the servants of God, with their places and characters, are faithfully described; and the world is left to judge between them. Nothing is concealed: admonitions are expressly given against unauthorised prophecy, and rules laid down for distinguishing between the true and false. The attempts made by the opponents of Micaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, are carefully described. Even the arts of wizards and diviners, of Elymas, for instance, and Simon Magus, in the New Testament, and of the Egyptian sorcerers under the Old, are inserted, and thus the materials of judging furnished.

7. These same individuals again, with such personal qualities, and delivering such predictions, perform the miracles. Here are no rival pretensions: the supernatural power of foretelling future events, and of performing miraculous works, attest the same doctrines and none other. It was morally impossible then, that the Jews should have received their messages, and have registered them amongst the inspired books, if they had not known them to be the recognised prophets of the Lord. It was their mission, their character, their doctrine, their patience under sufferings, their whole authority as inspired instructors, which induced their countrymen to receive the denunciations, and endure the reproofs and expostulations which they ad

dressed to them.

The marks of divine pre

science and authority, it was impossible to misunderstand. Such holy men were assuredly of God, and spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

VI. But we promised to notice lastly, THE PRACTICAL AND IMPORTANT ENDS which the scheme of prophecy subserved and still subserves in the Church. It is not merely the broad and clear nature of it-its vast extent the harmony of all its parts in the person of the Saviour the infinite wisdom apparent in the contrivance of those parts, and the holy, suffering characters of the prophets themselves, which are indications of a divine hand; but also the direct practical uses to which it was and is applicable.

In every dispensation of the former ages, prophecy was, as our apostle beautifully describes it in the text, a light shining in a dark place, unto which they did well to take heed, till the day dawned, and the day-star arose in their hearts.

The use of prophecy, although not designed for immediate conviction, was yet in other important respects immediate. It was wrought up into the system of religious doctrine and instruction; it formed an integral part of the divine revelation, for the guidance and encou

ragement of the Church in each age. It directed the eye of hope to the spiritual blessings of the future Saviour; and by this hope sustained pure religion in the Church, and by its means, in the world.

At the instant of the fall, the prophecy of the seed of the woman cast a light across the gloom. From the fall to the flood, this promise, and the institution of sacrifices, nourished the faith of man.

The call of Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees, and the prediction of his seed as a blessing to all the nations of the earth, lighted up a new flame of truth, when the original revelation had become nearly extinct.

The tradition of this prophetic hope figured by the land of Canaan, sustained the patriarchs; so that they all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and been persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims upon earth.

When all again was apparently lost in the Egyptian night, Moses with the word of prophecy kindled the hope of a future Saviour; and warned and encouraged them by the prophetic promises and threatenings which are fulfilling at this very day.

From Samuel to Malachi, need I tell the important and directly practical ends of the

predictive inspiration? Need I remind you of those holy hymns of the royal psalmist, which first united the expectation of the MesIsiah with the devotions of the Church; and which even now teach us to sing Hosannahs to the Son of David? Need I dwell on the evangelical strains of Isaiah, cheering the people under the approaching captivity, when so deep a gloom was about to rest upon the word of promise, with the predictions of a Redeemer, in terms too glorious to find its accomplishment in any temporal deliverance? Or is it needful for me to point out the uses of Jeremiah's faithful warnings and bright visions of the Lord our righteousness—or of Ezekiel's predictions of the effusions of grace, and the gift of newness of heart-or of Daniel's prediction of Messiah the Prince, with the everlasting righteousness which he was to bring in-or of the other prophets before and after the captivity?

Prophecy was, indeed, a light shining in a dark place; prophecy unfolded the person of the Saviour; prophecy formed, in connexion with the sacrifices, the priesthood, and the preceptive part of the divine law, the gospel of the ancient Church. As time rolled on, the light increased each dispensation caught a brighter anticipation of future blessings. Prophecy had a temporary and immediate aspect on the peo

ple's duties, their return to God, their discipline and reproof when revolting, their encouragement when walking in obedience; but it had also a remote and more comprehensive respect to the coming of him who was the desire of all nations. And thus at length the day of the gospel dawned, and the day-star arose in the hearts of the faithful.

Under the New Testament, the use of the word of prophecy is of course different, but is not the less important. We look forward to no further dispensation. We live in the last times. The sun of righteousness has arisen. What the word of prophecy was to the Jews, that the doctrine of Christ is to the Christian Church. Expectation of spiritual blessings characterised the legal dispensation; the possession of them marks the evangelical.

Still the practical importance of the word of prophecy is great. The comparison of the predictions and prophetic symbols of the Old Testament, with the respective persons and things which accomplish them in the New is, first of all, essential to our faith in Christ as the true Messiah; and is secondly, a source of joy and hope, and promotes growth in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, in the sincere and humble student. Thus we have the word of prophecy confirmed by the correspondent events.