evil spirit lay concealed under its form. But ftill this promife, whatever it meant, was conceived in fuch general terms, as to leave its meaning exceedingly uncertain. And yet, that it was the vehicle of fome hope, is very plain; for Eve, as was natural, believed it was fulfilled by the birth of Cain. I have now, faid fhe, gotten a man from the Lord. In this however the foon found herself mistaken; and indeed nothing more could be gathered from this prediction, but that the promised deliverance was to arife from fome human being from the feed of the woman.

From this time, nothing paffed on this head, that we read of, till the time of Abraham; except indeed the prophetic inftitution of the right of facrifice, which feems to have been appointed to preferve among mankind the idea of an atone.

ment.

If nothing farther however had paffed, the promife of bruifing the ferpent's head would, no doubt, have died away. But to Abraham the prophecy was renewed, and enlarged. To him it was revealed that the promifed feed of the woman fhould arise from his pofterity; and farther, that this promifed feed fhould be a blessing to all the

nations upon earth. This was both a farther advance of prophecy; and in fome degree a confirmation of the firft prediction.

The pofterity of Abraham increasing, and branching into various tribes, the prophecy was now farther opened to Jacob, the grandfon of Abraham. To him the particular tribe was marked out-that of Judah-from which the Meffiah fhould defcend *. And on this hope the world feems to have refted till the time of David.

Not but in the mean time, various intimations were given of this great event by types in the Jewish history, and institutions §: but I am now speaking chiefly of such intimations, as were given unto the fathers by the prophets; among whom we must not pass over Mofes, who told the Jews that the Lord would raife up a prophet like unto him-that is, a prophet, who fhould deliver them --not from an Egyptian bondage; but from a much greater that of fin and Satan.

When David afcended the throne of Ifrael, the tribe of Judah was branched into many families. A new prophecy therefore now took place, and the family was marked out-the family of David in the

GENESIS, xlix. 10.

See the next discourse.

tribe of Judah, from which the Meffiah should be born.

Obferve now, I pray you, how gradually this great promise of a Meffiah was opened through these different periods of time. To Adam this redemption was merely promised through the feed of the woman. To Abraham it was promised, that the Meffiah fhould arise among his pofterity. To Jacob the tribe was pointed out; and to David the family. At the fame time, intimation was all along given, that the benefit of this Saviour was not confined to a family, a tribe, or a nation; but was extended to all mankind. Thus gradually did the course of prophecy increase from a fountain scarcely visible, into an overflowing stream.

As this great event approached ftill nearer, the notices of it became ftronger. To the prophet Micah the very place of the Meffiah's birth was revealed. Thou Bethlehem, tho' thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee fhall He come who is to be ruler in Ifrael.

To Ifaiah this great event was still more plainly opened. This evangelical prophet, as he is called, defcending to more minute particulars, foretold the Meffiah's birth fhould be miraculous; and his mother a virgin. Hear ye now, O houfe of David..

The Lord himself fhall give you a fign. Behold, a virgin fhall conceive, and bear a fon; and fhall

call his name Immanuel.

Afterwards the fame prophet, proceeding with more exactness, marks the principal circumftances of the Meffiah's life. But ftill as if to caution the world not to expect in his kingdom the fplendor of an earthly prince, he cries out, When we shall fee him, there is no beauty, that we should defire him. He was defpifed and rejected of men—a man of farrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him. He was defpifed, and we efteemed him not.-Afterwards he goes on still farther, and opens the very caufe of his fufferings. Sureby he hath borne our griefs, and carried our forrows. He was wounded for our tranfgreffions; he was bruised for our iniquities. The chaftifement of our peace was upon him; and with his ripes we are healed.

All the later prophets alfo following Ifaiah, continue to fill up the great outlines, which had been marked by the earlier prophets, with various particulars of the Meffiah's life and death. Even the precife time of his death is fixed by the prophet Daniel. After three-fcore and two weeks * from the

In the prophetic language, as many years are fignified as there are days in those weeks.

going out of the decree to rebuild the temple, fhall the Meffiah be cut off but not for himself. Other prophets fix the time of his death to hap pen, as it did, before the deftruction of the fe cond temple.

Thus you fee in what a wonderful manner God Spake in times paft, in divers manners, unto the fa thers by the prophets. From the first of these pro phecies to the last, elapsed a space of time not lefs than 3,600 years; each prophecy still unfolding fomething more than the preceding, till at length the prophetic history of the Meffiah was complete; and every candid Jew, who diligently read the prophets, was convinced, when Christ appeared, that he was the very person, whom these prophets had foretold. Such was the holy Simeon, who waited for the confolation of Ifrael. When he faw the bleffed child brought into the temple, fully convinced that all the prophecies relating to his birth, were now fulfilled, and that this was the very Christ, the promised Meffiah, he took him in his arms, and with holy rapture cried out, Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace; for mine eyes have feen thy falvation.

Such alfo was the prophetefs Anna, who, in the fame manner, fpake of him to all, that looked for redemption in Jerufalem.