III.

On the whole, I forget not, with what awful SERMON diffidence it becomes us to reason on such subjects. But the fact being, that one, one, in preference to other nations, had the honour of conveying the prophetic admonitions concerning Jesus, it may be allowable to inquire, with modesty, into the reasons of that appointment,. and the end of prophecy being clearly assigned in sacred scripture, such reasons will not be hastily rejected, as obviously present themselves to an inquirer from the consideration of that end.

The benefits of prophecy, though conveyed by one nation, would finally redound to all; and the more effectually, we have seen, for being conveyed by one nation. May we not conclude then (having the fact, as I said, to reason upon) that, to obtain such purpose, it was fit to select a peculiar people? And, if thus much be acknowledged, it will hardly be thought a question of much moment, though no answer could be given to it, why the Jews had that exclusive privilege conferred upon them.

It is true, a great scheme of prophecy was once revealed to a Gentile King; but a King,

SERMON Connected with the Jews, and who had a Jew

III.

ish prophet for his interpreter. It is, besides,
observable of that prophetic scheme, that it
laid open
the future fortunes of four great em-
pires; but all of them instruments in the hand
of God to carry on his designs, on the Jewish
people first, but ultimately, with regard to
Jesus. For it hath been remarked with equal
truth and penetration, that Nebuchadnezzar's
vision of the four kingdoms was designed, as a
sort of prophetic chronology, to point out, by
a series of successive empires, the beginning
and end of Christ's spiritual Kingdom. So
that the reason, why those four empires only
were distinguished by the spirit of prophecy,
was, not because they were greater than all
others, but simply because the course of their
history led, in a regular and direct succession,
to the times and reign of Christ1.

Est autem Quaternio iste regnorum Danielis (quod imprimis observari velim) CHRONOLOGIA QUÆDAM PROPHETICA, non tam annorum quàm regnorum intervallis distincta, ubi regnorum in præcipuâ orbis terrarum parte, simul ecclesiam et populum Dei complexâ, sibi invicem succedentium serie, monstratur tempus quo Christi regnum à tot seculis promissum et primùm inchoandum sit, idemque demum certis temporibus consummandum.

- Ex his, quæ dicta sunt, ratio elucet, quare, ex omnibus mundi regnis, quatuor hæc sola selegit Spiritus sanctus, quorum fata tam insigni ornaret prophetiâ; nempe

We see then, on the principle, that prophecy was given for the sake of Jesus only, that no presumption lies against the truth of it, on account of its respecting chiefly one people, how inconsiderable soever in itself, or from its silence in regard to some of the largest and most flourishing kingdoms that have appeared in the world.

IV. Lastly (for I now hasten to an end of this discourse) I infer from the same principle,

That, if, even after a mature consideration of the prophecies, and of the events, in which they are taken to be fulfilled, there should, after all, be some cloud remaining on this subject, which with all our wit or pains we cannot wholly remove, this state of things would af ford no objection to prophecy, because it is indeed no other than we might reasonably expect."

quia ex his solis inter omnia mundi regna periodus tem-
porum ejusmodi contexi potuit, qua rectâ serie et ordinatâ
successione perduceret ad tempora et momenta regni
Christi. Non verò quia nulla istis paria imperia, forsan et
aliquibus majora, per omnia secula orbis visurus esset.
Nam
neque Saracenorum olím, neque hodie Turcarum,
neque Tartarorum regna ditionis amplitudine Persico aut
Græco, puto nec Assyrio, quicquam concedunt; imò, ni
fallor, excedunt.

MEDE's Works, B. III. p. 712. Lond. 1672.

SERMON

III.

SERMON
III.

For, 1. If Jesus be the end of prophecy, the same reasons that made it fit to deliver some predictions `darkly, will further account to us for some degree of obscurity in the application of them to their corresponding events.

I say will account to us for such obscurity -for, whatever those reasons were, they could not have taken effect, but by the intervention of such means, as must darken in some degree, the application of a prophecy, even after the accomplishment of it; unless we say, that an object can be seen as distinctly through a veil, as without one. For instance; figurative language is the chief of those means, by which it pleased the inspirer to throw a shade on prophecies, unfulfilled; but figurative language, from the nature of it, is not so precise and clear, as literal expression, even when the event prefigured has lent its aid to illustrate and explain that language.

If then it was fit that some prophecies concerning Jesus should be delivered obscurely, it cannot be supposed that such prophecies, when they come to be applied, will acquire a full and absolute perspicuity m.

m To this purpose the late learned and ingenious author of the Discourses on Prophecy" A figurative and

III.

2. If the dispensation of Jesus be the main SERMON subject of the prophecies, then may some of them be still impenetrable to us, because the various fortunes of that dispensation are not yet perfectly disclosed, and so some of them may not hitherto have been fulfilled. But the completion of a prophecy is that which gives the utmost degree of clearness, of which it is capable,

3. But lastly and chiefly, if the end and use of prophecy be to attest the truth of Christianity, then may we be sure that such attestation will not carry with it the utmost degree of evidence. For Christianity is plainly a state of discipline and probation calculated to improve our moral nature, by giving scope and exercise to our moral faculties. So that, though the evidence for it be real evidence, and on the whole sufficient evidence, yet neither can we expect it to be of that sort which should compel our assent. Something must be left to quicken our attention, to exçite our industry, and to try the natural ingenuity of the human mind.

dark description of a future event will be figurative and dark still, when the event happens." And again—“ No event can make a figurative or metaphorical expression to be a plain or literal one." Bishop Sherlock, Disc. II. p. 32 and 36. London, 1749.