the first dominion.” Now, this tower of Edar was a place in or near
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to Bethlehem, as is manifest from the place in Genesis; for whereas Jacob is said to stay at Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem, where he set up a pillar on the grave of Rachel, verses 19, 20, upon his next removal he spread his tent “ beyond the tower of Edar,” which must therefore needs be a place near unto Bethlehem. And the prophet assign- ing the rise of the kingdom of the Messiah unto that place, because he was to be born at Bethlehem, the paraphrast took occasion to
188 PROMISES OF THE [ EXERC. IX.
make mention of him here, where that place is first spoken of, de- claring their expectation of his being born there; which accordingly was long before come to pass.
5. Gen. xlix. 1, “ And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall you MO8a no,” “in the latter days,” or “the last days,” or “ end of the days.” Jonathan paraphraseth on these words: “After that” (or “ although”) “the glory of the divine Majesty was revealed unto him,” t'ny7 “yp m2) ‘Dans ‘nd mw s2dn, “the time,” that is, the express time, “wherein the King Messiah was to come was hid from him; and therefore he said, Come, and I will declare unto you what shall befall you in the end of the days.” This expression of N08 dn, “the end” or “last of the days,” is a usual periphrasis for the days of the Messiah in the Old Testament. To that purpose it is used, Num. xxiv. 14; Deut. iv. 30; Isa. ii. 2; Hos. ii, 5; Mie. iv. 1; and our apostle expressly refers unto it, Heb. 1.2. Now, whereas this expression denotes no certain season of time, but only inde- finitely directs to the last days of the posterity of J acob continuing a distinct church and people, for those ends “for which they were originally separated from all others, and this being the first place wherein it is used, and which all the rest refer unto, the paraphrast here took occasion both to mention the Messiah, of whose time of coming this was to be the constant description, as also to intimate the reason of the frequent use of this expression; which was, because the precise tume of his coming was hidden even from the best of the prophets, unto whom “the glory of the divine Majesty” was in other things revealed. Besides, the ensuing predictions in the chapter do sufficiently secure his application of the days mentioned unto the time of the Messiah.
6. Gen. xlix. 10, Tey N22 TY.“ Until Shiloh come” All the three Targums agree in the application of these words unto the Messiah. Onkelos: xnwy sn ay;—“ Until Messiah come.” Jonathan and Jerusalem use the same words: s25p ‘nt yor oy xmwn;— Unto the time wherein the King Messiah shall come.” An illustrious prophecy this is concerning him,—the first that limits the time of his coming with an express circumstance; and which must therefore afterwards be at large insisted on. At present it may suffice to remark the suffrage of these Targums against the perverse- ness of their later masters, who contend, by all artifices imaginable, to pervert this text unto other purposes; who are therefore to be pressed with the authority of the Targumists, which with none of their cavilling exceptions they can evade. The following words also, verses 1], 12, are applied by Jonathan unto the Messiah, in the pursuit of the former prediction, and that not unfitly, as hath been showed by others already. See Ainsworth on the place.
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SECT. 5-9.] MESSIAH VINDICATED. 189
7. Exod. xii. 42, “ It isa night to be much observed.” Jerusalem Targ., “ This is the fourth night” (it had mentioned three before), “when the end of this present world shall be accomplished to be dissolved, and the cords of impiety shall be wasted, and the iron yoke shall be broken;” that is, the people of God shall be delivered. Whereunto is added: won 3) fo NM! NIdD SIDI 1 TD PID Nw; —‘“ Moses shall come forth from the midst of the wilderness, and the King Messiah from the midst of Rome.” That of the Messiah com- ing out of Rome is Talmudical, depending on a fable which we shall afterwards give an account of. And we may here, once for all, ob- serve, that although they believe that their Messiah is to be a mere man, born after the manner of all other men, yet they never speak of his birth or nativity as a thing that they look for; only they speak of his coming, but most commonly of his being revealed; and their great expectation is, when he shall be discovered and revealed. And this proceedeth out of a secret self-conviction that he was born long since, even at the time promised aud appointed, only that he is hidden from them; as indeed he is, though not in the sense by them imagined. But what makes for the application of the night of the passover to the coming of the Messiah? They cannot imagine that he shall come unto them whilst they are celebrating that ordinance; for that is not lawful for them unless they were at Jerusalem, whither they believe they shall never return until he come and go before them. lt is, then, from some tradition amongst them, that their de-