CHAP. X.

Of the Prophecies and Miracles of the Prophets.

TH

HE Falfe Prophets prophefy'd in the Name of Jehovah, 1 Kings xxii. which fuppofes that True Prophecies were wont to be deliver'd in his Name, or elfe they could never have hop'd to deceive by it. And in the Hiftorical Books of the Old Testament, in which the Prophecies and Miracles of the Prophets are related, Reference is frequently made to the Records then extant in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and Ifrael; most of the Prophecies and Miracles being of that Publick Nature, and fo intermix'd with the Affairs of State, that they must be recorded together with them.

Jofiah was prophefy'd of by Name, Three hundred fixty one Years before the Event: Behold a child fhall be born unto the houfe of David, Jofiah by name, 1 Kings xiii. 2. and this was foretold by a Prophet, who came out of Judah, purpofely to denounce the Judgments of God upon the Priests of the Altar, and upon the Altar it felf, which Jeroboam had newly fet up at Bethel, when Jeroboam ftood by the Altar to burn Incense and his Prediction, at the fame time, was confirm'd by Two Miracles; one wrought upon Jeroboam himself, by drying up his hand, which he ftretched forth against the Prophet, and which, by the Prophet's Prayer, was reftored again whole to him, as it was before; the other Miracle was wrought upon the Altar, by rending it, and pouring out the Afhes from it. And a Prophecy deliver'd in the prefence and to the Face of an enrag'd Prince, against the Religion of his own fetting up, to fecure to himself

Jofeph. Antiq. 1. 10. c. 5.

the

the Kingdom he fo lately became poffefs'd of, at the very time when he was offering Incenfe upon his New Altar And this Prophecy, confirm'd by an immediate Judgment both upon the King himself, and his Altar, in the fight of fo numerous an Appearance as must be present on fo folemn an occafion, and these Enemies to the Prophet, who came from Judah, and to his Religion; a Prophecy thus deliver'd, had all the Circumstances to make it remarkable and notorious, in all the Tribes both of Ifrael and Judah, then at hoftility with each other, that can almost be conceiv'd: And yet the strange Death of the Prophet of Judah, for tranfgreffing, by his own Confeffion, the Word of the Lord to him, and his Sepulchre, with its Title or Infcription ftill remaining at Bethel, when Jofiah demolish'd the Altar there, gave a farther Confirmation to it.

The Fulfilling of this Prophecy by Jofiah, was no lefs remarkable, 2 Kings xxiii. 15. Jofiah was the Son of a very wicked King, and born at a time when the People were exceedingly corrupted by the Idolatry of his Grandfather Manaffes; and his Sons likewife proved wicked fo that he was fo fingular in his Piety, and fo wonderful an Example of it, that no Man of his own Age could have imagin'd that of him, which had been foretold fo many hundred Years ago. In all humane appearance, this was a very unlikely time to fee that Prophecy fulfill'd; and that which had been wonderful in any Age, was much more wonderful in this and in fo wicked an Age, this good King fet about the Work of Reformation very young, to shew that it was not of Men, but of God. The Prophet Ahijah, who had prophefy'd, that Jeroboam fhould be King of the Ten Tribes (1 Kings xi. 31.) foretold likewife the Death of Jeroboam's Son, the Deftruction of his Family, and the Captivity of thofe Tribes by the Affyrians, (1 Kings xiv. 10.)

The

The Deliverance of Judah, at Jehoshaphat's Prayer, was foretold by Jahaziel, in the midst of the Congregation; and was accomplish'd accordingly, by their Enemies destroying one another, 2 Chron. xx.

b

Elijah foretold, that the Dogs fhould lick Ahab's Blood in Jezreel, where they had lick'd the Blood of Naboth which, as Jofephus fays, was objected by Zedechiah, one of the Falfe Prophets, against Micaiah, who foretold, that Ahab should be flain at Ramoth-gilead; but he was brought home in his Chariot from Ramoth-gilead to Samaria, and there the Dogs lick'd his Blood in Jezreel, 1 Kings xxii. 38. fo that both the Prophecy of Elijah and Micaiah was fulfill'd. And when one Prophet feems contrary to another, one foretelling the principal thing, and another fome accidental circumftance, which thofe that were prefent, and most concern'd in the Action, could not imagine, till it happen'd; and Falfe Prophets, in the mean time, watch the Events, to take all Advantages from it, against the True Prophets, and can find none nothing more can be defired, to affure us of the Truth of any Prophecy. The fame Prophet foretold the like Judgment upon Jezebel, and that the Houfe of Ahab fhould be like the Houfe of Jeroboam, and like the House of Baasha; the Destruction of both which had been foretold by other Prophets, and their Prophecies fulfill'd, as this of Elijah's alfo was.

Elijah, by a Writing fent to Jehoram King of Judah, foretold his Death, and the ftrange manner of it, viz. That after the Lofs of his Children, and his Wives, and all his Goods, he fhould be afflicted in his Bowels, and that his Bowels fhould fall out by degrees, 2 Chron. xxi. 12. The fame Prophet not only foretold the Death of Ahaziah, but caus'd Fire twice to come down from Heaven, upon those who were fent to apprehend him, 2 Kings i. And at his Prayer,

Jofeph. Antiq. 1. 8. e. 10.

Fire defcended from Heaven, and confumed the Sacrifice, in the fight of Baal's Prophets, being Four hundred and fifty; to whom Elijah, who was the only Prophet of the Lord there prefent, had made this Propofal, The God that answereth by fire, let him be God And when Baal, notwithstanding all their hideous Cries, and the cutting themselves, did not hear them; then, upon Elijah's Prayer, the fire of the Lord fell, and confumed the burnt-facrifice, and the wood, and the ftones, and the duft, and licked up the water that was in the trench, 1 Kings xviii. 38. which was the fame Miracle, repeated in the midst of Idolaters who were fo provoked and enraged against the Prophet Elijah, that had been before wrought in the fight of the People of Ifrael, in the time of Mofes, Lev. ix. 24. and of David, 1 Chron. xxi. 26. and at the Dedication of Solomon's Temple, 2 Chron. vii. 1. And this Miracle of Elijah, in bringing down Fire from Heaven, to confume the Sacrifice, and that of Mofes in like manner, were both confefs'd to be true, by Julian the Apoftate himself.

The miraculous Cure of Naaman's Leprofie, must be notorious throughout the Kingdoms both of Syria and Ifrael, 2 Kings v. The wonderful Deliverance of the Ifraelites, when the Syrians heard a Noife of Horfes and Chariots, and therefore rais'd the Siege of Samaria, and the Plenty which follow'd, was foretold by Elisha, with a Judgment upon that Lord who doubted of the Truth of his Prediction. The fame Prophet foretold the Death of Benhadad King of Syria, and that he should neither recover of his Sicknefs, nor die a Natural Death. And the Reign of Hazael, who fucceeded him, is defcrib'd in fuch true and dreadful Characters, that Hazael thought it impoffible for him to be guilty of fo much Cruelty, 2 Kings vii, viii.

• Cyril. contra Julian. 1. 10. p. 343. Edit. Lipf.

The

The Leprofie inflicted upon Uzziah, for prefuming to burn Incenfe unto the Lord, which it was lawful for the Priests only to do, was a permanent Miracle; for his Leprofie continued till his Death; and for that reafon, he liv'd feparately, and his Son, from that time, had the Administration of Affairs, 2 King's xv. 5. and this Miracle of the Leprofie was accompanied with a terrible Earthquake, mention'd Zech. xiv. 5. Amos i. 1. and the Ruins which were caus'd by the Earthquake, remain'd as a perpetual Memorial of the Judgment.

d

An Hundred fourfcore and five thousand of the Affyrians were flain by an Angel of the Lord, in one Night, 2 Kings xix. 35. and this Deliverance was foretold by Ifaiah, when the Affyrians were in the Height of their Pride and Blafphemy, and the People of Judah in the Extremity of Danger and Defpair, Ifai. xxxvii. It happening likewife, that this Invasion of the Affyrian Army was in the Year of Jubilee, the Enemy had ravaged and confum'd the Corn of the laft Year, and by the Law concerning the Years of Jubilee, the Jews were commanded not to fow in those Years, (Lev. xxv. 11.) fo that there was a miraculous Provision promifed, and accordingly made them, of Two Years Suftenance, without their own Care or Labour, 2 Kings xix. 29. At the Prayer of Isaiah, the Sun went back ten Degrees, for a Sign to King Hezekiah of his Recovery and the Princes of Babylon fent Embassadors to enquire of this Wonder, 2 Kings xx. II. 2 Chron. Xxxii. 31.

It was impoffible there fhould be any Miftake in Miracles of this nature, which have the fame Evidence that those of Mofes himself had, having the joint Testimony of a whole People to prove the Truth of them.