Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

e

d

the Violence of the Deftruction, which. befel the Jews, and fo apparent were the Marks of God's Anger against them, that it may well be call'd in ScripturePhrafe, the coming of the Lord, and the Romans, who, by his Appointment, were the Inftruments of it, the People of the Prince that shall come even as the Affyrians, upon the like Occafion, are called the Rod of God's Anger, and the Staff in their Hand his Indignation. And tho' Antiochus Epiphanes had the Image of Jupiter placed upon the Jewifb Altar of Burnt-offerings, which ftood in the Court before the Temple; yet we do not read of any farther Profanation of it whereas the Romans, when the Fire was begun in the Temple, placed upon the Battlements of the outward Wall, the Standards of their Legions, whereon were painted the Images of their tutelary and military Gods, and fo, offering Sacrifices to them, fulfilled the Prophefy concerning the Abomination of those that made Defolate.

Thus by the Hands of the Roman Army, Jefus accomplished one part of the Prophet's Prediction; and the remainder of it he did by himself. By the several Tranfactions of his Life, he fealed

с

Joh. xxi. 22. Dan. ix. 26. *Ifai. x. 5. *Vid. Jofeph. de Bell. Ind.

Jealed up, or put an end to the Prophefies, which went before concerning him; by his Preaching the Gofpel for the Space of his Miniftry, he confirmed the Covenant with many for one Week; by

his Death and Paffion he was confecrated and anointed to his Prieftly-Office; by the Sacrifice of himself he virtually put an end to all other Oblations; and by the ineftimable Merit of that Sacrifice he finifhed the Tranfgreffion, and made an end of Sins; made Reconciliation for Iniquity, and brought in everlasting Righteoufnefs. For this is the Senfe of the Apostle, who never before was accounted, and, for his Defence before Feftus (wherein he only endeavours to affoil himself of the Afperfion of ha ving gone about to profane the Temple) cannot, with any Juftice, be accounted, a Friend to Jewish Ceremonies, that Chrift f bath blotted out the Hand-writing of Ordinances, which were contrary to us, and taken it out of the way, nailing it to his Crofs; by whom we are juftified above what the Law could do for us, and s in whom we have Redemption through his Blood, even the Forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace.

SECT.

f Col. ii. 14.

Eph. i. 7.

SECT. VII.

Of the right Application of fome other
Prophefies.

[ocr errors]

BUT

UT why should we dwell up- The Obon fuch a dark and visionary jection. "Writer, as Daniel, when the plaineft "Prophet of them all, if we take him "in his first and most obvious Senfe, "has nothing to do with Jefus, and his "Actions, but refers us manifeftly to o"ther Perfons, and other Things: when "a that Prophefy of Micah, which speaks "of a Ruler, who is to come out of Beth"lehem, and whofe goings forth have "been of old, from everlasting, was in"tended of Zerobabel only (as appears "by the Context) who was defcended "from the Royal Houfe of David, a Family of 500 Years ftanding; and "when that famous Chapter of Isaiah, "fo loudly boafted of by Christians, "and fo frequently cited by the Apo"ftles, is, when enquired into, nothing "elfe, but a prophetical Defcription of "the Sufferings of the Jews (one Per

[ocr errors]

“fon,

[blocks in formation]

Aufwer

that the

C

"fon, according to the prophetick Style,
being put for a whole Nation) under
"the Babylonif, or fome other Capti-
"vity? The Truth is, there is not a
Paffage, occurring in the Prophets,
"which, in its direct and primary
"View, may not be applied to diffe-
"rent Perfons and Events, than Je-
"fus and his Apoftles: And if fo,
"why should we give up our Rea-
"fon, and destroy the plain Sense and
"Connexion of what we read, in hum-
"ble Submiffion to their forced and
"unnatural Citations. The Chriftian
"Cause may be good, but, when it
"is fupported by no better Proofs,
"than what are thus drawn from Pro-
66 phefy, it seems to be in a weak and
"tottering Condition.

It is a general Obfervation of God's ed, by Kindness to the Jews (and might be fhewing evinced by feveral Inftances) before Prophefy they were utterly rejected from his Fain Micah vour, that whenever any National Carelate to lamity was coming upon them, he alZerobabel. ways fent a Prophet unto them with

V. cannot

fome confolatory Meffage, and generally with the Promife of the Meias attending it. Accordingly, the Prophet Micah, in part of the foregoing Chapter, and in the beginning of this under

Grounds of the Chriftian Religion, p. 44.

our

e

our prefent Confideration, had foretold the Invafion of the Affyrians, and the Defolation, which they would bring upon the Land; d Be in Pain, and Labour to bring forth, 0 Daughter of Zion, like a Woman in Travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the City, and thou fhalt dwell in the Field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon, for they have laid fiege to thee, and they fhall fmite the Judge of Ifrael with a Rod upon the Cheek: But then, to comfort them under this Calamity, he affures them of this, that not only the People, who fought their Ruin, fhould themselves be deftroyed by a fuperior Power, f which fhould waste the Land of Affyria with the Sword, and the Land of Nimrod in the Entrance thereof; but that, from one of their Cities, which was then of fmall Efteem, the Meffias, whose goings forth have been of old, from everlafting, fhould come forth, and dignify the Place with the honour of his Birth; for, that to come forth, and to be born in a place, are Terms fynonimous hall Commentators do agree.

i

Upon the decree of Cyrus for the Reftauration of the Jews, we find Zerobabel indeed, among other Princes of

K

f

the

Micah iv. 10. Ch. v. 1. Ver. 6. Ver. 2. i 2 Chron. xxxvi. 23.

id. Grot. in Locum.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »