credentials of the truth, clear as light from heaven. To justify their pretensions to their contemporaries, the prophets referred, on particular occasions, to some approaching circumstance as a proof of their prophetic spirit, and as a symbol or representation of a more distant and important event. They could thus be distinguished in their own age from false prophets, if their predictions were then true, and they ventured to raise, from the succeeding ages of the world, that veil which no uninspired mortal could touch. They spoke of a deliverer of the human race—they described the desolation of cities and of nations, whose greatness was then unshaken, and whose splendour has ever since been unrivalled-and their predictions were of such a character, that time would infallibly refute or realize them.

Religion deserves a candid examination, and it demands nothing more. The fulfilment of prophecy forms part of the evidence of Christianity. And are the prophecies false, or are they true? Is their fallacy exposed or their truth ratified by the event? And whether are they thus proved to be the delusions of impostors or the dictates of inspiration? To the solution of these questions a patient and impartial inquiry alone is requisite: reason alone is appealed to, and no other faith is here necessary but that which arises as the natural and spontaneous fruit of rational conviction. The man who withholds this inquiry, and who will not be impartially guided by its result, is not only reckless of his fate, but devoid of that of which he prides himself the most-even of all true liberality of sentiment: he is the bigot of infidelity, who will not believe the truth because it is the truth. It is incontestable, that in a variety of ways a marvellous change has taken place in the religious and political state of the world since the prophecies were delivered. A system of religion, widely different from any that then existed, has emanated from the land of Judea, and has spread over the civilized world. Many remarkable circumstances attended its origin and its progress. history of the life and character of its Founder, as it was written at the time, and acknowledged as authentic by those who believed on him, is so completely without a parallel, that it has often attracted the admiration and excited the astonishment of infidels;—and one of them even asks, if it be possible that the Sacred Personage whose history the Scripture contains should be himself

The

a mere man; and acknowledges that the fiction of such a character is more inconceivable than the reality.* He possessed no temporal power, he inculcated every virtue,―his life was spotless and perfect as his doctrine, -he was put to death as a criminal. His religion was rapidly propagated, his followers were persecuted, but their cause prevailed. The purity of his doctrine was maintained for a time, but it was afterward corrupted. Yet Christianity has effected a great change. Since its establishment the worship of heathen deities has ceased; —all sacrifices have been abolished, even where human victims were immolated before; and slavery, which prevailed in every state, is now unknown in every Christian country throughout Europe;-knowledge has been increased, and many nations have been civilized. The Christian religion has extended over a great part of the world, and it is still enlarging its boundary; and the Jews, though it originated among them, yet continue to reject it. In regard to the political changes or revolutions of states since the prophecies concerning them were delivered,―Jerusalem was destroyed and laid waste by the Romans-the land of Palestine, and the surrounding countries are now thinly inhabited, and, in comparison of their former fertility, have been almost converted into deserts-the Jews have been scattered among the nations, and remain to this day a dispersed and yet a distinct people-Egypt, one of the first and most powerful of nations, has long ceased to be a kingdom-Nineveh is no more-Babylon is now a ruin-the Persian empire succeeded to the Babylonian—the Grecian empire succeeded to the Persian, and the Roman to the Grecian-the old Roman empire has been divided into several kingdoms-Rome itself became the seat of a government of a different nature from any other that ever existed in the world-the doctrine of the gospel was transformed into a system of spiritual tyranny and of temporal power-the authority of the pope was held supreme in Europe for many ages-the Saracens obtained a sudden and mighty power; overran great part of Asia and of Europe; and many parts of Christendom suffered much from their incursions-the Arabs maintain their warlike character, and retain possession of their own land-the Africans are an humble race, and

* Rousseau's Emilius, vol. ii. p. 215, quoted in Brewster's Testimonies, p. 133.

are still treated as slaves-Colonies have been spread from Europe to Asia, and are enlarging there-the Turkish empire attained to great power; it continued to rise for the space of several centuries, but it paused in its progress, has since decayed, and now evidently verges to its fall. These form some of the most prominent and remarkable facts of the history of the world from the ages of the prophecies to the present time; and if, to each and all of them, from the first to the last, an index is to be found in the prophecies, we may warrantably conclude that they could only have been revealed by the Ruler among the nations, and that they afford more than human testimony of the truth of Christianity.

In the following treatise an attempt is made to give a general and concise sketch of such of the prophecies as have been distinctly foretold and clearly fulfilled, and as may be deemed sufficient to illustrate the truth of Christianity. And if one unbeliever be led the first step to a full and candid investigation of the truth,—if one doubting mind be convinced, if one Christian be confirmed more strongly in his belief,—if one ray of the hope of better things to come arise from hence, to enliven a single sorrowing heart,-if one atom be added to the mass of evidence, the author of this little work will neither have lost his reward, nor spent his labour in vain.

CHAPTER II.

PROPHECIES CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE CHRISTIAN

RELIGION.

It is one of the remarkable peculiarities of the Jewish religion, that while it claimed superiority over every other, and was distinguished from them all, as alone inculcating the worship of the only living and true God, and while it was perfectly suited to the purpose for which it was designed, it acknowledged that it was itself only preparatory to a future, a better, and perfect revelation. It was professedly adapted and limited to one particular people; it was confined, in many of its

institutions, to the land of Judea; its morality was incomplete; it tolerated some practices that were neither virtuous nor pure; its ritual observances were numerous, oppressive, and devoid of any inherent merit ;* and being partial, imperfect, and temporary, and full of promises of better things to come, for which it was only the means of preparing the way, it was evidently intended to be the presage of another. It was not even calculated of itself to fulfil the promise which it records as given unto Abraham, that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed;-though its original institution was founded upon this promise, and although the accomplishment of it was the great end to be promoted by the distinction and separation of his descendants from all the nations of the earth. But it was subservient to this end, though it could not directly accomplish it; for the coming of a Saviour was the great theme of prophecy, and the universal belief of the Jews. From the commencement to the conclusion of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, it is predicted or prefigured. They represent the first act of divine justice, which was exercised on the primogenitors of the human race, as mingled with divine mercy. Before their seclusion from paradise, a gleam of hope was seen to shine around them, in the promise of a suffering but triumphant Deliverer. To Abraham the same promise was conveyed in a more definite form. Jacob spoke distinctly of the coming of a Saviour. Moses, the legislator and leader of the Hebrews, prophesied of another lawgiver that God was to raise up in a future age. And while these early and general predictions occur in the historical part of Scripture, which sufficiently mark the purposed design of the Mosaic dispensation, the books that are avowedly prophetic are clearly descriptive, as a minuter search will attest, of the advent of a Saviour, and of every thing pertaining to the kingdom he was to establish. Many things, apparently contradictory and irreconcilable, are foretold as referring to a great Deliverer, whose dignity, whose character, and whose office were altogether peculiar, and in whom the fate of human nature is repre

"Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols, wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live." Ezek. xx. 24, 25. Acts xv. 10.

† Deut, xviii. 15, 18.

sented as involved. Many passages that can bear no other application clearly testify of him: Thy King cometh-thy salvation cometh-the Redeemer shall come to Zion-the Lord cometh-the Messenger of the Covenant he shall come-blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord,* are expressions that occur throughout the prophecies. These unequivocally speak of the coming of a Saviour. But were every other proof wanting, the prophecy of Daniel is sufficient incontrovertibly to establish the fact, which we affirm in the very words,-that the coming of the Messiah is foretold in the Old Testament. The same fact is confirmed by the belief of the Jews in every age. It is so deeply and indelibly impressed on their minds, that notwithstanding the dispersion of their race throughout the world, and the disappointment of their hopes for eighteen hundred years after the prescribed period of his coming, the expectation of the Messiah still forms a bond of union which no distance can dissolve, and which no earthly power can destroy.

As the Old Testament does contain prophecies of a Saviour that was to appear in the world, the only question to be resolved is, whether all that it testifies of him be fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ? On a subject so interesting, so extensive, and important, which has been so amply discussed by many able divines, the reader is referred to the works of Barrow, of Pearson, and of Clarke. A summary view must be very imperfect and incomplete; but it is here given, as it may serve to the general reader to exhibit the connexion between the Old and the New Testaments, and as of itself it may be deemed conclusive of the argument in favour of Christianity.

A few of the leading features of the prophecies concerning Christ, and their fulfilment, shall be traced, as they mark the time of his appearance-the place of his birth-and the family out of which he was to arise -his life and character, his miracles, his sufferings, and his death-the nature of his doctrine-the design and the effect of his coming-and the extent of his kingdom.

The time of the Messiah's appearance in the world, as predicted in the Old Testament, is defined by a

* Zech. ix. 9; Isa. lix. 20; Isa. Ixii. 11; Mal. iii. 1; Isa. xxxv. 4; Pa cxviii. 26; Dan. ix 25, 26.