"I will raise up a prophet:-to him fhall ye heark"en:-I will put my words in his mouth: - he "fhall fpeak to them," &c.

2. To fhew that the chief character contained in this prediction, A prophet like Mofes, is not fo indefinite as fome imagine, but that it contains confiderable proofs that the Meffiah is meant, it will be proper to prove thefe two things: first, That that character must relate to the things that distinguished Mofes from other prophets; Secondly, That these things coincide with distinguishing characters given of the Meffiah in other prophecies.

As to the first, it is obvious, that in all other cafes, when one perfon is faid to be like another, who has feveral very diftinguishing and extraordinary things in his character, it is natural to understand the resemblance as relating to thofe things that are distinguishing and extraordinary, and not to the things that are common to all, or many other perfons. Thus if it were faid of any perfon, not only that he is a king, but that he is a king like Solomon, it would be naturally understood as relating to that extraordinary wifdom or profperity that diftinguished Solomon from other kings; and not merely as implying, that fuch a perfon was as really a king as Solomon was; for by that way of explaining words, a king might be faid to be a king like Solomon, tho' he were the weakest and most unhappy prince that ever was. There is the fame reafon against fuppofing, that the expreffion, A prophet like Mofes, fignifies only one who fhould be really an infpired prophet as Mofes was. This is fufficiently implied in the foregoing words, fhewing, that the perfon fpoken of thould be a prophet raifed up of God. This imports, that he fhould be really infpired of God as Mofes was. If this were all that were intended, the expreffion like to Mofes would be fuperfluous. It is therefore a juft objection against the misinterpretation we are refuting, That it makes

Nn 2

the

the most remarkable expreffions in the prediction fuperfluous, and in a manner infignificant.

The pre-eminence of Mofes above the bulk even of true prophets, is afferted in two very remarkable pailages, in fuch a manner, as makes it very evident, that to be a prophet like Mofes, implies a great deal more than merely to be a true prophet. The inipired writer who wrote the clofe of the book of Deuteronomy, fays, Deut. xxxiv. 10. that there arose not a prophet fince in Ifrael like "unto Mofes, whom the Lord knew face to face; "in all the figns and the wonders which the Lord "fent him to do," &c. And in Numb. xii. 6. 7. &c. God fays, "If there be a prophet among you, "I the Lord will make myfelf known to him in a "vifion. My fervant Mofes is not fo, who is "faithful in all my houfe. With him will I speak "mouth to mouth,"-and not in dark fpeech66 es," &c.

Thefe paffages not only affert the pre-eminence and fuperiority of Mofes above other prophets, but give fuch an account of that fuperiority, as proves the fecond remark above mentioned, viz. That the characters which diftinguifhed Mofes from other prophets, refemble the diftinguishing characters of the Meffiah, as defcribed in other prophecies. To have a right view of the things that diftinguished Mofes, it is needful to obferve, that, as is men tioned in the laft-cited paffages, he was honoured with nearer accefs to God, and more immediate converfe with him, than other prophets were admitted to; that he was honoured with a more extenfive truft *. as to all the concerns of the house or church of God, being employed in establishing a new frame of religious inftitutions, and in raifing the church to a higher degree of fpiritual perfection, by a new and more abundant revelation of the will

Numb. xii. 7. "Who is faithful in all my house."

of

of God; that he was the chief inftrument employed in a moft wonderful deliverance which God wrought for his church; that he was in a fingular manner a kind of mediator, or internuncius, between God and his church; that he wrought a far greater num ber of miracles than other prophets, at least that they were of a more wonderful nature; and that as he was all along invefted with a kingly power, fo, before the confecration of Aaron, he officiated as a priest.

As thefe things have an obvious conformity with the characters of the Meffiah contained in the many prophecies formerly explained, fo when this prediction affirms, in general expreffions, that the future prophet whom it fpeaks of, fhould be a prophet like to Mofes, feeing nothing is added to reItrict that likeness to any one of the characters that diftinguished Mofes, it follows, that it may be very naturally extended to them all; which will make this a very comprehenfive prediction. And it is evident, that nothing could make a future prophet more like Mofes, in the chief things that diftinguished him, than the establishment of a new frame of religious inftitutions, founded on a new revelation of the will of God.

When it is foretold, that the prophet in view fhould be like Mofes, it is abundantly confiftent with this, that while he really refembled Mofes in the chief things that diftinguished him, he should at the fame time greatly excel him: and it is obfervable, that the manner in which this prediction is expreffed, had a particular fitnefs to correct the foreseen prejudices of many Jews, who have been apt to imagine, that never any prophet could arife who fhould be comparable to Mofes.

3. The Chriftian interpretation of this prediction may be farther confirmed by two native inferences from what we have in y 16. 17. 18. relating to the time and occafion of God's promifing this e

minent future prophet: ft, From 16. it feems evident, that this prophet was promifed at the time of giving the law at Sinai; 2dly, From that verfe, and what follows, it appears, that God's fending that prophet fhould be, in a fpecial manner, anfwerable to the declaration then made by the people of Ifrael, viz. that they were not able to bear God's fpeaking to them, otherwise than by a meditor, or internuncius. When the prediction is applied to the Meffiah, its fuitableness to such circumstances and occafions can be well accounted for, but not other wife. To all which we may add, that whereas it was the bufinefs of other prophets, to inforce obedience to the law of Mofes, the awful threatenings against disobedience to this new prophet like to Mofes, feem to hint, that he was to promulgate a new revelation.

SECT II. Of the prophetical passages in the book of Pfalms.

I. Many predictions in the book of Pfalms, and other prophetic books, receive light from the prediction delivered by Nathan to David; which speaks plainly of one particular king, and not of a fucceffion of kings, of the feed of David, who was to be the builder of God's houfe, and whofe kingdom was to be of everlafting continuance; which is afferted in a very strong manner, the promise of perpetuity being thrice repeated, 2 Sam. vii. 13. &c. 1 Chron. xvii. 12. &c. What feems most obscure in this prediction is confidered elsewhere. As everlasting dominion is a character of a very fingular nature, it is frequently mentioned in the prophetic defcriptions of the Meffiah, and particularly in the prophetic pfalms, fuch as Pf. xxi. xlv. lxxii. lxxxix.

If fome Jews might be apt to understand this prediction,

diction, as meant of a worldly monarchy in the houfe of David, the providences of God towards that house had a plain tendency to correct such miftakes; seeing, in Rehoboam's time, that family loft the ten tribes; at the Babylonish captivity they loft their whole kingdom; and after the return from that captivity, there was never any temporal king of that family, never any that was acknowledged as a king in any refpect until Jefus Christ: befides that to interpret Nathan's prediction as meant of a perpetual worldly monarchy among the Jews, was inconfiftent with the many forecited predictions, particularly thofe in the books of Mofes, concerning the difperfion of that people, and the diffolution of their polity, Deut. xxviii. xxxii.

Whereas it was the Babylonifh captivity that in a manner annihilated the worldly grandeur of the houfe of David, which might tempt many to doubt of the truth of the predictions concerning it, it is remarkable, that when God fent prophets to foretell that difafter, he at the fame time armed his people against the temptations that might arife from it, not only by affuring them of a return from that captivity, but alfo by renewing the promife of the everlasting kingdom to be established in the house of David, If. ix. Amos viii. Jer. xxiii. Pf. lxxxix.

Among the various pfalms which treat moft directly of the Meffiah's kingly office, and of his glory and dignity, the fecond is one of the most remarkable; feeing, as was proved before, it contains the characters of divinity in the titles and honours afcribed to him, and alfo the characters of fubordination fo oft mentioned formerly, as not otherwise explicable than by the doctrine of the Meffiah's incarnation, and mediatory offices, y 6.8. Together with all this, it contains the fingular characters of the Meffiah's benefits, reprefenting him as the caufe of bleffedness to all who truft in him;

and