were supposed, by some, to portend great calamities." He speaks, also, of the fact that Jerusalem was compassed by an army at the beginning of the war, and that, owing to the state of parties, many of the principal men were about to open the gates; but says that the Roman general recalled the soldiers from the place without having received any defeat, and retired from the city, without any reason in the world. He then mentions that, when the Roman armies approached again, a great multitude fled to the mountains. Thus a way was made for the disciples of Christ to escape, and it is not known that a single one of them perished in that destruction. It really seems to have prefigured the final destruction of the wicked, when the righteous shall all have been gathered from among them. Josephus also speaks particularly of the trench and wall which were made about Jerusalem by Titus. This was done with great difficulty, and, except for the purpose of a little more speedy reduction of the city, without necessity, and was contrary to the advice of the chief men of Titus. But so it was written. In respect to the tribulation of those days, of which our Saviour speaks so strongly, if the purpose of Josephus had been to confirm the words of the prophecy, he could have said nothing more to the point. "No other city," says he, "ever suffered such miseries; nor was there ever a generation more fruitful in wickedness from the beginning of the world." Again; "It appears to me that the misfortunes of all men, from the beginning of the world, if they be compared to those of the Jews, are not so considerable. For in reality it was God who condemned the whole nation, and turned every course that was taken

for their preservation to their destruction." And again; "The multitude of those who perished exceeded all the destructions that man or God ever brought upon the world." The great mass of the nation was gathered within the city. They were divided into contending factions, who fought with the fury of fiends against each other. Famine did its slow but fearful work, so that women were known to eat their own children. And while those within were thus the prey of famine and of each other, those who attempted to escape were taken by the Roman soldiers and nailed on crosses, some one way, some another, as it were in jest, around the outside of the walls, till so great was the number, that room was wanting for crosses, and crosses for bodies. As Titus beheld the dead bodies that had been thrown from the walls into the valleys, "he lifted up his hands to heaven, and called God to witness that this was not his doing." These were "the days of vengeance;" and it is computed by Josephus that upwards of one million three hundred thousand persons perished in the siege of Jerusalem alone. And not only so, but, when the city was taken, it was, contrary to the wish of Titus, devoted to utter destruction; and the prophecy of Christ, that not one stone of the Temple should be left upon another, was literally fulfilled.

Of the other prophecies I have not time to speak; but the Jews were carried into captivity among all nations, and their condition from that time till now has been a standing and wonderful attestation of the truth of the prophetic record, while their present condition is an evident preparation for the fulfilment of those still more wonderful prophecies which now stand like

the bow of promise, overarching the future. According to that expression of the prophet, so wonderfully accurate, they have been sifted among all nations; yet have they, of all ancient people similarly situated, alone preserved their identity, and now seem to be preparing for that restoration which shall not only be to them the fulfilment of the prophecies, but shall be as life from the dead to the Gentile nations.

Thus, whether we look at the prophecies that related to events before the time of Christ, or to those relating to him, or to those which he uttered, or to the present state of the Jews, and indeed of the world, as indicating a complete fulfilment of the prophecies, we shall see the fullest reason to believe that "the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

I will only add, as a beautiful instance of the consistency of all Scripture, that the magnificent pictures of the prophets, respecting a state of future blessedness on earth, are just such as would be realized by the entire prevalence of Christianity, and by nothing else. These pictures are not drawn at random, or in general terms. They are precise and definite. They represent a state of peace, and purity, and love—of high social enjoyment, and of universal prosperity. And it is only by the prevalence of Christianity that such a state of things can be realized. Let this become universally prevalent, not in its form only, but in its spirit, and then nation would no more lift up sword against nation, neither would they learn war any more; then the wolf also would dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard lie down with the kid; then would the wilderness and solitary place be glad for them, and the desert rejoice; then, instead of the thorn would come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier would come up the myrtle-tree; then would the inhabitants of the rock sing, and shout from the top of the mountains; the people would be all righteous, and inherit the land forever.

LECTURE XII.

OBJECTIONS. THE

ITS

PROPAGATION OF CHRISTIANITY. EFFECTS AND TENDENCIES. - SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION.

IT has been my wish to present, in this course of lectures, as I was able, the positive argument for Christianity. I commenced the course with an invitation to the audience to go with me round about our Zion, and tell the towers thereof. Those towers are not yet all told. To some of the most common and effective topics of argument I have yet scarcely referred, and I ought, in logical order, to proceed at once to the consideration of them. This I have thought of doing, and of omitting to say any thing upon the objections against Christianity. If the time would admit of it, I should be pleased to devote at least a lecture to the consideration of these; for, while there are objections which are unworthy of an answer, - while there are persons, who make them, who would be no nearer becoming Christians if their objections were all removed,

- there are objections, the force of which I think may be removed, that weigh heavily upon some who are sincerely inquiring for the truth. To every such individual I would give my hand. I would make any effort to relieve him. I know what it is to wade in