ferent Circumstances, which feem directly oppofite to one another. Fancy has nothing to do with those Paradoxes, which not only feem to be above its reach, but above that alfo of the Understanding it felf. That we have fo forrowful a Picture given us of the Meffias, whofe coming was fo earnestly expected, does not proceed from any defire of inventing thofe things that might be acceptable. Chance can never form fo many different Ideas in the Mind, with fuch coherent, and fuch rational Predictions, furnish'd even with the minutest Circumftances of the Tragedy they describe; and confequently there is no other Principle to which this Oracle can be afcribed, but the Holy Ghost. And if we have no reason to fufpect the Prophecy it self, much lefs we have to fufpect its Event. We can never fufpect thofe Matters of Fact to be fictitious, on which the accomplishment of this Prophecy is grounded. The Evangelifts doubtless could never deceive us, when they fo exactly reprefented to us the deep Humiliation of Jefus Chrift. And though we should have reafon to disbelieve them, yet we could not chufe but believe the Reproaches which the very Enemies of Jefus revile him with in this refpect, upbraiding him with one of the chief Characters of his Miffion, that is, his Poverty and Meannefs: it cannot be doubted but that Jefus Chrift fuffered Death. Neither is it likely the Circumftance of his Burial fhould be feigned. So impudent a Fiction as that must have been, could not but have been foon brought to Light. No Man doubts, but that Jefu Chrift was crucified between two Thieves. 'Tis a Matter of Fact confirmed by a happy Experience, that Jefus Christ had after his Death a very great number of Difciples, who were called

his Children, or to Sex; rpon ruuch better grounds, than the Diame of the Prophets were called the Chidren of the Propins. All the World knows the many fons forfook the worship of Ids, and with gave up their Minds to the study of Sanfifcator, by the Knowledg they had of him. And as it is impollible for us to doubt that 't ze good Pisalure of the Almighty God to fave Mer, there is no doubt like wife, but that he, win as enlightened the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gofpel, cauled allo the good Plea fire of the Lord to profper, Whence, I conclude, th not in the Fancy and Imagination of the Evangelijs, but in the Truth of the Matter it fets that the fullling of this Oracle is to be found. But if it depended not of the Fancy of the Difiples, fince they were but poor fimple Fiber-Men, to adapt the Event to the Oracle, we must add, that it much lefs depended of Jefus Chrift himElf,to accommodate and adapt himself to this ancient Prophecy. For though we fhould fuppofe, that Jefus Chrift, in conformity to this Prophecy, had (as it were) adopted Shame and Mifery to himself, yet after that was he Master of all the Circumftances of his Life, and of the Minds of those that fhould oppofe his Doctrine, of his Death and Burial, and of what should come to pass after his Death? Was it by his advice, that they nailed him on the Cross between two Thieves? Had he defired Jofeph of Arimathea before his Death, to bury his Body in the Sepulchre he had hewn out in a Rock? Had he the Power to rise again from the Dead, after he had so couragiously undergone the bitter Pains of a voluntary Death? Could he fo difpofe the Hearts of Men, as to convert them after his

Death,

Death, and fo cause the Pleasure of the Lord to profper? And was he able to justify, by the Knowledg of his Name, thofe People who never had before heard any mention of him?

But 'tis neither the Event nor the Prophecy, we ought to wonder at; 'tis the Proportion we find betwixt them both, which is of fuch a Nature, that the Prophecy feems to be but a Gospel, and the Gospel but a Prophecy repeated, and traced out again. So wonderful is the Refemblance betwixt them, where all the Circumstances quadrate with one another, and are fo well knit and united together, that I think it needless to infist on two or three Critical Remarks, which the Rabbies ftill have to oppose against the Evidence of this Truth, and therefore fhall only touch upon in paffing.

. They object, That the Prophet fpeaks here of an infirm Man, and confequently could not mean our Lord Jefus Chrift, who was not liable to Grief, or any natural Infirmity, but was all his Life-time very healthy and vigorous, and was not taken off but by a violent Death. To this we anfwer, That the Infirmity which is meant in this Oracle, is altogether accidental and voluntary, as the following words evidently manifeft; He hath put him to Grief, which words must not be understood of any natural Afflictions, but of those Sufferings inflicted upon Men as a Punishment for

their Sins.

2. They further object, That Jefus Chrift did not prolong his Days, having not lived above 33 Years, or thereabouts. We anfwer, That he prolonged them after his Death, having obtained Eternity for ever.

3. They

3. They defire to be informed in what fenfe Jefus Chrift can be faid to have had a Portion divided him with the Great? We aníwer, That he had this portion divided him with the Kings and Princes of the World, who fubmitted themselves to the Scepter of his Word, having laid their own Scepters at his Feet; Or rather, that it is an Hebrew Phrase,which fignises only in general terms, that Jefus Chrift has had the best Share. But this we have already explained, and is of too little moment to be infifted any longer upon.

'Twas this wonderful Proportion betwixt the Event and the Prophecy, which is fo clear and fo easy,so undeniable,and at the same time fo fentible, that converted the Eunuch of Candace Queen of the Ethiopians, after that Philip had made him understand and discern the excellence of it. But he ftop'd not at the Explication of this Oracle, but proceeded to expound to him the other Prophecies and fince we ought to imitate his Example, 'tis now time we should pass on to the confideration of the others likewife.

CHAP. X.

Where we further examine thofe Prophecies, which concern the Meffias, and efpecially thofe which denote the Place and Manner of his Birth.

Hough the Birth, Life and Death of the Meffias are contained in the Prophecy we jutt now examined, 'twill not be however belidee K k

prefent Parpose, to lay down fame other Oracles, wherein all thefe Events are more particularly reprefented to us.

But before we enter upon this Undertaking, 'tis neceflary to obferve, that there are three forts of Oracles which concern the Meffias: fome that are Proofs without Types, others that reprefent Types without Proofs; and others that may ferve for Types and Proofs both together.

Ifaac, Jofeph and Sampfon,&c. are the fimple Types of the Meffias, and very fit Images to reprefent him, nay defigned by the Wisdom of God for that very purpose; but these Types only suppose the Truth of his coming, without proving it. On the contrary, we may very well affirm of the Oracle which we have examined in the foregoing Chapter, that it is a contexture of very exprefs and evident Prophecies, which cannot belong to any but Jefus Chrift himfelf, and which immediately belong to him, without being concealed un-der any Image or Cover whatever. Thefe I call Proofs without Types. The first of thefe Oracles reprefent him, but prove him not; and the others prove him, but reprefent him not. But for the greater Evidence-fake, it was very meet that Divine Wisdom Thould join the Proof and the Reprefentation together, to give us thofe Types of Jefus Christ, as fhould ferve for a Proof of themfelves. On this account therefore, the Holy Ghost chuling David, and fome other remarkable PerTons, to be the Types of the Mefias, afcribes to them fuch things as could never belong to any but the Meffias himself, at the fame time defcribing, under the cover of that which happened to those noble Perfons, whatever concerned him; but yet with this particular difference, that the fenfe of

thefe