lating to preceding times and events have received a minute and full accomplishment? Yea, is it not as demonstrable from the most authentic histories, that the subjects in their kind, and the events in that order in which this prophetic system hath drawn them, have been effected and realized, as it is that

Julius Cæsar was assassinated by Cassius and Brutus, or that the Roman empire was peaceful and happy in the reign of Augustus ?*

cy. It being conceded that Daniel wrote these prophecies, he must necessarily have written them either,

1. From the native force and penetration of his own mind; but this could not suggest to him his own personal situation the next day, or the next hour; much less could it suggest to him, with precision, the rise, greatness, fall and succession of empires which depended upon the genius, volitions, connexions, habits, motives and enterprises of innumerable individuals in distant countries, and different regions, and for a long succession of ages or he must

The genuineness of the book of Daniel and the accomplish. ment of his visions being admitted, we may infallibly infer, the divine inspiration of his prophe-have written them,

• When Jerome, in his controversy with Porphyry, in support of Christianity produced the argument from prophecy, and especially from the prophecies of Daniel, his learned antagonist found himself reduced to the hard necessity, to evade the argument, of denying that the book of Daniel was a prophecy; and of affirming, that it was an history written by some spurious

author after the facts existed; asserting that it was absolutely impossible that such a series of events should be so accurately described in the way of prediction. A late opposer of Christianity has asserted, that the prophe cies are a bow of a thousand years, which comes only within a thousand miles of a mark. So we see the great ancient and the modern opposers of Christianity asserting opposite propositions respecting the prophecies. One, that they defcribe events so exactly that they cannot be predictions of future events, but must be histories of past transactions. The other, that they are so obscure and equivocal as to fit almost any circumstance that may happen afterward. Will it amuse or edify the believers of divine revelation to see these virulent opposers of Christianity settle this contradiction between themselves?

VOL. V. No. 2.

2. From philosophical and political calculation.

If it be said, that Daniel from effeminacy of the Babylonish his knowledge of the luxury and court, and of the connexions which had been formed between the courts of Media and Persia might have predicted the conquest of Babylon by their united arms and valor; yet what political data did he possess, from which he could have calculated the war of the Persians with the Greeks, and that the Grecks who then existed in numerous independent states, being united under one common sovereign, should attempt the conquest of Persia and effect it? That the royal family should be extin guished, and the empire be divided into four kingdoms, and that implacable enmities should subsist between the kings of Syria and Egypt? Or what political principles did he possess, from which he could calculate that Rome, then in a

I.

and for extent of territory inferior to many of the provinces of Babylon, should subdue, and as with great iron teeth devour the whole, and then be subdued herself by the barbarous nations of the north? Or by what political skill could he predict the rise, power, tyranny and persecutions of Antichrist, who for ages afterwards did not exist even in embryo? To predicted these events and the order in which they should exist, must it not absolutely have baffled and confounded the most consummate skill of the ablest politician? But Daniel did predict them, and the order in which they should succeed; and his predictions have been realized in their peculiar events.

state of infancy and obscurity, | his immediate influence, they possess an infallible certainty and precision, and demonstrate their divine authority by their This revela. exact fulfilment. tion, therefore, bears the strong and lively impression of original divinity. With equal perspicuity it evinces an absolute divine prescience of future events, and the establishment of a universal and immutable system of operation, according to which God invariably proceeds, working all things according to the counsel of his own will. His own de signs and operations being irre versibly established in his own mind, for his own purpose and grace, for the instruction and support of his people, he re vealed them to his holy servants, the Prophets, and they commu◄ nicated them, not in words which man's wisdom taught, but which were dictated by the Holy Ghost. Originating from such an infallible cause and realized in their peculiar events, they demonstrate with an irresistible energy, that the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

3. If Daniel could not have predicted these events by an effort of genius, or by political skill, by no power or principle within himself, he must have predicted them through the influence of some foreign cause or external agent;-but no external agent was adequate to this but he of whom are are all things and by whom are all things, and who hath determined the times before appointed, who is GOD. He only, whose infinitely capacious mind, at one all-comprehensive and intuitive view apprehends, the most distant future events, with equal clearness and precision as the present, could communicate this series of revolutions and events to his holy servant, the Prophet. Originating from this supreme and infinitely intelligent cause, from God, to whom are known all his works from the beginning of the world, and commuBicated to his holy Prophet by

The evidence for the divine authority of the holy scriptures, from prophecy, by the continued fulfilment of it, hath been increasing from age to age. It hath received additional lustre from those recent events in providence, by which God hath been visibly taking away the dominion of the little horn and giving the kingdom to the people of his saints. Much more hardened and inexcusable must they be who reject this revelation from God, under that blaze of light, with which the divine

authority of it now addresses itself to the mind, than they who lived in past, in more obscure and bewildered ages. Let no one be faithless and unbelieving, lest he procure to himself that awful rebuke of heaven, Behold

desfisers wonder and

ORIGINAL LETTER of the Rev.

RICHARD BAXTER, written nearly 150 years ago, taken from an English Magazine. To E. R. Esq.

T

SIR,

HE many obligations laid

upon me by the kindness of your parents, and the last request of your mother on your behalf, command me to make known my thoughts to you concerning your present and ever lasting state.

I know the grace of God is free, and that many parents are in heaven, whose children are in hell; but yet, some respect the mercy of God hath to children for their parents' sake; which puts me in some hope of you; and, for myself, I cannot think of your mother, whose soul is now with God, without a strong affection to her offspring; which will not suffer me to see you perish in utter silence, and to forbear my admonition, how ungrateful soever it may prove to your corruption.

ish. And do not these considerations mightily tend to confirm the faith of believers, and make the children of Zion joyful in their king? What irresistible evidence have they from the accomplishment of scripture prophecies, of their real divinity? And are not the fulfilment of those, which relate to Babylon, Media and Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist, so many implicit assurances; that he will fulfil those made to the Messiah, respecting his glorious and eternal kingdom? How impressively does the exhortation of the Prophet address them? The vision is yet an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. And is not the Lord, to the astonishment and joy of his friends, and the confusion of his foes, marvellously effecting an accomplishment of these promises in the present day? Anding, sporting, idle company and should not the manifest operations of the most High stimulate his servants to fortitude, activity, zeal and perseverance in those holy exertions which he hath appointed to be the means of promoting his cause in the world? Commending them by faith and prayer to his gracious benediction, we wait and in a full assurance that in the set time he will appear in his glory and build up Zion, and make her a joy and praise in the earth?

I have long enquired after your welfare; and, from the voice of Fame, I heard a very sad report of you:-That you were quite given up to drink.

courses, in flat licentiousness, in your disobedience to your father, and to the grief of his heart; and that, as you were a child when you should have been a man, so now you grow worse than man or child; so that your father has purposed to marry, and disinherit you, that he might not leave his estate to such a

-. I was loth to credit this report; but made further enquiry of some that I knew to be your friends, and all confirm

ed it; so that I am in great fears lest it be true.

Say not so, without an acknowledgment of brutishness; do not so, unless you will disown your manhood.

I beseech you, tell me, do you ever think of dying, and of what follows? If not, what shift do you make to overcome your wit,

Sir, believe it, these lines are not begun to you without tears. Alas! that the only son, the too much beloved darling of my dear deceased friend, should prove a wretch, an invincible neglecter of God and his salva-so far as to forget it? If you do, tion, and an heir of everlasting misery (without conversion) !— Shall the soul of such an affectionate, careful mother see you in damnation? Shall the heart of a loving father, who looked for much of his earthly comfort in you, have his greatest earthly sorrow from you? Is it not sorrow enough to him to part with half himself, but he must see his only son as lost and dead while he is alive?

Sir, if you cannot feel words, you shall shortly have that which will make you feel. What! is your heart become a stone? Have you so lately seen the face of death in a deceased mother, and do you no better bethink you of your own? I beseech you, for the sake of her that charged you by her last words to you, to be ruled by me; nay, I beseech you,' for the sake of God and of your soul, that you would take these lines a little into your private serious thoughts if you know how to be serious; and that you will not proceed any further in your folly, till you can tell how to answer the questions which I shall now put to you.

what shift make you to overcome your wit and sense itself so far as to disregard it? Can your guilty soul endure the terrors of an offended Majesty? Is it nothing to be condemned by the most holy God to everlasting torments?

Sir, you had best bethink you quickly whom you have to do with. It is not only an earthly father that you you offend, but you are a creature and a subject of eternal Majesty.You owe him your highest love and obedience; and he will have it, or he will have your heart's blood for it. He will make you know yourself, and know your maker, and know his laws, and know your duty-or he will make you howl in endless misery for it. You may make bold with a man like yourself; but be not too bold with the consuming fire. The sun is darkness in comparison of his glory; the heavens and earth are but as an hand-breadth, in comparison of his infiniteness. Thousands and ten thousands of glorious Angels are praising and serving Him, while such a thing as you are slighting, forgetting and disobeying Him. And do you

Sir, what do you think on? Do you not believe that the infi-think he will long put up with nite God beholdeth you, and that this at your hands? If you you live in his presence? Is dare take your Prince by the God's presence nothing to you? throat, if you dare play with a Are you affected with nothing raging hungry lion, yet do not but what you see? Do you live play with the wrath of God.only by sense, and not by faith? 'If you dare venture on fire or

told you, that they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of Do you think these are but he flesh; and they that are after empty words? Believe you not the spirit, the things of the spirit ; a life to come? If you do not, that to be carnally minded is death; your unbelief shall not procure that if ye live after the flesh, ye your escape; but experience shali die ;-that they who are in shall convince you, and make | the flesh cannot please God-and you, in despite of you, believe that, if any man have not the spiror confess that there is an end-it of Christ, he is none of his. less life that you should have provided for. If you do believe it, are you out of your wits, man, to believe one thing and do another?-to believe that you are near to heaven or hell, and yet make light of it!