Page images
PDF
EPUB

Some might be ready to fay, a book of prophecy fo expreffed as to be understood before the events take place and left open to the inspection of all, will defeat its own ends. Men feeing beforehand the part which it predicts they fhall act, will guard against that conduct, and thereby defeat the prophecy. But, faith the spirit of prophecy, such shall not be the confequence of leaving the book o pen to all, though expreffed in fuch terms as may be understood without the aid of a new revelation. This unfealed prophecy fhall impose no restraint upon the conduct or the motives of men. Those who are unjust will be unjuft ftill, those that are filthy fhall be filthy ftill. He that is righteous fhall be righteous ftill, and he that is holy fhall be holy ftill.

A prophecy expreffed not merely in the symbolical language, but even in the plaineft alphabetical language, would never hinder a fingle perfon from accomplishing its predictions, nor from acting that part which it afcribes to him. In the prefent perverted state of human nature, there is fome unaccountable biafs in man, which in fpite of the strongest evidence makes him difbelieve what he does not wish to believe. Many, clear, and full, were the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Meffiah, and they were fulfilled in the most minute and ftriking manner in Jefus. But though the Jews who lived in the days VOL. II. 3 K

of

[ocr errors]

of Chrift believed the divine inspiration of these prophecies, and knew the hiftory and life of Jefus, yet instead of acknowledging him as the Meffiah, they rejected and even crucified him, and thereby fulfilled the very prophecies, which though clear in themselves, and rendered doubly fo by the events, they would not believe. And hence, it was justly faid to them in Acts ii. 23. "Him (Chrift)

66

being delivered by the determinate counsel and "foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by "wicked hands have crucified and flain."

The prophecies of God, however clear, will never prevent their own accomplishment, nor take away the liberty and refponfibility of man for his conduct. The Jews in crucifying Jefus fulfilled the prophecies concerning them, without intend ing to do fo, nay from a very different and crimi nal intention. While executing the determinate counsel of God, they intended another thing, and therefore did it with wicked hands. Similar is the cafe with men in every country and age with respect to even the clearest prophecies. There always have been, and there always will be, abun dance of men to difbelieve, in order to accomplish the prophecies of God. For inftance, though the predictions concerning the Papal hierarchy had been clearer if poffible than they are, that hierarchy would have been erected, would not have been finally diffolved until the year 1999, would

[ocr errors]

have had many votaries, and they would never have applied thefe predictions to themselves.

This obfervation does not apply to prophetic writings only. The conftitutions, the tempers, the educations, the habits, the interefts, and the inclinations of men, are fo various, and have fo powerful an influence in warping their understanding, that the plaineft didactic writings are grossly mis understood and mifapplied by fome men. Some men disbelieve and deny the plaineft doctrines of the bible. Some deny divine revelation altogether. Some are unjust and filthy, notwithstanding the plain precepts and awful denunciations of facred fcripture against fin, the powerful motives to holiness contained in it, the dictates of conscience, and even their prefent refpectability and interest. Let none therefore be afraid that the cleareft prophecy or the plaineft comment upon it will ever defeat its own end by preventing its accomplishment. And let none be furprized that this should be the cafe, fince fuch conduct in men, relative to prophetic writings, is so strictly analogous to their ordinary conduct relative to all other writings which are addreffed to the heart as well as to the understanding.

In this verse the present tenfe of the imperative is used, instead of the future of the indicative. Inftead of faying he that is unjuft shall be unjuft ftill, it is faid he that is unjust let him be unjuft ftill. 3 K 2

This

[ocr errors]

፡፡

This mode of expreffion is agreeable to the Hebrew idiom frequently ufed in prophetic writings, especially in the book of Pfalms. Not to detain the reader with other inftances, it is faid in Pfalm cix. 8. “Let his days be few, and let another take "his office.". This paffage the inspired author of the Acts of the Apostles in chap. i. 16,—20. exprefsly informs us is a prophecy concerning the the traitor Judas. "Men and brethren this fcrip66 ture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David fpake before "concerning Judas, which was guide to them who "took Jefus. For it is written in the book of "Pfalms, Let his habitation be defolate, and let "no man dwell therein and his bishopric let ano"ther take." This idiom is introduced with peculiar propriety in this verfe. The very conftruction of the language intimates, that the clearnefs of the prophecy fhall have no more influence in making wicked men abandon their wickedness and defeat the prophecy, than it could have had if they had been under an express and supreme command to be unjust still. And the knowledge of the predictions, inftead of checking the righteous and holy, will ftrengthen their faith and patience, and animate their zeal.

Verse 12th. And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work fhall be.

Jefus came quickly in the events which accomplished the first predictions in this book. He will come much fooner in all the predicted events in every age than the generality of the men of that age fhall expect, those of the millennian one only excepted. In all these events he will reward every man according as his work fhall be. The truly religious man fhall taste the comforts and joys of religion here. And to the wicked there fhall be no peace, for his heart is like the troubled fea, which cannot reft. The vials of divine wrath fhall be poured out on Antichrift's kingdom, in temporal judgements exactly affimilated to their public crimes; and the kingdom of God fhall become triumphant on earth fo foon as the world fhall be fully prepared for fuch a state. When the bride fhall have made herself ready, the fhall become the Lamb's wife. When the gold fhall be completely refined in the furnace, with it, pure as transparent glass, shall the streets of the new Jerufalem be payed. To every individual person shall Christ come quickly by death. Ere long every man living in any country or period of the world, fhall be called from this world by an authority as irrefiftable

« PreviousContinue »