Pag.

CHA P.

III.

A collection of the chief prophetic characters of the Meffiah,

and general principles founding the chief reasonings from

thefe characters.

Historical characters,

Doctrinal characters, names and titles of the Meffiah,

and characters of the times of the Meffiah,

Characters of the prophetic ftyle concerning him,

Of the three general properties that make predictions

proofs of Chriftianity; of fingular characters, and the

ufe of doctrinal characters,

Of combinations of fingular and more common charac-

ters,

How characters, which abftra&tly confidered are indefi-

nite, become fingular,

Of adminicular proofs from coincidence in ftyle,
How different predictions are proved to be parallel to one
another,

Of fingular descriptions made up of characters, which,

taken feparately, are not fingular,

Haggai ii.

The predictions concerning the Meffiah confidered according

to the order of time in which the events happened.

SECT. I. Of the Meffiah's life, death, and exaltation.

Of the forerunner of the Meffiah, If. xl.

Malachi iii, and iv.

Of the time of the Meffiah's coming, Gen. xlix.

Daniel ix. 24.

Of the place of his birth,

117

Of his being born of a virgin, Is. vii. viii. ix.

119

Of the family of which he was to descend,

122

Of his manner of life,

123

Of his miracles, If. xxxv.

125

Of his fufferings, and the many predictions of them,

Of the number of events foretold in these predictions,

Of the feveral steps of his exaltation,

128

132

135

SECT

Pag.

SECT. II. Of the Meffiah's church.

Of the different kinds of predictions of the enlightening

of the Gentiles,

That these predictions are not meant of the conversion of

particular profelytes before Chrift's coming, but of the

converfion of nations, which happened after his co-

ming,

Of particular nations to be converted,

The doctrine which was to convert them was to proceed

from Judea,

139

141

142

ib.

Of the manner of propagating that doctrine,

Of the pouring down of the Spirit of God,

Of the ipeedy converfion of the Gentiles,

143

144

145

149

Proofs from Pfal. xl. Dan. ix. Pfal. cx. If. lxvi. Mal. i.

10. 11. Zeph. iii. 11.

150. &c.

That the first state of the Meffiah's church was to be a

ftate of perfecution,

153

Of her ataining the countenance of authority, and legal e-

ftablishment,

155

SECT. III. Of the Meffiah's enemies, and particularly of the

unbelieving Jews.

The Meffiah's treatment from the Jews is defcribed as the

reverie of what he would meet with from the Gentiles,

Of the fubftitution of the Gentiles in the room of the

Jews,

157

ib.

158

Of the wilful unbelief of the Jewish teachers and rulers,

Though the prophetic books were to continue in their

hands, they would be as a fealed book, &c. If. xxix. 8. 159

Of the many events and circumstances contained in the

predictions of the unbelief of the Jews,

Of the difperfion of the unbelieving Jews,

-

Of Daniel ix. Of predictions which fpeak both of the

unbelief of the Jews, and of their difperfion,

161

163

ib.

Of Deut xxviii.

164

A final difperfion of the Jews foretold by prophets who

wrote after the return from the Babylonith captivity,

Zech. xi. xiii, xiv.

166

Of

Pag.

Of predictions which defcribe the day of the Meffiah as a
day of righteous vengeance against the incorrigible ad-
verfaries of Zion,
Several characters which diftinguifh a later difperfion of
the Jews from the Babylonifh captivity, If. xi. Dan.

xii.

Of the fubfiftence of the Jewish nation in their difperfion,
Jer. xxx. 11. &c.

SECT. IV. Predictions concerning oppofition to the true religion after the converfion of the Gentiles.

168

169

174

Of the book of Daniel,

175

That Daniel's prophecies extend to the time called the time of the end,

ib.

Characters of the little horn, in chap. vii. from the time of its rife,

179

Proofs that the fourth beaft reprefents the Roman empire,

180

Proofs that the time of the rife of its ten horns is the time of its downfall and divifion,

181

That the little horn is not one individual, but a fucceffion of rulers,

182

Another part of the little horn's character, his feat in the western part of the empire,

ib.

Of his being the horn that had eyes, and a mouth speak ing great things,

183

Of his being little as to fecular power, and of the greatness afcribed to him in other refpects,

Of his oppofition to true religion, his rifing after the true religion had been established, his promoting apostasy,

&c.

Of the extent of his power through the western empire, (not through the eastern),

Of his duration. - Dan. vii. and xii. compared.

Con

firmations from the prophetic ftyle in calculations.Though the beginning of the calculations in Daniel is obfcure, the extent is fo far clear, that it is evident it muit not be applied to natural, but prophetic days, Of the cause of obfcurity as to the beginning of the calculations, Of various arguments against the opinion that applies them to natural years, from the prophetic ftyle, (as in Daniel ix); from the proofs that the emblems do not denote individuals, but fucceffions; - from the scope and extent of the predictions; - and from the feveral parts of the defcription of the little horn, b 2

-

A fummary of the characters of the little horn under five
heads,
Properties of these five characters. Their clearness, be-
caufe vifions and emblems are interpreted in the predic-
tions themselves, and the three first empires being ex-
prefsly named, fhew by inference what must be reckon-
ed to be the fourth,

Pag.

The series of events repeated in parallel predictions that
mutually illuftrate one another,
Properties of the events themselves, — certainty, · noto-
riety, marvellous nature,
Remarks on the ftructure of the predictions, particularly
as to their haftening downwards to the times of the fall
and divifion of the fourth empire, and omitting events
as confiderable,
Peculiarity of the five characters to the prefent Romish
powers. They are not applicable to the Pagan empe-
rors, 1. As to time; 2. Nature, extent; -
3. Means of power; 4. The crime of being the
fource of corruption in religion to other nations, and
the crime of apoftafy; -5. Duration,
Thefe characters not applicable to any future Romish
power,

and,

196

201

202

ib.

203

205

207

The description not indefinite or indeterminate, but sufficiently circumftantiate,

ib.

A fummary of the

chief fingular characters,

210

SECT. V. Of the book of Revelation.

The apoftolical doctrine about the importance of fome knowledge of the fubject of thefe predictions, proved from 2 Theff. ii. 1 John ii. Rev. ii.

Harmony of Daniel and John in the five characters above mentioned,

Of the first complex character, the place and time, three diftinguithing marks of the first branch of that complex character,

A decifive proof from Rev. xvii. 10.

211

213

214

215

The fecond branch of the first character, the time of the beaft's rife, and the extent and means of his power, defcribed in the fame paffages, as Rev. xvii. 12. 13. 17. 216 The proofs in John parallel to thofe in Daniel, Additional proof in John, from the beaft's being fill fu

ib.

ture,

217

From his being the eighth fecular, and the feventh idolatrous head,

ib.

The

Pag.

The converfion of the empire implied, in Rev. xvii. 10.

11.

Of the fecond complex character, from the nature and extent of power,

Little fecular power proved,

Great power in matters of religion.

These things not applicable to the Pagan empire,
Third character, the means of acquiring power, fingula-
rity of it,

Fourth character, relating to the crimes; of which feve-
ral branches; fuch as, reviving an image of the old fu-
perstition, and healing its deadly wound,

Apoftafy,

Proving the mother and fource of fuch things,

Particular enormities against God, his tabernacle, them that dwell in heaven, and the fouls of men,

Arguments from John's admiration,

From the proper fubject of prophecy, future events,

Remark on fubfervient defcriptions of things past and pre

fent,

Properties of the prophecies of John,

Fifth character, the beaft's duration,

CHAP.

V.

The predictions confidered in the order of time in which they were delivered.

SECT. I. Of predictions in the books of Mofes and Job.

219

220 ib.

221

222

223

225

226

227

229

230

ib.

231

ib.

232

236

Of the first promife, Gen. iii. 14. Of prophecies in the books of Mofes, relating to the enlightening of the Gentiles; particularly Deut. xxxii. 21. Gen. ix. 25. &c. and the four promifes to the patriarchs, that in their feed the nations fhould be bleffed, 242 Proofs that these promifes relate to one particular feed.

A comparison of them with the first promite, Gen. iii.
14. Gen. xlix. Gen. xxvii. 29.; Balaam's prophecy,
Numb. xxiv.

Balaam's prophecy confidered more particularly
Proofs of the true interpretation of the promises to the
patriarchs, and of Balaam's prophecy, from the If-
raelitith history,

244

246

251

Facts concerning Chrift, &c. foretold in the books of Mofes, numerous,

252

254

263

Of

Gofpel-doctrines in the books of Mofes, and in Joshua,
Of what Mofes fays of Melchizedek,