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either entirely or in part, except that of his coming to judge mankind.

Some of his prophecies are remarkable for precision in minute circumstances, and for proximity of "The Son of Man shall be mocked and

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event.

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* spit on, and the third day he shall rise again. All ye " shall be offended because of me this night. This night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence. This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be fulfilled." A false prophet would have spoken in general terms, and of

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remote events.

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Some of his prophecies relate to supernatural facts; such as his resurrection, his ascension, and the effusion of the Spirit. Predictions of this kind must be uttered under a consciousness of the divine co-operation. It is inconceivable that a sober impostor would foretel miraculous events, the failure of which would blast his character; and at other times confidently assert that his religion would be extensively received, and would continue always, even to the end of the world. It may be well argued here as with respect to Moses: who, if he had not received a divine commission would have annexed other sanctions to the observance of his laws than fruitful seasons, temporal prosperity, and victory over enemies.

Other facts foretold by our Lord, though within the power of natural causes, were a improbable in

Luke xviii. 32, 3.

* Acts i. 5.

part ii. c. iv.

" Matt. xxvi. 31.

y Matt. xxiv. 34.

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w Mark xiv. 30.

z See more on this subject,

a See Jortin on the Christian Religion, p. 102.

themselves: as the total destruction of Jerusalem and the temple during that generation of men; and the extensive conversion of the Gentiles to a religion which took its rise from a despised and hated people, and contradicted the prejudices and passions of mankind..

Though an impostor would not have prophesied of events just at hand, that he might avoid a speedy detection, before the worldly advantages proposed by him could arise from his imposture; yet there may be wise reasons why a true prophet chose to predict not only approaching but distant facts. Thus the evidence for his religion becomes a growing one : and it appears that the prophecies were inserted in the history before their completion. We have indeed the strongest proof from historical evidence, from internal marks, and from the character of the writers, that all our Lord's prophecies were actually uttered at the very time represented by the evangelists: but when we know that some of them were accomplished after the existence of the four gospels, and when we see them accomplishing at this day, we need no proof that the accomplishment is posterior to the time of the writer who records the prediction.

The clearness of our Lord's prophecies is another point which deserves to be insisted on. They are generally delivered to his disciples in plain historical language. Where figures occur, which happens very rarely, they are such as the easterns were accustomed to in their discourse and sacred writings.

Matt. xix. 28. Luke xxii. 30. Matt. xxiv. 29, 30, 31. and p. p.

There is nothing obscure or ambiguous, like the ancient oracles; except where he purposely concealed his meaning from the Jews under figure or parable. To his disciples he spake with great plainness and perspicuity.

What our Lord said to his immediate followers may well be considered as addressed to all mankind. "Now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe." A wise man may foresee some events, relating to an individual or a nation, which depend on a formed character and a connected train of circumstances. But reason and experience shew that there are likewise events of so contingent and improbable a nature, that the foresight of them exceeds the greatest human sagacity: and that it is infinitely above the knowledge of man to point out a variety of such facts, and the circumstances of them, whether near or distant, with a certainty which has not failed in a single instance. This belongs to God, and to those whom he inspires: and accordingly the great Searcher of hearts and Disposer of events thus challenged the false heathen deities by his prophet Isaiah: "Shew the things which are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods."

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As John ii. 19. ib. vii. 38. dib. xiv. 29. See also c. xiii. 19. xvi. 4. The Mohammedan doctors insist on the following general prophecy as a convincing proof that the Koran came down from heaven. "The Greeks have been overcome by the Persians, in the nearest part of their land; but, after their defeat, they shall overcome the others in their turn, within a few years. Sale's Koran, c. xxx, p. 330, , 1. f c. xli. 23.

SECTION II.

OF OUR LORD'S MIRACLES: AND OF SOME OTHER PROOFS THAT HE WAS SENT FROM GOD.

MY subject now leads me to shew how wisely our Lord's miracles were circumstanced; and how convincing a proof of his divine mission arises from them.

The Jewish history is full of miracles from the time of Abraham to the Babylonish captivity. But, after the restoration of that people, to the birth of Christ, there was an intermission of them for more than five centuries. John the Baptist was "a prophet, yea, * and more than a prophet;" but it is expressly said of him that he "wrought no miracle." After so long an interval, it was reserved for our Lord himself to raise the attention of his people by miraculous operations which, though at all times awful and astonishing, must have struck men with additional force by the novelty of their appearance.

Our Lord's miracles were of various kinds. He converted water into wine: he made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak he restored one who had been bent together, he cleansed lepers, made the maimed whole, and healed epilepsy, lunacy, madness, and every human malady: he communicated such miraculous powers to his disciples as filled them with exultation and

a Matt. xi. 9. b John x. 41. Jesus liberalis miraculorum.

Grotius on John ii. 19. calls

d Matt. x. 8. Luke x. 17.

astonishment: he blasted a fig tree by his word, caused astonishing draughts of fishes to be taken, fed thousands with the subsistence of a very few, walked on the waves, stilled the winds and the sea, and raised the dead.

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And, under some of these kinds, his miracles were so many, that their number exceeds the sum of all which are recorded in the Hebrew scriptures as performed by God's prophets. Besides those distinctly transmitted down to us, there are numerous acts of supernatural power which are referred to in general terms. At the first passover many believed in Jesus's name, when they saw the miracles which he did." In his first circuit about Galilee, "he & healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those who were possessed with demons, and those who were lunatic, and those who had the palsy; and he healed them." In Capernaum "when the heven [of the sabbath] was come, [for the Jews scrupled thus to employ the sabbath itself,] they brought unto him many that were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick." Before he taught his disciples on the mount, "a great multitude of people came to be healed of their diseases; and they that were vexed

• Dr. Benson reckons about fifty places in the gospels where we have a distinct account of different miracles. Life of Christ, p. 351. John ii. 23. 8 Matt. iv. 23, 24. bib. viii, 16. and P. R.

i Luke vi. 17, 18, 19.

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