Greek, about three hundred years previous to that event, as we have already remarked in the lecture on the Jewish scriptures. Neither can it be

a matter of doubt, that the circumstances therein foretold, are of a nature to be beyond the reach of human sagacity. In fact, unless viewed as parts of a dispensation from on high, many of the things predicted were of the most improbable. nature, and such as, one would suppose, could. never enter into the mind of man. We pass on, therefore, to adduce a few of those prophecies which received their full and appropriate accomplishment in the Lord Jesus. And, of these, the first I shall mention is that which Moses uttered when wandering with the Israelites amongst the sands of the desert: The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me.' But it But it may be objected that this is a vague and unsatisfactory prediction, inasmuch as it may apply to any, or to all, of the prophets subsequent to Moses. It cannot, however, be denied, that the prophecy received its appropriate accomplishment in the Lord Jesus. The Apostle Peter, moreover, in his address to the Jews, and the martyr Stephen, in his apology for the disciples, before the council, do severally quote the passage as predictive of their divine Master. I deem the objection, therefore, to be of no moment, and adduce the words as peculiarly applicable to Christ, and as having been accomplished in him. But, whatso

* Deut. xviii, 15.

† Acts iii. 22.

+ Acts vii. 37.

ever may be said of the vagueness of this decla ration of Moses, there is amongst the many pas. sages relative to the Messiah, in the prophecies of

Isaiah, one, which was remarkably fulfilled in the

history of the Lord Jesus. Indeed, so great is the coincidence of the prophecy with the circumstances of our Lord's life, that, did we not know it was extant many hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, it might be supposed that the passage was written subsequently thereunto by some of the early Christians. The unbeliever, finding it impossible to get over the difficulty in any other way, has not been sparing in making this vain charge against the primitive advocates of Christianity.

The passage, to which I have alluded, occurs in the fifty-second and fifty-third chapters of the book of Isaiah, beginning at the thirteenth verse of the former. In quoting it, I shall make use of a translation adopted by that truly reverend and indefatigable advocate of Christianity, Mr. Belsham.*

Agreeably to the dramatic style of writing common to many parts of the scriptures, the prophet represents the Lord God saying, Behold my servant shall prosper: he shall be raised aloft and magnified, and very highly exalted. As many

* See Mr. Belsham's Summary View. The Version is that of Michael Dodsou, Esq. He was well skilled in the Hebrew languages, and devoted much of his time to the study of the scriptures. He pablished a new translation of Isaiah, A. D: 1790, which, generally speaking, is a considerable improvement upon the elegant translation of Bishop Lowth.' See Note.-Ibid.

persons will be astonished at him, to such a degree will his countenance be disfigured, more than that of man, and his form more than the sons of men: so, many nations shall look on him with admiration: even kings shall shut their mouths. For they to whom nothing has been told concerning him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.'

'After this the Messiah, the holy person who is the subject of the prophecy, is introduced, complaining.' 'O Jehovah, who hath believed our report, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been manifested?"

The prophet then speaks in his own person, as one transported in vision to the times of the Messiah, and describing what he himself saw.' 'For he grew up in his sight as a tender sucker, and as a root from a thirsty soil: he had no form, nor any beauty, that we should regard him; nor was his appearance such, that we should desire him. Despised nor accounted in the number of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one who hid his face from us, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely our infirmities he took away, and our sicknesses he removed; yet we thought him judicially stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the discipline by which our peace was effected was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. We, all of us, as sheep have strayed: we have turned aside every one to his own way, and Jehovah has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was brought

forth, and being questioned, he opened not his mouth. As a lamb he was led to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation his condemnation was extorted: and the men of his generation who will be able to describe? for his life was cut off from the earth; through the wickedness of my people, was he smitten to death. And he was placed with wicked men in his death, and with a rich man in his sepulchre. Although he had done no wrong, neither was guile found in his mouth; yet, it pleased Jehovah to crush him with affliction.'

'Jehovah is now introduced again, foretelling the exaltation and future glory of the Messiah, and the extent and universality of his authority; which,' says Mr. Belsham, 'necessarily implies, though it does not directly express, his resurrection from the dead.' 'Since he is made an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the gracious purpose of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand. Of his labour, he shall see the fruit and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my servant shall turn many to righteousness, and their iniquities he shall bear away. Therefore I will distribute to him the many for his portion, and the mighty, he shall share as a spoil, because he gave himself up to death, and was numbered with transgressors, and he took away the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.'

Here, then, is a prophecy, written many hundred years before the birth of Christ, which was literally fulfilled in the circumstances of his mi

nistry and death. With respect to some of those passages in the prophets, which are usually ap plied to the Lord Jesus, it might be objected, perhaps, that they are of a too figurative, vague, and doubtful character, to be received in evidence, as predictive of him, or of any other per son; but against this passage there can be no such objection raised, for it received its complete fulfilment in Jesus, and can be applied to no other being whatsoever.

Before quitting the subject of the prophecies that were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus, we cannot but remark upon that passage in the book of Daniel, which particularized the period of the Messiah's advent. The prophet, after praying to God on behalf of his captive countrymen, had a vision in which an angel appears to him, and addresses him thus: Seventy complete years of rest (or desolation) have been upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to check the revolt, and to put an end to sin, and to bring back the righte ousness of ancient times: and to seal the divine oracle, and the prophet (that is, to authenticate the prophecy of Jeremiah), and to anoint the most holy things' (that is, to purify and consecrate the holy place, Jerusalem and the temple).

6

The angel interpreter proceeds to announce the advent of the Messiah, and the season when

Dan. ix. 24. to the end.

+ See Mr. Belsham's Summary View, with his Notes upon Dr. Blauey's Version.

CC