the world long before, is given to the Meffiah's forerunner; refemblance in office, zeal, and temper, accounts for it: nor is there any thing more exceptionable in it, than in giving the name of David, who was dead long before, to the Meffiah to come. The facts contained in thefe prophecies about the Meffiah's forerunner, were fummed up in the former chapter.

II. The prophets give four remarkable figns of the time of the Meffiah's coming, relating to the ftate of the Jewish nation, the Jewish temple, the ftate of the Heathen empires, and the number of years. They fhew, that he was to come, after the total difperfion of the ten tribes, and before that o Judah; during the fubfiftence of the fecond temple; in the time of the fourth or Roman monarchy; and about seventy weeks of years after a remarkable period mentioned in the 9th of Daniel. Though feveral prophecies relating to fome of thefe figns were confidered above, there are others which it is needful to confider in the prefent argument.

The extraordinary perfon whom Jacob calls Shiloh in Gen. xlix. is fuppofed to fpring from the tribe of Judah; because it is of the peculiar honours and privileges of that tribe that Jacob is fpeaking. Whereas it is faid, that " to him fhall the gathering "of the people be," this is one of thofe characters fpoken of in the former fection, which, though of themselves, when abstractly confidered, common to many, yet, when applied by way of eminence to a particular perfon, to characterife and diftinguish him, muft be fuppofed to agree to him, in the judgement of the fpeaker, in a fingular degree and diftinguifhing manner. When Shiloh is defcribed, as he to whom fhall be the gathering of the people," and when indeed this is almoft all the defcription that is given of him, it is equivalent to a ftrong declaration, that that character fhould agree to him in a very peculiar and extraordinary

manner,

manner, seeing it is fuppofed to be fufficient to point him out. This character, thus understood, has a manifeft connection with the above characters of the Meffiah, as a perfon of incomparably extensive beneficence to all people, of incomparable dignity and authority, and in a fingular manner the object of the delight and defire of people of all nations; who was to fpring of the tribe of Judah, as being the offspring of David. It is a confirmation of this, that the gathering which Jacob mentions is reprefented as voluntary; and that Shiloh is mentioned as an extraordinary perfon, formerly made known to Jacob's family; which, together with the coincidence of characters, thews that he is the perfon formerly promised to the patriarchs, as their feed, in whom all people, or all nations, fhould be bleffed; this including, that to fuch an univerfal fource of bleffedness all forts of people would gather, these being characters naturally connected.

Then as to the time of his coming, it is foretold clearly, that it would be before the fceptre and lawgiver fhould depart from Judah, or about that time and it is at least hinted, both that it would not be long before that departing of civil polity from Judah, and that it would be after its departing from the other tribes; for if it was to continue with them as well as with Judah till Shiloh came, the patriarch's words would not be fuitable to the obvious fcope and defign of them.

The Chriftian interpretation of this prediction is farther confirmed by the fingular coincidence of style in fubfequent prophecies, where the subjection of nations to the Meffiah is expreffed by their gathering to him, or to the Lord, or to Zion.

Thus Shiloh is defcribed in this ancient fhort oracle, as an extraordinary perfon, of the tribe of Judah, formerly made known to God's people, who fhould be in a fingular manner the honour of the people or tribe of whom he was to fpring; to whom

N 2

whom there should be an incomparable gathering of people of all nations, in order to bleffednefs from him; who was to come after the difperfion of the other tribes, and before, yet but a little before, thę difperfion of Judah: which characters joined together, form a special and fingular description, applicable only to Jefus Chrift, and manifeftly coinciding with other prophetic defcriptions of the Meffiah.

As to the real or feeming obfcurities in this prediction, it is obvious, that different opinions about the meaning of the name of Shiloh cannot weaken the evidence of what is plainly affirmed of him, no more than the uncertainty about the etymology of any other great man's proper name can make every branch of his hiftory unintelligible; and the most probable meanings affigned to this word, fuch as

the Sent or Meffenger, or the Peace-maker," are already proved to be peculiarly applicable to the light of the Gentiles, or the Meffiah.

As to the objection, That the royal fceptre departed from the feed of Judah to strangers, before Chrift came; it is fufficient to anfwer, That the fceptre mentioned is not called a royal fceptre; that to restrict it in that manner is adding to the text, and a begging of the queftion; that there is a twofold latitude in the words of the prediction, which vindicate it from the objection: Firft, That the words about the fceptre and lawgiver are applicable to the mere fubfiftence of the polity of the Jews, though governed by a stranger; as the fceptre of empire did not depart from the Romans when governed by Trajan, a Spaniard. Secondly, That the words, until Shiloh come, without ftraining them, may fignify, either till after his coming, or till about that time; and, either way, the prediction contains proofs of divine forefight as alfo, that the command laid on Judea to fubmit to Herod, an Idumean, did not happen till a little before Christ came; and that actual fubmiffion, and fwearing al

legiance

legiance to that prince, did not happen till after Chrift's coming.

In the 2d of Haggai, the prophecy about the coming of the defire of all nations, is ufhered in with a very solemn introduction, about the most extraordinary revolutions, relating to things of the highest importance, expreffed by God's fhaking "yet once, "the heavens and the earth, and the fea, and the "dry land ;" and more particularly, "his fhaking "all nations." This itself is an argument, that the events which are the fubject of the prophecy, are the most important that ever happened; which has been proved to be the character of the events relating to the Meffiah. This is confirmed, both by the words yet once, which cannot reasonably be reckoned fuperfluous, and, in their natural meaning, denote the abfolute fingularity of the divine work they relate to; and alfo by the repetition of that awful advertisement, "Thus faith the Lord of "hofts," no lefs than fix times within the compass of five verfes; which fingularity of ftyle at once denotes the fingular importance of the prediction, and directs us, in interpreting it, to have due regard to the character of the fpeaker; and implies, that he who is here called the defire of all nations, muft be one who, in the esteem of God himfelf, deferves that title, and ought to be, in a peculiar manner, defired and honoured by all.

This extraordinary character, thus appropriated by God himself, in fo folemn a manner, to the eminent perfon in view, as fit to diftinguish him from all others, and plainly intimating his having been made known formerly by characters that should render him incomparably defirable to all nations, manifeftly coincides with the above characters of incomparable beneficence peculiar to the Meffiah, to whom ali nations would be beholden for the light of the knowledge of God, and for all the bleffings of God's covenant, If. xlix.

The

The fequel of the prediction confirms this, by fhewing, that the coming of the defire of all nations would advance the glory of the fecond temple (however inferior otherwife) far above the firft, and would even fill God's houfe with God's glory; plainly importing, that that eminent perfon fhould far tranfcend every former prophet, priest, or king, whatfoever; and that where his prefence was, there the divine glory fhould refide in a peculiar manner. All which things neceffarily coincide with the above-mentioned characters of incomparable dignity and glory appropriated to the Meffiah, as being not only implied in the prophetic doctrine about his perfon and offices, but alfo exprefsly afcribed to him in various particular paffages, fhewing, that he would be glorious in the eyes of the Lord; that God would be glorified in him, and that he would be glorified by God in a fingular and peculiar manner; and that at his coming the glory of the Lord would arife on Zion, If. xlix. 55. lx. I.

And whereas there is a remarkable promife added in the prediction, viz. "and in this place will I "give peace:" for explaining this peace, it is needful to obferve two things: firft, That it is mentioned as a confequence of what was faid before about the coming of the defire of all nations, and about his tranfcendent glory; and, fecondly, That it muft fignify fomething more than God's continuing the peace with himself which his people enjoyed already; feeing the giving of peace which is here mentioned, is mentioned as a new privilege, belonging in a peculiar manner to the future times in view. All which fhews, that this peace must be explained by the above-cited prophetic inftructions, about what the Meffiah was to do for peace and reconciliation between God and finners, and about the fuperior degrees of fpiritual peace peculiar to the ftate of the church after the coming of the Meffiah, who is called the Prince of peace; of the increafe of

whofe