with the event fulfilling the fame, throughou 3,97 for i filling the the ages of the world; both, for the better con firmation of faith," as he faith, and for the bet ter illumination of the church, touching thofe parts of prophefies which are yet unfulfilled."

Such a work would, indeed, be a great con frmation of our faith, it being the prerogative of God alone, or of thofe who are commifioned by him, certainly to foretell future events; and the confequence is fo plain and neceffary, from the believing of prophefies to the believing of revelation, that an infidel hath no way of evading the conclufion, but by denying the premifes. But why thould it be thought incredible for God, upon fpecial occafions, to foretell future events? Or how could a divine revelation be better attefted and confirmed than by prophefies? It is certain that God hath perfect knowledge of futurity, and forefees all things to come as well as comprehends every thing pat or prefent. It is certain too, that as he knoweth them perfectly himfelf, fo he may reveal them to others in what degrees and proportions he pleafeth; and that he actually hath revealed them, in feveral inRances, every man muft acknowledge, who compares the feveral propheties of fcripture with the events fulfilling the fame,

But fo many ages have paffed fince the fpirit of prophefy hath ceafed in the world, that fome perfons imagine, that no fuch thing ever exifted, and that what we call predictions, are only hiftories written, after the events had happened, in a prophetic file and manner which is eafily faid, indeed, but hath never been proved, nor is there one argument to prove it. On the contrary,

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there are all the proofs and authorities, which can be had in cafes of this nature, that the pro phets prophefied in fuch and fuch ages, and the happened afterwards in fuch and fuch ages: you have as much reafon to believe thefe, as you have to believe any ancient matters of fact whatever; and by the fame rule that you deny thefe, you may as well deny the credibility of all

But fuch is the temper and genius of infidels ! They underflund neither ubat they fay; nor wheret of they affirm, and fo betray their own igno, rance, rather than acknowledge the force of divine truth; and affert things without the leaft thadow of proof, rather than admit the ftrongeft proofs of divine revelation! It betrays ignorance, indeed, altogether unworthy of perfons of liberal education, not to know when fuch authors flou rithed, and fuch remarkable events happened; and it must be fomething worfe than ignorance to affert things without the lealt appearance of proof, contrary to all the marks and characters by which we judge of the truth and genuineness of ancient authors; contrary to the whole tenor of history both facred and profane, 'which, in this, refpect, give much light and afiftance to each others and yet thefe are the inen, who would be thought to fee, farther and to know more than other people, and will believe, nothing withous evident proof and demonitration!

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The facts, fay they, were prior to the predic tions, and the propheties were written after the hiftories. But what if we thould be able to prove the truth of prophefy, and confequently the truth of revelation, not by ai induction of parctilars long foretold and fine; the predictions

whereof you may therefore fuppose to have been written after the hiftories; but by înftances of things which have confeffedly many ages ago been foretold, and have in thefe latter ages been fulfilled, or are fulfilling at this very time; fo that you cannot poffibly pretend the prophefies to have been wriften after the events, but must acknowledge the events, many ages after, to correfpond exactly with the predictions many ages before? This province we will now enter upon, and we will not only produce inftances of things foretold with the greatest clearnefs in ages pre ceding, and fulfilled with the greatest exactness in ages following, if there is any truth in hiftory, facred or profane; but we will alfo (to deftroy the objection entirely) infift chiefly upon fuch prophefies, as are known to have been writ ten and publifhed in books many ages ago, and yet are receiving their completion, in part at least, at this very day."

MANY prophefies, fays Mr. Jenkins, are of fuch a nature, that none but God could be the author of them; and thefe, in their accomplishment, muft afford an indifputable evidence in favor of divine revelation.

Such are the predictions of things to be fulfilled in fucceeding ages, and which, in their completion, depend on the counfels and actions of free agents. It is, indeed, beyond the capacity of the human understanding to conceive how it is poffible events fhould be forefeen fo many ages, before even the agents of the events had an exiftence. But when God foretells things of this nature, by his prophets, is it not a certain mode to atteft the truth of divine revelation? It is the prerogative of that

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almighty being, who formed the mountains and treated the winds, to declare unto man what is his thought." he falfe Gods of the heathen; were challenged, by a prophet, f to fhew things to come, that it might be known they were Gods."

In the facred hiftory, says a writer of distinguifhed eminence, we perceive a multitude of inpired men, who do not fpeak doubtfully,, with helitation, or by conjecture, but with an affirmative voice, loudly and publicly declare, that fuc and fuch events Lould certainly happen in the time and place, and with all the circunftances that there prophets exprefs. But what events? The most particular, the most perfonal, and fuch as molt nearly concerned the intereft of the nation, and at the fame time were the most remote from all outward appearance. Under the Hourishing Teigus of Uzziah and Jotham, When the ftate eujoyed peace and plenty, and luxury in eating, building, and furniture was carried to excels, what likelihood was there of the terrible faminé and fhameful captivity, Ifaiah then threatened the ladies of the greateft diftinction with; or what probability of the extreme mifery which actually befel them in the following reign

When, fome time after, Jerufalem, invefted by the numerous army of Sennacherib, was reduced to the lait extremity, without troops, without provilions, or any hopes of human 'affistance, efpeci

ally after the army of the Egyptians had been cut to pieces, was the prediction of Ifaiah credible, that the city fhould not be taken; that it thould not be befieged in form; that the enemy fhould not caft an arrow against it, and that this formidable army fhould be exterminated at once, without any human concurrence, and its king put to flight?

The entire deftruction of the kingdom of the ten tribes; the carrying Judah away captive to Babylon, after the conqueft and overthrow of Jerufalem; the exprefs term of feventy years fet for the duration of their captivity; their glorious return into their own country; their deliverer fpe. cified and called by his proper name, above two hundred years before he was born; the furprising and till then unheardof manner, in which this famous conqueror was to take Babylon; could all thefe things have been the effect of human fore. fight, or was there the leaft appearance of them, when foretold by the prophets?

Thefe predictions, however, illustrious as they were, ferved only as a preparation to others of far greater importance, to which the accomplishment of the former was to give a degree of authority and credit, fuperior in ftrength to all that human understanding could imagine or defire, for the gaining of a full conviction and an unchangeable belief. It is plain, I mean the predictions relating to the Meffiah, and the establishment of the chrif. tian church. Thefe are fo clear and circumftantial, that they furpafs all imagination. The prophets have not only specified the time, the place, and the manner of the Meffiah's birth, the principal actions of his life, and the effects of his