And as if Virgil had been learned in the doctrine of Christ, he tells that these glorious times should not begin immediately upon the birth of that wonderful person, then expected to come into the world; but that wickedness should still keep its ground in several places.

Yet some remains shall still be left

Of ancient fraud, and war shall still go on.

Now, how Virgil applied all this, is not the question, whether in part to Augustus, or partly to Pollio, and partly to Saloninus his son, then newly born; but it shows the general expectation that there was, at that time, of the birth of a very extraordinary person, who should introduce a new and golden age, and both reform and govern the whole world; justly, therefore, called by the prophet, "the Desire of all nations."

§ 5. But, my dear brother, I need not enlarge on this subject, for it is a happy circumstance that one of the fundamental articles of the faith of our nation supposes the promise of a Messiah. For you know that the 12th article reads thus; "I believe, with a firm and perfect faith, that the Messiah is to come; and although he tarrieth, I will wait or expect his coming daily." Maimonides, on the Mishnah of Sanhedrim, chapter Pelek, calls the belief in a Messiah, a fundamental article. The substance of his words is as follows; "The twelfth article is the Messiah, i. e. to wait and believe that he is to come, &c. according as all the prophets did prophecy, from Moses even to Malachi; and whosoever doubts it, or mistrusts his excellency, it is as much as if he denied the law, and he hath no share in the future world." Hence the coming of the Messiah is mentioned in the daily public prayers; Make the offspring of David thy servant speedily to grow, and let his horn be exalted in thy salvation; for we hope in thy salvation all the day." Again, "He will send, at the end of the days, our Messiah, to redeem those who hope for the end of his salvation." And at the close of the blessing after

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every meal, they pray, "Merciful God, make us worthy of seeing the days of Messiah."

§ 6. Thus you see, my dear Benjamin, that a Messiah must have been promised; and I shall make it abundantly evident, in my future letters, that God spake to our fathers of old, at sundry times, and in divers manners, by the prophets, concerning him that was to come into the world. We will now consider the first revelation made of him to our parents in paradise-" He shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Gen. 3: 15. In the beginning of this chapter Moses, the inspired historian, gives us, first, an account of the temptation wherewith Satan assaulted our first parents to draw them to sin, and their compliance; and secondly, he presents to our view the criminals arraigned before the righteous Judge of heaven and earth, and the sentences pronounced on each of them. The consequences of the fall, on our first parents, we have already considered. Our text is a part of the sentence pronounced on the tempter; in which we have, first, a proclamation of war between the Messiah and Satan; the God of the universe, and the god of this world; and secondly, a prediction of a decided and triumphant victory by the former. We consider, first, the parties engaged; and secondly, the effects produced. § 7. We begin with the tempter. That the sentence pronounced in this verse against the serpent, the tempter, relates to Satan, is a general opinion. To suppose that the words are to be literally understood as describing only the rooted and constant enmity which should subsist between the serpent race and the posterity of Adam, or any particular destruction which should await the brood of serpents, would be altogether absurd, unworthy the wisdom of the judge, and unsuitable to the solemnity of such a proceeding. The curse was directed immediately against Satan, the infernal spirit, our great adversary, the devil. He is that serpent which "beguiled Eve through his subtilty; the great dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil, and

Satan, which deceiveth the whole world." 2 Cor. 11: 3. Rev. 12:9. It is also the unanimous confession of our ancient Rabbins, that Satan was the tempter, and that the curse was pronounced against him. I bring to your recollection a few of their sayings, and refer you to others. R. Bechại, the elder, in his Comment on the Law, on this passage says, We have no more enmity with the serpent than with other creeping things. Wherefore the Scripture mystically signifies him who was hid in the serpent; for the body of the crafty serpent was a fit instrument for that force or virtue that joined itself therewithal. That was it which made Eve to sin, whence death came on all her posterity. And this is the enmity between the serpent and the seed of the woman. And this is the mystery of the holy tongue, that the serpent is sometimes called Saraph, according to the name of an angel, who is also called Saraph. And now thou knowest that the serpent is Satan, and the Evil Figment, and the Angel of Death." Rab. Judah, in Kelay Yaker, saith, "Many interpreters say that the Evil Figment has all its force from the Old Serpent, or Satan." To the same purpose is the author of Caphtor Wapherech. "The devil and the serpent," saith he, "are called by one name." See Maimon. More Nevuchim, p. 2, ch. 20. Ber. Rab. Sect. 10. Mid. Wayikra, chap. 13, v. 2. R. Saadia Gaon, and R. Samuel ben Hophni, and Aben Ezra in Gen. 3, 3. R. Bechai ibi, Targum Jon. Gen. 3, 6. Zohar Gen. fol. 127, 1. 2. Sepher Bachir and Jmre Binah. ibi. Hence they give various names to this tempter. He is called Samal, i. e. the God that has blinded. Comp. 2 Cor. 4: 3, 4. Malach Hammaweth, i. e. the Angel of Death. Comp. Heb. 2: 14, 15. and nothing is more common with our Rabbins than to call him Nachash Hackadmoni; i. e. the Old Serpent. Comp. Rev. 12:9. 20: 2. In Zeror Hammor, fol. 143, c. 2, it is said, He that hateth," (i. e. prov. 25, 21.) 66 means Samal, who is the Serpent, who is Satan, who is the Evil Figment or desire, who has led astray or deceived the first

man; and does lead astray, or deceive, all creatures, by his smooth words, which are smoother than oil; and draws men after him in their works and pleasures."

§ 8. We next notice the destruction of the tempter, foretold in this passage. His head is to be bruised. The expression plainly alludes to the way of destroying serpents by striking at their head; and is designed to signify the conquest and victory of the Messiah over the devil, and the destruction of his kingdom; a victory the most illustrious in its effects and consequences, and one which should amply revenge on the serpent's head the evils and miseries which he had introduced into the world. The remarkable and complete fulfillment of this prediction by Jesus Christ, will be made abundantly evident hereafter.

§ 9. We proceed to show that this victory is to be obtained by the Messiah. That the Messiah is the person spoken of, will appear, if we consider, 1. The remarkable description given of him. Instead of "it shall bruise," it ought to be," He shall bruise." The original word Hoo, is one of the names of God, a contraction for the word Jehovah, and so used in Ps. 102: 27, "but thou art the same," original, "weathta Hoo," i. e. thou art Jehovah, the unchangeable; and again, in Isa. 48: 12. Ani Hoo, "I am Jehovah." Our people frequently use Hoo for the name of God. See Seeder Tephilloth, fol. 2, 1. 4, 1. Edition Basil, and in Zohar it is applied to the eternal and blessed God bruising the serpent's head, as expressed in this text. See Broughton's works, page 231, 465, 490, 507. And I still remember the prayer on Hoshani Rabb. where it is repeatedly said, Ani wehoo hoshianoo, i. e. the first and the last will save us. Hence the seventy have retained the personal pronoun autos, which cannot, grammatically, refer to sperma, seed, but to the person meant under that character. The apostle's mode of reasoning, respecting the seed of Abraham, may well be adopted on this occasion. Having quoted the promise, that in Abraham's seed all the families of the earth

should be blessed, lest any should apply it to the natural seed of Abraham, he reasons thus: "He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Gal. 3: 8, 16. In like manner, in this passage, it is not said, thy seeds, as of many; but Hoo, he, as one, which is the Messiah.

§ 10. 2. This person is emphatically called "the seed of the woman;" to intimate to our first parents, that whereas all mankind were to be the seed or offspring of Adam as well as of Eve, this person is to be of the seed of the woman only. Here is an intimation of the incarnation of the Son of God, and as the apostle calls it, "the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh." A mystery which was more plainly foretold by the Prophet Isa. 7: 14. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." And the prophet Jeremiah saith, "The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth—a woman shall compass a man," Jer. 31:22; which predictions, and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, will be more fully considered in future letters. Memorable are the words of our greatest and most judicious Rabbi, Maimonides. Reflecting on this passage, he "This is one of the passages in Scripture which is most wonderful, and not to be understood according to the letter, but contains great wisdom in it." More Nevochim, p. 2, ch. 30.

says,

§ 11. 3. From the work to be performed, it is evident that none but the Messiah could be the person spoken of in this passage. In order to bruise the head of the old serpent, or "to destroy the works of the devil," the manifestation of the Son of God was absolutely necessary. You well remember, my dear Benjamin, what has already been stated in former letters about the necessity of a Mediator. Man having become a guilty, condemned, and depraved creature, could no more change his nature or condition, than "the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard his spots." If our first parents, in their state of integrity,