upon it as a piece composed by Solomon upon the occasion of his marriage with the daughter of Egypt; whereas the Jews look upon it constantly as the last piece he composed after his repentance; and we have reason enough to believe it, when we compare this Song with the xlvth Psalm and the fifth of Isaiah, that Solomon spoke then of the Messias, the essential Word spoken of by him, Prov. 8. chiefly when we see the ancient Jews do agree upon it. See Philo de Colon. apud Grot. in Prov. viii. 22. Bresch. Rabba par. 1. the first words, and Midrash in shir hash. in Mercessu. But let us come back to our subject. 2. I say 2dly, that it is reasonable to judge, that the later Prophets having considerably cleared the prophecies of those that went before them, by diffusing throughout their writings a much greater light; they who read the later Prophets, were not so careless as to neglect these helps for the understanding of the more ancient prophecies, whose sense was otherwise not a little obscure. In these cases it was necessary to begin with the Prophets that writ last, and by their light to clear the-ancient prophecies. According to this method, the paraphrases ascribe to the Messias, what we read of the seed of the woman, Gen. iii. 15. and what Balaam prophesied, Numb. xxiii. and xxiv. And no one can doubt, but that after that great light that Isaiah gave them concerning the Messias and his unction, in his prophecy, chap. xi. they referred to him those words also of Moses, Deut. xviii. 18. God shall raise thee up a Prophet like unto me, which are cited by St. Peter, as spoken of the Messias, following herein the principles of the synagogue, Acts iii. 22. 3. It is not to be doubted but that experience was a great help towards their understanding of prophecies. If it had not been for this, the Jews fulfilling of that prophecy, Gen. xviii. 18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; and likewise to Solomon, for that which we read 2 Sam. vii. 16. and Psal. lxxvi. But seeing the prophecies were not accomplished in their persons, nor did answer their characters; and it is impossible that the prophecies should be false; the Jews were convinced, as they had reason, that they ought to refer these prophecies to the Messias; as also St. Paul did, according to the way of his nation. 4. It is clear there were certain general characters of the Messias, which, wheresoever they were found, were commonly thought to denote that that place should be understood of the Messias. And it is worth observing, that the light still increasing from one age to the other, and the characters of the Messias being every day better unfolded and more open, it was easy for them that studied the prophecies to compare one with the other, and from thence to draw rules to find out the ideas of the Messias, in those promises which seemed not so distinctly and evidently to speak of him. To give some examples of the rules which they gathered for their direction in discovering the prophecies that relate to the Messias; I say, that the most conspicuous character of him, and that which they most set their hearts upon, was this, that he should come in the later times to deliver his people from their enemies, and to reign over the whole earth in great peace, and prosperity, and glory. This in the main will be acknowledged by all the Jews in our age. But to consider these matters yet more particularly. It is worthy to be observed, that by comparing these texts which speak of the low estate and sufferings of one that is there also described as being in the highest glory and dignity; they have been convinced, that both these descriptions are of one and the same person; and therefore notwithstanding the prophetical descrip tions of the glory of their promised Messias at his coming, they have acknowledged those prophecies to concern him also, which speak of his humiliation; as that in Zech. ix. 9. where he is represented riding upon an ass: so you see in the Targum and in the Talmud; and that upon Isa. liii. where he is said to be loaded with griefs, and to be the most despised of men; as you see in the Targum, in the Talmud, and in Midrash Conen. To which may be added that of David, Psal. xxii. and that of Zech. xii. 10. which treat of the same matter, and were referred to the Messias, as I shall shew afterwards. Thus we see, wherever salvation is spoken of, they refer those prophecies to the Messias, as to him who should be the author of salvation. It is by this rule that Isa. lii. and liii. and Hab. iii. are understood of the Messias. Thus those places wherein the subjection and conversion of the nations are foretold, were by them judged, without any hesitation, to regard the times of the Messias. Saadias Haggaon interprets Zech. ix. 9. of the Messias, because v. 10. his universal dominion is spoken of. And so R. David Kimchi refers to the Messias's time the place of Zech. ii. 10, 11. Upon this known foundation does St. Paul build his interpretation of the Messias, Heb. i. 10. out of Psalm cii. 25, &c. and Rom. xv. 11. out of Psalm cxvii. 1. And, in short, all those Psalms which represent God as reigning over the whole earth, do relate to the Messias, according to the sense of the ancient Jews, as may be seen in many places of their paraphrases, and of their interpreters; as Rashi Kimchi and R. Joel Aben Soeb upon the Psalm xcix. and c. " Thus again, when the Scripture foretells the calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of the true God, they fail not to understand those predictions Lib. de Pro- et lib. de 872. and true religion throughout the world. Hence it is that Isa. ii. is so understood by them. In this manner did they reflect on the prophecies that spake of the Messias's priesthood, after that David had enlightened them in Psal. cx. as may be seen from the notions of Philo the Jew, de Reka- touching the priesthood of the Word, by an allusion Pentat. fol. to the history of Melchizedek. rati in 18. col. 1. et fol. 31. col. 1. edit. et Abarb. So likewise did they own that the promises of God to reestablish the house of David were to be Venet. accomplished by the Messias, and by this rule they Targum et Talmud in affirmed that Anna's song did concern the time of Megillah. the Messias, for the words of that song do not in 1 Sam. agree neither to Saul nor to David, but to the time 2. Sanhed, of the Messias. As also they understood in like 2. cited in manner the prophecy of Amos ix. 11, 15, 16, 17. the Acts. according to the sense of the synagogue and the prophecy of Zechary vi. 12, &c. Rabboth. fol. 271. col. 4. fol. 99. col. They acknowledged according to these rules of interpretation, that where ascension into heaven, and sitting on God's right hand, was spoken of, they were spoken of the Messias; and thus they referred to him Psalm cx. and Psalm xlv. and Psalm lxviii. and Psalm xcvii. and what is said Deut. xxxii. being all so many texts insisted upon by the writers of the New Testament, as passages which in the judgment of the Jews did concern the Mes sias. We ought especially to observe that they never failed to make those considerations upon those particular Psalms, whereof the composers, as they understood them, spoke in the name of the synagogue, with respect to future times, and who mention there a posterity that was to partake of the deliverance there promised. And from this allowed maxim also does St. Paul, Heb. i. refer Psalm cii. to the Messias. For this character is found expressly in ver. 22. of this Psalm; as well as the calling of the Gentiles, and the subjection of the kings to God is foretold, ver. 15, 16, 17. We must take notice of another thing, which is a consequence of what they observed in some eminent prophecies, viz. they understood them very rationally, by the help of those ideas which they met with in other prophecies which otherwise seem not so clearly to concern the same Messias which is spoken of in clearer prophecies. It was according to that rule that they referred the hymn of Anna, 1 Sam. ii. 5. to the times of the Messias, Kimchi in h. 1. compareth it with the words of Isaiah, ch. liv. Rejoice thou barren that bearest not, &c. It was according to that method that they being convinced that the Psalm xxii. was to be referred to the Messias, did refer also to him the Psalm xli. as it is referred by St. Paul, Heb. x. the same ideas of suffering being found in both Psalms. R. Menach. de Rekam fol. 19. col. 2. in Pentat. It was according to the same method that they referred to the Sekinah, or Messias, all the Psalms which have the title Shosannin, viz. Psalm xlv. lxix. lxxx. as we see in the same R. Menachem fol. 106. col. 2. in Pent. The Song of Songs, as I have observed, was the key which made them understand the subject of those Psalms, as the song of Isaiah chap. v. made them to understand the Song of Songs. I am not ignorant that the greatest part of the Jewish nation being oppressed with the Roman yoke, and finding no comfort for it in these notions, which are for the most part spiritual, did therefore about our Saviour's time frame to themselves more carnal notions concerning the kingdom of the Messias fancying that he should come as a victorious Prince, to conquer, and to avenge them of their enemies. They removed from their thoughts the hints and prophecies of his death, as contrary to those glorious descriptions which suited better with |