enter into the countries and overflow and pass over, give us an exact idea of their overflowing the western parts of Asia, and then passing over into Europe."*

He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown.† This expression, the glorious land, occurs in the previous part of this prophecy (v. 16), and, in both cases, it evidently means the land of Israel; and such the Syriac translation renders it. The Holy Land formed part of the first conquest of the Turks. And many countries shall be overthrown.‡ The limits of the Turkish empire embraced the ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Macedon, Thrace, Epirus, Greece, &c. and the many countries over which they ruled. The whole of Syria was also included, with partial exceptions. These very exceptions are specified in the prophecy, though these territories partially intersect the Turkish dominions, and divide one portion of them from another, forming a singular contrast to the general continuity of kingdoms. And, while every particular prediction respecting these separate states has been fully verified, their escaping out of the hands of the Turks has But these shall been no less marvellously fulfilled.

escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. Mede, Sir Isaac and Bishop Newton, in applying this prophecy to the Turkish empire, could only express, in general terms, that the Arabs possessed these countries, and exacted tribute from the Turks for permitting their caravans to pass through them. But recent travellers, among whom Volney has to be numbered, have unconsciously given the most satisfactory information, demonstrative of the truth of all the minutiae of the prediction. Volney describes these countries in part-Burckhardt traversed them alland they have since been visited by other travellers.' Edom and Moab are in possession of the Bedouin (or wandering) Arabs. The Turks have often attempted in vain to subjugate them. The partial escape of Ammon from their dominion is not less discriminating than just. For although that territory lies in the immediate vicinity of the pachalic of Damascus, to which part of it is subjected, though it be extremely fertile by nature,though its situation and its soil have thus presented, for, several centuries, the strongest temptation to Turkish + Ibid.

Bishop Newton. † Dan. xi. 41

Ibid.

rapacity, though they have often attempted to subdue it, -yet no fact could have been more explicitly detailed, or more incidentally communicated, than that the inhabitants of the greater part of that country, particularly what adjoins the ancient but now desolate city of Ammon, "live in a state of complete independence of the Turks."*

He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries.† How significantly do these words represent the vast extent of the Turkish empire, which alone has stretched its dominion over many countries of Asia, of Europe, and of Africa? Ill-fated Egypt was not to escape from subjection to such a master. And the land of Egypt shall not escape; but he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Turks have drained Egypt of its wealth, of its gold and of its silver, and of its precious things: and such power have they exercised over them, that the kingdom of the Pharaohs, the land where everlasting pyramids were built, despoiled to the utmost, is now one of the poorest, as it has long been the basest, of kingdoms. The Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps.§ These form the extremities of the Turkish empire, and were partially subject to its power. "After the conquest of Egypt, the terror of Selim's victories," says the historian, "spreading wide, the kings of Africa, bordering upon Cyrenaica, sent their ambassadors with offers to become his tributaries. Other more remote nations also towards Ethiopia were easily induced to join in amity with the Turks."|| Exclusive of Egypt, they still retain the nominal power over other countries of Africa. Such is the prophetic description of the rise and extent of that power which was to possess Judea in the latter days; and it is a precise delineation of the rise and extent of the Turkish empire, to which Judea has been subject for centuries.

Every succeeding fact, from the time of Cyrus to the present age, gives as sure a confirmation as the voice of an angel could have done, that the things noted in this prophecy are those of the Scripture of truth. His

* Buckingham's Travels, p. 325, 329, 337. Burckhardt's Travels in Nubia, p. 44 of Memoir. Letter to Sir Joseph Banks. Burckhardt's Travels in

Syria, p. 349, 355.

† Dan. xi. 42.

‡ Ibid. 43.

Pauli Jovi Hist. quoted by Bishop Newton.

Ibid.

tory interprets every part of it. It brings a multiplicity of witnesses, if we will listen to their testimony, from a long succession of ages, each arising to testify to its truth. And although the names of the countries be not mentioned, and the prophecy has received a variety of interpretations, yet we apprehend that it presents us, like every spot on earth which was the subject of Scriptural prophecies, with ocular demonstration that there is a God who ruleth among the nations; and that the Christian religion, the purest and the best on earth, has that God for its author.

CONCLUSION.

THE whole of the preceding brief and imperfect sketch forms little else than an enumeration of some of the more striking prophecies, and of facts which demonstrate their fulfilment; and a recapitulation of all the particulars would be an unnecessary repetition. The numerous obscure prophecies which contain much and striking evidence have hitherto been omitted, that the charge of ambiguity, too generally and indiscriminately attached to them all, might be proved to be unfounded. But, having seen, in hundreds of instances, that prophecies which were plainly delivered have been as clearly fulfilled, comprehending them all in a single argument, and leaving the decision to the enemies of Christianity, or to those who are weak in the faith, and appealing to their reason without bespeaking their favour,—may it not, in the first instance, be asked if it be an easy task which is assigned them, to disprove even this part of the POSITIVE EVIDENCE to the truth of the religion of Jesus. If they have ever staggered at the promises or threatenings of the Scriptures because of unbelief-discrediting all revelation from on high-can they not here discern supernatural evidence in confirmation of supernatural truths? May not sight lead them to faith? Must they not concede that the Christian has some reason for the hope that is in him? And may they not, at the very least, be led from thence to the calm and unprejudiced investigation, not only of the other prophecies, but of all the evidence which Christianity presents ?

It cannot be alleged, with truth, that the prophecies which have been selected are ambiguous; that they bear the character of those auguries which issued from the cloud that always overhung the temple of Apollo, or of those pretended inspirations which emanated from the cave of Hera. It cannot be denied that they were all foretold hundreds or thousands of years before the events which even at the present day demonstrate their fulfilment, though every other oracle has ceased for ages to appeal to a single fact. And the historical and geographical facts, which were so clearly foretold, are, in general, of so wonderful a nature, that the language of prophecy, though expressive of literal truths, seems at first sight to be hyperbolical, and the prophecies of Isaiah in particular have been charged with being "full of extravagant metaphor ;"* the more extravagant the metaphor, or the more remarkable the predicted fact, the further are the prophecies removed from all possibility of their having been the words of human invention.

The following comprehensive and luminous statement of the argument, extracted from a review of the former edition of this treatise, is here so apposite, that no apology need be offered for inserting it at length.

"This geographical argument (viz. the fulfilment of those prophecies which describe the future fate of particular nations, and the future aspect of their countries) has always appeared to us one of the most impregnable strongholds of Christian prophecy; or rather one of the

* Were it not for the impiety with which they are conjoined, the remarks of Paine on the prophecies would, to those who have studied these at all, be sufficiently amusing. He characterizes the book of Isaiah as "one continued bombastical rant, full of extravagant metaphor, without application, and destitute of meaning." The predictions respecting Babylon, Moab, &c. are, forsooth, compared "to the story of the Knight of the Burning Mountain, the story of Cinderella," and such like. Isaiah, in short, "was a lying prophet and impostor." And "what can we say," he asks, "of these prophets, but that they were all impostors and liars?" Such words are not merely harm less; they may be also useful, as they show, that while every possible corroboration from history, fact, reason, and even the unconscious testimony of infidels themselves, is given to the truth of the prophecies; nothing can be alleged on the other hand but what in the sight of all men manifestly is "bombastical rant, and extravagant metaphor, without application, and destitute of meaning." And since both speak not the truth, who is the liar? Isaiah the prophet or Paine the infidel? And "what can we say" of this stanch assertor of rights, but that his right to the title is undisputed, and that these very words of his, were others wanting, must in every "age of reason" rivet to his unblest memory the foul aspersions he so falsely applied? Argument in such a case would be an idle waste of words. But while it would be an act of mere prodigality and folly to cast pearls before swine, the filth which they have snorted out may well be cast into their own kennel again, that they and their kind may partake of what pertains to them

most resistless and wide-ranging instruments of aggressive evidence. There is no obscurity in the language of the prophet. There is no variety of opinion with regard to the object in his view. There is no denying of the change which he predicts. There is no challenging of the witnesses who prove the facts of the case. The former glory of these regions and kingdoms is recorded by ancient heathen historians, who knew nothing of the fall foretold. Their present state is described by recent and often infidel travellers, who knew often as little of the predictions which they were verifying by their narratives. It is not a particular event which has passed away, or a particular character who has perished, for whose era we must search in the wide page of history, and of whose description we may find so many resemblances as to become perplexed in our application. The places and the people are named by the prophet, and the state in which they now exist is matter of actual observation. The fulfilment of the prediction is thus inscribed as upon a public monument, which every man who visits the countries in question may behold with his own eyes; and is expressed in a language so universally intelligible, that every man may be said to read it in his own tongue. To these scenes of Scripture prophecy we may point, with triumph as to ocular demonstration; and say to the skeptical inquirer in the words of the evangelist, Come and see.' The multitude of travellers who have recently visited the Holy Land and the adjacent regions have furnished ample and authentic materials for the construction of so irrefragable an argument. Many of these travellers have discovered no intention of advocating by their statements the cause of revealed truth; and some of them have been obviously influenced by hostility to its claims. Yet, in spite of these prejudices, and altogether unconsciously on their part, they have recorded the most express confirmation of the Scripture prophecies, frequently employing in their descriptions the very language of inspiration, and bringing into view (though evidently without design) those features of the scene which form the precise pic ture painted in the visions of the prophet."

6

Willingly might the Christian here rest his assurance "in the faith once delivered to the saints," and leave to the unbeliever his hopeless creed. But the reasonings of one class of infidels must be combined with the re