l0 671 9$'. `Tomfes of the Mefsiah Vindicated. theMeßiah, yet two of the Targumihave brought him into this place, but attended with filch a Rory,- as I thould not mention were it not to give a fignal inftance in it, how they rail their Traditions. EldadandMedad prophefed in the Camp, as the Text. affttres us. What, or whereaboue they prophefied is not declared. This theTar- gumiffs pretend to acquaint us withal]. Eldad they fay prophefied of the Death of Mnfés, the Succeßian of Jofhua, and their entrance into Canaanunder hisconduct. This caufedOne to run and inform Mofr, which gave occafion to thofe words .of his e,. 29. Enviejt thou fir my ftke ; for what if he do prophcfie, that I (hall dye ; and thereon he would not rebuke them. Medad prophefied of the coming of theuriks to feed them ; 'but bath of them prophefied and aid, 7+i 1`Tí11 31m1 41p7 r70) jt s sr1+tet1 NDL/C1 111'11 t-L`ltlail'17 cpt3 In the latter dayes Gog and Ma= gog Jhall afcend with their Hoff againft Jerulalem, and they Jball fall by the hand of the Meßiah; whereon inJonathan therefolloweth'aRory of the delicious fare and dainties, which they fancy unto themfelves in thofe dayes. But what is theRealms that Eldad andMedad muff be thought to propheticthus concerning Gog ? Ezek 38. v. 17. we have thofe words; Thus Jeith the LordGod, ( unto Gog ) art not thou he of whom I have fjoken in old time by my frvants the Prophets ofMad which prophefied in thole dayes and years, that I would bring thee again'' them? Not finding any exprefs prophefie in theScripture, as they fuppofe concerning Gag , hecaufe that name is not elfewhere uted, they could not fatten thefe words any wherebetter than on Eldad and Medad, concerning whom it is Paid that they Prophefied, but nothing is recorded of what is fpoken by them, whereon they think they mayalign unto them what they pleafe although there is not the lead reafon to fuppofe that their Prophesying confined in Predictions of things to come. Speakingof the things of God, and prailing him in an extraordinary manner, is called Prophesying in the Scripture. So thole words of theChildren of the Prophets who carne down from the High Place with Pfálreries and Harps, a'N17rGtorn, r Sam: to. v. q. and they are Prophesying,is rendred in the Targum, j +1 1tti ZtTN1, and they are prailing, or finging Praifes unto God ; which both their conpany and their instruments declare to have been their Employment. But filch occalions as thefe, do they layhold of, for the railing of their Figmentswhich in procefs of time grow to be Traditions. 4: to. Numb. 23. v. 21. Chap. 24.7'.7s r7, 20, a4. All the Targum agree that the Meßiah is intended to thefe Prophefies of Baalam. Efpecially on thofe words, Chap. a4. v.:57. There (hall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter out ofIfrael ; AKing, fay they jointly, 'hall arife out of Jacob, nsrt't io NSlr1'1, and the Meßiah Jhall be annointed- Aud an illuffríous Prophefie it is no doubt, concerning his Coming and Dominion. who is the Root and the Offspring. of David, thebright andMorning Star. Rafhi inter- prets the place ofDavid, who fmote the Cornersof Moab, as he was in many things a Type ofChrill. AbenEzra coufeffeth that many interpret the words concerning the Meßiab; And Maimonides diltributes the Prophetic between David and the Meßiah, aft gnieg fome things untoone, fome to another ; TrAtat. de Regib. iu M'llw7 `íy1 alfo they grant it to be the Prophefie of the Nleßiah. And there is nodoubt of the feufe of their antient Mailers from the Rory ofBar Coziba, whom after they had ac- ceptedof for their Mefiiah from this place they called Bar Chocheba ; Akiba applying this Prediction of 1717, or the Star unto him. And Fagius on the Targum in this place, obfèrves that in the name3717 Chochab applyed unto the Meßiah , the Cab- baliffs obferve two things; Fird, That the two firft Letters figuihe the fame num- ber with the Letters of íL1' the Name of God, that is twenty fix ; and the two latter twenty two, the number of the Letters of the Law. The obfervatiou is fuliies- ently Talmudical ; but the intendment ofit, that the Meßiah bath in him the Name of God, and (hall fulfill the whole Law, is a bleffed Truth. ThisFagine, andMuufter before him obfervedout of 11DCI 1í1Y (a Bundle of Myrrh;) a Cabalijlical Comment on thePentateuch, by R. Abraham. But they all contend again!] the Application of this Predid9on unto our Lord Jefus Chrift : for when fay they did he finite the Corners ofMoab', when didhe defiroy all the Children ofSeth ? and how were thole words, v. 18. '1'n 11Uÿ `7N`U1.0'1 ( which they interpret, and Ifrael'ball gather wealth, or firbjtance) fulfilled? But wehave fufïìeiently proved the Meßiah to be a Spiritual Redeemer ; and therefore however his Kingdommay beexpreffed in words fignifying literally outward and temporal things, Yet things fpiritual and eternali are to be un- derftood, as figuratively fet out by the other. Neither can thefe words be abfolutely underftood according to the Letter; For whereas Seth was the San given unto Adam
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