in his own glory and in the glory of his Fa ther, with the holy angels. But whosoever fhall confefs me before men, him will I confefs alfo before my Father which is in heaven. And I fervently implore the OMNIPOTENT RULER of the univerfe, that we may be permitted to keep that INESTIMABLE TREASURE which has been graciously committed to our charge-that we may profit by the "chaftisement allotted to every fon whom he receiveth"-AND BECOME 66 WISE, UNTO THE SALVATION" OF OUR COUNTRY, AND OF OUR IMMORTAL SOULS!

RECAPITULATION AND CONLCUSION.

Thus has an attempt been made to point out fome of the most remarkable Prophecies of the Old and New Teftaments, and. to fhew their Connection and their Object.

These Prophecies were remote in point of time, extraordinary and improbable in point of circumftances, and full and clear in point of accomplishment; and this accomplishment was fuch as accident could not

effect,

effect, nor the contrivance or impofture of man bring to pafs '.'

The FIRST PROMISE of future falvation given to fallen man has been fulfilled in " part by the death and refurrection of our Redeemer Jefus Chrift, to whom we look for its completion, "at the time appoint

ed.'

The fingular and eventful HISTORY OF THE JEWS accords with the Original promife made to Adam, gives an awful leffon of divine mercy and justice to all mankind, and is clearly proved to have been all foreseen and forefhown.-From Abraham, when far advanced in years, fprang a race, agreeable to the Divine promife, that forms no inconfiderable portion of mankind; and in ONE of his defcendants, they have been, and fhall be, farther bleffed, in conformity to the fame promife.-The Prophetic warnings of their great Lawgiver form a faithful abridgement of their whole history, extending from his own times to the present day; or, in other words, including no shorter a period than 3000 years. He fet before

VOL. II.

* See vol. i. p. 260.

B b

this

this people the choice of obedience or of difobedience, and he fhowed the confequences of their good or evil conduct in their profperity and in their adversity. Clearly foreseeing the wrong path which their paffion for idolatry, their stubbornness, and wilful blindness, would induce them to take, he adverted fully and circumstantially to the defolate ftate of their country -the of their enemies-their capravages tivity—their dispersion—and their refidence among their enemies in a separate state, unlike that of any other captives in the world, till the time appointed for their recal m

At a time when the glory of Jerufalem was fallen, ISAIAH called upon CYRUS by name, a century before his birth, as the CONQUEROR OF BABYLON, and the RESTORER OF The people of God.

BABYLON, for her intolerance, her oppreffion, and her diffolutenefs, was condemned to ruins, at a time when he was the Metropolis of a large and mighty Empire, and the glory of the eastern World

m Deut. xxxii. 43. xxxiii. 27, 28, 29.

and the very Name of the Empire itself was foon loft in that of Persia.

THE HISTORY OF THE MESSIAH may be collected from the Old Testament; for "to him give all the Prophets witness:" they determined the time of his appearance, and defcribed his birth, character, and miracles, his fufferings, death, refurrection, and afcenfion. They set forth the success of his Religion, the fufferings of his followers, and final triumph of his Gofpel over every enemy. They prefcribed the period of time within which many of these most improbable things fhould come to pass, and the History of the world confirms their marvellous truth.

THE CALAMITIES OF THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM, the most diftreffing that ever happened, were diftinctly pointed out by the rejected Meffiah, after his earnest and affectionate calls to repentance had been made in vain. The capital of Judea, contrary to the general practice of the Romans, was totally destroyed. The Temple, contrary to the determination of Titus, the most refolute, though the most mild of Emperors, and contrary to the ardent deB b 2

fire

fire of the Jews themselves, was reduced to ashes.

Thefe SIGNAL EVENTS tended to eftablish the truth of Christianity, and proved the Divine authority of its Founder to Jews and Gentiles. They happened in conformity to the Divine declaration, and yet depended upon this People's difobedience to the Law, their pride, their profligate wickedness, and more especially, their Rejection of the predicted Meffiah. The Gospel, though oppofed by every obftacle that the power or art of men could oppose to it, was widely propagated previous to the deftruction of the Jewish polity. Multitudes in various nations furrendered their prejudices, renounced their idolatry, and reformed their lives at the preaching of the Apoftles, who were for the most part illiterate men, and particularly odious to the Gentiles from their Jewish origin.

In the Prophecies refpecting later Events, we have feen THE ANTICHRIST, the great and formidable Enemy of the true Church of Chrift, revealed with the most striking accuracy; though in fuch mystic language, that only correfponding circumftances can decypher

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