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person, was to arrive amongst them.

Christians and Jews are agreed also upon this head at this day. But the fact of an extraordinary person being foretold, and an extraordinary person appearing, would not alone be sufficient to build upon, unless some further and more appropriate circumstances be found in the prophecies to identify and describe him.

These circumstances may be reduced to the following heads: The time of his appearance; the place of his appearance; the circumstances of his birth, his nature, and his office.

First, the time of his appearance. It was to be "whilst the sceptre continued with the tribe of Judah," after it had departed from the other tribes, and when it was about also to depart from this; it was to be during the standing of the second temple, after violent civil commotions in the world; it was to be near the time that "the people of the prince that should come would destroy the temple and the sanctuary;" it was to be, "seventy weeks, or 490 years, from the going forth of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem." Exactly at such a time Christ did in fact appear.

Secondly, the place of his appearance. to be of the seed of Abraham and come out of Bethlehem of Judea."

"He was

of David, and to

Christ was a de

scendant of Abraham's and of the house of David, and was born at Bethlehem.

Thirdly, the circumstances of his birth. He was

to be preceded by a forerunner, and "to be born of a virgin." Christ was preceded by John the Baptist, and, as is related of him, born of a virgin.

Fourthly, his nature. "He was to be Immanuel, or God with us." His years, further, "were of old and from everlasting." He was the "anointed," "the prince," "the most Holy:" If we acknowledge his claims, he was all this, and in a sense that no other man ever pretended to.

Fifthly, his office. He was to be a "blessing to "Unto him was the gathering of the

all nations."

people to be."

"He was to be ruler in Israel;" "he was to be the desire of all nations;"" he was to excel in glory of a different kind from the splendour of gold and silver;" he was to be the person whom they so earnestly expected, and from whom they promised themselves so great things; he was to give "peace;" "he was to be cut off, but not for himself;" "he was to finish transgressions, to make an end of sin, to extirpate iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness." How truly all these may be said of Jesus Christ, in a literal or scriptural sense, you must judge for yourselves. I think I have shown that these things were all, in fact, though in other words, said of him by his followers, who understood his character and office best, and who wrote without any views or desire to become public men.

There is but one objection that I can here take notice of, which is, that it does not appear from the prophecies themselves that these particulars were

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foretold of one and the same person. I allow that it does not appear from the prophecies themselves; but if they were all in fact fulfilled by, we presume it is an evidence that they were all intended for, one person; for, supposing that these particulars might, for any thing that appears in the prophecy, belong to one or to different persons, their uniting in one person is not less extraordinary or more likely to happen by accident: and therefore such an union in the event is good proof of the design and completion of the prophecy.

I conclude the whole subject with the observation I set out with, namely, that there is but one point at issue-but one question to be tried-whether this circumstantial completion of the prophecies, and in so many particulars, could or could not merely happen by accident. If you think it might, why then the argument must be given up. If you think it could not, or that it is not probable it could, then you have one reason at least for the faith that is in you→→ a solid and satisfactory proof of the truth of our religion.

XXXIV.

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

(PART 1.)

JOHN XX. 31.

But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, believing, ye might have life through his name.

THE direct historical evidence of Christianity is contained in three propositions; which, if they can each be made out satisfactorily, amount together to

demonstration of the truth of our religion. However, when I call them the direct historical evidence, you are not to suppose that it is the only evidencethere are abundance of circumstances, both external and internal, which corroborate this evidence, which, however, I cannot enter upon now; because, in a subject so various and comprehensive, we must be content to consider one part at one time.

The three points are these :

First that the books of the New Testament were actually written by the persons whose names they bear.

1

Secondly: that those persons could not be themselves deceived in what they give an account of.

Thirdly: that they could have no reason, nor can it be conceived that they should attempt, to deceive or impose upon others.

The first of these propositions will be enough for one discourse; namely-The books of the New Testament were actually written by the authors whose names they bear; the Gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the Apostles, by Luke; the Epistles by Paul, Peter, John, &c.

Now, as to this point, there is, first, the general evidence, and there is, secondly, the particular testimony..

By the general evidence, I mean, that by which we believe and are assured, on reading any book, that it was written by the author to whom it is ascribed, and which is no other than its being ascribed to such an author so far back as we are able to trace; which circumstance is sufficient, when no opposite evidence appears, nor any thing in the writing itself contradicts it, to convince any man. Upon this ground we believe (and no one, that I know of, doubts it or contradicts it) that the last great poem which bears his name was Milton's; the History Lord Clarendon's; and many years ago, that the Commentaries were Cæsar's, the Orations Cicero's, the Æneid Virgil's. Now, to say the least, there is the same reason for believing that the Gospel was Matthew's or John's; the Epistle, Paul's or Peter's: and

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