banished to Vienne in France, where he is reported to have put an end to his own life by the sword. 42 ૨. wards? Did the Jews grow wiser and better after A. They went on by persecution and rage against the Gospel of Christ, and the professors of it, and by many other crimes, to fill up the measure of their iniquities, till at last, upon their insurrection against the Romans, they were exposed to the fury of a conquering army, their city and temple were utterly destroyed, according to the prophecy of Christ; eleven hundred thousand of the people perished, and the remains of their nation have been scattered abroad through the earth unto this day. 43 Q. What general remark may be drawn from the whole history of the Jews since their return from the captivity of Babylon? A. That the affairs of their church and of their state have been for the most part so unhappy, they have been so much disquieted by the invasions and persecutions of the kings of the earth, so wretchedly corrupted with the introduction of human traditions, Pharisaical superstitions, and heathenish rites among them; and so frequently and grievously oppressed by their own priests and princes, as well as strangers, that they never did enjoy so peaceful, so pious, and so flourishing a state, as to give a full accomplishment of all those glorious prophecies which relate to their happiness after their return from captivity. 44 Q What follows from this remark? A. That there must be, in the decrees and providence of God, a further reserve of peace, holiness and happiness for the seed of Israel, which shall be conferred upon them in the latter days: and therefore we cannot but expect a more large and general conversion of the Jews to the faith of Jesus the true Messiah, than hath ever yet appeared, with greater blessings upon that peo ple who were once so dear to God, and are beloved for their father's sake. St. Paul, in his eleventh chapter to the Romans, abundantly confirms what the prophets encourage us to hope for. CHAP. XX. Of the Prophecies which relate to Jesus Christ our Saviour, and their Accomplishment; or, a Prophetical Connection between the Old and New Testament. INTRODUCTION. As I have given an Historical Continuation of the affairs of the Jews from the time of Nehemiah, where the Old Testament ends, to the time of Jesus Christ our Lord; so I have here inserted a chapter of some of the plainest predictions or prophecies which are found in the Old Testament, that relate to the person, offices and glories of the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, and are fulfilled in the Gospel : and it may be called A Prophetical Connection between the Old Testament and the New. And because I would not give offence by introducing such prophecies as are either much doubted or denied by any Christians; therefore I shall scarce mention any but what some of the writers of the New Testament either directly cite, or to which they have a plain reference in some of their expressions. 1 Q. Since the great subject of the New Testament is our Lord JESUS CHRIST and his Gospel, tell me now what are the chief discoveries or representations made of him in the Old Testament? A. Besides the types or emblems of Christ and his Gospel, which are found in the Jewish worship, there are also several plain expressions in the books of the Old Testament, which are predictions or prophecies concerning him, long before he came into the world. See some of the types in chap. V. Q. 116. 2 Q. What is the first and earliest prophecy of Christ? A. Gen. iii. 15, where God said to the first woman, that is, to Eve, that her seed should bruise the head of the serpent. 3 Q. Wherein is this prophecy fulfilled? A. Gal. iv. 4, God sent forth his Son made of a woпап. 1 John iii. 8, The Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil; that is, he should destroy the mischievous designs and deeds of the devil, who lay hid in the serpent, when he tempted Adam and Eve to sin; and this, in the language of prophecy, is called, bruising the serpent's head. 4 Q. What is the next plain prophecy of Christ? A. Gen. xviii. 18, and xxii. 18, where God tells Abraham, that in him and his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. 5 Q. How does this appear to have a reference to Christ? A. Gal. iii. 8, The Scripture preacheth the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed; ver. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made: He saith, To thy seed, which is Christ; who was to be derived in a long course of generations from Abraham, and therefore Christ may be called the Son of Abraham. Matt. i. 1. 6 Q. To whom was this promise given besides Abraham ? A. It was given to Isaac the son of Abraham, Gen. xxvi. 4, and to Jacob his grandson. Gen. xxviii. 14. In thee and in thy seed shall all nations be blessed. 7 Q. Did Jacob prophecy concerning Christ? A. Yes, in his dying speech to his son Judah, Gen. xlix. 10. The sceptre (or tribe, as the word signifies) shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and till the gathering of the people be unto him. 8 Q. How can you prove that this prophecy relates to Christ? A. Shiloh signifies one that is sent, which is the frequent character of Christ, that he was sent by the Father. John x. 36, &c. and xvii. 18, 21, 23. (And indeed the Jews themselves own that it signifies the Messiah.) Now Judah did continue to be a tribe, and to have some sort of government amongst them till Christ came: he was about ten or twelve years old when Archelaus was deposed, and Judea reduced to the form of a Roman province, and then the power of life and death was taken from them. See chap. xix. Q. 36. And when the people, that is, the Jews and Gentiles, were gathered in great numbers unto Christ, then the tribe of Judah, or the Jewish nation, was broken to pieces and scattered, Jerusalem was destroyed, and all appearance of government among them was lost; which is an effectual argument against the Jews that their Messiah is already come. 9 ૨. Who was the next person that prophesied concerning Christ? A. Moses, in the 18th chapter of Deut. ver. 15, 18. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, and to him shall ye hearken. 10 Q. How does it appear Moses designed Jesus Christ in this prophecy? A. St. Stephen the martyr cites these words in his dying speech when he was put to death for the sake of Christ, and applies them to him. Acts vii. 37. 11 Q. But were not many prophets, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Elisha, and several others like unto Moses? A. None of them, beside Jesus Christ, came to institute a new religion, as Moses did; or wrought such numerous and various miracles to attest their doctrine. 12 Q. Who was the next eminent prophet that spake plainly of Christ? A. David speaks often of him in his book of Psalms, in many remarkable expressions, and describes his incarnation, his sufferings, his exaltation, and his various offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, namely, 1. His coming into the world to preach the truth of God, and the doctrine of righteousness, for the salvation of men, and the weakness and insufficiency of the Jewish sacrifices. Psalm xl. 6, 7, 8, Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; that is, the Jewish sacrifices were not required as real and effectual expiations, because they could not take away sin: but mine ears hast thou opened: then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, O my God, I have preached righteousness in the great congregation, I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation, &c. The first part of this Psalm is expressly applied to Christ, Heb. x. 5, &c. and instead of the words, mine ears hast thou opened, the apostle expresses it, a body hast thou prepared me: and then he goes on to shew how Christ made himself a perfect and effectual sacrifice, instead of all the imperfect sacrifices under the law. 2. His being chosen out of the Jewish nation to be the Saviour and the King of Israel, is foretold under the emblem of David. Psalm 1xxxix. 18, &c. Then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One, aud saidst, I have Taid help upon One that is mighty: I have exalted One chosen out of the people:--I will make him my First born, higher than the kings of the earth, &c. Christ is called the First-born of the creation, and King of kings. Col. i. 15. Rev. xix. 16. 3. The children in the temple singing his triumph, when he entered into Jerusalem, is early intimated. Psalm viii. 2, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength, or perfected praise; and in Psalm cxviii. 25, 26, you have the very words of their song; Save now, I beseech thee, (which in the Hebrew is Hosannah) O Lord; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; which is applied to Christ. Matt. xxi. 9. And as the Scribes and Pharisees raged and had indignation against him on this account, so this very rage is intimated in the same 8th Psalm, ver. 2. The babes and sucklings cried out, and did still or silence the enemy and the avenger, that is, the revengeful enemy. And this is further hinted in the 118th Psal. ver. 22, where David calls Christ the Stone which the builders refused, and which is become the head Stone of the corner: the teachers and rulers of the Jews, who should have been the builders of the church, rejected Christ, and on this occasion he applies these words to himself, Matt. xxi. 42, and they are applied to him by the apostles Paul and |