an express signification of the coming of the Messias while the temple stood; Behold, I will send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the Messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in," Mal. iii. 1. And Haggai yet more clearly, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet once it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations; and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former, saith the Lord of hosts," Hag. ii. 6. It is then most evident from these predictions, that the Messias was to come while the second temple stood. It is as certain that the second temple is not now standing. Therefore, except we contradict the veracity of God, it cannot be denied but the Messias is already come. Nothing can be objected to enervate this argument, but that these prophecies concern not the Messias; and yet the ancient Jews confessed they did, and that they do so cannot be denied; for, first, those titles, "The Angel of the covenant," "The Delight of the Israelites," "The Desire of all nations," are certain and known characters of the Christ to come. And, secondly, it cannot be conceived how the glory of the second temple should be greater than the glory of the first, without the coming of the Messias to it; For the Jews themselves have observed that five signs of the divine glory were in the first temple, which were wanting to the second; as the Urim and Thummim, by which the high priest was miraculously instructed of the will of God; the ark of the covenant, from whence God gave his answers by a clear and audible voice; the fire upon the altar, which came down from heaven, and immediately consumed the sacrifice; the divine presence or habitation with them, represented by a visible appearance, or given, as it were, to the king and high priest by anointing with the oil of unction; and, lastly, the spirit of prophecy, with which those especially who were called to the prophetical office were endued. And there was no comparison between the beauty and glory of the structure or build

ing of it, as appeared by the tears dropt from those eyes which had beheld the former, "For many of the priests and levites, and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice," Ezra iii. 12; and by those words which God commanded Haggai to speak to the people for the introducing of this prophecy, "Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do you see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" Hag. ii. 3. Seeing then the structure of the second temple was so far inferior to the first; seeing all those signs of the divine glory were wanting in it with which the former was adorned; the glory of it can no other way be imagined greater, than by the coming of him into it in whom all those signs of the divine glory were far more eminently contained; and this person alone is the Messias; for he was to be the glory of the people Israel, yea, even of the God of Israel; he the Urim and Thummim, by whom the will of God, as by a greater oracle, was revealed; he the true ark of the covenant, the only propitiatory by his blood; he who was baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, the true fire which came down from heaven; he who was to take up his habitation in our flesh, and to dwell among us that we might behold his glory; he who received the Spirit without measure, and from whose fulness we do all receive. In him where all those signs of the divine glory united, which were thus divided in the first temple; in him they were all more eminently contained than in those : therefore his coming to the second temple was, as the sufficient, so the only means by which the glory of it could be greater than the glory of the first. If then the Messias was to come while the second temple stood, as appeareth by God's prediction and promise; if that temple many ages since hath ceased to be, there being not one stone left upon a stone; if it certainly were, before the destruction of it, in greater glory than ever the former was; if no such glory could accrue unto it but by the coming of the Messias; then is that Messias already come.

Having thus demonstrated out of the promises given

to the Jews, that the Messias who was so promised unto them must be already come, because those events which were foretold to follow his coming are already past; we shall proceed unto the next particular, and prove that the man Jesus, in whom we believe, is that Messias who was promised.

First; it is acknowledged both by the Jew and Gentile, that this Jesus was born in Judea, and lived and died there, before the commonwealth of Israel was dispersed, before the second temple was destroyed, that is, at the very time when the prophets foretold the Messias should And there was no other beside him, that did with any show of probability pretend to be, or was accepted as the Messias. Therefore we must confess he was, and only he could be, the Christ.

come.

Secondly; all other prophecies belonging to the Messias were fulfilled in Jesus, whether we look upon the family, the place, or the manner of his birth; neither were they ever fulfilled in any person beside him: he then is, and no other can be, the Messias. That he was to come out of the tribe of Judah and family of David, is every where manifest. The Jews, who mention Messias as a Son of Joseph or of Ephriam, do not deny, but rather dignify, the Son of David or of Judah, whom they confess to be the greater Christ. "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him," saith the prophet Isaiah. And again, "In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious," Isa. xi. 1, 10. Now who was it but Jesus of whom the elders spake, "Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David?" Rev. v. 5. Who but he said, "I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star?" Rev. xxii. 16. The Jews did all acknowledge it, as appears by the question of our Saviour, "How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? What think ye of Christ? whose Son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David ;" and that of the people, amazed at the seeing of the blind, and speaking of the dumb, "Is not this the Son of David?" the

blind cried out unto him, "Jesus thou Son of David, have mercy on us;" and the multitude cried, " Hosanna to the Son of David." The genealogy of Jesus shows his family : the first words of the gospel are, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David." The prophecy therefore was certainly fulfilled in respect of his lineage; "for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah," Heb. vii. 14.

Besides, if we look upon the place where the Messias was to be born, we shall find that Jesus by a particular act of providence was born there. "When Herod gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea," Matt. ii. 4. The people doubted whether Jesus was the Christ, because they thought he had been born in Galilee, where Joseph and Mary lived: wherefore they said, "Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" John vii. 41. That place of scripture which they meant, was cited by the scribes to Herod, according to the interpretation then current among the Jews, and still preserved in the Chaldee paraphrase; "For thus it is written in the prophet, And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah art not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel," Matt. ii. 5. This prediction was most manifestly and remarkably fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, when by the providence of God it was so ordered that Augustus should then tax the world, to which end every one should go up into his own city. Whereupon Joseph and Mary, his espoused wife, left Nazareth of Galilee, their habitation, and went into Bethlehem of Judea, the city of David, there to be taxed, "because they were of the house and lineage of David." And while they were there, as the days of the Virgin Mary were accomplished, so the prophecy was fulfilled; for there she brought forth her first-born son; and so unto us was born that day "in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." But if we add unto the family and place, the manner Div. No. XIII.

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of his birth, also foretold, the argument must necessarily appear conclusive. The Prophet Isaiah spake thus unto the house of David; "The Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel," Isa. vii. 14. What nativity could be more congruous to the greatness of a Messias than that of a virgin, which is most miraculous? what name can be thought fitter for him than that of Immanuel, "God with us," whose land Judea is said to be? The Immanuel then thus born of a virgin was without question the true Messias. And we know Jesus was thus born of the blessed virgin Mary, "that it might be fulfilled which was thus spoken of the Lord by the prophet." Wherefore seeing all the prophecies concerning the family, place, and manner of the birth of the Messias were fulfilled in Jesus, and not so much as pretended to be accomplished in any other; it is again from hence apparent that this Jesus is the Christ.

we shall And not only

Thirdly; he who taught what the Messias was to teach, did what the Messias was to do, suffered what the Messias was to suffer, and by suffering obtained all which a Messias could obtain, must be acknowledged of necessity to be the true Messias. But all this is manifestly true of Jesus; therefore we must confess he is the Christ. For first, it cannot be denied but the Messias was promised as a prophet and teacher of the people. So God promised him to Moses; "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee." So Isaiah, Ezekiel and Hosea have expressed him, as hereafter have farther occasion to show. so, but as a greater prophet, and more perfect doctor, than ever any was who preceded him, more universal than they all. "I have put my Spirit upon him," saith God: "he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles, and the isles shall wait for his law," Isa. xlii. 1, 4. Now it is as evident that Jesus of Nazareth was the most perfect Prophet, the Prince and Lord of all the prophets, doctors, and pastors, who either preceded or succeeded him ; for he hath revealed unto us the most perfect will of God both in his precepts and his promises. He hath delivered the same after the most perfect manner, with the greatest authority; not like Moses and the prophets, saying,