49. Zech. iii. 8, “For, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.” Targum, ‘Sony NM! May non soN N;—~ Behold, I bring forth my servant the Messiah, who shall be revealed.” This revelation of the Messiah relates unto their apprehension of his being born long since, but to lie hid because of their sins, as was before intimated. And in like manner is he three times more mentioned by the Targumist in this prophecy, chap. iv. 7, vi. 12, x. 4; im all which places he is certainly designed by the Holy Ghost. There are also many of them who acknowledge him to be intended, chap. ix. 9, xi. 12, 18, xii. 10, where he is not mentioned in the Targum.
I have not insisted on these places, as though they were all the testimonies that to the same purpose might be taken out of the Prophets, seeing they are a very small portion of the predictions concerning the person, grace, and kingdom of the Messiah, and not all those which are most eminent in that kind; but because they are such as wherein we have either the consent of all the Jews with us in their application,—from whence some advantage may be taken for their conviction,—or we have the suffrage of the more ancient and authentic masters to reprove the perverseness of the modern rabbins withal.
50. And this is He whom we inquire after,—one who was pro- mised from the foundation of the world to relieve mankind from under that state of sin and misery whereinto they were cast by their apostasy from God. This is he who, from the first promise of him, or intimation of relief by him, was the hope, desire, com- fort, and expectation of all that aimed at reconciliation and peace with God,—upon whom all their religion, faith, and worship was founded, and in whom it centred; he for whose sake, or for the
SECT, 49, 50.] APPEARANCES OF THE SON OF GOD, ETC. 215
bringing of whom into the world, Abraham and the Hebrews his posterity were separated to be a peculiar people, distinct from all the nations of the earth; in the faith of whom the whole church in and from the days of Adam, that of the Jews in especial, celebrated its mystical worship, endured persecution and martyrdom, waiting and praying continually for his appearance; he whom all the pro- phets taught, preached, promised, and raised up the hearts of be- lievers unto a desire and expectation of, describing beforehand his sufferings, with the glory that was to ensue; he of whose coming a catholic tradition was spread over the world, which the old ser- pent, with all his subtlety, was never able to obliterate.
EXERCITATION X. APPEARANCES OF THE SON OF GOD UNDER THE OLD TESTAMENT.
1. Ends of the promises and prophecies concerning the Messiah— Other ways of his revelation; of his oblation, by sacrifices; of his divine person, by visions. 2. What meant in the Targums by »95 sa», the Word of God—The expres-
sion first used, Gen. iii. g—nim Shp, what. or who— O Acyos—Aéryos évurc- oraros—Apprehensions of the ancient Jews about the Word of God; of the philosophers—A pplication of the expression, ‘O Adyos rod @eod, to the Son, by John—Expressions of Philo—Among the Mohammedans Christ called the Word of God—Intention of the Targumists vindicated. 3. How the Voice walked —Aben Ezra refuted, and R. Jona—The appearance of the second Per- son unto our first parents. 4. Gen. xviii. 1-3—God’s appearance, 9° Sh>_ Suddenness of it. 5. Who appeared. 6. The occasion of it. 7. Reflection of Aben Ezra on some Christian expositors retorted—A trinity of persons not proved from this place—Distinct persons proved—No created angel repre- senting the person of God called Jehovah—Gen. xix. 24, “ From the Lorp”— Exceptions of Aben Ezra and Jarchi removed—Appearance of the second Person. 8. Gen. xxxii. 24, 26-30. 9. Occasion of this vision, 10. The Person ; in appearance a man; 11. In office, an angel, Gen. xlviii. 16; 12,13. Tn nature, God, Gen. xxxii. 26, 30, Hos. xii. 5—P282, what— Who it was that appeared. 14, Exod. iii. 1-6, 14—God appeared. 15. Exod. xix. 18-20—Who gave the law—Not a created angel—The ministry of angels, how used therein, 16, 17. Exod. xxiii. 20-23—Different angels pro- mised—The Angel of God’s presence, who. 18, 19. Josh. vy. 13-15—Cap- tain of the Lord’s host described. 20, Sense of the ancient church concern- ing these appearances; 21. Of the Jews. 22. Opinion of Nachmanides. 23. Tanchuma—Talmud—Fiction of the angel rejected by Moses, accepted by Joshua—Sense of it. 24, Metatron, who—Derivation of the name.
1. We have seen how plentifully God instructed the church of old by his prophets in the knowledge of the person, office, and work of the Messiah. And this he did, partly that nothing might be want- ing unto the faith and consolation of believers, in a suitableness and proportion unto that condition of light and grace wherein it was his good pleasure to keep them before his actual coming; and partly
216 APPEARANCES OF THE SON OF GOD [ EXERC. X.
that his righteous judgments, in the rejection and ruin of those who obstinately refused him, might, from the means of their conviction, be justified and rendered glorious. Neither were these promises and predictions alone the means whereby God would manifest and reveal him unto their faith.