262 7" he Harmony of vhe' 'Divine Attributes "--1\./1 . it is the] u(\ilication o.f God's Fidelity. In this fence ' tis faid, (1oh. 1. 17.) The Lmv -,_'" Chap.23 given by Mofes, b111 Gracea11d Truihca-meby 'Jejiu C/Jtifl, i, e. the Grace of the Gofpel is 1./'V"\J the fub!\antial and compleat Accomei iOtment of the Types and Promifes under the Law. I will not enter into the difcuilion·of all the Propheciesconterning the Mrj]iah in the Old Tc(l"ment, to !hew how they are verified in Jefus Chritl:; but brie~y confider Come fpecial Preditlions that concern the time of the Mrjfiah's Coming, his Perfon, and Offices. 1. The Prophecy of dying Jacob. The Scepter fliall not depart from Judah, nur a Lawgiver from betrvem hh Feet, till Shiloh come, Gen. 49· 1. By the Scepte'r ah'd Law-giver are meant divers Forms of Government: the firtl: being the Mark ol fl. egal Power, the other T it le refpeCts thofe whore Power fucceeded rhatof their Ku1gs, in the' perfgn of Ze- •·obbabcl and his Succelfors. Jacob prophetically declares two things, their etl:abli!hment in 'Jud"h, and thei r continuance ti\1 the coming of Shilok· This Oracle dot!\ not ,precifel y refpeCtthe Perfon ofJudah, for he never afcended the Throne, nor .polfefl the Empire over his Brethren ; no r fold his Potl:erity as a Tribe ditl:inguifh'd from the reil, altho' it had fpecial Ad vantage from that time: li'adhe Banner of Judah led ·the •Camp in their March through the Wildernefs, Numb. 2. a· That Tribe had the firtl: Polfeflion of the Land of Canaan; thefe were the Beginnings of its future Glory. And from David :~ :~: ~~~~~~i~~ z~~~J:l~ t~~~~f~~: ~~n7~,~r;;,~a~~~t~f~~~R~~h~~~ ~~ia~~s ili~~~0~ pie of lfrael, in the relation they had to the Tribe of 'Judah: For that Tribe alone returned entire from the Captivity with Come Reliques of Levi and Be1tjamin ~ fo that the Nation from that rime was difHngni01'd by the Title of the Jew.r in relation to it; and the Rightto difpofeof the Scep1er .was always in the Tribe of }tdab: For the . LevitC! that· ruled after rhe Captivity reeeived their Power !rom them. TiU Shiloh come, tbat is, the i'v!elfiah, as the Chaldee Paraphrafe, and the anctent 'Jewifb Interpreters e"pound; (o that the intent of the Oracle is, that after the e!lablifilment of the Supreme Power in the Family of }tdah, it fhould not pafs into the Hands of Strangers, but as a certain Prefoge and immediate Fore-runner of the coming of 5hiloh. And this was fully accomplifh'd: For in the Captivity there was an interruption rather than extinction of their Govern- ~~~~~f~~i~;gb~~rr~J~J:~~~:~ ~~~einr~~~;~~~&:~:~~~~~r~a}!!;;~ ~~~:;~~;~~~a~ the Throne; and as the 1; ribe of Judah in general, fo the Family of David in particular was in fuch a low State, that Jofeph and Mary that were defcended frol)l him, were confirain'd to lodge in a Stabl e at Bethlehem. And fince the blelfed Peacemaker hath appear'd on the Earth, the l""' have loll: all Authority: their Civil and Ecclefia!'tica!State is utterly ruin'd, and they bear the vifible Marks of infamous Servitude. 2. The Second famous PrediCtion is by an Angel to Daniel, (Dan. 9· 2 5.) when. he was lamenting the fl.uine of 'Jerufalem, who comforted him with an alfurance that the City fbould be rebuilt: And further told him, That from the going forth of the Commmzd~zwt torcflore aud to b~tild Jerufalem, rmtotheMeffiah the Prince, jballbefevenweek.t, and three· fi'ore a11d two Weefv the Street.t {ball be b1tilt ttgain, and the Wa~ even in tro11blcfome Timm A11d after tbreifcore and two weefv flmU tbe Meffiah be CJtt off, lmt not for bimfi!J, a11d the People of the Priuce that foaU ror,;t. foal/ dejlroy the City and SanCiu.ry, aucl the e11d thereof JhaU be witb a Flood, tmd to the end of the War Defolatio,u arc dttetmined. The clear iti- (dJ ,.,m,,.., rent of the Angel's Melfage is, That within the fpace of feventy Prophetical Weeks (d) i}lt pr.:ur al- (that is, fo11r hundred and ninety JCar.r, according to the Expofition ofrheRabbin.t them- :::~t7~!~~; ~~;~: a~~eb:~eu~~u~n6:a~~~~~~h~r~~~ ~of ~een~e~vu~~~~n~al~~~~i;tfu~~~l'~qJiah fhould fi~2f:~~1~f~if£1~~t!:£F1:}11£t:~~l~~~~~¥5@f£~~i~is#;f):;;,:f£:f~:·ii7!;~:;E: 3· The time of the manifetl:ation of the Melfiah is evidently fet down in Hagg•i o. 6, 7, 8, 9· I wiU fhak._e all Natio111, and the defre ofall NationJ foal/ conze, ad J will fill thiJ HoHfe with Glory, fllith the Lord of Hofl.t. The Silver i.t mine, and the Gold is mine, faith 1;/;/;j !/.rf~;;,d ~h;h~;~:,:f~{; f~:::; ~;:;:.• gT~:'P~~;h~a:o0 {n~~u~~;'d;e1~:, tf~ building rhe Temple, alfur'd them that it fhould have a furpaning Glory by the Prefence of the Me[fiah, who is call'd the Defire of all Nations; and being the Prince of Peace, his coming is defcribed by that b!elfed effeCt, A11d in thi1 Place will I give Peace, fAith the Lurcl ojl-!o{fJ. · The fecond Temple was much inferi<?tlr to Solo!J<On's, as in Magnificence and external Orna·
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