23. Sixthly, This plea is directly contrary to the nature of the covenant which God promised to make at the coming of the Mes- siah, or that which he came to ratify and establish, and to the reason which God gives for the making of that covenant, Jer. xxxi. 81-83. The foundation of the new covenant lies in this, that the people
SECT. 22-24.] JESUS OF NAZARETH, ETC. 367
had disannulled and broken the former made with them. Now, surely they do not disannul that covenant if they are ri ghteous accord- ing to the tenor of it; and unless they are so, they say the Messiah will not come,—that is, the new covenant shall not be made unless by them it be first made needless! Again, the nature of the covenant lies in this, that God in it makes men righteous and holy, Ezek. xi. 19; so that righteousness and holiness cannot be the conditions of making it, unless it be of making it useless, This, then, is the contest between God and the Jews: He takes it upon himself to give men righteousness by the covenant of the Messiah; they take it upon them- selves to be righteous, that he may make that covenant with them.
24, Lastly, If the coming of the Messiah depend on the righteous- ness and repentance of the Jews, it is not only possible but very probable that he may never come. Themselves conceive that the world shall not continue above six thousand years. Of this space they do not suppose that there is any more than five hundred re- maining. The time past since the expiration of the days determined for the coming of the Messiah is at least sixteen hundred years, Seeing that they have not repented all this while, what assurance have we, nay, what hope may we entertain, within the four or five hundred years that are behind? Greater calls to repentance from God, greater motives from themselves and others, they are not like to meet withal. And what ground have we to expect that they who have withstood all those calls without any good fruit, by their own confession, will ever be any better? Upon this supposi- tion, then, it would be very probable that the Messiah should never come. Nothing can be replied hereunto, but that God will either at length effectually by his grace give them that repentance which they make necessary for his coming, or that he will send him at last whether they repent or no; but if either of these may be ex- pected, what reason can be imagined why God should go deal at any season concerning which he had made no promise that the Messiah should come therein, and not do so at the time concerning which he had so often promised and foretold that he should come therein ?
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EXERCITATION XVII.
THE THIRD GENERAL DISSERTATION, PROVING JESUS OF NAZARETH TO BE THE ONLY TRUE AND PROMISED MESSIAH.
1. Jesus whom Paul preached, the true Messiah. 2, 3. First argument, from the time of his coming—Foundation of this argument unquestionable, 4. Coming of Jesus at the time appointed, proved by Scripture record and catholic tradition; 5. By the testimonies of heathen writers; 6. By the confession of the Talmudical Jews—Jesus Christ intended by them in their story of
368 JESUS OF NAZARETH [ EXERC. XVII.
Jesus the son of Pandira and Stada. 7. No other came at that season by them owned. 8. Force of this argument. 9. Characteristical notes of the Messiah given out in the Old Testament. 10. His family, stock, or lineage, confined unto the posterity of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David. 11.
Our Lord Jesus of the posterity of Abraham and tribe of Judah; also of the family of David—Testimonies of the evangelists vindicated. 12. Jewish exceptions in general answered; 13. In particular, the genealogy not proved, answered. 14. The genealogy of Matthew declared; 15. And of Luke. 16. Jewish genealogies not trustworthy. 17. The place of the birth of the Messiah, Bethlehem, Mic. v. 1. 18. Circumstances enforcing this consideration, 19. The evangelist’s citation of the words of the pro- phet vindicated. 20. The Messiah to be born of a virgin, Isa. vii. 10-16, and Matt. i, 22,23. 21. Jews convinced that Jesus was born of a virgin. 22. Jewish exceptions to the application of this prophecy—Their weight. 23. The answer of some unto them unsafe, needless. 24, 25. True sense of the words—Exceptions answered. 26, 27. The signification and use of maby, 28. Greatness of the sign promised. 29, 30. No other virgin and son designed but Jesus Christ and his mother—The prophecy cleared in this instance. 31. In what sense the birth of the Messiah was a sign of present deliverance. 32, 33. Remaining objections answered. 34, Other characters of the Messiah. 35. He was to be a prophet, Deut. xviii. 18, 19—A prophet like unto Moses expected by the Jews. 36. Jesus Christ a prophet; that prophet. 37. The nature of the doctrine which he tanght—Its perfection. 38. The works of the Messiah revealed only in the gospel of Christ. 39. Also the nature and end of Mosaical institutions. 40, Threatenings unto the disobedient fallen upon the Jews. 41. Sufferings are another character of the Messiah. 42. His passion foretold, Ps. xxii.— The true Messiah therein intended—Expositions of Kimchi and others con- futed. 43. Sufferings peculiar unto the Messiah. 44. The psalm exactly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 45. Objections of the Jews from the principles of Christians answered. 46. Isa. lili. a prophecy of the suffering of the Messiah. 47. Consent of ancient Jews—Targum, Bereshith Rabba, Talmud, Alshech. 48-53. Invalidity of exceptions of later rabbins—Application to the Lord Jesus vindicated. 54, Other testimonies concerning the sufferings of the Mes- siah. 55. Jewish traditions to the same purpose. 56. Other arguments proving Jesus to be the true Messiah. 57, 58. Miracles; the nature of them; 59. Wrought by Christ, proved. 60. Testimony of the gospel. 61. Notoriety of the miracles, and of tradition. 62. Miracles of Christ compared with those of Moses. 63. Excelling them in number ; 64. In manner of their being wrought; 65. In their nature; 66. In his giving power to others to effect them; 67. In his resurrection from the dead ; 68. Continuance of them in the world. 69. Sum of this argument. 70, 71. Conviction of the Jews evinced. 72, 73. Causes of the miracles of Christ assigned by them—Magi- cal art retorted; removed. 74. The name of God. 75. Testimony of his disciples. 76. Success of the doctrine of Jesus—Last argument.