generality of mankind; but they shall appear to those persons only, who study it, with competent knowlege, uprightness, and diligences.'

That there are difficulties in the prophets, at present inexplicable to the upright and the diligent, as well as to the careless and the ignorant, is on all hands admitted. But surely the admission of this fact does not necessarily lead to the conclusion, that these difficulties will never be removed, either by the fulfilment of the events predicted, or by the successful industry and the united talents of suc ceeding critics. Four or five centuries ago, antecedently to the resurrection of letters, how extremely little was known of the Jewish or the Christian prophets, with any degree of accuracy or certainty, in comparison of what now is known! Is there not then ground to believe, that a renewal of the same efforts will be productive of similar effects? Is there not reason, not merely to hope, but confidently to conclude, that many of those obscurities, which now in a considerable degree darken the face of prophecy, will be cleared up by the acumen and research of the commentators who shall hereafter appear; and that future ages will consequently possess a very superior acquaintance with the prophetic scriptures, as well as with every other species of knowlege?

Dr. Hartly, in the second part of his Observations on Man, enters upon the evidences of the prophetic scriptures. That the degree of obscurity, which is found in the prophecies of the scriptures, is not so great as to invalidate the foregoing evidences for their divine authority: but, on the contrary, is itself an indirect testimony in their favor,' is the thirty-first proposition of that work. In order to prove this, this celebrated physician observes, First, that there are a sufficient number of prophecies, whose interpretation is certain, clear, and precise, to shew that their agreement with the events predicted is far above the powers of chance, or human foresight. But for the proof of this

52 On the Apoc. vol. I. p. 6.

point, which takes in a great compass of literature, I must,' says Dr. Hartley, refer to the writers who have treated it in detail. And as those, who have examined this point with accuracy and impartiality, do, as I presume, universally agree to the position here laid down, so those who have not done it, can have no pretence for asserting the contrary; this being an historical matter, which is to be determined as others of a like kind, viz. by the historical evidences. Secondly, that, even in the types and prophecies where interpreters differ from each other, the differences are often so inconsiderable, and the agreements so general, as to exclude both chance and human-foresight, i. e. to infer a divine communication.-Thirdly, I observe that those types and prophecies, whose interpretation is so obscure, that interpreters have not been able to discover any probable application, cannot any ways invalidate the evidence arising from the rest. They are analogous to those parts of the works of nature, whose uses, and subserviency to the rest, are not yet understood. And as no one calls in question the evidences of design, which appear in many parts of the human body, because the uses of others are not yet known; so the interpretations of prophecy, which are clearly or probably made out, remain the same evidence of design, notwithstanding that unsurmountable difficulties may hitherto attend many other parts of the prophetic writings. Fourthly, it is predicted in the prophecies, that in the latter times great multitudes will be converted to the Christian faith; whereas those who preach or prophecy during the great apostacy, shall be able to do this only in an obscure, imperfect manner, and convert but a few. Now the past and present obscurity of prophecy

53 The obscurity or unintelligibleness of one part of a prophecy, does not, in any degree, invalidate the proof of foresight, arising from the appearing completion of those other parts which are understood. For the case is evidently the same, as if those parts which are understood, were lost, or not written at all, or written in an unknown tongue.' Butler's Analogy, 1750, p. 366.

agrees remarkably with this prediction; and the opening, which is already made, since the revival of letters, in applying the prophecies to the events, seems to presage, that the latter times are now approaching; and that by the more full discovery of the true meaning of the prophetic writings, and of their aptness to signify the events predicted, there will be such an accession of evidence to the divine autho rity of the scriptures, as none but the wilfully ignorant, the profligate, and the obdurate can withstand. It is therefore a confirmation of the prophetic writings, that, by the obscurity of one part of them, a way should be prepared for effecting that glorious conversion of all nations, which is predicted in others, in the time and manner in which it is predicted54.'

Perhaps the following remarks of Dr. Worthington are not altogether inapplicable to the conclusion of the prece ding extract from Dr. Hartley. Time may operate, and often doth, on the side of both probability and credibility. It is a proverbial saying, that time brings every thing to light. It often detects frauds and impostures, removes false colorings and disguises, and overcomes prejudices, which obscured the evidence, and kept the mind in suspence from giving its assent. It may bring new proofs to light, which lay hid before; and what was no more than barely probable, or credible, may become absolutely certain. Sir Isaac Newton had made a probable conjecture, concerning the form of the earth: what he rendered probable, the French geometricians have since demonstrated to be certain. Things incredible to some persons and ages, have been known to others for certain truths. The late discoveries in philosophy, and the reports of travellers, are full of instances of this kind; and what the philosopher knows for certain, shocks the faith of the peasant. Apply this to revelation. At the first preaching of the gospel, it was thought a thing incredible, that God should raise the dead,

Acts, xxvi. 8. And Paul seemed, to the men of Athens, to be a setter-forth of strange Gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection, ch. xvii. 18, and yet Jesus and the resurrection were soon afterwards believed in by great numbers there and elsewhere","

Of the importance of contemplating, frequently and accurately, those arguments in support of revelation, which are derived from prophecy, Christians, I apprehend, are not in general sufficiently apprised. Faith,' says an eminent writer, is not one absolute and determinate thing, but it admits of degrees; proceeding from a simple assent to a proposition, which arises from a bare preponderancy of the arguments in favor of it, and advancing by the same insensible gradation, to that fulness of persuasion, which arises from the perception of the greatest clearness and strength of the evidence for it. The passions and affections, if they be at all moved by a bare assent, will be extremely languid, though the thing itself be of the greatest moment; whereas a full persuasion of the reality of an interesting object excites the most vigorous and fervent emotions. The difference of the impression they make upon the mind is properly compared to the effect of an object, placed at a very great, or a very small distance. If any thing in the conduct of life depend upon belief, we shall, in the former case, be hardly influenced by it at all; a very small motive being sufficient to overpower the effect of so superficial a faith; at best we shall be irresolute and inconstant; whereas, in the latter case, we shall be determined to vigorous and immediate action. It is, therefore, of the greatest consequence, not only that unbelievers be made converts to the Christian faith, but that the faith of believers themselves be strengthened, and they be thereby converted from merely nominal into real Christians.--Now faith is increased by the very same means by which it is first generated, viz. by an attention to the proper evidences, and a frequent contemplation of the object of it. Those persons therefore,

55 Vol. I. p. 63.

who call themselves Christians, and who must be supposed to wish to feel and act as becomes Christians, should study the evidences of their religion. They should both frequently read the scriptures, and also other books, which tend to prove their truth, and illustrate their contents

56

Having so long confined the attention of the reader to general remarks alone, I shall shortly again bring before his view some illustrations of particular prophecies: having had an opportunity, on the subject of the present chapter, of selecting from a more than ordinary number of excellent writers, I shall abstain from introducing any observations of my own.

The present chapter consists almost entirely of extracts, If this circumstance be conceived to call for an apology, I have only to observe, that it seemed important to the cause of truth and to the interests of revelation, that all the principal arguments on the credibility of prophecy, arguments which have already been clearly stated by different writers, should be brought together into a tolerably narrow compass; and that I was unacquainted with any work, in which this useful task had been completely performed. And though there may occasionally, in the course of the extracts, have been somewhat of repetition, it may be remarked, that the ideas repeated are generally sufficiently important, to deserve to be brought before the mind again and again, and to be placed in a variety of lights.

56 Priestley's Institutes, vol. I. p. 168.

57 At the same time it may not be improper to observe, that those gneral remarks on prophecy, which are introduced in the ivth chapter of the present work, occur not again in the xixth; and therefore these two chapters may, with propriety, be perused in connexion.

END OF VOLUME I.