15o, The Promi¡ed Metiah long £rice come. ever Mice the deliruEtion ofthe Nation, City and Temple by Tints. And therefore the IF.Jefah is long íùúe come, which was propofed unto confirmation. Tomanifelt the uncòutrollablc evidence of this Teltimony and our Argument from it : There is no more neceffarybut that we demonitrate; Firnt, That by Scepter and Law-writer, Rule. andGovernment are intended. Secondly, That the promifed Sbïlo is the Myliab. Thirdly, That all Ruleand NationalPolitywas utterly long fine taken away from Jug dab, even in the deltruétion of theCity andTemple. Now the Proof of the two former, we (hall take Firnt, From the Text and Context: Secondly, From the confef- fion of the 4ntientJews thernfelves. The laft being matter of faêt, waft be evinced from Story; and the Rate of things in the world from thofe dayes, whereon there will be norifirg up again!} this Teltimony by any thing but that pertinacious obilinacy which the yews are judicially given up unto. yí. 24. The firm thing propofed,namelythat by Scepter and Law-giver,Rule and Government are intended is evident,not onlyfrom the words themfelves,whichare plain andexpref rive, but from the Context alto ; neither was it ever denyed by any of the Jews untill they found themfelves neceffitatedthereunto by their corrupt interell. Amongft other things, the dying Patriarch foretelling the ereftion of a'Ruleand Government amongit his posterity, whereas it might have beenexpedRcl that of courfe it Ihould have been fixed in Reuben his Rift born,according to the line of its'defcent from the foundation of the world, hedeprives him of it, v.4. Though he 'was in the ordinary courfe of nature, tj) 11-el 71í.W l71í, the excellency of his dignity, and the excellency of his ftrength, v. 3. Yet faith he, 'Tun 1712, thoufhalt not excel; not prefervethat Excellency in thy Fofterity ; nor have the pre- eminence of Rule, for the rearm which he. there expref feth, In like manner he paffeth by the next in order, Simeon and Levi, taking from them all expedtation of thatpriviledge, byforetelling that they Ihould be divided in Jacobi and Icattered in If>ael, v. 7. ,Coming to Judah there he fixeth. the -feat of Rule, v. 8. Judah, thou art he whom thy Brethren (hall praife , alluding unto his name, -J,rlNt rtrorn; thou halt be exalted unto that Rule amongft them, from the right whereunto the others fell by their tranfgrellion. And this rifle, faith he, (hall conrilt as allprofperous Dominion doth in two things. Firft, Iii the regular obe- dience of thofe who de jure are fubjeft unto it , Thy Fathers Children /hall bow down before thee ; thou Ihalt have the Authority among, andover the ref£ of my polterity. Secondly, In the conqueft ofthe enemies and adverfaries of the Dominion it Elf; Thy hand£hall be in the neck of thine enemies ; as a Lions whelp thou art gone rep from theprey whereunto the wordsánfìlledon are fubjoyned ; TheScepter .hail not depart; that is the Scepter of Rule amonglt thy Brethren, and prevalency-againft thine emmies, however it may beweakened or interrupted, hall not utterly depart.Or be removed until] the Shits come. The Context is clear and perfpicuous : the Jews only as we fhall Iëe cavill at wordsand fyllables; the reafon,of the Scripture, and the coherence of the Context, they take no notice o1 4. 25. Secondly, TheTargumifts have with one e confent given us the fameaccount of the fenta and importance of 'theft words ; and foeve of them are acknowledged by the Jewsin Shebajehuda to havebeen compofed by Divine Infpiration , or aíliftaítce of the 415 fl3, as .they exprefs it in their Talmud:. Thus Onkehs the bell of them, miro ;Tam tth51W 11ÿ rill, Ní7, The Ruler, Lord, or Prince, he that bath Do- minion, /hall not be taken from the Houle of Judah. And Jonathan, j'í4° rptIO 1,117 1111M r' io rtelW1, Kings and Rulers fhali not ceafe from the Houle of Judah. Tlae fame words are uled by that called of Jerufàlem. The Authority of doefe Para- pbrafesamong the Jews is fuch, as that they dare not openly recede from them. And thereforeManaffe in his Conciliator , where he endeavours to enervate this Teltimony, paffethover thereTarguaisin frlenee, ashaving nothing tooppofe to their Authority, which is a fuf icient evidence, that he Caw the defperatenefs of the caufe wherein he was engaged. Solomon and Bethai acknowledge Rule and Dominion tobe intended in thewords, but according to the latter theyare not to be erefted until] the comingof the Mefiah, which is no lefs exprelly contrary to the Targum, then to the Text it flf, affirming plainly, that then it was to end, and not begin. Add hereunto; further to manifeft the confent of theAntient Jews unto this fen£ of the words, that in their Talmuds they affirm the Law-giver here mentioned to be the Sanbeelrim whole power continuedin Judah, until! the Shits came, whereof wehavefpoken before. 4: 2 G. Unto theft Reafons and Teltimonies we may fubjoyn the ufe of the words them- felves. 103W is originally and properly arod, orhaft; al! otherfrgnificationsof it are Metaphorical.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=