be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me."-We have in a former Lecture considered the entire series of our Lord's predictions, and shewn how he stated beforehand the purpose for which he delivered them, in order that "when the things referred to, came to pass, they might remember that he told them of those things; and, thus remembering his words, might believe." And when "all things were brought to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them," every previous fear that they might have been deceived in Jesus, was replaced by the most perfect confidence in him, and the most consolatory belief of his divine mission. Nor do I know any consideration more convincing to ourselves, than that Jesus distinctly foresaw, accurately described, and with the utmost composure and complacency looked forward to those painful transactions, which terminated his ministry, and produced consequences so astonishing, and so permanent.

It obviously appears from the resurrection of Jesus, that God did not disown him, though he did not deliver him from sufferings, and from death. Nay, those very sufferings were almost immediately followed by that event, which confirmed his words as a prophet, and established his authority as a divine teacher. But in order to the complete discovery

of his character, we must advance still further, and once more advert to the consideration, that the things, which had happened to him, were such as had been described by the Prophets. Jesus was therefore one, whose mission had long before been designed in the counsels of God. But this may also be said of Cyrus and of John the Baptist. A comparison of the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus, with the predictions respecting them, enables us to ascribe to him a more exalted character; no other than that of the Messiah, whose coming had been foretold to the Jews, and who was by them expected to come.

Jesus himself enlarged upon this subject to his disciples after his resurrection, then entering upon the more particular detail of those statements, which, as we have shewn in a preceding Lecture, he frequently made before his death. "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning ME." Even a very general and superficial view will discover to us that the circumstances of the birth of Jesus, the character and office of his forerunner, and his own character, ministrations, and miracles, were certainly conformable to prophetic description. If, then, his claim to be the Messiah is established as far as these are con

cerned, are his sufferings and death sufficient to refute his pretensions? They still more strongly confirm them. For these very things are as distinctly and variously specified "in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms," as any of the others. And in order to shew this important truth to his disciples, and thus perfectly to instruct them unto the kingdom of God, Jesus advanced still farther than to announce the mere fulfilment of the prophecies in himself; for he applied the obvious fact to establish them in the belief of his Messiahship, and in the right knowledge of the purposes of his now finished commission.

"Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures; and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved THE CHRIST to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

He led them to see that one consistent and ever growing testimony to the character, and office, and proceedings of the Messiah, is observable in the prophetic writings; and that all their sublime, and varied, and seemingly contra

a As the establishment of this position would occupy more room than the plan of these Lectures will allow, the Author must content himself with referring to Mede, Discourse 13. and to Dr. Hales's Chronology, Vol. II. Part II. p. 929.

dictory descriptions were fulfilled in those things. which had happened to himself. They had seen reason, before his " delivery into the hands of wicked men," to acknowledge his Messiahship. But his death had wholly staggered them; for "as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead." But that death which had overwhelmed them with despair, and that resurrection which they had so little expected, and of which they were with such difficulty convinced, were as necessary as any other particulars, to prove his Messiahship. For "thus it was written, and thus it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day." Since therefore such things were predicted of the Christ, and since they had been fulfilled in himself, he was by new and decisive evidence proved to have a just claim to that title.

He announced to them further, that "it behoved the Christ thus to suffer, and rise from the dead," not in order that he might be exalted to an earthly throne, but that "repentance and remission of sins might be preached among all nations." For thus also "it is written" of the Christ. The occasion and the terms of the original promise of the deliverer from evil-the succeeding promises and predictions of the patriarchal ages-the typical observances of the law -the prayers and promises, and predictions,

found in the writings of the later prophets-all these asserted and explained the spiritual nature of the blessings which it was his office to procure and to bestow. And although the Messiah was to be born in Judea, and "the word of reconciliation" was to be ministered by Jews, and to begin at Jerusalem, yet all nations have ever been contemplated as having an interest in this design. So had it been expressed in all the earlier prophecies; nothing had been stated to the contrary in the later ones; and to all nations would this grand scheme in due time be made known.

Although only the heads of that discourse, in which our Lord unfolded and illustrated these things, are recorded in the Gospels, yet in the citations of prophecy, and allusions to it, by all the Evangelists, and by the Apostles, in their discourses recorded in the Acts, and in their Epistolary writings, we are furnished with ample aid for taking a survey of the whole prophetic scheme, and for ascertaining the fulfilment of the prophecies, and the accomplishment of the divine promises, in the character, and office, and work of Jesus. Enough, probably, is already familiar to each of us to enable us not only to comprehend the reasonings of our Saviour in the text, but also to derive from thence a conviction of the truth of the Gospel, and an illustration of its nature. And Jesus having thus instructed his disciples, in the