On the whole, the prophecies of the Old and New Teftament, having clearly all the qualities of what we call a system, that is, confifting of many particulars, dependent on each other, and intimately connected by their reference to a common end, there is no reason why they may not be confidered in this light; and there is great reason why they fhould be fo confidered, fince otherwife, on many occafions, we fhall not do juftice to the argument itself.

To return then to the text (which implies the existence and use of such a system) and to conclude with it. The Spirit of prophecy is the teftimony of Jefus. This angelic information presents, at first sight, an idea ftupendous indeed, but, on fuch a fubject, fuitable enough to our expectations. It offers no violence to the natural fenfe of the human mind; but, on the contrary, hath every thing in it to engage our belief and veneration.

Such is the idea of Prophecy, contem plated in itself. What conclufions (of importance, as we fuppofe, to the right apprehension and further vindication of prophecy) may be drawn from that idea, will be next confidered.

SER

SERMON III.

Conclufions from the true Idea of

PROPHECY.

REV. xix. 10.

The teftimony of Jefus is the Spirit of

Prophecy.

WE have feen how precarious all our

reasonings on divine prophecy muft

be, when built on no better grounds than those of human fancy and conjecture. The text fupplies us with a principle, as we believe, of divine authority; as all must confefs, of fcriptural authority; that is, of the fame authority as that on which prophecy itself stands.

This principle has been explained at large. It affirms that Jefus, whose person and character and hiftory are fufficiently known

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known from the books of fcripture, is the end and object of the prophetic fyftem, contained in those books.

We are now at liberty to reason from this principle. Whatever conclufions are fairly drawn from it, muft to the believer appear, as certain truths; muft to the unbeliever appear, as very proper illustrations of that principle.

In general, if difficulties can be removed by pursuing and applying fcriptural princi ples, they are fairly removed: and the removal of every fuch difficulty, on thefe grounds, must be a prefumption in favour of that fyftem, whether we call it of Prophecy, or Revelation, which is thus found to carry its own vindication with it.

From the principle of the text may, I think, be deduced, among others, the following conclufions; all of them tending to clear the fubject of prophecy, and to obviate fome or other of thofe objections, which prejudiced or hafty reafoners have been difpofed to make to it.

I. My first conclufion is, "That, on the idea of fuch a fcheme of prophecy, as the text fupposes, a confiderable degree of obfcurity may be reasonably expected to attend the delivery of the divine predictions."

There are general reasons which fhew that prophecy, as fuch, will most probably be thus delivered. For inftance, it has been obferved, that, as the completion of prophecy is left, for the most part, to the inftrumentality of free agents, if the circumstances of the event were predicted with the utmost precifion, either human liberty must be reftrained; or human obftinacy might be tempted to form, the abfurd indeed, but criminal purpose, of counteracting the prediction. On the contrary, by throwing fome part of the predicted event into fhade, the moral faculties of the agent have their proper play, and the guilt of an intended oppofition to the I will of heaven is avoided. This reafon feems to have its weight: and many others

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might