reckoning Revelations by Dreams and Vifions to be more imperfect, and below the prophetic Manner : That is, they allow him to have foretold Things to come, and they allow the Predictions at- tributed to him to be genuine ; this is as much as we defire, we are not concerned about the whimfical Diftinction they have made between a Prophet, and one that fpake by Revelation from God.
, What then can our Author gather from his Obfervation, (q) " That Jona- " than, who — made the Chaldee Para- " pbrafes we now have on the Books of the " Prophets, has omitted Daniel ? " Is there not a Sort of Equivocation in faying, has omitted Daniel, when Daniel was not reckoned among the Prophets, but the Ha- giographers? Had Jonathan made his Fa- raphrafes upon the Hagiographa, and omit- ted Daniel, there had been fome Weight in the Objection : But as the Cafe ftands, it is like faying, A certain Commentator, who has wrote upon the Gofpels, has omitted Sl. Paul's Epijlle to the Romans !
Our Author fays farther, (r) " It does " not appear, that the Book of Daniel €< was tranflated into Greek, when the other
" Books
\q) bcneme, &c. p. 153. ' (r) p. 15ft
The Argument from
" Books of the Old Tejlament were, which c« are attributed to the Seventy ; the pre- " fent Greek Verfion --- being taken from *« Theodotio'rt's Tranflation. " But it does appear, that there was a Greek Verfion of the Book of Daniel according to the Sep- tuagint (j), but that it was become faulty and imperfect-, for which Reafon the Church took Tbeodotion's Verfion into their Greek Bibles inflead of it.
It is added, (7) That tc the Jews were ** great Compofers of Books under the <c Names of their renowned Prophets, to *c do themfelves Honour, and particularly " under the Name of Daniel ; to whom '« there are feveral Pieces fal fly attributed." And what then ? Will it follow, that there can be no genuine Writings of an Author, to whom any Thing fuppofititious has been attributed ? Are there no Rules to diftin- guifh between Books fpurious and genuine ? If there are, let the Book before us be try- ed by thofe Rules, and not condemned by an Argument, which admitted, in the Man- ner is, here urged, would prove even ge- nu in c Books to be fpurious.
«
Our Author has attempted fomething in this critical Way ; and fays, (u) " That S4. Part of Daniel which is written in Cbal- " dee,, is near the SlyU of the old Cbaldee
Para-
{<} Hieron. Prsf. ad Dan. (/) Scheme, p, 1 54. [it] Ibid,
Prophecy defended. 191
" Paraphrafes— compofed many Hundred Part m Years after Daniel's Time. — And there- II. c< fore that Part could not be written at a W-* *' Time very remote from the Date of the ** eldeft of thofe Chaldee Paraphrafes." In Confirmation of this Criticifm he alledges the Authority of Prideaux, who fays no fuch thing;. That learned Author, in examining which of the two Tar gums is oldeft, that of Jonathan, or that of Onkelos, argues for the greater Antiquity of the latter in this Manner (*) s " That Part of Daniel and i* Ezra which is in Chaldee, is the trueft i< Standard, whereby to try the Purity of " the Chaldee Language. Adding, that the <c farther any Chaldee Writing differs from " that ancient Standard, the later certainly " it is ; and the nearer it comes to it, the " ancienter it is. But no Chaldee Writing " now extant comes nearer to the Style of " what is written in that Language by " Daniel and Ezra, than the Tar gum of s* Onkelos. " Is it not therefore a great Abuf- both of Prideaux and his Reader, to infer from hence, that the Chaldee Part of Daniel is near the Style of the old Chal- dee Paraphrafes ? There may be a prodi- gious Difference in Style, and yet the Tar- gum of Onkelcs be nearer Daniel's Style, than any other Chaldee Writing.
Another critical Remark, is (y)y " That Daniel lived chiefly at the Courts
" of
(x) Prid. Con. Vol. II. p. 535. (v) Sch. p. 150.
192 The Argument from
Part " of the Kings of Babylon and Perfia : II. " And yet the Names of the feveral Kings ; of his Time, are all miftaken in the Book cC of Daniel •, and particularly the Darius " fb often mentioned, is fuppofed by forme " to be Cyaxares II, King of Perfia, and *c by others to bzNabonidus, King of Chal- " dea. " We allow that the Darius fpoken of by Daniel was the fame with Cyaxares II of Media. But how does it follow, that Daniel therefore miftook his Name ? Might he not be called Darius too ? Is. it not very probable, that it was a Name of Di- ftinclion he had upon his Conqueft of Ba- bylon ? For it well fuited that great Action of his Life, fignifying (as Herodotus ex- plains it) The Compeller. And then it was very proper for Daniel to call him by that Name, who firft came acquainted with him through that remarkable Circumftance of his Life. I take no Notice of that confi- dent Expreflion, The Na?nes of the feveral Kings of his Time are all miftaken : The Hy- perbole is a Figure, which our Author makes frequent. Ufe of.
His next Objection will afford us ano- ther Inftalice of the fame Figure ; where he
he fays- (2), " That Daniel cannot be
"fuppofed to be the Author of this Book ; " which Abounds- with Derivations from ." the 'Greek; which was a Language un-
<c. known -to the Jews; for a long while af-
m ter
(?,) Scheme, Src p. i < i .
Prophecy ■ -defended*- • 19$
" ter the Captivity. " -This abounding.with Part Greek Derivations, amounts to no more II. than Five Inilances according to his own '^v*^ Way of Reckoning -, and one of them He- rodotus, that - great Matter of the Greek Language, difowns, thinking .It to be of Per/tan Extract : The other Four are Names of Mufical Inftruments, which Inflrumeats might very probably have been firft invent- - ed in Greece, and afterward carry their Names along with them into Chaldea.
This Objection, if it has any Weight, muft be founded upon a Suppofition, That the Chaldee Language in the Time of Daniel was fo pure, that it had no Words origi- nally Greek intermixed along with it : For if it had, which -Grotius proves to be not only poflible, but- very probable ; then the Author of the Book of Daniel writing in Chaldee,- might ufe Words derived from the Greek, and yet have known nothing of the Greek Language, much lefs have lived till the Grecian Empire prevailed.
But the fhrewdeft Objection of all is, {a) " The Author of the Book of Daniel " appears plainly, from the I aft Ghapter of " his Book, to be a Writer of Things paft
'* after a prophetical Manner. There,
"after he has mod clearly fpoken of the.
'* miferable Times of the Jews under An-
" tiochus Epiphanes^ adds, But go thcu thy
O " Way,
(a) Scheme, p. 155, i$6. -
194 The Argument from
Par t " Way, till the End be, for thou ft) alt reft II. " and ft and in thy Lot at the End of the
L^V^J " Days : [that is, thou thyfelf malt live " and be an Eye-vvirnefs, and fee an End " x)f thefe things. "] Egregious Blunder ! Can any one imagine, if this Book had been forged in Daniel's Name, by a Perfon living after the Time of Antiochus Epiphanes, that the Forger of it would have made his Daniel promife himfelf in a prophetic Man- ner to live till that Time, whom he knew to have been dead Three hundred and fifty Years before ? A ftrange Way of writing of things p aft after a prophetical Manner, to make the fuppofed Prophet furvive the whole Scene, who died before it began ! Methinks our Author has not done the mofl credulous Part of his Readers Juftice, in offering fuch crude indigefled Stuff by Way of Argu- ment, which in Spite of Prejudice and Pre- pofTefiion, cannot but appear to every Man in a molt ridiculous Light.
There are two more Arguments, urged againft the Genuinenefs of the Book of Da- rnel, which being brought together will pull one another to Pieces, and therefore need no other Confutation. He fays {b), " Di- *c vers Matters of Fact are fpoken of in the " Book of Daniel, in the Way of Prophe- «'. cy, with the Cleamefs of Hiftory, from " Daniel's Time to the Times of Antiochus ** Epiphanes. " And he fuppofes the Pro- phecies
[b) Scheme, p. 151.
Prophecy defended. 1 95
phecies contained in it to look no farther :Part Yet tells you in another Place (<r), " That II. " the whole Book is written in a dark em- l*-^r^ " blematical, enigmatical, fmbolical, paraho- " lical and figurative Style ; which has thrown " Jews and Chriftians into the greateft Va- " riety of Interpretations. " And yet it relates Fails ivith the Clearnefs of Hifrory !
He adds (i), " That the Way of re- " prefenting large Scenes of Affairs, by " fuch Images and Synbols as are ufed " therein, is entirely unlike the Books of " the other Prophets, and is agreeable to " the Turn of Writing the Jews took up " with, when they had been new formed " in the Schools of the Greeks. " To which I anfwer, That the Way of reprefenting Things by Images and Symbols, is frequent- ly to be met with in the Prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah, two Prophets co- temporary with Daniel ; and therefore this Argument, if it proves any thing, proves the Book of Daniel to have been wrote a- bout the Times of Ezekiel and Zechariah, in whole Times Daniel lived ; whom we may now conclude, notwithflanding all the Objections of our Adverfary, to have been the real undoubted Author of thofe pro- phetic Writings, which we receive under his Name.
O 2 Having
{c) Scheme, p. 157. {d) Ibid.
The A R g D ment from
Having discovered the Falfhood, the Sophiflry, the Inconclufivenefs of the Ar- guments alledged to prove, that the Book of Daniel was forged about die Times of Antiochus Epiphanes, by. one that wrote of. Things pad in a prophetic Manner : I mail now proceed to confider the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks cited from it, and to ju- . fiify the Application of it according to the Chriftian Scheme. From whence. alfo I hope it will appear to have been wrote by a Perfon divinely infpired : For it is out of Difpute, that it was penned long be- fore the Time of Christ ; if therefore it fpeaks of his Coming and the Confequen- ces of it properly and truly, we are fure it muft be by a Spirit of Prophecy, and there- fore it was not forged by any one about t^ae Times of Antiochus Epiphanes with a View . to thofe Times. \ ...
i To do this the more clearly and ,d,i-^
ftinctly, I mail firft give the Reader^ theur^ Interpretation of the Prophecy, who would, . make it terminate with the Times .of, An- tiochus Epiphanes, and prove it to be ut- terly inconfiftent with all tolerable Senfe and jufl Conftruclion of the Prophecy. ,.£. I fhall confider the Objections made agalnft the Chriflian Interpretation of it, a^jd prove . it to be fairly and ftriclly applicable xp the. Coming and Death of Christ, and to the Deftrudtion of Jeriifale?n, which follow- ed afterwards. ,., ._. _ _ -. -
Their
Prophecy defended, 197
Part Their Interpretation, who would make II. the Prophecy terminate with the Times of Vx"Y~sJ Antiochus Epiphanes, is this (<?). <c Seventy " Weeks of [or Four hundred and ninety] ** Tears are determined upon [that is, are1 " fhortened to an indefinite Number with " Refpect to] thy People, and thy holy City, f ' to finiftj the Tranfgreffton, and to make an te End of Sins, ' and to make Reconciliation ct for Iniquity, and to bring in eve?'lafting " Right eoiifnefs, and to feal up the Vifion tc and Prophecy , and to anoint the mo ft tc ffoly. ^ Know therefore and underftand , " that fro?n- the Going forth of the Com- "" ?nandmen^ to reft ore and to build Jerufa- " lem r['chat is, the Word of God to Je~ cc remiah declaring and promifing a Re- " turn from Captivity and a Rebuilding " of 'Jerufalem'] unto Messias the Prince " [Cyrus] fhall be feven Weeks, and [from " the fame Word of God to Jeremiah, to '* Messias the Prince Judas Maccabeus'] •' three fcore and two Weeks the Street fhall " be built again, and the Wall even in trou- ktblous Times. And after threefcore and " two Weeks fi all ' M e s s i a s [or Prieft- " Mefftas, that is Qnias the High Priefl] " be cut 'off, but' not for himfelf [he (hall " have no one to help him.] And the " People of the Prince that fhall come [that • " is the" Army of Antiochus Epiphanes] Jhdil " deftroy the City' arid the Santluary ; a?id O 3 « the
(e) Scheme, p. 175, S,-c
19S The Argument from
P a p. t " the End thereof Jh all be with a Flood, and
II. " unto the End of the War Deflations are
VV^J " determined. And he [Antiochus Epipha-
* \ nes] Jhall confirm the Covenant with many
" for one Week ; and in the mid ft of the Week
** he JJjall can ft the Sacrifice and the Oblation
" to ceafi, and for the overfpreading of Abcmi-
" nations Jh all make it deflate, and that deter-
" mined Jhall be poured upon the Deflate. "
This is their Interpretation, which will appear to be exceedingly arbitrary, incon- fiftent with the Text, and founded upon a great many unreafonable Suppofitions. For firft according to them, Seventy Weeks do not mean Seventy Weeks of [or Four hundred and ninety J Years, but fome indefinite Num- ber lefs than Seventy -, which they would con- tract arbitrarily without any Rule to go by, and without any Inftance of a like Way of Computation. They fay that Seventy Weeks abbreviated (for fo they will underftand the Place) muft mean a Number lefs than Seven- ty. But then I fay the Place has no Meaning at all ; you may reduce them to what Num- ber you pleafe : There being no more Rea- fon to fuppofe that they fignify Sixty three, than that they fignify Sixty, or any Number lefs than that. This renders the Compu- x tation of the Weeks utterly precarious, and
gives every Man a Liberty to compute as he pleafes.
Besides there is no Manner of Grounds for this whimfical Imagination. For fuppofe
the
Prophecy defended. 1 99
the Word in the Original, which we render Part to determine., fignifies [cinder e, concidere, that II. is, to cut off-, yet Seventy Weeks cut off will w/~\r»>-/ not fignify a lefs Term than Seventy Weeks, but a Term contracted or limited to that certain Compafs. For Meafure of Time is often exprefled in the fame Manner with Meafure of local Dijlance ; and therefore Time, like a corporeal extended Subftance is faid to be cut off at fuch a certain Length. And thus if you read the Prophecy, Seventy Weeks are cut off with Refpecl to thy Peo- ple for the Performance of God's Purpo- ses there mentioned, it will plainly fignify no more than this, That God had limit- ed the Time for the Performance of thofe Purpofes to Seventy Weeks, the Term for their Performance was cut off at that cer- tain Length, and mould not be extended any farther. .
This will appear yet more plainly by obferving, That the Prophet, going on to explain himielf in the Sequel of the Pro- phecy," does actually account for the whole Term by dividing it into three feveral Por- tions of Seven Weeks, Three/core and two Weeks, and one Week, which added together make the exact Number at firft defined. And when the Divifion fo punctually agrees with the whole Sum at firft propound, can it with any Probability be fuppofed, that the Parts thereof are co- incident Terms and not different Portions of the fame whole Term ? When it is plainly faid, that from O 4 one
200 Tne A k g u m e n t from
Part one Event to another" fhall bcSeven Weeks, II. and Three/core and two Weeks, how can I
WV*-' fuppofe the Seven Weeks to be included in the Three/core and .two Weeks? Or, how can I fuppofe Seven and Sixty-two, to fignify but Sixty-twOy thofe two Sums to be equal to .the latter only, the Whole to one Part ?
- To get over this Difficulty, obferve an- other moll unreafonable Abufe of the Text. Where one MeJJi as -Prince is promifed, and One only, they would fuppofe Two to be promifed without the leaft Intimation given of it. The Words are, From the go- ing forth of the Commandment, unto the M es- s i a s the Prince fhall be Seven Weeks, .and Three fore and two Weeks. It is not faid, unto the Mefiias- Princes fhall be Seven and Three fore and two -, it is not faid, unto a Mefiias- Prince Jhall be Seven Weeks, and un-
■ to another Meffias-Prince _/&#// be Three fore and two Weeks : Upon what then can this moft arbitrary Notion be founded ? They fay we cannot account for the Ufe of Two Numbers to exprefs the Time of his Com- ing, if only one Perfon were intended. 'Sup- pofe we could not. Will a Divifion of Time infer a Multiplication of Perfons ? One Per- fon promifed, will fignify but one Perfon, tho' the Time affigned for his Coming fhould be divided into Fifty. Parts.
A s their Computaion of. the Weeks is altogether chimerical and groundlefs:;. fo She- Beginning, they: afljgn.co then^is.iii-
confiflent
Prophecy defended. 201
confiftent with the Prophecy, and all ra- P a r t tional Conftruclion of it. The Prophet II. reckons from the going forth of a Command- L^Y^sJ ment to reft ore and to build Jerufalem. This Commandment, they fay, was the Word of God to Jeremiah fignifying (Seventy Years before-hand) the Return of the Jews from Captivity, and the Building of the City. Upon which I obferve, That the Com- mandment here fpoken of, fignifies a Word or Command caufing to return and rebuild the- City, Sermo ad reverti faciendum, as Pagninus renders it from the Original. There is a good deal of Difference between a Pro- fhecy concerning a <Thi?ig to be done, and a Word caufng it to be do7ie. A Word cau- fing it to be done, muft fignify an Order or Decree for the doing of it : And then I am fure the Prophecy of Jeremiah con- cerning it, Seventy Years before it was at- tempted, could not be intended in this Place.
Besides, Can it be fuppofed when a Prophet fays, Seventy Weeks are limited Or defined upon a People , that he fhould mean a Term whereof a confiderable Part was then expired ? Or, could Seventy Weeks be faid to be defined upon a Gky, which City for a great Part of that Time was not in Being? Or, How can we account for that prophetic Direction, Compute from the going forth of the Commandment — . Seven Weeks, if thofe Seven. Weeks, had >been ejapfed long before the Direction, was' given !
Or,
202 The Argument from
Part Or, What Reafon can be given for dating II. a Prophecy concerning Events to come, *-'"Y"s-' almoft Seventy Years before the Time it was delivered ?
It is faid, that the Word rendered Com- mandment^ always fignifies a divine 'Predicti- on or Promife (/"). Than which nothing could be faid more notoriously falfe ; it being ufed in Scripture in the utmoft Lati- tude, fignifying any thing that is fpoken, either by way of Petition, Reply, Advice, Declaration, or Decree : And that it is ufed there to fignify a Royal Decree, does appear from what Joab laid, upon David's Decree to have the People numbred (g), JVhy doth my Lord the King delight in this Thing, or Commandment ; for this 'Thing, plainly refers to David's Decree, and it is expreffed in the Original by the fame Word, which in Daniel's Propnecy is rendered Commandment : And it is repeated again in the next Verfe, Notwithftanding, the King's Word [Commandment] .prevailed againft Joab. There is nothing therefore in this Criticifm to prove, that the Commandment to reftore, and to rebuild Jerufalem, figni- fies a divine Prediction or Promife.
But it is urged (h), That if the Com- mandment to reft ore, Sec. fignified fome Roy- al Decree to be granted afterwards, then
Daniel
(/) Scheme, &V. p. 777. (g) 2 Sam. xxiv. 3, 4. (h) Scheme, &c. p. 178.
Prophecy defended. 20$
Daniel bimfeif knew not the Beginning nor the Part End of the Weeks. And what if he did II. not? Might not God be fuppofed without v>"v^ any Abfurdity to reveal to him, what Term he had allotted for the Performance of his good Purpofes towards his People, after they mould be reftored to their prifline State, without difcovering to him the pre- cife Time when that Term fhould com- mence ? Though the Prophecy was no Rule to Daniel, who did not live to fee an E- dict, reinflating the Jews, eftablilhed ; yet it was a Rule to them that did, who were chiefly concerned in it, to judge pretty nearly when to expect a Performance of God's good Purpofes concerning them, and when to look for a greater and more lafl-
B*
ing Defolation than the former.
o
Another inexcufable Abufe of the Prophecy is in feigning Three Mejfiahs fpoken of, when it is as evident as Words can make it; that the Prophecy fpeaks but of One. They would make Two, where the Name Meffias is but once mentioned, unto the Meffias the Prince fhall be Stvgn Weeks and Threefore and two Weeks. If there be more than one Peribn fpoken of here, I defpair of underitanding one of the plained Things in the World, a fingular from a plural. And when it is added in the next Verfe, And after Threefcore and two Weeks fjatl Meffias be cut off, they would fuppoie a third intended, though there be as plain a Reference as can be to the Meffias fpo- ken
204 The Argument from
Part ken of in the preceding Verfe : And yet IL this is done with all the Confidence in the
V^-v^ World, without pretending the leaft Mark or Shadow of a Diftinction, which can lead one to fufpecT, that Mejftas in the one Place does not mean the fame Perfon with Mejfias in the other.
Besides, Ver. 24. " Which, fays our " Author (i), feems to be the general in- <c troductory Propofition, wherein the An- ** gel gives the Subftance of the whole Pro- " phecy," had effectually guarded againft the Suppofition of more than one Mejfias, or anointed Perfon, to be fpoken of af- terwards, by faying, Seventy Weeks are de- determined upon thy People (among other good Purpofes) to anoint the moft Holy. It is evident therefore, that there was but One anointed Perfon to be fpoken of, and what is faid afterwards of a Mejfias, or anointed Perfon, muft be underftood of this moft Holy Perfon, who was to be anointed.
And it will appear farther from this fingle Title, given to the Anointed Perfon here fpoken of, Moft Holy, or Holy of Ho- lies, that neither Cyrus, nor Judas Macca- beus, nor Onias could be the Anointed Per- fon intended in this Prophecy. For though our Adverfary tells us upon his own Autho- rity, which is not to be trufted (k), That "'the Hebrt-zv Words tranflated in -our Bible
" 'Moft
(■) &£&^ Sffb. 175;' $) Ibid
Prophecy defended* 205
" Mo ft Hols, are the common Appellation Part " for the High Prieft among the Jews ; " II. yet I muft tell him, that the Title is never ^S'V^J once given in Scripture to the High Priejl, or to any anointed Perfon whatsoever. The Jews had their mo ft holy Place, and other moft holy Things : But molt holy Perfons they had none ; no Place or Dignity inti- tled Men to this Appellation ; it is denied to^all Cod's Anointed but one, the Perfon fpqken of in this Prophecy, who in Refpect to.a^l.hody Perfons feparated for the Ser- vice vpf\Go.DT is called by Way of pecu- liar imminence the Moft Holy. This lingle Confideration I think fufRcient to overthrow., all Attempts- to explain this Prophecy of. any other Perfon, than the Messias pe- . culiarly fo called,
• I have, faid enough already to convince any,reafonable Perfon, that an Interpreta-: tion of a Prophecy which requires fo many fcandalous Suppofitions, fo much grofs Mif- conftrudtion of "Wcrds and Phrafes to fup- pori it, ought not to be admitted. And yet, -. allowing them all their Suppofitions, even then the Prophecy, thus mangled and abut,; led to ferve a Turn, will not anfwer the . Events to which they have applied it.
For if -we fuppofe Cyrus to be the a- nointed Prince promifed at the End of Se- ven Weeks, from the Prophecy of Jeremiah in the Fourth Year of Jehoiakim j then rec- koning Seven Weeks from that Prophecy
will
2o6 The Argument from
Part will bring us either to the Birth of Cyrus, II. or to his Coming into a Capacity to act as
\^"VN-* God's Anointed on Behalf of his People the Jews, when the Empire of the Chalde- ans to whom the Jews were Captives fell into his Hands. But the Calculation will greatly fail us both Ways : For from the Prophecy of Jeremiah to the Birth of Cyrus was not above one Week, and from thence till he had it in his Power to relieve the Jews was Hen Weeks ; and to reckon to any other intermediate Circumftance of the Life of Cyrus is arbitrary and unjuftifiable. Had any Jew been to make a Reckoning of Time, from the Prophecy of Jeremiah to Cyrus as their MeJJids (which is the only Capacity he could be confidered in, if this Prophecy concerns him) he would certainly have reckon'd Ten Weeks of [or Seventy] Years •, it being the moft noted and in- difputed Period in all their Accounts of Time. And therefore to fuppofe a Jew forging this Prophecy of Cyrus after fo no- ted an Event, and yet fo inconfiftently with it, is exceedingly ridiculous.
And as their own Calculation will not juftify their Suppofition, that Cyrus was the anointed Prince to be looked for at the End of Seven Weeks •, fo neither will it a- gree to their fecond Meffias, Judas Macca- beus, fuppofed to be promifed at the End of Three/core and two Weeks from the Pro- phecy of Jeremiah. For if you reckon Three/core and t-:vo Weeks of [or Four hun- dred
Prophecy defended, 207
dred and thirty four] Years from the Date Part of Jeremiah's Prophecy, it will not bring II. you fo low as the high Priefthood of Judas sJm^Ts^. ■Maccabeus by feveral Years. Till he was High Prieft he could not be called Meffias> or the Anointed of the Lord : And our Adverfary allows (/) the Three/core and two Weeks ought to be reckoned to Judas Mac- cabeus, when he was " fuppofed to have H flourifhed in the Office of High Prieft. " Now according to Harduin, who is the Pa- tron of this Hypothefis, from the Fourth Year of Jehoiakim to the high Priefthood of Judas Maccabeus, were 'Sixty three Weeks of [or Four hundred forty one] Years. This then is a palpable Inconfiftency with the Prophecy, according to their own In- terpretation of it •■> and therefore it ought to be rejected.
Besides it is evident pafb all Contra- diction, that if a Meffias was to be expect- ed at the End of Three/core and two Weeks, he was to appear in that Character before- the Cutting -off of the Meffias and the De- ftruction of Jerufalem mentioned in the following Verfe : For it is faid, Unto the Meffias the Prince /ball be Seven Weeks and 'Three [core and two Weeks. And after Three/core, and two Weeks Jhall Meffias be cut off. And the People of the Prince that Jhall come, Jhall deftroy the City and S ancill- ary. But after Judas Maccabeus was come
in
(/) Scheme, p. 180,
208 The Argument from
Part in the Character of MeJJias, or Anointed* II. there was no MeJJias cut off, no Defbruclion of the City and Sanctuary, but all this had happened before, and 'Judas being made High Priefi reftored Things to their former State.
On the other Hand, if you admit Ju- das Maccabeus to be the MeJJias promifed at the End of Sixty two Weeks* then Omas could not be the MeJJias to be cut off af- terwards ; becaufe it is notorious and in- difputable, that Omas was cut off long before Judas Maccabeus was anointed, and appeared in the Character of a MeJJias.
And for the felf-fame evident Reafon the Ravages committed by Antiochus Epi- fhanes at Jerufalem* could not be the De- ftruction threatned in this Prophecy : For that alfo was to happen after the Coming of the MeJJias fuppofed to be promifed at the End of Sixty two Weeks. But if Judas Maccabeus was the Perfon there intended, the Ravages made by Antiochus at Jerufalem did not happen after, but before, he was anointed; and therefore this could not. be the Deitrudtion fpoken of in the Pro- phecy.
It is alfo evident from the Prophecy, that the Dellruction threatened was not to happen within the Seventy Weeks* or Term fixt by God upon his People. That Term was fixt (as appears v, 2 4_x, for the Per- formance
Prophecy defended, 209
formance of God's good Purpofes con- Part cerning them, To finijh the Tranfgreffwn, II. and to make an End of Sins, and to make v-^/-^-' Reconciliation for Iniquity, and to bring in everlafting Righteoufnefs, and to feal up the Vifwn and Prophecy, and to anoint the moft Holy. But our Adverfaries have di- rectly inverted this Order of Things, have brought the Deftruction threatned within the Compafs of Time limited for the Per- formance of God's good Purpofes, and then pretend to tell you, how his good Pur- pofes were performed afterwards. Where- as it is palpably evident from the Prophecy, that their Deftruction concludes the Scene, and there is not the leaft Intimation given of any farther good Purpofe or Defign concerning them.
I t h 1 n k I have faid more than enough to expofe the ridiculous Application of this Prophecy to the Times of Antiochus Epi- phanes ; which of itfelf may ferve to con- fute itfelf, fo inconfiftent are the feveral Parts of it, that to fuppofe the Truth of one Part, neceffarily infers the Falfity of another. I fhall now endeavour to juftify the Application of it to Jesus and his Times againft the Objections of our Ad- verfary ; who fays (m), " Jesus cannot «' be found here, without doing the utmoft " Violence to the. -Text in every Part." I fuppofe he means the utmoft Violence to P R
,(**) Scheme, &JV. p. 189.
210 The Akgv hex r from
Part F.Harduin's Interpretation of it. For his two
II. firfl Objections are founded upon that Je-
Ks^Y^ fait' s chimerical Notion of Seventy Weeks
enigmatically curtailed, and dated Seventy
Years before the Prophecy was delivered.
And if thefe may be called Objections they
are already anfwered.
He adds (»), " Thirdly, the Matters «' to be accomplished within the Compafs " of the Seventy Weeks, viz. to finijh the «.' Tranfgrejfwn, Sec. vifibly relate to the tc fetting up and Continuance of the Jeivi/h " State and Polity ". This is faid gratis, and upon fo little Grounds, that I believe he will be obliged to enlarge upon it and make it a little more vifible, before his Readers will be able to fee it. In my Opi- nion, thefe Matters to be accomplijhed do fo exactly agree with thofe good Purpofes, which Christ undertook to execute, and this has been fo often proved already, that it would be impertinent to fay more,- till our Adverfary has attempted to confute what has been already faid, upon that Oc- cafion.
He urges (<?), " Fourthly, the City and tc S ancillary were not dejlroyed by any Ar- f« my under Jesus." True: And he knows very well, that according to his own Way of interpreting the Prophecy, there is no Occafion to fuppofe it ; and therefore
the
{n) Scheme, &c. p. 1S9. (0) p. 190.
Prophecy defended. 211
the Inference he draws from it is a Self- contradiction. He adds (p), " Nor can " it relate to the Definition of the City " and S ancillary by the Romans, Seven and " thirty Years after Jesus's Death; be- " caufe the Seventy Weeks muft have been <c expired eight and twenty Years before « that Time. " How does this follow ? It is very plain from the Prophecy, that the Seventy Weeks were not fixed for the Ruin of the Jezvs, but for the Performance of God's gracious Purpofes concerning them. He had himfelf mentioned, but a little be- fore, " the Matters to be accomplished <c within the Compafs of the Seventy " Weeks ", among which there is nothing like Deftrutlion hinted at : It is certain therefore the Deflrutlion threatned was not to be expected, till the Seventy Weeks were expired. The Prophecy therefore does not fix a certain Time for it any otherwife, than by fpeaking of it as a Confequence of Cut- ting off the Me ssi as, it being intended as a Punifhment of the Jews for that grie- vous Crime. And it happened Time enough for that Purpofe ; Time enough to fulfil that heavy Curfe, which his Murderers cal- led upon themfelves, His Blood be upon us and upon our Children. This, inftead of be- ing an Objection, I look upon as a great Confirmation to our Application of the Prophecy.
P 2 Never-
(/) Scheme, &c. p. 190.
2 1 2 The Argument from
Nevertheless he will perfift (q), This Deftruction in the Prophecy cannot " be that Definition by the Romans ; be- " caufe the Definition mentioned in the " Prophecy was to be followed with Ven- " geance on the Defiroyers or Defolators, " and a Reftoration of the Jewifh Affairs." To which I can only fay, That the Pro- phecy fpeaks, neither of Vengeance on the one, nor of Reftoration to the other. Nor does it fay the Deftroyers mould fix an Idol on the Battlement of the Temple ; upon which Suppofition he has raifed another Objection. But why he mould be offended, becaufe the Romans levelled the Temple to the Ground, I know not ; fince by that A6t they did mod punctually fulfill that part of the Pro- phecy, which fays, They fhall deftroy the City and Sancluary, and the End thereof Jh all be with a Flood. Perhaps the true Reafon of the Offence may be, That he would not this part of the Prophecy (hould be more properly fulfilled by the Romans, than it was by Antiochns Efiphanes.
His Fifth and Sixth Objections are (r), That Jesus cannot be faid to have con- firmed the Covenant for one Week ; and did not caufe the Sacrifice and Oblation to ceafe. To which I anfwer, That Jesus did confirm the Covenant, that Covenant he came to eftablifh, in that one or lafl Week
of
la) Scheme, &c. p. 190. (r) p. 191..
Prophecy defended, 213
of the Seventy : And in the half of that P a r t Week (for fo it fhould be rendered) mean- II. ing the latter part of it, he did by his U^Y^sJ Death annul and caufe to ceafe the Ob- ligation to Sacrifice and other legal Ob- lations -, as appears from St. Paul, who fays, he blotted out the Hand-writing of Or- dinances, that was againft us, which was con- trary to us, and took it out of the Way, nail- ing it to his Crofs (s). Nor does St. Paul's Adherence to the Jewifh Ceremonies prove the contrary, as our Adverfary would fuggeft i for he did it to avoid giving Offence to the Jews, and not as one obliged to ob- ferve them ; of which he makes a plain Declaration to the Corinthians, faying (/), 'To the Jewsi, / became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews. Caufing a Law to ceafe does not infer an intire Difcontinuance of the Action required by it. Thus much we know by frequent Experience, that a Practice may lawfully be continued, after the Law requiring it is repealed.
It is objected {u), Seventhly, " Thofe " who begin the Weeks, either from the '-' Seventh or the Twentieth of Artaxerxes " Longimanus, are obliged to underftand " the reftoring and building of Jerufalem " figuratively. For if thefe Words are to " be underftood literally they can be appli- " cable to no other reftoring and building of P 3 Jeru-
(j) Colof. il. 4. (/) i Cor. ix. 20.
{u) Scheme., &c. p. 191.
ai4 The Argument from
Part " Jerufalem than that which was decreed II. " and commanded by Cyrus. But (x) a
V^V^ " Computation of the Seventy Weeks, or " Four hundred and ninety Years, cannot " begin from the Date of Cyrus's Decree." Suppofe the Reftoring and Building Jerufalem be undti&ood figuratively. It may be not- withstanding, according to his own Con- fcruction, the Literal Senfe ; (y) " Which " literal Senfe may be fignified as well, *■' and as obvioufly, by a figurative, as by Ci the moft fimple or literal Expreffion. " But I do not infill upon this. I fay that all the four Decrees, that granted by Cyrus, that of Darius, and the two of Artaxerxes Lo:igimanus, did relate to the Reftoring and Building Jerufalem in the ftriclly literal Senfe. The Decree of Cyrus related more immedi- ately to the Return of the" People into their own Land, and to the Rebuilding of the Temple. The Decree of Darius con- firmed the Decree of Cyrus, and confe- quently related to the fame Thing. The Decree granted in the Seventh Year of Ar- taxerxes gave further Power to the People to return, as appears from the Copy of ir, (z) / make a Decree, that all they of the People of Ifrael, and of his Priefts and Le- vites in my Realm, 'which are minded of their own free Will to go up to Jerufalem, go with thee. This Decree likewife reftored them to their ancient Conftitution and Polity (a) •,
which
hr) Scheme, p. 193. (y) p. 25?,
[9) Ezra vii- 13. {<?) ver. 25,
Prophecy defended. 215
which is in the moft proper Senfe a Re- Part ftoring of a People and City. By Vertue II. of all thefe Decrees it muft be fuppofed they went on rebuilding Jerufalem •, for lend- ing a People back to their own Habitation, is allowing them to rebuild it; and this Work we know was finifhed by Vertue of the laft Decree, granted in the 'Twentieth Year of Artaxerxes. Therefore every one of the Four Decrees may very ftri&ly and properly be called a Commandment to reft ore and rebuild Jerufalem : Confequently, if the Computation will hold good from any one of thefe Decrees; (for the Prophecy itfelf does not determine which of the Four was intended •, ) then our Application of this Prophecy will be literal, juft and proper. And I fay it does hold good, reckoning from that granted in the Seventh Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus.
But it is objected Tenthly (V), That the Artaxerxes who granted this Decree was not Artaxerxes Longimanus, but another Artax- erxes, Cotemporary with Darius, who grant- ed the fecond Decree. This is another Chi- mera of F. Harduin ; who fuppofes, purely upon the Strength of his own Imagination, That the Empire of the Eaft, upon the Death of Cyrus was divided ; of which he pretends Darius had Media only, and at the fame Time one Artaxerxes had Perfia and Chaldea-, and that this Artaxerxes granted P 4 the
(i-) Scheme, p. 193.
2i 6 The Argument from
Part the Decree to Ezra. I could load this Hy- II. pothefis with Abfurdities •, but I do not v>",V>-> think it worth while. He that believes it, — Let him believe it.
The Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Ob- jections, affedt only a particular Hypothefis, which I do not think myfelf obliged to de- fend : And the Twelfth has been already an- fwered in the Remarks upon the Fourth. I have therefore nothing more to do, than to obviate an Objection, which may arife from a Concefilon I have made, That the Pro- phecy itfelf did not ftrictly determine which of the Four Decrees was intended ; becaufe they all tended to ferve the Purpofe men- tioned in it, of Reftoring and Building Jeru- falem. From whence it may be argued, That a Perfon, Jiving before the Comple- tion of the Prophecy, muft have been un- der great Uncertainty in his Computation of the. Seventy Weeks not knowing which of the four Decrees to reckon from. But al- lowing the greateft Uncertainty imaginable in this Refpect ; yet thus much was certain, That the Seventy Weeks could not com- mence before the fir ft, nor after the loft De- cree. It was alfo certain, That the Jews were to. reckon Seven and Sixty -two Weeks of [or Four- hundred eighty-three'] Years from the Decree intended, to the Coming of the M ess i a s. In Confequence whereof it was alfo certain, reckoning even from the first Decree granted by Cyrus in the Year of th^ Julian Period 4178, That the Mess ias - • cpuld
Prophecy defended. 217
could not be expected before the Year of P a r t the Julian Period 4661. And fo likewife II. reckoning from the laft Decree, granted {-/"Y^ by Artaxerxes in the Year of the Julian Period 4.269 , it was certain, That the M e s s 1 a s was to come, and to be cut off within Seventy Weeks of [or Four hundred and ninety] Years, which muft be before the Year of the Julian Period 4JS9-
Allowing therefore, That they who lived before the Completion of the Prophe- cy, were under the greateft Uncertainty imaginable in determining, which of the Four Decrees was intended by it ; yet this they might certainly have gathered from it, That M e s s 1 a s mould come and be cut off, be- tween the Year * — . ■ 4661
and the Year 4759-
So that the Prophecy evidently limited his Coming, and being cut off to the Compafs of Ninety- eight Years. In which Compafs of Time, there did arife among the Jews 2. moft Holy Per/on, under the Character of their Messias, who was alfo cut off by Violence. The profeffed Defign of his Ap- pearance was, To make Reconciliation for Ini- quity , and to bring in e-verlafiing Righleouf- iiefs : And to juflify himfelf in this Under- taking, he gave them all fand more than) the ufual Signs of a Divine Commiflion. So that the Jews muft be inexcufable in re- jecting a Perfon, fo extraordinary and un- exceptionable, who came to them within a certain Compafs of Time, fixed upon by an
ancient
2 1 8 The Argument from
Part ancient Prophecy delivered above Five hun- II. dred Years before.
A n d if this Matter be confidered atten- tively, it will appear, that the Prophecy need not have been more determinate in Point of Time, to fatisfy any reafonable Perfon. For in this latitude of Conitruc- tion, which is not fubject to any Cavil or Exception, it would neceflarily have led him to fix upon Christ and him only, as the promifed Messias. Indeed, had there been nothing extraordinary in the Perfon, who claimed the Character-, had Two or more appeared within that Compafs of Time, with Pretenfions equal, or very near alike, to the fame Character ; then a more Uriel: Limitation of Time would have been necefTary. But the Prophecy having clear- ly pointed out a certain Period of Time, wherein a Perfon of unfufpecled Character did appear, countenanced by extraordinary Means, and taking the proper Methods to accomplifh the Purpofes of the Prophecy, and no Pretence being made of any other Perfon appearing in that Time for thole Purpofes ; upon thefe Confiderations I fiy, The Prophecy taken in the Latitude I have mentioned (and in a greater' Latitude it could not be taken) was determinate enough to convince Men, that Jesus muft, and that no one elfe could be, the Messias fignified by it.
Sect,
Prophecy defended. 219
Part II. Sect. VII. v-^V^
There yet remains one Circumftance to be confidered, relating to the grand Affair, the Converfion of the Gentile World •, whe- ther it was to be brought about upon the Foot of the Mofaic Inftitution •, or whether a new Law and Inftitution of Religion was to be expected for that Purpofe. The latter, if it had never been revealed, mould have feemed moft probable : Becaufe the Mofaic Law was adapted to the particular Circum- ftances of the Ifraelites, confidered as a fe- parate People, and was given with Defign to keep them feparate from the Gentile World, during their corrupt, idolatrous State •, the Continuance therefore of fuch a Law mould feem unreafonable, when the Gentiles alfo were to be taken into Cove- nant with God, and made Partakers with them of the fame common Bleffings. This is alfo confirmed by feveral of the Prophe- cies already confidered, which fpeak of that great Event, as the Effect of a Law to go forth out of Zion, and fay, that the Perfon to be employed for that Purpofe, mould be for a Covenant of the People, that God would make an everlajling Cove- nant by him, and that the Ijles Jhould zvai: for his Law,
But the Prophecy of Jeremiah (Chap. xxxi. 31, 32.) determines this Matter be
yond
220 The Argument from
Part yond Difpute, declaring in this clear po- ll, fitive manner : Behold the Days come, faith
*W"V~^-'' the Lord, that I will make a new Cove- nant with the Houfe of Ifrael, and with the Honfe of Judah : Not according to the Cove- nant that I made with their Fathers, in the Day that I took them by the Hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt, which my Covenant they brake, although I was an Huf- fy and unto them, faith ^ Lord. The Ap- plication of this Prophecy to our Purpofe is fo very obvious and intelligible, and I have already faid fo much in Defence of it (c) in a Difcourfe on this Subject, which has yet met with no Reply, that I need fay no more at prefent, either to explain it, or to juftify the Ufe we make of it.
Another Prophecy to the fame Effect is that of Deut. xviii. 15, &c. Where Mo- fes faith, The Lord thy God will raife up unto thee a Prophet from the midfl of thee, of thy Brethren, like unto me ; unto him ye fhall hearken. According to all that thou defiredfh of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the Day of the AJfembly, faying, Let me not hear again the Voice of the Lord my God -, nei- ther let me fee this great Fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord faid unto me, They have wellfpoken that which they have fpoken. I will raife them up a Prophet from amo?ig their Brethren, like unto thee, and will put my Words in his Mouth, and he fhall fpeak
unto
(.-) Serm. V.
Prophecy defended, 221
unto them all that I Jhall command him. And Part it Jhall come to pafs, that whofoever will not II. hearken unto my Words which he Jhall [peak \s~\~^J in my Name, I will require it of him. Thefe Words were underflood by St. ■Peter (d) as a Prophecy concerning Christ our Lord ; and this Application of them I endeavoured to juftify (<?), as founded upon the true Senfe and Inter- pretation of the Place. Others however have underflood them, as fpoken and in- tended of a Succejfion of Prophets, to be raifed up among the Jews after Mofes. This Senfe has been infifted on by the Author of Grounds, Sec. and is ftill infifted on in Scheme, and with much greater Shew of Argument and Reafoning, than he has be- llowed upon any one Prophecy befides. I mud therefore beg the Reader's Patience, while I examine his Arguments diftinctly, and endeavour to confute them.
I was very fenfible, when I fir ft wrote on this Subject, that a great deal of Trafh had. been raked together, to expofe, rather than to explain, the PafTage in Difpute. But I was not willing to re-publifh it to the World, partly from a Perfuafion that it did not need a Confutation •, and partly with Hopes, that a folid Defence of the true Meaning of the PafTage would fufRce to difcountenance all that idle Stuff, which I thought had been intended for Snear, rather
than
(d) A&s iii. 22, [e) Sermon at Norwich.
222 The Argument from
Part than for Argument. But feeing it flill in- II. filled on as material, preffed again and again with a great deal of Confidence, as exprefling the true Intent of the Prophecy ; I will lay it before my Reader , as it is ur- ged by the Author of Grounds and Scheme : Not doubting but I fhall make it appear, that this Gentleman has overfhot the Mark, and expofed that Senfe of the Paffage, which he contends for, to fuch a Degree, that the literal Interpretation of it will ap- pear to be, not only more eligible, but al- io unqueftionable.
The Author of Scheme, in Cafe the Ap- plication of this Prophecy to a Succejfwn of Prophets mould fail, hath it feems made a prudent Reierve of another, which will equally ferve his Purpofe. Thus he begins his DiiTertation upon the Paffage in Difpute, (/) " Thefe Words are fuppofed by many 4C Learned Men, Jews and Chrijlians, to .<c be fpoken of J of ma : — Others under- <c fland them to be a Promife of a Suc- cc cefTion of Prophets. — - And one or o- " ther of thefe ieems plain to me to be tc the certain Meaning of the Place." An odd Expreftion from one that feems divided betv/een two inconfifcent Interpretations : For to the Degree that one is probable or certain, the other muft be uncertain and im- probable. But wiTy one of thefe two Inter- pretations rather than any other ? " From
« this
if] Scheme, p. 25 S.
Prophecy defended, 22$
** this Confideration, that Mofes is giving Part " the Jews Directions of immediate Ufe, — II.
" and therefore muft intend an imme- \-/"Vs»^
<c diate Prophet. " I refer the Reader to the Jaft Direction given by Mofes in the preceding Chapter, ver. 14, &c. concerning a King, and leave him to judge of the Weight of this Argument.
However he is not fo equally divided between thofe two plain, certain Interpreta- tions, but that he is able to make a Choice, and has offered his Reafons for applying it to a Succeffwn of Prophets (g). Where, he takes it for granted, That there is a Co?i- nexion between the Prophecy in Difpute, and a preceding Prohibition againfl hearkening to Diviners and Enchanters, Sec ; and that " the raifing up a Prophet, to whom the " yews fhould hearken, is the Reaibn gi- <c ven, why the Jews fhould not hearken " to Diviners " (h). From whence he ar- gues, That not only an imnso.iate Prophet^ but alfo a Succejffwn of Prophets, was in- tended •, (7) becaufe " one fingle Prophet u to be raifed up immediately who might " foon die, could not be a Rcafon, why " the Jews fhould not hearken to Divi- " ners. " Upon this Suppofition much is faid to fhew the Clearnefs of his Interpre- tation, and the Abfurdity of the contrary : But not a Word to prova this fuppofed Con- nexion,
(g) Scheme, p. 241, [h) p. 242,
K P- 243-
The Argument/w
nexion, as if it were indifputable. Where- as he could not be ignorant, that they, who urge this Prophecy, as relating literally to Jesus, allow of no fuch Connexion, and would expect fome Proof before they admitted it. I fay therefore, the Suppofi- tion, upon which this Argument is found- ed, not only wants to be proved, but far- ther it is intirely groundlefs. Is there any connetling Particle, which might lead a Man to expect, or look for fome Connexion be- tween the Prohibition and the Prophecy? as our Author would infinuate by his Expla- nation, (k) " Do not hearken to a Divi- " ner : For the Lord will give you a " Prophet. " Where of his own Head he has thruft in a connecting Particle, and then laughs at the Abfurdity of their In- terpretation, who allow of no fuch Con- nexion, nor can find any Shadow of a Rea- fon for fuppofing any. Is the whole Book of Deuteronomy fuch a continued Difcourfe, that no one Pafiage befides this can be found, which has not fome Relation to, or Connexion with what goes before it ? So far from it, that Tranfitions from one Sub- ject to another are moft frequent. Is the Prohibition relating to Diviners imperfect, taken feparately from the Prophecy in Dif- pute ? No. You find the fame Prohibition, Lev. xix. 16. and again, ver. 31. without any Mention or . Intimation given of any Prophet to fupply their Place. Laftly, if
a
(i; Scheme, p. 242
Prophecy defended, 225
a Reafon were neceffary to inforce the Pro- Part hibition, there are the ftrongeft Reafons II. imaginable to inforce it, taken feperately ^^v^ from the fubfequent Prophecy, viz. That the Thing prohibited was notorioufly wicked in itfelf, an Abomination to the Lord; that for fuch Abominations he drove out the Ca- naanites before them, and would not fuffer them fo to do. After fuch Reafons as thefe, need we to look for more ? Or does it be- come a fair Interpreter, where both Pafia- ges are perfect and intire taken feperately, to fcrew them together by forceably apply- ing a connecting Particle, in fuch a need- lefs Cafe ?
But this is not all. The Text itfelf mull be tortured to countenance this fuppofed Con- nexion. Take the Words in their plain and obvious Senfe, they will not admit of fuch a Connexion ; and you mult admit their In- terpretation to be true, before there will be any Colour for it. The Scheme mews you the Abfurdity over and over again of read- ing them in Connexion, if you put any Senfe upon them different from his ov/n ; confe- quently nothing but his Interpretation will fupport the Suppofition of a Connexion. And is not this a monftrous Way of Rea- foning, to prove an Interpretation by a fup- pofed Connexion, which Connexion has no- thing to fupport it, but the Suppofition of the Truth of that Interpretation ? See now, in what this mighty Argument, upon which there is fo much Triumph, upon which we Q^ are
2.2.6 The Argument from
Part are ridiculed, as taking independent Pafiages II. for Sound-fake without Regard to the Con-
L^yvj text, ends ! Why truly, if his Interpretation be juft there is a Connexion •, and if there be a Connexion his Interpretation mud be true. If he would firft fhew me the Neceffity of fuch Connexion and from thence infer the Truth of his Interpretation ; or if he would fhew me the Neceffity of his Interpretation and from thence infer a Connexion, I ihould hearken to him. Till one of thefe be prov- ed independently of the other, the Pafiages mud ftand, in the Condition the Writer has left them, unconnected ; it is not in the Breaft of every Interpreter to thruft in a conne cling Particle, as he pleafes. The Con- nexion muft firft be proved, to make the one PafFage a Guide to us in the Interpre- tation of the other. Nothing like this has been attempted, and therefore we look up- on all Arguments drawn from thence as fri- volous and impertinent.
I proceed therefore to the Arguments drawn from the fubfequent Context, to prove that the Prophet to be raifed up muft be underftood of a Succeffion of Prophets. There we allow a Connexion, the proper connecting Particles are to be met with, and a Reader of an ordinary Capacity may per- ceive, that from ver. 15. to the End is a Continuation of the fame Subject. Where- upon our Author obferves, That " the <c Rule laid down for the Tryal of the " promifed Prophet is fuch, as implies a
" Succeflion
Prophecy defended,
Cl Succeffion of Prophets was intended " (/). He does not go about to prove this him- felf, but refers you to S tilling fle et : who fays, (m) " The Charge which follows a- " gainft falfe Prophets, and the Rules to " difcover them — had not been fo perti- " nent and coherent, if the Oppofition did " not lie between the Order of true Pro- 66 phets, and the falfe Prophets which " mould rife up amongft them. " It is paft my Reach to find out this Incohe- rence. The fubfequent Words are a Cau- tion againft falfe Prophets, and there is a Rule given for the Difcovery of them. What then ? If only one Prophet had been promifed, might not many falfe Prophets arife notwithftanding ? And if fo, was not a Caution to guard againft them neceffary ? And was it not very proper to give Rules for the Difcovery of them ? Where then is the Incoherence ?
Qu estioning the Strength of this Ar- gument, to prove, that a Succeffion of Pro- phets was intended, the Author of Scheme urges, (n) That " ftill Jesus will be ex- M eluded by [the fubfequent Words] from " being the Prophet intended. n Why ? " Becaufe he could not poffibly be fub- *« ject to Death for fpeaking in the Name " of God what God had not command- <c ed him to fpeak, or for fpeaking in the Qji " Name
(/) Scheme, p. 243. (m) Stillingfleet's Orig.
Sacrse, 1. 2. c. 4. {n) Scheme, p. 244.
228 The Argument from
Part " Name of other Gods, and confequently, II. " could not have this Rule laid down for
^/V*^ " him. " It is true, He could not pofiibly be fubject to Death for the beforementioned Reafons, neither could the Prophet promifedy nor any Prophet, who, having Words put into his Mouth by God, [peaks all that God commanded him. But falfe Prophets might arife^ fpeaking what God had not commanded, and fpeaking in the Name of other Gods •, and a Caution to guard a- gainft, and a Rule to difcover fuch, might be very requifite. What then could the Author mean by this Objection ? "What no body elfe, I believe, ever meant or thought of befides himfelf ; That the Caution giv- en at the 20th Verfe, is not againft a falfe Prophet in Contradiftinction to the true, fpo- ken of in the preceding Verfes, (upon which Suppofition his laft- cited Objection from Sttllingfleet is founded) but that it refpects the fame true Prophet promifed, whom he fupppofes capable of fpeaking in God's Name what God had not commanded ; nay, and of fpeaking in the Name of other Gods. As fond as our Author feems to be of this Argument, which he has thrice repeated, I fhould think it an Affront to my Reader to offer him a Con&itation of it ; I will therefore leave it, as I found it, to convince whom it can.
Having cleared the Context from fa- vouring their Interpretation, who maintain, That by the Prophet to be raifed uj>, is
meant
Prophecy defended. 229
meant a Succejfion of Prophets ; I fhallpro Part ceed to the Confideration of fome other II. - Arguments (0) ; the Subftance whereof, I V^^Y^^ think, may be comprized under thefe two Proportions : That it was requifite the Jews fhould have a Succejfion of Prophets to fupply the Place of and to anfwer the Purposes 'for which Application was ufually made to, Divi- ners, &c. among the Heathen. And, That they actually had a Succejfion of fitch Pro- phets. To which I anfwer, That if both thefe Allegations were true, it would not follow, that the PafTage in Difpute was a Promife thereof. For PafTages of Scripture mult be explained by themfelves and their Context, and not by what Men think God mould, or might truly, have fa id inftead thereof.
However, upon Inquiry it will ap- pear, that neither of thefe Allegations are true in the Senfe intended. It was not pro- per or necefjary ' that God mould raife up a Succejfion of Prophets to ferve thofe Pur- pofes, for which Diviners were applied to. Allow, the Jews by living among the Egyp- tians, extremely additledto Enchantments, &c. were grown fond of thefe fublime Sciences : Was it proper or fit they mould be indulged in every Thing they grew fond of? They were notorioufly fond of vifible Gods, and of having the Object of their Worfhip re- prefented by Idols •, and for the fame Rea-
{0) Scheme, p. 244.
2,?o The Argument from
Part fon God mould have prevented Jeroboam's II. Scheme, and allowed them fome Idol-re -
V^Y^J prefentation of himfelf, before that wicked King fet up Calves at Bethel. The confut- ing Wizards and Inchanters, was a Thing wicked in itfelf, an Abomination to the Lord, who to difcourage them from doing the like, told them, For thefe Abominations the Lord thy God doth drive the Canaanites cut before thee, adding, The Lord thy God hath not fluff ered thee Jo to do. This was Rea- fon fufficient, why they ihould not hearken to Diviners •, " It is an Abomination to '" the Lord ; do it at your peril of fuffer- " ing in the fame manner as the Canaanites " did, whom God drove out before you *£ becaufe of fuch Abominations. " And yet, as if the going to Enchanters were law- ful in itfelf, as if G o d in prohibiting it had debarred the Jews of fome innocent Privi- lege, for which it was proper and equitable to make them Satisfaction in fome other Way ; a farther Reafon muft be fqueezed out of the following Words, and a Promife wrefted from them, That God, in Re- compence, would raife them up a Succejjion cf Prophets, with full Power to do from him, what Heathen Diviners pretended to 'do by Art Magick.
I should not have thought an Argu- ment of this Kind worth Notice, if it had not been firft ufed by Origen, and after- wards cited by Stilling fleet out of Origen, for
the
Prophecy defended, 231
the fame Purpofe. If, fays he (p), while Part other Nations had Perfons among them, who II. foretold what was to come by the Flight and v^/"Y"s"-/ Singing of Birds, &c. the Jews, (who had in common with others a Curiofity to know fu- ture Matters') had been forbid to take the be- forementioned Methods, and had no Methods of their own. to be acquainted with Matters to come, they would immediately have entertain- ed mean Thoughts of their own Religion, &c. I will not difpute the Curiofity of the Jews, nor difallow the ill Confequences that Cu- riofity tended to, mentioned by Origen. Nay, I acknowledge it to be Fact, That their extravagant Curiofky did actually be- tray them into thofe very Confequences , To prefer Pagan, to their own Religion, to have Recourfe to Heathen Oracles, to endeavour to eftablifh fuch Oracles among themfelves, and to flight the Prophets after Mofes, becaufe they did not undertake to fatisfy their Curiofity in the fame manner that Heathen Oracles and Diviners did. But will any one therefore dare to affert, That fuch Curiofity ought to be fatisfied ; that Men, who have not Perfons among them infpired by God for that Purpofe, may go to Wizards ; that, if the Jews had not a conflant Succeflion of fuch Men, their own Law warranted the Violation of its own Or- dinances •, and the abandoning the Service of God, for the Worfhip of the Deities of foreign Nations ? Where does it warrant them ? In 0.4 -the
(/) Origen cont. Celf. p. 28.
2j 2 The Argument from
Part the difputed Pafiage before us ? That is II. begging the Queftion, and for a Purpofe,
O^V"**' which' will convince any rational Man, that their Interpretation of it is not a true one. But if it be not fo, How, fays Origen, could any . that \vere zealous for the JewiJJj Law, reprove thofe that confulted Heathen Oracles ; as we read Elijah did Ahaziah, faying, Is it becaufe there is not a God in Ifrael, that ye go to enquire of Baal-Zebub the God of Ekron ? How ? Monftrous Queftion ! Do I need to anfwer it ? Becaufe it was abomi- nably wicked in itfelf ; becaufe it had been as plainly and peremptorily forbidden by God, as any thing poffibly could be upon peril of utter Extirpation •, becaufe it was a notorious Contradiction to the firji Command- ment, fubverted the very Foundation of the the Jewi/h Religion, and could not be com- mitted by one, that had any Regard to the God of Ifrael.
The Author of Scheme, urges on this Head (q), That Elijah voluntarily took upon himfelf the very Bufinefs of telling the Fate or Fortune of Ahaziah, in order, as it feems, to -prevent Application to foreign Deities or Diviners about fuch Matters. True : He did tell Aha&iah's Fate, and did it to prevent Application to foreign Deities and' Diviners ; but not by Way of Encouragement to ex- pect, that every Inquirer might have fuch Queftions anfwered by him, or fucceeding
Prophets,
\q) Scheme, &c. p, 359; -
Prophecy defended. 233
Prophets •, but by way of abfolute Difcou- Part ragement from applying to Heathen Ora- II. oles on any Pretence whatsoever. Ahaziab's lOT^ Fate is told, as the Confequence of his Sin in making fuch Application ; he is threatned with Death by way of Punifh- ment for it, Therefore thou Jhalt not come down from that Bed on which thou art gone up, but Jhalt fitrely die, 2 Kings i. 6, 16. There is nothing in all this, but what a- grees with the Prohibition given by Mofes againft hearkening to Diviners, Cs'c. Deut. xviii. 9 — 14. taken feparately from the fub- fequent Prophecy. Upon the Whole, you may as well argue, That it was proper and tiecejfary , God mould allow the Jews fome Emblematical Reprefentation of himfelf, as that he fhould raife up a SucceJJhn of Pro- phets to fupply the Place of, and ferve the Purpofes for which Application was made to, Heathen Diviners.
- B u t it is alledged, That the Jews ac- tually had " a Succeflion of Prophets in «'■ "Analogy to Heathen Diviners, who fhew- c< ed their Infpiration in the Difcovery of " loft Goods, and in telling Fortunes, " whereby the meaneft Perfon in Judea had <c the Opportunity of having this Miracle c ■' wrought for him, whenever he had Occa- <e fion (r). The Difference between a Jewifli " Prophet and a Diviner confifting in this, " The one fuppofed to be infpired, or to hare
" Words
(r) Grounds, Z$c. p. z%x i { .
234 The Argument from
Part " Words put into his Mouth by God, the II. " other to fpeak without Infpiration, either
^V^ " by fome Dealings with familiar Spirits, or " by magick Art (j). " I hope the Reader will keep in mind this Explanation of the Word Prophet : For our Inquiry now is, Whether the Jews had a Succejfwn of Pro- phets, according to this Explanation of the Word •, and nothing but a Succeflion of fuch Prophets, will give any Countenance to the Suppofition of a Connexion between the Prophecy in difpute, and the preceding Pro- hibition againft hearkening to Diviners. Now in this Senfe of the Word, I fay, they were fo far from having a Succeflion of Prophets, that they had no fuch Prophet. Where is that credulous Unbeliever, that will afiert, that Mofes ferved the Children of lfrael in this Capacity of fatisfying the Curiofity of every idle Inquirer, where he might find his loft Goods, or what remarkable Turns he mould meet with, as a private Man, in future Life ? All the Days of Jojhua, who fucceeded Mofes as Governor and Leader of the Children of lfrael, we read of no Prophet. And if he be reckoned firft in the Succef- fion of Prophets, what Man of any Can- dour or Ingenuity can find the leaft Grounds to fufpect, that he ever told any Perfon his Fortune ? Till a Hundred Years after his Death we read of no Prophet. About which Time Deborah arofe, who foretold the Victory of the Children 'of lfrael over
Jabin's
(s) Scheme, &e, p. 25?..
Prophecy defended. 235
Jabin's Army. But who ever imagined, Part that the Children of Ifrael, who came up to II. her for Judgfnent, confulted her at any time w^V*^ about loft Goods, and where they fhould find them ? After her, we read of a Prophet fent to reprove the People for their Backfliding and Ingratitude to God: And on this Ac- count he has the Title of a Prophet, though his MeiTage had no Relation to Things fu- ture. In fhort, from Mofes down to Samuel^ you have not a fingle Inftance, which gives the leafl Colour to fufpecl, that the Jews had any Prophet, much lefs a SucceJJion of Prophets, who undertook to anfwer Que- ftions relating to the private Circumftances and Fortunes of Men.
And indeed, the firfl Inftance alledged for this Purpofe, is that of Saul applying himfelf to Samuel about his Father's Affes that were loft ; which you may plainly fee was ordered by Providence to forward an Event of great Importance to the whole Nation, 1 Sam. ix. 16. The Lord told Samuel, To Morrow about this Time I will send thee a Man out of the Land of Benja- min, and thou fa alt anoint him to be Captain ever my People Ifrael. Both the other In- Itances, 1 Kings xiv. 2, &c. 1 Kings viii. 8, &jV. appear to be of the fame Kind, ordered by Providence to give his Pro- phets an Opportunity of foretelling to pro- per Perfons Things of much higher Impor- tance, than what the MefTengers came to the Prophets about. So that in about Six
hundred
The Argument from
hundred Years, you have three fingle In- ftances, not of Prophets who made it their Bufinefs, as Wizards and Fortune-tellers did, to tell every idle Inquirer what fhould be- fall him in private Life ; but one fingle Inftance of each of thofe Prophets fpeaking to a Queftion of private Concern, when Purpofes of a much more important Na- ture were evidently intended by Providence to be ferved thereby. And from thefe it is inferr'd, " That the Jews had a continued " SucceJJion of Prophets in Analogy to Hea- " then Diviners, who fhew'd their Infpira- c< tion in the Difcovery of loft Goods, and " in telling Fortunes : Whereby the mean- " eft Perfon in Judea had the Opportunity cc of having this Miracle wrought for him, " whenever he had Occafion. " This is Matter of Fact, the Proof whereof lies up- on him that has aflerted it. The Reader fees the Proof that is offered : If he think thofe three Inftances are fufRcient to prove, That the Jews had a SucceJJion of Prophets in Analogy to Heathen Diviners •, that Per- fons of all Ranks had thereby an Opportu- nity of having their Fortunes told, or loft ■Goods difovered -, and that this Practice was fo common among them, as to become an indifputed Matter of FacJ ; he has my free Leave ic think with our Author, I will not pretend to difpute with, or to convince him.
I had almoft overlooked one Argu- ment, to prove a conftant Succeffion of in-
fpired
Prophecy defended. 237
fpired Fortune-tellers among the Jews. But Part I could not have failed my Reader in a Cafe, II. where he has lefs Occafion of Afliftance, v/v^ unlefs it be to underfland upon what Grounds the Argument is framed. God in reprov- ing the idolatrous Difpofition of his People by the Prophet Jfaiah, puts them in Mind of the great Things he had done for them ; with this Circumftance, to convince them they were done by him, and not by any ftrange Gods, becaufe he had foretold them, and they came to pafs accordingly : (/) / have even from the Beginning declared it to thee ; before it came to pafs IJhewed it thee : Left thou fhouldji fay, Mine Idol hath done them, and ?ny graven Image and my molten Image hath commanded them. ". Which ci Words («), fays our Author, not only " imply, that the Bufinefs of the Diviners " among the Heathen and of the Prophets ci among the Jews was much the fame ; " but alfo that the Prophets were raifed up " in Iff ml to fupply the Place of Diviners" Now he that can find any thing relating to Diviners, or their Office in this Paffage, has a Skill in difcovering Sci ipture-mean- ings, which I cannot envy, becaufe- 1 do not underfland it.
■ '. »
The judicious Reader perhaps will afk, Why in this Cafe the Author of Grounds and Scheme has fo far out-ftretched his Au- thorities ? For not content to hold with
Stillingfeet
(/) Ifa. xlviii. 5. (u) Scheme, p. 259.
238 The Argument from
Part Stilling fleet and Gr otitis, that the Jews had II. a conitant SuccelTion of Prophets, he ven-
\*/*V-s-' tures to take a large Step, and roundly af- ferts, That the great Employment of thefe Prophets was, to ferve all thofe Purpofes, for which Application was ufually made to Wizards and Fortune-tellers. Stilling fleet gives us a quite different Account of them, (x) *' Their Work was to inform the People of their Duties, or to reprove them for their Sins, or to prepare them for the Coming of the Me ssi as. For the primary Notion of a Prophet doth not lie in foretelling fu- ture Events, but in declaring and inter- preting to the World the Mind of God, which he receives by immediate Revelation. And from hence it is in Scripture that the Patriarchs, as Abraham and others, are cal- led Prophets, not becaufe of any Predictions uttered by them, but becaufe of the Fre- quency of immediate divine Revelations a- mong them. ()>) "
Here is a wide Difference between our Author and his Authorities in their Notion of the Word Prophet : And the Reafon for it will appear very plain, when it is obfer- ved, that any other Senfe of the Word, be- fides that new invented one he has given us, will not ferve the prefent Purpofe. For they, who interpret the Paffage in Difpute of a Succejjion of Prophets, are very fenfible their gneat Strength lies, in a fuppofed Con- nexion
(v) Orjg. Sacra?, 1. z. c. 4. \y) lb. c. 5.
Prophecy defended. 239
nexion between it and the preceding Prohi- Part bition againft hearkening to Diviners. But II. in Stillingfleefs Senfe of the Word, what Connexion can there be ? Could any thing be more ridiculous than to fay, Do not hearken to Wizards and Fortune-tellers ; for I will give you a Set of Men whofe Employ- ment it fhall be " to inform you of your " Duties, to reprove you for your Sins, and " to prepare you for the Coming of the " Messias? " What Recompence could this be to inquifitive People debarred the Privilege of confulting Soothfayers and Con- jurers ? Or how could Societies eftablifhed for Spiritual InftruEfton fatisfy the C.uriofity of a People grown fond of Egyptian En- chantments, and defiring continually to be informed, what mould befal them in future Life ?
.Our Author forefeeing this infuperable Difficulty, with which their main Argu- ment would be embarafTed, unlefs he could find out another-guife Employment for his> Jewijh Prophets, has ventured with a mo- deft Affurance to tell you, That they had a Succejjion of Prophets of their own, to anfwer their Exigences, and fo qualified, that they need not to go to Diviners, when they want- ed to have their Fortunes told or loft Goods difcovered : For that even the meaneft Perfon in Judea by Application to thefe Prophets, had the Opportunity of having this Miracle wrought for him, whenever he had Occafi- on, and the doing of it became a common
indifputed
240 The Argument from
Part indifputed Matter of Facl. What Truth II. there is in this, let the Reader judge. I
v-'-v^-' will however do the Author this Juftice to acknowledge, That if a Connexion muft be found out between the Prophecy in Difpute and the preceeding Prohibition a- gainft hearkening to Diviners, he has In- vented an Interpretation, which alone can fuit the Purpofe ; but how he will be able to fupport that Invention is his Con- cern, not mine.
They to whom the Prophecy was fpo- ken could not underftand it in this Senfe : For Mofes never ferved the Jews in the Capacity of a Fortuneteller, the People ne- ver applied to him for the Difcovery of loft Goods, or to have their Fortunes told. "Whatever he foretold was of publick Concern, and that not to fatisfy the Cu- riofity of People prying into the future State of their public Affairs, but to in- force Obedience to the Laws he gave them, by Promifes of future Bleflings and Suc- cefs in Cafe of Obedience, and by Threat- nings of the contrary in Cafe of Difobe- dience. Thofe Jews therefore who had feen and been acquainted with Mofes's Conduct could never imagine, that the Promife of a Prophet like to Mofes mould fignify a Succ ejjion of Prophets, to ferve thofe Pur- pofes for which Application was ufually made to Diviners and Fortune-tellers, which Purpofes he had never ferved, nor given any Countenance to. And if they could
have
Prophecy defended* 241
have been fo abfurd as to imagine, that Part a Prophet like to Mofes fignified a Cha- II. rafter which Mofes never took upon him, W^1 never in any one (ingle Inftance pretended to ; yet the Event muft inevitably have convinced them and the fucceeding Jews of their Miftake. For Three hundred Years after Mtfes did not produce one Prophet pretending to fuch a Character, not one Inftance of any Perfon applying to a Pro- phet in thofe Days, for the Difcovery of loft Goods, or for any of thofe Purpofes for which Application ufed to be made to En- chanters, and Wizards, and Diviners ; nor is any the lead Intimation given, that the Prophets pretended to, or that the People expected fuch Services from them.
Thus much Ground therefore we have unqueftionably got of our Opponents, That the PafTage in Difpute cannot be underftood of a Succeffion of fuch Prophets, as our Au- thor fpeaks of •, becaufe Mofes was no fuch Prophet, neither his immediate Succeffors ; which both He and They muft have been, according to that Interpretation. On the other hand, if you take Stillingfleet's Senfe of the Word Prophet, then there cannot be any Connexion between the PafTage in Difpute, and the preceding Prohibition a- gainft hearkening to Diviners, &c. the Sup- position thereof is perfectly ridiculous, and confequently his Argument founded upon that Supposition, is totally groundlefs.
R The
242 the Argument from
The only remaining Argument in StiU lingfleet or Scheme, why the Paffage in Dif- pute mould be underltood of a SucceJJion of Prophets, amounts to no more than this ; They both are at a Lofs for a Text to ferve an Hypothefis ; from whence they conclude they have a Right to prefs this into their Service. " There is (fays Stilling fleet (z) no 44 other Place in the whole Pentateuch, 44 which doth exprefsly fpeak of a Succef- 44 fion of Prophets, if this be not under- 44 flood of it. " For the felf-fame Rea- fon, this ought not, any more than other PafTages, to be fo underftood ; becaufe it is far from fpeaking exprefsly of a Succef- fion. " But, fays Stilling fleet, it is impro- 44 bable a Matter of fuch Confequence , 44 mould be wholly pretermitted, when w e 44 find it fo exactly performed in the fuc- " ceeding Ages of the Jewijh Common- 44 wealth, their immedate RuLerS after Mo- 44 fes, like Dictators at Rome, being mofl
44 raifed up by immediate Incitation, •
44 and many of them infpired with a
44 Spirit of Prophecy, . and how
44 fhould the Jews have expected or obeyed 44 them, had not God foretold it to them. How fruitful of Meanings is this Word Prophet ! All Offices and Employments, even thofe of the Camp and the Court not excepted, are comprehended by it. . If the Jews wanted to know by what Com-
.jniffion
(2) Origines facrae. Lib. II. cap. iv.
Prophecy defended. 243
million their Generals acted in the Field, Part or by what Authority their Judges inter- II. pofed in Civil Affairs ; this ufeful Text, '—^r*^ A Prdphet Jhall the Lord your G od raife up unto you, gave them prefent Satisfaction. If it mould be urged, That thefe Dilators of the Jew'ijh Commonv/ealth, were not only Rulers, but Prophets too, like Mofes, whereupon the Application of the Prophecy to thofe Rulers is founded : I anfwer, That Stillingfleet himfelf fuppofes the contrary ; he will not allow that all, though he fays, " many of them were infpired with a Spirit of *' Prophecy." Nor is this faid truly. For out of Fourteen that are faid to have governed Ifrael, for the Space of Three hundred Years after Mofes, there is not the leaft Pretence, that more than Three of them, Jofhua, Deborah and Gideon, had a Spirit of Prophe- cy. Therefore when Stilling fleet afks, " How " mould the Jews have expected thefe, or " obeyed them when they appeared ? " We may fafely anfwer, That if they expetled them by Vertue of this Prophecy, they were dif- appointed ; and if they obeyed them for that Reafon, they did it upon a wrong Foun- dation. However, thus far I will allow, That the felf-fame Reafon, which is here given, why the PafFage in Difpute ought to be interpreted of a Succefjion of Prophets, is equally a Reafon, why it ought to be in- terpreted of a Succefion of Rulers and Dic- tators in the Commonwealth, viz. Becaufe there is mo other Pajfage in the whole Pen- tateuch which doth exprefsly fpcak of a Suc- R 2 cejficn
244 T^ Argument /^w
Part cejjlon of Rulers or Dictators, if this be not II. underftood of it.
The Author of Scheme feems to \JQike Stillingft eel's Management of this Argument, which therefore he has altered thus : (a) 44 As the Jews had a Succefiion of Prophets 44 bred up and formed in Schools and Colle- 44 ges under Mafter- Prophets, it is reafona- 44 ble to think there mould be fome Re-
44 mains of the Inftitution, in rhe Pen-
44 taieuch. This is the fole Place
44 that feems to have any Relation there- to to, — it may imply fuch an Inftitu- " tion, — and therefore muft be allowed to 44 have a direct Reference thereto." Ob- ferve Reader, This Promife of God, I will raife them up a Prophet, — and will put my Words in his Mouthy implies an Inftitution of Schools and Colleges (b), where the Jews learned the Art of Prophefying under Mafter Prophets. Was there ever fuch a Charter of Inftitution ? Or could any thing but mere Necefiity (this being the fole Place in all the Pentateuch that feems to have am Relation to fuch an Inftitution) have engaged an Author of fo much Candour and good Judgment, to allow, that the Promife in Difpute, has a direcl Reference to that Infti- tution. But if he had been difpofed to fol- low Stitlingfleet's Opinion in this, as well as in other Matters, he might have difcovered, even in the Pentateuch, fome more-plaufi-
ble
[a) Scheme, p. 246. (&) Grounds, - p."; Z&.
Prophecy defended. 245
ble Remains of that Inftitution^ than what Part this difputed Paffage will afford him : Not II. indeed of Schools ', where Jews learned the v*/~v-^ Art uf Prophecying (for they had no fuch Schools) but of Societies for Spiritual Infrac- tion, which after Samuel's Time began to be called Schools of the Prophets, becaufe God many times called his Prophets out of thofe Schools, and becaufe his chofen Prophets ufually prefided over them.
Stillingfleet, fpeaking of the Original and Inftitution of thofe Schools of the Pro- phets, tells you (c), " The firft Semina- ** ries or Places of Inftitution among the " Jews, were the Cities of the Levites, " which were difperfed up and down in " the feveral Tribes of Ifrael. " Which Difperiion was by God's own Appoint- ment, as you read, Numb. xxxv. tor this Reafon, as is generally allowed, becaufe it was their Office to teach the People, as it is expreffed, Lev. x. 11. To teach the Children of Ifrael all the Statutes which the Lord fpake unto them by the Hand of Mofes. And it isfaid of them, Dent, xxxiii. 10. They fhall teach Jacob thy Judgment sy and Ifrael thy Law. In Purfuance of which Com million, Societies were eftablifhed in the feveral Cities, were they were diftri- buted among the other Tribes. " And ** thence (fays Stillingfleet) we read not of " thefe Schools of the Prophets, which were R 3 Societies
(() Orig. facrs, Lib: II. cap, iv,
246 The Argument from
Part" Societies for fpiritual Instruction, till about II. " the Time of Samuel ; when by Reafon of v^V"^ << the great Degeneracy of the Priefthood, ' there feemed almoft a Neceflity of re- i froring fome Societies, who might have 6 a fpecial Eye to the fpiritual Part of < God's Worfhip and Service. " I will not vouch for this Account of Stilling- fleei : But this we may fafely. infift upon, That if thefe Schools did fubfifl from the firft Settlement of the Jews in the Land of Canaan, they had their Original in the Distribution of the Levites among the other Tribes, and confequently we need look no farther for their Inftitution. But if, as others think, they had not their Begin- ning, till the Time of Sa??iuel, then it is unreafonable and abfurd to fearch the Pen- tateuch for the Grounds . of that Inftitu- tion.
I h ave now gone through the fcveral Reafons offered, why the Promife of a Pro- phet to be raifed up, ought to be underftood of a Slice effion of Prophets : I do not know that I have fuffered the lead Shadow or Ap- pearance of an Argument on that Side to pafs unanfwered. To which Anfwer, I beg leave to fubjoyn this Obfervation, That the plaineft and moil obvious Meaning of any PafTage, ought to be preferred and taken as the true Meaning thereof, unleis it con- tains fomcthing abfurd,, or improbable, or impertinent, or mconf.i'tnt with its Con- text -, and That to have- Recourse to Figure
and
Prophecy defended. 247
and Idioms of Speech, in the Interpreta- Part tion thereof, without any Pretence of this Ut Kind, is not allowable. Now the Pro- \^^kJ mife of a Prophet, ordinarily and in the common Acceptation of Words, denotes One Jingle Prophet. Is there then the lead Abfurdity or Improbability in fuppofing, that God mould promife the Jews fome One extraordinary Prophet, to put Words into his Mouth, and by him to convey his Mind and Will to them; that he mould require them to hearken to him, and threaten them with Punifhment if they did not ? Or was it at all impror per or impertinent, to add to fuch a Pro- mife a Caution, to beware of falfe Pro- phets and to give them a Rule, whereby, thofe falfe Prophets might be difcovered ? This is the Subftance of the difputed Paf- fage v/ith its Context; and this Interpre- tation of it is fo very obvious, that no Reader can mifs of it; nor was any Man ever tempted, but for the Sake of an Hy- potheiis, to look out for any other Con- ftru&ion. I defire the Reader to take the intire PafTage, the whole Context from ver. 15. to the end, and upon reading it all together let him judge, whether, accorv ding to the ftrictly literal and grammati- cal Conftruction of every Sentence in it, it be not perfectly good Senfe, unexcep- tionable, all the Parts thereof having a ra- tional and jufl Coherence with one ano- ther. And if this be the Cafe, Imuftfay, That to have Recourfe to Figures and R 4 Idioms
248 The Argument from
Part Idioms of Speech to find out another II. Meaning for no other Reafon, but be-
'■•V^ caufe a Text feems wanting to ferve ano- ther Purpofe, cannot become a prudent Interpreter. Indeed if the preceding Prohibition againft hearkening to Diviners could be reckoned a Part of the Context, and the two Pajjages could be proved to have any Relation to, or Connexion with each other ; then the Promife of one fmgle Prophet only, to fupply the Place of thofe Diviners had not been very per- tinent or fatisfactory ; and it had been al- lowable in fuch a Cafe, to try what other poflible Meaning the Words would bear, to render the Interpretation thereof more confident. But there is not one tolerable Reafon for fuppofing a Connexion ; nei- ther the Matter, nor the Manner in which it is expreffed can lead one to fufpec'r. any ; nay, the very Suppofition thereof is attend- ed with fuch Abfurdities, as will convince any rational Inquirer, that there could be none intended. That Prohibition therefore is not to be regarded as a Part of the Context, and confequently ought to have no Influence in the Interpretation of the Pafiage in • Difpute.
Hence I was led to obferve in my Sermon on this Subject, That their In- terpretation, who underirood this Paiiage of a SucceiTion of Prophets, was neither obvious nor literal:. Ori the ether lifaxdfitbe more ftritt and literal the Conftrufiic;;
put
Prophecy defended, 249
put upon the Words, the ?nore unavoidably will Part they belong to Christ, and next to bn- II. poffible it would be to make them applicable sXV^^ to any one but him. Not that I think the flrictly literal and grammatical Senfe of" e- very PafTage is always to be preferred, as the Senfe intended by the Writer, or the primary Senfe in Oppofition to a typi- cal, or allegorical, or fecondary Senfe. But this I believe will be allowed by every Body, That the drift grammatical Senfe ought to be preferred to any other, pro- vided it be equally rational and confident with the Context. It was very proper and necefiary therefore, in a Difcourfe intend- ed to explain the true Meaning of that PalTage, to take Notice, That the Inter- pretation thereof was not only very ratio- nal and confident with the Context ; but alfo that it was the only Senfe, which ac- cording to ftricl: grammatical Conftruftion could be put upon it. Having therefore in. that Difcourfe proved the ftriftly literal and grammatical Senfe to be both rational and confident with the Context ; having now alfo confirmed the fame by removing all Objections to the contrary; it follows, That there can be no Reafon at all to have Recourfe to Figures and Idioms of Speech to alter that Senfe of the Words : Becaufe confider'd, as (landing in the Con- cext, nothing hinders but they may be 'fo underflood, and confequently the immediate literal, or primary and obvious Senfe of thofe
Words
250 The Argument from
Part Words, a Prophet, will be one fingle Pro- II. phet, and not a Succejjion of Prophets.
I urged farther, That the PafTage in difpute could not be underftood of a Suc- cefiion of Prophets, became the Character given of the Prophet to be raifed up (like unto Mofes) is not applicable to the Sue- cefllon of Prophets among the Jews ; it being declared, Deut. xxxiv. 10. That un- der the Jewijh State there arofe not a Pro- phet in Ifrael like unto Mofes. To which it is anfwered (d) That allowing a Diffimi- litude between Mofes and the fucceeding Prophets in the Particulars there mention- ed, viz. That God converfed with Mofes on- ly Face to Face, and that Mofes out-did all his Succejfors in Signs and Wonders', yet there was Similitude enough to juftify the Character and the Application of it to the Jewifh Prophets. Stilling fleet fays, " That " between them and Mofes, there was a M great Similitude, as to their Birth, Cal- " ling and Doctrine. Grotius urges, When *' Mofes fays, like unto me, he does not *e fpeak of his Legiflative, but his Pro- *' phetic Office ; and that the Word like, ** denotes a certain Agreement in Name " and Authority. " Scheme adds, " The " Likenefs between Mofes and the Pro- " phets to be raifed up, lay in having *' equally the Character of : Prophets in
" being
■ (d) Scheme, &V. p. 249, 250. •
Prophecy defended. 2»fi
<c being infpired and equally lent of God, Part " or in having the Words of God put II. " into their Mouths , and fpeaking Ky^y^ " what God commanded. " Here is a great Variety of Words ufed to ex- prefs the Likenefs between Mofes and the fucceeding Prophets. All which amount to no more than this, That they were like Mofes in Birth and Office. In anfwer where- to I did obferve in my Sermon, That the Likenefs intended could not confift herein-, becaufe both thefe Characters of the Pro- phet to be raifed up had been expreffed be- fore, which would render the Words, like unto Mofes, perfectly ufelefs and infignifi- cant, unlets fome further Likenefs were in- tended. The Promife of a Prophet is twice repeated, in both Places Birth and Office are particularly fpecified, and yet in both Places the Likenefs to Mofes is exprefsly mentioned. Ought not this therefore to be ■looked upon as an Additional Character, and to imply fomething more, than what -had been before expreffed? I did lay fome ftrefs upon this Queftion, and I thought juftly ; yet no Notice is taken of it in Scheme, nor any thing like an Anfwer of- fered. I will endeavour therefore to give it a little more Weight, by making Tryal of his Reafoning on this Head in a paral- lel Cafe. I do not doubt but it would fur- prize any Man to hear me affert, That all the Kings of Ifrael and Judah were like David and Solomon: But their Surprize would be turned into Laughter, when I came to
explain
252 T^ Argument/^
Part explain myfelf in the Manner this Author II. explains the Paflage before us, that the
-t-O^s^ Likenefs intended lay in having equally the Character of Kings, and in being alike and equally with David and Solomon true Kings. If I fay one Man is like another, every body would reckon me abfurd and imper- tinent, if I meant no more than, that they are both Men. If I fay one Prophet is like another, I mould be underftood to mean fomething proper to thofe two, over and above what is common and ejjential to every Prophet. Therefore according to ra- tional, as well as grammatical Conftruction, A Prophet of their Brethren like unto thee, rnuft fignify one fingle Prophet, in fome peculiar Senfe like unto Mofes, and cannot without charging the Text with repeated Impertinence, be underftood of the Succef- fion of Prophets among the Jews.
I added farther, That the following Words, " And 1 will put my Words in hts " Mouth, and he Jhall fpeak unto them all " that 1 Jhall command him, fuppofe an ex- " traordinary Commiftion, befpeak a Pro- c< phet immediately fent from God with " fome new Revelation, &V. That the " fettled Order of Prophets among the " Jews were not in this Senfe, like unto " Mofes. They had no new Law, no new
" Inftitutes of Religion to publifti : r
" Their Bufmefs was to explain, and in- " culcate the Practice of, the Law already " given by Mofes. Nor is it fuppoied,
" " that
Prophecy defended, 255
f( that they were infallibly directed even Pa rt
p in this, &c. " Whereby I would be II.
underftood, that the promifed Prophet was v/V*^
to be like Mofes in his Legijlative Capacity,
and in the infallible Execution of it. To
which the Anfwer in Scheme is (<?), That
" the Words imply a common prophetical,
" and not an extraordinary Commiffion.
«' For what is a Prophet, but a Perfon
M fent and infpired by God, and that
" has Revelations, or Words put into
«' his Mouth by God ? That Mofes
<c was not infallible in all his Notions, "• and that the Prophet to be raifed up, <c who was to be like unto Mofes , is " fuppofed fallible by God himfelf in " the Words following the Prophecy be- " fore us, wherein he requires Men on- " ly to hearken to the Words which that " Prophet fhould fpeak in his Name. " As to the Point of Infallibility, I anfwer, That Mofes was, and the Prophet to be railed up is fuppofed to be, infallible; that is, ftriCtly faithful in the Execution of their CommifTion •, they delivered what was revealed to them by God, without any Al- teration, Addition, or Diminution ; they neither fpake in the Name of God, what God had not commanded, nor fupprefled any Thing of what he had commanded them to publifh. This is allowed to be true of Mofes, by all that believe he was a Prophet ; and in this the Prophet to be
raifed
\e) Scheme, iffc. p. z;$.
The Argument from
raifed up was to be like him, He Jh all fpeak unto them all that I Jhall command him ; which cannot but fignify the {trie! Fidelity of the Prophet, in delivering exactly what had been revealed to him, cautious not to add to, as well as not to fubftract from, what had been commanded him ; it being of equal Moment to the People^ to whom that Prophet mould be fent, that he mould fpeak nothing but the Truth, as that he mould fpeak all the Truth. Nor does the following Verfe fuppofe the contrary, as is fuggefted ; which is barely a Threatning againft them, who fhall not hearken to God's Words, which that Prophet fhould fpeak in his Name. Nor is there any Sup- pofition of a Prophet fpeaking in God's Name what God had not commanded, till ver. 20. who cannot be fuppofed to be the fame Prophet, but another, a falfe Pro- phet fpoken of in Contradiftinclion to the true one, promifed and defcribed in the pre- ceding Verfes^ as will appear at firft View to every Reader. Here then is one exprefs Inftance, wherein the Prophet to be raifed up was to be like unto Mofes, in which the Succeffion of Prophets were not like him. For it is obferved of many of their Pro- phets, (not all, which this Author (/) falfe- ly charges me with) that they erred in Vtfi- on, and Jlumbled in Judgment. -
And
>(/") Scheme, &V, p. 254.
Prophecy defended. 255
Part
And he was to be like him alfo in his II. Legislative Capacity, as will appear by con- CV^-* fidering well the Occafion of tnofe Words, / will put my JVords into his Mouth, and he /hall [peak unto them all that I floall com- mand him. If, as Scheme afferts, they im- ply only a common prophetical, and not an extraordinary CommiiTion, why were they added ? A common prophetical Commiffion was neceffarily included in the Promife of a Prophet. Muft thefe alfo be Superfluous Words, Signifying nothing more, than had been expreffed before ? How eafy is it at this rate to make any 'Text ferve any Pur- pofe ? But inftead of being infignificant Words, they will appear to be emphatical Words, designedly fuperadded to remove an Apprehenfion, which the Promife of a Prophet like to Mofes was otherwife lia-- ble to. For it is to be obferved, that the Promife of a Prophet like to Mofes is twice repeated. At v&. 15. it is expreiTed thus, The Lord thy God will raife up unto thee a Prophet from tbemidft of thee, of thy Brethren* like unto me. Nh\ is it agaia r.-?neated ? There was certamly feme MilTake, fome *Mifap- prehenfion to be guarded againft. What could that be ? Was it a Miilake in Num- bers, to prevent which, Care was taken to fatisfy them, that by a Prophet wa$ meant a Succeffwn of Prophets? No. For then the Repetition would have Signified fo much in exprefs Words. Was it to check any high Thoughts they might have
conceived
The A'iGUMEtNTte
Part conceived of che.-'promifed Prophet,- from II, that Defcriptioh of him, Like- -unto Mofes ? No. ; For upon Repetition of the Pr.erfliie, that Likenefs is ftill infilled on, and- no- thing, added, but what ferves to heighten, rather than to leffen their Expectations- from him. What then, could be the Reafon of the Repetition ? The Context- doth furnifh us with a clear unqueftionable Anfwer. There was one Circumftance in Mofefs Mi- niftry, which had put the Jews in the ut- moft Confternation, viz. the very terrible and aftonifhing Manner, in which the Law had been delivered to them *, which extorted from them this earneft Petition to God^, Let me not hear again the Voice of the Ljo r,d my God; neither let me fee this great Fine ■ja-nyjnore, that I die not. '• Left therefore the promife of a Prophet' like to Mofes -mould .raife in them an Apprehenfion, that.GaD «ntended to reveal his Will to them, ■•■iA $£ fame terrible Manner by that Prophet,- Adxtfss tells- them, that God wasJiot unmindru: their Petition, but approved it, and would -takexare, that the Mi nift ration &£*tk&Ji&- „ture Prophet promifed 'ihould,«i»rotwith- ^itanding his Likenefs. to: Mofes, -be confiftent Twith.it. Therefore the Promife ..is - again repeated ver. iS. with an. Addition eyident- •iy .fuited to tliis Purpofe, / -Words into his Mouth, : and hf Jhalt /peak ■unto them all that: J ./ball command him. The unqueftionable Meaning of the .Place there- fore is this: ." I will raife you up a Prophet •• like unco Mfes: But be not afraid there -
" fore
Prophecy defended* 257
«c fore, that I will fpeak to you by him, Part " in that terrible Manner I did by Mofes. II. * ' No, I remember your Petition and will v-^v^-J « not do it ; but inftead thereof I will put " my Words in the Prophet's Mouth, " and he mail declare my Will to you.'* It is evident then, That the Promife of a Prophet like to Mofes might and would have raifed in them an Apprehenfion (if it had not been checked,) That God in- tended them a new Revelation to be difco- vered in the fame manner with the fonner. For there had not been the leaft Ground for fuch an Apprehenfion, but upon Sup-, pofition the Prophet to be raifed up mould be like Mofes in his Legiflative Capacity : For God never revealed himfelf to them in that terrible Manner, but when he gave them the Law by Mofes. Upon other par- ticular Occafions, when he was employed by G o d to foretell fome future Event, to admonifh or to reprove them, or to di- rect their Conduct upon fome fudden E- mergency, they received the Divine Mef- fage from the Mouth of his Servant Mo- fes. They heard the Voice of God, and law the great Fire only, when the Law was delivered : Confequently nothing but the Apprehenfion of a new Law^ could raife in them the Apprehenfion of being fpoken to again in the fame terrible man- ner. The Suppofition therefore of his be- ing like Mofes, in his LegiJJate^e Capacity, is made and taken for granted : Far no- thing is faid to check the Apprehenfion of S the
2$S The Argument from
Part the Thing -itfelf, but the manner of ir. II. They were ftill left to fuppofe they ihould
v^-V^ have a new Lawgiver, and a new Law un- der his Miniftratiort •, only with this Diffe- rence, that it fhould not be revealed in the fame terrible Manner ; but it Ihould firft be revealed to the Prophet, from whofe Mouth the People fhould afterwards receive it. This I ftill think an irrefra- gable Proof, That the Prophet to be faifed up, was to be like Mofes in his Legijl alive Capacity, and that God intended his Pro- mile fhould be fo underftood. And if fo, it is allowed, that the Promife is not ap- plicable to the SuceJJion of Prophets among the Jnvs, becaufe they were not like Mofes in this Refpecl. uA
I i: u nil
I did ume this Argument before, to which I have received an Anfwer. Bat when the Reader confiders the Subtilty •with' which it is treated, the falfe Infinu-
•ns and Suggeftions ufed to puzzle, not £&flvince him-, I am perfuaded it will give him but a very indifferent Opinion of the Author and his Reafoning. (g) He tells me " my Inference has fo little Foundation, « that the very contrary is exceeding plain."
d thus he goes on to mew the Plain - nefs of it. " God promifes to raife up w to the Jezvs a Prophet to prevent then] " from going to Diviners : And he farther >' ••omifes them, at their Requeft, thac
^ die .in \ii\i iq bib
:) Scheme, &c. p. 256s
Prophecy defended. 259
6C the Prophet ihould not fpeakto them Part " in ib terrible a Manner, as was done at II. " Mount. Horeb. The Defire therefore of v^v%-^ •' thd Je-ifs, and God's Compliance with If them, confute our Author. For this De- ft fire relating to the Prophet to be raifed tc up, who v/as to fupply the Place of the " Diviners ; and relating to a Prophet, who " was to be of immediate Ufe to the Jews, H who had not the lead Imagination of "- a new Law, and can be fuppofed only " to act herein from a Concern for them* " felves, and not for remote Pofterity ; " ought to be underftood of fuch a Pro- " phet as I have fuppofed all along." Now can any one believe, but that it was the Author's Intention in this Harangue to in- finuate, That the Jews had directly peti- tioned God for a Prophet, an immediate Prophet, one that mould fupply the Place or Diviners; and that the Promife of a Pro- phet was given them in Confequence of their Petition and in Compliance with it ? For does not he call their Defire, " a De- M fire relating to the Prophet to be raifed ci up, relating to a Prophet who ihould tf be of immediate Ufe," and to one that ihould " fupply the Place of Diviners ? " Where can we find any fuch Defire? Or whence can it be gathered, that tht/ezvs ever ori creel a Petition to God for fuch things ? Forty Years before, when the Law was delivered, when they heard the Voice of God and the Mount burned with Fire, they did petition, that they might not hear S 2 the
ql6q The Argument
P~A r t the Voice again, nor fee that great II. any more. But £his Defire was pui
Ks~y^) galive, That G&$ vftHfl¬ fpeak ti
again in the fame terrible Mariner, r'wni'ch Defire had been fulfilled, if God had no: fern:-. them any Prophet 'after Mdfar |Thc Promife therefore of a Pi?efphet is nctibund- ed upon any Petition^ but'irfatfe. by ( . unafked, only qualified -with an:;Amrrarit£ (according to their negative Defire^ ?inal though in other Refpecls he fhould 'be like Mofes, yet he fhould not deal with thcni in the fame terrible Manner. Since there- fore the Jews did not petition for, "'not God promife them, a Prophet to fupply the. Place of Diviners, the Pafiage is noc to be underflood of fuch a Prophet as our Author fuppofes. And God's ltv?apmng and- granting the ?n a Prophet according to all they defired in Mount -H'oreb, can fignify no more than, inftead of fpeaking to them in the Manner he did at Horcb, that he would fpe&k unto them by the Mouth of his Pro- phet^ It matters not then to whoitr the Concern of thofe Jews extended, themfelves alone -or Pofterity, a new Lav*-' or not; fnce the Promife (as' to the pofitive part of lit), was made by God unafked, "who, v,^hout Abfurdity may be fuppofed to have Regard to Pofterity, and the Laws wh^ch Pofterity fhould be governed by, ;^H^V -oicI v. .. - SbA adi wotf
It is worth while «6':oVert#°W>gr;e «baj"6ophifb-y, ■ &W*rfhM\ -this At&ufis " .noifltrnmoO snivib il&anX&i.
pT 8 ?
Prophecy defended, 261
1$.. managed. What the. Jews did not peti- Part tipri for is fo artfully blended with what II. they did, that the Promife of a Prophet ^V*^ unafked feems to be a mere Compliance wjitn a prior Petition : And Words are fo de;uroufly put together, as to draw an un- wary Reader into a Belief, that the Jews did directly ail-: a Prophet to fupply the place of Diviners ; and yet no room is left for the cautious Reader to charge him with any fuch AfTertion. In fhort the whole Argument is drawn up in fuch a Manner, that he feems to affert nothing but what is notorioufl.y true, and yet he is all along inrmuating what is notorioufly falfe : And his Conclufion, which at firft View one would think had been drawn from Premiies undeniably true, is actually built upon fuch as are really grounikfs.
-nimarbc? ' ™m
I had urged farther, " That the Pro-
" phet to be raifed up, was to give fome
" extraordinary Sign or Proof of his Com-
c' million, otherwife he was to be rejected,
'-■'■ as appears, ver. 22. When a Prophet cc fpeaketh in the Name of the Lord, if the iTffpwg follow not nor come to pafs, that is " the Thing which the Lord hath not fpo- " ken -, but the Prophet hath fpoken it pre- ""fumptuoufiy : thou ^fh alt not be afraid of " him. NoW the fettled Order of Pro-
262 The Argument /*w»
Part To which the Anfwer is ( b ), " That II. " thofe Words relate only to the Prophet
W*\rV " in queftion, as a Foreteller of future " Events \ and that he was to be tryed " and judged of, by thofe Events coming <c or not coming to pafs ; which is fo far
6i from an extraordinary Sign, that it
" is the ordinary, natural and neceffary " Sign, whereby to know whether any Pro- " phet foretelling future Things, fpcaks " from God, or not. For when he fpoke
" truly of Things future,— ■ he did
" from the Nature of his Office, as a <c Prophet, neceffarily give the Sign re-
" quired : And therefore the Sign fe-
ti quired was an ordinary, and not an " extraordinary Sign of a Prophet's Com- "miffion."
I- must own, I was not aware of this Diftinclion, between an ordinary and an extraordinary Sign of a Prophet's Commif- fion, when I firft wrote en this Subject : For I did then, and do ftill think, the foretelling of future Events, to be as ex- traordinary a Sign, as the working of Mi- racles. Nor need I be afraid to confefs this to my Opponent, who at other Times has feemed inclined to prefer the former to the latter ; and in Scheme ;'; , cdte Pre- dictions plain, miractttogs Ei-'idaire. ptrj and fianding Miracles. I am fure, when I
ufed
<h) Scheme, p. r$-;. U) r Ufc ZVj-
■ '■'%■■
Prophecy defended. 26$
ufecl the Words extraordinary Sign, 'it was Part not my intention to exclude the foretelling II. of future Events, or any other fuch an- U-^yvJ parent Jnftance of divine. Interpofition, to countenance a Prophet in the Execution of his Co'rnmiflion. I add therefore, That the fettled Order of Prophets among the Jews, did not ufually give this, or any other fuch Sign of their CommifTion. My Adverfary ihouid feem to be of a contrary Opinion, by fuggefling, that the Office of a Prophet confifted in foretelling future Events, when he fays, " He did from the ". Nature of his Office, as a Prophet, give " the Sign required, " that is, foretell fu- ture Events. But the true Scripture No- tion of a Prophet, doth not lie in foretell- ing friture Events, (k) " But in declaring " and interpreting to the World the Mind '/ of God, vvhich he receives by imroe- " diate Revelation from himfelf. So that <4 the receiving what he makes known by c' immediate Revelation, is that which '■' formally conjlitutes a Prophet ; but it is " wholly extrinfecal and accidental what " Time his Prophecy refpecls, whether " part, prefent, or to come, — And from " hence it is in Scripture that the Patri-
i.
<c archs and others, are called Prophets, " (particularly the Prophet fent to the Ifrae- lites. {/),.. when oppreffed by Midian) « not •' becauie of any Predictions uttered , by S 4 " them,
[h) Stillingfleet's Cri^. fecne, L. It. cv., [/) Judges vi. 8.
Part ,<5.thira> but: becaufo^ofeothe Krdqacncy:aod- II, tc immediate DivinftijJ^eMdati^igniaflaorig
WW " them. " Every Prophet therefore did mtqfktoi&siWato&\ofiHi& Q$Aq, afefitell future Events, wbifiW our^Autbiir ^ouid foppdfe to be the i^&ofc^trsif: iH'israHb certain, that the. Jewzhffl. dgtiz-gn&iaBeJjfron nfProphelS) who di&fcritfel}. iuikvt Evwitsli and therefore when; a Krophet gatea Pce- tiiction in Proof of -hjs InfpiratioiViit j«fop nol an ordinary, but ., an .extrapfiiqgxpSigb Of his. CommifTion. ;;j slorb
O? ;- ... ffifmr^ 01 f2W£j[ 2iri
- It ought to be obferyfcd dforthcjti rHitot Tn«iHy of the Jcuoijk Prophets, whofedto- pheeies; did refped Things fiitttr£, :riifb riot toiler thofe Predictions by way of .Sign,5cr Proof, of their Infpiration..; but: their Pro- phecies concerning Things ;future,ai*mffiiErjfe -SubfiU., and not the Sign of their Commil- /lQn : And they were to be believed and, re- garded upon their bare Dedaraf ion '©f the rhing, even before thd Ace^Mrtpliihrneirtiixif it. Confider only the Cafe of Jonakir--i^aat Subjeft of whofe Prophecy was, the De- struction of the Ninevites, in Gafe they&lid not repent. Were the Ninevite$?h£D<fioG>\L upon this Prophecy as a Sign? H anckiteisfwait -the Accompliihment of it befoEQctnay^piid any Regard to the Prophet ? .' Ju^brOfe con- trary. They were to beUeverxheilfBqsphet upon his Declaration, ..to .ccepeacy Oaandrifo prevent the AccptripliHaaicnpjof iftawWJtoi then was the Sigft ?.<itor>*he,^ri«4tf8ianfKraL
Prophecy defended, ©£5
not *, to have received it as fuch had. been P a rSt exceedingly ridiculousniviCI am ' II.
ihttmz chief Bufinefs of the Prophets*** mong the Jews, which was to reprove them for their idolatrous Difpofitionf or for other grofs Tranfgreffions againft the -Law of Nature, or the Law of Mofes, did ooti need a Sign to countenance the Pro- phet in the Execution of it. There was ftanding Proof fufficient, when God firft chofe them for his People and gave them his Laws, to juftify a Prophet fpeaking to ■diem on thefe Heads, without any imme- dia^erinterpofition of Providence on Behalf of that Prophet in particular. Therefore the Suczejfton of Prophets among the Jews -kaxinotufually any fuch Credentials of their <3ommhTion ; and confequently the Sign to bsrimptired, according to Mofes, could not 4"date;to them. But the Suppofition of a new i Revelation . ta -be : granted alters -the IBafap rand Tenders- the giving of a Sign ne- fieiTary;/
hViBwdp wti Author fays, " That thefe $!odNards, -which require a Sign tobe~given\ " refatdionly to the Prophet in QueltiW, N as a! Wx>te~ teller of future Events.'' Why fo<i> aFiiey Jhould feem to relate to > j&ityifi laa igoferai Capacity of fpeaking the WWlfc wthiafaf-Go'D- had put into his Mduth^ whi£h Men. were < required to obferve under -tMfc feverff/Penalcy, -fuer. 19. ; 'fcjhatt eom$o f®j®> thatrwbofoever will not hearken to my Words
which
266 TJje Argument font
Part which he jh all f peak in my Name, I'willrc- II. quire it of him. And this Peril oi- not
V-"V"^' hearkening to him is plainly the Reafon of' that Queftion, ver. 11. Hozv Jhall ive know the Word which the Lord hath not fpo- keft ? As much as to fay, There may come falfe Prophets pretending to be that true Prophet, and to have Words put into their Mouths by God, teaching in the Name of the L o r d what the L o r d hath not ipoken ; How fhall we diftinguifh in this Cafe ? Now to make the Aniwcr ap- plicable to the Queftion, the Meaning of it muft be this, JVhen a Prophet fpeaketh unto thez in the Na?ne of the Lord, or teachethany DoQrine from him, which. thou canft not judge of by what has been alrea- dy revealed to thee •, thou mayeft expeet a Sign from him, fome Inftance of divine Countenance : And if he pretend to give thee a Sign, and it fellow not, nor come to pafs ; that, thou art lure, is a 'Thing which /^ Lord hath not fpoken, confequently he muft be a falfe Prophet, and thou fljalt net be afraid of him, i. e. thou fhak pay no Regard to the Doctrine taught by him. But if " thefe Words relate only to the " Prophet in Queftion, as a Fore- teller ot " future Events, " the Queftion in the mort material Refpecl: would be left unanswered : That is, How fboutd they know Jhe iVcrd> which the Lord hadnot,:fpaken9\v\^n a Prophet fpoke to them in fchelN£rrle<>f the Lord, by way of Precept or po/S^rine on- ly ? If then there be any Confiftency -be- tween
Pr'ophecy defended. 16 7
tween the Quefrion, and the Anfwer, and Part the Occafion 'of both ; the Words, ver. 11. II. siuft be imderftood of fome Sign to be gi- Ky^T^ ven on Behalf of the Prophet, to juftify him in the Execution of his Office," as a Teacher having Words pit into his Mouth by Gob, arid [peaking in his Name what he had commanded.
But the Folly and Abfurdity of our Author's Interpretation will appear more evidently by obferving, That the Rule, as he has explained it, would have excluded God's chiefeft Prophets, from the Regard that Was due to them, and have frullrated the very Purpofes of their MifTion. For if it relates to them only " as Fore-tel- * lers of future Events •, and they were " to be tryed and judged of by thofe " Events coming or not coming to pafs-," T would afk, What was to be done, when a Prophet was fent with a Prediction of fome great future Calamity, wherein God always referved to himfelf a Power of Non- Eketution, in Cafe of Repentance. The Intent of fuch Ppediclions certainly was, that Men mould believe the Prophet, re- pent, and fo prevent the Evil threatened from coming to pafs. But according to our Author, they were to judge of the Prophet by the Accomplifhment of his Prediction ; and therefore were to wait the Execution of the Evil, before they could jufcly give Cre- dit to the Prophet.
JS33WI Ip
2.6% The Argu m h n t from
Part . 7J sjru;: -. tetf*2
IL I f Go a had given the ^aM fuch 9 Ru!fc?,
ss^V^J as this, with refpecc to-their Prophet*;'1 Who foretold future Events, many of hS ^chief- eft. Prophets could not have been believed in their own Generations ;~ becaufe^ 'iheif Predictions related to Things at a Diftance, and many times had no Completion, till the Prophets were dead, as Ifaiab's concern- ing Cyrus, the Prophet at Bethel concern- ing Jofias, and the Prophecies concerning the Captivity and Deliverance from it. IF the "• Fore-tellers of thefe Events were to " have been tryed or judged of by their " coming or not coming to pafs, * then the People to whom thefe Events were foretold mult not have believed them till they were fulfilled; and the Fore-tellers of them, as fuch, muft not have been believed ac all. For when Predictions are accomplished they are no longer the Objects of Faith but Strife: And he that does not believe them till they are accomplished, pays no Regard to , me IvFQphet or his Infpiration. He- believes Things becaufe they are Fact, and not becaufe a Prophet foretold them. And where, I pray, is the Difference .of having a Prophet, or no Prophet^ a falfe, or a t*uje one, if there be no Dependence up- on what is. foretold, till it be accomplifhed? A Man might as well fit at Home' -and £uefs by himfclf,-;aS'"i«SQ5kien %*£ Prophet i For. his Guefs wdli,-~ooT io^witt^not <om^6' P§5i3 ^Mhemay ^iidgei)^*he:B^€nt, -whe- t^^^.gueiierflii^^otqtcvt; rjyl^lo-miich . ,-c) Satisfaction
Prophecy defended. 269
Satisfaction and Reliance upon the Predic- Part tj^n^ of their Prophets had the Jews,' and It. .ityfy/nore, according to our Author's Ac- \*/~\^*J, count of them. And thus the Promife of a prophet (which one would take at lead to Xignify fome extraordinary Favour in- tended the Jews ;) according to our Au- thor's L, Interpretation of it amounts to no- more than this, " I will raife them up ^<a^SuccerTion of Fore- tellers of future E- <c v&tfjp - in Analogy to Heathen Diviners : || Byt ^hough they mail be infpired by me I' for, that Purpofe, yet they lnall be fal- I'.lible in- their Predictions, fo fallible, thtit " yod-may not depend upon any one thin cr tc -they foretell, till it be come to oafs; "•". Wonderful Promiie truly ! Happy Difco- very ! Who can fufficjehtly admire the Can- dour,, r the, Sagacity-, the good Judgment," an$-,the other excellent Talents of him ttaS made it ! M*
vaib lib cr r)d, 3on 3nA
ffa ^ve now finimed my Reply, and" mufc beg the Reader to obferve ; How tjjjs, plain PaiTage of Deuteronomy, whic'i in its literal and -obvious Setife is conlfc£ ftent with" the Context, , fubjedt to no Dif- ficulties, or any thing that has the tCalf^ Colour of an Abfurdity, and free from 3ti I x ill or .iufpicious Meaning, has been wreit-' ed fronvrhat well meaning and inteft^iA. Lie Senfe to a - notorioufiy bad one; and from, ao-bajij. one, to: none ;at all. If -fuch'-: arbitrary Methods as -'thefe are to be u fed : iu mteQprffikjg Scriptun?L^if lfuch Vfoienc^ ■'
be
270 The A R g ument from
P a r t. be allowable to make an Author ipeald, mot II. Senfe, but Nonfenfe ; and if that for
*^"v^-' ridiculous Meaning may be impoted upon the World, as the plain certain Meaning 01" the Paflage, the Senfe intended by lhe.Wm* ter, the primary Senfe ix Oppofition to a ty picaly or allegorical, or fcondary Senfe J ha*fe then done defending Chriflianity frormthe Old Tejlament, knowing, that the -Goipel* whereby it is revealed, has too mud* good Senfe and juft Reafoning in it to need, or find, Support by fuch Methods.
But if the plain and obvious Senfe of the Paflage, which compared with the Con- text is perfectly confiftent with it, and in- tirely free from the leaft Shadow of an Abfurdity, ought to be preferred to a -fi- gurative Senfe, which renders fame Parts thereof fuperfluous and infignincant, others abfurd and ridiculous, and which nothing can countenance, but a Suppofition, which is even fcandaious to fuppofe, That God intended the Jevjs a Succeffwn of Prophets to ferve the Purpofes for which Applicati- on was uilially made to Heathen Diviner s\ then the Paflage in Difpute ought not to be underflood of a Succeffon of Prophets, nor can that Interpretation be reckoned the Pri- mary Senfe of the Words, or the Senfe in- tended by the IVritcr.
They muft therefore belong to fome one extraordinary Prophet: Not to Jofhua ; for his Ohice and his. Appointment to it
had
Prophecy defended. 271
hsui been frequently fignified in exprefs Part Words, in Words that bear no Refem- II. blance to the PafTage in diipute : When v-^V^ read together, no one will pretend they contain an Identity of Character, or any thins; that could lead one to fufpecl, that they were intended of the fame Perfon. Numbi 'XX vii. 1 8 . Ihe -Lord /aid unto Mofes, Take thee Jolhua the Son of Nun, a Man in whom h the Spirit and lay thy Hand up- on him, and fet him before Eleazar the Prieft, and before all the Congregation, and give him a Charge in their Sight, and thou /halt put fo?ne of thine Honour upon him, that all the the Congregation rr fifij Children of Ifrael may be obedient. And he /hall/land before Eleazar the Pri»jt±rYSHo shall ask Councel for h i m, after the j 'udgnw.it ■ f Urim be- fore tfa Lord: Ar his Word /ball they go ov.i, I c-ud at his IV or d /hall they come in, both hs and all the Children of Ifrael with him., even all the Congregation. Deut.iii. 28. €6<&g3 ■ Jb'iTiua and ijicourage and ftrengthen
■ Foi- he foal I go over before this People, and he /hall caufe them to inherit the hand which- thou jhalt fee. Chap. xxxi. 7, And Mofe called unto Jofhua and/aid unto him in
■ight of all Ifrael, Be fir ong and of good Courage : For thou 7?iufi go with this People UTii-o.ikc hand which the Lord hath fworn pjito their Fathers to give them ; and thou /halt caufe them to inherit it. A>id the L.CID, he it is that doth go before thee, he Will be with thee, he will net fail thee, mi- ihanf&tfokl thee : Fear .not neither he mfnay-
ed.
272 The Argument from
Part e^- Thefe PaiTages concerning Jofkma con- II tain a Character, noc only Very different
\^r^y^j from, but I think in one Circumftance in- con fiftent with, the Character of the pre mifed Prophet.
■ - If then it ought to be underftood of fome one extraordinary Prophet, and not of Jojhua ; it will I hope be allowed, that in Stricrnefs and Propriety of Speech it belongs to Jesus, and to him only. No Prophet before him ever applied it to him- felf, or claimed Attention in Vertue of it. Jesus did not only apply it to himfelf, but alfo juflified himfelf therein, by a moit exact and punctual Completion of ever)' Part and Circumftance of it. He was a Pro- fhet raifed up to the Jews from among their Brethren: He was like to Mofes, not. only in Birth and Office, but alfo in all the re- markable Parts of his Character. In his Behaviour and Conduct, He plainly dif- covered as great Steadinefs and Integrity, as great Meeknefs and Patience, as much Prudence and good Temper, as Mofes did : As a Lawgiver, He did vifibly, and in a Manner obvious to common Senfe, great- ly improve and perfect the Law given by Mofes, and purged it from a grrat many corrupt GloiTes put upon it by Jetvijh In- terpreters. And in doing this, Regard was had no the Petition of the People in Ho**k, faying, Let me not hear again the Voice of r£; Lord, my Geo, neither let me fee
C7-7V.
Prophecy defended* 27 £
great Fire any more : For God put Words Part into bis 'Mouth? ' and He /pake unto them all II, that God commanded' him. And it hap- ^-^v^-^ pened '■ to them who would not hearken to him, as God had threatried, faying, JVho- foc-Z'cr ivill not hearken to my Words? which be jMl jpeak in ''my ' Name, I will require it of hwi. For that Generation which re- jected him, furTered in the moft lamenta- ble ahd Unheard of Manner ; and their Po- tter!: 7, who ftill continue to reject him, ftill lie under the fame Curfe. And for as mudi'^s they required a Sign of him (as Prophecy had prefcribed) to fatisfy 4Mfc>, that the Lord had fpoken by Wm\ Me gave them a Sign, a moft afto- niming*Sign, fuch as no Prophet ever gave ; and yet' that Signvunufual as it was, and unlikely to come totals, was exactly ve- rified.
■ A Prophecy, fo very remarkable, ahd in ks obvious Senfe, fo ftrictly applica- ble to" Christ and his Doctrine,; and withal \$F incapable of any other Conltruc- t ion, -without great Abufe, and even ren- dering d%e'*Te\v? ridiculous, may with great- er!: Juftice «fee alledged by a Chriftian in Defence • of his Religion, and efpecially. a- gairii )\ for take it in what^Senfe
yo"u .-•;), they mufb be condemned
|
oy |
■ |
|
T |
C H-A-P. |
(m) Serm. at Norwich, p. 17, £srV.
The Argument/^;
CHAP. V.
The Argument from Prophecy fummed up : The Conclufivenefs of it, and" fome Ex- ceptions to it confidered.
I have now done with the Prophecies cited, and my Vindication of them; where I have carefully obferved all the Rules prefcribed by my Adverfary, more carefully, than he has obferved them him- felf. I have fuppofed the Scriptures, like other Writings, to have a Senfe confor- mable to the common Ufe of Wora^aiiid Expreffions, and to the Circumstances and Connection of the Difcourfe (a).- I have not been led by the Authority of any Jews, or by the Example of any famous Authors, nor have fuffered any Authorities never fo great to be of any Weight in the Inter- pretation of a Text, againft the Rules of common Senfe, that is, againft the Rules of Grammar and Criticifm (b). By t thefe Rules T have endeavoured to dncover, the primary Senfe of each Prophecy, the %tyj$ intended by the Writer, in oppoliiion to a typical, or allegorical, or fecondary Senfe (c). And if I have not been greatly miftaken,. the natural, plain, determinate Senfe of the Prophecies I have cited is this \
That,
(a) Scheme, &c. p. 388. . _{b) lb. p.. 26". \c) lb. p. 251,
Prophecy defended.
That, though God hadchoien the Chil- dren of Ifrael (to whom thefe Prophecies were delivered) out of an idolatrous World, to be a peculiar People to himfelf, and had in a Manner confined the Knowledge of him- „felf and his Will to them ; yet he had purpofed in time to make his Ways known upon ' Earthy his faving Health among all Na- tions. That for this End a Law Jhould go forth out of Z ion, and the Word of the L o r d (by which they were to be converted) from Jerufalem : Not intending by Force or Vio- lence to compel them, but by rational Motives to induce them to flow unto it> or voluntarily embrace it. That this new Law or Revelation fhould be firft com- municated to the Jews, by a Prophet to be raifed up among them like unto Mofes; who mould eflablifn a new Covenant, not according to the Covenant made with their Fathers, when they were come out of the Land of Egypt. That yet the Influence of his Miniftration upon the Jews mould be inconsiderable, compared with the In- fluence it fhould have upon the Gentile World: Thus God declared his Intention of glori- fying him, faying, I will give thee for a Light ti the Gentiles, 'That thou mayefl be my Sdvn::oii . unto the Ends of the Earth. There is never trie leaft Intimation given, of his attempting by Force to extort Obe- dience! but that the Gentiles Jhould feekto him, that the IJles Jhould wait for his Law, that in bringing forth Judgment to the Gen- T 2 tiles,
zj6 The Ar gument from
Pa r t tiles, he fhould not cry, nor lift up, nor caufe II. his Voice to be heard in the Streets : Hence
Ls^Y^J he is called the Defire of all Nations, and it is faid, All Nations Jhould be blejfed in him. But notwithstanding the Glory of his Under- taking and the perfect: Innocence of his Life, that he fhould be greatly defpifed and oppreffed, mould be numbered with Tranfgrcfjors and cut off by Violence •, God intending to ferve this gracious Purpofe by it, of making his Soul an Offering for Sin, of jujiifying many by his bearing their Ini- quities, that he being wounded for our \clranf- grefjions, we by his Stripes might be healed. That after this, he fhould fee of the .Tra- vail of his Soul and be fatisfied, and the Work of the Lord fhould profper in his Hands : For he fhould purify ?nany Nations, Kings fhould give Attention to him, Prin- ces alio fhould pay. him Homage and Obe- dience-, he mould be a Witnefs to, a Lea- der and Commander of the Gentiles;- He mould fpeak Peace to the Heathen, and his Dominion foould be from Sea to' Sea, and from the River to the Ends of the- Earth : In him alfo the Throne of his Father. Da- vid fhould be eflablifhed for ever, and en- dure as the Days of Heaven; for he. was to be of the Houfe and Lineage of. Da^ vid, 'and to be born at Bethleheni where David was. It was alfb revealed, that he fhould come during-the-Continuance of the fecondt Temple, and that it -mould not be long . afterwards before that Temple mould be defcroyed.
Consider
Prophecy defended.
Consider now, how exactly all this agrees with the Ghriftian Scheme, the Mea- sures that were taken to eftablifh it, and the Succefs it met with in the World. Gould one reafonably expect a more par- ticular; Account to be given of it in the Way of Prophecy. Every minute Circum- ftance indeed is not mentioned, that had been to reveal Chriftianity before its Time : But there is a general Draught, as full and as particular, as any Man ever gave of a long projected Scheme, which he intended at fome Diflance of Time to put in Exe- cution. The grand Defign, the principal Means of accomplishing it, the Method in which it fhould be purfucd, and the chief Infcrument to be employed in it, together with the moil remarkable Parts of his Cha- ra&er, Conduct and Circumfrances, are fo plainly revealed, that it was impoffible an Empoitor fhould counterfeit the Execution of it, and impoffible it ever fhould be accomplimed , in the Manner there pro- pofed, without the immediate Countenance of God. -k*> bnii ,
"hvFoir confider the Nature of thefe Pre- dictions. Could any Thing have been foretold more extraordinary, or more un- likely to come to pafs, than that which isitfr:- principal Subject of them ? Are they not very particular as to Circumftances, fixing upon a Perfon, of a certain Nation, of fuch a Family, to be born at fuch a
iqickoO T 3 Place,
278 The Argument from
Part Place, and to appear within fuch a Period II. of Time, to fulfill the Purpofes of them -,
v>*Vs-/ defcribing his Moral Character, and his outward Circumftances in Life, which were to be very defpicable, and therefore ren- dered him more unlikely to have fuch prodigious Influence upon Mankind, as thofe Prophecies univerfally, and that Pro- phecy in particular, which fays moft of his low Circumftances, do fo clearly foretell ? Do you find in Hiftory any Tendency towards the Accomplifhment of this great Event, when the Prophecies concerning it were delivered ? Could it have been ■ pro- pofed to be done by more unufual or more unlikely Means ? What Confedera- tion therefore can be wanting, to convince any rational Inquirer, That thefe Things could not have been foretold fo long be- fore without a Spirit of Prophecy •> and that the Perfon, who anfwered all thefe Characters, ferved all the Purpofes men- tioned in thefe Prophecies, mult have 'been
fore-ordained of God for that End ?
■
What Objection then remains againft this Argument fro?n Prophecy ? You would infmuate (d), that we build too much up- on Jewijh Traditions, in interpreting the Scriptures of the Old Tefiament :■ Urging, that nothing can be lefs fatisfaclory-, than explaining former PaaTages by modern Faith and Notions, which is leading the- Reader by
a .
<d) Scheme, 13 c. p. 68.
Prophecy defended. 279
a falfe Light ; and that to prove a Divine Part Original of the Notion of a Messias, II. we are firft to fhew the Notion of a Mes- \^y>>^ s 1 a s to be exprefsly contained in the Old Teftament from the Old Teftament itfelf. To this I entirely agree ; and am fenfible* that we have io little Reafon to urge, or depend upon, the 'Tradition of Jews in this Matter, that I think we are obliged, in Juftice both to the Scriptures and our- felves, to ftand out againft it, as the great- eft Corruption of Scripture imaginable. I agree with Jofephus, that the Jewijh No- tion of a Messias was grounded on a miftaken Senfe of their own Scriptures : And I think it an eafy Matter to diffed their Notion, and to fhew what Part was bor- rowed from Scripture, and what Opinions they groundlefsly built upon it, even in direc't Contradiction to the felf-fame Parts of Scripture.
Joseph us fays, " The Notion which *' prevailed among them, was, That there " fhould one come out of Judea, who mould <c have the Command of the whole World ; " which Prophecy they applied to one tc of their own Nation. " And thus far they had undoubted Prophecies on their Side v and it appears they underftood 1 the true Meaning of thole Prophecies better than Jcfephm, when he laid they were intended of Vefpafian, who was created Emperor in Judea. For it is evident pad Difpute, that the Perfon promifed to be great unto the T 4 Ends
zSo The Argument from
Part Ends of the Earth was to be born at Beth- II. lebem i that he to whom the Gentiles jhoidd
\s*>T^feeky who was to be a Leader and Com- mander to the Nations^ mould be- of the Seed, of David. David himfelf had ex- prefsly prophefied of one of his own Seed, that ihouid have Dominion frcm Sea to: Sea, 'mid from the - River unto the Ends of the Earth i that all Kings- jhould fall down be- fore him, and all Nations Jhould ferve Hm. Thus far therefore they were right : But from hence they went on concluding too faft, without taking Scripture for their Guide. They concluded, that this Domi- nion mould be obtained in the ufua):Way, by Force of Arms and Conqueft ; that therefore this Ruler of the Nations mould be a warlike Prince, mould lead them to -Victory and Triumph, and compel the 'Nations to be fubjecl to them. Whereas their Scriptures fay, he ihouid be in an efpecial Manner a Blejfng to diem,- that he mould fpeak Peace to the Heathen, and be unto them for a Light and for S-afofl- iion. Their Submifilon. to him is comtant- ly expreffed in Terms, that fignify the greateft Freedom and Willingneis j there is not a Word of Force and CompulUon, which are inconfiflent with his Character every where. Even thole. Prophecies* which fpeak of Kings and Nations being ilmject, and paying Homage and Obedience to him, represent . ftifc outward; Appearance in Life, as exceedingly mean and deipicabie ; and the Exaltation and Dominion intended
Prophecy defended, 281
him are exprefsly faid to be the Confe- Part quence of his Death. Therefore, will I di- II. vide him a Portion with the Greats and he v^Vs^ /hall divide the Spoil with the Strong., be- caufe he hath poured out his Soul unto Death. . I can fee no Reafon therefore for all that Cavil and Stir you have made about the 'Tradition of a M e s s i a s, in the four firft Chapters of your Book. For you al- low with us, and have proved, that the Tradition was originally founded upon Scrip- ture; and we allow with you, that the yews were miftaken in their Tradition ; and I think it is eafily feen, where their Mi- fta-ke lay. From thefe Premifes then I readily concur with you in your Conclu- fion <e) That the exprefs Word of God ought to be the fole Foundation of all ■ Tra- dition in this Matter. I have therefore made it my Bufinefs to fearch the Scriptures of the Old Teftament, and to collect, from thence the Notices they give us of a Mes- s 1 a s to come, and of the Scheme of Things to be introduced by him. And from hence it plainly appears, How far the Jewijlj Tradition of a Messias, had its Foundation originally upon the Scrip«- tures of the Old Teftament ; and likewile how far they had corrupted it with fond No- tions andhailyConclufions of their own* di- rectly inconfiitent with thole very Paffages of Scripture, from whence their Tradition had
its
(i) Scheme. £sfr, p. 90.
2S2 The Argument from
P a r t its Rife. I think what you have faid about II. Traditi&n, needs no other Reply.
You fay in another Place (/), That we beg the Queftion in Difpute, by intro- ducing our Scheme of a Mess i as, as a Key to explain Prophecies, without pro- ducing any literal antecedent Ground for fuch Scheme in the Prophecies themfelves. This Surmife appears plainly to be with- out Foundation. For that which effectually diftinguifhes the Mejji as- Scheme from the Mofaic- Scheme 1 is this, That the one was intended for the Israelites, as a peculiar Peo- ple, feparated from -an idolatrous World, for the Service of God \ the other has Refpect to the Gentile World in common with them. Now this laft Scheme of Things is as exprefsly revealed in the Old 1'ejfa- inent, as any Thing poffibl'y can be ; and from Prophecies plainly relating to it, are collected all the other Circumftan- tials which m~ke up our Mcffias-Scheme.
But you will urge perhaps, That there are many other Pafiages of the Old Tefia- ment cited and applied in the New, which I have not meddled with : Some of which, you fay, are of very doubtful and difficult Conftruclion •, and fome do not appear !by their Context or the Connexion of-jiife Dif- courfe, to relate to the Messiah, though you do not know how to difpofe'of- them
other- •
- (/) Scheme, &c. p. 210.
Prophecy defended. 285
otherwife ; and fome are allowed in their Part primary Senfe to relate to other Matters, II. andean be applied to Christ in zfecon- L^V^J dary or typical Senfe only. Granting all this to be true : What do you infer from thence ? Is it juft or fair to conclude, as you did at firit, That '■ the Notion of a Messias to come had no better Foun- dation on the Old Teft anient, than what fuch Pafifages as thefe afforded ? The contrary- does manifeftly appear. The Prophecies I have cited clearly foretell the Coming of an extraordinary Perfon, whofe Miniftration and Doctrine mould have a very remarka- ble and beneficial Influence over the Gentile World •, they give us likewife a particular Account of the Manner of his Appearing and the Confequences of it. All thefe Pro- phecies are very properly and ftrictly ap- plicable to Christ, and the Event of. his Doctrine, and to no other Perfon or Event whatfoever. The Argument therefore from Prophecy is fufficiently eftablifhed by thefe, though we fhould allow all others to be as unfatisfactory and as little to the Pur- pofe, as you can imagine.
But upon this Suppofition you will be apt to ask, Why then were they cited and applied? A Queftion, which I think we are not obliged to anfwer : For if the Argument from Prophecy be fufficiently conclufive with- out them, the Uie and Defign of them is, to, us at leaft, Matter of Curiofity ra- ther than of Neceility. And though we
could
2S4 The Argument from
Part could not fee what Purpofes were intencl- II. ed to be ferved by them,, yet thus much
\S~V**J we can plainly fee, that they were not un- fairly alledged to colour a bad Caufe, or weakly fubitituted for Want of better Ar- gument. I have obferved formerly, and! be- lieve you cannot difprove me, That no Dif- ficulty was ever attempted to be folved, nor any difputed Point pretended to be deter- mined, by Citations from the Old TeftameM, which are not very applicable to the Pur- pofe. You may eafily perceive, when St. Matthew applied thofe Words -of Hofea/x, Out of Egypt have I called my Soi-^ to Christ's Return out of Egypt, .there was no Difficulty to be removed, no Objection to be obviated •, and had the Words in the ftricleil Senfe been applicable to Christ, nothing of Confequence could have been built upon them. There could be no Temptation therefore, one Way or other, to cite them unfairly, or to apply them impertinently. rnV
Nevertheless, I think we m§i able to fatisfy the Curiolity of any rcafonable Perfon in this Matter. As to Citations of Paffages fuppofed to be of Diffioulfj Qm- ftruction-, you will allow thofe,-. •diffi.cul*- ties, let them appear never fo great to us at prefent, might be no;; -.Difficulties at all at the Time of citing! them, when 0\e'- Language in. which they were wrote was much better underflood, than it is at prefent. You cannot therefore fairly con-
.elude
Prophecy defended. 285
elude againft the Propriety of a Citation Part made To long ago, where the Teeming Im- IT. propriety depends entirely upon the pre- v^V^ fent difficult Conftruction of the Paiiage cited. Befides, in fuch Cafes much de- pends upon the Method of Solution. For if you pore upon a difficult Pafiage in any Author fingly by itfelf, it is a great Chance if you difcover its true Meaning: The proper, ufual and allowed Way in fuch Cafes is, to compare it with other Places, which bear any Refemblance to it, either in Words or Meaning, by which Means the Senfe and Conftruction of dif- ficult Paffages have been cleared to Satif- faS&ftt?- " And in this you feem unwilling Ci9 to allow" us that common Privilege, which- all Men have a Right to, and are allowed to take in interpreting other Au- thors. - You would tye us down to the Consideration of every fingle Citation by itfelf without fuffering us to illuftrate and confirm the probable Senfe of it, by o- ther parallel Places, which fpeak to the the- fame Effect. And yet thus, I am per- fuaded, many of thofe Paffages, which you fay are intricate and of doubtful Conftruc- tion, may be llluftrated to the Satisfaction of an impartial Inquirer.
As to thofe Citations, which confidcr-
rd as they (land with their Context, you
fay fhcuid feem rather to relate to .: Jp
n Ma:::-'.,
i
(g) Scheme, p. 137.
286 The Argument/^;
Part Matters, though you know not how to II. aPp!y them otherwife ; which Difficulty on
*w-v~^ your Side, you wottld account for by pre- tending a Want of Hijlory (h): Concerning fuch I would obferve, That Prophecies thus circumftantiated may not be a1 good Foundation to begin upon, or be thought fufHcient of themfelves to bear the whole Weight of the Mejjias-Scheme.' feut that Scheme being once eftablifhed, and it be- ing firft clearly proved, that the Prophets under the Old Tejlament had in View fuch a State of things, as was afterwards intro- duced by the Gofpel; then I fay we may fairly make Ufe of that Scheme, as a Key to unfold other doubtful Places of the Pro- phets: And if the Senfe of thofe Places appear to be more natural and eafy, in- terpreted according to that Scheme, than any other Way; then I think they may be juftly alledged by a Chriftian, and joined with other clearer Prophecies will car- ry fome Weight along with them.
O f Paflages cited and applied to Ch r i s t
in a fecondary or typical Senfe only ,
you fay that no Argument can be drawn
from them according to Scholajiu Rules :
Afrd" in this I agree with you. Nor do
I find, that any Argument is drawn from
ftfch Citations in the l\Uxv Teftarim. But
then. I hope you will agree with me, fince
tr 'apneas, that tfe Mofaic Inlttfution was . : i ;£m li iinamq 3 A nol
t3"iiup3t vox -'* ^nob ?V£f* I
-{£) Scheme, p. ?26,
Prophecy defended* 287
not intended to be perpetual, that God Part had declared his Defign by his Prophets to II. eftablifh another more perfect and lafting <S\r*J
Covenant, in which Gentiles as well as Jews fhould be; included ; That it is not incon- gruous to fuppofe, that God might pur- pofely , order feveral of their temporary In- itiations to bear fome Refemblance and have a Refpect to Events, which fhould come to pafs, when that more perfect- W ftitution mould be introduced ; and might order many precedent Events likewife to be fo circumftantiated, and fo exprefled by his Prophets, as to bear a great Analogy to, and very fitly reprefent Things to be done by . the Messias, to whom the Scriptures of the Old Teftament had an ap- parent View. And upon this Suppofition it will follow, That the Apoftles might very juitly and properly fay, that iuch things were fulfilled in Ch r i s t and Mat- ters relating to him> and therefore do not need any Excufe to be made for them up- on the Scheme of Accommodation.
Whether I have given a Solution of thefe Difficulties to your Satisfaction, I cannot fay, nor indeed am I much con- cerned. Yet if I fee Occafion I may here- after enlarge upon thefe Obfervations, and apply them to particular Inftances of Pro- phecies, fuppofed by you to be improper- ly or ijlogically applied in the New Te-' (lament. At prefent it may fuffice to ob- fcrve, That I have done all you require,
as
The Argument from, &c.
as neceffary to eftablifh this Argument from Prophecy, and to render it conclufive. For whatever you may determine concerning o- ther Prophecies and the Manner of apply- ing them, thofe I have cited and the Ar- gument ariiing from them, cannot be af- fected by it : Becaufe they come up to the Point to be proved, and are fuffici- ent (exclufive of all others) to eftablifh it. You fay, Since Jesus claimed to be the M e s s i a s of the Jews, foretold by the Prophets, it is requifite that Claim fhould be made out : And you add, that it ought to be made out, by appealing to the Books of the Old Teftament, to the Law, the Pro- phets, and the Pfalms. Thither we have appealed. There we find his Character and Circumftances, the grand Defign of his Coming, and the moil remarkable Confe- quences of it, fpoken of in Terms ftrictly and properly applicable to him, and al- fo incapable of any other fair and rational Construction. So that if one were to fup- pofe our Religion to have been built on this Foundation only, This Foundation on- ly is fufficient to iupport it.
FINIS.
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