Old Prophets Words by the Apoftles, on another Occafi on. So our Saviour used Zachary's Words, Smite the Shepherd, and the Sheep fhall be scattered. But there is no Prophecy concerning Chrift's Suffering. This relates to the Second Coming of Gog, before the Millennium,

8. 1

8.I

Will laftly observe, that there are many Reasons, which ought to be removed, of the Obscurity of the Old Prophecies. . The Tranflation from the Hebrew is very obIcure, or probably, perverted by the Jewish Interpreters; and therefore I wish they were tranflated from the Septuagint, (the 70,) who were sent to Ptolemy to tranflate them, by Eleazer the High-Prieft, in the 268th Year before Chrift; and then we may prefume, that Efdras's Copy of them was entire, and the Tranflation faithfully done: If any Alteration was then to be made, it would have been this of Zachary, who declares the taking away the Scepter from Egypt: But fince, that was not omitted, to please Ptolemy, we may believe, nothing was omitted by the 70 Interpreters. Probably the Egyptian Princes had a great Efteem for thofe Prophecies, because they were in high Efteem by Alexander; and Chap. 14. has Threats against Egypt, if it came not up to keep the Feaft of Tabernacles; and that muft have been expunged, if the Interpreters had not tranflated faithfully. The Jews nfed the Septuagint, and the Apoftles; and in their Times the Prophecies were got into private Hands, as appears by the Eunuch's reading the Prophecy of Ifaiah. The Greek and Hebrew were much better underftood in Ptolemy's time, when they were commonly spoke, than in future Ages; and I have obferved these Places in Zachary obfcure in our Translation from the Hebrew; but much clearer in the Greek Bible.

Zachary, Ch. 10. v. 4. Out of him came forth the Corner, out of him the Nail, out of him the Battel- Bow, out of him every Oppreffor together. The Senfe is much better in the Septuagint.

Ch. 13. v. 1. In that Day there fhall be a Fountain open ed to the Houfe of David for Sin and Unclean nefs. The Senfe in the Septuagint is more pertinent to the preceding Chapter.

Ch. 1. v. 21. The Carpenters are faid to fray the Horns away; Bus the Septuagint fays, fharpen them against one another. V. 8. Thus faith the Lord of Hofts, after the Glory, fit fhould be, behind the Glory.)

Ch. 3.

Ch. 3. v.28. They are Men wondred at; for behold I will bring forth my Servant the Branch. This Tranflation spoils the Sense of the Prophecy : It should be, the Eaft, as in Luke Ch. 1.

C.9.v.16, They fhall be as the Stones of a Crown lifted up, as an Ensign upon his Land. This differs much from the Septuagint.

Ch. 14. . v. 20. There fhall be on the Bells of the Horses Holiness to the Lord. The Septuagint has a better Sense; and they who will compare the English Tranflation with the Septuagint Copy of the old Prophecies, will wish for an Ene glish Tranflation from the Septuagint for the use of the Vulgar.

2. The old Allegorical Interpretation is very extravagant, which St. Jerom has made on Zachary and the Old Prophets, This has no Tradition from the Jews, no Authority from the Apofties; 'tis offenfive to the Jews, and ridiculous to any Reader. No Allegory can be explained without an Infpiration. The Jews have an old Tradition concerning their Return to Judea; and believe many Calamities will happen by Gog, who is to be deftroyed by their Meffiah; who will afterwards reign on the prefent Earth, reftored to its ancient Fertility. And thefe Notions agree with all the Old Prophecies, as well as the Chriftian Faith. That will be the happy time, when the Lord fhall be King over all the Earth; and there fhall be one Lord, and his Name one; and all Nations fhall go up to Jerufalem to worship the King the Lord of Hofts, and to keep the Feaft of Tabernacles. This is Zachary's fhort Defcription of the Millennium, Ch. 14. And he who will read the learned Treatife published in 1714, called Spes Fidelium, will be convinced, that the Primitive Chriftians believed all thefe Doctrines.

3. The laft Cause of the Obfcurity of the Prophecies, are the Figurative Expreffions, common to all the Old Prophets, and Eaftern Nations: But, thefe may be eafily apprehended, by the frequent Reading, and by comparing them with the Hiftory of the Jews: And when the Hiftory is compared juft ly with the Symbols, the Prophecy is truly interpreted; and then the Perfons concerned in the Prophecy, and the time of

their Actions, and the Obfcurity of the Sense may cafily bể underftocd.

Prophecies are of mot ufe when fulfilled: For then they demonftrate to Mankind, that God directed fuch Events, and approves of the Moral Precepts delivered with the Prophecy, and that he punishes Difobedience to his Laws, or rewards the Obfervance of them in this Life or the Millennium.

The Subject Hiftory of the Prophetic Symbols was not underftood, and makes all Translations from the Original Language imperfect: But thofe Old Prophecies which are fulfilled, ma beft be interpreted by comparing their Symbols with the old Hiftory collected by Dr. Prideaux, and Bishop Lloyd's Index to the Hiftory of the Bible, and those which are yet to come, with the Prophecies in the Revelations, which are more plain and fully defcrib'd, than in the Old Prophets Writings: And then by comparing the Old and New Teftament- Prophecies together, they will explain one another. They all agree, being dictated and infpir'd by the fame Holy Spirit; and they all reprefent fome great Events in the Four Monarchies defcribed in Daniel: For no Prophecy is of any private Interpretation; that is, they relate to the Hiftories of the Four Monarchies, to the Rife and Fall of Cities and great Kingdoms, as well as the profperous or calamitous State of the Judaic or Chriftian Churches.

All Interpreters muft diftinguish the Prophecies concerning our Saviour, which the Apoftles quote and interpret. Some are reprefented by the Actions of the Prophet, or the Hiftory' of the Jews; others are declared in proper Words; and the Old Jews agreed with the Apoftles in this Opinion, that fuch Texts related to the Meffiah. As we muft avoid the Opinion of the Modern Jews, that all the Prophecies have only an Hiftorical Senfe; fo we must reject the Practice of fome pious Chriftians, who turn every Prophecy into an Allegory. None could ever find out the myftical Senfe of a Hiftory, if the A poftles had not explain'd it fo.

Ifaiah and his Children are given as Figures to reprefent the Birth of the Meffiah of a Virgin ; and Joshua as a Prieft and King, reprefented Chrift. But there are many plain Prophecies of our Saviour. In Deuteronomy he is called a Pro phet; in Daniel, Chrift the Governour; in Zachary he is crucia

fied;

fied; in Micah, born in Bethlehem; in Genesis, the Expectation of the Gentiles, the Seed of the Woman, and promifed to Abraham to be a Bleffing to all Nations. Abaz expected the Deftruction of the Line of David in Jerufalem by the Syrians and Samaritans; but Isaiah tells him that the Meffiah muft be born of a Virgin; and that not then having happened, the Scepter could not yet depart from Judah, according to Jacob's Prophecies; and for that reafon the Birth of Chrift by a Virgin, is given as a Sign that David's Line fhould not be then cut off.

THE