and are altogether destitute of any Governorste guide them. They neither have any settled Abode, Lands or Poffeffions. How can the Scepter pofsibly be faid then, not to be departed from them, when 'tis plain, they have lost all Things, their Privileges, Registers, Books of Genealogies, the means of diftinguishing one another, nay, the Promifs of their Restauration, and the very Confolation of being able to hope with any shadow of Probability, that God will ever gather together, or restore them again ? ! Thus again it appears, the second Part of this Prophecy is exactly fulfilled, who then can any longer doubt of the Truth of an Oracle so clearly justified by its Accomplishment, which is as 'twere so clear a Comment upon it? And to defeat all the Objections that Incredulity can here oppote against us, we have no more to do, but sometimes to consult the Oracle, and sometimes it's Event. The Oracle affords us the following Argument. The Scepter was not to depart from Judah, nor the Law giver from between his Feet, till the coming of Shiloh, but the Scepter is already departed from Judah; therefore it must neceffarily follow, that Shiloh is already come. From the Event, We take likewife occafion to argue in this manner, The Authority and Power of Governing it self by its own Laws remained in the Tribe of Judah, till the Coming of Jesus Chrift; but exactly after his Death, it loft that Privilege and that Authority; it must therefore neceffarily follow from that, Jesus Christ was that very Shiloh, at whose Coming the Scepter was to depart from Fudab Judah, and till whose Coming, there was always to continue a Lawgiver among that Tribe. But 'tis no difficult Matter, after what has been said, to prove with respect to this Character of the Meffias, the three important Truths we have taken * upon us to prove with respect to all his other Characters. "Tis no longer a question, Whether that be a true Character of the Meffias? And that it agrees to Jesus Christ, and to none but him, 'tis # manifest in that the Scepter has been so long departed from Judah ; and that consequently it may truly be said, that this Character would not be a | true Character of the Meffias, if it had not been fulfilled in Fesus Christ. The Oracle therefore serves to illustrate the Event, and the Event gives force to the Oracle. But let us now pass on to the reft. : CHAP. and are altogether destitute of any Governorse guide them. They neither have any settled Abode. Lands or Poffeffions. How can the Scepter pof sibly be faid then, not to be departed from them, when 'tis plain, they have lost all Things, their Privileges, Registers, Books of Genealogies, the means of diftinguishing one another, nay, the Promifs of their Restauration, and the very Confolation of being able to hope with any shadow of Probability, that God will ever gather together, or restore them again ? ! Thus again it appears, the second Part of this Prophecy is exactly fulfilled, who then can any longer doubt of the Truth of an Oracle so clearly justified by its Accomplishment, which is as 'twere so clear a Comment upon it? And to defeat all the Objections that Incredulity can here oppole against us, we have no more to do, but sometimes to consult the Oracle, and sometimes it's Event. The Oracle affords us the following Argument. The Scepter was not to depart from Judah, nor the Law giver from between his Feet, till the coming of Shiloh, but the Scepter is already departed from Judah; therefore it must neceffarily follow, that Shiloh is already come." 11 From the Event, We take likewise occafion to argue in this manner, The Authority and Power of Governing it self by its own Laws remained in the Tribe of Judah, till the Coming of Jesus Chrift; but exactly after his Death, it loft that Privilege and that Authority; it must therefore neceffarily follow from that, Jesus Christ was that very Sbilob, at whose Coming the Scepter was to depart from Fudab Judah, and till whose Coming, there was always to continue a Lawgiver among that Tribe. But 'tis no difficult Matter, after what has been said, to prove with respect to this Character of the Meffias, the three important Truths we have taken upon us to prove with respect to all his other Characters. "Tis no longer a question, Whether that be a true Character of the Meffias? And that it agrees to Jesus Christ, and to none but him, 'tis manifest in that the Scepter has been so long departed from Judah ; and that consequently it may truly be said, that this Character would not be a true Character of the Meffias, if it had not been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Oracle therefore serves to illustrate the Event, and the Event gives force to the Oracle. But let us now pass on to the reft. 1 CHAP. CHAP. VII. Where we further examin the Time, in which the Prophets foretold the Messias should come. : THE HE next Oracle to be confidered, which is that of the Prophet Haggai, is altogether as plain and express as the former we just now ex2 mined. It extends from the third Verse of the fecond Chapter to the Tenth. And because 'ris of great import to us to be fully acquainted with the Connexion, and the true Sense of it, 'twill not be amiss briefly to analyse it. In the beginning of this Chapter, we are told, That the Word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel, by the Prophet Haggai; and this is what he said to him in the Name of God: He speaks to him of the Second Temple, which was lately Rebuilded, and which he supposes, First, To appear in the Eyes of the whole World to be much inferiour in Glory to the first, Who is left among you, says he, that saw this House in her first Glory? And how do you fee it now? Is it not in your Eyes, in comparison of it, a nothing? Secondly, He would not however have this apparent difference in any wife to dishearten them, Yet now be strong, adds he, O Zerubbabel, and be strong, O Joshua Son of Fofedeck the High Prieft. Be |