grace of the Messiah. Either the Jews did not attempt it, or they were unsuccessful; all that Solomon and the prophets said on this subject, was vain. Their wise men, also, as Plato and Socrates, could not lead them to worship the one true God.

The gospel speaks of the virginity of Mary, only until the period of the Saviour's birth; everything has reference to Jesus Christ.

The two Testaments contemplate Jesus Christ, the one as its expectation, the other as its exemplar; both as their

centre.

The prophets predict, but were not predicted. The saints were predicted, but do not predict. Jesus Christ predicts, and is predicted.

Jesus Christ for all men, Moses for one people.

The Jews are blessed in Abraham: "I will bless them that bless thee," Gen. 12: 3. "And all nations of the earth shall be blessed in him," Gen 18: 18. "Christ is a light to lighten the Gentiles," Luke 2: 32.

"He hath not dealt so with any nation," (Psalm 147: 20,) said David, when speaking of the law. But in speaking of Jesus Christ, we may say, he hath done so to all nations.

Thus Jesus Christ is a universal blessing. The church limits her sacramental services to the faithful. Christ gave himself upon the cross, a ransom for all.

CHAPTER XI.

PROPHETICAL PROOFS OF JESUS CHRIST.

I.

THE most powerful evidence in favor of Jesus Christ, is the prophecies; and to them also God appears to have had the most special regard; for the occurrence of those events which fulfil them, is a miracle which has existed from the beginning of the church to the end. God raised up a succession of prophets, during a period of sixteen hundred years, and during four subsequent centuries, he dispersed these prophecies, with the Jews who possessed them, throughout all parts of the world. Such, then, was the preparation for the birth of Christ; for as his gospel was to be believed by all the world, it required, not only that there should be prophecies to render it credible, but also that these prophecies should be diffused throughout the world, that all the world might believe.

If one individual only had written a volume of predictions respecting Jesus Christ, and the time and manner of his coming, and if Jesus Christ had come, in accordance with these predictions, the proof would be infinitely powerful. But there is more than this. There is a series of men for four thousand years, who constantly and without discrepancy foretell the same advent. He is announced by a whole people, who continue for four thousand years, to yield successive testimony to their certain expectation of his coming, and from which neither threat nor persecution could turn them; this is much ampler proof.

II.

The appointed period was predicted by the state of the Jews, by the state of the heathen, by the state of the temple, and by the number of years.

The prophets having given several signs which should happen at the coming of the Messiah, it follows that all signs should occur at the same time; and hence it followed, that the fourth monarchy should be established at the expiration of the seventy weeks of Daniel; that the sceptre should depart from Judah, and that then Messiah should come. At that very crisis, Jesus Christ came, and declared himself the Messiah.

It is predicted, that during the fourth monarchy, before the destruction of the second temple, before the dominion of the Jews had ceased, and in the seventieth week of Daniel, the heathen should be instructed and led to the knowledge of that God, whom the Jews worshipped, and that those who loved him, should be delivered from their enemies, and filled with his love and his fear.

And it did happen, that during the fourth monarchy and before the destruction of the second temple, multitudes of the heathen worshipped God, and lived a heavenly life; women devoted to God their virginity, and their whole life; men renounced a life of pleasure; and what Plato could not accomplish with a few chosen and well disciplined individuals, was now effected by a secret influence, operating through a few words, on hundreds of thousands of illit

erate men.

And what is all this? It is that which has been foretold so long before. "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." All men were lying in wretchedness and unbelief. Now the whole earth kindles into love. Princes lay aside

their splendor; the wealthy part with their abundance; young girls submit to martyrdom; children forsake their homes to live in the deserts. Whence is this energy y? It is that Messiah has come. This is the effect and the proof

of his arrival.

For two thousand years the God of the Jews was unknown to the countless multitudes of the heathen; but, at the time predicted, the heathen rush in crowds to worship this only true God. The temples are thrown down; and kings themselves bend before the cross. Whence comes this? The Spirit of God has been poured out upon the earth.

It was foretold that the Messiah should come to establish a new covenant, which should cause them to forget their departure from Egypt, Jer. 23: 7; that he should write his law, not on an exterior tablet, but on their hearts, Isaiah 51:7; and put his fear, which, till then, had been only superficial, in their hearts also, Jer. 31: 33; that the Jews should reject Christ, and that they should be rejected of God, because the chosen vine brought forth wild grapes only, Isaiah v; that the chosen people should be faithless, ungrateful, and incredulous, "an unbelieving and gainsaying people," Isaiah 65: 2; that God should smite them with blindness, and that they should stumble like blind men at noon-day, Deut. xxviii; and that the church should be small at its commencement, and increase gradually, Ezek. xlvii.

It was foretold that then idolatry should be overthrown; that the Messiah should overturn all the idols, and bring men to the worship of the true God, Ezek. 30: 13; that the temples of images should be broken down, and in every place, a pure offering should be offered, and not the blood of beasts, Mal. 1: 11; that he should teach men the

perfect way, Isaiah 2: 3, Micah 4: 2; that he should be the king, both of Jews and Gentiles, Psalm 2: 6—8. lxxi. And never has there come either before or since, any man who has taught anything like this.

And at length, after so many individuals have predicted this advent, Jesus Christ appeared and said: I am he, and the time is fulfilled. He came to teach men that they had no enemies but themselves; that their sinful inclinations separate them from God; that he came to deliver them, and to give them grace, that he might gather all men into one holy church; that he came to unite in this church both Jews and Gentiles; and to destroy the idols of the one, and the superstitions of the other.

What the prophets have foretold, said he, my apostles will shortly accomplish. The Jews shall be rejected; Jerusalem will soon be destroyed; the Gentiles shall come to the knowledge of God; and when you shall have slain the heir of the vineyard, my apostles shall turn from you to them.

Afterwards we find the apostles saying to the Jews, a curse is coming upon you; and to the Gentiles, you shall know the Lord.

To this dispensation all men were hostile, owing to the natural opposition of their hearts. This king both of Jews and Gentiles, was oppressed by both, who conspired to kill him. All that was mighty in the world, the learned, the wise, the powerful, united against this nascent religion. Some wrote, some censured, and others shed blood. But notwithstanding all opposition, in a short time, we see Jesus Christ reigning over both, destroying the Jewish worship in Jerusalem, which was its centre, and erecting there his first church; and destroying the worship of idols