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the time of the enlightening of the Gentiles, which happened after the Meffiah's death, and not before, this must be an argument for applying this prediction, not to the miracles of Chrift, but of his apoftles; it is fufficient to anfwer, That either way a confiderable point is gained in favour of the gofpel; that the great work, of enlightening the Gentile nations, was in effect begun, and the foundation of it laid, when the doctrine that was to produce that enlightening was published by the Meffiah himself; that his own miracles, as well as those of his apoftles, (performed in his name), were really fubfervient to that work; and that the prediction of miracles coming immediately after the prediction of the coming of God, the prophet faying exprefsly, that "then fhall the eyes of the blind be "opened," &c.; these things put together fhew, that the most literal meaning of the prediction takes in the miracles of the Mefliah himself, without excluding those performed by his apostles.

VIII. In order to fee that the hiftory of the Meffiah, as contained in the prophecies, is in a great measure a history of fufferings; and that the number of predictions on that fubject, as well as of facts and circumftances contained in these predictions, is far from being inconfiderable; it is of use to obferve, that fuch predictions are mixed with most of the principal characters formerly mentioned; and particularly with characters relating to the Meffiah's various offices, the time of his coming, the place and manner of his birth, the greatnefs of his exaltation, and, which is most remarkable of all, with the highest characters of his perfonal glory.

As to his offices, and particularly his prophetic office, it was proved before, that in If. xlix. which fpeaks of him as a prophet who was to enlighten the Gentiles, it is foretold, that he would fpend his ftrength without fuccefs among the Jews; and that he would be abhorred, not only by fome

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particular perfons of that nation, but by the nation itself; which expreffions, in their most natural meaning, imply fuch powerful, extenfive, and violent oppofition, as has an evident connection with perfecution. And indeed when we compare what it behoved the Meffiah to profefs himself to be, with the native confequences of obftinate mifbelief of that profeffion among the prevailing party of the Jews, it may fatisfy us, that the predictions concerning the unbelief of the Jews, to be treated of more fully afterwards, contain predictions of the fufferings of the Meffiah, feeing they imply, that they would treat him as an impoftor. And accordingly we fee that the unbelief of the Jews, and the futerings of the Meffiah, are connected together in the 53d of Ifaiah, comparing the beginning of that chapter with the fequel.

As to paffages which treat more directly of the Meffiah's priestly office, it was proved above, that the paffages relating to that fubject are more numerous than many apprehend. And If. liii. which fpeaks exprefsly both of the Meffiah's facrifice and interceffion, gives fo particular a defcription of his fufferings, as to the chief parts, caufes, and effects of them, as has juftly been matter of admiration to impartial readers in all ages, as well as a chief means of converting fone particular Jews from time to time; and is, on good grounds, commonly faid to look more like hiftory than prophecy; though its genuinenefs, as being delivered long before the days of Chrift, is beyond all controversy, and has never been called in question by the Jews themselves.

In fpeaking of the 'Meffiah as a king, or prince, it is foretold in Daniel ix. that Meffiah the prince should be cut off; which word naturally fignifies a violent death: and in Zechariah ix. after mention is made of an extraordinary king in Zion, having falvation in an eminent or fingular manner, of fingularly

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gularly extensive dominion, who would speak peace to the Heathen; the prophet, in the verfe immediately following, fpeaks of the blood of the covenant, as that which brings prifoners out of the pit wherein is no water; which was proved formerly to be applicable only to the blood of Meffiah.

The 22d pfalm, which speaks fo plainly of the times of the Meffiah, or of the enlightening of the Gentiles, and which will be more fully proved afterwards to treat of the perfon of the Meffiah, defcribes all along an eminent fufferer, actually in thẻ hands of his enemies: which was never the cafe of David; who, though oft affaulted and purfued by enemies, was never apprehended by them, or ac tually in their power: and as, the whole tenor of the defcription reprefents that fufferer as furrounded by a multitude of cruel enemies, maliciously infulting over him in his distress, while fuffering public execution, and brought at last to the duft of death; fo it is very remarkable, that the manner of his death is expreffed by piercing his hands and feet; words plainly defcribing crucifixion, which was a thing not known among the Jews in the times of David, nor for many ages after.

It was proved before, that Micah v. which foretells the place of the Meffiah's birth, hints at the indignities he was to fuffer; fhewing that he to whom the title of the Judge of Ifrael is applied in a peculiar manner, fhould be fmitten on the cheek: which prediction has a remarkable conformity with 1f. 1. 6. where the fame kind of indignities are mentioned in much the fame expreffions. And this is the more obfervable, because in the book of Micah whole fentences are borrowed from Ifaiah, as appears by comparing the beginning of If. ii. and Micah iv.: and the defcriptions of fufferings in Micah v. and If. 1. have a manifeft conformity to If. lii. 14. As it was proved before, that the first promife of the Meffiah in Gen, iii. foretells his miraculous concep

tion, fo it contains a remarkable hint at his fufferings; his heel's being bruifed by the ferpent, intimating that he would fuffer from enemies, in that fame inferior part of the conftitution of his perfon, or inferior nature, by the fufferings of which he was to crush his great adversary.

The laft-cited paffage in If. lii. fhews, that predictions of the Meffiah's fufferings are fometimes mixed with predictions of his exaltation, feeing the fame person who is there faid to be exalted and extolled, and to be very high, fprinkling many nations, and listened to with reverence by the kings of many nations, is faid to have his vifage "fo mar"red more than any man, and his form more than "the fons of men, as that many fhould be asto"nished at him.

Predictions of the Meffiah's fufferings are mixed with the highest characters of his perfonal glory as a divine perfon incarnate, in no lefs than three contiguous chapters in Zechariah, viz. chap. xi. 13. xii. 10. xiii. 7. In the first of which, after mentioning the price of the treachery there foretold, he is called "the Lord," who fays, "A goodly price that I was "prifed at of them:" and in the very next chapter he is called "the Lord," who is reprefented as "pierced," and that by the inhabitants of Jerufalem; whofe being pierced would be the occafion of fingular mourning, largely defcribed in the context; in order to which mourning the fpirit of grace and fupplication behoved to be poured down and which makes the prediction ftill more remarkable, that spirit of grace is faid to be "poured down by "him who fhould be pierced." In Zech. xiii. after mention of the fountain opened for taking away. fin, and of the abolishing of idolatry, an eminent fufferer is spoken of by God himself as his fhepherd, which is one of the diftinguishing titles of the Meffiah in the prophetic ftyle. To which a far more wonderful denomination is presently added, "the man that is my fellow;" concerning which title,

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however myfterious, it is very evident, that it is not applicable to any mere creature, nor explicable but by the doctrine of incarnation: and as it is foretold of this myfterious perfon, that God's fword' should awake against him, and imite him; which implies, that he would undergo very fingular fufferings, inflicted more immediately by divine power, exerted in an extraordinary way for that end; fo it is evident, that this branch of the prediction is parallel to what we have in If. liii. 10. "It pleafed the Lord "to bruife him, he hath put him to grief: thou "fhalt make his foul a facrifice for fin."

To fhew, that not only the predictions of the Meffiah's fufferings, but alfo the facts contained in thefe predictions, are of a confiderable number; if we take a fhort view of them according to the order of time in which they happened, it will appear, not only that the prophecies reprefent the Meffiah as a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief, with indignities and oppofition in his life; but alfo that they contain a particular and circumftantial defcription of his death.

It is not only foretold, as has been proved, that he was to be betrayed by a covetous perfon, voluntarily offering himfelf for that bafe purpofe for fome pieces of filver; but befides, a hint at the traitor's fubfequent remorfe, the precife number of pieces of filver which were the price of his treach ery, the place where he would caft them down, and the ule to which in the event they fhould be applied, are particularly specified, Zech. xi. 13. “I "took the thirty pieces of filver, and caft them to "the potter in the houfe of the Lord."-Matth. xxvii. 5. "And he cait down the pieces of filver in "the temple-and they bought with them the "potters field."It is not only foretold, that the Meffiah would fuffer a violent death; but whereas that might happen by fecret or tumultuary affaffination, it is foretold, that he would fuffer under the colour

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