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that the whole makes up a confiftent coherent narrative of the series of events inquired into.

Whereas in chap. 2. v. 34. 35. the everlasting kingdom is reprefented by a stone, that grows af terwards into a great mountain, and fills the whole earth; and that stone is faid to be cut out without hands; the firft of thefe expreffions is evidently applicable to the gradual propagation of the gofpel, and gradual advancement of the kingdom of God on earth, from low beginnings, to that height of glory which the prophet defcribes fo magnificently afterwards; and the words of Daniel have a manifeft conformity with those of Ifaiah in chap. liii. 2. and chap. xi. 1. And the other expreffions, about the ftone cut out without hands, contain a plain intimation of fomething extraordinary and fupernatural in the beginning of that kingdom, or in the birth of that king, who is fpoken of in other prophecies under the notion of a stone rejected by fome builders, but made by God the head ftone of the corner, and of a precious foundation-ftone which God would lay in Zion, Pf. cxviii. 22.; If. xxviii. 16.; Zech. vi. 11. &c.

IV. As to doctrinal characters, though Daniel does not exprefsly call the Son of Man God's covenant and falvation, which titles are given to the fame perfon in Ifaiah; yet as, in Ifaiah, thofe mercies which are called the fure mercies of the myftical David, are mentioned as the mercies of an everlasting covenant; fo in Daniel, chap. vii. 27. the happiness of the faints of the Moft High, is reprefented as confifting in the privileges of an everlafting kingdom, which is the kingdom of him who is called the Son of Man. And whereas it may be objected, That this is not meant of the everlasting happiness of the individual members or fubjects of that kingdom, but only of the kingdom itself, confidered as a collective body; it is fufficient to anfwer at prefent, That, according to the moft uncontefted,

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contested rules of interpretation, it is reasonable to explain the expreffions in chap. 7. about the everlafting kingdom, by the expreffions of the fame prophet in chap. xii. 2. 3. about the everlasting life and glory promised to individual perfons belonging to the kingdom of the faints of the Moft High.

V. Though the more immediate ruler of that kingdom is called the Son of Man, yet it is obvious, that there is fomething very amazing in the prophetic defcription of the high honour and glory that fhould be given to him; as particularly when it is faid, chap. vii. 14. that "there was given him

dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; that all "people, nations, and languages, fhould ferve him ; "and that his dominion is an everlasting dominion, "and his kingdom that which fhall not be destroy"ed." Whoever confiders thefe expreffions with impartiality and candour, whatever be his fentiments otherwise about the person spoken of, must own, that there is at least fome difficulty in conceiving how fuch everlasting glory and dominion should belong to any one who fhould be no more than the fon of man, or a mere creature; and particularly in conceiving how fuch magnificent things fhould be afcribed to one who was no more than the fon of man, by fuch authors as the prophets, who inculcate fo ftrongly and juftly, that all mere creatures are, before God, as nothing, and lefs than nothing.

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Of the doctrine of the prophets concerning the Meffiah, and the harmony between that and the doctrine of the apostles.

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confidering the harmony between the doctrine of the prophets and the apostles, concerning the perfon, offices, and benefits of the Meffiah, it is of importance to have in view two general things concerning that doctrine, declared by the prophets themselves: first, That the more full and clear revelation of it was referved for that future state of the church which they foretell; and, fecondly, That the things contained in it are mysterious and incomprehenfible, as furpaffing all that "eye has feen, ear "heard, or ever entered into the heart of man to "conceive; God's thoughts and ways of mercy be"ing far above ours, as the heavens are above the "earth;" fo that in one of the chief prophecies that afcribe the highest titles to the extraordinary perfon in view, the first thing mentioned concerning him is, that "his name fhould be called Won"derful."

Whereas the gofpel-doctrine concerning the perfon of the Meffiah confifts of two chief branches; first, That he is a divine perfon; not the only divine perfon, (as the Sabellians maintained), but one of three distinct perfons in the Deity, the Son of God, fent by the Father to accomplish our redemption; and, fecondly, That for this end he was manifefted in the flesh, or affumed a human nature into an everlasting perfonal union; it may poffibly be objected, That it is not fo fuitable to confider this doctrine, in a defence of the common caufe of Christianity, in regard of the controversies about

it among those who adhere to that common cause i it is a fufficient answer to this, That, on the one hand, it is not poffible to give a tolerable account of the doctrine of the prophets about the Meffiah, without confidering their doctrine concerning his perfon; and that, on the other hand, the most confiderable of those who have differed from the body of Chriftians about this mystery, have taken it amifs to be accused of denying the Meffiah's divinity; profeffing, that they only differed from others in the explication of it, and that they owned him to be a divine perfon incarnate.

In proving, that the prophets teach the Chriftian doctrine concerning the Meffiah, it is needful to fhew, 1. That they teach the doctrine of a diftinction of perfons in the Deity; 2. That they teach the doctrine of a divine perfon incarnate; and, 3. That they afcribe to that divine perfon the fingular and diftinguishing characters which, in the prophecies formerly confidered, are afcribed to him who was to be the light of the Gentiles.

1. As to the first of these important points, the proofs of it being fo fully laid down in fo many useful books which treat more directly on that fubject, it is fufficient here to obferve briefly, that some of the cleareft of thofe proofs are contained in prophecies which ascribe divine titles or honours to one who is called the Son of God, Pf. ii. 7. or is faid to be fent, If. xlviii. 16. Zech. ii. 9. Pf. xlv. 7. anointed, given, If. ix. 6. or raised up by God, Jer. xxiii. 5.6. to be the meffenger of God's covenant, Mal. iii. 1. to be employed by God in the falvation of his people, Hof. i. 7. to afcend on high, and receive gifts from God for men, Pf. lxviii. 18. to be appointed by God to be a prieft for ever, and to fit at the right hand of God, Pf. cx. 4. and to ftand and feed in the ftrength of the Lord, and in the majesty of the name of the Lord, Micah v. 4.; it being evident,

that

that these, and the like fcriptures *, plainly teach a diftinction between the Father and the Son, between him who is faid to fend, anoint, give, or raise up, and him who is faid to be fent, anointed, given, or raised up; which laft expreffions manifeftly denote fome mysterious condefcenfion, to a fubordination of office, relating to a great defign, for the accomplishment of which that fecond divine person was to be fent.

2. As to the doctrine of a divine perfon affuming human nature, it is contained partly in some of the fcriptures just now cited, partly in fome others; and is either more directly afferted, or neceffarily fuppofed, where a divine perfon, or one to whom divine titles or honours are afcribed, is faid to be born, If. ix. 6. to be born of a virgin, If. vii. 14. to be born at Bethlehem, Micah v. 2. to be born or defcended of the house of David, Jer. xxiii. 5.6.; and is exprefsly called a man, and is faid to be betrayed, or fold, and pierced by men, and fmitten by the fword of God †, and to be a prieft for ever, Pf. cx. 4. after the order of Melchizedek, or faid to become visible to the bodily eye, and to stand on the earth, Job xix. 25. 27.

As these and the like fcripture-testimonies may be confidered either feparately, fo as in thinking of one to lose fight of all the reft; or conjunctly, so as to compare fuch parallel places together; it is evident, that this last way is most fuitable to the rules of interpretation; and at the fame time fets before us a confiderable number of concurring teftimonies, which mutually fupport and fortify one another's evidence, in favour of the conclufion in view: which fhows the rafhness of those who fuffer themfelves to be determined by objections that have no

See Gen. xix. 24. + Compare Zech, xi. 13. xii. 10. and xiii. 7. Compare alfo Gen, xxxii. 24. 30. with Hof, xii. 3. 4. See Heb. v. I,

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