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06. Concerning the miraculous Conception and Birth of the MESSIAH

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HAving considered the lineage and descent of the Messiah, I shall proceed to enquire into the manner of his conception and birth, which were to be very extraordinary and unheard of; for it appears from several prophecies, that he was to be born of a virgin, which truth I shall endeavour to establish from the consideration of the following ones; and shall begin

First, with Ija. vii. 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. This is the grand and principal prophecy which concerns this affair; for tho' it might be hinted before, yet it does not seem to be so clearly revealed till now. The Messiah, in his person and office, was gradually revealed unto the sons of men; what some ages had but a very faint and glimmering view, others enjoy'd a more perfect knowledge of; the first prophecy may indeed be well thought to contain this truth, when it speaks of the Messiah as the seed of the woman; but yet it does not so clearly express it, as this, for Eve does not seem to be apprehensive of it, who, upon the birth of her first child, says p. I have gotten a man את־יהוה the Lord; which Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases thus, I have gotten a man, the p Gen. iv. 1.

angl engel of the Lord; supposing that she had got the promised seed, the angel of God's presence, and messenger of the covenant; now had she clearly known that he was to born of a virgin, she could not have imagined that she had brought him forth; and perhaps this may be the reason, why many of the good women of Israel, as Rachel, and Hannah, were so desirous of children, every one hoping that the Messiah would come of them, not being so well acquainted with the extraordinary manner of his birth; but this prophecy of Isaiah puts it beyond all doubt, that he was to be born of a virgin; nor could the Jews ever after expect him to be born of any other, as will manifestly appear from the following considerations. 1st, the hebrew word עלמה, signifies a virgin, and no other, and is justly rendered by משמעת by the evangelist Matthew, as it had been some hundreds of years before by the Septuagint interpreters, and appears to be the constant and universal sense of the word in all places of the Old Testament where it is used, which are these following, Gen. xxiv. 43. Exod. ii. 8. Pfal. lxviii. 21. Cant. i. 3. and vi. 8. Prov. xxx. 19. the latter of which the Jews have pitch'd upon, and chiefly insist on, as militating against this sense of the word עלמה us'd by Solomon for a maid, or virgin, where they say it can't be meant of a pure and uncorrupted virgin; because, it is added, such is the way of an adulterous woman, she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness: to which I answer, that it does not appear, that the maid and the adulterous woman, are one and the same person; but supposing they were, she might, tho' vitiated, be called a maid, or virgin, according to her own profession 1 Kimchi & Aben-Ezra in loc. Vet. Nizzach. p. 84. R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. p. 1. c. 21.

of herself, or as she appeared to others who knew her not; or as she was antecedent to her defilement, which is no unusual thing in scripture, see Deut. xxii. 28. tho' the genuine sense of the words seems to be this, that Solomon was not acquainted with, much less approved of the secret contrivances, artful ways, and hidden methods, which wicked men take to seduce and decoy innocent virgins, and compass their lust upon them; for had it been intended of the way of natural generation, he could not be ignorant of it; so that this instance makes nothing for them, nor any thing against us; besides, the hebrew word is derived from the root עָלָם which signifies to hide, or cover, which well agrees with the pure and incorrupt state of virgins; as also with a common custom used in the eastern nations, where virgins were kept recluse, and shut up from the publick company and conversation of men. 2dix, The birth of this son is represented, as something stupendous and extraordinary, as a sign, אוֹת, a prodigy, wonder or miracle; and for that reason has a behold prefixed unto it: Was the meaning of the prophet only this, that a young married woman should be with child, where would the wonder be? what surprising thing is this which every day gives us repeated instances of? and if this was all, that is intended, what need of such a pompous apparatus as this to introduce it, Hear we now, O house of David—the Lord himself shall give you a sign, behold, &c. some of the Jewish writers would have the sign, or wonder, be, that this young woman was unfit for conception at the time of this prophecy; but no such intimation is given either in the text or context; others, that it lies in this, that it was a male child, and not a female, r Jarchi in loc.

r R. Saadiah. Gaon. in Aben-Ezra in loc.

which is predicted; but the sign or wonder does not lie in the truth of the prophet's prediction, but in the greatness of the thing predicted; besides, the verification of this would not have given the prophet much credit, nor Abab, or the house of David, much consolation; for this might have been ascribed rather to a happy conjecture, than to a spirit of prophecy; much less can the wonder be, that this child should eat butter and honey as soon as it was born, as others, when nothing is more natural to and common with young children, than to take down any kind of liquids which are sweet and pleasant. 3dly, The scope of the prophecy is to comfort the dejected house of David, who appear to be in the utmost confusion, at the tidings of the conspiracy formed against them by the kings of Syria and Israel: upon which Isaiah is sent with a message to Abab, who, upon meeting with that prince, attended with his nobles, bids him ask a sign of the Lord his God, either in the height above or in the depth; but he, in a haughty, irreverent, and irreligious manner, rejected it, under a specious pretence of not tempting God; upon which the prophet turns himself, from him, to the distressed house of David, and comforts them with the news of the Messiah's birth, who was to spring from them, than which nothing could be more supporting to them under their present fears; for hereby he assures them, that they should never be destroyed or cut off before the Messiah came; who was to be born of a pure virgin; and consequently they need not fear any thing from this formidable confederacy. 4thly, This prophecy had its literal accomplishment in Jesus, whose conception and birth were

Aben Ezra in loc. R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. p. 1. c. 21.

after this extraordinary manner, which cannot be said of any other person *; Now the birth of Jesus

Christ was on this wise: when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost --- which was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the

Lord by the prophet, saying, behold a virgin shall be with child, &c. which matter of fact, as it was not attempted to be disproved by the Jews in Christ's time, who were most capable of discovering the fraud or imposture, if there had been any, so it cannot by the malice and cunning of later ones, who, tho' in contradiction to it, do now assert, that the

Messiah was to be born as other men are, in the ordinary and common way of generation; yet it appears, that they were formerly of different sentiments, as is manifest from several of their traditionary sayings, recorded both in their own and in the writings of the evangelists, which Bishop

Chandler has collected and laid together in his excellent Defence of Christianity *, and it deserves to be remarked what that learned prelate observes, that those who set up for Messiahs, as Simon Magus, and others, pretended to have God for their father, and to be born of a virgin; and no wonder they should, for how could they expect to be received, especially among the Jews, without such a pretence, when so glaring a prophecy as this respecting the manner of the Messiah's birth, stood so openly in their sacred books? the Jews object several things to the application of this prophecy to Jesus, which are as follow.

1. They say, that the birth of this child was to be a sign to Abaz, and to the house of David, of present deliverance, which, say they, the birth of Jesus, seven or eight hundred years afterwards,

* Matt. i. 19, 22, 23. * Pag. 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338.

could not be γ; to which I answer, that this promise does not seem to be made to Abaz; he having despised the prophet, and rejected his offer, but to the disconsolate house of David; who are hereby assured, that no conspiracy, now, or hereafter formed against them, should ever succeed to the extirpation or destruction of them, before Immanuel came, who was to be born of a virgin; and indeed, as Mr. Whiston well observes, 'the longer that birth was future, the longer was the house of David secure by this prophecy of deliverance from destruction: because that family was by no means to fail till the birth of Immanuel, of a pure virgin, was come to pass.' Besides, what is suggested, that a thing future cannot be a sign of what is present, or of what was done long before the sign existed, is not always true; for Moses's serving God on mount Horeb, after he had brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, is mentioned in Exod. iii. 12. as a sign or token of his then present mission to that people, which was some considerable time before this sign existed; so likewise the sign of the deliverance of the city of Jerusalem from the army of Sennacherib king of Aisaria, was not fully to exist until the third year after it, Isa. xxxvii. 30. moreover, the word sign is not to be taken relatively, but absolutely for a wonder or miracle; and we find that signs and wonders are frequently joined together in scripture, as explanatory of each other; and it is easy to observe, that the miracles of Jesus Christ are sometimes called signs. 2. They object that this deliverance was to be before this child came to years of discretion, and therefore can't be understood of one that was to γ Vet. Nizzich. p. 85. 36. R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. p. 1. p. 21. 2 Supplement to the Literal Accomplishment, &c. p. 54.

N be after this extraordinary manner, which cannot be said of any other person *; Now the birth of Jesus

1. They say, that the birth of this child was to be a sign to Abaz, and to the house of David, of present deliverance, which, say they, the birth of Jesus, seven or eight hundred years afterwards,

* Matt. i. 19, 22, 23. * Pag. 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338.

could not be γ; to which I answer, that this promise does not seem to be made to Abaz; he having despised the prophet, and rejected his offer, but to the disconsolate house of David; who are hereby assured, that no conspiracy, now, or hereafter formed against them, should ever succeed to the extirpation or destruction of them, before Immanuel came, who was to be born of a virgin; and indeed, as Mr. Whiston well observes, the longer that birth was future, the longer was the house of David secure by this prophecy of deliverance from destruction: because that family was by no means to fail till the birth of Immanuel, of a pure virgin, was come to pass. Besides, what is suggested, that a thing future cannot be a sign of what is present, or of what was done long before the sign existed, is not always true; for Moses's serving God on mount Horeb, after he had brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, is mentioned in Exod. iii. 12. as a sign or token of his then present mission to that people, which was some considerable time before this sign existed; so likewise the sign of the deliverance of the city of Jerusalem from the army of Sennacherib king of Assyria, was not fully to exist until the third year after it, Isa. xxxvii. 30. moreover, the word sign is not to be taken relatively, but absolutely for a wonder or miracle; and we find that signs and wonders are frequently joined together in scripture, as explanatory of each other; and it is easy to observe, that the miracles of Jesus Christ are sometimes called signs. 2. They object that this deliverance was to be before this child came to years of discretion, and therefore can't be understood of one that was to γ Vet. Nizzach. p. 85, 86. R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. p. 1. c 21. 2 Supplement to the Literal Accomplishment, &c. p. 54.

N be born several hundreds of years after; to which it may be replied, there's no necessity of concluding, that the child, in ver. 16. is the same with the son that was to be born of a virgin, in ver. 14. but rather the prophet's son Shearjashub, whom he is bid to take with him, ver. 3. and who must therefore be supposed to bear some part, or answer some end or other, in this prophecy, which 'tis very probable may be this, viz. to assure the house of David, that the land which was abhorred by them, should be forsaken of both her kings, before the child, which was with him, was grown to years of discretion; tho' it may as well be understood of any child, and so of the promised Messiah; and the meaning be, that before any child, or new born babe, such an one as is promised in ver. 14. arrives to years of discretion, i. e. in the space of three or four years, this remarkable deliverance shall be wrought, and ye shall be freed from all fears of being destroyed by those princes. 3. They further urge, that this son prophesied of, was to be called Immanuel; whereas Jesus was never called so; in answer to which 'twill be sufficient to say, that the meaning is, that he should be so, and not that this should be the name whereby he should be commonly called, which is a very frequent use of this phrase in scripture; as for instance, 'tis said of the child prophesied of in Isa. ix. 6. that his name should be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, and prince of peace; now let this child be who he will, Hezekiah, or the Messiah, or any other, it cannot be supposed that he should be usually called, and commonly known by all those several and pompous names, but only that there should be something in him, or done by him, which should answer to these characters given of him, which agrees agrees with the instance under consideration; Jesus is the true *Immanuel, God with us*, God in our nature, who dwelt among us, and has by his blood, procured peace and reconciliation with God for us. Besides, tho' *Jesus* and *Immanuel* differ in sound, yet not in sense, the one signifying a *Saviour*, the other *God with us*, who when he is so, is a Saviour of us; so that Jesus is to us, what he is here promised he should be.

4. What they further object, that it is no where said of Jesus that he *eat butter and honey, as is said of this child, ver. 15.* is very weak and ridiculous; for tho' the evangelist does not relate this, it does not from thence follow that he did not eat thereof, tis rather highly reasonable to suppose he did; for the land of *Canaan*, where he was born, was a *land flowing with milk and honey*; so that there was plenty of this kind of food for poor families, in one of which Jesus was born, and therefore no doubt lived upon the common food of the country: besides, the phrase seems designed to express the truth of his human nature, that he should be educated as other children were, and does very particularly point out the land where he was to be born. Now, for such reasons as these, they, as well as some others, would not have this prophecy understood of Jesus, but of *Abaz*'s wife, and his son *Hezekiah*, which can't be; for *Abaz* reigned but sixteen years, 2 *King. xvi. 2.* and *Hezekiah* his successor was twenty five years old when he began his reign, 2 *King. xviii. 2.* so that he was nine years of age when *Abaz* began to reign, and therefore could not be less than eleven or twelve years old when this prophecy was given; which some Jewish writers observing, have declined this sense of the words, and would have them be unstood of some other son of *Abaz*, by some young woman; but no other son of *Abaz* was ever lord N 2 of Judæa, as this Immanuel is represented to be, in chap. viii. 8. nor can the words be understood of Iſaiah's wife and ſon, ſince Iſaiah would never call her a virgin who had born him children, one of which was now with him; nor indeed a young woman, but rather the prophetes as he does in chap. viii. 3. nor was any ſon of his king of Judah, as this appears to be in the place before cited. Therefore as this prophecy is applicable to none but Jeſus, ſo it had a literal accompliſhment in him only. R. Akiba * explained it the ſame way as we chriſtians do. But I proceed

Secondly, To the conſideration of Jer. xxxi. 22. as another prophecy reſpecting the extraordinary + conception and birth of the Meſſiah, where it is thus written, How long wilt thou go about, O thou backſtiding daughter? For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth: a woman ſhall compaſs a man. That the incarnation of the Meſſiah is here intended, will appear, if we conſider that all other ſenſes, whether of Jewiſh or Chriſtian interpreters, are weak, ridiculous, and impertinent; as when they underſtand the text to refer to the heroic ſpirit which appears in ſome women, ſuperior to men; to the unuſual practice of women ſueing to men to be join'd in marriage to them, as in Iſa. iv. 1. or to the people of Iſrael's turning to God after their apoſtacy from him, with others of the ſame ſtamp. Beſides, the context manifeſtly ſhews, that this is a prophecy of the Meſſiah; for here are ſeveral bleſſings promiſed, which only could be had from him, and which the Jews only expected in his days; ſee ver. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. and it deſerves to be remarked, that the ſlaughter of the infants, at his birth, is propheſied of in ver. 15. which I ſhall particularly conſider hereafter: moreover, the ſcope * Baſnage's Hiſtory of the Jews, book 4. chap. 35. f. 4. † Vid. Pocock, not. Miſcel. p. 345, 348. Hulſii Theolog. Jud. p. 300.

of the text well suits with the incarnation of the Messiah, which is to excite the Jews to return to their own land, since nothing could more effectually do it, than to put them in mind that the Messiah was to be born there, whose incarnation was to be extraordinary: he was to be conceived by, and born of a virgin, which may therefore well be called a new thing, an unheard of one, and a creation; for the human nature was immediately prepared and formed, by the power of the Holy Ghost, without the help of man. This phrase, a woman's *compassing a man*, does very aptly express her conception, and bearing of a man child, and intends here such a conception as is extraordinary and miraculous, and therefore is called a new thing in the earth, produced by an almighty creative power. Besides, to whom can this נבר, this mighty man, be so well referr'd as to the man, God's fellow, the promised Messiah. Some of the Jews || themselves have acknowledged, that the Messiah is here intended, and that by this woman is to be understood a virgin: the version of the Septuagint very manifestly hints at it, which renders the words thus, on מצותם כִּי־הָיָה הַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶׁהוּא שֶ * The Hebrew word סבר here used, among other things, signifies to be the cause or occasion of any thing, and is so used 1 Sam. xxii. 22. Ecclesi. vii. 25. and may be very well applied to the case under consideration, the woman being a very great occasion of, and much concerned in the conception or birth of man, as the Virgin Mary more especially was in the conception and birth of Jesus, she being the only natural and second cause thereof. סבר in genere est complecti, item circumdare & ambire, optimeque congruuit uterinae circumdationi, qua setus undique ab utero circumscribitur. Hac voce R. R. Chaldæi & Arabes Causam c. primunt conservatio causalis, qualis est infantis in utero, non male sic exprimitur, quin & vocem סבריו membrum Chaldæi inde deducunt, & expressit hanc vocem interpres Arabs per vivificabit, quod ad officium uteri pertinet. Calovius in Poli. Synops. in loc. || R. Moses Haddarfan in Gen. xli. in Galatin de arcanis C. V. 1. 7. c. 14. R. Oshua. in Lightfoot Harmon. p. 42. Bereshth Rabba Parash. 89. in Pearson on the Creed, Art. 3.

bath s t t , re y it ; en ir p. s a al m s; be is all pe id f a. Have occasion [the death of the man]

to be born in the same [of the man]

bath created salvation for a new plantation; by which they seem to design no other than the promised Saviour, the branch of the Lord's planting, which was to be beautiful and glorious, as well as to arise in a new, surprising, and unheard of manner.

Thirdly, This surprising mystery of the Messiah's incarnation, is represented in Dan. ii. 45. by a stone cut out of the mountain without hands. That the Messiah's kingdom is intended in the former verse, the Jews a acknowledge, and what's said of it, well suits with the kingdom of Jesus, which is not of this world; but is a spiritual one; set up by God himself, and not supported and preserved by human policy or worldly force, and so is such a kingdom as this was to be, notwithstanding the insinuations of a late author b to the contrary; for tho' it shall break in pieces and consume all other kingdoms, yet this shall not be effected by force of arms, or worldly policy, but by the prevalence of the gospel, in rooting out from among them, idolatry, superstition, and every thing else which is opposed to his kingdom; and by subjecting them entirely to him, whose kingdom shall stand for ever; which cannot be said of any other; nor should the small beginnings of it, or the progress it has yet made in the world, be any hindrance to our faith in the full and compleat accomplishment hereof; seeing it is manifest enough, that the Messiah's kingdom, in this sense, is set up, gains ground, and is daily advancing in the world. But to proceed to the consideration of these words, let it be observed 1st. That it is no unusual thing in scripture for a king * or kingdom to be signified by a stone; nor is it any thing uncommon for the Messiah to be represented under the same metaphor; as in a Jarchi & Aben-Ezra in loc. Zohar in Gen. fol. 85. 4.

b The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p. 165, 166. * Vid. M. H. H. K., p. 1022.

Gen.

M. J. Jacob

Gen. xlix. 24. from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel, i. e. the Messiah, who is both the shepherd of his flock, and the rock and fortress of his people, who, as man, descended from Jacob, and as the God-man from Jacob's God. R. Saadiah Gaon explains the text in Daniel, by this in Genesis. So Psa. cxviii. 22. the stone which the builders refused, is become the head stone of the corner, is to be understood of the Messiah, as it is applied, both by Jesus Christ and his apostles, which is acknowledged by the Jews themselves; and is sufficiently evident from the context; seeal so Isa. xxviii. 16. and the Targum on the place, which tried stone there spoken of, Jarchi understands of the king Messiah, agreeable to 1 Pet. ii. 6. 2dly, It deserves to be remarked, that natural generation, especially when there is something unusual and remarkable in it, is sometimes expressed by a cutting, hewing, or digging out of a rock, as in Isa. li. 1, 2. bearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord, look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged; which metaphorical expressions are explained in the following words, look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you; where the birth of Isaac, when his father was an hundred years old, and his mother ninety, which was something extraordinary, is manifestly referred to; to which might be added, Deut. xxxii. 18. where a phrase is used which may deserve consideration under this head. 3dly, It ought to be observed, that this phrase without hands, is expressive of a work, not to be effected by the hands of men, but by the power of God, which is the constant use of the phrase in the New Testament, borrowed from c Matt. xxi 42. Act. iv. 10. 11. 1 Pet. ii. 7. d Zohar in Exod. fol. 93. 3. & in Num. fol. 100 1. & Jarchi in Mic v. 2. hence, r ; o n id. en.

hence, see 2 Cor. v. 1. Col. ii. 11. Heb. viii. 2, now this, as it is applied to the Messiah, who is here represented under the metaphor of a stone, and whose incarnation is expressed by being cut out of a mountain, signifies, that it was sine opere virili, without the help of man, and was brought about in a divine, supernatural, and extraordinary manner, as was the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, who was born of a virgin, thro' the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, which is both an instance of almighty power on God's part, and wonderful condescension on Christ's, as well as gives a very great display of the divine wisdom, which has provided a saviour for us in our own nature, brought into the world in such a way, whereby he became entirely exempted from that pollution which has infected all human nature; so that hereby, that human nature, which was assumed by him, was very fit and proper to be united to a divine person, and he a very suitable saviour for us sinners, for such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. CHAP. VI.

Concerning the place of the MESSIAH'S Birth.

THE place of the Messiah's birth comes next to be enquired into, which, by prophecy, has been fully determined, and clearly pointed out to us in Mic. v. 2. But thou Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall be come forth unto me, that is

Heb. vii. 26.

to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Now in order to set this prophecy in a clear light, and to make it appear that it concerns the place of the Messiah's birth, for which it is cited in the New Testament, I shall endeavour 1. To prove, that the Messiah and no other is here intended. 2. That the Jews expected the Messiah to be born at Bethlehem, according to the true intent of this prophecy. 3. That Jesus was born there; 4. Answer the objections made against the application of this prophecy to Jesus, supposing the Messiah intended, and 5. Attempt to reconcile the seeming differences between the text as it here stands, and as it is cited by the evangelist Matthew. First, I shall endeavour to prove, that the Messiah, and no other, is intended in this prophecy. Zorobabel cannot be meant, who is the only person produced, besides the Messiah, to whom the prophecy is thought to belong; for he was not born at Bethlehem, but at Babel, as his name declares, nor was he any ruler in Israel, as is said of this person; he was indeed a governor of Judah, and an head of the captivity, but never was a ruler in the land of Israel, or over the tribes which bore that name, much less can it be said of him, that his goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting; for to say with Grotius, that this phrase intends ' Zorobabel's taking his origin from an illustrious house of old, and a royal family of 500 years standing, 'is intolerable; for however Zorobabel may be considered as seminally in David's loins, as Levi was in Abraham's, so long before his birth; yet his goings forth from thence can never be said to be 500 years before they were: besides, 'tis a wretched perversion of a phrase, which 1 The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p. 201.

O is peculiar to the eternal God, and belongs to the Meſſiah, as being ſuch, who appears to be the only perſon here intended, as is manifeſt

1. From the context. In ver. 1. the perſon intended is called the Judge of Israel, whom Aben-Ezra ſays, is either the Meſſiah, or Zorobabel; but the character well agrees with the Meſſiah, to whom it is frequently given s, and by no means to Zorobabel, who never was a judge of Israel, as has been already obſerved; nor do we read that he was ever treated in that rude and barbarous manner, as 'tis here prophesied this perſon ſhould be, viz. to be ſmitten with a rod upon the cheek, which was literally fulfilled in the Meſſiah, Jeſus h, in whoſe face ſome ſpit; and others buffeted him, and others ſmote him with the palms of their hands, ipodſeſs ſmote him with rods, as the word primarily ſignifies. Moreover, the characters given of the perſon mention'd in this verſe, agree well with the Meſſiah; as that he ſhould be a ruler in Israel; for the Meſſiah is all along in ſcripture repreſented as a king, a prince, or governor, and as ſuch the Jews expected him; and of him, he being the eternal God, it may be very well ſaid, that his goings forth have been from of old, from everlaſting, a phraſe uſed to expreſs the eternity of God Hab. i. 12. and, being applied to the Meſſiah, is by Solomon Jarchi well explained by Pſa. lxxii. 17. תְּנִי שְׁמֵשׁ יָנוּ שְׁמוֹ before the ſun was, his name was Jinnon, which the Jews i ſay is one of the names of the Meſſiah, and ſignifies ſon; and ſo the words are expreſſive of his eternal filiation, the phraſe well agreeing with this here uſed. Likewise what is ſaid in the following verſes, exactly ſuits with him, as that until his birth, according to ver. 3. the Jews were to be given up to a great deal of ſorrow and s Ifa. ii. 4. and xi. 3, 4. Mic. iv. 3.

h Talmud Snhed. ſol. 98. col. 2.

h Matt. xxvi. 67 trouble,

E trouble, which was true of the times, between this prophecy and the birth of Jesus; after which, there was to be a coalition of Jews and Gentiles:

In ver. 4. he's represented as a shepherd feeding his flock, in the strength, and by the authority of his

God; on the account of which his name should be great in all the earth, which can be applied to none so well as the Messiah: In ver. 5. he is called the peace, i. e. the author of peace, which he gives unto his people, whenever their enemies, such as sin, Satan, the world, &c. make any attack upon them; nor need it be thought strange, that these should be represented by the

Assyrian, who was the then known, common, and avowed enemy of the people of Israel; nor ought this to be concluded to lie against its being a literal prophecy, that tho' the Assyrians are by name mentioned, yet not they, but other enemies, under their name, may be intended, as a late author would insinuate k; for according to himself, in another place l, 'a literal sense may be signified as well and as obviously by a figurative, as by the most simple or literal expression'. The words may, and I think ought, to be rendered thus, and this man or person shall be the peace, O Assyrian, כי יבא for he, i. e. the man, the peace, shall come into our land, i. e. shall be made flesh and dwell with us, and so make peace with

God for us; and because he shall tread in our palaces:

in the temple, and in the synagogues: and we will raise up i. e. by our prayers and intreaties to God for him, or with him m, על for עם seven shepherds, and eight principal men, i. e. a sufficient number of gospel ministers, who shall carry the gospel into the gentile world, and with the sword of the spirit, k The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p. 202.

l Ibid.

p. 251. m Vid. R. David Kimchium in loc. & R. Isaac Chizuk

Emun. par. 1. c. 33.

O 2 which is the word of God, do execution there, by pulling down the strongholds of sin and Satan, and subjecting souls to the obedience of Christ.

2. It appears from the scope of the place, that the Messiah is here intended, which is to comfort and support the Jews under those severe afflictions that should befall them. In the three last verses of the preceding chapter, they are assured of deliverance out of the hands of the Chaldans, over whom they should have the ascendant; yet, nevertheless in process of time, either for their evil treatment of their magistrates in common or rather particularly of the Messiah, the Roman army, called the daughter of troops in ver. 1. under the command of Titus Vespasian, should be gathered against them, and lay siege to their city, whereby it would be laid desolate, and the adjacent towns entirely depopulated, and among the rest, Bethlehem. Now for the comfort of the Jews, in the view of these calamities, and particularly the inhabitants of Bethlehem, this promised, that the Messiah should arise from thence, before those desolating judgments came upon them. 3. It is acknowledged by many Jewish writers, that this prophecy belongs to the Messiah, and was certainly so understood by the Jews in Christ's time, as I shall have occasion to take notice hereafter. For,

Secondly, 'Tis manifest enough that the Messiah was expected by the Jews, to be born at Bethlehem. as appears,

1st, From some passages in the New Testament, which shew that this was the current opinion of the Jews, in Christ's time. When Herod had the tidings of the king of the Jews being born, brought him by the wise men of the east, which gave him:

n Targum, Jarchi, Aben Ezra Kimchi in loc. & Abendana in not. in Miclol. Yophi in loc. & R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. par. 1. c. 33 great deal of uneasiness, he summoned the chief priests and scribes together, and demanded of them where Christ should be born; to which they reply very readily, without any manner of hesitation * in Bethlehem of Judæa; and for the strengthening of their assertion, and for the satisfaction of him, cite this very prophecy of Micah, which manifestly shews, what was the then received sense of this prophecy in the Jewish church, as well as where they expected the birth of the Messiah; nay, this was not only the opinion of the more learned among the Jews, who were better versed than others in the knowledge of the law and the prophets, but even of the common people, who concluding from the education and conversation of Christ in Galilee, that he was born there, thought they had got a considerable argument to prove that he was not the Messiah; for, say p they, shall Christ come out of Galilee? hath not the scripture said, that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? Now from whence should they be informed of this? or what scripture could they have in view, but this prophecy of Micah. ally, This appears to be the sense of their antient Targums; thus upon the text in Gen. xxxv. 21. where 'tis said, that Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar; which, by comparing with ver. 19. appears to be a place near Bethlehem; the Targum of Jonathan adds, the place from whence the Messiah shall be revealed in the last days, and mention being made in Mic. iv. 8. of this Migdal Edar, or tower of Edar, the Targumist takes occasion to speak of the Messiah and applies it to him. Nay,

* Matt. ii. 5, 6.

p Joh vii. 41, 42.

3dly.

3dly, Later Jews have asserted, that the Messiah was born at Bethlehem, before the destruction of that place, but not yet revealed, being hid, because of their sins and transgressions; which, tho' a Talmudic story, is a plain indication of the conviction of their minds, as to the intent of this prophecy, and of the universal and constant expectation of their forefathers grounded upon it. There are indeed some objections advanced by the author of the Scheme of Literal Prophecy &c. against this general expectation of the Jews, concerning the place of the Messiahs birth.

1. He objects 'that, since Jesus's time 'it has been 'deemed among the Jews a matter of no consequence, where the Messias was born, since they 'have set up many Messiahs, who they knew were 'not born at Bethlehem,' which need not at all be wondered at in them, who have rejected the true Messiah, since whose times this town of Bethlehem has been wholly destroy'd; and therefore despairing of meeting with this character of a Messiah, in any person, have laid it aside, as they have done many others; such as his being born before the departure of the scepter from Judah, and during the second temple, and that he should be of the tribe of Judah, &c. tho', when pressed with those instances, are obliged to recur to the forementioned Talmudic fiction, of his being there and then born, but hid for the sins of the people, which is a manifest indication of the wretched puzzle and confusion they are thrown into. 2. He objects 'that 'the Jews, in Jesus's time, 'made it a part of the character of the Messias 'not to know whence he was,' Job. ix. 29. to which may be replied, that the meaning is, not that they knew not the place of his birth, for the contrary

The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p. 35. 202. Ibid. p. 55

Is t p ca h w ag t t p t ki th in th hi fi gi b pi p e.

f b ca re be

[ III ]

Is evident from the ready reply of the chief priests to Herod, and the way of reasoning the common people made use of, from the prophecy of Micah, to confront the Messiahship of Jesus, as has been already observed: And, by the way, what service this instance of the Jews arguing against Jesus, that Bethlehem, and not Galilee, was to be the place of the Messiah's birth, can be of to our author, I can't see, which is in another place produced by him, seeing it directly militates against his notion. But to proceed; neither can the meaning of this phrase be, that they did not know who were his remote ancestors, for they knew that he should be the son of David; but the meaning is, that they should not know who was his father, seeing he was to be born of a virgin, and his descent and original to be from above. Besides, this author ought to have confuted the sense given of this phrase in John vii. 26, 27. by Bishop Chandler who has very well supported it, before he had made this an objection against the place of the Messiah's birth being pointed out by prophecy, and its being made known unto, and expected by the ancient Jews. 3. He objects, that there are some Jews who deny the truth of Herod's sending for to know of the chief priest where the Messiah was to be born; and say, that Jesus was not born in Herod's time, but in Cyreneus's time eleven years after the death of Herod; who these Jews are he does not say, unless he means the evangelist Luke, whom he cites, whose words are in chap. ii. 1, 2. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed (and this taxing was first made when Cyre-

The Scheme of Literal Prophecy, &c. p. 202. v Defence of Christianity, 333. 334, 335, 336. w Scheme of Literal Prophecy, p. 36. 203.

mus was governor of Syria. Now this author supposes, that this tax, or enrollment, is to be understood of that which was made by Cyrenius when governor of Syria, when Judæa was annexed to it as a province, which was ten or eleven years after the death of Herod, and from thence would conclude, that Jesus was not born in the days of Herod, but about eleven years after his death; which will appear to be a mistake, for this tax here mentioned, was not made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, but rather when Sentius Saturninus was, as Tertullian * says, and is here very manifestly distinguished from that made when Cyrenius was president; for the words may be read either thus, and this tax, or enrollment, was made before Cyrenius was governor of Syria, æcim being used for æstica of which many instances are given by learned † men, who also approve of this reading of the words and this solution of the difficulty; or else the words (Aum in aetofæqh æcim cyren iymoniteles † Svelas Kuperis) may be read thus, this was the first tax, assessment, or enrollment, Cyrenius the governor of Syria. Many instances of a parallel construction with this have been given by a || late writer; so that the meaning is, that this tax which was made at the birth of Jesus, was the first that Cyrenius was concerned in, and is manifestly distinguished from that which was made during his being governor of Syria, when Archelaus was banished from Judæa, ten or eleven years after Herod's death; which Josephus ** gives an account of, and Luke refers to in Act. v. 37. Moreover the words do not suppose that Cyrenius was * Contr. Marcion. lib iv. c. 19. † Herwarti Vera & Nava Chronolog. p. 189. Schmidius in Luk. ii. 2. Cloppen's Fasciculus Select. Disputat. disput. 9. f. 19. || Lardner's the debility of the Gospel-History, Vol. II. ch. i. p. 161, 162, &c. ** Antiq lib. 18. c. 1.

governor t t t t t o t f d d n th t. n d tv w governor of Syria when this first tax was made, for he then only acted as Caesar's procurator, but that he had been so before Luke wrote this history; and this being a title of honour, and what might perhaps distinguish him from others of the same name, he gives it to him.

Thirdly, Having proved that the Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem, and that this was the expectation of the ancient Jews, I proceed to prove, that Jesus was born there; tho' it was very improbable it should ever have been so; for his mother dwelt at Nazareth, where he was conceived, and where it was most likely he would have been born; but an all-wife providence, in order to bring about the completion of an ancient prophecy, and to fix upon him one of the true characters of the Messiah, orders it otherwise, putting it into the heart of Augustus Caesar, the Roman Emperour, to make a taxation, or enrollment of the subjects and tributaries of his empire, which obliged Joseph and Mary to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem, in order to be taxed with those of their own lineage and family, where Mary was delivered of the child Jesus; whither, in all probability, she had not come, being so near the time of her delivery, had she not been obliged to it by this decree; which decree appears the more remarkable, because there does not seem to be any real necessity for it; nor is it certain that it went through the empire; but seems designed to bring about this event: and it will appear still more remarkable, when it is observed, that Augustus had decreed such an enrollment * at Tarracon in Spain, twenty seven years before the birth of Christ, but was diverted from it by some disturbances in the * Vid. Kidder of the Messiah, Par. i. p. 21. and Hammond in Luk ii 1.

P empire, empire; so that it was deferred to this time: now had this enrollment been made then, in all likelihood it had not been done now, and Joseph and Mary would not have had occasion to come to Bethlehem; but thus it must be, and thus were things ordered by an infinite and all-wise providence to effect it; nor do the Jews themselves deny that Jesus was born there; nay, acknowledge it, a vile and blasphemous book of their's, designed to cast all the odium and reproach upon the name of Jesus, that they could possibly heap together. But,

Fourthly, There are some objections made against this prophecy of Micah's being applied to Jesus, tho' the Messiah be allowed to be there intended. Which are as follow,

1. 'Tis objected, that a Jesus did not rule over Israel, but they over him, seeing they so far prevailed against him, as to put him to death; and therefore can't be the person intended, because he was to be a ruler in Israel. To which may be replied, it is true, that, by the divine permission, the Jews compassed their design in taking away his life; yet God has exalted him, with its own right hand, to be a prince and a saviour; and whom they crucified, he has made both Lord and Christ; whose kingly power has appeared in the destruction of that nation and people, whom he has ruled ever since with a rod of Iron; and now rules over the true Israel of God, by his word and spirit; having carried the gospel into the gentile world, where it has been propagated and maintained, notwithstanding all the art, policy, and power of man. a Toldos Jesu, p. 1. 7. apud Wagenfeil. Tela ignen.

b Kim chiin loc. & R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. Par. i. c. 33.

2. 'Tis further urged', that this person in ver.

3. is said to be the peace, i. e. the author of peace;

and that the times of the Messiah are always represented as peaceable times, which, 'tis asserted, is inapplicable to the times of Jesus. But it ought to be observed, that the peace which the Messiah was to effect, and was expected in his days, is a spiritual, and not a temporal peace; and such a peace as this was proclaimed by the angels at the birth of Jesus, procured by his blood, and is bestowed on his people; who, in the midst of all their sorrows, afflictions, and persecutions, enjoy a peace which passeth all understanding. Tho',

3. On the other hand 'tis objected, by the author of the Scheme of Literal Prophecy &c. 4, that the fifth and sixth veries of this prophecy, which represent this person as appearing in an hostile manner against the enemies of Israel, 5 are so

6 plain, as not to need the least comment, to shew

7 them to be inapplicable to the peaceable times,

8 and to the person of Jesus, tho' they, in a very beautiful manner, represent him as the prince of peace, obtaining a glorious victory over all his and his peoples enemies, thereby saving them out of their hands, and of his mighty conquests, through the preaching of the gospel in the gentile world; whereby his people were delivered from their ignorance, infidelity, idolatry, and superstitution, as well as from the wretched slavery of their lusts and corruptions. But,

Fifthly, I proceed to reconcile some seeming differences between this prophecy, as it stands in

Micah, and as it is cited by the evangelist Matthew 6, the most material of which are as follow.

4 Kimchi in loc. & R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. Par. i. c. 33.

5 Pag 201. 6 Matt. ii. 6.

P 2

1. The first seeming difference, is in the name of the place; for what Micah calls Bethlehem-Ephratah, is called by Matthew, Bethlehem in the land of Juda. The reason of whereof seems to be this, there were two Bethlehems, one in the tribe of Zabulon, Josh. xix. 15. and the other in the tribe of Judah, which is sometimes called Bethlehem-Judah Judg. xvii. 7. and sometimes Bethlehem Ephratah; for that Bethlehem-Ephratah was in the tribe of Judah, is manifest enough from the Septuagint version of Job. xv. 60. as well as from Ruth i. 2. now in order to give a plain answer to Herod's demand, where the Messiah was to be born, it was proper to distinguish this Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah, from that in the tribe of Zabulon; so that he might not be at a loss about the place of his birth; and this distinction was the more needful, seeing the Messiah was to spring from the tribe of Judah. But, 2. And what is attended with a greater difficulty, is another seeming difference, as to what is predicated concerning this place; the text in the prophet says, that it was little among the thousands of Judah; but, as cited by Matthew, 'tis said to be not the least, tho' this difference does not appear to very considerable, as it is represented by some expositors; for tho' this place was little among the thousands of Judah, yet it might not be the least; 'tis true, the difference between the Septuagint version of the text, and the citation in Matthew, is considerably greater, for, according to the former, this place was inquis the least, the very least; but according to the latter inquis inquis by no means the least. But we are not now immediately concerned for the reconciliation of the citation to the Septuagint version, but to the Hebrew text, which may be either rendred by way of interrogation thus, art thou the least? &c. and the answer be according to Matthew, no, thou art not the least &c. or or else the word דבר may be understood, and so be rendered thus, it is a small thing to be among the thousands of Judah, for out of thee &c. i. e. a greater honour shall be conferred on thee; the Messiah shall spring from thee. Again, Bethlehem might be little, and not little, or the least, in different respects, and at different times; it might be little, mean, and contemptible, as to worldly splendor, riches, number of inhabitants, pompous buildings, &c. and yet not be little or mean when considered as the place of the birth of many great persons, such as Boaz, Jesse, David, &c. and especially the king Messiah; it might be little in Micah's time, and yet not little in Matthew's time; especially seeing it had then received a considerable additional honour by Christ's being born there. Besides, Dr. Pocock has proved, that the Hebrew word צעיר signifies both little and great, or of great note and esteem, which he has confirmed from the authorities of R. Tanchuma, Eben Jannabius, the Chaldee pharaphrast on Jer. xlviii. 4. and from the Arabic, Syriac, and Septuagint versions of Zech. xiii. 7. and it is very easy for any one, who is ever so little acquainted with the Hebrew language, to observe that many words are used therein in a contrary signification. I need not give instances, the learned author now mentioned has furnished us with many.

3. There are some other lesser differences which admit of a mere easy reconciliation; as what Micah calls thousands, in Matthew, are called princes. The tribes of Israel were divided into thousands, and every thousand had its prince or ruler; so that tho' here is a difference in words, yet none in sense: 'tis true

Not. Misc. p. 17, 18, 19. Vid. R. David Kimchi lib. Shorasth rad. צער what Micab calls a ruler in Israel, Matthew expresses by a governor that shall rule or feed my people Israel, but here is no repugnancy: and whereas the pronoun to me is omitted by Matthew, the reason is, because the words are only historically recited by him, God himself speaking in his own person in the prophecy. Thus have I endeavoured to reconcile the seeming differences between Micab and Matthew; tho' had they been such as would not have admitted of a reconciliation, the evangelist could not have been justly charged with a perversion, or misquotation, of the prophet's words, seeing it is not his own version, but that of the chief priests and scribes, which he gives us, and therefore had it been never so faulty, they, and not he, must have been chargeable with it; for he would have acted the part of a faithful historian, in transmitting it to us in their own words. From the whole, it appears, that Mic. v. 2. is a literal prophecy of the place of the Messiah's birth; that it was pertinently and faithfully produced for that purpose in Matt. ii. 6. and that Jesus was born at Bethlehem, according to the true purport of this prophecy: tho' we don't produce this singly, as an argument to prove him to be the true Messiah, for we know as well as the Jew, who objects to us, that there were hundreds and thousands born at Bethlehem who could not be all Messiahs; nor did they make any pretensions to it; yet this being a characteristic of the Messiah, as fixed in the old testament, and fully agreeing with Jesus, may, with other evidences, be urged as a corroborating one of his being the true Messiah. 8 R. Isaac Chizuk Emun. Par. i. c. 33.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

Shewing the several Circumstances which were to attend or follow upon the MES-SIAH's Birth, according to the prophets; and how they were punctually fulfilled in JESUS.

From enquiring into the place of the Messiah's birth, I proceed to consider the several circumstances which were to attend it, or very quickly follow upon it, according to the prophecies of the old testament, and shew how exactly they had their completion in Jesus; the principal of which are cited and laid together by the evangelist Matthew, in the second chapter of his gospel; I shall begin,

First, With that uncommon and unusual appearance of a star in the east, at the birth of Jesus, the account of which we have in Matt. ii. 2, 9, 10. and tho' no prophecy is there referred to, as fulfilled by this Phenomenon; yet I shall attempt to prove, that there was a prophecy went before of it; that this was agreeable to it, and that accordingly the Jews expected such an appearance at the time of the Messiah's birth. The prophecy which, I suppose, points out this circumstance to us, is in Numb. xxiv. 17. There shall come a star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Sheth. That this is a prophecy of the Messiah, is acknowledged by many Jewish writers writers h: both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret it of him; and Aben-Ezra says, that many, i. e. of their Rabbies, expound it of the Messiah; nor have other writers any just reason to understand it otherwise. That Balaam spoke this by a prophetic spirit, is manifest from ver. 16. that he speaks of a person, whom he should see at a distance in future times, is no less evident, from the former part of this verse, which seems to be no other than he whom every eye shall see, when he comes in the clouds of heaven: and that this person is the Messiah, may very easily be evinced, not only from the title which is here given him, a scepter i. e. a scepter bearer, whose throne is for ever and ever; the scepter of whose kingdom is a right scepter; as also from whence he was to arise, which was out of Israel; but likewise from the work he was to do, which is to smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth; which never had its completion in any one else of the posterity of Jacob: hence a learned Jew i was obliged to confess, that Balaam spake this concerning the Messiah, whose coming, says he, we are waiting for, that this prophecy might be fulfilled: which has been fulfilled in and by Jesus, who has spoiled principalities and powers, and has obtain'd an entire conquest over all his enemies, signified here by the corners of Moab, and now rules over all the children of men, as Onkelos renders the last clause of the verse; his dominion being from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth: tho' by the children of Sheth, are rather meant the people of God, the Sethites, as distinguished from the Cainites, who are not so, whom the Messiah, in a peculiar manner, h Zohar in Exod. fol. 4. 1. & in Num. fol. 85. 4. & 86. 1. Pesikta in Kettoreth Haßammim in Num. fol. 28. 1. & R. Iñaz Chizuk Emun. p. 71, 72. i R. Abendana in not. 1. Miclol Yophi in loc.

WJS

I i t as fi th c th fr r c ki a w di fu wh to was to rule over and not destroy; or rather whom he was to gather together to himself; for the word signifies to cluck together, as a hen does her chickens, which simile Christ makes use of Matt. xxiii. 37.

Having thus prov'd that the Messiah is prophecied of in this text, it may be proper to enquire, whether the star, here mentioned, is to be considered as one of the Messiah's titles, or as one of the signs of his coming. It must be acknowledged, that some of the antient Jews looked upon this as one of the Messiah's titles; hence one, who set up for a Messiah among them, and was for a time received by them as such, was called בר כוכבא the son of a star, with a view to this prophecy; tho' when he was discovered by them to be an impostor, they called him בר כוזבא the son of a lie; and perhaps it may be with a regard to this prophecy, that Jesus is called the bright and morning star, tho' I am rather inclined to think, that the star, here spoken of, is to be considered as a sign of his coming, and not as one of his titles; that as there will be a visible sign in the heavens of the second coming of the son of man, so there was to be one of his first coming; and that the words should be rendred thus, when a star walks דרך or steers its course from Jacob, then a Scepter, or scepter bearer, shall rise out of Israel; and there are two things which confirm me in this sense of the words. 1. The conclusion of the wise men, that the king of the Jews was born, from an appearance of a star in the east; and their coming to Jerusalem to worship him upon that account; for what could direct them to make such an observation, or draw such a conclusion, but this prediction of Balaam's? which had been some way or other conveyed to them, or rather had remained among them, ever

Since the times of Balaam, who was one of their countrymen. Abulpharagius, an Arabic writer, tells us, that Zoroastres, who four or lived five hundred years before Christ, foretold to his magians the coming of Christ; and that at the time of his birth, there should appear a wonderful star, which would shine by day as well as by night; and therefore left it in command with them, that when that star appear'd they should follow the directions of it, and go to the place where he was to be born, and there offer gifts and pay their adoration to him: And that it was by this command, that the three wise men came from the east, that is, out of Persia, to worship Christ at Bethlehem. Now supposing all this to be true, it is very easy to guess where Zoroastres had his information; for, by the accounts * given of him, he appears to be a Jew, both by birth and religion, was a servant of one of the prophets of Israel, and well versed in the sacred writings; and therefore may well be supposed to have learned all this from the prophecy of Balaam, which he informed his magians of. 2. The Jews themselves have expected such a star to appear at the time of the Messiah's coming; for thus they say, more than once, in the book of Zohar ¹, that when the Messiah shall be revealed, bright and shining star shall arise in the east. Now what could lead them to such an expectation, but this prophecy of Balaam, which is cited by them in the very same place? for surely the account which our gospel gives of the appearance of a star at the birth of Jesus, could never be the foundation

* Histor. Dynast. p. 54. * Vid. Prideaux's Connection of the History of the Old and New Testament, part 1. book 4. 212, 213. 8vo. ¹ In Exod. fol. 3. 3, 4. and in Num. 1. 85. 4. and 86. 1.

of such a thought; they would never pay such a deference to the evangelic history, and to our Jesus, as to form a notion, or ground an expectation of their Messiah, agreeable thereunto; but would rather, as in other cases, either stifle their former generally received notions of a Messiah, or deny plain matters of fact relating to Jesus;

so that this expectation of their's, that a star should appear at the coming of the Messiah, must be founded on this prophecy, which had its fulfillment in

Jesus. But I proceed,

Secondly, To consider another circumstance that was to follow upon the birth of the Messiah, which, very agreeable to antient prophecy, had its completion in Jesus, and was brought about after this manner: Herod having given in charge to the wise men, who were directed into the land of Judaea, by the star before mentioned, that when they had found the young child they enquired after, and paid him their adoration, they should return and give him an account thereof; but they being warned of God in a dream not to do as he had commanded them, returned another way; and immediately an angel is dispatched to

Joseph, to order him to take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt, who accordingly did so. Now all this was done, says the evangelist m, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, out of Egypt have

I called my son. Now the question is, what prophecy is here referr'd to, and whether what is referr'd to, is a prophecy of the Messiah, and may be justly applied to Jesus. There are some who have thought that the prophecy referr'd to is either Numb. xxiii. 22. or else chap. xxiv. 8. tho' the more generally received opinion is, that it is

Hos. xi. 1. When Israel was a child, then I loved m Matt. ii. 15. Q 2 him, him, and called my son out of Egypt; which words, at first view, seem solely to regard the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt; wherefore different ways have been taken to make a just and proper application of them to the Messiah, and are by some considered either by way of accomodation of phrases to a like event, or by way of type, which has a fresh completion in its antitype, or as a proverbial sentence which might be adapted to any remarkable deliverance out of hardship, misery, and destruction. Now tho' it may be granted, that Israel was a type of the Messiah, and is therefore one of the names by which he is called in the Old Testament, particularly in Laxlix. 3. and that there is a very great resemblance between Israel's going down into, and coming up out of Egypt, and that of Christ's, as also, that the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt might be used proverbially to express any remarkable deliverance from imminent dangers, yet I apprehend that the words are to be understood in the Messiah in their first, literal, proper, and obvious sense, and of him only; and so the evangelist Matthew must be supposed to understand them, whose manifest design is to produce direct proofs of Jesus's Messiahship, out of the Old Testament, which mere allusions, types, allegories, and accommodations of phrases cannot be allowed to be. Now, in order to fix the literal sense of these words, as applicable to the Messiah, let it be observed, that the scope and design of the preceding chapters is to set before the people of Israel their many provoking sins and transgressions, in order to bring them to an acknowledgment of, and repentance for them; and to declare, that upon their non-repentance, divine judgments would be executed upon them, to the utter ruine of their kingdom and nation, which account account is continued to the end of the tenth chapter: but God, being rich in mercy, in wrath remembers mercy, and for the sake of his own people, which were among them, mitigates this sentence, and in this eleventh chapter declares the earnings of his heart towards them, and his very great affection for them, notwithstanding all their ingratiitude to him; the true causes of which kindness of his, are laid together in this first verse, which may stand connected with the latter part of the last verse of the preceding chapter; in a morning shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off, the true reason of which is because Israel כי נער is a child i. e. a rebellious and disobedient one, therefore he shall be many days without a king and without a prince; nevertheless I love him; and have therefore determined to call my son out of Egypt, who will be obliged to retire there for some time, and will set him upon the throne of his father David, who shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth: or else the words may be considered, as giving the reason of God's merciful dealing with the people of Israel, notwithstanding all their rebellions against him, and the many provocations he had received from them, because Israel is a child, i. e. weak, helpless, and can't govern himself; foolish, ignorant, imprudent, and needs instruction; and I love him, therefore I have determined to call, or I will call, the past tense for the future, which is common in the Hebrew language, especially in the prophetic writings, my son out of Egypt, who, through Herods rage and malice, will be obliged to abide there for a while, yet I'll bring him from thence into the land of Judaea, where he shall be brought up, and shall help my child made; Israel, shall instruct him in the precepts of the law, and in the doctrines of the gospel, and at last, by suffering death, shall shall procure the pardon of all his transgressions;

for notwithstanding all his ingratitude towards me, of which a particular account is given in ver.

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. yet I cannot but have a regard for him, and shew compassion to him, and therefore he says in ver. 8. how shall I give thee up Ephraim?

how shall I deliver thee Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. Now this appears to be the natural and unconstrained sense of these words, which sufficiently justifies the evangelist Matthew in his citation of them, on the occasion of Jesus's going into Egypt and his return from thence; they being a literal prophecy of the Messiah, which had its exact fulfillment in Jesus. But

Thirdly, The next circumstance we meet with, which followed upon the birth of Jesus, agreeable to antient prophecy, is the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem, the commission of which barbarous action, the Jews themselves acknowledge; and was on this wise: Herod finding himself disappointed by the wise men, fell into a very great rage, and immediately orders all the infants in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, to be slain; which orders were accordingly obeyed, and then, says the evangelist n, was fulfilled, that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, in Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. The prophecy referred to, is in Jer. xxxi. 15. which, upon examination, will appear to be a literal prophecy relating to this fact, and this only; for that it cannot be understood of

*Toldos Jeschu. Edit. Huldric. in Basnage's History of the Jews book 4. chap. xxviii. f. 5. n Matt. ii. 17, 18.

the t v f a b i i the Babylonish captivity, and of the mourning of the Jewish women upon that account, is evident, if it be considered, 1. That in such a general calamity the mourning is general, as undoubtedly that was, and not confined to mothers only, as this is. 2. That there is no reason to believe that the mourning for the captivity was confined to a particular place, much less that Ramah should be that place, since there's no manner of evidence that the captives were gathered together there, and there deplored their miserable condition. Besides, 3. The cause of this mourning is not captivity, but death: Rachel is introduced weeping for her children, not because they were carried captive, but because they are not; which is a phrase by which death is frequently expressed, as in Gen. xxxvii. 30. and xlii. 13. but every thing well agrees with the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem, and there are several things in the context, as well as in the text, which serve to confirm this sense. 1. The preceding verses manifestly speak of the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom, and of the joy and comfort which his people should partake of; but least any should imagine that that dispensation, would be entirely free from the usual sorrows, distresses, and afflictions of life, 'tis declared, that the people of God would at some times, not only be attended with distress in their own consciences for sin, and the chastisements of God upon their persons for the same, as in ver. 18, 19. but also with bitter persecutions from the world, and that, even almost as soon as the Messiah was born, Satan would begin to exert his rage, and the most tragical and barbarous action be committed, that ever was heard of, which is expressed in the prophecy under consideration. 2dly, The tender and sorrowful mothers mourning over their slaughtered infants, in and about

Bethlehem, may very well be represented by Rachel; not only because Bethlehem was the place of her sepulchre, Gen. xxxv. 19, 20. but because of her eager desire and overmuch fondness of having children, Gen. xxx. 1. and therefore a very fit person to represent tender and affectionate mothers bewailing the death of their children; and tho' Bethlehem was in the tribe of Judah, where Leah's, and not Rachel's children lived, yet Ramah was in the tribe of Benjamin, who was Rachel's child; which two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, bordering on each other, the prophecy well agrees with the evangelist's account of this matter; for tho' Bethlehem of Judah was the principal seat of this tragical action, yet it was not confined there, but was extended to all the coasts thereof; so that the voice of lamentation was heard in Ramah of Benjamin: Thus the objection of the Jew against the citation of this prophecy in Matthew, and its application to Jesus, is removed. 3dly, The comfort administered from the consideration of a better resurrection, is suitably adapted to the case of those sorrowful mothers, ver. 16, 17. Thus saith the Lord, refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord, and they, i. e. the children which were slain, shall come again, in the resurrection from the land of the enemy, the grave, for the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death; so that there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border, and stand in the latter day upon that very spot of ground where their blood was shed. 4thly, The miraculous conception and birth of the Messiah, are predicted in ver. 22. as has been made appear in a preceding chapter.

R. Isaac. Chizuk. Emun. par. 1. c. 28. & par. 2. c. 5.

5. An account is given of the new covenant in ver. 31, 32, 33, 34. which peculiarly belongs to the times of the Messiah, as is acknowledged by the Jews themselves; so that from the whole it appears, that Jer. xxxi. 16. is a literal prophecy of the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem, justly cited by the evangelist Matthew, and properly applied to that case, which happened quickly after the birth of Jesus.

Fourthly, The next circumstance to be considered, is Jesus's dwelling in a city called Nazareth, whereby, the evangelist says, was fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, he shall be called a Nazarene.

Here the enemies of christianity mightily triumph, and charge the evangelist with manifest falsehood, in citing a passage out of the prophets which is not to be found in them: and it must be acknowledged, that there are some seemingly considerable difficulties attend this place, and perhaps greater than any passage which occurs in the whole controversy about prophecy. Bishop Kidder has observed several things which considerably abate the difficulties thereof; as that the evangelist does not quote any particular prophet for these words, but says, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets; so that he seems to regard rather the sense of many, than the words of any particular prophet. Again, that the expression, he shall be called a Nazarene, imports no more than this, he shall be one, which is the frequent use of the Hebrew word קרא to call; so that if it can be proved, that it was the sense of the prophets, that the Messiah should be a Nazarene, the evangelist will be sufficiently justified Matt. ii. 23. R. Isaac. Chizuk. Emur. p. 2. c. 6.

Demonstration of the Messiah Par. ii. p. 65. Edit. fol.

R in this paffage; befides, as the same learned prelate well observes, the evangelist only says, that it was spoken by the prophets, he does not say that it was written by them; so that we lie under no obligation, from hence, to find out a paffage in their writings where those words expressly occur, for the writers of the new testament assert many things as matter of fact, which they received by tradition, and which can't be reasonably denied; as that James and Jambres withstood Moses 2 Tim. iii.

8. that Moses said, he exceedingly feared and quaked,

Heb. xii. 21. at the giving of the law on mount

Sinai, &c. And I would add, that these words, he shall be called a Nazarene, seem rather to be the words of the evangelist, than any citation out of the prophets; or allusion to any words of theirs; what Matthew says, is, that he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfil. I which was spoken by the prophets; he does not tell us, in express words, what that was which was spoken by the prophets, tho' he very plainly hints it to us, which is that he should be despised, contemned, and reproached by men, which was not only foretold by one, but by many of the prophets; and then assigns a reason to prove, that what was spoken by the prophets, was fulfilled in his dwelling at Nazareth, in Nazareth because he is, and will be called a Nazarene, from his dwelling there, which name was given to him and his followers by way of reproach; and as to the two instances produced by Mr. Whiston of Christ's being called by Pilate and Philip, Jesus of Nazareth in a contrary sense; he would do well to observe, that the former used this title with a design to reproach, and the latter to shew that he was not ashamed to own him under one of his most contemptible

Supplement to the Literal Accomplishment, p. 27.

characters;

b f t i v f f t i e f f a f t th t b b p w c a a i characters; and it may'nt be amifs to observe, that the word λυγιστῶν saying, is not here ufed by the evangelift; he does not fay, which was fpoken by the prophets, faying, as he does in ver. 15, 17.

where he cites plain and direct prophecies; tho', fuppofing that the evangelift regards fome paffages of the prophets, the fenfe of which is, that the Meffiah fhould be called, or be, a Nazarene, it won't be a very difficult tafk to undertake to find them out; for not to infift upon Ifa. xi. 1.

where the Meffiah is called Netzer, as the Targum on the place explains it, which is the very name of the city of Nazareth, as David de Pomis' obferves, and fignifies a branch, by which name the

Meffiah is well known in the Old Teftament, as the Jews' themfelves acknowledge; I fay, not to infilt upon this paffage, which fome think the evangelift had in his thoughts, in Jer. xxxi. 6. 'tis faid, there fhall be a day that the watchme ☐ the Nazarenes, upon the mount Ephraim, fhall cry, arife ye, and let us go up to Zion, urto the Lord our

God; by which name of Nazarenes, 'tis well known the followers of Jefus were called, as apprais. in

A.3. xxiv. 5. and this being a prophecy of the means of the Jews reftoration, well fuits with them. R. Abarbinel' fays, that the prophet, by the Holy Ghoft, forefaw that the Romans would believe in Jefus of Nazareth, and therefore would be called Nazarenes from him: now, if the prophets foretold that the followers of the Meffiah would be called Nazarenes, then he himfelf muft be called fo, from whom they take the denomination, and, by fome way or other, this muft be brought about, which was by his dwelling in the city of

Nazareth. Befides, in Ifa. ix. 1, 2. which, by com-

¹ Lexic. Heb. p. 141. u Targum & Kimchi in Jer.

xxiii. 5. & xxxiii. 15. Zech. iii. 8. & vi. 12. w In loc.

R 2 paring paring with ver. 6. appears to be a prophecy of the Messiah, there is mention, not only made of Galilee of the nations, as the place of the Messiah's habitation, where that was, that great light, was to appear, but also of the land of Zebulun, in the midst of which was the city of Nazareth; but this text I shall more fully consider hereafter in its due place; from the whole it appears, that it may be collected from the prophets, as their sense, that the Messiah was to be a Nazarene, which had its exact completion in Jesus.

× Ar. Montan. Jud. Antiq. 1. 2. c. 3.

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CHAP t la ti in tfil of B ve plo g hi cifi wil vi S un Ma

The Prophecies of the Old Testament Respecting the Messiah Considered

Gill takes the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament in turn and argues that they were literally fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, answering the Jewish expositors - Aben Ezra, Kimchi, Maimonides - on their own ground. First published in 1728.

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