2. It is objected again, that while THE STUDY OF THE PROPHECIES ALREADY FULFILLED MAY BE PROPER AND USEFUL, THAT OF THE PROPHECIES UNFULFILLED IS BOTH USELESS AND DANGEROUS. There is a vast amount of, what appears to us, both effrontery and presumption in such an objection. The objection admits, that God has revealed a portion of his will in predictions yet unfulfilled. Who then gave the objector a right to say, that this portion of his revealed will is of no use to us, and dangerous to be studied till fulfilled, and therefore may well be neglected? Paul did not so teach, when, by the dictation of the Holy Ghost, he said "All scripture is profitable for instruction,"* nor Peter when he said, that "we do well to take heed" to the "more true word of prophecy," and that the prophets themselves "inquired and searched diligently," and the holy "angels desire to look into" the things predicted. The objection contradicts explicitly the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, it undervalues and pours contempt upon the experience of a large portion of the church of God for centuries. Did the ancient saints, from the days of Adam down till the coming of Christ, find it useless and dangerous to study unfulfilled prophecy? The time was when all the revelations, which God made of a Saviour, and of the way of salvation, were predictions not yet fulfilled. What, think you, would Seth, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and David, and all the prophets, have thought of such an objection? What, too, would have become of the church of God, and of the entire human race, if this objection had been universally adopted? Hundreds and thousands felt the benefit, yea, found their salva† 1. Pet. 1, 10-12, and 2 Pet. 1, 19. * 2 Tim. 3, 16. tion, through the study of unfulfilled prophecy, and shall we be told, that it is useless and dangerous for us? The objection is just as opposed to the universal experience of the Christian church, as to that of ancient believers. What are the promises given for our support and consolation, but unfulfilled prophecy? Many if not all of the most important promises, which form the foundation of hope, and serve for our encouragement and consolation, are part and parcel of the system of prophecy, and need, to their right understanding, to our knowledge of the use to be made of them, and of our warrant to apply them, that we be somewhat acquainted with that system. It is lamentable to see the ignorance that prevails on this subject, and how arbitrarily, capriciously, and confusedly, the promises, especially of the Old Testament, are often used and applied by Christians. Ask them for their warrant to apply them to their own case and circumstances, and to show how they intelligently extract their consolation from them, and they are wholly at fault. It is not surprising, that the faith of many should be so weak and sickly, when they neither understand the true import and bearing of many of the most precious promises of the word of God, nor how or upon what warrant they can apply them, and make use of them, for their own encouragement and confirmation. The very first promise of mercy to the guilty race of man, was a prediction, which, even at this day, has not been wholly fulfilled. Multitudes, which comforted the hearts of believers in past ages, and yet are fraught with consolation to Christians, remain unfulfilled. By "these exceeding great and precious promises" do we "become partakers of the divine nature," and find the exciting, purifying and rejoicing influence of the hope of "good things to come”. "the recompense of reward"-the heavenly glory. How rash and presumptuous, therefore, is it to tell us, that we have no interest in unfulfilled prophecies, and that it is dangerous for us to study them! Who gave the objector a right to draw a line of distinction here, or to say what is a precious promise, and what a useless prediction? It is all precious, and all profitable, which God has revealed for our hope and encouragement, in relation to his church on earth and his kingdom to come. The objection is founded on a very false assumption, viz. an alleged impossibility of understanding, or judging, of a prediction, till the event has proved its meaning. There may be, and indeed are, some predictions so cautiously expressed, and so dependent on others to be previously fulfilled, as to create some difficulty, and require much diligent searching to understand them. But does it therefore follow, that all unfulfilled prophecy is equally difficult to be comprehended, and our study, even of what is obscure, unprofitable and dangerous? The Lord Jesus Christ thought otherwise, and Noah, Abraham, the children of Israel, and the Christians who escaped to Pella during the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman army, found it otherwise. There is something, in the spirit of this objection, which seems to call for a rebuke, as well as a reply. Prejudices against the study of unfulfilled prophecy have been excited by various means, and all said, or preached, or written, on the subject, has been set aside with the invidious and sweeping charge of being mere speculations. "No speculations on prophecy yet unfulfilled have CHARMS for us,"* it has been boldly and publicly asserted, even by Christian editors; and we are gravely told, that the design of God in prophecy was to assure us of the all-controlling providence of God, from the "beginning to the end," and to attest the truth of doctrines coming from the lips of prophets and apostles, for the instruction of the world." These, indeed, are some of the results which flow from the study of prophecy, but not the leading and primary design of God. Peter says expressly, the word of prophecy, not the events fulfilling the predictions, is a light for us, to supply, in the present darkness of our way, and till the things predicted occur, the place of the things themselves. It is for the support and consolation, the safety and sanctification, of his church that he has given us this light. The design that the Saviour had, in giving his predictions to his disciples, was, that they should "take heed that no man deceive" them.† Paul expressly declares, that he delivered his predictions, that Christians might "comfort one another with these words,”that they should not be in darkness, but having the light, should not "sleep as do others," but "watch" and "be sober" and "edify one another." Peter also declares, that he delivered his predictions to forewarn Christians, and to put them on their guard, so that, while looking for the very things predicted, ye might, says he, "be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless" and not misinterpret the long-suffering of God, but account it salvation. He admits that there were "things hard to be understood" in the prophecies, and especially in * The Boston Recorder for Oct. 22, 1841. † Mat. 24. 4. 1 Thess. 4. 13; 5. 11. those delivered by Paul, which they that are unlearned and unstable, as they do also the other Scriptures, "wrest to their destruction," but he would have Christians "to know these things before, not wait till the events fulfilled predictions; and understand beforehand, so as to "beware lest they should be led away by the error of the wicked, and fall from their own steadfastness."* And the angel, whom God sent, in answer to Daniel's prayers and diligent study of unfulfilled prophecy, says expressly, that his design, in giving further predictions to him was, " to make thee understand what should befall thy people in the latter days." Christ also says, that he told his followers what things would come to pass as signs of the coming of his kingdom, expressly that they might "KNOW"‡ when it was nigh, i. e. before it arrived. He says, also, that he told them things beforehand, which he would have them consider, that when they came to pass, they might KNOW§ who he was, and what he was, -the promised Saviour and Deliverer. And John, both in the beginning, and at the close, of the book of Revelations, declares expressly, that they are given to show unto the servants of God beforehand "things which must shortly come to pass."|| Now, after all this, what shall we think of those, who will tell us, unfulfilled prophecy needs not to be studied,—is of no use, but dangerous-till the events have fulfilled them? Assuredly, such instructors deserve reproof, and to be sent back to their Bibles, themselves to study more carefully lest they should mislead others. They have reason to fear, that the charge, and cen † Dan. 10. 14. 2 Pet. 3. 14-17. § John, 13. 19. Rev. 1. 1; 22. 6. |