1

ii. 1. 5, 6. Luke ii. 6, 7. And unto this day, they generally acknowledge that it is the Messiah alone who is here intended. And yet this consent of all the Jews, ancient and modern, with the application of it unto the true Messiah in the gospel, manifesting the catholic consent of both churches, Judaical and Christian, about the sense of this place, hinders not one from interpreting this place of Zerubbabel, whose goings forth, as he supposeth, are said to be of old, from everlasting, because he came of the ancient kingly house of David; whereas, not one word of the prophecy ever had any tolerable appearance of accomplishment in him. For neither was he born at Bethlehem, nor was he the ruler over the Israel of God; much less had he the least share or interest in those eternal goings forth, which are expressed in the close of the verse. The words are an express description of the person of the Messiah, who, though he was to be born in the fulness of time at Bethlehem, yet the existence of his divine nature was from of old, from everlasting. And the Jews know not how to evade this testimony. Rashi adds in the interpretation of the words, only that of Psal. lxxii. 17. ww wow, which we have rendered, his name shall be continued as long as the sun,' not reaching the sense of

וקדם מהוי,is rendered by the Targum מפני שמש .the place

Now, and before the sun was,' an expression of eternity, as Prov. viii. 23. Kimchi and Aben Ezra would have the words respect that long season that was to be between David and the Messiah. Bethlehem, saith Kimchi, that is David, who was

there is a - יש זמן רד בין דוד ובין מלך חמשים born there, and

long time between David and the Messiah; but this gloss is forced, and hath nothing in the words to give countenance unto it. It is the Messiah that is said to be born at Bethlehem, and not David, as shall afterwards be evinced; and vn denotes some acts, or actings of him that is spoken of, and not his relation unto another, not spoken of at all. Neither do those words,

denote a long time, but directly that which is מקדם מימי עולם

before all times; see Prov. viii. 22. He yet proceeds to answer then who say the Messiah is God, from this place, because of this description of him. And first rejects the Lord Christ from being here intended, as supposing an objection to be made with reference unto him, though he express it not; for, saith he,

כי הוא,this is an answer unto them * יש עליהם תשובה -He ruled not over Is לא משל בישראל אבל הם משלו בו

rael, but they ruled over him.' Where it is evident, that some sentence written by him is left out of the copies printed among Christians. But, poor blind blasphemous wretch! this boast. hath cost him, and his associates in infidelity, full dear. It is true, their progenitors did unto him whatever the counsel of God had determined. But notwithstanding all their rage, he

6

was exalted by the right hand of God, and being a Prince and Saviour, hath ruled ever since over the whole Israel of God, by his word and Spirit, and over them, his stubborn enemies, with a rod of iron. He adds, that it is false that these words are applicable unto the eternity of God; for, saith he, p Fm oby m, God was before the days of everlasting:' as though in the same sense God were not expressly said to be pas here; see Hab. i. 11. and to be from everlasting. And this place is well expounded by Prov. viii. 21–23. as some of the rabbins acknowledge; so that we have in it an eminent testimony given unto the person of the Messiah, as well as unto the place of his nativity. Of which we shall treat afterwards.

,הא אנא מיתי ית עבדי משיחא,Targum

§ 49. Zech. iii. 8. "For behold I will bring forth my servant the Branch." bar, Behold I bring forth my servant the Messiah, who shall be revealed.' This revelation of the Messiah relates unto their apprehension that he was born long since, but is hid because of their sins, as was before intimated. And in like manner is he three times more mentioned by the Targumist in this prophe cy, chap. iv. 7. vi. 12. x. 4. in all which places he is certainly designed by the Holy Ghost. There are also many of them who acknowledge him to be intended, chap. ix. 9. xi. 12, 13. xii. 10. where he is not mentioned in the Targum. I have not insisted on these places, as though they were all the testimonies which might be collected to this purpose, out of the prophets, seeing they are a very small portion of the predictions, concerning the person, grace and kingdom of the Messiah, and are not all those which are most eminent in that kind; but because, in the application of these to Messiah, we either have the consent of all the Jews, from whence some advantage may be taken for their conviction, or we have the suffrage of the more ancient and authentic masters, to reprove the perverseness of the modern rabbins.

§ 50. And this is HE whom we inquire after-One who was promised from the foundation of the world, to relieve mankind from that state of sin and misery whereinto they were cast by their apostasy from God. This is He, who from the first promise of him, or intimation of relief by him, was the hope, desire, comfort and expectation, of all who aimed at reconciliation and peace with God-upon whom all their religion, faith and worship was founded, and in whom it centered. He, for whose sake, or for the bringing of whom into the world, Abraham, and the Hebrews his posterity, were separated to be a peculiar people, distinct from all the nations of the earth; in the faith of whom, the whole church in the days of Adam, and in the period which followed, and in an especial manner the Jew

ish church, celebrated its mystical worship, endured persecution and martyrdom, waiting and praying continually for his appearance-He of whom all the prophets taught, preached, promised, and whom they raised the hearts of believers to a desire and expectation of, by describing before-hand his sufferings, with the glory that was to ensue-He of whose coming a catholic tradition was spread over the world, which the old serpent, with all his subtilty, was never able to obliterate.

EXERCITATION X.

§ 1. Ends of the promises and prophecies concerning the Messiah. Other ways of revelation. Of his oblation, by sacrifices. Of his divine Per

son, by visions.

§ 2. What meant in the Targums by "

The expression first used, Gen. iii. 8.

p,

the word of God. what or who. ὁ λόγος, λογος ενυποςατος. Apprehensions of the ancient Jews about the word of God. Of the philosophers. Application of the expression, λoyos Ty Ots, to the Son, by John. Expressions of Philo. Of the Mahometans. Christ called the word of God. Intention of the Targumists vindicated. § 3. How the voice walked. Aben Ezra refuted, and R. Jona. The appearance of the second person unto our first parents. § 4. Gen. xviii. 1, 2, 3. God's appearance, 01`n bп). Suddenness of it. §5. Who appeared. § 6. The occasion of it. §7. Reflection of Aben Ezra on some Christian expositors, retorted. A Trinity of Persons not proved from this place. Distinct persons proved. No created angel representing the person of God called Jehovah. Gen. xix. 24. from the Lord. Exceptions of Aben Ezra and Jarchi removed. Appearance of the second person. S. Gen. xxxii. 24. 26-30. § 9. Occasion of this vision. § 10. The Person, in appearance a man; § 11. in office, an angel; § 12, 13. in nature, God. Gen. xlviii. 16. Hos. xii. 3—5. pax, what. Who it was that appeared. § 14. Exod. iii. 2—6. 14. God that appeared. § 15. Exod. xix. 20-22. Who gave the law. Not a created angel. The ministry of angels how used therein. § 16. Exod. xxiii. 20-23. § 17. Exod. xxxiii. 2, 3, 4. 13, 14. Different angels promised. The angel of God's presence, who. § 18, 19. Josh. v. 13-15. Captain of the Lord's host described. 20. Sense of the ancient church concerning these appearances. § 21. Of the Jews. 22. Opinion of Nachmanides. § 23. Tanchuma. Talmud. Fiction of the angel rejected by Moses, accepted by Joshua. Sense of it. § 24. Metatron, who. Derivation of the name.

$1. WE E have seen how plentifully God instructed the church of old by his prophets, in the knowledge of the person, office, and work of the Messiah. And this he did partly, that nothing might be wanting unto the faith and consolation of believers, which was suitable and proportioned to that condition of light and grace, in which it was his good pleasure to keep them before his actual coming; and partly, that his righteous judgments, in the rejection and ruin of those who obstinately refused him, might from the means of their conviction be justified and rendered glorious. But these promises and predictions were not the only means whereby God chose to manifest and reveal him unto their faith.

There are two things concerning the Messiah, which are the pillars and foundation of the church. The one is, his divine nature; and the other is, his work of mediation in the atonement for sin, which he made by his suffering, or by the sacrifice of himself. For the declaration of these unto them, who, according to the promise, looked for his coming, there were, under the Old Testament, two especial means graciously designed of God. The latter of these ways, was that worship which he instituted, and the various sacrifices which he appointed to be observed in the church, as types and representations of that one perfect oblation which he was to offer in the fulness of time. The unfolding and particular application of this way of instruction, is the principal design and scope of the apostle in his Epistle unto the Hebrews. But as that must be insisted on at large in our exposition of that Epistle, I shall not anticipate what is to be spoken concerning it in these previous discourses, which are all intended in a subserviency thereunto. The other way which concerns his divine Person, was by those visions and appearances of the Son of God, as the Head of the church, which were granted unto the fathers under the Old Testament. And these, as they are directly suited unto our purpose, in our inquiry after the prognostics of the advent of the Messiah, so are they eminently useful for the conviction of the Jews. For in them we shall manifest, that a revelation was made of a distinct person in the Deity, who in a peculiar manner did manage all the concerns of the church after the entrance of sin. And here also, according unto our proposed method, we shall inquire what light concerning this truth hath been received by any of the Jewish masters; as also manifest to what confusions they are driven, when they seek to evade the evidence that is in the testimonies to this purpose.

§ 2. There is frequent mention in the Targumist of

, the word of the Lord. And it first occurs in them, on the first appearance of a divine Person, after the sin and tall of Adam, Gen. iii. 8. The words of the original text are,

and they heart the * וישמעו את קול יהוה אלהים מתהלך בגן

voice of the Lord God walking in the garden. The participle n, walking, may be as well referred unto p, the voice, as unto, the Lord God: vocem Domini Dei ambulan

tem.

And although most commonly signify oyov googixor, or verbum prolatum, the outward voice, and sound thereof, yet when applied unto God, it frequently denotes, λoyov evdiabetov, his Almighty power, whereby he effecteth whatever he pleaseth so Psal. xxix. 3-9. those things are ascribed, this voice of the Lord, which elsewhere are assigned, tw λoyw ons devaμias auт, Heb. i. 3. to the word of his power, which the Syriac renders by the power of his word, intending the same thing.