It is doubtless a mistake, to suppose that prophecy was intended solely or chiefly for their sakes in whose time the events predicted are to happen this point enlarged on and explained. If we consider the use of prophecy, this will help us to conceive the degree of clearness which ought to attend it. Some people talk as if they thought the truth of some facts recorded in the gospel depended on the clearness of the prophecies relating to them; and they seem to think that they are confuting the belief of our Saviour's resurrection, when they are trying to confound the prophecies which refer to it: but we must be in possession of the fact before we can form any argument from prophecy; and therefore the truth of the resurrection, considered as a fact, is quite independent of the evidence or authority of prophecy. The part of unbelievers should be, to show from the prophets that Jesus was necessarily to rise from the dead; and then to prove that in fact he never did rise: here would be a plain consequence; but if they do not like this method, they ought to let the prophecies alone.

There are many prophecies in the Old Testament relating to the Babylonish captivity, with the destruction of Jerusalem, and the Temple, &c. Can it be supposed that these prophecies were intended to convince the people of the reality of the events when they should happen? Was there any danger that they should imagine themselves safe in their own country, when they were captives at Babylon, unless they had the evidence of prophecy for their captivity? This point enlarged on.

But if it be the case that we must admit all the facts of the gospel to be true, before we can come at the evidence of prophecy, what occasion, it may be said, have we to inquire after prophecy at all? Are not the many miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles sufficient evidence to us of the truth of the gospel, without troubling ourselves to know whether and how these facts were foretold? In answer to this it may be said that such facts, once admitted to be true, are a complete evidence of the divine authority of a revelation. Had we known no more of Christ than that he claimed to be attended to as a person sent by God, he needed no other credentials than those which he showed; and it would have been impertinent to demand what prophet foretold his coming? For in a like case, who foretold the coming of Moses? His authority as a divine lawgiver stands on his miraculous works, and on the wonderful attestations given to him by God; but not on prophecy, since there were no prophecies relating to him and this shows that prophecy is not essential to the proof of a divine revelation.

But the case of the gospel differs from that of the law; for though the law was not prophesied of, the gospel was: he who delivered the law was one of the first who prophesied of the gospel, and told the people so long beforehand, that God would raise a prophet like unto him, whom they must hear in all things. Of him also the succeeding prophets speak more fully. Now one of the characters which our Saviour constantly assumes and claims in the gospel is this, that he is the person spoken of by Moses and the prophets. This then is the

point to be tried on the evidence of prophecy; viz. whether there be enough plain and clear in the prophecies to show us that Christ is the person foretold under the Old Testament. If there is, we are at the end of our inquiry, and want no farther help from prophecy, especially since we have seen the day dawn, and enjoyed the marvellous light of the gospel of God.

We do not here take into consideration the great advantages that may be made of prophetical evidence for convincing unbelievers of the truth of the gospel: we are only considering how far the truth of the gospel necessarily depends on this kind of evidence. These are two very different inquiries: this point enlarged on.

DISCOURSE III.

To enable ourselves to judge of prophecy, we must inquire to what end it was given. It cannot be maintained that we have any right to the knowlege of things future; we can make no demand on the wisdom, or goodness, or justice of God for any degree of it; whenever therefore we have any, we must ascribe it to some special reasons of Providence, which reasons alone can limit it: for if we have from prophecy so much light as fully answers the end of giving it, what reason can we have to complain for want of more? We come therefore to the only proper consideration: what end did the wisdom of God propose by the ancient prophecies, and how has it been served by them? What the writer understands by prophecy explained.

It cannot be supposed that God has delivered prophecies only to satisfy curiosity, or afford amusement to the world: there must be some end intended worthy of the Author; and what end can be conceived worthy of God, but the promotion of virtue and religion, and the general peace and happiness of mankind?

It is true, it may be said, that these things belong indeed to God; but what has prophecy to do with them? God can govern the world without letting us into his secrets; and as for virtue, religion, and our happiness, he has given us a plain law to walk by, in the result of that reason and knowlege with which he has endowed us. Prophecy can never contradict or overrule this light; nor can we suppose that we came so imperfect from our Maker's hands as to be in constant want of an admonisher.

We may allow the original state of human nature to be as perfect and complete as the objector can require.

But what if the case be altered? how will matters then stand? Since man was created a moral agent, with freedom of will, it was possible for him to fall, and consequently, possibly he may have

fallen. Suppose this to be the case, and then say, from natural religion, what must such sinners do? Repent, perhaps; for it is agreeable to the goodness of God to accept repentance, and to restore offenders to his favor. The inefficacy of mere repentance fully shown. When you prove to sinners the excellency of natural religion, you only show them how justly they may expect to be punished for their iniquity; a sad truth, which wants no such confirmation: whether God will ever pardon and restore them never can be learned from that source.

Should God think fit to be reconciled to sinners, natural religion would again become the rule of their future trial and obedience; but their hopes must flow from another spring; from the promise of God alone, that is, from the word of prophecy; for which reason prophecy must ever be an essential part of such a sinner's religion. And this reasoning agrees with the most ancient and authentic account of the beginning of prophecy in the world.

During the time of man's innocence there were frequent communications between God and him, but not the least hint of any word of prophecy delivered to him: the hopes of natural religion were then alive and vigorous; it wanted no other assistance, and therefore it had no other.

But when the case was altered by the fall of our first parents, when natural religion had no longer any sure hopes or comfort, but left them to the fearful expectation of God's judgment, then came in the word of prophecy; not in opposition to natural religion, but in support of it, and to convey new hopes to man.

The prophecy then given, being the foundation of all that have been since, deserves particular consideration.

Previous observations on the historical narration of the fall, showing that the commonly received interpretation is the true one. If we interpret the words of Moses with the same equity as we use towards any other ancient writer, this plain fact undeniably arises from the history, that man was tempted and disobeyed God, and forfeited all title to happiness and to life itself; that God judged him, and the deceiver likewise under the form of a serpent. No more than this is required for considering the prophecy before us, which is part of the sentence passed on the deceiver: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel: Gen. iii. 15.

Christian writers apply this to our blessed Saviour, emphatically styled here the seed of the woman, who came in the fulness of time to bruise the serpent's head by destroying the works of the Devil, and restoring those who were held under the bondage of sin. Objections are made to this interpretation by those who look no farther than to the third chapter of Genesis. To understand it rightly, we must go back to that state and condition of things which was at the time of the delivery of this prophecy, and consider (if haply we may discover it) what God intended to discover, and what our first parents may be supposed to have understood by it.

It is shown from that state of things, that the primary intention of

this prophecy must have been to comfort and support them under their awful and severe judgment; and that this was necessary to the state of the world, and of religion, which could not have been upheld without the communication of some such hopes. They must necessarily have understood the prophecy either according to the literal meaning of the words, or according to such as the whole transaction, of which they are a part, requires. The absurdity of understanding it in the literal sense pointed out. The meaning which all the circumstances of the transaction indicated is next shown.

The application which we are to make of this instance considered. This prophecy was to our first parents very obscure; it was but a light shining in a dark place; and all they could conclude from it was, that their case was not desperate; that some remedy and deliverance would in time appear; but when, or where, or by what means, they could not understand: yet if it was a foundation for religion and confidence in God, after their fall, it fully answered the necessity of their case, and manifested to them all that God intended to make manifest. It is indeed obscure, but it is obscure in those points which God did not intend to explain at that time, and which were not necessary to be known.

But if this prophecy was obscure to our first parents, how is it that we pretend to discover so much more, and to see in it Christ, the mystery of his birth, his sufferings, and his final triumph over the powers of darkness?

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning; and whatever light he thought fit to give to our first parents, or to their children in after times, he must have always known the methods by which he would restore mankind; and therefore all notices given by him of his intended salvation must correspond to the great event, whenever the fulness of time shall make it manifest. But no reason can be given why God should at any time clearly open the secrets of his providence to men; though there is a necessary reason to be given, why all such notices as he thinks fit to give should exactly answer, in due time, to the completion of the great design. The argument from prophecy therefore is not to be formed thus. All the ancient prophecies have expressly pointed out and characterised Jesus Christ but it must be formed in this manner:-All the notices which God gave to the fathers of his intended salvation are perfectly answered by the coming of Christ. These methods tried on the prophecy before us.

As this prophecy is the first, so it is the only considerable one in which we have any concern, from the creation to the days of Noah. What has been said therefore on this occasion may be understood as an account of the first period of prophecy, under which its light was proportioned to the wants and necessities of the world, and sufficient to maintain religion after the fall of man, by affording ground for trust in God: this topic enlarged on.

The bringing in of prophecy was not the only change in the state of religion occasioned by the fall. Sacrifice came in at the same time, as appears by the course of the history; and it is hardly possible

PART II.

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it should come in, especially at the time it did, any otherwise than on the authority of divine institution. It is the first act of religion mentioned in the sacred story to have been accepted by God: in later times, when the account of things grows clearer, it appears to be appointed by him as an expiation for sin. There is indeed no express declaration of the use of sacrifice in religion at its first appearance; yet there does appear something in the account of Cain's and Abel's offering, which throws light on the matter: this subject considered; the interpretation of which leads us to perceive that the true religion instituted by God has been one and the same from the fall of Adam, subsisting ever on the same principles of faith; at first on only general and obscure hopes, which were gradually unfolded in every age, till the better days came, when God thought good to call us into the marvellous light of his gospel.

DISCOURSE IV.

WE have seen the beginning of prophecy, with the measure of light and hope which it brought. The next inquiry is, By what degrees this promise was unfolded in succeeding ages.

If we consider the first prophecy as the foundation of those hopes in which all the sons of Adam have an interest, we shall not wonder to find that the administrations of Providence have had in all ages relation to it, and will have until its full accomplishment.

One thing in this inquiry cannot easily be denied; that if the ancient prophecies regarding mankind be divine oracles, there must be a consistency in the whole; and however obscure some part of them may have been at first, or in succeeding ages, they must conspire and centre in that great end which was always in the view of Providence. Known unto God are all his works, &c. Acts xv. 18. Taking this prophecy then to contain God's purpose with regard to mankind, his administrations and succeeding declarations must be the best commentary on it.

The account we have of the antediluvian world is very short, and conveys to us but little knowlege of religion, or of the hopes and expectations then entertained; yet something there is to show that the curse of the fall was remembered and felt; and that those who preserved a sense of religion, had an expectation of being delivered from the curse; which could only be grounded, as far as appears, on this prophecy.

Noah was born in the eleventh century after the fall, when his father Lamech, by the spirit of prophecy, declared, The same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed: Gen. v. 19.

This curious passage will throw some light on the condition of the world during this period. It is shown how we may fairly conclude from it: I. That the curse on the ground subsisted in all its rigor to the days of Lamech: II. That there was an expectation in his time,