When the apostles were preaching the doctrine of the crofs among various nations, they knew that, in fo doing, they were obeying the injunctions and fulfilling the predictions of Him who fent them; but no poffible objection can hence be raised against the prophecies on that important article. Had they not been affured of the truth of those facts, which they every where with so much boldnefs afferted; and had they not been infpired with courage, as well as commiffioned from above to teach them; they never would have embarked in the perilous enterprise; nor when they had undertaken it, could they ever have fucceeded without the special aid and influence of Heaven. Those that planted therefore, and thofe that watered, were nothing in this respect, but God that gave the increase. He who vouchsafed to impart the prophecy, in his own good time and by his own mighty power wrought its completion.

In most other inftances, perhaps in every one where human ability might seem competent to produce the effect, the immediate agents, totally ignorant or totally regardless of the voice of prophecy, were influenced by far

8 1 Cor. iii. 7.

other

other motives, than thofe of evincing its authority by fulfilling its declarations. The defolation of Judah was neither in whole nor in part occafioned by Chriftians. The Jews themselves brought on their calamities; the Romans were the inftruments of vengeance; and both, as well as Christians, have recorded the final iffue of the war; which was fuch as no human fagacity could foresee, no conjuncture of affairs, no traits of character in either party, could lead to conjecture. Though the Jews were afraid, or to ferve a purpose pretended to be afraid, left the Romans should take away their place and nation" ; yet after the time when they expreffed these fears as well as before, they experienced, at the hands of their generous lords, particular immunities and distinguished favours, both in Judea and in other countries 1.

To extirpate a people, or demolish a city, was contrary to the practice and lenity of the Romans in war. Their whole history affords but one or two instances of exceptions in the cafe. The compliment of the poet, parcere fubjectis," was the more valuable, because it was juft: nor had their former hu

John xi. 48.

iSee A. J. L. XIX. c. v.

manity in this age forfaken them. During the fiege of Jerufalem, the compaffionate Titus was fcarcely more folicitous to fubdue the rebels, than to rescue the fufferers and fave the city. The temple to the last he was efolved to preserve. But in oppofition to heaven the endeavours of mortals are ineffectual, and their wishes vain. The city and the temple were burnt with fire, and rafed to their foundations; and those who furvived the calamities of their country were scattered and dispersed over the face of the earth; and by a subsequent decree, while every other land faw their obftinacy and observed their affliction, in Judea alone they were not permitted to fet their feet. The blood of the holy One, according to the dread imprecation of their fathers, purfues to this day the wretched pofterity. Their blindness is still unremoved, their heart is still obdurate; therefore they are wanderers and vagabonds in the earth, living monuments of the just but tremendous wrath of heaven, and involuntary witneffes to the truth of the fcriptures and fcripture prophecies.

Had these prophecies been forged, had they been produced yesterday and accommo

* Matt. xxvii. 25.

dated

dated to the circumstances of all past ages; the face of things to day might bely the predictions and expofe the impoftor. Let this fingular people be no longer different from other people; let them adopt the religions and become members of the ftates of the various countries, whether Christian, Mahometan, orpagan, wherein they refide; melt them down in the mafs of mankind, and let them not be distinguishable from other men; or, if you choose, feparate them from the midst of other nations, tranfplant them into fome unoccupied region, colonife with them. fome uninhabited ifland, and let them there observe their religion and their laws. On either fuppofition (and either is poffible, if the holy scriptures are not true) you demonftrate those predictions to be forgeries, which declare that their infidelity and difperfion fhall be of equal duration; that they shall continue distinct, not till they fwerve to idolatry, or fink into Mahometism, but till they look upon Him whom they pierced. Days and years roll on, and sweep away in their course the operations of men and the dreams of error; but truth is a pillar of adamant, immoveable as the poles of heaven. Seventeen centuries have paffed over the fons of difperfion, and feen them the objects of con

ftant wretchedness; nor would feventeen thoufand fee them extinct or their fituation altered, should they not in the mean time embrace the gospel.

The truth then of the fcriptures of the New Testament, the prophecies whereof have been fulfilled and are daily fulfilling, being as certain as that GoD is true; there are two inferences from the whole of the argument, which claim our attention.

The first is, That it is the duty of every one, who fincerely believes the gospel, to extend its influence and power in the world; and, as GOD fhall enable him, to set forward the falvation of all men. The heavenly treafure was committed to our truft, not that we fhould bury it in the earth, or lay it up in a napkin, but that we should employ it to the glory of GoD and the good of our brethren. There is, we truft, a day approaching, when "all the ends of the world fhall remember and turn unto the LORD; and all the kindreds of the nations fhall worship before him." This bleffed æra we should not only pray for, but endeavour to haften, by fupporting the weak, confirming the wavering,

1 Pf. xxii. 27.

and