That there is no abfurdity in the fuppofition, that as fome prophecies may relate wholly to the times of the Meffiah, fo others may relate partly to his times, and partly to the times wherein they were delivered. God may order his prophets to speak in fuch words, as may denote a double event, and require a double accomplishment or a message may be fo expreffed, as that the different parts of it, not the fame words, may relate to very different feafons. These are two diftinct confiderations. As to the firft, God's ordering a prophet to deliver himself in such words, as that they may literally denote a double event; let it be confidered, that the literal Senfe is, either that fenfe, which the words naturally bear in connexion; or which, tho' it may not be the most obvious, and natural, yet the words will bear, and the speaker of them really intends. That words may bear a double sense, and be as properly expreffive of one as another, is undeniably certain. Inftances enough of this may be produced out of the Old Teftament. Thus, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, as natu rally rally fignifies, that an untouched maid fhould, by an extraordinary providence, become the mother of a child, as that a young woman fhould be married, and prove with child by her husband. Out of Egypt have I called my Son; there is nothing in the expreffion itself, to confine it rather to the Jewish nation, than to Jesus Christ, The one is as much the literal fense as the other; and which fenfe is intended, whether one or both, can only be known, either by its connexion with other things, or by the plain and express de. claration of the speaker. This latter way is the most certain and infallible: and this is the authority we pretend to have as Chrif tians, for interpreting many of the Old Teftament prophecies of Chrift; those efpecially which he applies to himself, and those referred to him by his apoftles, as proper proofs of his being the Meffiah; whatever reference they originally had, or may now be supposed to have to the times when they were firft uttered. For as there is reason to think that the perfons, who anciently delivered thefe prophecies, Spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God; God; fo there is equal, if not ftronger evidence, that those who apply them to Chrift, as the proper proofs of his being the Meffiab, were under the fame divine influence; and that therefore they would never have urged them as real proofs of events, they were never intended to predict : tho' I think there are but few inftances of this nature to be found. As to the latter; that the different parts of the same prophecy may denote different events: this is a much more easy and probable fuppofition than the former; efpecially if there be an agreement between the events themselves, and the more important event of the two, tho' at a distance, was necessary to be preserved in the minds of those to whom the prophecy is delivered, the tranfition from the one to the other is very natural and proper. That mankind should be faved from the power of vice, and the dominion of evil spirits, and recovered by a Saviour to peace with God, and the hopes of an eternal inheritance, is a much more glorious work, than the falvation of a particular nation from temporal evils, or their having any temporal temporal profperity conferred on them. And therefore what could be more worthy of God, or agreeable to his wif dom, than to put his people in mind, when he raised them up any temporal Saviours, that the time should come, when he would fend into the world one, who should be the author of a more glorious redemption, by caufing righteousness, peace, and know. ledge, more univerfally to flourish, and procuring for them everlasting falvati on ? It doth indeed feem neceffary, that when two events are referred to in the fame prophecies, the double intention of fuch prophecies fhould be generally understood; otherwife the prophecies, as to one sense of them at least, would be of no use; it being almost the same thing, not to foretel a future event at all, as to foretel it in such a manner, as that no one is capable of understanding it. But this is not the cafe of the Jewish prophecies: which, as they had a plain reference to the Mef fiah, in part, as well as in part to events nearer at hand, so were also understood by the Jews, as respecting him; as I have pro In ved, chap. v, vi. And therefore 'tis only needfu! upon this head, to add; that as many of them evidently had a double fignification, fo they had alfo a double use and defign: the one, to affure the Jews of God's prefent protection, notwithstanding the calamitous circumftances they were under: the other, to preferve alive in their minds the hopes of the Meffiah, and of better times to fucceed under him. deed every promife of the Meffiah, how far diftant foever the time of his coming might be, was, nevertheless, a mighty encouragement to the faithful Jews. For this was giving them the ftrongest affurance, that, tho' for the prefent they might be reduced very low, yet they should not be utterly deftroyed, because of the Meffiab who was to proceed from them. And of confequence thofe prophecies had a noble ufe, and could not be wholly fulfilled, according to the literal fenfe of them, or in the fenfe the words wil bear, and the author of them intended, in any other perfon than the Meffiah: and the application of fuch paffages to him, will not be in a my ftical, |