Another fort of them pretend, that Eliezer, the Servant of Abraham, was the Author of this Pfalm; but they are soon refuted by this last Confideration, as well as by all the other Passages of this Prophecy. A third fort affirm with no better Success, That David composed this Song, as prophefying of King Hezekiah whose Glory he foretold; as if it was any thing likely he should call him his Lord. Lastly, Some are of Opinion, that this Psalm was composed in honour of David, by some Levite or other who had a mind to publish his Glory and Grandure; and as some others will have it, that he composed it upon occafion of the danger David was in, of being flain by the Spear of the Philistine Ishbi-benob, when Abishai fuccoured him: So that the Men of Da2 Sam. 21. vid sware unto him, saying, Thon 16,17,18. shalt go no more out with us to Battel, that thou quench not the Light of Ifrael. But though we should reflect on no other words but these, The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent : Thou art a Priest for ever, after the Order of Melchifedech; we might plainly perceive this Prophecy cannot be understood of David, it being most certain that David was neither an everlasting Prieft, nor a Priest after the Order of Melchife dech. CHAP. / CHAP. XIV. Wherein we answer the principal Objections that may be raised against the Prophecies touching the Meffiah. HIS is what we had say Prophecies atat foretold a concerning the Meffiah whom we own. Let us now hear what Objections the Incredulous do or may raise against those evident Testimonies. 1. They will perhaps defire of us a greater number of Oracles to testify of the Lord Jesus. But let them consider, there is scarce a Chapter in all the Revelations of each Prophet, but what contains fome Passages or other touching the Meffiah. 2. If they require we should produce them Prophecies still more particular than these, let them consider that the Person of the Mefsias could not be more precisely represented, nor the Events be more circumstantial than in the Prophecies we have alledged. Jesus Christ is there called Shilob, the Christ, a Deliverer, a great One, who was to come to the second House, and make the Glory of it; the Son of God, an Everlasting King, a Priest according to the Order of Melchifedeck, the Lord, the God, the Saviour of all the World, the holy One of God, the Shepherd, the Prince, the Servant of God, his Elect in whom he delighteth; the Son of Man coming on the Clouds of Heaven; Ll3 like ) likewise a Worm and no Man, the Reproach of Men; a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief; a Lamb, a burnt-Offering for Sin, &c. As to the Events, they are exactly described, with all their principal Circumstances, in the Visions of the Prophet Efaiah, that whosoever shall read them, mut needs look upon them as upon a 5th Gospel. 3. They will perhaps suspect the Force of theft pretended Characters of the Meffiab, or of the Circumstances of all those Events, because they are collected from fo many different and separate places of Scripture, which have no connection one with another. But besides that, we have already proved there is a mention made of the Meffiab, in those very places from whence we gathered them: Divine Wisdom has taken fuch a wonderful Care, that no just Exceptions can be made against us on that Account; and that we should want nothing we can defire to convince the most obstinate Unbeliever. For what can be more circumstantial than the Oracles of Daniel? And who fees not that the 52d Chapter of Efaiab is wholly designed to fet out the Humiliation of Jesus Christ, his Reproach and his Sufferings, his Death and Sacrifice, his Burial, his Resurrection and Ascension, together with his Propitiation for our Sins, and the Salvation of Mankind? So that it is impossible, by any Quirks or Subtilties whatfoever, that we should avoid acknowledging, that so many various, and seemingly contrary Characters, are used to denote one and the fame Perfon. ! 1 edence Thould allign any more sensible Ones, than the alteration of the Covenant, the fubversion of the four Monarchies that had afflicted God's People, the Conversion of the Gentiles, the Desolation of Jerusalem and of the Sanctuary, that was to follow; the taking away the Scepter, and the Lawgiver from Judah ; the Confufion of Genealogies, and the Loss of their Liberty; the establish ing of an Empire that should comprehend all Nations, Tribes and Languages; the coming of tion of Saints which was to people the Earth; the Knowledg of God that was to fill it, and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost that were to be poured on all Flesh, according to the Prophet Joel, that is, on other Nations as well as on the Jews? a Na 5. But if they shall demand, why God did not express all these Events in so plain and exact a manner, as that it should be impossible to call them in question? I answer; It is not convenient that Prophecies should be so clearly expressed, as to give Men thereby an occasion to avoid or alter their Events. For if the precise moment of Chrift's Nativity had been foretold, Herod would have been thereby directed how to execute with ease his bloody Design upon him. And had his Person been so characterized, as that he could not possibly mistake him; had he been told he was the Son of Mary, married to a Carpenter called Jofeph; that he was to lie in a Manger at such a Time, and in such a House in Bethlehem; but that on a certain Day he was to be carried into Egypt; it would but have afforded Herod the more allured M s to have fatisfied his cruel Ambition, or elfe 'd have obliged God's Wisdom to that thi be forced to invent fome other L14 Means Means to save his Son, than those he had decreed, or the Prophets had already foretold and determined. This Beam of Light wirich proceeds from the History of the Gofpe!, shews us what necessity there is that Prophecies should be vailed over before their Accomplishment. Besides, what Inconveniences might come of it, if we could dive into the Bottom of the Design, and the Decrees of the Wisdom of God? 6. It may be they will again object, that the Oracles that describe the Coming, and the Kingdom of the Meffiab, speak all of them, as of an Event that was to be the Glory of the Ifraelites, and effect the fubjection of the Nations to them, who were to be but their Slaves. I reply, That this is false, for the coming of the Meffiah is foretold us, as a Blessing that was designed, both to the Jews and Gentiles; of whom it is faid, they should make but one People. Nay, the Converfion of the Gentiles is ever foretold us as a greater Event than the Restauration of the Chap.49.6. Jews. For thus Efaiah makes God to speak to the Meffiah which was to come; And he said, It is a light thing that thou Shouldest be my Servant, to raise up the Tribes of Jacob, and to restore the Preserved of Ifrael: I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles, that thou mayeft be my Salvation, unto the End of the Earth. 7. But how comes this to pass, that the Prophets prepare the Jews to the Expectation of so much Glory and Pomp by the Meffiab, since at bis coming they were to be cast out of the Covenant? We answer, That the Holy Ghost made all these Promises to Ifrael according to the Spirit, but not to Ifrael according to the Flesh. Now ; the |