mitted to keep that INESTIMABLE TREASURE which has been graciously committed to our charge-that we may profit by the "chaftife

ment allotted to every fon whom he receiveth"

AND BECOME WISE, UNTO THE SALVATION" OF OUR COUNTRY, AND OF OUR IMMORTAL SOULS ! .

RECAPITULATION AND CONCLUSION.

Thus has an attempt been made to point out some of the moft remarkable Prophecies of the Old and New Teftaments, and to fhew their Connection and their Object. These Pro

phecies were remote in point of time, extraordinary and improbable in point of circumstances, and full and clear in point of accomplishment; and this accomplishment was fuch as accident could not effect, nor the contrivance or imposture of man bring to pass ".'

The FIRST PROMISE of future falvation given to fallen man has been fulfilled in part by the death and refurrection of our Redeemer Jesus

» See vol. i. p. 248.

Christ,

Christ, to whom we look for its completion, at the time appointed."

The fingular and eventful HISTORY of the Jews accords with the Original promise made to Adam, gives an awful leffon of divine mercy and juftice 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 promise, that forms no inconfiderable portion of mankind; and in ONE of his defcendants, they have been, and shall be, farther bleffed, in conformity to the fame promise.-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 fhorter a period than 3000 years. He fet before 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 adverfity. Clearly foreseeing the wrong path which their paffion for idolatry, their stubbornness, and wilful blindness, would induce them to take, he adverted fully and circumftantially to the defolate state of their country the ravages of their enemies-their captivity their difperfion-and their refi

dence

dence among unlike that of

their enemies in a feparate ftate,

any other captives in the world, till the time appointed for their recal °.

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

THE HISTORY OF THE MESSIAH may be collected from the Old Teftament; for "to him give all the Prophets witnefs:" they determined the time of his appearance, and defcribed his birth, character, and miracles, his fufferings, death, refurrection, and afcenfion. -They fet forth the fuccefs of his Religion, the fufferings of his followers, and final triumph of his Gospel over every enemy.

D

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

They

They prefcribed the period of time within which many of these most improbable things should 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 distinctly pointed out by the rejected Meffiah, after his earneft 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 defire of the Jews themselves, was reduced to ashes.

Thefe SIGNAL EVENTS tended to establish the truth of Chriftianity, 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 efpecially, their Rejection of the predicted Meffiah. The Gofpel, though oppofed by every obftacle that the power or art of men could oppofe to it, was widely propagated previous to the deftruction of the Jewish polity. Multitudes

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 seen THE ANTICHRIST, the great and formidable Enemy of the true Church of Christ, revealed with the most striking accuracy; though in fuch myftic language, that only correfponding circumstances can decypher it. WE HAVE SEEN THE ANTICHRISTIAN

POWER ARISE AT THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME IN THE CORRUPTIONS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME IN THE WEST, AND IN THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF MAHOMET IN THE EAST-WE HAVE TRACED THE PROGRESS OF ITS INTOLERANT POWER-ITS HEIGHT-AND ITS DECLINE, IN BOTH; AND WE HAVE SEEN IT MAKE ONE LAST GREAT EFFORT NEAR THE END OF ITS 66 APPOINTED TIME,' IN THE VIOLENT AND WIDE-SPREADING INFIDELITY OF THE LATER AGES, THROUGH ROMAN CATHOLIC, MAHOMETAN, AND PROTESTANT COUNTRIES, TO CONVULSE THE WORLD BEFORE IT IS ITSELF DESTROYED.

"

These