Haggai, 2:1-9 considered. The second, and nct a third temple. Messiah meant by the Desire of all nations. Mal. 3:1, considered. Messiah meant by Jehovah and Messenger. Shall come to his temple. Daniel, 9:24-27 considered. Dr. P. Smith's transla- tion. The occasion of this prophecy. LETTER III.-Subject continued, Seventy weeks, or 490 years. Their com to take place. Messiah spoken of. Proved from the title given. Mr. Faber. Story about the river Sambalion. Refutation of this story. The sceptre was not to depart for ever. That Shiloh meant a City. . Predictions fulfilled in Jesus. That there has been such a person as Jesus. Why called Jesus of Nazareth. Charge against the Evangelist Matthew refuted. LETTER II.- Jesus came at the time predicted, The true Shiloh. Born before the tribe of Judah ceased. The gathering of the people. Inference. Prophecy of Haggai and build the temple. LETTER III.-Nativity of the Messiah, The subject mysterious. Union of the two natures necessary. Dr. Priestly's assertion refuted. Believed under the Old Testa- and Luke considered. Oxlee's letter on the subject. The ge- nealogy of Mary. Objection against the miraculous concep- tion. The reality proved. The mystery no reasonable objec- tion. LETTER V.-Circumstances connected with the birth of Christ The place of his birth. 'Divine worship from angels ance of a star. Children slain. Preservation of the Messiah. LETTER VI.-Character of the Messiah, Isa. 11:2-5. Zech. 9:9. Applied to the Messiah by the Rabbins. Fulfilled in Jesus. Bishop Newcomb. LETTER VII.-Messiah's credentials, Various. Unction. Typified and predicted. To be anointed with the Holy Ghost. Declarations from heaven. Testimony of lamities which would follow. His mode and design of baptism. LETTER VIII.—Messiah's miracles, Messiah was to perform miracles. Proved from Scripture. From our nation. Jesus Christ wrought miracles. Not by Beelze- bub. Not by the Shem Hamphoresh. Design of his miracles to prove his Divinity: To prove his mission. This justifies our belief in him as the Messiah. Comparison between the mira- cles of Moses and Christ. Greatness. Number. Variety. Manner. Utility. Publicity. Giving power to others to work Messiah was to be a Prophet.' Proved from Scripture. From the expectation of the people. From the Rabbins. Messiah a Pro- the office. Different periods. LETTER X.—The Priestly office, Importance. Origin. Typified and predicted. Ps. 110 consi- dered. Its matter. Penman. Relates to the Messiah. Opin ion of S. M. refuted. Different parts of the Priestly office. An- tiquity of sacrifices. Quotation from Dr. Owen. From Witrius. LETTER XI.-Origin of sacrifices, Authority for sacrifices. Not a human invention. Not the effect of the light of nature. Not as gifts. Not federal rites. But a Distinction of clean and unclean animals. Magee. LETTER XII.--Design of sacrifices, 322 Taught the nature of death. The death of the Messiah. To seal the promise to Adam. Quotation from Dr. Owen. Dr. Ran- : Proved from Scripture. From the laying on of hands. From rites. Dr. Belsham. Woodwards. Allen. LETTER XIII.–Vicarious sufferings and death of Messiah, 339 His sufferings vicarious. Ps. 22 considered. Isa. 52, 53 relate to the Messiah. Proved. Recapitulation. Not applicable to king Josiah. Nor Jeremiah. Nor to Messiah ben Joseph. Nor to the sufferings of our nation. Dr. Montalto's tract on this evident that his sufferings are vicarious. LETTER XIV.--Jesus a Priest and Sacrifice, Jesus answers all that was excellent in Aaron. His person. His descent and qualifications. Taken from among men. Called to the office. Superiority of his call. His garments. Conse- cration. Office of the High Priest. His sacrifice had respect to God. Its nature. He offered both body and soul. The altar was his Divine nature. LETTER XV.-The sacrifice of Jesus vicarious, : 361 The design of his sacrifice. Not merely to confirm his doctrine. But in our stead and room. If Christ' did not die in our stead, then he is not the Messiah. The Scriptures plainly teach it. The persons for whom Christ died. Quotation from Dr. Bogue. LETTER XVI.-The effects of Christ's death, 369 jamin on the subject. David Levi's criticism refuted in a note. 382 friends. Betrayed by Judas. To be forsaken by all his disci. time of his death. The place. LETTER XVIII.—Messiah's Buria!, . 392 Numbered with transgressors. Cast lot about his vesture. His behavior under his sufferings. Intercession for transgresscrs. Gall and vinegar. No bone broken. His side pierced. Buried by a rich man, but his grave surrounded by wicked soldiers. Conclusion of Vol. I. Contents of Vol. II. PART I. THE NECESSITY OF A MEDIATOR. Letter I. INTRODUCTION. My dearly beloved Brother Benjamin, $ 1. How greatly did my heart rejoice, when, after the lapse of so many years of separation and silence, I was favored with your affectionate letter. My feelings, on perusing it, cannot be expressed. Like my namesake, Joseph of old, I fell, in imagination, "upon my dear Benjamin's neck, and wept” tears of joy; Gen. 45:14. I thank my God, who hath preserved your life, removed your prejudices, and inclined your heart to inquire after the truth. § 2. You express a great desire to know "the reasons for my believing the Christian religion.” After mature deliberation, and much prayer to God, and relying on the aid of the Ruach Hakkodesh, Holy Spirit, I have resolved to comply with your request. But be assured that no other consideration but to gratify you, and the hope that it may please God to make it a blessing to your precious soul, would have led me to undertake this work. For, although I can adopt the language and sentiment of one of our brethren of the tribe of Benjamin, that " I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek;" Rom. 1. 16; and though I am commanded by one of the inspired apostles of my blessed Savior, "to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh for a reason of my hope;" and although I have studied these subjects for many years, and preached on them often yet, such is the conviction of my imperfections in style, composition, &c. that diffidence would have led me to withhold them still from appearing in print, as I have done on former occasions, as you will perceive by the following extract from the fourth Report of the London Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, page 3. • The lectures to the Jews, by Mr. Frey, which form so important and prominent a feature in the operations of the Society, have been continued at the Jews' Chapel, and of them it is not saying too much, to observe, that subjects have been so judiciously chosen, and so admirably treated by him, especially in the elucidation and application of the doctrines and discipline of the Jews, in exposing the fallacious reasoning of the Hebrew doctors, and in enforcing the grand truths of Christianity, that these discourses will long be remembered with delight and satisfaction by those who have heard them. Your Committee regret that Mr. Frey's diffidence has led him (perhaps somewhat too pertinaciously) to resist their repeated applications to prepare several of these lectures for the press.” Similar applications have been made by friends in this country, as well as in England. § 3. The subject on which you solicit information, is, of all others, the most interesting. It is that by which God has distinguished mankind from, and elevated them above, all other creatures in our world, endowing them with rational and moral faculties capable of religious notions and sentiments. Nor can it be supposed that God, who instructed our first parents in the useful knowledge they possessed, would neglect to communicate to them the knowledge of religion. Hence, notwithstanding the many changes and corruptions which have been introduced, with respect to the nature of religion, still, the necessity and importance of it are acknowledged by all nations. We find no human society who have not their religious opinions and sentiments; and some of the most uncivilized and barbarous nations are often the most zealous and con |