foretold, that the nations of the world would be brought to worship only the God of Abraham-decidedly the greatest and most important change that has taken place in the world since the deluge; though, under such circumstances, it is not easy to conceive how it could have been accomplished. But we now know that God never designed that it should be accomplished under such circumstances; no, a vast change was first to be wrought in the worship of the God of Abraham, before the nations of the world were to be converted to it. And this brings us to our second step (or degree of evidence)—that which raises the proof of divine authority in this branch of prophecy to a much higher degree of strength, namely, that the means by which its fulfilment has been effected was an entirely new doctrine, which did not appear in the world till fourteen hundred and fifty years after the time of Moses, a thousand after the Psalms above mentioned were written, and seven hundred and fifty after the most clear and copious of the later prophecies on the same subject-those of Isaiah. For,

Had the great work of the conversion of the Gentiles been accomplished by any thing existing, or of which there was any appearance, at the time when the predictions of it were written; for example, had it been the preaching of the law of Moses, supported and sanctioned by the miraculous facts recorded in the Pentateuch-had it been that the old Jewish religion was at last embraced by the nations of the world, it would indeed even then have been proof enough to take away any reasonable doubt of its coming from God; but yet, in that case, an objector might say that the prediction, though it was fulfilled, did not bring full proof of divine foreknowledge; he might say that the same person who had skill to establish such a religion among his own countrymen, had also the sagacity to foresee that it would, in time, work its own way in the world—that the doctrine of one Almighty God was so evidently superior to the heathen notions, that when the world began to improve in "learning and the polite arts," its superiority would be discerned and acknowledged; and that, as the Jewish religion alone had that doctrine, it would be received, as having that mark of divine origin.

But how widely different was the event from this! Observe, it was fourteen hundred and fifty years after the establishment of the Jewish religion, that heathen Rome had the world under its wings; its luxurious idolatry revelling in splendid temples in Europe, Asia, and Africa, while the religion of the Jews was confined to the despised people of one part of a Roman province. So little were the Jews or their religion likely to do for the conversion of the Gentiles.

This, then, was the state of the world-heathenism thus established with all the strength of unity, as well as of wealth, power, and splendour-Satan's kingdom no longer divided against itself, but thoroughly settled under one head, to which all the inferior parts peaceably submitted. Learning (now in its "golden age,”) instead of resisting or exposing the folly and vices of idolatry, lending all its powers to support, and, as it were, consecrate them by the most refined and exquisite poetry, when, all at once, the long promised conversion began, and "Satan," (heathenism,) "like lightning," (with such rapidity did the work go on,) "fell from heaven"-from the highest point to which, in his long reign, he had ever attained. And by what visible means? By the preaching of a new doctrine, founded on a new series of facts; not facts said to have taken place a long time before, and when there was little communication between one part of the world and another; but said then to have taken place before the eyes of multitudes, in a populous and important part of the Roman empire; affording therefore the twofold security against imposition or credulity, the jealous watchfulness of the Jews, and the constant superintendence of the more polished Romans-a doctrine so very far removed from all probability that any Jew would ever have invented it out of the Law of Moses or any of their prophets, that their unconquerable attachment to that law, and their deep-rooted and universally adopted notions of the preditions of those prophets, were the very cause of their deadly hatred to the new doctrine, and to every one that preached or received it.

But what! Did not the writings of Moses testify of Jesus? Did not our Lord say to the Jews, "Had ye believed Moses,

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ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me ?" Did he not expound to his disciples, in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself," and shew them "that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning him ?" He did; and ?” of this we shall speak presently; but observe the words that follow those last quoted: "Then opened he their understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures." If after he had fulfilled them before their eyes, they still needed to have their understandings opened, before they could discern how he had fulfilled them-If Peter, after he had been so long with Jesus, and had seen so much to show him that Christ's kingdom was not to be a temporal one, was still so unprepared to believe that their promised Messiah was to suffer and die before he entered into his glory, that when Jesus himself told him of it, "he began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." Nay, if the Jews, as a nation, to this day, reject the Christian interpretation of their prophets, though they have actually seen the great work of the conversion of the Gentiles in such great measure accomplished-how utterly absurd would it be to suppose that they would ever have foreseen or invented that interpretation!

It is plain, then, that that which has been the only means of fulfilling the great prophecy, that the nations of the world should acknowledge the God of Abraham as the only God, was something which did not appear in the world till many hundred years after the prophecies were written, and of which not the remotest idea could have been formed by man, till it did appear.

But this, then, brings us at once to that other and still more wonderful instance of foreknowledge, which is the third aud highest degree of this proof that the Bible is from God. For that a very full and clear idea of the Christian religion must have been formed in some mind, before the Pentateuch could have been written, (although not so unfolded as to have been seen by man till that religion appeared in the world, is now as plainly visible to every one who will diligently compare that

religion with the writings of Moses, as that a substance must exist before its shadow; and all that has been said hitherto in these observations, has been chiefly for the sake of calling the reader's attention to this evidence in its own place and force; for if there be any thing that we may without difficulty believe to have been contemplated by the Divine Mind before the foundation of the world, and to have formed the subject of prophetic communications from God to man, it is that which was to be the efficient means of restoring the worship of the one Almighty God, in spirit and in truth, among those many nations of the world, which for thousands of years (through man's inexcusable departure from that worship) lay under the miserable darkness of heathenism. This was the Christian religion, and in order to see that this religion was certainly contemplated by the mind to which the books of Moses owe their existence, we have only to compare some of its principal and peculiar doctrines with certain passages in those books, which correspond with them.

This is a task which the reader should diligently perform for himself; the following, however, may serve as examples, and are abundantly sufficient to mention here.

We read in Genesis, chap. iii. that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent, who had caused sin and death. The Christian religion teaches that one born of a virgin destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the

came to "

devil."

We read in Genesis, chap. xxii. that in "the seed of Abraham all nations shall be blessed." The Christian religion' teaches that one, directly descended from Abraham, is the Saviour of the world. And in point of fact, (though this is quite another argument,) the belief of this religion has already, even in this world, been a substantial blessing to millions.

We read in Genesis, chap. xv. that believing in the Lord was "counted to Abraham for righteousness.". The Christian religion teaches that " man is justified by faith."

We read, chap. xvii. that Abraham shall be the father of many nations The Christian religion has caused the principal

nations of the earth to profess that, being Christ's, "they are Abraham's seed."

The twenty-second chapter of Genesis being publicly read as the first lesson in our service, on the day when we commemorate the principal distinguishing doctrine of Christianity, its application need not be a second time mentioned here.

We read in Exodus, chap. xii. that the sprinkling of the blood of a lamb upon their houses saved God's people from de"Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin

struction.

of the world."

We read again, chap. xv. "Thou, in thy mercy, hast led forth thy people, which thou hast redeemed, thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation."-" Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance; in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in." Words which apply at least as well (if not far better) to that which Christians believe, as to any thing that ever happened to the nation of whom they were originally spoken. Compare these words, "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory."

We read in Exodus, chap. xxviii. that this people of God had one high priest, who was to "bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate upon his heart, when he went into the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually." And on his forehead he had a plate of gold, inscribed "Holiness to the Lord;" and it was to be on his forehead, that he might "bear the iniquity of the holy things," (that is, take away all defilement from the offerings of the people,) "that they may be accepted before the Lord." What is there in the gospel itself that illustrates, more than these words do, the doctrine of "a great high priest," and intercessor, "who is passed into the heavens," and pleads for those who believe on him, that their sins may be forgiven, and their imperfect offerings, of prayer, praise, and obedience, accepted. "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins."