V. SERMON prophetic power had been most signally exercised among the Jews. And now, when they were carried captive into all lands, not a single prophet arose, or hath arisen to this day, either for their reproof, or consolation. oracles ceased, If it be said, "that the pagan too, about the same time; and that the same cause, namely, the diffused light and knowledge of the Augustan age, was fatal to both;" besides, that this diffusion of light, for obvious reasons, was not likely to affect the Jewish prophecies, and did not, as we certainly know, in any degree diminish the credit of them, with that people, the fact itself, assumed in the objection, is plainly false. For the pagan oracles continued for several ages, after that of Augustus; they became less frequent, only, as Christianity gained ground; and were not silenced, but among the last struggles of ex k Is not their case exactly delineated by the prophet Ezekiel Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they SEEK A VISION OF THE PROPHET; i. e. they shall seek what they shall not find, for the LAW shall perish from the priest, and COUNCIL from the ancients; i. e. their ecclesiastical and civil polity, to which prophecy was annexed, shall be utterly abolished. See Ezekiel vii. 26. and compare Isaiah iii. 1, 2. piring paganism'. So that if the Jewish prophecies, like those of the Gentile world, had been the issue of fraud, or fanaticism (principles, that operate at all times, and, with redoubled force and activity, in the dark days of persecution) one does not see, why they might not have continued to this day among the bigoted professors of that religion. Now, put all these things together, that is, The long duration of the prophetic systemthe mutual dependance and close connexion of its several parts-the consistency and uniformity of its views, all terminating in one point and the final suppression of it (as was likewise foretold) at the very time, when those views were accomplished; consider, I say, all this, and see, if there be not something more than a blind credulity in the advocates for the divinity of such a system. See, if there be any instance upon record-of so numerous prophecies so long continued-so intimately related to each other and to one common end -so apparently verified-and so signally concluded. If there be, I shall not wonder at the suspense and hesitation of wise men, on this 1 See A. VAN DALE, de Oraculorum ethnicorum duratione atque interitu. SERMON V. SERMON Subject: but if, on the other hand, no such thing was ever seen, or heard of, out of the land of Judæa, they must excuse us if we incline to think their diffidence misplaced, and their scruples unnecessary, at least, if not disingenuous. I descend no farther into a detail on the scriptural prophecies concerning Christ's first coming. The immensity of the subject, and the plan prescribed to me in this Lecture, equally restrain me from this attempt. Obscurities there may, and must be, in so vast a scheme: Objections may, and must occur to the construction and application of particular prophecies. But let any serious man take the Bible into his hands; let him consider, not all the prophecies in that book, but such as are more obvious and intelligible; and let him compare such prophecies, as he must acknowledge, and may, in part at least, understand, with the facts, in which he sees their comple-tion, or so far, as he may think it probable that they have been completed; and I dare be confident that such an inquirer will be much struck with the amount of the evidence from prophecy, in support of divine revelation. If, indeed, on this general survey, he find nothing to affect him, I shall not desire him to push his researches into the more secret and mys terious prophecies: much less, shall I advise him to wade through that cloud of smaller difficulties, in which the ignorant temerity of some writers, and the obscure diligence of others, hath involved this, as it easily may any other, subject. TO SPEAK PLAINLY, the only consideration, which to me seems likely to perplex fair and eandid minds, is this-"That the argument from prophecy is understood to be addressed to those, who admit the divinity of the Jewish scriptures that the Jews themselves were eminently in this situation-that, besides this advantage, the Jews were better qualified, than any others, to interpret their own prophecies, and to judge of their completion—and yet, that these very men neither were, nor are convinced by this argument." Several things are here asserted, which deserve to be explained. I take them in an inverted order. I. It is said," that the Jews were not, and are not to this day, convinced by the argument from prophecy." This allegation is in part SERMON V. SERMON false for multitudes, from among the Jews, were, in the apostolic age, converted to Christianity; and these are well known to have laid a peculiar stress on this argument. The greater part of that people, indeed, disbelieved, and have continued to this day in their infidelity. But then let it be considered, 1. that we have an adequate cause of this effect, in the prejudices of the Jewish nation; prejudices, of which their whole history evidently convicts them. 2. That, notwithstanding their rejection of Jesus, they admit the existence and authority of those prophecies, which we apply to him; and that they themselves have constantly applied these very prophecies to their expected Messiah: so that the question between us is only this, Whether they, or we, rightly apply them. 3. That their perverse obstinacy in refusing to submit to the evidence of their prophecies, is itself foretold by their own prophets. II. But it is further said, "that their authority, in this controversy, is greater than ours, for that they must best understand their own prophecies, and judge best of their completion." m. The sacred text says - myriads - Θεωρεῖς, ἀδελφὲ, πόσαι μυριάδες εἶσιν Ιεδαίων τῶν πεπιςευκότων Acts xxi. 20. |