of the Gentiles should be fulfilled." In the epistles there are various predictions to the same purpose. And we accordingly see that people to this day preserved distinct from all others in the world, without king, without country, without government to enforce the observance of their ceremonial law, which yet they keep up with great strictness wherever they can.

That through all the changes, which have happened in all the other kingdoms of the earth, from the date of the first of these predictions to the present time, (a period of more than three thousand years,) that people should have had exactly the fortune that was foretold them by Moses; and that they should now, in so wonderful and unexampled a manner, be preserved unmixed with, and easily distinguishable from the people of all the countries where they are scattered; and this in spite of the cruel usage they have had in most countries, which might have been expected to have driven them long ago to give up their religion, and mix with the people among whom they lived; and that there should nothing in this long course of years have happened to render it impossible, but that on the contrary, it should be probable, that the remaining prediction of their return to their own land will be accomplished as well as the rest; this gives, upon the whole, such a view as is not to be equalled by any thing else in the world; the most amazing of all phenomena! and shows that prophecy is given by authority from the same by whom the government of the world is carried on; since none but he, or whom he authorises, could thus declare the end from the beginning.

No one can imagine the following predictions to be applicable to any other than the Messiah, Gen. iii. 15, the first prediction is given of him, viz. That "the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent." None but Christ could properly be called the seed of the woman." For he alone was born of a woman without concurrence of man. Nor did any one but he effectually bruise the head of the serpent, or destroy the power of Satan. Again, he is several different times afterwards promised to Abraham, as he in whom "all the families of the earth should be blessed." Now, there never was any

single person, besides Christ, who was a blessing to the "whole world." Gen. xlix. it is foretold "that the sceptre should not depart from Judah till Shiloh should come,' and that "to him should be the gathering of the people.” It is known that the Jews became subject to the Romans about the time of the appearance of Christ. And the gathering of the people to him is very conspicuous in the general diffusion of his religion over most parts of the world. The words of Moses, Deut. xviii. 15, are applicable to none but Christ only, "The Lord shall raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, like unto me. But no prophet, priest, or king, ever rose among that people like to Moses, but Christ only. For from Moses to Christ, no lawgiver arose among the Jews; their state being fixed by God himself, to continue unchanged till the appearance of the Messiah.

The predictions of Isaiah, xi. 1, 3, 6, &c. are still clearer, "Unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace," (which titles are somewhat different in the Septuagint translation, but such as are applicable to none but Christ only.) "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and his kingdom, to order and establish it with judgment, and justice, from henceforth even forever." And in the xliii. chap. "Behold my servant-mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him-he shall set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law."

Nor are those of Jeremiah less plainly applicable to Christ, and to him only, chap. xxiii. and xxxiii. "I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. And this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

And in Ezekiel, xxxiv, &c. "I will set up one shepherd over them," (a shepherd of a people always signifies a prince or ruler,)" and he shall feed them, even my servant David;" plainly not David the son of Jesse; he having been dead long before Ezekiel's time. "And I will

make with them a covenant of peace," &c. One king "shall be king over them all; neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols.”

It is predicted by Haggai, that "the Desire of all nations should come;" the Shiloh, translated by the Seventy, "the accomplishment of promises." How much the coming of the Messiah was the desire of all nations is shown above, and how properly Christ may be called the accomplishment of promises, is known to all who know his religion.

Not less express, than magnificent, is the prediction of Daniel, chap. vii. "I saw in the night visions, and behold one, like the SON OF MAN, came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion; and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Of the title, "Son of man," which is found twice or thrice in the Old Testament, it may be cursorily remarked, that our Saviour seems to have been particularly pleased with it; as that name is given him in the ancient Scriptures; as it expresses his sacred office of the deliverer of mankind, and suits the glorious humiliation he voluntarily condescended to, in assuming the human nature, and passing a life on earth for the important purpose of restoring a ruined world.

In the prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi, he is spoken of as he that was to be the "light of the Gentiles, their desire, their ruler; and that through him the name of God should be great among the Heathen." Nor is there any one to whom these characters can be applied but Christ only.

66

The important circumstance of his giving his life for the world is clearly held forth by the prophets Daniel, and Isaiah; the former of which speaks of him as to appear seven weeks," that is forty-nine years, taking, (accord ing to the prophetical style, a day for a year,)" from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem," and that he should be "cut off; but not for himself." And the latter says of him; "Surely he hath

borne our griefs-he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. For the transgressions of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death.” Which words are suspected to be transposed, and that his death ought to have been put with the wicked, and his grave with the rich; as he was crucified between two thieves, and buried by Joseph of Arimathaa, who was rich. "He was numbered with the transgressors, and bare the sin of many, and made intercession for sinners." It is foretold by Isaiah, chap. xxxv, that the Messiah should perform many great and beneficial miracles; that the eyes of the blind should be opened; and the ears of the deaf unstopped; that the lame man should leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." Many minute circumstances are foretold of him, such as his being of the tribe of Judah, and seed of David; that he should be born at Bethlehem, (Mic. v. 2.) that he should ride in humble triumph into the city of Jerusalem, (Zach. ix. 9.) that he should be sold for thirty pieces of silver, (ibid xi. 12.) that he should be scourged, buffeted, and spit upon, (Isa. 1. 6.) that his hands and feet should be pierced, (Psal. xxiv. 16.) that he should be numbered among malefactors, (Isa. liii. 12.) that he should have gall and vinegar offered him to drink, (Psal. Ixix. 21.) that they who saw him crucified should mock at his trusting in God, (Psal. xxii. 8.) that the soldiers should cast lots for his garments, (ibid. 18.) that he should be buried by a rich man, (Isa. liii. 9.) and that he should not see corruption, (Psal. xvi. 10.) The completion of all which predictions in Christ is visible in his history in the New Testament.

To what character besides that of Christ are all these predictions applicable? And are they all not strictly applicable to Christ, and clearly fulfilled in him? Should now a set of satirical, or, enigmatical writings be proposed to be explained; who would hesitate whether the true sense, and proper application of them was discovered, when a sense, was found which tallied exactly in every particular; who would imagine those writings to have been composed

by chance which showed so much regularity and connexion, and which suited so well the proposed explication of them?

The predictions which Christ himself delivered concerning events that were to happen after his time, were confirmations, no less authentic, of the Divine Authority of his doctrine, than the completion in him of the prophecies given of old. Besides those he gave of his own death, with the particular circumstances of it; of the behaviour of his disciples on that occasion; of the descent of the Holy Ghost, and the miraculous powers to be communicated to his disciples; besides those, he gave some which cannot be pretended to have been forged after the events, as has been alleged of some of the Scripture prophecies. His predictions of the destruction of Jerusalem, and dispersions, for a very long period, of the Jews into all nations, but so as they should be preserved distinct from all other people in order to their restoration; of the general prevalency of his religion over the world, and its continuance to all ages; and of the mischiefs consequent upon the perversion of it; these are events which at that time were to the highest degree improbable. It was altogether needless for him to risk his credit upon the completion of these predictions; nor is it to be supposed a person of his wisdom would have needlessly hazarded the confutation of his whole scheme in such a manner, if he had not been certain that what he foretold would be fully accomplished, and that though heaven and earth were to pass away, his word should stand, as the event hitherto has sufficiently shown.

That a power of so extraordinary a kind, and which should produce such important effects, especially upon the religious state of the world, as Popery has done, should be predicted in Scripture, was reasonably to be expected. Accordingly, by Daniel, who flourished near three thousand years ago, it is foretold, chap. vii. 19, that there should be a tyrannical power, which should "wear out the saints of the Most High," and that they should "be given into his hands until a time, and times, and the dividing of times," that is, a year and two years, and half a year, which give one thousand two hundred and sixty days,