as it is faid in the Pfal. 1xxii. v. 16."There fhall be a Portion of Corn upon "the Earth. And as the first Rede met

made a Fountain to fpring up, fo fhall "the laft Redeemer, that is the Meffiah, "make Fountains of Water to arife; as it "is said in the last Chapter of Joel, v. 18. "And a Fountain of Water shall come

forth ont of the House of the Lord, and fhall water the Valley of Shittim." Thus far the Tradition. Not that I approve of the Method of Reasoning, for I think it is rather too forced; but I only produce it to fhew the Matter of Fact, that Mofes was efteemed by the most ancient learned Jews as a Type of the Meffiah. And that they understood this Portion of Scripture to be applicable to him.

*

For though it cannot be doubted, but that every Prophet, who is fent from God, hath a Right to require our Attendance and Obedience to the Words which he shall fpeak in the Name of God; yet is it mani feft, that this Defcription here given, of a Prophet that was to be fent unto the Chil

dren

See alfa Dav. Kimeui, in Lib. Shorash, Rad. S

dren of Ifrael from among their Brethren, alludes to fome one particular and extraordinary Prophet, who was to be more like Mofes than any of the reft.

Which Similitude between Mofes and that Prophet, seems to confift in receiving fome new Law from God as Mofes did, Face to Face, and in being empowered to work Miracles, in Confirmation of this Miffion as Mofes was, rather than in those trifling Circumftar.ces which are enumerated by R Ifhac. And in this Opinion we are fupported by the Author of the last Chapter of the Book of Deutronomy, which feems to have been written a good while after the Death of Mofes, where the Author, who ever he was, faith, And there arofe not a Prophet fince in Ifrael like unto Mofes, whom the Lord knew Face to Face; in all the Signs and the Wonders which the Lard fent him to do in the Land of Egypt, to Pharoah, and to all his Servants, and to all his Land; and in all that mighty Hand, and in all the great Terrour which Mofes fbewed in the Sight of all Israel.

And

And accordingly the Jews themselves acknowledge that the Meffiah whenever he cometh, fhall do both of thefe; that is, fhall publish a New Law and work Miracles. That he fhall work Miracles appears from the Targum of Jonathan, on Ifai. liii. 8. Where the Paraphraft speaking of the Meffiah adds in, but the wonderful Works that fhall be done in thofe Days, who fhall be able to tell? as alfo from the Commentary of R. Mofes Hadarfon on Pf. lxxii 9. Where he faith, "R. Natronai asked "what does that mean, We fee not our "Signs, there is no more any Prophet, "neither is there among us any that know"eth how long? To whom R. Aha an"fwered, this is faid of that wicked Gene"ration, who will not believe the Signs or "Miracles which our holy Meffiah fhall "perform; but fhall fay of him, that he "doth thefe Things by the Power of Art "Magick. And that those Miracles which "he fhall perform, are not the Miracles "which were predicted of the Meffiah. "And that, as there is no Prophet to set "the Truth before them, if he doth not

“bring

"bring fome Proof of the Truth of his "Affertions, they will put him to Death. Wherefore the Prophet, (in the following Verfe) cryeth out God how long fball the Adverfary reproach? Shall the Enemy blafpheme thy Name for ever?

And that it was the Opinion of the most ancient Jewish Rabbins that the Messiah whenever he cometh fhall not only be empowered to work Miracles like unto Mofes, but fall alfo teach them a new Law, appears again from the Targum of R. Jonathan on Ifai. xii. 3. Therefore with Joy fhall he dra Water out of the Well of Sarvation. Which Paffage is univerfally acknowledged by the Jews to refer to the Meffiah, and which the Chaldee Paraphraft renders thus, Therefore with Joy shall you receive a NEW DOCTRINE from the Elect of the Sut. And in Midras Tehillim in the Obfervations on Pfal. xxi. 1. where the Pfalmift faith, The King ball rejoice in thy Strength, O Lord, and in thy Salvation how greatly shall be Rejoyce! The Expofitor remarketh, that "This is it which “is written in Isaiah xi. 10. And in that

" Day

"Day there shall be aRoot of Jeffe, which "ball ftand for an Ensign to the People. "Upon which R. Hanna faid, that the "King Meffiah fhould not come but to give new Precepts to the People.

แ

Again in Midras Coheleth, on Chapter ii. 1. I said in my Heart go to go to now, I will prove thee with Joy; therefore enjoy Good, and behold this alfo is Vanity. The Expofitor remarketh, "What Good is "here meant, is it not the Law? Why "then doth not the Preacher fay, behold "this is Joy? What therefore is it that he

means by saying, this alfo is Vanity? To "which R. Hizkita answered; Because "all the Law which is learned in this prc"fent Age is all Vanity in Regard to that "of the Age which is to come. And that the Days of the Meffiah is meant by that Age which is to come appears from the fame Book, on Ecclefiaftes, xi. 8. But if a Man live many Tears, let him rejoice in them all, and yet let him remember the Days of his Darkness. Which is thus paraphrafed. "If a Man live many Years, "let him rejoice in them all, viz. With

"the