mind you of the awful words which he subjoined to the parable of the wicked husbandmen, to whom one messenger was in vain sent after another to receive the fruits of the vineyard', until the owner "last of all sent unto them his Son." "Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders refused, the same is become the head of the corner? Whoso shall fall on that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." And when he added, on that occasion, that "the kingdom of God, which was taken from them, would be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof," he doubtless alluded to the approaching call of the Gentiles, which in several other instances he had even more distinctly predicted, in strict conformity to what the prophets had stated respecting those who would be included in the Messiah's kingdom".

II. But lastly, Jesus also referred, before his sufferings commenced, to the prophetic testimony

f See 2 Chron. xxiv. 19-21; xxxvi. 15, 16. Neh. ix. 26. Jer. xxvi. 4-6.

• Ps. cxviii. 22. For the sources, whence our Lord borrowed the general warning subjoined to his citation of the Psalmist, see Isai. viii. 14, 15. lx. 11, 12. Zech. xii. 2, 3. Dan. ii. 34, 35.

Matt. viii. 11, 12. John x. 16. Gen. xxii. 18. Ps. lxxii. 10, 11, 17-19. Isai. xi. 10; xlii. 1-6. Zech. ii. 11; viii. 22, 23. Mal. i. 11.

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of the Old Testament respecting them, and the events by which they were to be brought about. At the same time, however, by additional and still more minute statements, he made them the subjects of his own original and more express predictions. Behold," said he to the twelve, "we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.-The Son of man goeth, as it is written of him, but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed.—I speak not of you all, I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.'-All ye shall be offended because of me this night, for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.'. He that hath a purse, let him take it, and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one; for I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was numbered among the transgressors;' for the things concerning me have an end."

Such things had he said to his disciples, before there was yet any apparent fulfilment of the things which he had thus predicted. — When

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a Luke xviii. 31. Matt. xxvi. 24. John xiii. 18, 19. Matt. xxvi. 31. Luke xxii. 36, 37.

those who came to apprehend him in the garden of Gethsemane were approaching; he endeavoured to awaken their recollection of these previous assurances, and to arouse them to a sense of his and their danger by the declaration, "He that betrayeth me is at hand." And when they were astonished and confounded, he reminded them once more that nothing had occurred, which had not been prophesied respecting him, nothing, from which his Father, if it were expedient, could not deliver him. "Thinkest thou," said he to Peter, "that I cannot now pray unto my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be "?" He noticed the same to those who came to apprehend him. "All this has been done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.-The Scriptures must be fulfilled. This is your hour, and the power of darkness."

When on his trial, he professed himself to be the Christ, he cited the prophecy of Daniel, respecting the Son of man, and argued respecting the nature and object of his kingdom. - But these things will be considered in a future Lecture.

b Matt, xxvi. 53, 54.

© Matt, xxvi. 56. Mark xiv. 49. Luke xxii. 53.

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When suspended on the cross, "knowing that ALL THINGS WERE NOW ACCOMPLISHED, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, I thirst"." And being numbered with the transgressors, and having made intercession for them," he vented the feelings of his agonized soul in the opening verse of that Psalm, which had so distinctly predicted those sufferings which he had now been enduring, the minute circumstances which had attended them, and the cruel taunts which his enemies had unwittingly uttered against him.' And soon, appealing both to the law, and to the prophets, which had prophesied of all these things, and which were now accomplished, he declared with a loud voice, "IT IS FINISHED"." He "bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."

To these words, and to all those which we have cited, may we not apply the exhortation of our text? "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." We have not even alluded to more than an extract from the great volume of Prophecy. We have noticed those predictions only, which we know that our Lord actually cited, and to which he appealed, and even these but in an imperfect and cursory manner. But do not even these shew to us, that "the law and the prophets

a John xix. 28. Ps. lxix, 21. b Ps. xxii. Matt. xxvii. 46. xix. 30.

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prophesied" of HIM? He, therefore, "that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Let us hear "the voices of the prophets," directing us to Jesus as "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." And let us hear also the voice of HIM, who says, "Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth." And "to whom else should we go? for he hath the words of eternal life." Yet, how "slow of heart are we also to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" How careless about that salvation, "of which the prophets enquired and searched diligently, who did but prophesy of the grace that has come unto us!" To them "it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister these things; which are now reported to us by them, that have preached the Gospel unto us, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." "Blessed, then, are our eyes, because of the things which we have seen, and our ears, because of the things which we have heard. For many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which we see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which we hear, and have not heard them."

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'He, therefore, that hath ears to hear, let him hear!"