of our Lord acknowledged the appeal to the omnipotence of God, as fully sufficient to divert, and set aside, the seldom deviating course of nature. The Gospel historians have taken ample pains to prove, that Christ was a branch from the stem of Jesse, in the line of Joseph, whose adopted Son he was, and by such adoption heir to every paternal right, heir to the throne of David. Moreover, to obviate every cavil, his descent from David is clearly shewn from Heli, the descendant of Nathan, the son of David; and that no prophecy might fall to the ground as of little consequence, this genealogy comprehends the promises made to Eve,. to Abraham, and to David. To the woman it was declared, "That her descendant "should bruise the Serpent's head,"* should overcome the Devil, and crush the powers of darkness; to Abraham it was promised, that "In his seed should all the nations * Genesis iii. 15. ❝ of 1 "of the earth be blessed;"* to David it was declared, that God would establish the throne of his kingdom for ever: "I will "be to him a Father, and he shall be to me 66 a Son. And thine house and thy king"dom shall be established for ever before "thee, thy throne shall be established for "ever." By Moses it was also asserted, "A "prophet shall the Lord your God raise up 66 unto you of your brethren, like unto me; "him shall ye hear in all things, what66 soever he shall say unto you. And it "shall come to pass, that every soul which "will not hear that prophet, shall be de"stroyed from among the people." The express and clear declarations of the nature of our Saviour's kingdom, his own unreserved assertion, that "It was not of "this world," must create a considerable degree of astonishment in us Gentiles, at * Gen. xxii. 18. + 2 Sam. vii. 14, 16. Deut. xviii. 15. the demption, and everlasting salvation? Fine proofs of wisdom, information, and sagacity! In my last discourse, I laid before you the prophecies of Isaiah respecting the Gentiles, in which they were represented as being naturally blind, yet enabled by the Gospel to receive preternatural light. I purpose now to shew you, that the same prophet represents the Jews, as enjoying the clearest natural light, yet wandering in the mist of error, and of wilful blindness. "The light shined in darkness, and "the darkness comprehended it not. There 66 was darkness over all the land of Israel 66 so thick that it might be felt. The deaf "adder stopped her ears at the voice of "the charmer, and would not hear, charmed " he never so wisely." "And the Lord "said, go, and tell this people, hear ye "indeed, but understand not; and see ye "indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart ❝ of "of this people fat, and make their ears "heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their 66 ears, and understand with their hearts, "and be converted, and I should heal ❝ them."* "The ox knoweth his owner, "and the ass his master's crib, but Israel "knoweth not me, neither doth my people "consider." "Ah sinful nation, a people "laden with iniquity. A race of evil "doers, children degenerate. They have "forsaken Jehovah; they have rejected "with disdain the holy one of Israel; they "have turned their backs upon him." Any one may understand this prophecy, and justly apply it to the Jews. Unconvinced by all his miracles, unmoved by the Hosannas of the croud, and the inspired acclamations of the children in the temple, they were sore displeased. They requested our Saviour to rebuke them, but he answered, "These children are now fulfilling the will “of the Most High, delivered in the words " of David," "Out of the mouths of babes "and sucklings hast thou perfected praise."* "They are now performing that sacred duty, "which your malice and your blindness 66 prevents you from doing." The witnesses of our Saviour's birth were shepherds; the companions of his life were Galilean fishermen; St. Matthew was a publican, a tax-gatherer, the odious instrument of foreign oppression; were these men likely (let me ask) to support an artful scheme of delusion, and to render it popular? Men whose daily labour was requisite to procure their daily bread, could not have much leisure, and certainly not much inclination, to assist in any "cunningly devized fable," which on its very threshold * Matt, xxi. 16. held |