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cles in this cafe can afford no help; if the prophets have not spoken of Christ, all the miracles in the world will not prove that they have spoken of hima.

These confiderations fhew how far the Gofpel is neceffarily concerned in prophetical evidence. Chrift has done the works which no man ever did, and given the fulleft evidence of a divine commiffion; but he claims to be the person foretold in the law and the prophets: and as truth must ever be confiftent with itself, this claim must be true, or it deftroys all others. This is the point then to be tried on the evidence of prophecy: Is Chrift that perfon described and foretold under the Old Testament, or no? Whether all the prophecies relating to him be plain, or not plain: whether all the ways used by the Jews of arguing from the Old Teftament be convincing to us, or no; it matters little : the fingle question is, Is there enough plain to fhew us that Chrift is the perfon foretold under the Old Teftament? If there is, we are at an end of our inquiry, and want no further help from prophecy; especially fince we, to use St. Peter's expreffion, have in this cafe feen the day dawn, and enjoyed the marvellous light of the Gospel of God.

I am not now speaking of the great advantage that may be made of prophetical evidence for convincing unbelievers of the truth of the Gospel; but am confidering how far the truth of the Gospel neceffarily depends upon this kind of evidence. These are two very different inquiries. It is neceffary for us to fhew that Chrift is the perfon proa Grounds and Reasons, p. 31.

mifed to be a Saviour to Ifrael; and when we have fhewed this, no oppofer of the Gospel has more to demand. But we may carry our inquiries much further we may contemplate all the steps of Providence relating to the falvation and redemption of mankind in the feveral ages of the world, and, by a comparison of all the parts, may difcern, that Chrift was indeed the end of the law, and of all promises made to the fathers: that all the deliverances given by God to his people were but shadows, and as it were an earnest of the great deliverance he intended to give by his Son: that all the ceremonials of the Law were reprefentations of the fubftance of the Gospel that the Aaronical facrifices and priesthood were figures of better things to come. But these inquiries do not ftand in the rank of things to be neceffarily proved to every believer; they do not enter into the principles of the doctrine of Chrift, as the Apostle to the Hebrews exprefsly tells us; but belong to thofe who go on to perfection: which diftinction, given by the Apostle in the fifth and fixth chapters to the Hebrews, is well worth confidering, as being a key to open the true ufe of all typical and allegorical applications of Scripture.

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DISCOURSE III.

It is neceffary to take this matter higher, to look back to the rife and progrefs of divine prophecy, and to obferve what ends the wifdom of God intended to serve by means of it. It is no commendation of prophecy to fay, that it is very dark and obfcure; nor yet can it be a reproach, provided it anfwers all the ends defigned by Providence. To enable ourselves therefore to judge of prophecy, we muft inquire, to what end prophecy was given; and this is the fubject I now propofe to your confideration.

It will not be faid, because it cannot be maintained, that we have any right to the knowledge of things future. God is not obliged, either in wisdom or goodness, and much lefs in juftice, to declare to us the things which fhall be hereafter. In regard therefore to the knowledge of futurity, whether it be little, or much, or nothing that God thinks fit to communicate to us, we can have no reason to complain; for having no right, we can pretend no injury. Since therefore we have no demand on God for this fort of knowledge in any degree whatever, it is evident, that, whenever we have it, we muft afcribe our having it to fome fpecial reafons of Provi

dence, which reasons alone can limit the degree of light and knowledge which ought to attend upon the word of prophecy; for if we have from prophecy fo much light as fully answers the end of giving the prophecy, I would fain know, upon what reason we can form a complaint for want of more ? I mean this to fhew, how abfurd it is for men to take counsel of their curiofity, when they confider the ufe and weight of prophecy: in this view they will find nothing to fatisfy them; they may go on for ever afking, Why are we not told more, or more diftinctly? Which questions we may promise to anfwer, whenever they inform us upon what right they demand to be told any thing; which if they cannot do, all fuch complaints must be laid afide, and we must come to the only proper and material confideration, What end did the wisdom of God propose to ferve by the ancient prophecies, and how has this end been ferved by them?

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By prophecy I understand all the declarations "which God has made concerning the future ftate "of mankind in this world, or in the next; confe"quently all the hopes and expectations which are "grounded on God's promifes, and do not result "from reafon and natural knowledge, I refer to pro

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phecy, as their original." If there be any other kind of prophecy not comprehended in this defcription, there may be, perhaps, before we take leave of this fubject, a proper place to confider it; but at prefent I fhall confine myself within the limits of this defcription.

It cannot be supposed that God has delivered prophecies only to fatisfy or employ the curiofity of

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