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distinguished by a violent love of liberty, and a fixed hatred to the Romans. Hence they were particularly obnoxious to Pilate, who caused several of them to be slain while they were assembled to celebrate a solemn sacrifice; and the Jews, when they endeavoured to prevail upon Pilate to condemn Jesus, artfully called the object of their malice "a Galilean." (Luke xxiii, 2).

PROPHETIC HISTORY OF CHRIST.

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THE sentence passed upon our first parents for their violation of the condition upon which they held possession of paradise, was softened by a promise that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head." (Gen. iii, 15). That this gracious déclaration was then considered as indicating a deliverer who should repair the misery brought upon the world by the fall, appears from the name given by Eve to her first born, CAIN denoting a possession, "because "said she" I have gained the MAN the LORD." But when she found that her expectation of being restored to paradise was not realized, she called her second child ABEL or vanity. The divine promise. was renewed and more explicitly defined to the patriarch Abraham, in whom or in whose line God said that "all the families of the earth should be blessed" (Gen. xii, 3). This declaration was afterwards confirmed by a covenant, the sign of which was the institution of circumcision, and the assurance of it was the birth of Isaac in the old age of Abraham and Sarah. In the life of this great

patriarch prophecy assumed also a typical form: this was the extraordinary command given to Abraham, to offer up his son, the heir of promise, as a sacrifice upon Mount Moriah, the very place where Christ about thirteen centuries afterwards suffered crucifixion, in reference to which event the patriarch called the name of that place JehovahJireh, which means "the Lord will be seen." (Gen. xxii, 14). When Jacob was upon his death-bed, he delivered his blessing to each of his sons, or in the spirit of prophecy, he foretold the future condition and allotment of the tribes in the promised land. Thus inspired, the holy patriarch predicted in which particular family and under what exact circumstances the Messiah should arise. The sceptre shall not depart from Judea, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until SHILOH come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." (Gen. xlix, 10).

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In the history of Balaam who, like Caiaphas the high priest, prophesied truly without intending it, there is a plain reference to the promised Redeemer; "There shall come a "star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise "out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of "Moab and destroy all the children of Seth." (Num. xxiv, 17).

That this prediction points to an extraordinary person is evident from the introductory assertion, "I shall see him but not now, I

"shall behold him but not nigh," which words not only denote an illustrious character who should arise among this people, but that the time of his coming was then far distant.

He is called a STAR, because his light and influence would be refulgent in a dark age; and a SCEPTRE, because the power of his doctrine should be universally diffused. The Moabites were the inveterate adversaries of ancient Israel, and therefore they are here made to prefigure the enemies of the Messiah and of his church. By the children of Seth, the son of Adam from whom Noah was descended, must be understood all mankind. Here however a difficulty occurs in reading the English version, "he shall destroy all the children of Seth;" which is contrary to what is uniformly delivered of the Messiah, that "he was the desire of all nations," and that "in him all the families of the earth should be blessed." But this objection vanishes by considering the original text, where the word rendered "destroy" means also to "rule" or "have dominion;" and so the passage means strictly this, "he shall rule over all the children of men:" which is perfectly consonant with what is declared in all the prophecies concerning the kingdom of Christ.

Moses, just before his departure, gave this promise to the chosen people: "the Lord thy "God will raise up unto thee a prophet from "the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like

unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." (Deut. xviii, 15). This was afterwards repeated in the name of JEHOVAH; "I will "raise them up a prophet from among their "brethren like unto thee; and will put my "words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto "them all that I shall command him. And it "shall come to pass that whosoever will not "hearken unto my words which he shall "speak in my name, I will require it of him." • (verse 18, 19).

Here is the express description of a particular person to arise amidst this people, resembling Moses in his power and authority as a prophet and legislator, with a denunciation of the divine judgment against all who should prove disobedient to the "word of God spoken by him." Now it is evident that the particulars of this declaration never met in any one of the judges, kings, or prophets who were raised up for the government and direction of Israel at different periods before the coming of Christ. None of them performed such wonders as were wrought by Moses, nor did any one assume the right of altering the law delivered by him, much less of establishing any new ordinances. But Jesus Christ resembled Moses in all those particulars which distinguished him as prophet, king, and lawgiver. He wrought numerous miracles in the sight of multitudes, and that by the confession of the priests

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