called the angel of the covenant? For, seeing to evangelize, in the Greek, signifies to declare as a messenger, our Lord, who delivers his message to us, is called the angel." He also more clearly observes, "there are who, by angel, understand Christ, the angel of the great coun cil, by whom we are justified." See, above all, the commentary of Sebastian Schmidius, a divine of Strasburg.

f

I

XXXIX. Let us add to these Balaam's prophecy concerning the Messiah, which he delivered in magnificent language: Numb. xxiv. 15-19. Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: he hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most high, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: shall see him (it) but not now: I shall behold him (it) but not nigh: there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and skall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies, and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

XL. The author of this prophecy is Balaam, whom, from an ancient tradition of the Jews, Jerome and Eucherius will have to be the same with Elihu, whose testimony concerning Christ we have just explained. But Frediric Spanhem, the son, in his history of Job, c. 15. § 18, 19. has learnedly shewn the silliness of that tradition, and that there is no resemblance between Elihu and Balaam. Here Balaam mightily extols himself, in order to gain the greater credit and authority to his prophecy; and tho' it is not without affectation and vain glory, that he uttered these haughty encomiums of himself, yet by them God was pleased to ratify, what he resolved to teach us by the mouth of the prophet. He calls him

self the man whose eyes were open, that is, endowed with prophetic light to discern things, which were concealed from others: hearing the words of God, to whom God familiarly imparted his secrets. Knowing the knowledge of the Most High, knowing, from divine revelation, those things, which, in other respects, God alone knows. Seeing the vision of the Almighty, like a prophet of the true God, according to Numb. xii. 6. I will make myself known unto him in a vision. Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open, who falls into a sleep, or an ecstacy, and yet has the eyes of his mind open. Whatever be the case as to his other prophecies, it is certainly not to be doubted, but he delivered this prophecy by a divine impulse.

XLI. He premises, that what he had a prospect of in spirit, was not nigh: I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not nigh. He gives warning of this beforehand, in order partly to embellish his prophecy, which reached forwards to things so distant; partly to shun envy, and to comfort Balak, whom he endeavored to gratify, as much as he could. However, he here also comes up to the style of the holy prophets, who usually refer what they prophecy concerning the Messiah, to the latter days.

XLII. But what is the subject of this prophecy? A star, says he, shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel. This might be understood literally, and. in a diminutive sense, concerning David, who was, as it were, a kind of light shining in darkness, and who obtained the sceptre of Israel by a series of astonishing providences; who also smote the Moabites, and made them tributary, 2 Sam. viii. 2. Hence he says, Moab is my wash-pot, Psal. cviii. 9. that is, does me the offices of the meanest drudgery, is placed at my feet, as a vessel, in which I usually wash them. But these things have a higher view. And David, in this respect, can only be considered as a type of a more excellent

person.

The

star therefore and sceptre signify Christ the Lord, who is both the light of his people, by the demonstration of the truth, and their manifold consolation by his word and Spirit, the bright and morning Star, Rev. xxii. 16. and the SCEPTRED KING, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Rev. xix. 16. He came out of Jacob, and rose out of Israel. For the Lord raised up that prophet from the midst of his brethren, Deut. xviii. 15. And the glorious One of Israel shall be of him, and the governor shall proceed from the midst of him, Jer. xxx. 21. who is over all, God blessed for ever; but from the fathers as concerning the flesh, Rom. ix. 5.

XLIII. The works ascribed to him are these two; 1. The smiting (breaking) of the sides or corners of Moab. That is, the subduing of those who were before sworn enemies to himself and his church. And that two ways; either by grace, when by his word and Spirit, he subdues them to the obedience of faith, so that they willingly submit to his sceptre, casting down every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. x. 5. or in a way of justice and vengeance, when he subdues the obstinate, and forces them, however unwillingly, to acknowledge his power and supereminence, breaking them with a rod of iron, dashing them in pieces like a potter's vessel, Ps. ii. 9. But the Moabites are here mentioned as an instance; because Balaam was, at that time, principally concerned with them. 2. The destruction of all the children of Seth. This signifies his triumph over all men, whom he shall subdue to himself, either by his grace or by his righteous vengeance. Because all men in the world are propagated from Seth; while the progeny of Cain, and of the other sons of Adam, perished in the deluge. From Seth Noah descended; and all mankind from Noah: so

that we are all the children of Seth. But we shall all be made subject to Christ, who shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and authority, and power, 1 Cor. xv. 24.

XLIV. In the last place, he shews the time and nature of Christ's kingdom; when Israel shall do valiantly against his enemies, by shaking off the tyrannical yoke of Antiochus and others: when Edom, and Seir a noted mountain of Idumea, shall become the possession of Israel; which happened under the second temple, when the Idumeans were subdued, and, submitting to circumcision and the other Jewish rites, were added to the republic of Israel: as not only Josephus, but also Strabo relates, Geogr. lib. 16. "They joined themselves to the Jews, and had laws in common with them." When, I say, all these things shall happen, out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion; namely, that great Ruler, that mighty One of Jacob, Is. lx. 16. whose right it is, and I will give it him, Ezek. xxi. 27. He will destroy him that remaineth of the city. He shall overthrow the city and all human power, which shall make head against him, to the utmost: For he bringeth down them that dwell on high, the lofty city he layeth it low, he layeth it low, even to the ground, he bringeth it even to the dust. The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy, Is. xxvi. 5, 6. And thus we have carried down the doctrine of salvation in one continued series of the times of Moses.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.