INTRODUCTION. One of the strongest evidences for the truth of revealed religion is that series of prophecies which is preserved in the Old and New Testament; and a greater service perhaps could not be done to Christianity than to lay together the several predictions of Scripture with their completions, to show how particularly things have been foretold, and how exactly fulfilled. A work of this kind was desired by the Lord Bacon in his* Advancement of Learning, and he entitleth it The History of Prophecy, and therein would have 'every prophecy of the Scripture be sorted with the event fulfilling the same throughout the ages of the world, both for the better confirmation of faith,' as he saith, and for the better illumination of the church, touching those parts of prophecies which are yet unfulfilled: allowing nevertheless that latitude which is agreeable and familiar unto divine prophecies, being of the nature of the Author, with whom a thousand years are but as one day, and therefore they are not fulfilled punctually at once, but have springing and germinant accomplishment throughout many ages, though the heighth or fulness of them may refer to some one age.' Such a work would indeed be a wonderful confirmation of our faith, it being the prerogative of God alone, or of those who are commissioned by him, certainly to foretel future events; and the consequence is so plain and necessary, from the believing of prophecies to the believing of revelation, that an infidel hath no way of evading the conclusion but by denying the premises. But why should it be thought at all incredible for God upon special occasions to foretel future events? or how could a divine revelation (only supposing that there was a divine revelation) be better attested and confirmed than by prophecies? It is certain that God hath perfect and most exact knowledge of futurity, and foresees all things to come as well as comprehends every thing past or present. It is certain too that as he knoweth them perfectly himself, so he may reveal them to others in what degrees and proportions he pleaseth; and that he actually hath revealed them in several instances, no man can deny, every man must acknowledge, who compares the several prophecies of Scripture with the events fulfilling the same. But so many ages have passed since the spirit of prophecy hath ceased in the world, that several persons are apt to imagine, that no such thing ever existed, and that what we call predictions are only histories written, after the events had happened, in a prophetic style and manner: which is easily said indeed, but hath never been proved, nor is there one tolerable argument to prove it. On the contrary, there are all the proofs and authorities, which can be had in cases of this nature, that the prophets prophesied in such and such ages, and the events happened afterwards in such and such ages: and you have as much reason to believe these, as you have to believe any ancient matters of fact whatever; and by the same rule that you deny these, you might as well deny the credibility of all ancient history. But such is the temper and genius of infidels; "they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm," (1 Tim. i. 7;) and so betray their own ignòrance, rather than acknowledge the force of divine truth; and assert things without the least shadow or colour of proof, rather than admit the strongest proofs of divine revelation. It betrays ignorance indeed, altogether unworthy of persons of liberal education, not to know when such and such authors flourished, and such and such remarkable events happened; and it must be something worse than ignorance to assert things without the least shadow or colour of proof, contrary to all the marks and characters by which we judge of the truth and genuineness of ancient authors, contrary to the whole tenor of history both sacred and profane, which in this respect give wonderful light and assistance to each other: and yet these are * Book the 2d. in English. the men, who would be thought to see farther and to know more than other people, and will believe nothing without evident proof and demonstration. The facts, say they, were prior to the predictions, and the prophecies were written after the histories. But what if we should be able to prove the truth of prophecy, and consequently the truth of revelation, not by an induction of particulars long ago foretold and long ago fulfilled, the predictions whereof you may therefore suppose to have been written after the histories, but by instances of things which have confessedly many ages ago been foretold, and have in these latter ages been fulfilled, or are fulfilling at this very time; so that you cannot possibly pretend the prophecies to have been written after the events, but must acknowledge the events many ages after to correspond exactly with the predictions many ages before? This province we will now enter upon, this task we will undertake, and will not only produce instances of things foretold with the greatest clearness in ages preceding, and fulfilled with the greatest exactness in ages following, if there is any truth in history sacred or profane; but we will also (to cut up the objection entirely by the roots,) insist chiefly upon such prophecies, as are known to have been written and published in books many ages ago, and yet are receiving their completion, in part at least, at this very day. For this is one great excellency of the evidence drawn from prophecy for the truth of religion, that it is a growing evidence; and the more prophecies are fulfilled, the more testimonies there are and confirmations of the truth and certainty of divine revelation. And in this respect we have eminently the advantage over those, who lived even in the days of Moses and the prophets, of Christ and his apostles. They were happy indeed in hearing their discourses and seeing their miracles, and doubtless "many righteous men have desired to see those things which they saw and have not seen them, and to hear those things which they heard and have not heard them," (Matt. xiii. 17:) but yet I say we have this advantage over them, that several things which were then only foretold, are now fulfilled; and what were to them only matters of faith, are become matters of fact and certainty to us, upon whom the latter ages of the world are come. God in his goodness hath afforded to every age sufficient evidence of the truth. Miracles may be said to have been the great proofs of revelation to the first ages who saw them performed. Prophecies may be said to be the great proofs of revelation to the last ages who see them fulfilled. All pretence too for denying the prophecies of Scripture is by these means absolutely precluded; for how can it be pretended that the prophecies were written after the events, when it appears that the latest of these prophecies were written and published in books near 1700 years ago, and the events have, many of them, been accomplished several ages after the predictions, or perhaps are accomplishing in the world at this present time? You are therefore reduced to this ne cessity, that you must either renounce your senses, and deny what you read in your Bibles, together with what you may see and observe in the world: or else must acknowledge the truth of prophecy, and in consequence of that the truth of divine revelation. Many of the principal prophecies of Scripture will by these means come under our consideration, and these may be best considered with a view to the series and order of time. The subject is curious as it is important, and will be very well worth my pains and your attention: and though it turn chiefly upon points of learning, yet I shall endeavour to render it as intelligible, and agreeable, and edifying as I can to all sorts of readers. It is hoped the work will prove the more generally acceptable, as it will not consist merely of abstract speculative divinity, but will be enlivened with a proper intermixture of history, and will include several of the most material transactions from the beginning of the world to this day. NEWTON ON THE PROPHECIES. THE I.-NOAH'S PROPHECY. HE first prophecy that occurs in Scripture, is that of part the sentence pronounced upon the serpent, which is, as I may say, the first opening of Christianity, the first promise of our redemption. We read in Genesis, (iii. 15,) "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." If you understand this in the sense which is commonly put upon it by Christian interpreters, you have a remarkable prophecy and remarkably fulfilled. Taken in any other sense, it is not worthy of Moses, nor indeed of any sensible writer. The history of the antediluvian times is very short and concise, and there are only a few prophecies relating to the deluge. As Noah was a preacher of righteousness to the old world, so he was a prophet to the new, and was enabled to predict the future condition of his posterity, which is a subject that upon many accounts requires a particular discussion. It is an excellent character that is given of Noah, (Gen. v. 9,) "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." But the best of men are not without their infirmities; and Noah, (Gen. ix. 20, 21,) having "planted a vineyard and drank of the wine," became inebriated, not knowing perhaps the nature and strength of the liquor, or being through age incapable of bearing it: and Moses is so faithful an historian, that he records the failings and imperfections of the most venerable patriarchs, as well as their merits and virtues. Noah in this condition lay "uncovered within his tent : and Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father," (ver. 21, 22;) and instead of concealing his weakness, as a good-natured man or at least a dutiful son would have done, he cruelly exposed it "to his two brethren without," (ver. 22.) "But Shem and Japheth," more compassionate to the infirmities of their aged father, "took a garment and went backward" with such decency and respect, that "they saw not the nakedness of their father" at the same time that they covered it, (ver. 23.) When "Noah awoke from his wine," he was informed of "what his younger son had done unto him," (ver. 24.) The word in the original signifies his little son: and some commentators therefore, on account of what follows, have imagined that Canaan joined with his father Ham in this mockery and insult upon Noah; and the Jewish rabbins have a tradition, that Canaan was the first who saw Noah in this posture, and then went and called his father Ham, and concurred with him in ridiculing and exposing the old man. But this is a very arbitrary method of interpretation; no mention was made before of Canaan and of what he had done, but only of "Ham the father of Canaan ;" and of him therefore must the phrase of little son or youngest son be naturally and necessarily understood. In consequence of this different behaviour of his three sons, Noah as a patriarch was enlightened, and as the father of a family who is to reward or punish his children was empowered, to foretel the different fortunes of their families: for this prophecy relates not so much to themselves, as to their posterity, the people and nations descended from them. He was not prompted by wine or resentment; for neither the one nor the other could infuse the knowledge of futurity, or inspire him with the prescience of events, which happened hundreds, nay thousands of years afterwards. But God, willing to manifest his superintendence and government of the world, endued Noah with the spirit of prophecy, and enabled him in some measure to disclose the purposes of his providence towards the future race of mankind. At the same time it was some comfort and reward to Shem and Japheth, for their reverence and tenderness to their father, to hear of the blessing and enlargement of their posterity; and it was some mortification and punishment to Ham, for his mockery and cruelty to his father, to hear of the malediction and servitude of some of his children, and that as he was a wicked son himself, so a wicked race should spring from him. This then was Noah's prophecy and it was delivered, as 'most of the ancient prophecies were delivered, in metre for the help of the memory. (Gen. ix. 25-27.) "Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren, And Canaan shall be their servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, And shall dwell in the tents of Shem, And Canaan shall be their servant." Canaan was the fourth son of Ham according to the order wherein they are mentioned in the ensuing chapter. And for what reason can you believe that Canaan was so particularly marked out for the curse? for his father Ham's transgression? But where would be the justice or equity to pass by Ham himself with the rest of his children, and to punish only Canaan. for what Ham had committed? Such arbitrary proceedings are contrary to all our ideas of the divine perfections; and we may say in this case what was said in another, (Gen. xviii. 25,) "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" The curse was so far from being pronounced upon Canaan for his father Ham's. transgression, that we do not read that it was pronounced for his own, nor was executed till several hundred years after his death. The truth is, the curse is to be understood not so properly of Canaan, as of his descendants to the latest generations. It is thinking meanly of the ancient prophecies of scripture, and having very imperfect, very unworthy conceptions of them, to limit their intention to particular persons. In this view the ancient prophets would be really what the Deists think them, little better than common fortune-tellers; and their prophecies would hardly be worth remembering or recording, especially in so concise and compendious a history as that of Moses. We must, affix a larger meaning to them, and understand them not of single persons, but of whole nations; and thereby a nobler scene of things, and a more extensive prospect will be opened to us of the divine dispensations. The curse of servitude pronounced upon Canaan, and so likewise the promise of blessing and enlargement made to Shem and Japheth, are by no means to be confined to their own persons, but extend to their whole race; as afterwards the prophecies concerning Ishmael, and those concerning Esau and Jacob, and those relating to the twelve patriarchs, were not so properly verified in themselves as in their posterity, and thither we must look for their full and perfect completion. The curse therefore upon Canaan was properly a curse upon the Canaanites. God foreseeing the wickedness of this people, (which began in their father Ham, and greatly increased in this branch of his family,) commissioned Noah to pronounce a curse upon them, and to devote them to the servitude and misery, which their more common vices and |