learned commentaries upon the four evangelists d. Yet some question there may be, whether he did all this, which was so well and wisely attempted by him, 607 so well and so judiciously as might in reason have been expected from him. 2. The scripture (saith he) so far (as I could hitherto observe) is said to be fulfilled four manner of ways: first, when that very thing is done or comes to pass which was meant by the prophet, or other sacred writers, in the literal and proper sense; as when St. Matthew (to use his instance) saith, chap. i. 22, that which was spoken by the prophet, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, was fulfilled in the blessed Virgin. The rule is true, and without exception, d Dicitur autem prophetia, quantum equidem observare potui, quatuor modis impleri. Primum, quum id ipsum fit, de quo proprie, et literali, ut dicitur, sensu intelligebatur, sicut cap. i. 22. Matthæus dixit impletam in Maria Isaiæ prophetiam fuisse; Ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet filium. Secundo, cum fit non id de quo proprie intelligebatur prophetia, sed id quod per illud significabatur, ut 2 Sam. vii. 14, Ego ero illi in patrem, et ille erit mihi in filium, quod proprie de Solomone dictum esse perspicuum est. Divus tamen Paulus de Christo, cujus Solomon figura erat interpretatur, Hebræ i. 6. quasi in eo impletum esset, et quod Exod. xii. 46. dictum est: Os non comminuetis ex eo, certum est intelligi de agno, tamen Joan. cap. xix. 36. in Christo, qui per agnum significabatur, impletum dicit. Tertio, cum nec id sit de quo proprie intelligitur prophetia, nec id quod per illud significa tur, sed quod illi simile est, et but the illustration of it is not so fit as Maldonate supposed for that saying of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled more ways than one, perhaps according to all the four several ways which he conceived, in the conception, birth, and name of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Secondly, the scripture is said to be fulfilled, when that comes to pass which was foreshadowed by the proper and immediate subject of the prophet's speech: as that saying, Exod. xii. 46, Ye shall not break a bone of it, was properly and immediately meant of the paschal lamb, yet fulfilled in our Saviour Christ, of whom the paschal lamb was the type or shadow. Unto this second rule or branch he likewise refers that prophecy, 2 Sam. vii. 14, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. This was fulfilled in Christ, as the apostle teacheth, Heb. i. 5, though properly meant of Solomon, as Maldonate takes it for granted; although some judicious commentators of the Roman church in his time do question, or rather peremptorily (yet too boldly) deny it. However, this second rule of Maldonate is good, and acknowledged by all; only his expression of the two instances needs some correction: for the first place alleged by him was as literally and as properly meant of Christ as of the paschal lamb; and the second more properly meant of Christ than of Solomon, though literally and properly meant of Solomon, and fulfilled in him. The truth is, that both places were two ways fulfilled, both in the literal and mystical sense, and the second twice fulfilled, once in the literal, and again both in the literal and mystical sense. 3. "Thirdly," (saith the same author,) "the scripture is said to be fulfilled, when neither that which was literally and properly pointed at by the prophet, nor that which was foreshadowed by it, comes to pass, but some other thing which is so like unto it, that the same speech may as aptly and as handsomely be applied unto it, as unto that which was properly and literally meant." For illustration of this third rule he allegeth that of the prophet Isaiah, chap. xxix. 13, 14: Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. This (saith Maldonate) was properly meant of the Jews which lived in Isaiah's time; and yet our Saviour, Matt. xv. 7, 8, gives us to understand that this was fulfilled of the Jews which conversed and disputed with him: Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Unto this third rule or observation, Maldonate would draw that other saying of the prophet Isaiah, chap. vi. 10: Make the heart 608 of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Yet this prophecy, as our Saviour expressly tells us, Matth. xiii. 14, was fulfilled in the Jews, to whom he spake, ore tenus, in parables and so doth St. Paul, Acts xxviii. 26, where he expounds the orthodoxal meaning both of our Saviour's and the prophet's words. The truth of this third rule will come in some question in the next chapter; but admitting it for the present to be orthodoxal and true, yet the instances or illustrations are impertinent. For all the passages alleged by him were more literally and more properly meant of the incredulous Jews which conversed with our Saviour, than of those Jews which were the prophet Isaiah's coevals; as the understanding reader will easily collect from John xii. 41. being compared with the forecited vith of Isaiah. The fourth way by which (in Maldonate's observation) the scripture is said to be fulfilled, is, when that which was foretold or prefigured, though already done in part, or begun to be done, is afterwards more constantly and more fully done. The observation or rule is not a rule or branch distinct from the two first, but rather a transcendent to all the ways according to which the scriptures may be rightly said to be fulfilled. is unquestionably true, but it 4. And these ways can be neither more nor fewer than are the ways by which God did either foretell or prefigure things to come, and to be accomplished in Christ. Some predictions were merely prophetical, some prefigurations were merely typical, other merely literal or characterical; and unto these and their commixtures all the testimonies or prenotions concerning evangelical mysteries have been reduced. Now according to all these ways the scripture is said to be fulfilled: Where the testimony is merely prophetical, that is, such as is literally appliable to Christ alone, the scripture is said to be fulfilled only in the literal sense. When the testimony or prenotion is only typical, as when the representation is made by matter of fact or historical event, in this case the scripture is fulfilled only according to the mystical sense; and after this manner most of the legal ceremonies are said to be fulfilled in Christ. The history of the brazen serpent was mystically fulfilled in his death upon the cross: the story of Jonah's imprisonment in the whale's belly was thus fulfilled in his burial and three days' abode in his grave: the ceremony or rite of offering the firstfruits was thus fulfilled in his resurrection. Where the testimony and prenotion is both typical and prophetical, as is that of the paschal lamb, and of the stone which the builders refused, there the scripture is fulfilled both according to the literal and the mystical sense, whether the words as they are referred to Christ be logical and proper, or whether they be allegorical or symbolical; yet can we not say that these scriptures were fulfilled as well in the type as in Christ, but in Christ alone for neither of these passages, Ye shall not break a bone of it-The stone which the builders refused-were prophetical in respect of the type, but only in respect of the mysteries typified; and no scripture is said to be fulfilled otherwise than as it is either a prediction or prefiguration of somewhat to But where the testimony is prophetically typical, there one and the same scripture is twice fulfilled, both in the type and in the antitype, as that, 2 Sam. vii., I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a 609 son, was fulfilled in Solomon in the literal sense, but in Christ both according to the literal and mystical sense. So was that forecited passage, Isaiah xxii., fulfilled in Eliakim according to the literal sense, but afterwards fulfilled in Christ both according to the literally symbolical and the mystical sense. And thus the names given to John Baptist himself, and to his parents, had their accomplishment when Christ was exhibited in our flesh and yet these, and many other of the same rank, were more exactly fulfilled after his resurrection. come. Maldonate's fourth rule (as was before intimated) will hold in all these several ways, according to which the JACKSON, VOL. VII. G |