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SECT. III.

THEIR CONNECTION BY MEANS OF PROPHECY..

CHAP. I.

PROPHECIES, WHICH DEFINE THE FAMILY OF THE MESSIAH. I. PROPHECY OF THE MESSIAH DELIVERED TO EVE. 2. PROPHECY OF NOAH. 3. PROPHECY DELIVERED TO ABRAHAM. 4. TO ISAAC. 5. TO JACOB. 6. TO JUDAH. 7. TO DÁVID.

THE kingdom of the Meffiah is not only represented under the types and ceremonies of the Law, but it is likewife foretold by the fure word of Prophecy. It has frequently been observed of this strongest evidence of the truth both of Judaifm and Christianity, that the firft predictions contained in the Old Teftament, relative to the advent of the promised Redeemer, are the most obscure and general; afterwards they gradually become more exprefs and particular in defcribing, 1. The family, 2. The

VOL. II.

SECT. 2. The office, and 3. The univerfal kingIII. dom of our Saviour.

Prophecies, which de

mily of the

Meffiah.

The honour of giving birth to Chrift is fine the fa- in the earlier prophecies left open to the whole race of mankind; but in the later ones, it is more and more contracted, till at length it is limited to one particular family. This continual acceffion of light, from the beginning of the world to the manifeftation of the Meffiah, is very commonly, though very beautifully, compared to the gradual opening of the morning. The first faint glimmerings of twilight ferve only to render the retiring darkness yet more visible; foon, however, the gloom difperfes, and the vivid tints of red diffused over the East announce the near approach of the orb of day; till, at length, every object gleams with the full luftre of the morning.

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Prophecy

fiah, deli

vered to

Eve.

1. The earliest promife of the Meffiah of the Mef-is made at the earliest period, when a Redeemer was neceffary. As foon as our first parents had tranfgreffed the commandment of God, and by their difobedience brought fin and death into the world, in the midst of just severity, the Almighty did not forget

.I.

get mercy; but infused the balm of com- CHAP. fort into their fouls, even in the denunciation of punishment. A difference is diftinctly marked between the feduced and the feducer. While the former have the fentence of death paffed upon them, the latter is curfed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. This curfe too is not mitigated by any foftening circumftances; it is abfolute and unconditional. But the other party is comforted by a promife, that the feed of the woman fhould bruise the head of the ferpent, though it might bruise his heel.

The abfurdity of interpreting the Prophecy literally is manifeft from this confideration. The promise is defigned to comfort our first parents under their affliction, by fhewing them, that fooner or later their enemy fhould meet with the punishment due to his malice, from the hand of one, peculiarly styled the feed of the woman. But it is not very eafy to conceive, what great comfort there is for the lofs of Paradife, in being told, that there fhould be constant enmity between the pofterity of the woman, and the whole race of ferpents; and that, although fuch reptiles would

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196

SECT. Would be apt to bite men upon the heel, III. yet that men would not fail to avenge themselves by bruifing their heads.

We muft, therefore, adopt the Christian explanation, as the moft and indeed the only rational one, which the paffage will admit. Though the machinations of the infernal ferpent may bruife this mortal part, our bodies; yet hereafter shall an illuftrious character be born of woman alone, without the co-operation of man; who fhall attack not merely the extremities of the ferpent's kingdom, but shall completely destroy his power; a circumstance expressed by the natural metaphor of bruifing his

head.

This Prophecy being made to the first parents of mankind, is of courfe left open to the whole human race. As no particular time is mentioned for its completion, the eager expectation of Eve feems to have imagined, that it was fulfilled upon the birth of the firft manchild; never confidering, that fuch offspring could not be called her feed alone. " Adam knew Eve "his wife, and the conceived, and bare "Cain; and faid, I have gotten a man,

even Jehovah himfelf." Such is the li- CHAP. teral tranflation of 'n; and, if it be I. admitted, it fhews that Eve entertained proper notions of the peculiar character and nature of our Saviour. The mistake would certainly not be unnatural, when we confider the indefiniteness of the time, and the anxiety with which Eve, the original offender, would look for the promised Redeemer.

2.

Prophecy

2. As the first prophecy, which relates to the Meffiah, opens at the beginning of of Noah. the old world, fo is the fecond delivered immediately after the flood, and in the infancy of the new world. This is the firft limitation to a particular family; for hitherto, the honour of being the mother of God incarnate was left equally open to all the daughters of Eve. "Bleffed be Je-. "hovah, the God of Shem-God fhall en; "large Japhet, and fhall dwell in the tents "of Shem"." This prophecy was accomplished, partly by the visible manifestation of God in the Shechinab between the cherubim in the tabernacle; and partly, by` the miniftry of the fecond Perfon of the

a Gen. ix. 26, 27.

In other words, tent.

03

ever

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