pendance and connexion of its parts, preceding prophecies prepare and illuftrate those which follow, and these, again, reflect light on the foregoing: just as, in any philosophical system, that which fhews the folidity * of it is the harmony and correfpondence of the whole; not the application of it in particular inftances. Hence, though the evidence be but small, from the completion of any one prophecy, taken separately, yet, that evi'dence being always something, the amount of the whole ⚫ evidence, refulting from a great number of prophecies, all relative to the fame design, may be confiderable; like many scattered rays, which, though each be weak in itself, yet, concentered into one point, fhall form a 'strong light, and ftrike the fense very powerfully*.' The paffages that follow relate to prophecy in general. If the infidel object against the divine original of the predictions of fcripture, that there is much of darkness and of difficulty belonging to them, let it be remem. bered, that this objection is far from being peculiar to prophecy. It does, fays Dr. Blair, in his fermon on our Imperfect Knowledge of a Future State, plainly appear 'to be the plan of the Deity, in all his difpenfations to mix light with darkness, evidence with uncertainty. • Whatever the reasons of this procedure be, the fact ' is undeniable.' Indeed upon the fuppofition of immortality, this life is no other than the childhood of existence; and the measures of our knowledge muft ' needs be proportioned to such a state^^.* Since natural religion is by no means exempt from difficulties, it is, in truth, far from being reasonable to expect, that none fhould be found in revealed religion. With respect to those which attend the Jewish and Chris. tian revelations, it may, fays Dr. Prieftley, be remarked, 48 Hurd, vol. I. p. 35, 47. 44 Serm. vol. I. p. 88, 100. that 4 that the question is not, whether any of the particulars I have been confidering, feparately taken, be likely or unlikely to come from God, but whether the whole fyf tem, attended with fuch difficulties, may be divine. If it were poffible that any perfon fhould be asked, a priori, whether it was probable, that, under the government of a wife and good being, an innocent child ⚫should inherit the difeafes, poverty, and vices of its parent; or whether no diftin&tion would be made be⚫tween the righteous and the wicked in war, peftilence, famine, or earthquakes, he would certainly answer it ⚫ was not probable; though when he fhould come to 'know, and attentively confider the whole fyftem, of ⚫ which fuch events make a part, he might be fatisfied, 'that it was the result of perfect wifdom, directed by in'finite goodness; and even that a scheme more favourable to happiness or virtue could not have been formed; and the time may come, when we fhall know * and acknowledge the fame with respect to the extraor 'dinary, that we do with respect to the ordinary, dif'penfations of the Divine Being 45 ? · Many enquirers into the prophetic pages of fcripture have, fays bp. Hurd, been misled by the folly of com'menting on prophecy by the false lights of the imagina* tion.—It is true that prophecy, in the very idea of that term, at least in the scriptural idea of it, implies the di'vine agency; and that, exerted not merely in giving 'the faculty itself, but in directing all its operations. 'Yet I know not how it is, that, when men address 'themselves to the ftudy of the prophetic scriptures, they are apt to let this fo neceffary idea flip out of their 'minds; and to difcourfe upon them just as they would 6 ' or might do, on the fuppofition that the prophet was 45 Inflitutes, vol. II. p. 88. • left 'left at liberty to dispense this gift, in all respects, as he fhould think proper. No wonder then, that they 'fhould mifconceive of its character, and entertain very ⚫ different notions about the exercife of this power from * what the fcriptures give them of it.' If the power and the mode of predicting were entirely at the difpofal of man, it is likely enough that the pro*phet, for his own credit, or for what he might fancy to ⚫ be the fole end of prophecy, might chuse' to predict future events with all poffible clearness, and in such fort * that obstinacy itself must see and admit the completion of them but' if, on the contrary, the prophet was only the minister and inftrument of the divine counsels, in the high office committed to him,' those who affume it as a principle, that divine prophecy must be delivered ⚫ with the utmost clearness and perfpicuity, and fulfilled 'with irrefiftible evidence,-will do well to answer, at 'their leisure, the following questions. How do they ⚫ know in what manner, and with what circumftances, it was fit for divine wisdom to difpenfe a knowledge of futurity to mankind? How can they previously de⚫termine the degree of evidence, with which a predic'tion must be either given or fulfilled? What assurance have they, that no reasonable ends could be ferved by 'prophecies, expreffed with fome obfcurity, and accomplished in a sense much below what may seem neceffary 'to unavoidable conviction? Can they even pretend, * on any clear principles of reason, that very important ends, perhaps the most important, may not be answered 'by that mode of conveyance, which appears to them fo exceptionable? Can they, in a word, determine before-hand, I do not say with certainty, but with any " colour of probability, what must be the character of di'vine prophecy, when they know not the reafon, moft ' undoubtedly not all the reasons, why it is given, and · ་ ་ 'have even no right to demand that it should be given at 'all? Till these, and other questions of the like fort, be 'pertinently answered, it must be in vain to cenfure the 'ways of providence, as not correfponding to our im'perfect and short-fighted views 46. 'The ill fuccefs of men in explaining prophecies of events, not yet come to pafs, can,' fays the bp. of Wor cefter in another place, in no degree difcredit thofe 'prophecies, unlefs it be effential to this fort of revela tion to be fo clearly proposed, as that it may and must 'be perfectly understood, before thofe events happen the contrary of which I have' fhewn. The very 'idea of prophecy is that of a light shining in a dark place" and a place is not dark, if we have light enough to discern diftin&tly and fully every remote corner of it. But the thing speaks itfelf. For to what ' end is the prediction delivered in obfcure and enigmatic terms, if the purpose of the infpirer was, that the subject of the prediction should be immediately, and in 'all its circumftances, precifely apprehended? Why, then, is any distinction made between Prophecy and Hiftory? The mode of writing clearly demonftrates, 'that fomething, for a time at leaft, was meant to be ' concealed from us 48.' 6 It has been objected, as a circumftance altogether Arange and improbable, that fo fignal a gift as that of prophecy should have been bestowed upon the Jews, a nation fo obfcure, inconsiderable, unenlightened. On this point alfo I quote from bp. Hurd. To prove the truth of Chriftianity, and to forefhew the advent of the Meffiah, with the revolutions and the establishment of his kingdom; was, fays the prelate, the purpose of prophecy. It was therefore confined to one nation, purposely fet apart to preferve and atteft the oracles of God; and to exhibit, in their public records and whole 'hiftory, the proofs and credentials of an amazing difpenfation, which God had decreed to accomplish in Christ Jefus.-The teftimony thought fit to be given was not one or two prophecies only, but a fcheme of prophecy, gradually prepared and continued through a large tract of time. But how could such a scheme be executed, or rather how could it clearly be seen that 'there was such a scheme in view, if fome one people ' had not been made the repofitory, and, in part, the in'ftrument of the divine counfels in regard to Jefus; 'fome one people, I fay, among whom we might trace 'the several parts of fuch a scheme, and obferve the dependance they had on each other?-For had the notices. concerning the redeemer been difperfed indifferently ⚫ among all nations, where had been that uncorrupt and unfufpected teftimony, that continuity of evidence, ⚫ that unbroken chain of prediction, all tending, by just degrees, to the fame point, which we now contemplate * with wonder in the Jewish scriptures? It is not then 'that the rest of the world was overlooked in the plan ' of God's providence; but that he faw fit to employ the miniftry of one people: this laft, I fay, and not the other, is the reason why the divine communications 'concerning Chrift were appropriated to the Jews. Yes, but fome one of the greater nations had better been intrufted with that charge." This circumftance, I allow, might have ftruck a superficial obferver more: but could the integrity of the prophetic scheme have been more difcernible amidst the multiform and infinitely involved tranfactions of a mighty people, than in the fimpler ftory of this small Jewish family? Or 'would the hand or work of God, who loves to mani 46 'feft |