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AN

INQUIRY

Into the

SHAPE, the BEAUTY, and STATURÉ

OF THE

Perfon of CHRIST,

And of the

VIRGIN MARY.

The FIRST PART.

SPON the Fall of Man was the

Meffiah promifed ; and the old

Hebrews were fo well instructed by the Prophets, that they formed very juft Notions of the Nature of his Office, and of the Meanness of his Perfon. *The Seed of the Woman was

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1

Genef. iii. 15.

to bruife the Serpent's Head; the Redeemer was to be born of a Virgin, to affume the whole Human Nature, to be fubject like other Men to all the Miferies and Diftreffes attending it, and at laft by an opprobrious Death, to destroy the Power of the Devil, and by that means to accomplish the Salvation of the World. Thefe in general were the Sentiments of the old Jews, but their Pofterity (especially towards the End of their Republick) entertained quite different Conceptions of the Meffiah,* expecting a mighty Monarch (like Cyrus or Alexander) and a Conqueror of Kingdoms, to deliver them from the Talons of the Roman Eagle, and extend their Empire over all the Nations of the Earth. He is to rebuild the Temple, (say the modern Jews) to

raise

* Jefus Chriftus fecundum afpectum exteriorem nullam prætulit fpeciem talis Perfonæ qualem Judai Meffiam fore fi bi perfuaferunt-Nullum in ipfo fuiffe dos ator Tupavvides. non pectus elatum, fcintillantes oculos, vultus Severitatem Ma jeftatemque & Celfitatem animi ad alta adfpirantis, gestu motuque Corporis expreffam, & quæ fimilia hujus generis viderentur præftare poffe vindicem Libertatis Publica & Heroem de bellaturum Gentes Populofque; contra vero Dominus Jefus afpectu, motu, omni humilis, &c. Vitringa in Elaiam, cap. 53.

Craffi & Carnales Judai finxerunt Meffiam futurum Monarcham aliquem Cyro vel Alexandro Magno fimilem, qui armis Victricibus totum terrarum Orbem edomiturus effet, & imperio fuo fubjecturus. Ludovici Capelli Note Criticæ in Efai. 53.

+ Xeres Addrefs to the Jews, p. 24, and 94.

raife all our Ancestors from the Dead from Abraham, to be the Arbitrator of Differences between Pagan Kings, and to convert the World to our Religion. He is to treat his Subjects with the Female Leviathan, preserv'd in Salt by God from the Creation, to entertain them with Behemoth, which eats the Grass of a thousand Mountains in one Day, and with the Bird Ziz, which is fo big, that one of her Eggs falling, destroyed and overwhelmed fixty Villages.

SUCH was to be the Power of the Mef fiah, and with regard to his Perfon,* his Form was to be Noble and Majestick, his Body framed by the most exact Proportion, his Stature tall and Princely, his Countenance charming and most lovely to his Friends, but dreadful and terrible to his Enemies, his Eyes engaging the Affection and Efteem of his Followers, but darting Fire and scattering Death and Confufion among all that oppose him: They could not it feems dignify him fufficiently, without rai

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Confutation of the Hope of the Jews, 2d Part, by Dr.

'Allix. p. 14.

Bibl. Orient. c. 5. p. 2390.

fing his Stature to fo Gigantick a Size, as to be able to ftand with one Foot on Mount Horeb, and the other on Mount Sinai.

THE Jews, feduced with these great Expectations, were scandalized at the outward Appearance, the Humility and Meannefs of our Saviour's Perfon, and rather than receive him as the Meffiah, denied and perverted the Prophecies, which fore told that Chrift was to appear without a ny Marks of Pomp and Grandeur, but in Circumstances low and forbidding, without any thing extraordinary or inviting either in his Perfon or Fortune. For this purpose, that famous Text in Isaiah (ever literally understood by the old Hebrews) was mifapplied by Abarbinel; * He shall grow up before him as a tender Plant, and as a Root out of a dry Ground, he hath no Form nor Comeliness, and when we shall fee him, there is no Beauty that we should defire him. The literal Senfe, fays he, of this Paffage, describes a Man ill-shaped, deformed, melancholy, of a dejected Look and a weak Conftitution, which cannot relate to the Meffiah, because the wifest

Abarbinel in Ifai. liii. ver. 2.

Part

Part of Chriftians contend that the Mef fiah was exceeding handfome, lovely and agreeable. Obferve the Advantage taken by a crafty Jew, who evades the force of a moft remarkable Prophecy, on account of a fantastical Opinion embraced by Christians, concerning the Shape and Beauty of our Saviour's Perfon.

THE Writers of the Church have been commonly divided when they had occafion to speak upon this Subject. The Fathers of the first Centuries have been of contrary Sentiments, fome afcribing the most extravagant Beauties and Accomplishments to the Body of Chrift, others again degrading it to the lowest state of Uglinefs and Deformity. The Romish Writers (some very few excepted) contend tenaciously for the outward Beauty of our Saviour's Body. This Opinion is likewife followed by many Learned among Proteftants, but with quite different Effects. The Popish Cler. gy bind this Doctrine upon the Consciences of their Subjects, and raise a deal of Pageantry and Superftition upon it. *There are few Chriftians (fays Father « Cal

See his Differtation before the Prophecy of Ifaiah

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