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The other violent prejudice with which the minds of the Jews were possessed, was a persuasion of the perpetuity of the Mosaical dispensation. Every one who reads the New Testament history will perceive how firmly this notion was rooted in their hearts. Those of them who opposed the Gospel were transported into fury at the very mention of the abrogation of their worship; and those who embraced it heard of such a change with surprise, and submitted with reluctance. But this prejudice had as little foundation in, and was as contrary to, the Scriptures as the former. They inform us in no equivocal terms that the whole Jewish ritual would be abolished under the reign of the Messiah. We have an explicit promise of a new covenant dissimilar, and in all respects superior, to that which God had made with the people of Israel in the wilderness." Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant they brake: but this will be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people." The expression "that day," or "those days," every one knows, is generally used by the prophets to denote the reign of Christ, or the days of the Gospel. This passage clearly shows that the new covenant was different from, and inconsistent with the old, and that at the coming of Christ, the former was to supplant the latter; for the establishment of the new dispensation necessarily implies the abolition of that which preceded it. We are also assured by the prophets that

the Jewish priesthood would be closed at the advent of Christ, and that he alone was to exercise that office, and in a way peculiar to himself. "Thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedeck." The analogy between the priesthood of Melchizedeck and that of the Messiah appears to be this:As the former was sprung from a race different from that of Israel, so the Messiah, as to his human nature, was not to descend from the tribe of Levi, from which the Jewish priests were to be exclusively selected; and that, as the sacred history gives no account of the predecessors or successors of Melchizedeck in the office of priesthood, so the sacerdotal office of Christ was to be perpetual, without successor, and without end. His ministrations were to be essentially different from those of other priests. "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required." He is not to offer the sacrifice of bulls and of goats, but to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. "He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Scripture also gives us the most express intimations that the sacrifices and the whole Jewish ritual would be brought to a termination at the coming of the promised Saviour, and that the great event which they were intended to typify would then be accomplished. "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of that week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” The church of God was no longer to be confined to one nation, or to one country; its service was to be disengaged from the local peculiarities of the Mosaical economy; and its worship was to be characterized by a simplicity that would render it ob. servable in every land, and by persons of every description. "And

I will give you pastors according to mine heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And in those they shall no more say, the ark of the covenant of the Lord, neither shall it come to mind, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it, neither shall that be done any more."

To destroy the validity of these arguments, it has been urged by the Jews, that the ceremonial laws and ordinances are often spoken of in Scripture as if they were to endure for ever. But it is easy to reply, that the original word translated everlasting or for ever is often used to denote a long, but limited duration. Thus, the servant, who after being set at liberty, desired to remain with his master, after certain ceremonies were performed, was commanded to serve him "for ever," which can only be understood until the year of jubilee, or at most until the end of his life. So, when such terms are applied to the Jewish religion, they can extend no farther than the period of its duration. Thus it appears, that the Old Testament prophecies clearly intimated, that the Jewish dispensation would terminate at the coming of Christ; and the minds of that people must have been miserably blinded by prejudice who would misunderstand or pervert such plain declarations.

II. Our next object is to show that the period which the prophets fixed for the advent of the Messiah, exactly corresponded with the time when Jesus of Nazareth actually appeared.

These predictions are not, like those of the heathen oracles, vague conjectures, clothed in ambiguous or indefinite language; the period, on the contrary, is precisely determined, or at least many of its attendant circumstances are so distinctly described, that we are at no loss to recognize the event when it

comes to pass. The limits of this
essay will permit me to consider
only a very few of the prophecies
that relate to the time of the Sa-
viour's incarnation, but even these
few, it is hoped, will completely es-
tablish the position which I have
advanced. The first that I shall
notice is, that remarkable expression
of the venerable patriarch, when
pronouncing his last benediction on
his sons: "The sceptre shall not
depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver
from between his feet, until Shiloh
come, and to him shall the gather-
ing of the people be." The word
here rendered " sceptre," primarily
denotes a rod or branch of a tree,
and is metonymically taken for an
ensign of royalty. In Scripture it
frequently signifies a tribe, proba-
bly from the circumstance of the
twelve tribes descending from Ja-
cob, as the branches spring from
the stock of a tree, or on account
of the rod or staff which belonged
to each tribe as an ensign of their
authority. Hence some translate
it, the tribe, that is, the distinction
and privileges of a separate tribe,
shall not depart from Judah. The
word " Shiloh," according to some,
signifies sent, according to others,
his son, and according to others, a
peace-maker. But, although there
is a diversity of opinion respecting
its origin, there is a perfect harmony
regarding its application. All in-
terpreters, ancient and modern, un-
derstand it as referring to the Mes-
siah. He was sent by the Father
in the fulness of time; he was the
son of Judah according to the
flesh; and he was the Prince of
Peace, through whom pardon and
peace were proclaimed to the sons
of men. The language indisput-
ably expresses this fact, that the dis-
tinction of a tribe, and sovereign
legislative authority, would continue
among Judah's posterity till the
coming of the promised Saviour.
This tribe was to retain its name

and dignity, though the others might be confounded, or merged into it. The Messiah was to appear before the destruction of its privileges or pre-eminence, before its judges or rulers should be completely deprived of their jurisdiction. The argument which this passage affords for the truth of our position is clear and unanswerable. Every part of the prophecy has been strikingly fulfilled. It is certain that this tribe continued for many ages after the rest were extinguished. And it is no less certain, that it was totally destroyed about, or a very little after, the time of our Lord's appearance. To define the exact year is now perhaps impossible, but it is a matter of little importance. The power The power and independence of this people gradually decayed. Their national authority received a shock by the Babylonish captivity; but even dur. ing that period it was not altogether subverted; for we read of the rulers or heads of the captivity. They lived as a distinct people, and enacted laws and festivals of their own. And when Cyrus issued the proclamation for rebuilding the temple, we are told, that "there rose up the chief of the fathers;" and this emperor, it is said in the book of Ezra, ordered the vessels of the temple to be delivered to the "Prince of Judah." After their return from Babylon, they were never indeed so independent as before; being generally considered as vassals of the Persian or Grecian empires. But their subjection was more nominal than real. They lived under their own laws, and were governed by their own judges and councils. In the time of the Maccabees they regained somewhat of their former power, and rather ruled than obeyed their surrounding enemies. But after the death of these heroes, they rapidly declined. And in our Saviour's time, the Sanhedrim still

VOL. XXIII. NO. V.

subsisted, but it was deprived of some of its former privileges. The power of inflicting capital punishments was taken out of their hands. "It is not lawful for us," said they to Pilate, "to put any man to death." The sceptre was then departing, and about forty years after, it was completely wrested from them. It is undeniable, that at the destruction of Jerusalem every trace of their independence was annihilated, that the distinction of their tribes and families was irretrievably lost, and that they have remained in that condition to the present day. They exist almost everywhere, but they rule nowhere. It necessarily follows, therefore, either that this prediction of the venerable patriarch has failed, or that the Messiah appeared a little before the destruction of Jerusalem; and if he did appear at that period, who can doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was the person?

To wrest this text out of our hands, some of the Jews maintain that the word rendered sceptre, is to be understood not of the rod of authority, but the rod of correction, or chastisement. But this cannot be the sense of the term, because the Patriarch is here speaking of a privilege peculiar to the tribe of Judah, whereas calamities were common to all the tribes. And the subsequent word lawgiver, associated with sceptre, implies independence and prosperity, rather than suffering and depression. Be sides, it was not true that chastisement would cease under the reign of the Messiah, which seems to be the consequence of this strange in. terpretation. He himself was to suffer and die, and the disciples could not expect better treatment than their master. "If they❞— that is the subjects of Christ's kingdom-" break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with

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the rod, and their iniquities with stripes."

It is further alleged, that in a certain country east of the Caspian Sea, (they do not say how far,) where a multitude of Jews reside, the order and distinction of their tribes, and the authority of their patriarchs, are still regularly preserved. But this is a mere figment of a Jewish Rabbi, and intended to deprive Christianity of the argument furnished by the prediction of Jacob, and it is contradicted by the testimony of all travellers and geographers, both ancient and modern. The second passage which I shall adduce is taken from the prophecies of Daniel: "Seventy-weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks." Every one knows that in the language of prophecy a day is put for a year; and that consequently the seventy weeks are four hundred and ninety years. It is admitted by all, that there is a considerable difficulty, and of course a variation among chronologers, in computing this period, and perhaps it is not possible at this distance of time to determine to a few years. But such difficulties and variations are of little importance, and do not diminish the evidence which the prediction affords to the truth of our position. Some suppose that the seventy weeks commenced when Cyrus issued the proclamation permitting the Jews to return and rebuild the temple. This computation differs by one hundred years from the account which profane history gives of the duration of the Persian and Grecian empires, and therefore it is not rashly to be adopted. And, besides, there are other circumstances that render this interpretation im

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probable. The edict of Cyrus, as
we learn from the book of Ezra,
referred only to the building of the
temple; whereas Daniel makes
particular mention of the restora-
tion of the city.
The same objec-
tion applies to another edict of Da-
rius recorded in the same book; it
relates expressly to the "house of
God," and not to Jerusalem. We
read of two commissions granted
by Artaxerxes (commonly called
Longimanus,) for repairing the city,
the one to Ezra in the seventh, and
the other to Nehemiah in the
twentieth year of his reign. Many
learned men have fixed upon the
former as the commencement of the
seventy weeks, and have satisfac-
torily shown, that four hundred and
ninety years elapsed from this pe-
riod to the death of Christ.
cording to them, seven weeks, or
forty-nine years, transpired during
the repair of Jerusalem, which is
said to be in "troublous times,"
and we see from the book of Nehe-
miah how truly this was verified.
From the rebuilding of the city,
"threescore and two weeks" were
to pass away before the Messiah
was cut off. The sum of these
periods is sixty-nine weeks, or four
hundred and eighty-three years.
One week or seven years still re-
mained; and the chronologers al-
luded to suppose, that in the midst
of this week our Saviour died;
"And he shall confirm the cove-
nant with many for one week, and
in the midst of that week he shall
cause the sacrifice and oblation to
cease;" that is, as to their binding
force upon the conscience. And
this corresponds with the period of
his public ministry, which was a
little more than three years. Other
interpreters, however, contend, that
the words of the prophet warrant
and even require us to refer this
last "week" to the destruction of
Jerusalem, because the seventy
weeks are determined not only up-

on the people, but upon the holy city; and the people of the Prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the wars desolations are determined." And immediately after the sacrifice and oblation are made to cease, it is added, " And for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined, shall be poured upon the desolate." These chronologers date the beginning of the seventy weeks considerably later than the former class, and perhaps there is no insuperable objection to their calculations. One thing, however, is certain, that whether the one or the other be adopted, the fulfilment of the prophecy would be expected in one generation. At whatever period we begin the seventy weeks, they will be found to terminate some time between the birth of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem. It is no wonder then, that about the time of our Saviour's advent, there was an expectation of some extraordinary personage throughout the East, at least so far as the knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures extended; but it is truly a wonder that the Jews could blind their minds and harden their hearts to such a degree as to reject that Saviour whose character was so fully described, and the period of whose appearance was so exactly defined, in those books which they believed to be given by inspiration of God. *

I shall only advert to another passage of Old Testament prophecy, which furnishes a clear evidence of the truth of our position. "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, and the desire of all nations shall comethe Lord, whom ye seek, shall sud

denly come to his temple." The latter house is obviously the second temple, and the desire of all nations, the Lord whom the Jews sought, can be no other than the Messiah.. The verse, therefore, expressly in-. timates that the Saviour was to appear in his human nature during the existence of the second temple. His presence alone could render it more glorious than the first. It is admitted that no convincing argument could be drawn from this passage, during our Lord's personal ministry, and for some years after; because the Jews had no apprehension, and there was little probability that that splendid edifice would so soon be laid in ruins. But after the destruction of the city and temple, this divine prediction must have come home to their minds with overwhelming force; and as they were unable to give any other rational or plausible interpretation to the passage, they were reduced to the alternative of admitting that "Jesus was the Christ," or of denying the inspiration of the prophecy. Accordingly we find, that after that awful catastrophe some of them believed in the Saviour, and the greater number began to diminish their reverence for this and other parts of the prophetic writings, till at last they denied the divinity of all but the five books of Moses. Such is the clearness and strength of the evidence from the Old Testament prophecies that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah, and such was the power of prejudice and of passion to render it of no avail.

We may also remark, that the realization of many events repre. sented by the prophets as contem. poraneous with, or immediately subsequent to, the Messiah's advent, is a source of the most convincing arguments for the truth of the position which we have advanced.

* Sec Prideaux's Connexions, and Newton on the Prophecies.

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