Teftament how prevalent the expectation at + that time was, that there would very speedily rise an illuftrious prince to fway the fceptre of univerfal monarchy. This was what they expected, who waited for the confolation of Ifrael, and for redemption in Jerufalem. This was what incited the Jews to flock, with fuch eager and impatient steps, to John's Baptifm, in fuch prodigious crowds, from all parts of Judea. This was what engaged the Clergy to interrogate him with such ardent hopes and vehement earneftness, whether he was the great Meffiab, the Chrift of God, whose appearance they fo paffionately expected. We fondly imagined, faid the disciples who were going to Em-maus, funk in dejection and despair, that this was the perfon that should have redeemed Ifrael, that is, have redeemed Judea from its fubjection to the Romans, and made Jerufalem the feat and center of univerfal empire. This national perfuafion had taken fuch inveterate poffeffion of their minds, that after his refurrection they were tranfported to think that now he would certainly

απο της χώρας τις αυτων άρξει της οικεμένης. Τουτο οἱ μεν ως οικείον εξέλαβον, και πολλοί των σοφων επλανήθησαν άερε την κρίσιν. τηλε δ' άρα περι την Ουεσπασιανε το λογιον ηγεμονίαν, αποδειχθεντα και Ιεδαίας αυτοκρατορα. Jofephus de Bello Jud. p. 1283. Hudfon.

+ Says St. Paul: Now I ftand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, inftantly ferving God day and night, hope to come. Acts xxvi. 6, 7. For the HOPE OF Ifrael am I bound with this chain. Ch. xxviii. 20.

certainly vindicate his country from its fervitude to Rome, affume the regal title, and erect a grand and glorious kingdom. Lord! wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Ifrael? Thefe big hopes in the Jewish nation were all kindled, and this general expectation at this period was excited by the predictions of the antient prophets-fome of whom had accurately marked the precife time in which this illuftrious perfon would make his appearance. Particularly the period of Daniel's feventy weeks, or 490 years, was now completewhich, reckoning from the feventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who iffued the decree to rebuild the temple, to the birth of CHRIST, * exactly makes the period of years mentioned. No wonder, therefore, that from the calculation of these weeks, in particular, the Jews at that very time should found their expectation of this great event, and wait the appearance of their Meffiab with all the ardour of the fondest national hopes, indulging their imaginations with the warmeft defires of his perfon and government, and antedating the bliss and felicity of that magnificent empire they should fee fo foon erected and established.

SECT.

The character which Jofephus gives Daniel, as a prophet, is juft. "He did not merely deliver future predictions, as other prophets, but exactly marked the precife time in which they would be accomplifhed." Ου γαρ τα μέλλοντα μονον προφητεύων διετελεί, καθαπερ και οι άλλοι προφηται, αλλά και καιρον ώριζεν, εἰς ὃν ταυτα αποβήσεται. Jofeph. ant. Lib. x, ch. xi. 7. p. 465. Hudjon.

SECT. IV.

Many antient prophecies received their accomplishment in CHRIST.

ANY express prophecies clearly prefig

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nified the coming of CHRIST, and received their accomplishment in him. These predictions were delivered at varicus times, and in divers manners, as feemed best to the divine understanding, to animate the faith and hopes of his distinguished people, and to chear their minds with the happy prospect of that glorious æra. A clearer and clearer intimation is given of this illuftrious period, the most illuftrious in the annals of the world, through all the intermediate ages from the creation to the redemption of mankind. "God hath an immenfely large progref"five scheme, arranged in a regular beautiful feries, by his all-comprehenfive mind, confisting of many intermediate parts, before the plot unravels, and finally winds up into one great "and confiftent whole." Adam is not expelled from Paradife, without the affurance, not obfcurely hinted, of a Defcendant from him, who in future time should rescue the human race from the now incurred penalty of death. The illuftrious Patriarchs, in fucceffive time, were divinely affured, that in their feed all the nations of the earth fhould be bleffed. In following ages, Mofes, under a divine afflatus, declared to Ifrael, that God. would

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would raise up for them a prophet like unto him, and folemnly adjured them to embrace and obey him-denouncing the heaviest calamities that would involve their nation, if they rejected this divine meffenger. In fubfequent times the prophets were authorized and fent, one after another, proclaiming to the Jewish people the glad tidings of this approaching event. Language they exhauft in fublime defcriptions of the bleffedness of those happy future days—in celebrating the exalted dignity of the Meffiah's perfon, the felicity of thofe who fhould fee him, the empire of righteoufnefs he should establish, and the triumphs his gospel would spread in all the regions of the world. No hiftorical records that could be drawn up forty or fifty years after the crucifixion of CHRIST, could give a more accurate and juft account of the perfon and character of CHRIST, the nature of his religion, the fublimity of his doctrine, the ignominy of his death, the propagation of his gofpel, and the deftruction of Jerufalem, than thefe prophecies, though delivered five hundred years before the events happened to which they referred. None of the apostles and companions of CHRIST could have compofed a more faithful compendious abridgement of the life and death and refurrection of JESUS, and the fubfequent promulgation of his gofpel, than what is contained in the fifty third chapter of Ifaich. No fooner did Philip give the true explication of this very prophecy to the Eunuch,

who

who was reading it, and interrogated him concerning its meaning-and fhow its exact and fole accomplishment in the life and character of the late JESUSs, but he was convinced of the truth of Christianity, and was baptized into the profeffion of it. The predictions of Daniel are fo far from being wrapped up in the ambiguity of prophecy, that they feem to be plain historical narrative, and Porphyry was fure they were written after the event *. All these various prophefies, delivered in various revolving periods, concentered in JESUS CHRIST-and the encreafing light of them, from age to age, was like that of the just man, which fhone with greater and greater luftre, until the perfect day of the Chrif tian difpenfation, at last, burst in all its heavenly fplendors upon a benighted world.

*Vid. Hieron. Comment. in Daniel. paffim. Grotius de veritate Rel. Chrift, Lib. I. § 17. Scheme of literal prophecy, P. 149, 150. Dr. Chandler's Vindication of Daniel, p. 29. See also fome excellent remarks on this hypothesis of Porphyry, and the Schematift in the Bishop of Lichfield and Caventry's Vindication of his Defence of Chriftianity, Vol. 1. P. 72.