be born. For the prophecies do declare, and our nation believe, that the Messiah shall be born of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Judah, and of the house and family of David. To ascertain all this, it is necessary that, at the time of his birth, there should yet subsist the distinction of tribe and family so clear as not to admit of so much as a suspicion or shadow of mistake or imposture; for which purpose, not only tribes, but even the genealogies of every tribe and family, should appear upon register. So that, were the MesIsiah now to be born, where are these, undoubted genuine registers, to prove his pedigree and the fulfilling of the prophecies, since those necessary records have been long since lost and extinct? From hence, then, it is most evident that the Messiah is already come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth his name be blessed for ever. Amen. § 6. The prophecies of Haggai and Malachi next invite our attention. In these predictions we have shown that the period of the Messiah's appearance was stated, and several .circumstances peculiar to his advent. In Jesus Christ they have received their complete fulfillment. He was born whilst the second temple was yet standing, and visited it frequently. At the age of twelve he was found there, sitting and disputing with the doctors, to their great astonishment. In this temple he wrought many miracles, and taught the people; and here he was acknowledged as the Messiah, the children crying Hosannah to the Son of David. As the glory of God was the glory of Solomon's temple, and as that glory was but a shadow of better things to come, Jesus, who was the substance of those shadows, made the second temple more glorious than the former. It deserves our notice, that, a little before the appearance of Christ there was a great "shaking" in the political world, which was followed by a universal peace; and his death shook" the ecclesiastical world to its very foundation. Heb. 12: 26, 27. And this may well be said to be "but a little" more, when compared with the first promise of a Messiah. Yarchi and Eben Ezra 66 understand by the shaking of the heavens, &c. wonders and miracles. And of the miracles of Jesus it is witnessed that such things had never been seen in Israel. § 7. But, as the second temple is again mentioned in the prophecy of Daniel, as a characteristic of the coming of Messiah, I shall proceed to show that that prediction also has been fully accomplished in Jesus Christ. This will clearly appear, if we consider what is said concerning the Messiah, and the Prince that should come after him. 1. He is to 8. First with respect to the Messiah. be anointed. "To anoint the Most Holy." This well agrees with Jesus Christ, who was typified both by the High Priest and the Temple, and was to be anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Our blessed Jesus was perfectly holy, both in nature and life; and being anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power, he went about doing good, and healing all manner of diseases, preaching the Gospel to the meek, expiating the sins of his people, and now reigns as God's anointed King, upon his holy hill of Zion. Hence he is called Meshiach, in Hebrew, and Christ, in Greek; for both signify anointed, not with material oil, but with the Holy Ghost, without measure. 2. The Messiah is to be cut off." Thus Jesus was tried, condemned, and adjudged to death, in a judicial way, by men, as well as made a curse by God. But, lest it should be thought that he was cut off for any iniquity that was found in him, it is added, "not for himself." Comp. Isa. 53: 5, &c. And that Jesus Christ was innocent, will be shown in the description of his character. 3. The effects of the death of the Messiah are such as are ascribed to the death of Jesus, and realized by all them that believe. Jesus Christ, by his doctrine, by his Spirit, by his grace, and by the power of his Gospel, "restrained," and set bounds to the rage of wickedness, rooted out the old idolatry of the world, and turned unnumbered millions of our race unto righteousness. By his death he atoned for our sins, reconciled us unto God, and brought in an everlasting righteousness. 9. Secondly. As it respects the Prince. We might first inquire who is meant by this title? Some suppose that it is the Messiah himself, who is to confirm the covenant of grace by his doctrines and miracles, by his death and resurrection, by the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, as the seals of the New Testament. This covenant he confirmed with, or to many, to Gentiles and Jews; and that by offering up himself a sacrifice once, for all, he put an end to all the Levitical sacrifices. Others think that by the Nagid, the prince, a leader or general, with a mighty army, is to be understood. I am inclined to adopt the latter opinion. The word Havba, "that shall come," is not in construction with Am, "the people," but with Nagid, "the prince or leader." The Jewish writers understand by it, Titus Vespasian, the Roman general, with his army. Yarchi and Aben Ezra in loco. Abarbinel and Jacchiades, in Wagenseil. Mantissa De lxx. Hebdom p. 92, 93. History informs us; (see the very learned and judicious work of Mr. Marshall on Chronology, p. 271,) that, just before Jerusalem was besieged, peace was established, or, as it is here expressed, the covenant was confirmed, which continued a few years, "a week," or seven years. In the midst of that period the sacrifices and oblations ceased. (See Josephus De Bel. Jud. Lib. 6, c. 2.) Great desolation followed, or, as the original may be rendered, upon the wings or battlement, (i. c. of the temple,) shall be the abominations of the desolator. By this is meant the ensigns of the Roman army, which had the images of their gods and emperors upon them, which they set up in the holy place and sacrificed unto. Nothing could be a greater abomination to our peo ple; and thus the city and sanctuary were to continue in their ruin and desolation until the consummation of God's vel geance, determined by him, should be fully poured out upon the desolate people of our nation; which has been poured out, and continues to this very day. Now, all this was to come to pass during the last of the seventy weeks. It might naturally have been expected that this last week, or seven years, would have commenced at the death of Christ, at the end of the 69 weeks, or 483 years; but no such events took place until 30 years after. The reason why these judg ments were deferred, may be, to display the goodness, patience and long-suffering of God towards our nation, as he did to the old world, when he gave them 120 years' time for repentance, before he brought the flood. 10. The late pious and venerable Dr. Scott, who truly and sincerely loved our nation, closes his exposition of this prediction in the following manner: It is undeniable that Daniel foretold that the Messiah would come within less than five hundred years from a decree granted for rebuilding Jerusalem; he showed that he would be put to death by a legal sentence, (for so the word implies,) and he ex pressly predicted that, in consequence, Jerusalem and the temple would be desolated, and the nation of the Jews exposed to tremendous punishments, of which no termination is mentioned. Within that time Jesus of Nazareth appeared: he answered in every respect to the description given of him by all the prophets: he was put to death as a deceiver; yet vast multitudes became his disciples, and Christianity gained a permanent establishment. After a time, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed; and the state of the Jews, tó this day, is a striking comment on the prediction. How can it then be denied that Daniel spake by divine inspiration? or that Jesus is the promised Messiah? Both these im portant points might be fully demonstrated by this one pro phecy, even if it stood single: how much more, when it is only one star, so to speak, in a resplendent constellation; or one among a vast number of predictions, all of which combine with united evidence to demonstrate the same grand truths." 1. Now, my dear brother, I have, at considerable length, shown that the Messiah must have come long since, for the tribe of Judah is no longer known by genealogies as a distinct tribe; the sacrifice and oblations have long since ceased, and our holy city and temple have been destroyed; and in spite of the repeated attempts of our people to rebuild the temple, they have continued, (as it was foretold, Hosea, * * It is a remarkable fact, though not generally known, that our people have several times attempted to rebuild the temple, in the reign of Adrian, of Constantine, and of Julian, but have been prevented. The following account of their last attempt deserves peculiar notice. "Ammianus Marcellinus was a heathen writer, and contemporary and intimate with Julian; and his account is as follows:-Julian, who had been already thrice consul, taking for his colleague Sallust, prefect of the Gauls, entered, for the fourth time, on that high office; and although he was not without a solicitous concern for futurity, considering the various events which this year was likely to produce, he carried on his preparations for the war with the utmost diligence; and still enlarging his views, and being desirous to perpetuate the memory of his reign by some great works, he resolved to rebuild, at a vast expense, the magnificent temple at Jerusalem, which, after a long and obstinate siege, begun by Vespasian, and carried on by Titus, had been, with great difficulty, taken and destroyed. The conduct of this affair was committed by him to Alypius of Antioch, who formerly had been lieutenant in Britain, with orders to forward it as much as possible. When, therefore, Alypius had set himself to the work, with the greatest resolution, and was also assisted by the governor of the province, frightful balls of fire (metuendi globi flammarum) broke out near the foundation. And those eruptions being repeated, they rendered the place inaccessible to the workmen, who were scorched and burnt several times before they left off. But the element continuing to repel them, the enterprise was laid aside." Lib. 23, c. 1. This account is corroborated by our Rabbins, David Gantz and Gedalia. Speaking of Julian, he saith: "This emperor commanded to rebuild the temple with glory and magnificence, and he gave to this aid of his own money. But it was prevented from heaven, that this work was not finished; for the emperor was killed in the Persian war. Zemach David, page 20. And in Shalsheleth Hackabula, p. 102, we read: "In the days of Rabbi Chanan and his colleagues, which was about 4349, A. M. the chronicles tell us that there was a great earthquake all over the world, and the great temple which the Jews had built at Jerusalem, by order of Julian the |