34. There remain yet other descriptive notes of the Messiah, con- sisting in what he was to teach, and do, and suffer,—all of them guid- ing the faith of the church unto our Lord Jesus, who in all things fully answered unto them all. I shall briefly pass through them, ac- cording unto our design and purpose, and begin with what he was to teach. This Moses directs us unto, giving that great predescription of him which we have, Deut. xviii. 18, 19, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” ‘This is that signal testimony concerning the Messiah which Philip urged out of Moses unto Nathanael, John i. 45; which Peter not only applies unto him, but declares that he was solely intended in it, Acts ili, 22, 23; and Stephen seals that appli- cation with his blood, chap. vii. 37. Neither do nor can the Jews deny that the Messiah was to be a prophet, or that he was promised unto the church in the wilderness in these words. But we shall con- sider the particulars of them.
35. Sundry things are here asserted by Moses concerning the
_ Messiah; as,—(1.) In general, that he should be a “prophet,” a teacher of the church, and not a king only. The Jews, indeed, who greedily desire the things which outwardly attend kingly power and domi- nion in this world, do principally fix their thoughts and expectations
_ on his kingdom. The revelation of the will of God which was to be
396 JESUS OF NAZARETH [EXERC. XVIL
made by him, they little desire or inquire after. But the common faith of their ancestors, from this and other places, was, that the Messiah was to be a prophet, and was to reveal unto the church the whole coun- sel of God, as we shall evince in our comment on the first words of the Epistle. (2.) That this prophet should be raised up unto them “from among their brethren.” He shall be of the posterity of Abraham, and of the tribe of Judah, as was promised of old, or “ made of them ac- cording unto the flesh,” Rom. i. 3,1x. 5. So that, as to his original or extract, he was to be born in the level of the people. From among his brethren was he to be raised up unto this office of a prophet and teacher of the church. (3.) That he must be “like unto Moses.” The words are plain in many places, that, in the ordinary course of God’s dealing with that church, among the prophets there was none like unto Moses, neither before nor after him. Hence Maimonides, with his followers, conclude that nothing can ever be altered in their law, because no prophet was ever to arise of equal authority with him who was their lawgiver. But the words of the text are plain. The propbet here foretold was to be “like unto him” wherein he was peculiar and exempted from comparison with all other prophets, which were to build on his foundation, without adding any thing to the rule of faith and worship which he had revealed, or changing any thing therein. In that is the prophet here promised to be like unto him; that is, he was to be a lawgiver to the house of God, as our apostle proves and declares, Heb. ii. 1-5. And we have the consent of the most sober among the Jews to the same purpose. The words of the author of Sepher Ikharim, lib. ili. cap. x., are remarkable: mwon qbp nw sso 513 1 Ddyd ims arp xdw aways oN) odd smps pip xdw ies anos op xd wie Sas wen Sia os InWD AN DN pw jor ime Saw rod AyT Ns NY AD ANN IAD OP Now xd» IW MDD NOY TID ny. Sax ins op xd ono min MpdSjY TY PIN won 513;—*“ It cannot be that there should not at some time arise a prophet like unto Moses, or greater than he; for Messiah the King should be like him, or greater than he: but thus these words, ‘ There arose none like him, ought to be interpreted, not as though none should ever be like him, but that none should be like him as to some particular quality or accident; or, that in all the space of time wherein the prophets followed him until prophecy ceased, none should be like unto Moses, but hereafter there shall be one like him, or rather greater than he.” Thisis that which we affirmed before. In the whole series of prophets that succeeded in that church, building on Moses’ foundation, there was none like unto him; but the prophet here promised was to be so, and in other regards, as appears from other testimonies, far greater than he. This was of old their com- mon faith, from this prediction of Moses. And wherein this likeness was to consist, our apostle declares at large in his third chapter.
}
SECT. 36.] THE ONLY TRUE AND PROMISED MESSIAH. 397
Moses was the great lawgiver by whom God revealed his mind and will as to his whole worship, whilst the church-state instituted by him was to continue. Such a prophet was the Messiah to be, a lawegiver, so as to abolish the old and to institute new rites of wor- ship; as we shall afterwards more fully prove and confirm. (4.) This raising up of a prophet like unto Moses declares that the whole will of God, as to his worship and the church’s obedience, was not yet revealed. Had it so been, there would have been no need of a pro- phet like unto Moses, to lay new foundations, as he had done. Those who succeeded, building on what he had fixed, and therefore said not to be like unto him, would have sufficed. But there are new counsels of the will of God, as yet hid, to be finally and fully re- vealed by this prophet; and after his work is done, there is no inti- mation of any further revelation to ensue. (5.) The presence of God with this prophet in his work is set down. He would “ put his words into his mouth,” or “speak in him,” as our apostle expresseth the same matter, Heb. i. 1, 2. And, lastly, his ministry is further described from the event with respect unto them who would not submit unto his authority, nor receive the law of God at his mouth. God would “ require it” at their hands; that is, as these words are interpreted by Peter, they should be “ cut off from among his people,” or from being so. And this signal commination, in the