I may once more fubjoin to all this, that it is at least highly improbable, that the early Writers against Christianity fhould never deny these Facts, if they were not notoriously true, when they could not want Advantages to detect any Fraud or Deceit that can poffibly be fuppofed in a. Cafe of this Kind.- -And it is yet more improbable, that any of the Adverfaries of Chriftianity fhould confirm the Truth of thefe Facts, as we find fome of them do, if they had not been mot apparently and undoubtedly true. And now, Sir, what can be wanting, what can you demand or defire more, to confirm you in the Faith of Christianity? It is established upon the Veracity of God himself; upon thole Facts, by which he has from Heaven artefted to the Truth of it; and thefe Facts are verified by Evidences which cannot poffibly deceive us. By believing therefore, we let to our Seal that God is true: But he that believeth not, miketh him a Liar; because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son. You may perhaps tell me, that if you had seen thefe Miracles yourself, you would have believed them. But has not every Body else the fame Claim to this Sort of Satisfaction as you; and the fame Reason to defire to be Eye and Ear-Witnesses of fuch miraculous Operations?—At this Rate, Miracles would ceafe to be miraculous, they would become common and familiar Things, and no longer strike the Mind with any Conviction at all, any more than the ebbing and flowing of the Sea, the rifing and fetting of the Sun; or any other fuch Di plays of the divine Power, in the common Course of Providence. Upon the whole, there is no Evidence wanting, to leave the Unbeliever inexcusable.There is Evi dence dence every Way fufficient to fatisfy the Mind of an impartial Enquirer after Truth. And it is impoffible for any Man in the World to imagine any Means of Confirmation in this important Truth, fuperior to what is herein fet before you. How unreasonable would it therefore be, to require more Evidence in a Cafe, wherein we have already as much as we are poffibly capable to receive ?---That it may be effectual to establish you in the Faith, is and fhall be the Prayer of, SIR, Yours, &c. LETTER III. Wherein an historical Account of the Birth, Life, Paffion, Refurrection, Afcenfion, and future Kingdom of our bleffed SAVIOUR, is collected from the Prophecies of the Old Teftament. SIR, Rejoice to hear from that any Endeavours you, of mine have contributed in the leaft towards your Satisfaction. I am thereby the more encou raged to hope, that your remaining Difficulties may eafily be obviated; and particularly, that it will not prove difficult to answer your present Demand; to fhew you "how you may certainly know that "the Prophecies of the Old Teftament had a direct "Reference unto Jefus Chrift."You may know this by the exact Accommodation of the Prediction with the Event. That this therefore may be fet before you in a proper Light, I will endeavour to give you (in the Form of an History) a brief Reprefentation D prefentation of our bleffed Saviour, gathered from the Old Testament; and leave you to compare this with the Narrative of him in the New.If thefe agree, you thereby have a certain Discovery of the divine Original of these Prophecies; fince none but an omniscient Mind could poffibly foresee these And you have likewife the fame Certainty, that Jefus Chrift is the predicted Meffiah, and that his Miffion is divine, fince what was foretold of the Messiah in the Prophets, is fulfilled in him. Events. * The Time of the Manifestation of this glorious Perfon, whom I am now to defcribe, was during the Continuance of the Kingdom of Judah, while a Scepter was in the Hand, and a Lawgiver came from between the Feet of that Tribe, (a) while the fecond Temple was yet standing, (b) just 450 Chaldee Years after the Decree went forth to restore and to build Jerufalem, which was in the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, King of Perfia. (c) -This King likewife came into the World, and the God of Heaven fet up his everlasting Kingdom, at that Seafon of the fourth or Roman Monarchy,(d) when there was an End put to the dreadful Shaking of the Heavens and the Earth, the Sea and the dry Land, and indeed of all Nations, by the Wars of Alexander the Great, the four Kingdoms that arofe out of his Conquefts, and the Romans the Conquerors of them all; and when Peace was reftored to the World, (e) which happened when Auguftus Cafar was Emperor of Rome, and Herod the Great was King of Judea. (a) Gen. 49. 10. (b) Mal. 3. 1. Hag. 2. 7. (c) Dan. 9. 25. Daniel's feven Weeks and threescore and two Weeks, or 483 Years, were to terminate at the Death of the Messiah. We uft therefore fubtract from that Number, the 33 Years of bis Life; and there remains 450 Years to his Birth. (d) Dan. 2. 44. (e) Hag. 2, 6, 7, 9. As As to the Pedigree or Descent of our bleffed Saviour, it must be confidered with Respect to the two different Natures that were united in this glorious Perfon. For how wonderful foever it may appear to us, the Man Chrift Jefus was alfo Immanuel, God with us; (f) and that divine Child which was born, and that Son which was given to us, (at the Time before defcribed) is the mighty God, and the everlasting Father, as well as the Prince of Peace. (g) He is that God, whofe Throne is for ever and ever; (h) and though a Man, yet fuch a Man, as is God's own Fellow. (i) Now, if we confider his Defcent, with Refpect to his divine Perfon, it muft neceffarily be, that though he be God the Father's Son, and begotten by him, (k) yet his going forth must have been from of Old, from Everlafting. (1) And it is accordingly true, that the Lord poffeffed him in the Beginning of his Way, before his Works of old: He was fet up from Everlafting, from the Beginning, or ever the Earth was. (m)-Being thus neceffarily ftopt from looking any further than to Eternity, and to him that inhabits Eternity, in confidering the Original of his divine Perfon, I proceed to take Notice, that in his human Nature, he defcended from the Loins of Abraham, (n) of Isaae, (0) and of Jacob, (p) from the Tribe of Judah, (q) and from the royal Family of David, (r) and that in a Way furprizingly different from any ordinary human Generation, a Virgin conceived and brought forth this Son, whofe Name is Immanuel; (s) and this new Thing did God create in the Earth, that a Woman hath compaffed a Man. (t) (f) Ifa. 7. 14. (g) Ifa. 9. 6. 13. 7. (k) Pfal. 2. 7. 22, 23. (n) Gen. 17. 3. 14. (q) Gen. 49. 10. 7. 14. (t) Jer, 31. 22. (h) Pfal. 45. 6. (1) Mich. 5. 2. (0) Gen. 26. 4. (r) Pfal. 89. 35, D 2 (i) Zech. (m) Prov. S. (P) Gen, 28. 36. (c) Ifa. The The Place where our bleffed Saviour was born was Bethlehem-Ephratah. This Town, tho' but little among the Thousands of Judah, was honoured with being the Place out of which he came forth auho is the fupreme Ruler in Ifrael. (u) Here he was born: But this was not the Place of his chief and principal Refidence; that was Galilee of the Nations. This People who had walked in Darknefs, faw this great Light among them; even upon them who had dwelt in the Land of the Shadow of Death, hath this Light Shined. (w). The Circumstances of his appearing in the World were low, mean and abafed; very different from the Expectations Men had entertained of the MefJiah; and therefore he was defpifed and rejected of Men, they hid their Faces from him, he was defpifed, and they esteemed him not. (x) Nay, many were aftonifhed at him, his Vifage was fo marred, more than any Man; and his Form more than the Sons of Men. (y) So far was his Appearance from that Glory and Majefty, that Pomp and Splendor, which was expected in the Meah, that he was confidered as a Worm and no Man, a Reproach of Men, and defpifed of the People. (z)-Even the Priests and Rulers themfelves, who should have been the Builders of the Jewish Church, refufed this Stone, which is become the Head of the Corner. (a)- And the Reafon of this was, that they faw no Form nor Comeliness, no Riches nor Honour, no Magnificence nor Beauty in him, that they fhould defire him. (b) The Characters, in which he appeared in the World, were thofe of a Prophet, (u) Micah 5. 2. (8) 1a. 53. 24 Prieft and King; (w) Ifa. 9. 1, 2. (x) Isa. 53. 3. (z) Pjul. 22. 6. (a) Pfal. 118. 22. to |