to make the Messiah known to the good, and unknown to the wicked, as was indeed predicted by Daniel, (1) that God caused him to be, in a certain sense, obscurely foretold. For, had the manner of his appearance been clearly described, there would not have been any obscurity even to bad men: and if the time had been obscurely predicted, even good men would have felt themselves in darkness. The time, therefore, was clearly declared; but the manner only in figure. Hence it happened that the wicked, apprehending that the promised blessings were merely temporal, were deceived, notwithstanding the clear predictions of the time; while the righteous were not deceived after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The mode of interpreting the promised blessings depends upon the heart, which calls that which it loves -good; but the interpretation of the promised time does not depend upon the heart. So that the clear prediction of the time, and the obscure prediction of the blessings, left none to be misled but the wicked, the rejecters of religion by choice.

But the principal question for us to consider is this ;are there prophecies enow sufficiently plain to prove that Christ is the person foretold in the Old Testament as the Messiah? If there be, it follows, for reasons already assigned, that the Old Testament is the Word of God, Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World, the New Testament not "a cunningly-devised fable," but a structure formed for everlasting duration, which those

(1) Dan. xii. 10.

who endeavour to overthrow will fail in accomplishing, and be found" even to fight against God." (m)

First, then, let us attend a little to the time and place marked out by the Prophets for the appearance of the Messiah. JACOB, on his dying bed, speaks of a person to whom the people should be gathered; this person he calls Shiloh, and declares that he shall appear before Judah ceases to be a tribe. (n)

DANIEL foretells a glorious kingdom, which God would erect on the ruins of the four grand monarchies, under the government of one whom he calls the Son of Man; and whose empire, though small in its origin, should be both universal aud eternal. (o) He afterwards prediets that in seventy weeks (of years), that is, in 490 years, after the issuing of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem, probably referring to that given in (m) Acts, v. 39.

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(n) Gen. xlix. 10. Origen in his piece against Celsus, lib. i. cap. 43., asks "How Jacob could foretell that the rulers of the Jewish "nation, which consisted of no less than twelve tribes, should come "always of the tribe of Judah." He proceeds," this we see has been 66 so evidently and so remarkably verified, that the whole body of the Jews now take their name from that tribe, which held the reins of "government in their hands: and it is matter of astonishment to all, "who are not biassed by prejudice, that this patriarch should not merely 66 predict that the governing power should be vested in the tribe of "Judah; but that it should come to a period at an assigned time; for "the sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between "his feet UNTIL Shiloh come. And He, for whom the supreme autho"rity was reserved, is come; the Messiah, I mean, by whom the true glory of the tribe of Judah was advanced to its greatest height; he "who was the prince whom God had promised, and who might lay a "fairer claim to that title The Desire of Nations, than any one who "ever went before, and certainly than any one who will follow him.” Justin Martyr, also, adduces the same text as irrefragable. (0) Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44, 45. vii. 13, 14.

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the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, reconciliation should be made for iniquity, and an everlasting righteousness be brought in by one, whom he calls Messiah the Prince, who, he declares, shall be cut off without any demerits of his own; after which event the prophet predicts that the city of Jerusalem shall be destroyed, and sacrifices cease; yet not till the Messiah had confirmed his covenant with many of his people. (p)

ISAIAH speaks of an extraordinary child, who should be born of a virgin, of the house of David, whose name should be called Immanuel, who should grow up from infancy to manhood, who should also bear many illustrious titles (such as "the mighty God," "the everlasting Father"), which indicate him to be more than human: he predicts farther, that this personage should be most eminent for wisdom and piety, and as remarkable for sorrow and sufferings; and yet, finally, that he should establish a most successful and permanent kingdom by very peaceful and gentle -methods; these important events commencing with the cure of the blind, the lame, the deaf, and the dumb; thus laying a foundation stone in Zion. (q)

JOEL foretells an extraordinary effusion of the Spirit of God, and speaks of a remarkable deliverance which should be wrought out in Mount Zion and Jerusalem. (r)

MICAH delivers a prophecy analogous to part of Isaiah's, respecting the glorious and peaceful kingdom

(p) Dan. ix. 24, 27.

(g) Is. vii. 14. ix. 5—7. xi. 1—10. xlii. 1—7. liii. xxxv. 3, 10. xxviii. 16.

(7) Joel, ii. 28-32.

that God would erect in "the latter day;" and afterwards expressly mentions Bethlehem Ephratah as the place whence should go forth the Ruler, who should be the Illustrious Shepherd both of the Israelites and of other distant people. (s)

HAGGAI prophesies, that, during the time in which the second temple was standing, a temple which was not entirely demolished till the captivity by the Romans (though in Herod's time gradually rebuilt), God would "shake all nations," and the "Desire of all nations" should come into his temple: and that, on this account, the glory of it should be greater than that of the former house, though it was much inferior in external visible ornaments. (t)

MALACHI predicts, that JEHOVAH "the Lord” should have a forerunner: and that the Lord himself "should suddenly come to his temple." (v)

Now these and some other prophecies, which I do not here quote, so accurately define the time and place in which the Messiah was to appear, that there was an universal expectation of his appearance, as all the candid Jewish writers acknowledge, just about the period that Jesus Christ was actually upon earth. In point of time and place, then, he corresponds with the results of prophecy.

Secondly. Let us advert to predictions relative to his Character, Doctrine, Rejection, and final Triumph. In these respects we recognize Jesus Christ as foretold in the prophets by the following among a great number of particular circumstances:-That as a prophet (s) Mic. iv. 1-5. v. 2—4. (t) Hag. ii. 6-9. (v) Mal. iii. 1.

he should be like unto Moses. (w) That he should blind the eyes of the wise and learned, and preach the Gospel to the poor and despised; that he should restore health to the diseased, and give light to those who languish in mental and moral darkness. (a) That he should teach the perfect way, and be the instructor of the Gentiles. (y) That he would write his law, not on tables of stone, but on their hearts; and put his fear, which till then was displayed in external ceremonies, into their hearts likewise. (*) That he should sit as a refiner and purifier, to purge his disciples, that they might offer righteous offering. (a) That he should be a sacrifice for the sins of the world, be wounded for the transgressions of his people, bear their iniquities, justify many by the knowledge of him, and make intercession for the transgressors. (b) That he should be the chief and precious corner-stone, and yet be a stone of stumbling and rock of offence, on which the Jews should fall. (c) That the Jews should reject him, and should themselves be rejected of God, the choice vine bringing forth only wild grapes; and that the chosen people should be rebellious and gainsaying, should stumble at noon-day, and henceforward be oppressed. (d) That the stone which was rejected by the builders should be made the principal corner-stone, that it should grow into a great mountain and fill the whole earth. (e) That after the rejection and murder Acts, iii. 22. (x) Is. v. 15. xxxv. 5. ix. 2. (2) Jer. xxxi. 33. xxxii. 40.

(w) Deut. xviii. 15.

(y) Is. xlii. 6.

(a) Mal. iii. 3.

(b) Is. liii.

Heb. x. 16.

(c) Is. xxviii. 16. viii. 14,15.

(d) Is. v. 2-7. lxv. 2. Deut. xxviii. 28, 29.

(e) Ps. cxviii. 22. Dan, ii. 35.