to these fpiritual facrifices, above thofe of the ceremonial kind, gives confiderable confirmation to the more direct proofs, that the ceremonial kind fhould be one day laid afide.

VII. That the firft ftate of the Meffiah's church would be, in a great meafure, a ftate of perfecution, may be reasonably inferred from the predictions concerning the perfecution and fufferings of the Meffiah himself, which are reprefented as proceeding from men in power and authority, putting him to death under colour of public juftice, If. liii. Pf. xxii. fo that the prophetic characters of the Meffiah's enemies, as to their power and malice, fhew, that they would be able, and very willing, to perfecute, though unable to extirpate, his difciples and followers. The prophetic defcription of the oppofition that would be made to the Melliah, contains many things, which fhew, that it would be very powerful, and that it would not be of fo fhort continuance as to end at the Meffiah's death; which, according to the 9th of Daniel, was to fall out in a very fhort fpace after his entrance on his public miniftry. That oppofition is defcribed as made, not only by the prevailing party of the Jews, among whom the Meffiah himfelf was to fuffer, but alfo by the Heathen, by their kings and rulers, by the rulers of many countries, taking counfel together, beftirring and exerting themfelves to their utmoft, venting uncommon rage, continuing to act as enemies to the Meffiah, after his afcending from this world to God's right hand, Pf. ii. cx.; and as an oppofition, in the defeating of which divine power behoved to be exerted in a fingular manner, breaking thefe adverfaries as a potter's veffel with a rod of iron, ftriking through kings in the day of God's wrath, and wounding the head over many countries; which things are reprefented as neceffary, that the Meffiah might have the Heathen for his heritage, and the ends of the earth for his poffeffion,

and that his enemies might be made his footstool, Pf. ii. cx.

Whereas feveral prophecies fpeak in a more general way of the day of the Meffiah, not only as a day of wonderful mercy to them who would fubmit to the true God, but alfo as a day of righteous wrath against his incorrigible adverfaries, without characterising these adverfaries fo particularly as the predictions that fpeak of the enemies of the Meffiah, viz. the abettors of Jewish unbelief and Heathen idolatry, it is evident, from the rules of juft interpretation, that the former fort of prophecies must be explained by the latter; and the account given in both of them, of the fins and punishment of irreclaimable adverfaries, fhows, that they would make the Meffiah's people fuffer a great deal, and that their fufferings would be far from being inconfiderable, as to the degree or continuance of them.

As it is foretold in the 2d and 7th of Daniel, that the Meffiah fhould come, and that his doctrine fhould be propagated under the fourth or Roman monarchy; fo there is a remarkable prediction in Zech. i. fhewing, that all the four monarchies, and confequently the Roman among the reft, would be fcatterers or perfecutors of the people of God.

In Malachi iii. after foretelling the coming of the meffenger of the covenant, the object of the delight of God's people, it is added, "But who may abide "the day of his coming? And the fequel fhews, that he would try and purify his true fervants like gold and filver; which, confidering the prophetic ftyle about the effects of affliction, is a remarkable hint, that, at the time in view, God's true fervants fhould be tried and purified in the furnace of perfecution; a trial which every one would not be able to abide.

In If. lxvi. 19. the men who would declare God's glory among many nations of the Gentiles, are reprefented as men efcaping and flying from per

fecution

fecution; and y 5. speaks of eminent fervants of God caft out by their brethren, on pretence of zeal for the glory of God; which fhews, that the prophet fpeaks of Jews who fhould be perfecuted by other miftaken Jews. And if it be objected, That all this might be applicable to the fufferings, and to the fubfequent fuccefsful doctrines, of fome Jews, before the times of Chrift and his difciples; it is a fufficient anfwer, That this chapter fpeaks very clearly of that extenfive converfion of the Gentile nations which is peculiar to the times of the gofpel.

VIII. As the prophecies concerning the Meffiah's enemies contain two very different things, namely, the oppofition that fhould be made by thofe enemies, and the defeat of that oppofition; the first of these implies the perfecution of the Meffiah's church, and the fecond her legal establishment, by attaining the protection and countenance of authority. When it is foretold, that the defigns of the Meffiah's enemies fhould be held in derifion, and prove vain things; that they fhould be broken as a potter's veffel; that they fhould become the Meffiah's footftool; that their heads fhould be wounded in many countries; that four carpenters fhould be provided to fray and caft out the four horns, reprefenting the perfecuting powers, Pf. ii. cx. Zech. i.: all these things imply, that, in procefs of time, they who had employed their power against the caufe of the Meffiah, fhould be deprived of their power, in which cafe it behoved to be transferred to others; or made to employ it in favour of the cause which they had oppofed. This is alfo implied in the above-cited predictions of the ruin of idolatry, importing, that the abettors and worshippers of idols would be afhamed and afraid to profefs any regard to them, that they would caft them to the moles and to the bats, and that God would famish all the gods of the Heathen, and make their very names to

be no more remembered, If. ii. xl. Zeph. ii. 11. Zech. xiii. 2. But befides the prophetic threatenings, the revolution in view is foretold in many prophetic promifes concerning the honour which the kings of the nations would pay to God, to his Meffiah, and his Zion; fhewing, that all the kings of the earth would praise the Lord when they should hear the words of his mouth, Pf. cxxxviii.; that the kings of many nations would hearken with reverence to the Meffiah, and would arife and worship, If. xlix. lii.; that the Gentiles would come to Zion's light, and kings to the brightness of her rifing; that the Gentiles would fee her righteousness, and all kings her glory; and that the Gentile kings and queens would be nurfing-fathers and nurfing-mothers to her, If. lx. lxii. xlix.

SECT. III. Of the Meffiah's enemies, and particularly of the unbelieving Jews.

The unbelief of the Jews, or of the prevailing party among them, and their oppofition to the Meffiah and his doctrine, are foretold in various predictions; feveral of which have been already mentioned, and others remain yet to be confidered; the chief of which it is ufeful to collect here in one view, under various heads, according as they treat more directly of one or other of the following fubjects, viz. 1. The bad treatment that people would give the Meffiah in his life, and at his death; 2. The fubftitution of the Gentiles in the room of the Jews as to fpiritual privileges; 3. The inexcufable blindnefs of the Jewish rulers and teachers at the time of the enlightening of the Gentiles; and, more particularly, 4. Their keeping the writings of the prophets in their hands as a fealed book, without understanding the chief fcope and fubject of them.

I. As to the treatment the Meffiah was to meet

with from the Jews, it is defcribed in feveral prophecies as the very reverfe of what he would meet with from the Gentiles; as particularly in the above explained 49th of Ifaiah, where it is foretold, on the one hand, that the Gentiles would be gathered to him; and, on the other hand, that the Jews, inftead of being gathered to him, would defpife and abhor him; and that he fhould fpend his ftrength and labour among them in vain. And in If. liii. it is not in the name of any other nation, but of his own nation, that the prophet fays, "When we fhall fee him, there is no beauty that (( we should defire him. We hid as it were our "faces from him; he was defpifed, and we e"steemed him not.-We did efteem him ftricken, "fmitten of God, and afflicted." All which expreffions explain what unbelievers he complains of, . I. of that chapter, "Who hath believed our report?" But not to multiply references to particular forecited predictions of the Meffiah's maltreatment from the Jews, it is fufficient to obferve, that if we compare together the prophetic account of the place of the Meffiah's refidence, of his fufferings, and of the more immediate inftruments of thofe fufferings, it will be evident, that a good many of the above-mentioned predictions of the fufferings of the Meffiah imply predictions of the unbelief of the Jews.

II. Their unbelief is alfo implied in the predictions of the fubftitution of the Gentiles in their room: as when it is declared, that on account of the fins of the Jews, God would move them to jealoufy, by chufing another people, Deut. xxxii. 21.; that the Jews fhould leave their name for a curfe to God's chofen people, whom he would call, not by their name, but by another name, If. lxv. 15.; and that the Gentiles would croud into Zion, as a numerous family of new children, fupplying the room

of