made to the doctrine of Christ, as if it was a modern invention, because befides Jerome, the fame application is made by Ambrofe and Procopius, as quoted by Cornelius a Lapide. To whom may be added Eucherius bishop of Lyons, and Peter Martyr. And if Ifaiah prophefied concerning Christ's preaching in the country of Naphthali, why may we not allow that Jacob prophefied concerning the fame thing, when he foretold the fate of his children. upon XXIX. It is not to be doubted, that these articles of the faving doctrine, which were fo carefully handed down by the fathers, were not only preferved in Egypt, and inculcated their children, by these pious patriarchs: but alfo, that among the pofterity of Lot, of Ifhmael, of Efau and others, as long as the Gentiles were not entirely rejected, the remains of the fame truth eminently fhone forth, as appears from Job, from his friends, and from Balaam. vii. 20. XXX. When Job, declared his confidence in God, he called him the NOTZER of Adam the keeper or preferver of men, Job Chrift ufes the fame word, when he expreffes his folicitous care for his church, Ifa. xxvii. 3. I Jehovah do keep it. And the elect, whom Chrift bears, as it were in his eyes and hands, are called the preferved and the faved of Ifrael, Ifa. xlix. 6. The denomination Nazarene comes nearest to this term in Hebrew, though it was given to Christ because he dwelt at Nazareth, yet we learn from Matthew that it was myftical, and belonged to the fulfillment of fome prophecy. Mat. ii. 23. Interpreters endeavour to find this prophecy in more places than one. Some have recourse to the Nazarites of the Old Teftament. But these are not called, with a trade, as the Jews conftantly write the name, Nazarene; but , with a zain. Others obferve, that the Meffiah is called Ifa. xi. 1. and Ifa. lx. 21. the branch, from which the name of the town Nazareth is likewise derived. But amidst fuch diverfity of opinions, it is aftonifhing, that but very few have recollected this paffage of Job, where there is express mention of the Meffiah, under the appellation Notzer. At least this paffage of Job, and that of Ifaiah, with which we compared it, are with no lefs probability applied to this purpose, than any thing else I have met with among interpreters. Job also profelles excellent things concerning the perfon, offices and benefits of Chrift, Job xvi. 25. Seg. But that paffage we have already difcuffed, Book III. Chap. II. Sect. 19. XXXI. Let us add Elihu's commendation of the Meffiah, Job xxxiii. 23, 24. "If there be, [an angel] a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to fhew unto man his uprightness: then he is gracious unto him, and faith, deliver [redeem] him from going down to the pit, I have found a ranfom." Elihu here fpeaks of a man, who was brought, by afflictions and disease, almost to the gates of death; and fhews, how he may be faved from death both of foul and body. If Elihu had any knowledge of the Meffiah, certainly this was the place to speak concerning him. And fince every word is fo framed, as to fuit none more, properly than the Meffiah, to whom can they be better applied than to him? Elihu fet forth in a conife manner. I. The execllence of the Meffiah. II. His offices. III. His benefits. XXXII. He proclaims the excellence of the Meffiah, calling him, one of a thousand. Where thoufand is a definite number put for an indefinite; as if he had faid, one above others, let them be ever so many. There are indeed very many, who may be called angels and interpreters; and though these names may be given to thousands, yet this perfon is not to be among the number of a thousand others, because he cxcells them all, in refpect of nature, dignity and efficacy, being only one among fo many others. XXXIII. He firft fets before us, under a general appellation, the offices of the Meffiah, and then more particularly explains them. In general he calls him an angel, because Chrift was fent by the Father, and spoke and acted with men in the Father's name. In Mal. iii. 3. he is called the Angel of the covenant. Nevertheless he is fo the Angel of Jehovah, that, at the fame time, he is himself Jehovah, Zech. iii. 1, 2.; in "whom is the name of Jehovah," Exod. xxiii. 21. and who is by fo much more excellent than all other angels, as he obtained a more excellent name than they," Heb. i. 4. Chrift was called an Angel before his incarnation, because he often appeared, as angels ufually did; and because he then performed thofe things, which depended on his future miffion in the flesh. XXXIV. But then more particularly 16., His prophetical office is fignified when he is called interpreter, a teacher, compare Ifa. xliii. 27. namely, because he is he that doth Speak, Ifa. lii. 6. ¿xoyos TV As the word of God, whofe office is to "declare the Father," John i. 18. Nay, he who speaks plainly, and interprets dark fayings. For this is the meaning of no a clear faying, to which is oppofed n a dark faying, Prov. i. 6. More-over, it belongs to Chrift as a prophet, to declare unto man bis righteousness, externally by his word, internally by his Spirit, by which we may understand, either the righteoufnefs of God, demanding fatisfaction for fin, and even chastifing his elect on that account, or the righteoufnefs, of Chrift himself, or his fatisfactory fatisfactory righteoufnefs, which is the only meritorious cause of our falvation; or in a word, the righteoufnefs of man, that is, the practice of faith and repentance. There is none of all these things, which Christ does not teach his people. כרפר XXXV. 2dly, The office of redeemer, because to him is afcribed or A, both fignifying the fame thing, and The former word denotes redemption from guilt, from his 'obligation to, and from the power of another; properly, indeed, that which is effected by a price, as Pf. xlix. 7. where and price of redemption are, joined: improperly, that which is brought about by a greater power, oppofed to the power of an unjust detainer, as Deut. ix. 26. " thou haft redeemed through thy greatnefs;" that is, as it is explained, Neh. i. 10. "by thy great power and by thy ftrong hand." Both thefe ways of redemption are applicable to the Meffiah; who, on paying the price, purchases the freedom of his people, and by a ftrong hand applies it to them. The term generally fignifies a price, by which any one may be appeased, and the punishment bought off. Chrift paid that price, when he gave his life a ransom for many," Mat. xx. 28. XXXVI. But interpreters are not agreed, whether those words deliver or redeem him, are the words of Chrift, interceeding with the Father; or the words of the Father addreffed to Chrift. Those who maintain the former, explain them thus. "Redeem him, that is, by thine infinite power deliver him "from the evil with which he is preffed down, and which "otherwise hangs over him; for I myself have undertaken to "fatisfy thy juftice; and in that fatisfaction there is argo the "ranfom which I have found, that is, which I know to be full "and complete; or which I have found, that is, have difco"vered to him, for whom I intercede, that he may apprehend "it by faith." Compare Heb. ix. 12. "having obtained eternal redemption." They who choose the latter, think, that the meaning of the words is this; "Do thou, O Chrift, redeem "this wretched man, apply to him the efficacy of thy merits, "I have no longer any objection to his happiness; for I have found a ranfom, I have confidered and weighed the fatisfac"tion thou haft made for man, and have found it to be fuch, "as my justice required, that is, highly fufficient." Whatever way we take the words, they yield a very suitable meaning. XXXVII. There are two benefits mentioned. 1ft, The mercy of God, if there be a meffenger [an angel] with him, an interpreter; this is the protafis, or firft propofition; and, or then he is gracious unto him; this is the apodofis, or latter propofition. He fhews, fhews, that it is not otherwife poffible for man to obtain mercy of God, unless there be fome angel interceffor, who, by his atonement and interceffion, may reftore him to the favour of God: nay, unlefs that angel be with him, why, by his gracious prefence, and by his aid and affiftance. For y is often the fame as with; as Gen. xviii. 8. Judg. iii. 16. and other places: and here it seems most properly applicable to the man spoken. of. If, among the numbers who furround the fick persons bed, and who can only comfort him in his fickness with medicines, that shall avail him nothing, or entertain him with frivolous idle difcourfe, this one of a thousand be prefent, by his counfel, help, and interceffion, the man will then be exceedingly refreshed with the fruits of divine mercy; even deliverance from the pit, or corruption, that is, from death both temporal and eternal. XXXVIII. None have occafion to despise these things as if they were modern inventions: for certainly, Gregory applies them at large to Christ. "For who," fays he, " is that angel, but he, who, by the prophet, is called the angel of the covenant? For, feeing to evangelize in the Greek, fignifies to declare as a meffenger; our Lord who delivers his meffage to us, is called the angel." He alfo more clearly obferves; "there are, who by angel, understand Chrift, the angel of the great council, by whom we are juftified." See above all, the com mentaty of Sebaftian Schmidius, a divine of Sraftburg. XXXIX. Let us add to thefe Balaam's prophecy concerning the Meffiah, which he delivered in magnificent language, Numb. xxiv. 15-19. "Balaam the fon of Beor hath faid, and the man whofe eyes are open hath said: he hath faid, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Moft High, which faw the vifion of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: I fhall fee him (it) but not now: I fhall behold him (it) but not nigh: there shall come a flar out of Jacob, and a fceptre fhall rife out of Ifrael, and shall fmite the corners of Moab, and deftroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom fhall be a poffeffion, Seir alfo fhall be a poffeffion for his enemies, and Ifrael fhall do valiantly. Out of Jacob fhall come he that fhall have dominion, and fhall destroy him that remaineth of the city." XL. The author of this prophecy is Balaam, whom, from an ancient tradition of the Jews, Jerome and Eucherius will have to be the fame with Elihu, whofe teftimony concerning Chrift we have juft explained. But Fridric Spanhem, the fon, in his history of Job, c. 15. § 18, 19. has learnedly fhewn the fillinefs of that tradition, and that there is no refemblance between Elihu and Balaam. Here Balaam mightily extols himself, in prder order to gain the greater credit and authority to his prophecy, and though it is not without affectation and vain glory, that he uttered these haughty encomiums of himself, yet by them God was pleased to ratify, what he refolved to teach us by the mouth of the prophet. He calls himfelf the man whofe eyes were open, that is, endowed with prophetic light to difcern things, which were concealed from others: hearing the words of God, to whom God familiarly imparted his fecrets. Knowing the knowledge of the Moft High, knowing from divine revelation, thofe things which in other refpects God alone knows. Seeing the vifion of the Almighty, like a prophet of the true God, according to Numb. xii. 6. "I make myself known unto him in a vifion. Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open," who falls into a fleep, or an extafy, and yet has the eyes of his mind open. Whatever be the cafe as to his other prophecies, it is certainly not to be doubted, but he delivered this prophecy by divine impulfe. XLI. He premifes, that what he had a profpect of in spirit, as not nigh: "Ifee it but not now, I behold it but not nigh." He gives warning of this beforehand, in order partly to embelifh his prophecy, which reached forwards to things fo diftant; partly to fhun envy, and to comfort Balak, whom he endeavoured to gratify as much as he could. However, he here alfo comes up to the stile of the holy prophets; who usually refer what they prophefy concerning the Meffiah, to the latter days. XLII. But what is the fubject of his prophecy? "A ftar," fays he, "shall come out of Jacob, and a fceptre shall rise out of Ifrael." This might be understood literally, and in a diminative fenfe, concerning David, who was, as it were, a kind of light fhining in darknefs, and who obtained the fceptre of Ifrael by a feries of aftonishing providences: who alfo fmote the Moabites, and made them tributary, 2 Sam. viii. 2. Hence he fays. "Moab is my wash-pot," Pf. xc. 10. that is, does me the offices of the meaneft drudgery, is placed at my feet, as a veffel, in which I ufually wash them. But these things have a higher view. And David in this refpect, can only be confidered as the type of a more excellent perfon. The far therefore, and fceptre fignify Chrift the Lord, who is both the light of his people, by the demonftration of the truth, and their manifold confolation by his word and Spirit," the bright and morning ftar," Rev. xxii. 16. and the SCEPTRED KING, King of kings, and Lord of lords," Rev. xix. 16. He came out of Jacob and rofe out of Ifrael. For the Lord raifed up that prophet from the midft of his brethren," Deut. xviii. 15. "and the glorious |
