B AN IE L, {a) a Teftimony of whofe great Piety Ezekiel affords us, could neither deceive us, nor be deceived himfelf by the Angel Gabriel: And he, according to the Direilion of the Angel, has left us upon Record, Chap. IX. that there fhould not pafs above five hundred Years, between the Publication of the Edidl for rebuilding the City of Jerufalem^ {h) and the Coming of the MelTiah. But there is above two thouflmd Years palTed, fince that Time to this Day, and he, whom the Jews expecb is not yet come; neither can they name any other, to whom that Time will agree. But it agrees fo well to Jefus^ that (c) a Hebrew Teacher, Nehemiah, who lived five hundred Years before him, faid openly openly \^a) A T ejlimony ofnvhofe^rcat P/V/vA-cjXIV.ut. XXXVIIL 3. jofcphus concerning Daniel, at the End of the Xth Book, fays; " That the Spirit of God *' was with him." And afterwards: *' That'he was endued ** with every Thing, in an in-** credible Manner, as being •* one ofthegreateftofthePro-** phets. In his Life -time, he ** was had in great Honour and •* Efleem, both by the Kings V and the People: And after ** his Death, he was had in e- ** everlafting Remembrance; ** the Books wrote by him and *' left to us, we read at this *' Day, and their Teftimony ** convinces us, that he had a •* Communication with God.'* (1^) And the Coming of the MfJJlah, &c.] The great Hebrenv Dolors, fuch as Soloinon Jaichi, Rabbi Jofue, quoted by Abcnejdras, and Saaidias, agree, that the Son of iVian in Darnel, is the Mefliah: Thus Rabbi Jofue, who faw the razing of the Temple, faid that the Time o^ the MefTiah was then pail, as R. Jacob in Caphthor telUfies.
(f) //Hebrew TV^r/'fr, Nehemiah, &c.] Grotius ought to have told us whence he had this. If I remember right, in fome Epiftle of his to his Brother William Grotius, he fays he received it from a Jew, Le Clerc, 236 -Of the Tmth cf Book V^ openly then, that the Time of tlie Meffiah, fignified by Daniel^ could not be deferred above five hundred Years. There is another Mark before hinted at, which agrees with this of the Time •, and that is, {a) that a Government over all Nations, fhould be appointed from Heaven, after {b) the Pofterity of Seleucus and Lagus fhould ceafe to reicn •, the latter of which ended in Cleopatra^ not lono- before Jefus was born. A third Token, is in the forementioned Chap. IX. o^ Daniel \ that after the Coming of the MelTiah the City of Jerufakm fhould be razed •, which Prophecy of the Deftruction of that City, {c) Jojephus himfelf refers to his ow^n Age. From whence it follov/s, that the Time limited for the Coming of the Mefliah, was then paft. To this may be referred that of Haggau Chap. II. where God comforts Z^r^^^^^^/, a Heathen Prince, and Jcjhua the Son of Jofedech^ the High-Prieft, upon their Sorrow, becaufe the Temple built by them, did not anfwer the Greatnefs of the the [a) That a Government o'ver {c) Jofephus himfelf refers to all Nations, &c ] R. Levi his o^n Age, &c.j Book X. BenGerfon tells us, that that ch, 12. *^ Daniel ^'xote con-Stone, by the Blow whereof " cerningthis Time, and conthat Image which reprefented *' cerning the Roman Empire, the Empires, (hoald be broken *' and that (our Nation) fhould to Pieces, was the Meffiah. *' be deftroyed by it- God Rahbi Solomon, R. Jhencfdrasy *' having difcovered all thefe and R. Saaicia fay, that that " Things to him. he left them Kingdom, which would con- *' us in Writing; fo that whofume the reft of the Kingdoms, *' ever reads them, and confiwas the Kingdom of the Mef- ** ders what has come to pafs, fiah. R Levi Ben Gerfon and ** cannot but admire the Ho-Saaida, affirm the Son of Man ** nour God did to Daniel.'* in Daniel, to be the Meffiah. Jaccides alfo upon Dan. IX. {b) The Pofierity o/" Seleucus 24. tells us, that the feventy and Lagu?, &c ] See the An- Weeks of Years were iinifhed notations upon this, in the Firft in the Deftru^ion of Jerufa-Book. hm- Setft. 14. the Chrljlian Religion. 237 the former Temple, with this Promife; that there fhould be greater Honour done to that Temple, than to the former: Which could be faid, neither of the Bignefs of the Work, nor of the Materials, nor of the Workmanlhip, nor of the Ornaments; as is very plain from the Hiftory of thofe Times, in the facred Writings, and in Jofephus^ compared with that of the Temple of Solomon: To which we may add, which is obferved by the Flebrew Teachers, that there were wanting two very great Endowments in the latter Temple, which were in the former, viz. (a) a vifible Light, as a Token of the Divine Majefty, and a Divine Infpiration. But wherein this latter Temple was to exceed the former, God briefly declares, when he fays, (l?) that he would eftablifh his Peace, that is, his Favour and Goodwill, in that Temple, as it were by a firm Covenant: This is further profecuted by Malachi^ Chap. l\\. Behold I will fend my Mejfenger^ whojhall prepare my Way \ (c) and the Lord whom ye fceky /hall fuddenly come to his Temple (now Malachi lived after the latter Temple was built), even the Me[-fenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in. Therefore the Mefiiah ought to come v/hile the fecond Temple flood, {d) in which Account, is reckoned by [a) A vifthie Light, as a %- fot Interpreters of each other.
cerning Inftruftion, and the as i^^r/?^/ ^o^wo^, teftilfies, were Jerufalem Gemara, ch..3. of Opinion, that the Mefiiah {h) That he n.vouId ejlablijl^ ought to come in the fecond his Peace, ScQ.'^ We mull ob- Temple...;.!...ferve what goes before. The [c] And the'TjhWwhom'^i DeJsreofallNatiovsJhallcome, feek. Szz.'\ This Place of A7aand Injoillfill thiiUoufe n.vith lachi, the J^^-t-j commonly ex- Glory. Which wonderfully plain of the Meffiah.
agrees with what we have talc- [d] In tchich Account is recken out of Malachi j fo that oved^ &c ] As in the Talmud, thefe two Prophets may ferve chap, the laft, concerning the Council; 23 S Of the Truth of Book V, by the Hebrews^ all the time from Zerubhahel to Vefpajian \ for the Temple in the time of Herod the Great, was not rebuilt from the Foundation, but only f^) gradually renewed by Parts; notwith-Handing which Alteration, it might be called the fame Temple. And indeed there was fo firm an Expedtation of the MelTiah at that time amongft the Hebrews^ and their Neighbours, {b) that Herod was thought by fome to be the MelTiah, {c) Judas Gaulcnita by others, {d) and fome more by others, who lived about the time of our Saviour.
Sect. XV. (With an Anfisoer to what is alleged^ that his Coining was deferred upon the Account of the Sins of the People.)
The Jews fee themfelves put to Difficulties by thefe Arguments: That they may elude the Force of them therefore; fome fay that their Sins were the Council; and that entitled Jorna, and that entitled iiJor/6. Majfchana.
[a) Gradually renenved by Parts, &c.] Philo concerning the World. '* That is not •* corruptible, all the Parts of •* which are corrupting gra- ** dually; but that, all the Parts ** of which are deftroyed to- ** gether at the fame time." Add to this, L. proponebatur. D.deyudiciis. l^ L. quid t amen. Se£l. in naniis D. quibus modis ufusfruSius amittatur.
[b] That Yitxo^nioas thought hy fome, &c.] Thefe were the Herodians, Matt. XII. i6.
Markiii. 6. Via. 15. xiir.
13. Tertullian in his Enumeration of Hereticks; amongft thefe fwere the Herodians, 'who fa'id that Herod 'was the Chrifl. And Epiphanius fays the fame of them: Agreeable to which, is that of the ancient Scholiaft on Perfius; " Berod reigned " amongft the Jenvs, in the •' lime of Jugufius, in the *' Parts of Syria; therefore *• the Herodians keep the " Birth-day of Herod, as they '* do the Sabbath, upon which *• Day they put lightedCandles *' crowned with Violets on *' their Windows.'* [c] Judas Gaulonita^ others, &c.] See Jofephus XVTII.
{d) And fome more by others, &c.] A^ls XXI. 38. Jofephus has many Inftances in the time of Felix, and fome after the Deftrudtion of Jerufaletn, Sed. 15. the Chrljlian Religion, 239 the Caufe why he did not come at the promifed time. Now not to mention, {a) that in the forecited Prophecies; what is determined by them, has no Signs of being fufpended upon any Conditions; how could his Coming be deferred on the Account of their Sins, when this alfo was foretold, that for the many and great Sins of the People, (h) the City fliould be deftroyed, a Httle after the time of the Mefiiah? Further, the Mefliah was to come for this very Reafon, (<r) that he might bring a Remedy for the mofl corrupt Age; and together with the Rules of reforming their Lives, aflure them of Pardon of their Sins. Whence it is faid in Zechary^ Chap. XIII. concerning his time; that a Fountain fhouid then be opened, to the Houfe of David and to all in Jerufalem^ to wafh away their Sins; and it is a common thing among the Jews^ to call the Mefliah, {djlscn C o p h e r, that is, the Appcafer. It is therefore very repugnant to Reafon, to fay, that that was deferred upon the the [a)That intheforecitedPro' Covenant, zs Malachi m that pheciest ^c] This is exprefsly Place, and otherProphetsihew; affirmed by R. Jochnaan in his coming could not be fuf-Schemoth Rabbi, and R. Da- pended on the Condition of 'vid Kaimchi, on Pfalrfi CVIW. obferving that Covenant he 5. Jofephui, Book X. to- came to abolifh. wards the End, fays v<ell of [b] The City Jhould he de-Daniel: •' That inhisProphe- Jiroyed, &c.] Dan. IX. 24. ** cies, he not only foretold [c) That he might bring a " what was to come, like the Remedy, &c.] Ifaiah LIII. 4. ** other Prophets; but he de- and following Verfes. Jerem-** termined the time in which miah XXXI. 31. and what ** thofe things ihould come to follows, EzekielXl. 19,21. " pafs." That the Decree of [d] Ifch Copher, ^IDID i:"N] the Meffiah^s being fentat that See the Chaldee Paraphrafe on time, was not fufpended upon Cant. I. 14. R. Judas in Ojuany Conditions, appears alfo fidim, and 7?. Simeon^ in Befrom Malachi III. i. Befide?, refchitb Rahbahy fay, that the feeing that the Mefliah was to Mefliah fliould bear our Sins. be the Author of the New the Account of the Difeafe, which was direftly appointed for that Difeafe.
Sect. XVI. Jlfofrom the prefe?it State of the Jews, compared with the Fromifes of the Law, As to what we faid, that the MefTiah is long fince come upon Earth, even Experience might convince the Jews, (a) God promifed them in the Covenant made with Mofes, a quiet PofTcfTion of the Land of Palejiine, fo long as they conformed their I^ives to the Precepts of the Law: And on the contrary, (b) if tliey finned grievouQy againft it, he threatened to drive them out •, and fuch like Evils: Yet notwithftanding this; if at any time when, under the PrefTure of thefe Calamities, and led by Repentance of their Sins, they returned to Obedience; he would be merciful towards his People, and caufe them to return into their own Country, though difperfed into the furthefl Parts of the World; as you may fee in many Places, particularly Deut. XXX. and Nehemiah I. But now it is above fifteen hundred Years, fince the Jews have been out of their own Country, and without a Temple: And if at any time they {c) attempted to build a new one, they were always hindered, (d) Nay, Ammianus Marcellinus^ who was {a) God promifed them in the linus, &c ] Book XXIII. Chry- Covenant, &c ] Exodus XV. fojiom II. againft the Jenvs.
Levit.XYlU. Levit.VlyVily Fire immediately broke out of XI, XXVIII. the Foundation, and burnt many [b) If they finned grie'voufly Men, and alfo the Stones of that againfi it, &c.] Levit. XXVI. Place. The whole Place is Deut. IV, XI, XXVill. worth reading. The fame Au- {c) Attempted to build a ne'uj thor has the like Words, in his o»^, &c.] In rhe times o't J- I Vth Homily upon M«///&^w, driany Conflantine, 2.ViAJulian, and in his Difcourfe of Chrift's Chryfoflomll. againft the Jews, being God.
(</J liay, Ammianus Marcelwas not a Chriftian Writer, reports that Balls of Fire broke out of the Foundation, and deftroyed their Work. When of Old, the People had defiled themfelves with the grcateft Wickednefs, every where facrinced their Children to Salurn^ looked upon Adultery as nothing, fpoiled the. Widows and the Orphans, fhed innocent Blood in - great Plenty *, (a) all which the Prophets reproach them with; they were driven out of their Country; (^) but not longer than feventy Years: And in the mean time, God did not negle6l (c) fpeaking to them by Prophets, and comforting them with Hopes of their Return, (d) telling them the very time, (e) But now, ever fince they have been driven out of their Country, they have continued Vagabonds and defpifed, no Prophet has come to them, no Signs of their future Return; their Teachers, as if they were infpired with a Spirit of Giddinefs, have funk into low Fables^ and ridiculous Opinions, with which the Books of the Talmud abound; which yet they prefume to call the Oral Law, and to compare them, nay, to prefer them above what is written by Mofes. For what we there find (f) of God's Mourning becaufe he [a) All ^ohich the Prophets XXXI. XXXIH. Ezekiel reproach them ^ith, &c.] Ijaiah XXXVI. XXXVII.
2, 3. LIX. LXV. Jmos II. 6. time, Szc'] Jeremiah XXVi Jeremiah II. III. V. VII. 21. 15. XXIX. 10.
VIII. X. XI. XVI. XXII. {e) But no-w, enjer fince they Ezekiel II. VI. VII. VIII. ha%'e been dri'ven out, Scc.'\l.'hc XVI. XXII. XXIV. Daniel Tahmid'm Baba Bathra.
[b) But not longer than fe- See the Preface of £'<r/6rt^ i?^<&-njenty Tears, &c.] R. Samuel bathi; the like to which we makes this Objection in his find in the Talmud entitled R. Ifaac. Chagiga, in Debarim Rabba^ [c) Speaking to them by Pro- and in Berachoth. pbets, &c.] Jeremiah XXX.
R 242 Of the Uriith of Book V.
he fufFered the City to be deftroyed, {a) of his daily Diligence in reading the Law, [h) of the Behemoth 2iX\di Leviathan^ (c) and many other things, is fo abfurd, that it is troublefome to relate them. And yet in this long Space of time, the Jews have neither gone afide to the Worlhip of falfe Gods, nor defiled themfelves with Murder, nor are accufed of Adultery ^ [d) but they endeavour to appeafe God by Prayers and Fading, and yet they are not heard: Which being thus, we muft of Neceffity conclude one of thefe two things, that either that Covenant made by Aiofes is intirely difTolved, or that the whole Body of the Jews are guilty of fome grievous Sin, which has continued for fo many Ages: And what that is, let them tell us themfelves; or if they cannot fay what, let them believe us *, that that Sin is, their defpifing the Meffiah, who came before thefe Evils began to befal them.
Sect. XVII. J e fits proved to he the Mejjlah^ from thefe things that were pr edited of the Meffiah, And thefe things do indeed prove, as was before faid^ that the Meffiahdid come fo many Ages fincej to which I add, that he was no other than Jefus; {a^ Of his daily Diligence, fiah, cencernlng the Revelafcc] Jhaaniih, and Aboda tions by £■//«/, concerning Hell, Zara. concerning the Kingdom of [b) Of the Behemoth, and the ten Tribes beyond the Ri- Leviathan, &c.] See the Tal- ver Sabaticus, and concerning Viud Baba Bathra, and the the Deeds of the i?^2/^^/Vj. ChaUee Paraph raft on the Song [d) But they endeavour to apoi Solomon, VIII. 2. peafc God, &c.] Whereas, if (f) Jnd majjy other things, we may believe themfelves, &c.] Many ot which, Gerfon (hey highly merit of God, for iheChriftian, hastranfcribedin rejecting a falfe MeiTiah, who his Book againft the Jenxi; fee was received by fo great a Part thofe Chapters in it concerning of Mankind. Devils, concerning the Mel- Seft. 17. the Chrljlian Religion. 243 Jefus \ for all others, who were willing to have themfelves thought the MeiTiah, or were really thought fo, left no SeA in which that Opinion continued. None now profefs themfelves to be Followers of Herod or Judas Gaulonita^ (a) or of Barchochehas^ who in the times o^ Adrian^ declared himfelf to be the Meffiah, {h) and deceive d many learned Men. But there have been fuch as owned Jefus, ever fince he was upon Earth, to this very Day, (r) and they a great many, not in one Country, but all the World over. I might here allege many other things, formerly predicted, or believed of the MefTiah, which we believe to have been compleated in Jefus, and which were not io much as affirmed of any other; fuch as thefe, (J) that he was of the Seed o^ David; (e) that he was born of a Virgin ^ (/) that this thing was difcovered from Heaven, to him who had married that Virgin, and would not keep her in Marriage, becaufe becaufe {a) Or o/Barchochebas, <^:c.] Whom J////> ililes. The Chief of the Re^-volt of the Jews. He is mentioned by Eufebius, Jerom, OroJtuSf in the Talmud^ entitled concerning the Council, in Berefchith P^ahbah^ by the Rabbles J ohn^xsdi Abraham Salmanticenjisf and others, in many Places.
{b) And decel'ved many learned Me?j, &c.] As Rabbi Akiba, fee the Talmud entitled concerning the Council, and the Book Zemach David.
{c) And they a great many^ &c. ] See what is faid of this in the fecond Book.
[d) That he Hxjas of the Seed #/David,&c.] PfalmhX^XlX, remiah XX II I. 5. EzekieX XXXIV. 24. Mich, V. 2. Mat, ing Verfes. MarkX. 47. XII. A^sXllL 34. XV. 6. Rom. XXII. 16.
{e) That he 'was born of a Virgin, Scz.'] IfaiahWl. 14.
(f) That this thing nvas dijconjered from Heaven ^ &C.J 244 Of ^^^^ 'Truth of Book V.
becaufe fhe was big with Child by another; {a) that he was born in Bethlehem \ {h) that he began to fpread his Do6lrine firft in Galilee •, {c) that he healed all Kinds of Difeafes; made the Blind to fee, and the Lame to walk: But I Iball content myfelf with one, the EfFe6l of which remains to this Day; and is manifeil from the Prophecies of {d) D^vid, (e) Ifaiah, (/) Zachariah^ and [g] Hofea^ viz. that the MefTiah was to be the Inftrudor of all Nations •, {h) that the Worfhip of falfe Gods fhould be overthrown by him •, and that he fhould bring a vafl Multitude of Strangers to the Worfhip of one God. Before the Coming of Jefus, almoft the whole World was fubjeft to falfe Wor-w fhip; which began to vanifli afterwards by Degrees, and not only particular Perfons, but whole Nations, and Kings, were converted to the Worlhip of one God. Thefe things are not owing to the JewiJJj Rahbies^ but to the Difciples of Jefus, and their SuccefTors. Thus (?) they were made the People of (a) That he nvas born In Bethlehem, &c.] Mich. V. 2.
(b) That he began to fpready &c.] Ifaiah IV. I. Matt. l\. 14, 15, 16. and in many other Places.
, (r) That he heated all kinds of Difeafes, &c. ] IfaiahXXXY. 9. LXI. I. Matt. XL s- Luke iV. 18. and every where elfe. Further, he alio railed the Dead, which R. Le'vi Ben Gerfon reckons among the principal Marks of the Mefiiah.
10. XIV. I. XIX. 18.XXVIL i3.XXXV.XLII.andXLIlI. particularly XLIX. 6, LI. 5. LX. 3. and following ones, following.
(f) Zachariahy &c.] II. 1 1. VIII. 20. and following. IX, [h) That the WorJJAp of falfe XXXI. 7. XLVI. I. Zepha- 2.
[i] They nvere made the People of God, &c.] Hofea II. 34, Sedl. 175 1 8. the Chrijlian Religion, 245 of God who were not fo before; and that Predidion of Jacobs Genefis X.LIX. was fulfilled, that before the Civil Power was taken from the Pofterity of y«^<2^, Shilob fhould come, (^) whom the Chaldee and other Interpreters explain to be the Mefliah, (J?) whom foreign Nations alio were to obey.
Sect. XVIII. An ylnfiver to what is alleged^ that fome things were net fulfilled.
Here thtjews commonly object, that there were fome things predided of the times of the Mefliah, which we do not fee fulfilled. But thofe which they allege are obfcure, and may have a different Signification; for which we ought not to reje6l thofe that are plain; fuch as the Holinefs of the Precepts of Jefus; the Excellency of the Reward i the Plainnefs of Speech in which it was delivered;' to which w'e may add the Miracles; and all together ought to engage us to embrace his Dodtrine. In order to underftand aright {c) the Prophecies of the fealed Book, as it is commonly called, [n] Whom /Z'^ Chaldee, &c.] Botli Jonatha?t, the Author of t\\t Jerufalem P.iraphrale, and the Writers of the Tultnnd, in the Title concerning tlie Council; Berefchith Rabbuy Jakiimnus on the Pentateuch, Rabbi Solomon, and other?, D2*ii', which the Je^vs now would have to be a Rod of Chaftifeir.ent; the Targurn in Chaldee explains by jiO/L!.', and the Greeks elp'^coVf a Governor; Jpii/ay ffKn-Tr'looi'f a Scepter; Sywf^achus, i^'cc'ici.t Poiver, And nVw is explained by 1J2 his Son, by the Chaldee A'.
Scloh, R. Bechat, R. S'jio.'/nn, Abenefdras and Ki?nchi. See v.hat is excellently faid concerning this Place in Chryfo-Jtom, in his Difcourfe, that Chriil is God.
{b) Whom foreig n Nations alfo nxere to obey, &c.] See. the forecited Place of Ifaiah XL 10. which affords light to this.
[cYLhe Prophecies of the fealed Booi,8zr,-] I/aiahXXlX. ll. chiades vpon them. SeeChfyfoftovi^ DiiTertation about this Matter, Difcourfe 11. why the Old Teilament is obfcure.
246 Of the Truth of Book V.
called, there is many times need of feme Divine Afiiftance, which is juftly with-held from thofe, who negledt: thofe things that are plain. Now that thofe Places which they objedl, may be varioufly explained, they themfelves are not ignorant of: And if any one cares to compare the ancient Interpreters, {a) who were in the Bahylonijh Captivity, or eifewhere, concerning the times of Jefus; with thofe who wrote after the Name of the Chriflians began to he hated amongft the Jews; he will find that Partiality was the Caufe of new Explications; and that thofe v/hich were formerly received, agreed very well with the Senfe of the Chriftians. Tiiey are not ignorant themfelves, that many things in the Sacred Writings are not to be underftood according to the ftri6l Propriety of the Words, [h) but in a figurative Senfe •, {c) as when God is faid to have defcended •, when {d) Mouth, [e) Ears, (f) Eyes, and [g] Nof2 are are [a) Who njjere in the Babylonifh Captii'ity, &c.] Grotius feems to have reiped to the Chalche Interpreters of the 0:d Teflament, and to fpeak;iccording to the Opinion of the JenMSi who thought them older than they were. See Brian Walton sFroh'yomena to the Polyglot Bible, Ch. XII.
yb) But in ajiguratvve Senfe ^ Ice] Thus Maimonides in his III Book, would have that '?\7iZZ aUJaiah XI. 6. of the times of the Meffiah underftood Allegoric ally \ and thus Da'vid Kimthi fpeaks of the fame Place of Jfaiah, who alfo fays the fame of Jeremiah II.
{c) As fwhen Cod is faid to han:e defended^ (5jc.] As Gen. monides of thefe and the like Forms of Speech, in liis Guide to the Doubting, Part I. Ch. and alfo upon Dent, where he fpeaks of the King. In the Cabaliflical Book. Nezael If rael fays, that the things belonging to the Meffiah would be heavenly.
{d) Mouth, &c.] As Jeremiah IX. 12.
ie) Ears, &c.] As Pfalm (f) Eyes, Sec.'] In the Place of the forecited Pfalm.
(g) Nofe, &c.] Pfalm XVIII. 9, Jerem. XXXII. 37.
Seft. 18, 19. the Chrijltan Religion, 2-47 are afcribed to him. And what hinders but that many things, fpoken of the times of the MefTiah, may be explained in this manner? As {a) that the Wolf and the Lamb, the Leopard and the Kid, the Lion and the Calf, fliould lie down together-, that a young Child fhould play with the Snakes •, {b) that the Mountain of God, Ihould rife higher than the reft of the Mountains -, that Strangers Ihould come thither to perform holy Rites. 1 here arefome Promifes which appear, from the foregoing and following Words, or from their own S^^^k^ to contain in them a tacit Condition. 1 hus God promifed many things to the Hebrews^ if they would receive and obey the MefTiah when he came •, which if they do not come to pafs, they muft impute it to themfelves. And if there be any, waiich are exprefsly and unconditionally promifed, and are not yet fulfilled, they may yet be expc6ted. For it is agreed even amongft the Jews^ [c) that the Time or Kingdom of tiie Meffiah was to continue to the End of the "World.
Sect. XIX. And to that which is ohje^edy cf the low Condition and Leath cfjcfus.
Many are offended at the mean Condition of Jefus, but without any Reafon; for God fays every where in the Sacred Writings, {d) that he exalteth the Humble, and cafteth dov/n the Proud, [e) Jacob [a] That the Wclf and the [d^Thathe exaheth the Hum- ^amb, &c.] In the foremen- hie, &c.] i Kings II. 8. Pfalm tioned place of IfaiahXX. 6. XXXIV. 19. PronjerbsXl. 2.
and following Verfes Jfaiah LVII. 15. LXVI.
{b) That the Mountain of God, 2.
&c.] Ifaiah II. Micah IV. i. [e] Jacob nvent over Jordan, and following. &c.] Gen, XXX 11. and foi- [c) That the Time or King- lowing. dom of the Meffiah ^ &c.] Perek 248 Of the Truth of Book W coh went over Jordan^ carrying nothing with him but his Staff, and returned thither again enriched with great Plenty of Cattle. Mofes was banifhed, and poor, and a Feeder of Cattle, [a) when God appeared to him in the Bufh, and made him Leader of his People; {h) David alfo, when he was feeding his Flock, was called to be King; and the Sacred Pliftory is full of other fuch like Examples. And of the Meffiah, we read that he was to be {c) a joyful Meffenger to the Poor, {d) that he fhould not lift uu his Voice in the Street, nor make ufe of Contention, but fhould aft mildly, lb, as to fpare a fhaking Reed, and to cherifli the Heat which remained m the fmoking Flax. Neither ought his other Hardfhips, and Death itfelf, to render him more odious to any one. For God often permits pious Men, not only to be vexed by the Wicked, {e) z%' Lot was by the Men of Sodom; but alfo to be killed; as is manifeft (/) in the Example of Jl^ely flain by his Brother; (^) of Ifaiab, who was cut in pieces ^ (b) of the Macea-^ff J Brethren, tormented to Death with their Mother. The Jezvs themfelves fing the LXXIXth Pfalm y [a] When God appeared to \g) Of Ifaiah, -ivho i.vas cut ^itntnthe BuJJjMz.'] Exod.lll. in Pieces, &c.] So fays the ■ {b)T>?y\d alfo <^vhen he 'tvas Tradition of the Jenjjs^ to feeding his Flock, &c.] 1 Sam. which the Author to the He- XVI. 7, II. bre-ws has refpeft, XII. 37.
[c] A joyful Meffenger to the and Jofephus X. 4. Chalcidiiis Poor, &c.] Ifaiah LXI. i. on Timreus. As the Prophets Matt, XI. 5. and 7.ach. JX. 9. bv njcicked Men, one cut in {d) T^hat he fhculd not lift up pieces, another cverii'htlmed 20. thren, &C.] 2 Maccab. VJI.
[e) As Lot nvas by the Men Jofephus in his Book, Of the c/"Sodom, &c.] Gf//. XIX. Government of Reafon, (f) In the Example ofAht\, &c.] Gen. IV.
Seft. 19. the Qmjltan Religion. 492 Pfalm; in which are thefe Words: They have ^iv en the dead Bodies of thy Servants to the Fowls of the Aii\ and the Remairts of them whom thou lovejl^ to ' the Beafis: They have poured out their Blood within the tValls of JcvuMcm^ and there was none to bury them^ and lb on. And that the Meffiah himfclf was to arrive at his Kingdom, and to the Power of bellowing on his Difciples the greateft good Things, throughTroubles and Death, no Body can deny, who reads thofe Words o^ Ifaiah with an attentive Mind, {a) Ch. LIII. JVho hath believed our Report^ and who hath acknowledged the Power of God?And that for this-Reafon^ becauje he hath arifen in the Sight of God as a tender Plants as Grafs out of the Sandy Ground: there is no Beauty or Comelinefs in his Countenance^ neither if you look upon him^ is there any Thing delightful-^ he was expo fed to Contempt^ and was as the mofi defpifed afnongjl Men *, he endured many Sorrows^ many Griefs: All Men turned away themf elves from him; he was fo much defpifed as to be thought of no Value \ (b) but indeed he hath endured our Difeafes^ he hath borne our Calamities. JVe efieemed him as ftruck from Heaven^ as fmitten and affii^ed of God: But he was wounded for our Sins, he was bruifedfor cur Crimes; {c) the Punifhment which fhould procure Safety for us, was laid on him \ his Stripes were a Remedy for us \ for affuredly we have all zvandred to and fro like Sheep \ God hath inpEled on him the Punijhment [a] Chap. LIII. &c.] Which us, that by Difeafes, are to be place is interpreted of the underftood any Evils.
Meffiah, by the Chaldee Para- (c) The Punijhment ^^hkh phrall, 2X\At\\^BahyloniJhGe- Jhould procure Safety /orus,iLQ.^ mar a, entitled concerning the Rabbet h, and Solot^on Jarchi, Council. on the Gemara, entitled con- {b) But indeed he hath en- cerning the Council, explain dured our Difeajes^ &c.j A- thefe Words concerning the harbanel upon this Place, tells MeiTiah.
2 50 Of the Truth of. Book V^ nijhment due to our Crimes. And yet when he was ciffiified ayid grievoufy tormented^ he did not lift up his Voice ^ hut was filent as a Lamh going to he jlain^ and a Sheep to he jhorn. After Bonds ^ after Judgment^ he was taken fro^n amongfi Men j hut now who can zvorthily declare the Continuance of his Life? He was taken oi:i of this Place wherein we live \ hut this Evil hefel him for the Sins of ray People. He was delivered into the Hands of powerful and wicked Men^ even unto Death and Burial^ when he had done no Injury to any one^ nor was Deceit eve^^ found in his Speech: But although God per mitten him to he thus far hruifed and aff Acted with Pains^ {a) yet heeaufe he has made himfelf a Sacrifice for Sin, (h) he fh all fee his Pofierity, he fhall live a long Life -, and thofe Things which are acceptahle to God, fhall happily fucceed through him; Seeing himf elf freed from Evil, fays God, {c) he fhall he Jatisfied with P lea fur e, and that principally for this Reafon, heeaufe hy his Doctrine my righteous Servant fhall acquit many, hearing himfelf their Sins. I will give him a large Portion (dj when the Spoil pall he divided among ft the Warriors j heeaufe he fuhmitted himfelf to Death, and was was {a) Tet heeaufe he has made himfetfa Sacrifice, &C.] Alfeck fays, that Evils borne with a willing Mind, are here fpoken of.
[h) He Jh all fee his Pofierity, &c.] Jlfeck here fays, that by the Word Seed in the Hebrenv, is meant Difciples. Thus the Seed of the Serpent is by the Hebrenxs Interpreted the Canaaniies; and To fome underftand it to mean their Children^ Ifa. VIII. 18, as the Jerufalm Talmud obferves, under the Title concerning the Council.
[c) He fhall be faiisfied njoith Pleafure.ScQ.'] Jbarbanehthv^ thefe Words to a future Age.
(d) When the Spoil fhall he di'vided^ &c.] The Babylonifh Gemara entitled HDID, tells us that thefe Words are to be underllood in a fpiritual Senfe. Alfeck upon this Place fays, that by Spoils are to be underllood the Honours and Rewards of wife Men.
SciSl. 19. the Chrijlian Religion. 251