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CLASS I

CHAPTER THE THIRD.

The Promife given by Mofes of another
Lawgiver.

2513.

THE Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye Y. W. Shall hearken. According to all that B. C. thou defiredft of the Lord thy God in 1491. Horeb, in the day of the affembly, Saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God; neither let me fee this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord faid unto me, They have well faid that which they bave Spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall Speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it fall come to pass, that whosoever will

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not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him".

It is fuppofed by fome learned Christians, and by the Rabbis of the later ages, that Mofes in thefe words intended to prefignify the whole fucceffion of Prophets, who after him arofe among the Jews. The antient Jewish church understood the expreffions at the conclufion of the Book of Deuteronomy,

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And there arofe not a Prophet like unto Mofes," as immediately referring to the Meffiah. Indeed this opinion was fo firmly established, that we find the learned Jofes and Akiba, two eminent Doctors of the Law, who flourished in the reign of the Emperor Adrian, exprefsly afferted, that a Prophet like unto Mofes, or one greater, must at some time arife; and that Meffiah the King will be like unto him, or greater than he wasb." The former of these interpretations is not however inconfiftent with the latter. The Prophecy may in its firft and general fenfe point out a fucceffion of Prophets, though in its principal and ultimate sense it points to the Meffiah. But as one individual Prophet is

a Deut. xviii. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

› Chandler's Defence of Christianity, p. 307.

clearly

clearly mentioned in the original Hebrew text, and as the conftant interpretation of the early Jewish church refers the accomplishment of this Prophecy to the appearance of the Meffiah, we might, I think, reft satisfied that this is the true meaning of the promise, if we had no other authority; and the evidence in favour of this interpretation will furely appear incontrovertible, when we further confider the particular, clofe, and ftriking refemblance, which fubfifts between Mofes and Chrift. St. Stephen and St. Peter declared that Jefus Chrift was the Prophet foretold by Mofes; and our Lord himself appears to have had the paffage before mentioned in view, when he faid, "If ye had believed Mofes, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me."

The refemblance between Mofes and Christ is fo very strong, that it is impoffible to confider it fairly and carefully, without acknowledging that he must be foretold, where he is fo well defcribed.

The first great point of refemblance is, Mofes was a Lawgiver, and the mediator of a covenant between God and man: Chrift was the mediator of a better covenant than that

which was established by the facrifice of bulls and goats. The one was mortal, the other divine; the one performed a mediatorial office that was temporary and tranfient; the other" ever liveth to make interceffion for us." Other Prophets were only interpreters and enforcers of the Law, and in this refpect were greatly inferior to Moses. This is of itself a fufficient proof, that a fucceffion of Prophets could not be folely alluded to. The perfon who was to be raised up, could not be like Mofes in a ftrict fenfe, unlefs he were a legiflator he must give a law to mankind, and confequently a more excellent law; for if the first had been perfect, as the Author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews argues, there

could have been no room for a fecond. Chrift was this legiflator, who gave a law more perfect in its nature, more extenfive in its application, and more glorious in its promises and rewards.

Other Prophets had revelations in dreams and vifions-but Mofes talked with God face to face. Chrift fpake that which he had feen with the Father. Mofes and Chrift are the only perfons recorded in facred History, who had this immediate communication with God. Mofes delivered his people from cruel.

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oppreffion and heavy bondage-Chrift from the far worse tyranny of Satan and fin. Mofes contended with the magicians, and had the advantage over them fo manifeftly,' that they could no longer withstand him, but were forced to acknowledge the divine power by which he was affifted - Chrift ejected evil. fpirits, and received their acknowledgments, both of the dignity of his nature and the importance of his miffion.

Mofes affured the people whom he conducted, that if they would be obedient, they fhould enter into the happy land of Promise, which land was ufually understood by the wifer Jews to be an emblem and a figure of that eternal and celeftial kingdom, to which the Meffiah was to open an Chrift brought life and immortality to light,' and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers'.

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Mofes wrought a great variety of miracles, and in this particular the parallel is remarkable: fince befides Chrift "there arofe not a Prophet in Ifrael like unto Mofes, whom the

Jortin's Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, vol. i. p. 200. Newton on the Prophecies, vol. i. p. 156.

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