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an Hypothefis, or defend some favourite Opinion, when no folid Reason calls for fuch a proceeding.

Befides, those Oracles of the ancient Prophets, given to the Jews, concerning their Restauration, we have several in the New Testament that are fo far from contradicting them, that they entirely agree and chime in with them. Christ is promised the Throne of David, according to the Declaration of the Angel; (Luke i. 32.) and the same was said before by Ifaiah. (c. ix. 7. See 1 Kings viii. 25. 2 Chron. vi. 16. Ps. cxxxii. 11, 12.) Now the Restauration of the Jews is joined to the Kingdom of David, that is the Meffiah, by other Prophets; we have before taken notice of those Places. (Jer. xxx. 9. and xxxiii. 15, 16. Ezek xxxiv. 22, 24, 25, &c. Hofea iii. 5.) Befides these, let us particularly attend to the Words of Gabriel in his Address to the Virgin Mary, being then about to conceive. And the Lord God shall give unto him (i. e. Christ) the Throne of his Father David. And be shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever. These Phrafes, of the Throne of David, and Reign over the House of Jacob, plainly point out the Children of Ifrael, and denote an external Kingdom. But however you understand it, whether in a temporal or spiritual manner, Christ has not as yet either way reigned over the Jews; they are at present, and have been for a long time, without King or Prince, as Hofea foretold. (c. iii. 4.) And as to a spiritual Kingdom, they yet continuerebellious, and far the greater Part of them are Enemies to Christ's Regal Office, and Aliens from the Christian Faith; so that take which Interpretation you will, the Event does not yet agree with the Message of the Angel.

We may add here the Song of Simeon, when he embraced the infant Saviour in his Arms he cried

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out, Thou hast prepared a Light for the Gentiles, and the Glory of thy People Ifrael. (Luke ii. 32.) When Christ is faid to be born for the Glory of Ifrael, it would be hard and perverse to say, that he was born for the perpetual Ruin of Ifrael. I fay perpetual if there be no future time wherein he is to come, and reign to the Glory of Ifrael. Call to mind if you please how many and great things have been said by the Prophets, concerning the future Glory of Ifrael in the Days of the Meffiah. And fince we have fomewhere mentioned David, we will look into some of his Psalms; we there meet with fome things spoken typically concerning David, which are ultimately fulfilled in the Meffiah; and where the Meffiah is treated of, and his Days celebrated, wrath is denounced against the Heathens, but Health and Triumph (Ps. cx. 13.) promised to Ifrael. These joyful times have not as yet happened to the Jews: But what hinders but that they may yet come ? According to the Promises of God, the Prophets, and the holy Angel.

In the third Place it is objected, or answered to our Proposition, that these Promises given to the Jews were Conditional, and when the Condition is not fulfilled, the Promise does not oblige the Sponfor. But, I say, if he also promises that he will freely remit these Conditions, or cause them to be performed, either way the Promise must take Effect. The Conditions requifite, are Repentance and Converfion to God: Now God has promised that he will give this Grace; and the People will be willing, and ready in the Day of the Divine Power. Also when the Prophets foretel the Restauration of the Jews, they also declare that their Sins will be forgiven. (Jer. xxxi. 34. xxxiii. 7, 8. Mic. vii. 18, 19, 20. Hof. xiv. 4. Thus God of his mere Grace and good Pleasure shews favour to thofe

those who are altogether undeserving; to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles. And taking the Jews into the Number of his Children, he pardons their Sins out of a paternal Affection, and Remembrance of his Covenant; as the Prophets often teftify. St. Paul who was a Partaker of this Grace, while he was yet very troublesome to the Christians, and a vehement Perfecutor of them, foretels the future Recovery of the Jews, being mindful of the Covenant which God made with their Fathers, (Rom. xi. 26.---29.) and of which he would not repent. Last'y, Christ when dying interceded for the Jews, and poured out Prayers to his Father for the Remission of their Sins; Prayers that I suppose were in no wife unprofitable or unavailing.

But to fet this Matter in a clear Light; we may confider that whatever Wickedness the Jews have committed against Jesus of Nazareth, they shall review it with Anguish of Mind, when they fee the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven. (Dan. vii. 13. and from him the Author of 2 Macab. ii. 7, 8.)

Then shall they mourn for him, call him blessed and acknowledge him to be the Meffiah. (Matt. xxiii. 39, and xxiv. 30. John xix 37. Rev. i. 7.) To that End God will pour out a Spirit of Grace and Supplication on the House of David, together with other Gifts of his holy Spirit. (Ifa. xxxii. 15, and xliv. 3. liv. 13. Foel ii. 28.) He will also give them a new and circumcifed Heart, and put a new Spirit within them. (Jer. xxxii. 40. Ezek. xi. 19, 20.) Can any thing farther be defired? Is there any room left here for Evasions? God will take Care that the Means and Conditions be performed as well as the End accomplished.

We may farther observe, that it is not proper for Chriftians to infift too much on this Answer

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about about the conditional Nature of the Promises; left they give a Handle to the Jews to retort this Argument upon them, when they are difputing about the time of the Meffiah's coming. For they say, that indeed the Meffiah would have appeared fooner, unless their Sins had prevented his coming. But the Promise (say they) was conditional; and fince their Part has not been as yet fulfilled, therefore neither has God performed his Part. Farther they say, that if God can (without any injury to his Truth) leave his Promises to the Jews unaccomplished, why may he not also do so as to those Promises which he has made to the Christians? And thus they may elude their Hopes and Expectations, either as to the second coming of the Meffiah, or the Prefervation of his new Church and Institution; fince the Christians have no less abused their Religion than the Jews formerly did theirs.

Thus we have endeavoured to remove those Answers or Obstacles, by which some endeavour to enervate the Force of those Prophecies which respect the happy Condition of Ifrael. Among which Number those called Allegorists are the chief: I mean they who turn those Prophecies, which according to the literal and plain Signification of the Words terminate on the Ifraelites, into Allegories. We have before granted, and must still confess that the Prophetic Stile is in many Places allegorical, and in others, diversified with Hyperboles, Metaphors and Parables. But we must take care that the Prophecies may not entirely vanish in Allegories, by too great a Freedom (or Licentiousness rather) of Interpretation. Since we find in Ifaiah, and other Prophets a famous Description of the future times of the Meffiah, if in this Account we sometimes meet with figurative Expressions, we ought not upon that Account to reject the Matter itself, or SubSubstance of the Declaration. These prophetic Sayings at least denote some future happy times, and a blessed Life in general; such as implies abundance of all good things, the most confirmed Health, serene Air, and fecure and quiet Station.

Unless you grant this, and own that the Words of the Prophets carry this general Sense along with them, the Prophecy must pass but for a Golden Fable.

But perhaps you will say that indeed the Kingdom of the Meffiah, according to the Prophets, is to be Pacific, and the Lives of his Subjects fercne, joyful, and undisturbed. But that we do not at present enjoy those good things because of our own Faults, in that we do not follow his Precepts, nor walk according to the Doctrine of the Gospel. It is indeed rightly observed, that we do not fufficiently comply with the evangelical Precepts, but you add Conditions to those Prophecies, which are declared plainly and absolutely: And we have already shewn how incongruous it is for any Man out of his own Fancy to impose tacit Conditions on the Prophecies. God's Power and Goodness are fufficient for the Performance of those Promises which he has given, and all those things which are necessary for their Accomplishment. However, let things be as they will on our Part, as alas they are indeed very culpable! yet the State of Nature at present (which is wholly in the Power of God) the Inclemency of the Air, the Infelicity of the Soil, and the Infirmity of our Bodies, will not permit us to enjoy the promised Plenty of all good things, or that State of Tranquillity, accompanied with long Life, which we find foretold by the Prophets: So that you fee the Promises are not yet fulfilled on a double Account, But to praceed.

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