the `fromfed Mefsiah long fince come. This reticence extended to life and deatb ; which ]aft they had power to infíiâ four wayes i p»t dli 1 1w rl 11Dí31 mr-tin [á312S, pm, deaths, ( four kinds of death ) were committed to theHoufeof Juílgcment, to Stoic, to Burn, toflty with the Sward, and to ffranyle. There were they who in the dayes of the Re,tauratiou of the Church by Ezra, who by reafonof the excellency of the perfbns ( manyof them beingProphets, and men divinely infpired ) are ufually called 7ihtn non 'w)H, the mega of the great Congregation. And the power of this Court was continued , though not without foire interruption and refiraint unto the time of the lafi deftruótion of the City by Titut. Betides this greater Court, they had alfo two leer in other places ; one of the twenty three Aff+ffsrs, which might beerected in any City or Townwhere there was an hundred and twentyFamilies or mote, but not lefs s and thefe alto had power over all Caufs Criminal andCivit which happenedwithin the Precinéts of their Jurifdiftion, and over all Pani(ha.ents unto D:atIi it felt. Hilary on the fecond Pfalm tells us, that, Erat a Mofe ante inl}itutum in amid Synagogd LXX. rift Doctores. Mors had appointed that in every Synagogue there ftquld Le LXX Teachers. He well calls them Teachers becauf that was part of their duty,' to teach and make known the Law of God in Justice and Judgement ; And he adds, Cujusdo- drine &mint in Evangeliis meminit dicen. Wbofz teaching our Lord mentions in the G,ß,el fúying, the Scribes andPharifees fit in Mores Chair. So referring the diredhion there given by our Saviour to the Judicial determinations ofthefeJudges, and not to their ordinaryTeachings orSermons to the people. But herein his millake isevident,that he luppeteth the number offeventy to have belonged to every Synagogue which was peculiar to the-great Court before defribed for betides this Judicature of twenty three in the greater Towns, there were alío in the leffr Towns appointed a Court of three Afffrs, who might judge and determine in many cafes about money, debts and contrac`t's, but had nothing to in tranfgretlions that were capital. In this Courts judgingand determining according to the Law ofMores, conu(ted the Rule and Polity of the Nation and it is evident that they were continued among(} them untill the coming of the Stilo. For thernfelves conthntly avert. that the power of Judging capitalÿ, was taken from the Sanhedrin about forty years before the de- itrudhioncf thefecond Temples though I fuppofe it will be found, thattheir p.swer was rather occalionally fometimes fìr#ended by the Romano, then abfolutely taken away untill the fnall deftrudhionof the City. Unto this Judah, that we may return, upon the grant and during the continuance of this Scepter and Law- reciter, it is promifed that the Stiles fhould come ; that is the Mefah, and that unto him lball he the gathiring of the people. So was the Promife unto Abraham, namely that is his feed, all people, or all Nations ofthe Earth fhould be b!eifed. r!4'w, Stilo is a word ufed only in this place; and it comes from ri`iw,Shalah , to prcffier, or fave. So that the mob probable denotation of the word is a profperer; a deliverer, a Saviour, as we than afterwards more fully manifeft. The promifeof the continuance of Scepter and Law-writer is 2Sa''7"lf), .till this Shirt fhould be come. The Jews, as was intimated before, lay a double exception to the fenfe and inter- pretation which we give cf the Particles '7-7; untill. Firll, That ip fignities for ever: So that the meaningof the words is, that the Scepter and Law-writer (hall not depart from Jìtdat for ever. The reafon whereof is given in the next words, be- caufe the Stilo Jboll come, '7 being often cauJb/. But though 1y may fometimes figiifie as much as for ever, though toothy it doth but adbue, yet, or, as yet ; yet it Both not, nor can fo, when it is joyned as here with'7, which limits the duration intimated. by theftbjeït màtter treatedon, and fente of the enticing words that they have re- fpeO unto. They except again, that my is burthened with the accent Jetbib, which difcinguifheth the fence, andputs a flop upon it. But this they can give no inftance iii the confirmation of, efpecially whets it bath Athnae immediately preceding it , as in this place it hati'. $elides tuaw and ppI1 , Scepter andLaw- writer are long fince aéìu- ally departed from Judah, and in their Judgement the Shilo not yet come ; which perftfily dtttroyes the verity of the prediétion. Having taken this brief view of the words, we may draw our Argutneut from thetas, which is this. The Atfifth according to tins prediction, mutt come while the Rule and Government of Judah was confirmed, or before it was utterly removed or taken away , but they are long false departed, and taken away. They have been fo at leaf! ever 149 4. 18. 4.20. 4. at. 4.zi= 4. 23 .
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