C. 34

35.

36.

37.

and promises they fhall fee no more their numerous Squadrons, nor hear their deep-mouth'd, hoarfe, barbaric Voices; and reprefents the Inhabitants of Jerufalem gathering the Spoil of their flaughter'd Foes. He calls upon the Nations to take notice of this remarkable Overthrow, threatens Idumea with Defolation about the fame time, which he calls the Day of the Lord's Vengeance, and the Year of Recompences for the Controversy of Sion. And in the next defcribes the happy Condition of the Jews, after the Defeat of Sennacherib's Army. Then he fubjoyns the Hiftory of that Invafion, the Confternation of King Hezekiah, when he heard the blafphemous Rhodomontade of the Affyrian General Rabfbakeh, his Behaviour toward God in that critical Juncture, God's comfortable Meffage to him by Ifaiah, the Slaughter of his Army by an Angel, and gives an Account of a dangerous Distemper the King fell into about the 38. time of Sennacherib's Invafion, of which, when to Human Appearance he was paft Recovery, God promifes to cure him, and makes the Sun go back to convince him that he would be as good as his Word. This Recovery of Hezekiah, and the furprizing Retrogradation of the Sun, brought Ambaffadors from Babylon to Congratulate the King's Health, and enquire of that Miracle; at which the King was fo tranfported, that he fhew'd them all the Riches of his Exchequer, and the Curiofities of the Country, every thing that was Extraordinary in every part of his Dominion: A piece of Vanity and Weaknefs which God fo far refented, that thence he took occafion to foretel the Babylonian Captivity, which is the Subject of all the following Chapters, except part of the 52d

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and

39.

and the 53d, which I look upon as one entire Prophecy of the Sufferings the Meffiah was to undergo; not applicable, as Grotius thinks, to Jeremiah, or any other Perfon that ever appear'd on the Stage of the World.

And now I shall fhew the Weakness of those Arguments on which Mr. Whifton endeavours to establish this Unity of Senfe in the Prophetic Writings. First, fays he, Afingle and determinate Senfe of every Prophecy is the only Natural and Obvious one; and no more can be admitted, without putting a Force upon plain Words, and no more affented to by the Minds of inquifitive Men. This I allow to be true, where the Author, or Writer of Prophecies has fo exprefs'd himself, that his Words cannot, without manifeft Violence, be apply'd to more than one Perfon, and where he has not given any Intimation that he had other Views. The Words of an Author are the only Means we have to know his Meaning by: But if his Words be fuch, that they exactly agree to two diftinct Perfons living at different times, and he pofitively affures you, that he had both in his Mind, or Prophefied of both; when he made use of fuch Expreffions, as confider'd together with what goes before and after, would naturally point out fuch a one; but confider'd by themselves, in their proper and genuine Signification, describe another, What Objection can be made against it? This is the Cafe. The Spirit of God is the Author of the Writings of the Old and New Teftament, the Perfons, whofe Names they bear, being only Inftruments us'd by the Holy Spirit to make known God's Will to the World. The Meffiah, who was to be fent into it, when all Things were prepar'd for his Reception,

4

was

་

was to be before hand fo defcrib'd, that when he came, he might be known by those who. were converfant in the Antient Records of the Jews, and were not blinded with Prejudice; but yet not fo plainly defcrib'd, but that he might remain, as it were, Incognito to the greatest part of that Nation he was fent to, fince otherwise his Death could not have been brought about, which was abfolutely neceffary for the Redemption of Mankind; and therefore St. Peter tells the Jews, I know that through Ignorance ye did it; that Aas 3. 17. is, kill'd the Lord of Life: To this End it was neceffary, that the Prophecies relating to the. Meffiah fhould be fo contriv'd, as when fulfill'd, to be plain and convincing, but to remain under a Veil as it were before, because if they had been clearly Reveal'd, fome of them muft have hinder'd their own Completion. Therefore when this, or any other Prophet was to speak of any Perfon, or Thing, which carry'd any faint Refemblance of what the Meffiah was to do. or fuffer, he spoke of that Perfon or Thing in fuch a manner, that the Words fhould be equal-. ly, and fometimes more applicable to our Saviour, than the Perfon or Thing firft in the Intent of the Writer. Thus Mofes fpeaking of the manner in which the Ifraelites were to eat the Pafchal Lamb, is directed by the Spirit of God to make use of such an Expreffion as fhould at the fame time fignify a remarkable Circumftance of our Saviour's Death, In one Houfe ball it (the Pafchal Lamb) be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the Flesh Exod. 12.46. abroad out of the House, neither shall ye break a Bone thereof. And it is recorded in the Gospel, came the Soldier and brake the Legs of the first

Then

[Thief]

John 19. 31

[Thier] and of the other that was Crucified with him: But when they came to Jefus and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his Legs, but ran a Spear into his Side, and forthwith came thereout Bloed and Water: And this was done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, a Bone of him shall not be broken. Here I fix my Foot, because the Place is plain, and every Reader may at firft fight fee, that the Words of Mofes must be allow'd a double Interpretation, one referring to a Beaft, the other to the Son of God. If there be but one determinate Sense of every Prophecy, and no more can be admitted, without putting a Force upon plain Words, then either this is no Prophecy at all, and then St. John the Evangelift is in the wrong for referring on this occafion to Words written by Mofes, who never thought of any fuch thing when he wrote them; or elfe the Words, as they ftand in Mofes, must be understood of our Saviour; and yet it is plain, that they cannot be underftood of our Saviour there, because he is fpeaking of an Animal, which was to be devour'd within Doors, and none of his Bones to be broken. And thus I maintain the Prophet Ifaiah, whenever he fpeaks of the Meffiah, fpeaks of himself, or fome other Perfon or Thing, which bore fome Refemblance to the Character and Figure he was to make in the World, in fuch Expreffions as confider'd abstractedly from the Context, are equally and very often more true of Chrift, than the Perfon or Thing first in his Intention. And now let any inquifitive Man confider the plain Text of Mofes: Is it impoffible for fuch a Man, without a mighty Byafs on his rational Faculty, to believe that the Spirit of God, when he made ufe of fuch

Expref

Expreffions about the manner of eating the Pafchal Lamb, had fomething farther in his View? St. John tells him it is pofitively fo. This was done, a npw, that this part of the Scripture might be fulfill'd; the Words were verify'd in the eating the Paffover, but the full Defign and Intent of the Spirit in thefe Words was not reach'd; he had a further Meaning in them, which was fully accomplish'd in that remarkable Circumftance of our Saviour's Legs not being broken, when the Legs of thofe that were Crucify'd with him were. What has Reason to object against this? Are not the Words equally applicable to both? Or is it unreasonable that the Author of these facred Books fhould explain his own Meaning? Or dare we not believe an infpir'd Writer?

2. Mr. Whiston objects, If Prophecies are allow'd to have more than one Event in view, at the fame time we can never be fatisfy'd but they have as many as any Visionary pleafes; and fo instead of being capable of a direct and plain Expofition, to the Satisfaction of the Judicious, will be liable to foolish Applications of Fanciful and Enthufiaftic Men. Very true, fo they will; but then, I am afraid, this will fall heavy on Mr. Whifton Himfelf; for if there be but one determinate Senfe of every Prophecy, and no more can be affented to, without putting a Force on plain Words, why does he make this Prophet fpeak of the Turks, Hermageddon and Anti- Collection of chrift, when he fpeaks of the Affyrian exprefsly? Scripture ProWhy does he leave the literal Senfe of the Words, and talk of fuch Things as I have all the Reafon that can be to be pofitive never enter'd into his Thoughts? Why is he fo much a Vifionair, as to

apply

phecies, p.364