" 'till ISRAEL overcome:" So call Is A A c's (y) Son, the third from ABRAHAM, and from him his whole Defcent, who thus fhall win CANAAN, fhall be called ISRAEL, or ISRAELITES. HERE ADAM interpofed, and faid to the ArchAngel: Gracious Things thou haft revealed to me, thou Enlightener of my Darkness, who art fent from Heaven! and chiefly haft informed me of those, which concern juft ABRAHAM and his Seed: Now I first find my Eyes truly opening, and my Heart a great deal eafed, which was once much perplexed with Thoughts of what would become of me and all MANKIND But now I fee his Day, in whom all the Nations of the Earth fhall be bleffed; a Favour unmerited by me, who, by forbidden Means, fought after forbidden Knowledge: Yet this I cannot comprehend, why to thofe, among whom God will deign to dwell here upon Earth, are given fo many and various Laws; for fo many Laws argue, that there are fo many Sins among them: How can GoD refide with fuch? To whom MICHAEL made this Reply: Doubt not, but that Sin will find Place among them, as being begotten of thee; and therefore was Law given them, to make their natural Depravity appear, by ftirring up Sin to fight against Law; that when they (3) Ifaac; Heb. i. e. Laughter; because his Father and Mother laughed at the Strangenefs of the Promise of a Son, "when his Father was 100, and the was 90 Years of Age, Gen. xviii. 12, 15. He was the only Son of Abraham by Sarah, and Heir of the divine Promile. God commanded him to offer him in a Burnt Offering, but an Angel rescued him, and he offered a Ram in his Stead, &c. Ifaac was born A. M. 2048, died A. M. 2228, being 180 Years old. Seven Men were predicted and called by their Names, before they were born, viz Ishmael, Ifaac, Sampson, Jofiah, Cyrus, John the Baptift, and Jesus Chrift. To thefe St. Jerom adds Solomon, from 1 Chron, xxii. 8,9. Eee fee fee that Law can discover Sin, but not remove it, (except by thofe fhadowy and weak Expiations, the Blood of Bulls and Goats) they may conclude, that fome Blood more precious must be paid for MAN; the Juft for the Unjuft: That in fuch Righteoufness, imputed to them by Faith, they may find Juftification towards GoD, and Peace of Confcience; which the Law by Ceremonies cannot appease, nor MAN perform the moral Part; and not performing it, cannot live: So that Law appears imperfect, and is only given, with a Purpose to refign them, in the Fullness of Time, up to a better Covenant; being led from the Shadow of Types to Truth: from Flesh to Spirit; from the Impofition of strict Laws, to free Acceptance of large Grace; from fervile Fear, to filial Fear; from Works of Law, to Works of Faith. And therefore MOSES, though highly beloved of GOD, fhall not (being but the Minifter of Law) lead his People into the Land of CANAAN; but JOSHUA (z), whom the GENTILES call JESUS, bearing his Name and Office; who shall quell the Adverfary Serpent, and bring back MAN through the (x) Jofbua or Fehoshua; Heb. j. e. his many wonderful Victories over them. The Jews from the firft Entrance into Canaan . under Joshua to the Babyloni Captivity, lived in Canaan about 855 Years. After the Reftoration, to the Destruction of their Temple, City, and Nation by the Romans, in the 2d Year of Vefpafian, and 73d of Jefus Chrift, about 639 Years more; in all 1494 Years. But their total and final Expulfion out of that Land was not 'till 60 Years after that. But the Kingdom of Ifrael, from its Separation from Judab to the End of it by Salmanafer, lafted but 250 Years. World's World's Wilderness, who had wandered long there, fafe to an eternal Paradife of Reft. Mean while, they placed in their earthly CANAAN, shall dwell a long Time, and profper; but when national Sins interrupt their publick Peace, provoking GOD to raise them up Enemies, from whom, upon their being penitent, he as often faves them; firft by Judges, (a), then under Kings; of whom the fecond (renowned both for Piety and warlike Deeds) fhall receive an irrevocable Promise, that his regal Throne fhall endure for ever: All the Prophets fhall prophecy the like; that of the Royal Stock of DAVID (b) for so I name this King) fhall rife a Son, which is the Seed of the WOMAN, which has been foretold to thee; and which, as I have already informed thee, fhall be foretold to ABRAHAM, as one in whom all Nations fhall put their Truft; he fhall be foretold to Kings, and himfelf fhall be the laft of Kings; for of his Reign there shall be no End. But, firft there muft enfue a long (a) Judges; Lat. The Hebrews call them Sophehim; from whence the Carthaginians, Athenians, and others, called their civil Magiftrates Suffetes. Thofe Judges were Men of extraordi. nary Piety, Virtue, and Valour, railed up upon extraordinary Occafions, for the Deliverance and Defence of the People. They were 22 in Number, (but others reckon only 12, beginning with Othniel, Judg. iii. 9.) and continued, from Mofes to Saul, their firft King, about the Space of four hundred and twenty-fix Years. After them there were twenty-two Kings of Judah, in the Space of five hundred Years, to the Babylonifh Captivity. (b) David; Heb. i. e. Beloved because he was pious, upright, and beloved of God. He was the Son of Je of Bethlehem, a Shepherd, the fecond King of Ifrael, anointed King about fifteen Years of Age, A. M. 2881. and after many Troubles came to the Throne, being thirty Years old; he reigned forty Years and fix Months. He di ed in the feventieth Year of his Age; and was buried moft magnificently by King Solomon. Hircanus, the High Prieft, found three thousand Talents in his Sepulchre, three hundred Years afterwards, and Herod found a vaft Treasure in it, many Ages after that. Three thoufand Talents were worth 50737. 155. 7d. But his vaft Treature amounted to 547,500,000 1. Sterling; and in Silver to above 342,000,000 /. See Chron. xxii. 14. Eee 2 Suc Book XII. Succeffion; and his next Son, famed for Wealth and Wifdom, fhall enfhrine the Ark of Go D in a glorious Temple; 'till then refting under the Cloud, or wandering in Tents. Such Kings follow him, as Part fhall be chronicled bad, Part good; but mostly bad; whofe foul Idolatries, and other Faults added to the Sins of the People, will fo incenfe GoD, that he will leave them, and expofe their Land, their City, his Temple, and his holy Ark, with all his facred Things, a Prey and Scorn to that proud City, whofe high Walls thou faweft left in Confufion; thence called BABYLON There he lets them live in Captivity the Space of feventy Years; then brings them back again; remembring Mercy, and his Covenant fworn to DAVID, Being returned from BABYLON, by the Leave of Kings who were their Lords, whofe Hearts GoD difpofed, they firft rebuild the House of God, and live for a while moderate, in mean Estate; 'till grown rich and populous, they grow factious. But the Diffention firft fprings among the Priests; MEN who attend upon the Altar, and who mostly should endeavour to keep Peace : Their Strife brings Pollution upon the Temple itself; at laft they feize upon the Scepter, and pay no Regard to the Houfe of DAVID: Then they lofe it to a Stranger, to HEROD (e), that the true anointed King, the MESSIAH, might be born, debarred of his Right: Yet a Star appearing at his Birth, which had never before been feen in Heaven, proclaims him come; and guides the wife MEN of the Eaft to him, who enquire the Place where he was, to offer Incenfe, Myrrh, and Gold: A folemn Angel tells the Place of his Birth to the fimple Shepherds, as they kept Watch by Night; they gladly hafte thither, and there was a (c) Here Herod the Great, to Afcalonite or Idumæ an. He was the first foreign Prince that ever reign'd in Judea, deputed there in by the Romans, who had subdued the Jews; for then the Scepter actually departed from the Houfe of King David. Multitude of the Hoft of Heaven, praifing GOD, and finging Songs of Joy. A Virgin fhall be his Mother, but he fhall be begot by the Power of the MOST HIGH! He fhall defcend his hereditary Throne, and the Bounds of his Kingdom fhall be that of the whole Earth; but his Glory fhall extend to the utmoft Heavens. MICHAEL left fpeaking; perceiving ADAM fo full of Joy, that if he had not vented it with Words, it would, like Grief, have occafioned him to burft out into Tears; so he addressed these to the Angel: ; O PROPHET! foretelling Gladness and future. Good, to the utmost that can be defired or hoped for now I understand clearly, what with all the Power of my Thoughts I have often fearched in vain; why the great REDEEMER that we expect, fhould be called the Seed of WOMAN: Hail Virgin Mother, high in the Love of Heaven! yet thou fhalt proceed from my Loins, and from thy Womb fhall proceed the SoN of the most high GOD; fo GOD unites with MAN. Now is the Time for the Serpent to expect his final Defeat, with mortal and everlasting Pain. When, and where, will their Fight be? And tell me, I pray thee, what Stroke fhall bruise the Heel of the Conqueror ? To whom MICHAEL made this Anfwer: Do not imagine, that they are to fight as it were in a Duel, or that there will be real Wounds given, or received, in fuch Places as the Head or Heel: The SON of GOD does not join Manhood to the Godhead, that fo he may overthrow thy Enemy with more Strength: Nor is SATAN fo to be overcome, whofe Fall from Heaven (which was a deadlier Bruife) did not difable him from giving thee thy Death's Wound, which he, who comes to be thy SAVIOUR, fhall |