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ject. The more fure word of prophecy here mentioned is not to be understood merely of the prophecies of the Old Teftament, for it may refer to the prophecies of the New, and probably does; as appears by St. Peter's appealing, not only to the ancient prophets, but also to the preachers of the Gofpel. How unhappily then was this text made choice of to fet up ancient prophecy in oppofition to the Gospel evidence, fince the prophecy here intended is probably itself a Gospel evidence, and fo far from being fuperior to all the miracles of Chrift and his Apoftles, that it owes all its authority to them.

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The giving light to this paffage will furnish us with an answer to one objection raised against the Se authority of this fecond epiftle of St. Peter. The learned Grotius judged, from fome characters which he observed in it, that this fecond epiftle was penned after the deftruction of Jerufalem; before which St. Peter was dead. But it is But it is very evident that the author of this fecond epiftle fpeaks of Chrift's coming in power and glory, in the very manner which St. Peter fpeaks of it in the first epiftle, and indeed with no other view than that of justifying what was delivered in the first epiftle. If by the fulvation ready to be revealed, and the day of vifitation, and appearing of Jefus Chrift, in the firft epiftle, we are to underftand the Apostle as referring to the deftruction of Jerusalem, then near at hand, we must necessarily in the second epiftle understand the fame thing by the power and coming of our Lord Jefus. Which power and coming was, at the time of writing the fecond epiftle, fo far from being over, that it is treated as a thing to come; and for the certainty of which St.

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Peter had no better evidence than the word of prophecy or, if any other coming of Chrift is to be understood in this fecond epiftle, the fame muft be understood in the firft; for the second is but a vindication of the doctrine of the firft. And no notion common to both epiftles can be an objection against the fecond, fince the firft was never doubted of in the church. And indeed, whoever reads the two epiftles, and compares them carefully, will fee fuch a concern in the second to fupport the fentiments of the first, that he will be inclined to think, that the fecond epiftie could come from no other hand but that which penned the first.

DISCOURSE II.

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LET us proceed to confider the character which St. Peter gives of prophecy, and the degree of evidence which we may reasonably expect from it. Prophecy is a light shining in a dark place; and we do well to give heed to it until the day dawn. St. Peter's meaning is this; "The time will come, "when the things you hope for fhall be placed in a "clear light, when you fhall fee all your expecta"tions fully juftified in the accomplishment: in the mean while, ye do well to attend to prophecy, though but a small glimmering light, and fhining "at a distance in a dark place, yet the best you have, "or can have at prefent." Metaphorical expreffions and fimilitudes ought not to be rigidly and ftrictly canvalled: it is fufficient to fee the general import and meaning of them; which in the present cafe is very clear, and amounts to this; That the knowledge God gives us of things future, by the means of prophecy, is but an imperfect obfcure knowledge, nothing to be compared to the clear knowledge that will attend upon the manifeftation of the things themselves.

I fhall endeavour to confirm this propofition by the authority of Scripture; and to fuggeft fome ob

fervations, which may be of use when we are called upon to judge of the nature of prophecy, and the evidence arifing from it.

Whether prophecy be a clear evidence before the completion, or no, is no matter of controversy; fo far from it, that they who tell us prophecy is the best argument even for Christianity, do not yet think it a clear one. But, without regard to any man's opinion, it will be proper to see what notion the inspired writers themselves had of the word of prophecy.

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If we look into the firft epiftle of St. Peter, we shall find that the ancient prophecies, of which he speaks in the text, and which he styles the more fure word of prophecy, were not apprehended or clearly understood by those inspired perfons who delivered them; for there he represents them fearching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Chrift which was in them did fignify, when it teftified beforehand the fufferings of Chrift, and the glory that should follow, To the fame purpose our Saviour speaks, Matt. xiii. 17. Many prophets and righteous men have defired to fee thofe things which ye fee, and have not feen them; and to hear thofe things which ye hear, and have not heard them. St. Paul gives the like account of the gift of prophecy under the Gospel difpenfation: We know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done away.—Now we fee through a glafs, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known, 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 10, 12. Now if the prophets and righteous men of old, to whom the word of God came, did not clearly understand the things which

they foretold, but employed themselves in fearching and examining the prophetical teftimonies of the Spirit which was in them; if the prophets of the New Teftament knew only in part, and prophefied. only in part, feeing but darkly as through a glass; it is moft evident that others, in all appearance lefs qualified than they to understand the determinate sense of the prophecies, could have but a confused and indiftinct notion of the things foretold.

The prophet Daniel, after a very extraordinary vifion, which he reports in his last chapter, immediately adds, I heard, but I understood not: then faid I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he faid, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are clofed up and fealed till the time of the end. The answer here given to Daniel is very like the answer which our Saviour gave the Apostles, upon a like inquiry made by them: they afk, Lord, wilt thou at this time reftore again the kingdom to Ifrael? And he faid unto them, It is not for you to know the times or feafons, which the Father hath put in his own power, Acts i. 6, 7. It did belong to them undoubtedly, and to every believing Jew, to give heed to the word of prophecy, according to St. Peter's exhortation in the text; and fince it did not belong to them to know the times and feasons, it is evident the word of prophecy was not intended to give a clear and diftinct light in this cafe.

These laft paffages relate to fuch prophecies efpecially as feem to defign the times and feafons of God's working. And these predictions being oftentimes delayed in the accomplishment much beyond the expectation of those to whom they were deli

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