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from the books of Mofes, which speak of him as the Angel of God's prefence, who was to be the more immediate revealer of his will to his people. The character of Redeemer from all evil implies, that it is he that would direct his people to the true way of relief from all evil. It was often observed, in chap. 1. above, that in the prophecies there cited, one of the principal characters appropriated to him is, that he would be the great comforter of afflicted penitents, which is the work treated of in this paffage in Job. All the Old-Teftament inftructions concerning the tranfcendent glory of his perfon and offices, thew how justly he may be called one among a thousand.

If it be objected, That though these characters are really applicable to the Meffiah, according to the other prophetic accounts given of him; yet they are general and indefinite, to fuch a degree as to be applicable, either to mere angels, or mere human teachers, of eminent dignity; in answer to this objection, it is proper to observe the following things.

As to mere angels, they are never called interpreters. And though that name might feem applicable to them on account of the external revelations in which they were sometimes employed, it is not conceivable how an angel that should be one among a thoufand should be neceffary for that work, for which any ordinary good angel seems to be abundantly fufficient; whereas, if the words be understood of the Meffiah's internal faving illumination, it is obvious, that this is a work peculiar to himself. Nor is it conceivable how any one mere angel should be in a fingular manner concerned in God's granting deliverance through a ranfom, or through an atonement; for so the Hebrew word fignifies, and so is it oft rendered in the Septuagint; whereas the prophetic description of the Meffiah shews, that it belongs to his peculiar work, both to make

make interceffion, founded on an atonement made by himself, and to give the most effectual and saving instructions concerning it.

The most literal interpretation of Elihu's words will infer a real connection between the interpofition or afsistance of the Messenger he speaks of, and the afflicted finner's relief; which cannot be faid of the good offices of mere men or angels, but is peculiarly applicable to the gracious prefence, and saving illumination, granted by the Meffiah.

Whereas fome of these arguments equally exclude mere angels and human teachers; as to these laft, it is fit to observe, that it is but feldom that the name of angels, or divine messengers, is given them, and = perhaps never in the books of Mofes or Job; and that it is not easily conceivable, how it should be faid, that it is but one among a thousand of them that can give outward inftructions concerning the true way of relief from distress or mifery; befides that it is evident both from the Old and the New Testament, that it is not on the diftinguishing excellency of a human teacher (his being one among a thoufand) that the fuccess of his instructions depends.

If we compare together the two chief parts of Elihu's discourse in this chapter, it will further confirm the explication given of the 24th verse. From

8. to 19. he speaks first of the neceffity of renouncing felf-confidence or pretence to innocence in God's fight; and afterwards of divine revelations, exhibited, in those ancient ages, sometimes by extraordinary ways, as by dreams and visions, for the two great purposes of humbling finners, and of faving them, or of delivering them, first from the felf-confidence and felf-flattery of impenitence, and then from all the mifery that is the fruit of fin. The fecond part of Elihu's discourse, from 19. to the close of the chapter, treats of the fame fubjects more fully and clearly, according to the structure of various other prophetic difcourses, confifting of two parts; the latter of which contains, not a bare

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bare repetition of the former, but a repetition with enlargements and illuftrations *. Comparing the two parts of Elihu's discourse together, an unbiaffed inquirer will find ground to confider what is faid about the incomparable interpreter in the latter part of that difcourse, y 24. as an amplification of what is faid about immediate revelation in the first part, $ 14. 15. 16.; as what is faid about renouncing felfconfidence, and obtaining deliverance, in 9. 10. 11. and ỷ 17. 18. is evidently parallel to what is faid on the fame subjects, y 24.27.28.

These things thew, that, even according to our English tranflation of this paffage, there are confiderable arguments for applying it to the Meffiah: and as it evidently afcribes to the deliverance that it fpeaks of these two properties, viz. its being founded on a ranfon or atonement, and its being in a fingular manner owing to an extraordinary divine meffenger; what can be more fuitable to the rules of interpretation, than to explain fuch a paffage by the prophecies which speak of that Messenger of God's covenant, who was to make atonement for the fins of God's people, and was in all ages, in a peculiar manner, their Redeemer from all evil, and the fource of their chief confolation in all troubles.

But if we follow the other above-mentioned tranflation, which makes the 24th verse run thus, "And is gracious to him, or fupplicates for him, " and fays, Deliver him," this not only admits and fortifies the arguments already adduced, but furnishes a confiderable new argument, that it is the Meffiah that is meant by the incomparable interpreter; feeing he is reprefented, not only as interceding for the finner's deliverance, but as interceding in the right and virtue of a ransom or atonement which himself has found; which last expreffion naturally enough fignifies, that he himself has paid, or

See Dan. vii. & viii.

undertaken

undertaken to pay, that ransom. And whereas fome have pretended, that by the ransom here mentioned is meant the distressed man's trouble, or his repentance; it is certain neither of these can be meant, as neither is called by that name in fcripture, from the beginning to the end of it: and though repentance is so necessary, that none can expect pardon without it, it is both contrary to the humiliation of foul included in repentance, and to the scripture-doctrine concerning it, to confide in it as an atonement for fin.

As both the translations that have been mentioned of this remarkable passage contain arguments for the application of it to the Meffiah, it is not very neceffary to insist much on the question, Which of them should be preferred? but it is proper, as to the tranflation last mentioned, to observe, that it is abundantly literal, because the word or particle which we render then, at the beginning of y 25. is indeed the Hebrew copulative particle and, which at least is more feldom rendered then; and whether the verb rendered is gracious fignify here to fupplicate, or not, while the words, deliver him, &c. are fupposed to be the words of the Messenger or Interpreter, they must express interceffion founded on an atonement or ranfon; befides that these words very naturally express the defire of an interceffor, addreffing God for deliverance; though they must be owned to be alfo capable of expreffing the will of God, commanding or appointing deliver

ance.

If it be objected, That the deliverance here mentioned, is only temporal deliverance; it is fufficient to answer, That it is suitable to the doctrine, both ⚫ of the Old and New Testament, concerning the Meffiah's atonement, to ascribe to it deliverance from the demerit of fin, both here and hereafter; that the fullest discoveries of a future state were, for wife ends, referved till the coming of the Meffiah;

Nn

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fiah; and that the deliverance mentioned cannot be restricted to mere bodily deliverance, if we consider, not only the expressions, y 18. 24. 28. 30. four times repeated in this chapter, (deliverance from the pit), and what is faid about the deftroyers, * 22.; but also the comprehensive expressions in

26. about the mercy and favour of God, which the Old Testament itself so oft affirms to be everlafting, and confequently to extend to a future state.

IX. Whereas the prediction in Deut. xviii. 15. &c. concerning God's raising a prophet like Mofes, is applied in the New Teftament to the Meffiah, the chief objections against this interpretation are, That the characters in that prediction are too general and indefinite; that the prediction seems applicable to the fucceffion of Ifraelitish prophets; and that this appears most suitable to the foregoing context, forbidding the Ifraelites to confult diviners, and other fuch false pretenders to prescience.

In answer to these objections, it is proper to observe, that as to the foregoing context, it is not needful to confider this prediction as having any particular connection with it; that no objection can be drawn from the context against the gospel-explication of this prediction, but what may be applied to the opposite explication; and that if the promife of a fucceffion of infpired prophets contained strong motives against the impiety forbidden in the context, the promise of the Meffiah contained no lefs strong motives against the fame impiety.

1. Seeing this prediction speaks so plainly and exprefsly, in the fingular number, of one individual perfon, it is contrary to the best rules of interpretation, to depart from the literal sense, without any manner of neceffity, and to suppose, that the prediction is meant of many prophets, when it speaks fo expressly of ane prophet, repeating the perfonal pronoun so oft in the fingular number;

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