THE

CONTENTS

OF THE

FIRST VOLUME.

INTRODUCTION.

p. 1-4.

Prophecies one of the ftrongeft proofs of revelation; p. 1.

A hiftory of prophecy defired by Lord Bacon: p. 1.

The confequence plain from the believing of prophecies

to the believing of revelation; p. 2. The objection that

the prophecies were written after the events, groundless,

and betrays great ignorance, or fomething worfe; p. 2.

The truth of prophecy may be proved by inftances of

things fulfilling at this very time; p. 3. The evidence

drawn from prophecy, a growing evidence; p. 3.

Miracles the great proofs of Revelation to the first ages,

Prophecies to the laft; p. 4. The neceffity to which

infidels are reduced, either to renounce their fenfes, or

to admit the truth of revelation; p. 4. Moft of the

principal prophecies of fcripture will be comprehended

in this work, as well as feveral of the moft material

tranfactions in hiftory; p. 4.

DISSERTATION L

NOAH'S PROPHECY.

pl 5-21.

Very few prophecies till Noah; p. 5. Noah's drunken-

nefs, and the behaviour of his fons thereupon; p. 6.

In confequence of their different behaviour he was

enabled to foretel the different fortunes of their fami-

lies; p. 7. The prophecy; p. 7.
Not to be under-

ftood of particular perfons, but of whole nations; p. 8.

The curfe upon Canaan, a curfe upon the Canaanites

for their wickedness; p. 8, The wickedness of the

Canaanites very great; p. 9. The curfe particularly

implies the fubjection of the defcendents of Canaan to

the defcendents of Shem and Japheth; p. 10, 11.

The completion of this fhown from the time of Jofhua

to this day; p. 11. A different reading propofed of

Ham the father of Canaan inftead of Canaan; p. 12,

13. The curfe in this larger fenfe alfo fhown to be

fulfilled from the earliest times to the prefent; p: 13,

14. The promise to Shem of the Lord being his God,

how fulfilled; p. 14. The promife of inlargement to

Japheth, an allufion to his name; p. 15. How ful-

filled both in former and later times; p. 16. The

following claufe, and he fhall dwell in the tents of

Shem, capable of two fenfes, and in both punctually

fulfilled; p. 16, 17. Conclufion; p. 17. A miftake

of Mr. Mede corrected; p. 18. Lord Bolingbroke

cenfured for his indecent reflections on this prophecy ;

p. 18, 19. His ignorance about the Codex Alexan-

drinus; p. 19. His blunder about the Roman hifto-

rians; p. 19. His fneer about believers refuted; p. 20.

Condemned by himfelf; p. 20. Had great talents,

but mifapplied them; p. 21.

DISSERTATION II.

THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING ISHMAEL.

p. 21-37.

Abraham favored with feveral revelations; p. 21. Thofe

concerning Ishmael or the Ifhmaelites; p. 22. The

promife of a numerous pofterity, how fulfilled; p. 22.

The promife of twelve princes, how fulfilled; p. 23.

The promife of a great nation, how fulfilled; p. 23.

The faying that he fhould be a wild man, how ful-

filled; p. 24. The faying that his hand fhould be

againft every man, and every man's hand againft him,

how fulfilled; p. 25. The faying that he thould

dwell in the prefence of all his brethren, how fulfilled;

p. 26. The Ifmaelites or Arabians have from first to

laft maintained their independency; p. 27. Against

the Egyptians and Affyrians; p. 27. Against the

Perfians; p. 27. Against Alexander and his fuccef-

fors; p. 28, 29. Against the Romans; p. 29, 30.

Their ftate under Mohammed, and fince his time, and

now under the Turks; p. 31, 32. Dr. Shaw's account

of them; p. 32. Bp. Pococke's; p. 33. And Mr.

Hanway's; p. 33. Conclufion; p. 34.
Wonderful

that they fhould retain the fame manners for fo many

ages; p. 35. More wonderful, that they fhould ftill

remain a free people; p. 35, 36. The Jews and Arabs

in fome refpects refemble each other; p. 36, 37.

DISSERTATION III.

THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING JACOB AND ESAU.

p. 37-49.

More prophecies concerning the pofterity of Ifaac than

of Iihmael; p. 37. The promife of the bleffed feed,

how fulfilled; p. 37, 38. The promise of the land

of Canaan, how fulfilled; p. 38. The promife of a

numerous

numerous pofterity, how fulfilled; p. 38, 39. The

promifes concerning Efau and Jacob; p. 39. Not

verified in themselves, but in their pofterity; p. 40.

Comprehend feveral particulars; p. 40. I. The fa-

milies of Efau and Jacob two different people and na-

tions; p. 41, 42. II. The family of the elder fubject

to that of the younger; p. 42, 43. III. In fituation

and other temporal advantages much alike; p. 43-

45. IV. The elder branch delighted more in war and

violence, but fubdued by the younger; p. 45, 46. V.

The elder at one time fhook off the dominion of the

younger; p. 46, 47. VI. In all fpiritual gifts and

graces the younger fuperior, and the happy inftrument

of conveying the bleffing to all nations; p. 47, 48.

Conclufion; p. 48. The prophecies fulfilled in the

utter deftruction of the Edomites; p. 49.

DISSERTATION IV.

JACOB'S PROPHECIES CONCERNING HIS SONS,

PARTICULARLY JUDAH.

p. 49-66.

Jacob

An opinion of great antiquity, that the foul near death

grew prophetic; p. 49, 50. Jacob upon his death-

bed foretold his fons what fhould befall them in the

laft days, the meaning of that phrase; p. 51.

bequeaths the temporal bleffing to all his fons, the

fpiritual to Judah; p. 52. The prophecies concern-

ing feveral tribes, how fulfilled; p. 52, 53. The

temporal bleffing, how fulfilled to Judah; p. 53, 54.

The fpiritual bleffing; p. 54. I. An explanation of

the words and meaning of the prophecy; p. 55-60.

The fcepter fhall not depart from Judah, explained;

p. 55.
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, ex-

plained; p. 56, 57. Shiloh in all the various fenfes

of the word fhown to be the Meffiah; p. 57, 58. Le

Clerc's fingular interpretation; p. 58, 59. Jews as

well as Chriftians have by Shiloh generally understood

the Meffiah; p. 59. And unto him fhall the gather-

ing of the people be, capable of three different con-

ftructions; p. 59, 60... II. The completion of the

prophecy; p. 60-66. Judah hereby conftituted a

tribe or body politic, and fo continued till the coming

of the Meffiah and the deftruction of Jerufalem:

p. 60-62. The latter claufe fulfilled in the firft fenfe,

and the people gathered to Judah; p. 62, 63. Ful-

filled in the fecond fenfe, and the people gathered to

the Meffiah; p. 64. Fulfilled in the laft fenfe, and

the people gathered to the Meffiah before the fcepter's

departure; p. 64, 65. The prophecy with regard to

Benjamin fulfilled; p. 65. Conclufion that Jefus is

the Meffiah; p. 65, 66,

DISSERTATION V.

BALAAM'S PROPHECIES.

p. 66-90.

The gift of prophecy not always confined to the chofen

feed, or to good men; p. 66, 67. Balaam both a

heathen and an immoral man; p. 67, 68. A cere-

mony among the heathens to curfe their enemies;

p. 68. The story of Balaam's afs confidered; p. 68-

70. A proper fign to Balaam, and the prophecies

render the miracle more credible; p. 70. The ftile

of his prophecies beautiful; p. 71. His prophecy of

the fingular character of the Jewish nation, how ful-

filled even to this day; p. 71-73. His prophecy of

their victories much the fame as Jacob's and Ifaac's;

p. 73. His prophecy of a king higher than Agag,

how fulfilled; p. 73-75. His preface to his latter

prophecies explained; p. 75, 76. His prophecy of a

ftar and fcepter to finite the princes of Moab, how

fulfilled by David; p. 76. Who meant by the fons

of Sheth; p. 76, 77. His prophecy against the

Edomites, how fulfilled by David; p. 78. This pro-

phecy of the ftar and the fcepter applied by moft

Jewish and Christian writers to the Messiah; p. 79, 80.

But