introductory to the prophecy which commences at verfe 5; and therefore when he cites the 1. verfe, "Out of Egypt have I called my fon," as being fulfilled in Christ's return from Egypt to Judea, it is evident that he could have cited it only in the way of accommodation. Nevertheless, passages of Scripture thus applied, even in accommodation, had their force with the Jews; and we find that they attempted to alter this very text in Hofea, in the lxx, in order to destroy the force of St. Matthew's application of it to the cafe of Chrift. For in St. Jerom's time the paffage had been entirely expunged from many copies of the lxx. and in others it had been changed into εξ Αιγυπτε μετεκάλεσα τα SEZIα CUTS. The remains of this Jewish corruption may still be traced in the Chaldee paraphrase, which though it acknowledges to be the true reading, yet ufes the explanation as filios eos. When any paffage of Scripture therefore is applied in the New Teftament, it does not immediately follow that the paffage fo cited is to be confidered as actually prophetical; nay not, even when introduced by the phrafe να πληρωθη : for it appears that this phrafe was used with confiderable latitude, differently on different occafions. Rofenmüller adopts the diftinction of Goffet, that it was used in four different fenfes: Primum, quum id fit ad literam, quod propheta aliquis prædixit effe futurum; deinde quum id fit, non de quo Scriptura loquitur

in fenfu literali, fed id quod præter illud fuit fignificatum: tum quum nec id fit, de quo Scriptura loquitur, nec aliquid aliud, quod per id fignificatum fuerit, fed quod illi eft fimile; denique quum nec id quod fcriptum eft, factum quidem fuerat antea, fed magis magifque fit in pofterum. Duobus modis pofterioribus hanc phrafin a Matthæo plerumque ufurpari hoc nullo modo negari poteft ab eo, qui contulerit Cap. ii. 15. 17. 23. Non igitur reperio idoneam caufam cur Matthæus in citando Ifaiæ loco vii., 14. aliam notionem phraseos iva λngwon in animo habuiffe cenfendus eft. Hunc hujus phra

feos ufum alia etiam Novi Teftamenti loca comprobant, e. c. Matth. xv. 7. Luc. iv. 21. Jac. xi. 23. Nam oracula in his locis citata alio tempore impleta fuiffe manifeftum eft; iterum vero per tranflationem impleta dicuntur, quum rei alibi narratæ fimilis alia contigit. Hunc morem alii etiam fcriptores imitati funt, veluti quum Angelus S. Ephremo: cave, inquit, ne in te impleatur, quod fcriptum eft, Ephraim ut vitula &c. Ofe. x. II. (ap. Affemannum, Bibl. Orient. T. 1. 1. 36.)

But though the Pfalms may be thus cited by way of accommodation, and therefore their being alluded to in the New Teftament does not prove them to be prophetical; yet there may be other circumstances from which the prophetical character may be distinctly evinced, namely, when the Pfalm, though d

it

may be in a certain limited fenfe, true of David or any other prototype, yet is more distinctly and in a more fublime fenfe accurately true of Christ. Of this clafs I reckon Pfalms ii. xvi. and cx. In fuch cafes the double fense of prophecy must be admitted, or that application confidered as the true one, which holds without any exception or limitation; on either fuppofition these three Pfalms will be found to be truly prophetical of Chrift. But befides thefe, there are difperfed through various parts of the book of Pfalms predictions of the kingdom of Christ: namely where the Pfalmift speaks of the promise of God, that there fhould not be wanting a man to fit upon the throne of David for ever.

It might have been expected that I fhould have added to the three Pfalms above mentioned the xxii. and xl.th alfo; but however fome of the circumftances in thefe Pfalms do most surprisingly indeed accord with the incidents of Chrift's life and death, yet there are others which feem unequivocally to fhew, that they cannot be confidered as prophecies of him. Thus in Pfalm xxii. the speaker fays, that he cries night and day unto God for relief, but that he hears him not: whereas on the contrary Christ himfelf, in John xi. 41. fays, "Father I thank thee "that thou haft heard me, and I knew that thou "hearest me always.” 2. He prays fervently to be delivered from his enemies, "be not thou far from

me;

me O Lord, O my strength make hafte to help deliver my foul from the fword, my life "from the power of the dog; fave me from the "lion's mouth." "On the contrary Christ says, Oh!

my father, if be poffible let this cup pafs from "me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt," "Matt. xxvi. 39. And from John xii. 27. it is evident, "that he did not pray for the death that awaited ❝ him. Now is my foul troubled, fays he, and "what shall I say? Father, fave me from this hour: "but for this caufe came I unto this hour.". 3. The speaker is confident of being delivered from his present distress by the affistance of God whereas Chrift on the contrary knew well the certainty of his death.

;

All these circumstances fo ftrong in themselves, and fo diametrically oppofite to the case of Christ, induce me to think, that this Pfalm cannot be confidered as a prophecy of him.

It seems extraordinary that Le Clerc should admit, that the 3d verfe is not applicable to Christ, and yet confider the whole Pfalm as prophetical of him. And at verfe 20, he obferves, "This and great part " of what follows is applicable only to David." Now fince the fame perfon continues the speaker from one end of the Pfalm to the other, it furely follows, that either all must be applicable to him or none.

Neither can the xl. Pfalm in my opinion be confidered as a prophecy of Chrift, however fome paffages may be accommodated to him. For 1. The speaker says, that his enemies may be made defolate as a reward for their shame, whereas Christ, on the contrary, prays for his enemies: "Father for"give them, they know not what they do."— 2. He confeffes that he is guilty of iniquities more numerous than the hairs of his head. On which latter paffage Le Clerc remarks, hæc non nifi coactè de Chrifto dici queant, nec totus Pfalmus ad illum propterea, ut multi faciunt, vi detorquendus est.

From the difficulties which thus appear to attend an enquiry into the prophetical Pfalms, it is clear, that the most probable means of ascertaining the true meaning, is to endeavour to discover the primitive and original fenfe, without mixing or confounding it with that which is fecondary and figurative. More especially as it is vain to urge the fecondary fenfe in controverfy with infidels, as Primate Newcome and Dr. Benfon have obferved. This plan has been already purfued by the learned Mr. Z. Mudge, in his Effay towards a new Verfion of the Pfalms, printed in 1744. His obfervations are numerous and valuable, and his conjectures almost always ingenious; many of which have been fince confirmed by the authority of manufcripts,

: