CHAPTER III.

PROPHECIES RESPECTING CHRIST.

On that point which especially concerns our highest interest, even our eternal salvation, and which is the grand theme of all the prophets, from the beginning to the close, there is no obscurity of any moment, the first coming, the atoning death, the perfect righteousness, the resurrection and ascension, the supreme power, and the constant intercession of our Divine Redeemer; the gifts of his Spirit; the subjugation of his enemies, and his certain return. On these points, the predictions are, in the main, clear as the noonday. Even those who deny their application to Jesus Christ, still refer them to the Messiah. Let it ever be remembered, then, that THE PROPHECIES OF SCRIPTURE CHIEFLY BEAR ON THIS ONE POINT, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Their great design is to do honour to him, to manifest the sufficiency of his atonement, and the riches and fulness of his grace, and the nature and glory of his kingdom; that thus we may be led to believe in him, to the salvation of our souls and be filled with joy and peace in believing. It is expressly said, The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, Rev. xix. 10. To him give all the prophets witness.

There are many plain, express, and literal pro

phecies referring to Christ and his kingdom, that have no other application, and cannot be expected to have any other fulfilment than in him. The following instances have been selected as proving this: -Mal. iii. 1; iv. 5, 6. Haggai ii. 6-9. Zech. ix. 9; xii. 10. Dan. ii. 44; vii. 13, 14; ix. 24—27. Micah v. 2. Isaiah liii.'

The due consideration of the many minute circumstances, literally and expressly described so long beforehand; the many improbable and apparently contradictory events respecting Him, which were foretold successively, for nearly four thousand years, connected with their exact accomplishment, as related to us by eye-witnesses who laid down their lives in confirmation of their testimony; and corroborated as that is by the actual state of the world at present; such a consideration is peculiarly calculated to strengthen and establish our faith in Christ.

Especially, when we remember further, that those very prophecies are now in the possession of the Jews-the avowed enemies of Jesus of Nazareth. They thus become unsuspected and unexceptionable librarians, living witnesses testifying to all ages that the predictions have been preserved unaltered. If it be asked how it is that they are not themselves convinced, the answer is sufficient; multitudes were convinced by this very evidence, when the events had taken place, and the hardness of heart of others, and their rejection of Christ, were expressly foretold in the very same writings, and form an actual part of those prophetic records of which they are the depositories.

1 A full table of the chief prophecies respecting Christ is given by Mr. Horne in his Introduction.

CHAPTER IV.

PROPHECIES RESPECTING NATIONS AND COUNTRIES CONNECTED WITH THE JEWS.

As all the prophecies bear on Christ and his Church, whether Jewish or Christian, but little is said about those nations and kingdoms that have no direct concern with the Church. The reason is obvious. The Scriptures were written for the use of those who receive them. Prophecies would be useless to those who have no connection with the Church of Christ, and either reject or are ignorant of the Sacred Writings. Yet the prophecy of Noah, respecting his three sons, (Gen. ix. 25—27.) is an epitome of the history of all nations. The prophecies of Daniel too contain an abridgement of the history of the four great empires that have prevailed in the earth.

These empires are foretold in the second Chapter of Daniel, under the figure of a golden image, and in the seventh chapter under the figure of four wild beasts; representing the Babylonian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman empires.1

A clear and plain illustration of these prophecies will be found in Cuninghame's Political Destiny of the earth.

In considering the fulfilment of prophecies respecting Nations connected with the Church we have a most striking evidence of the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; an evidence that is obvious to every sincere inquirer, and every candid mind.

For the full proof of this, the reader is referred to the following works:-Bishop Newton's Dissertations, Davison on Prophecy, and Keith on the Evidence of Prophecy.

The prophecies respecting BABYLON are recorded -Isaiah xiii. 14, 45-47. Jer. 1. 51 respecting NINEVEH, by Nahum and Zephaniah ii. 13-15: respecting TYRE, Isa. xxiii. Ezek. xxvi. 27, 28. EGYPT, in Ezek. xxix. 30–32. AMMON, Ezek. xxi. 28-32; xxv. 1-7. Jer. xlix. 1-6. EDOм, in Isaiah xxxiv. Jer. xlix. Ezek. xxxv. Obadiah. MOAB, in Jer. xlviii. Ezek. xxv. 8. The PHILISTIANS, Amos i. 6-8. Zephaniah ii. 4-7. Jeremiah xlvii. And the ARABS in Gen. xvi. 10–12.

These prophecies, it is most strengthening to our faith to know, are, from the universal, though often unconscious, testimony of all historians and travellers, Christian or infidel, who have written respecting them, fulfilled, if not wholly, yet in a vast variety of particulars, in the sight of all men at the present hour.

There is a further use and application of these prophecies made by our Lord (compare Isa. xiii. 10. and Matt. xxiv. 29, &c.) and his Apostles, on which Dean Woodhouse makes the following remarks:

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'Throughout the whole of the prophetical Scripture a time of retribution and vengeance on God's enemies is announced. It is called the day of the Lord; the day of wrath and slaughter: of the Lord's anger, visitation, and judgment; the great day, and the

last day. At the same time it is to be observed, that this kind of description, and the same expressions which are used to represent this great day, are also employed by the prophets to describe the fall and punishment of particular states and empires; of BABYLON, by Isaiah (chap. iii.) of EGYPT, by Ezekiel (xxx. 2—4; xxxii. 7, 8.) of JERUSALEM, by Jeremiah, Joel, and by our Lord (Matt. xxiv.); and in many of these prophecies the description of the calamity which is to fall on any particular state or nation is so blended and intermixed with that general destruction which in the final days of vengeance will invade all the inhabitants of the earth, that the industry and skill of our ablest interpreters have been scarcely equal to separate and assort them. Hence it has been concluded by judicious divines, that these partial prophecies and particular instances of the Divine Vengeance, whose accomplishment we know to have taken place, are presented to us as types, certain tokens, and forerunners of some greater events which are also disclosed in them. To the dreadful time of universal vengeance they all appear to look forward beyond their first and more immediate object. Little indeed can we doubt that such is to be considered one use and application of these prophecies, since we see them thus applied by our Lord and his Apostles." He then refers to Isaiah xiii. 10., and ii. 1—6, 8., and compares it with Rev. vi. 12-17, and states, that though Idumea is mentioned by the prophet as the particular object of vengeance, yet it has a more sublime and future prospect, and in this sense the whole world is its object. Such prophecies" have all of them been typically fulfilled in the fall of those nations whose