The Prophecy which came by Abrakam.

The next promise made to man is, that, which was given to the Patriarch Abraham, when, in obedience to God's command, he had made an offer of his only fon for a facrifice. This promife is more determinate than the former; for by that we were informed in general, that a Saviour would come into the world. But we are now told the particular family; and that he was to be from a defcendant of Abraham. The angel of the Lord accordingly called to him out of heaven, and faid: By my felf have I fworn, faith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, and haft not withheld thy fon, thine only fon: that in blef fing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy feed, as the ftars of heaven; and as the fand which is upon the fea fhore. and in thy feed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: because thou hast obeyed my voice. Gen. xxii. 16, 17, 18. From hence we farther learn, that not only the posterity of the Patriarch was to enjoy the benefit,

which was one day to accrue: but all nations were to participate in the bleffing. This affords intelligence of great confequence.

The Prophecy by the Patriarch Jacob.

1

The next prophetic promife is given by the Patriarch Jacob, to his twelve fons, just before his death. In his addrefs to Judah, he mentions how refpectable his tribe would prove; and how fuperior to thofe of his brethren: which we know was fully verified. He then proceeds to difclose fome future events of great importance, which are comprifed within a finall compafs.-The Scepter shall not depart from Judak: nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come: and unto him fhall be the gathering of the people, or nations. Gen. There are different verfions and expofitions of this portion of fcripture: but the text of the original is that, to which we must principally attend. There are three things of great confequence mentioned: of which the firft is, that the scep

xlix. 10.

ter, or royalty, shall not fail in this refpectable tribe, till Shiloh, the Meffiah, fhall come. Secondly, that a lawgiver, or rather, as moft very properly exprefs it, an expounder of the law fhall not fail; confequently the law itself fhall be in force; till the time of that divine perfon's appearance. Lafly, to him thall be the gathering, or union of the Gentiles. Some interpret the words by faying-he will be the expectation, or the defire, of the Gentiles: which makes little difference in the

port.

pur

Concerning the Scepter, which was to depart from Ifrael.

In respect to the first article, people vary very much about the time, when the Scepter departed from Judah; though both Jews and Chriftians allow, that by Shiloh was fignified the Mefliah. Some, fays the learned Jofeph Mede, will have it to have been, when Pompey first brought the Jewish fate under the Roman fubjection.--Others, when Herod, an Idumaan franger, was by

the

the Romans invested to be their king-Others, not till the deflruction of the Jewish fiate by Titus. This laft was the author's opinion; for then, he fays, was the calling of the Gentiles in which he was greatly mistaken. J. Mede's works, vol. i. c. 8. Thefe furmifes are all equally ill founded: and tend to ruin a prophecy of great confequence, which with a proper attention will be found very precife and clear. They have imagined, that the fcepter mentioned related to the temporal rule of Judea, either as a kingdom, or commonwealth. But the temporal government was varied, interrupted, alienated, and at one time, for feventy years, totally ruined: fo that the fcepter in this fenfe had often departed; confequently this interpretation is quite fòreign to the purport of the prophecy. They did not confider, that the polity of the Jewish nation was a facred inflitution, and the government a theocracy: which was never interrupted, nor did it ever ceafe, till the rejection of the Meffiah prince. Hence we read, that the Lord came from Sinai.-The Lord was king in fefuron. F 3 Deut,

a peculiar

Deut. xxxiii. 2, 5-Sing praifes to our king. Pf. xlvii. 6.-The holy one of Ifrael is our king. Pf. lxxxix. 18.—Let Ifrael rejoice in him, that made him-let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. Pf. cxlix. 2.—In confequence of this the children of Ifrael were faid to be-a chofen people, people, and the Lord's portion. The Lord hath chofen thee a special people. Deut. vii. 6.-Ye shall be unto me, faith the Lord, a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. Exod. xix. 6. Many other inftances might be produced, by which the theocracy is manifeftly ascertained. Hence the people remained under this peculiar ftate of government for above fix hundred years from the death of the Patriarch, by whom the prophecy was given. But in the days of Samuel they impiously demanded a temporal king, that they might be governed after the manner of other nations. This prophet, who had acted as God's substitute both as a priest, and a judge, was greatly affected at their fetting him aside, after he had acted by them fo uprightly. It however pleafed God to indulge them in their