anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, be bath fent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn, &c. Which was evidently fulfilled in Jefus Christ, when he published Pardon of Sin, and everlasting Life to those that repent and believe in him, and pronounced the punishments of Hell upon the impenitent; and our Saviour particularly applies this Prophecy to himself, Luke iv. 18-21.

6. That he fhall work Miracles of healing when he comes to be a Saviour. Ifa. xxxv. 4. Behold your God will come and fave you then the Eyes of the blind fhall be opened, and the Ears of the deaf fhall be unftopped: then fhall the lame Man leap as an Hart, and the Tongue of the dumb fhall fing. Which was fulfilled when our Saviour wrought thefe Miracles not only on other occafions, but more eminently in the Sight of the Difciples of John the Baptift, who came to learn whether he were the Chrift or no Matth. xi. 2-6. And our Saviour proves it by his Miracles before their Eyes.

.

7. That he should have a Forerunner to prepare his way in the Wilderness. Ifa. xl. 3. The Voice of him that crieth in the Wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make ftraight in the defart a highway for our God: and the Glory of the Lord fhall be revealed, and all flefh fhall fee it together. i. e. The Glory of the Lord fhall be made vifible to fleshly Eyes by dwelling bodily, or in the Body of Jefus Chrift, when God fhall manifeft himself in the Flefb. 1 Tim. iii. 16. And John the Baptift was his Forerunner in the Wilderness of Judah. Mat. iii. 1, 2, 3.

1

8. The Sufferings of Christ alfo, and his Meeknefs and Patience under the Contempt, Reproaches, and Perfecutions he met with; his Death as an Atonement for Sin, his being numbred among vile Sinners; his Burial with the Rich; his Refurrection, Exaltation, and Interceffion, are all fpoken of in that admirable Chapter, Ifa. liii, which I de fire my Readers to perufe in this place for the whole of it is expreffed in Language fo exceeding plain, that it seems fufficient to convince any honeft Infidel or Heathen; and it did actually convince that wild and atheistical Nobleman the Earl of Rochester, in the laft Age, of the Truth of the Gofpel, when he compared thefe Words of the Prophecy of Ifaiah with the 26th, and following Chapters of the Gospel of St. Matthew; and he became a Chriftian Penitent.

16 Q. Did Jeremiah prophefy concerning Chrift? A. Yes, in a few places of his Prophecy. Jer. ii. 35, 36. Behold the days come, faith the Lord, that I will raife unto David a righteous Branch; and a King fhall reign and profper, and execute Judgment and fuftice in the Earth. In his days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael fhall dwell fafely; and this is the Name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. Which is repeated Jer. xxxiii. 14, 15.

There are alfo fome other Prophecies relating to Chrift and his Gofpel in Jer. xxxi. fome of which are cited in the New Teftament.

17 Q Did Ezekiel foretell any thing concerning Chrift? A. Yes, under the Character of David, the Servant of God, who was both a Shepherd and a King. Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. And I will fet up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them, even my Servant David: and I the Lord will be

their God, and my Servant David a Prince among them; and I will make with them a Covenant of Peace. Ezek. xxxvii. 21. I will take the Children

of Ifrael from among the Heathen, whither they be gone: I will gather them on every fide, and bring them into their own Land; and I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountains of Ifrael, and one King fhall be King to them all. ver. 24. Now Chrift Jefus was this great Shepherd of the People, John x. 1-16. and the King of Ifrael. John i. 49. and xix. 19, 21.

18 Q. What were the Prophecies of Daniel concerning Chrift? A. Daniel describes him as the Son of Man who came with the Clouds of Heaven; and there was given him Dominion, and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all People and Nations fhould ferve him; and his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, Dan. vii. 13, 14. Now our bleffed Saviour is continually called the Son of Man in the Hiftory of the Gofpel; and is faid to come in the Clouds of Heaven, Matth. xxiv. 30. and xxvi. 64. and univerfal Dominion is given him, Matth. xxviii. 18.

There is also another very remarkable Account of Jefus Chrift, or the Meffiah, given to Daniel by the Angel Gabriel, Dan. ix. 24, &c. that before the full end of Seventy Weeks, that is, feventy times feven Days, which, in prophetical Language, are four hundred and ninety Years after the Commiffion to Nehemiah to restore Jerufalem and the Church of the Jews; the Meffiah fhall be cut off, but not for himself: That this Term of Years is appointed to finish Tranfgreffion, to make an end of Sin, to make reconciliation for Iniquity, to bring in everlasting Righteousness, to feal up the Vision and Prophecy, and anoint the most Holy. And after this, The People of the Prince that shall come, that

is, the Romans, fhall deftroy the City and the Sanc tuary. All which were fulfilled in their proper Seafons, by the Death of Chrift, his Atonement for Sin, and the Destruction of Jerufalem, and the Temple fome time after.

19 Q. What is the next remarkable Prophecy concerning Chrift in the Books of Scripture? A. Micab tells us the Place where Chrift fhould be born, Micah v. 2. Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yei out of thee fhall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Ifrael, whofe goings forth have been from of old, from everlafting. Which Prophecy is plainly fulfilled, Matth. ii. I-6. and Luke ii.. 4, 5. when Mary the Mother of Christ went up to Bethlehem to be taxed there, being of the Family of David, together with Jofeph her Husband, of the fame Family, and there the brought forth her Son Fefus.

20 Q. What did Haggai foretel concerning Christ? A. Hag. ii. 6-9. For thus faith the Lord of Hofis, 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 Defire of all Nations fhall come, and I will fill this Houfe with Glory, faith the Lord of Hofts: And the Glory of this latter Houfe shall be greater than of the former, faith the Lord of Hofts. Which is naturally explained thus; He who was the Defire of all Nations, or who fhould be defired as a Saviour by the Jews and Gentiles, fhould come (as Malachi expreffes it) into his Temple, Mal. iii. 1. And by this means, even by his own presence, should make the latter Temple, which was built after the Captivity, more glorious than that of Solomon; though its Riches and Magnificence, in all outward refpects, were far inferior to Solomon's: This is the only

-reasonable

reasonable Conftruction can be put upon those Words.

21 Q: Does Zechariah tell us any thing concern ing Chrift? A. Though his Prophecy be generally pretty obfcure, yet in feveral Places he speaks thofe things which plainly relate to the Meffiah; fome whereof are cited and applied to Chrift in the New Teftament, and several of them were attributed to the Meffiah by the ancient Jews. See the Texts that follow.

He tells us in Chap. vi. ver. 12. Thus fpeaketh the Lord of Hofts, faying, Behold the Man whofe Name is the Branch, he fhall build the Temple of the Lord, he fhall bear the Glory, and shall fit and rule upon his Throne, and he shall be a Prieft upon his Throne, and the Counfel of Peace fhall be between them both and they that are afar off, shall come and build in the Temple of the Lord. "Wherein the Prophet informs us, that this Perfon whom foregoing Prophets have called The Branch out of the Root of effe, fhall build up the Church of God in the World, and be both a Priest and a King with Counfels of Peace; and the Heathens that are afar off fhall come and affift this Work of building up the Church.

This fame Prophet declares alfo that Chrift fhall come to Jerufalem as the King of Zion, meek and bringing Salvation, riding upon a Colt, the Fole of an Afs. Zech. ix. 10. Which was fulfilled Matth. xxi. 5. and John xii. 15.

22 Q. Does this Prophet fay any thing concerning the Remiffion of Sins to be obtained through Jefus Chrift? A. Yes, there is a remarkable Prophecy in Zech. xiii. 1. which must be referred to this Subject. In that Day there fhall be a Fountain opened to the Houfe of David, and the Inhabitants of Jerufalem,