his wisdom, and that Jesus of Nazareth, in whose history they have been fulfilled, is the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

men.

However, in the popular sense, the age of miracles may be past, God hath not left himself without witness, nor us without a supernatural manifestation. of his immediate superintendence of the affairs of The coincidence of history and prophecy is a perpetual miracle, ever new in every generation, and yet as certainly the operation of Divine power and wisdom as the dividing of the Red Sea by the staff of Moses, or the descent of fire from heaven, in answer to the prayers of Elijah; as palpable to the senses, and as far above the reach of fraud or imposture; and whenever asked for a reason of the hope that is in him, or perplexed by the cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive, the Christian can here point to the finger of God, and here find a sure warrant for his faith. There were prophecies going before. There is in the history of Jesus an accurate and wonderful fulfilment. The coincidence can be ascribed to nothing but the will and power of the Almighty. The prophecies, therefore, are divine, and Jesus is the Messiah.

Such was the result proposed to be established by these lectures. We cannot, however, dismiss the subject before us, without adverting to some other important results which flow from the past fulfilment of prophecy. The coincidence which we have just considered is of use, not only in con

firming our faith, but in animating and regulating our hope, and guarding us against serious practical error. The literal and accurate accomplishment of so many prophecies leads us to expect with confidence the fulfilment of those which still remain, and thus fills the mind with bright prospects of hope concerning the future destinies of our fellow men and the world which we inhabit. It has pleased the Divine Being not only to give us a never-failing confirmation of our faith in the prophecies already accomplished, and an adequate view of our duty in the moral precepts, but to reveal in oracles reaching to the end of time the ultimate triumph of truth and holiness, the destruction of the wicked, and the final blessedness of this earth; and in the partial fulfilment which we behold, we have an earnest of their future and complete accomplishment. Thus St. Peter argued from the glory manifested at the transfiguration to the certainty of a full manifestation at the second advent. 'We have not followed cunningly devised fables,' said he, (2 Ep. i. 16,) ' when we made known unto the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount; and have the word of prophecy more

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sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.' And what the transfiguration was to St. Peter, the past and present fulfilment of prophecy is to us. It assures us that we are not following cunningly devised fables, and makes the word of prophecy concerning the future more sure. It enables us, amidst the cares and troubles of time, and the clouds which occasionally spread a gloom over the Church of God, to look forward to a brighter day, and to interpret with more certainty that which is said concerning it.

There is one lesson, however, suggested by the entire inquiry in which we have been engaged, which must not be overlooked, and that is, the great danger of ignorance of the prophecies. In explaining particular prophecies, and showing their fulfilment, the unbelief of the Jewish nation has been frequently noticed; but whence did this unbelief arise, and how has it been continued? No doubt, the depravity of the human heart, the love of the world, the force of prejudice, have all had their share in its formation, but it cannot be denied that the main cause was and is, ignorance of those prophecies which related to the humiliation and suffering of the Messiah. "They were slow to believe all that the prophets had spoken. They knew not the time of their visitation.' They could not discern the signs of the times, and therefore recognised not

the Holy One and the Just when he appeared in the midst of them. They did not understand the prophecies respecting the call of the Gentiles, and therefore by opposing it filled up the measure of their iniquity, as St. Paul says, (1 Thess. ii. 15,) 'Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their wrath always.' From these evils, a knowledge of the prophecies would have delivered them. How carefully, then, ought we to study all that God has vouchsafed to reveal respecting the future destinies of the Jew and the Gentile, and the Church of God. A common prejudice prevailed largely in the Church, that to study unfulfilled prophecy is no part of a Christian's duty -that to compare what has been fulfilled with its accomplishment is the very utmost that can be required in reference to the prophetic Scriptures; but that the devotional, the historical, and the preceptive portions of the Bible should be the objects of our exclusive attention.

This prejudice has been common, but warranted by no declaration of the Almighty. St. Paul declares, generally, that 'Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scripture, might have hope.' St. Peter says particularly, เ That we do well to take heed to the word of

prophecy as unto a light that shineth in a dark place.' And concerning that which is considered most obscure of all the prophecies, the book of the Revelation to St. John, the Lord himself says—

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.' How, then, is it possible for any one believing these declarations to consider himself exempted from the study of any portion of the prophetic writings-to think that he can walk safely without giving heed to that light that shineth in darkness, or that he can please God whilst wantonly rejecting that special blessing pronounced upon the study of prophecy? How can a Church be secure if such neglect were common, or faith in the divine promise generally regarded as fanaticism? Judging by the analogy of the Jews, a more certain presage of approaching destruction can hardly be imagined, in individual or church, than a wilful neglect or an infidel contempt of the voice of prophecy. It argues either a latent unbelief, or an unusual degree of spiritual pride, when men denounce as unprofitable that which God has revealed for their benefit; and who can be astonished, if by a just retribution they are visited with that judicial blindness which at last makes the vision of all as a sealed book.' It is true that injudicious men have, by vainly attempting to calculate times and determine the dates of particular events, excited an unjust prejudice against