and that they all have proceeded from the same fountain of infallible truth. The stile and manner in which they are written is very different; yet, in consistency and uniformity of design, they are the work" of one and the self-same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will," and as the time and occasion required. The Supreme Being, which created man a free agent, and placed him upon the earth in a state of trial, in order to a future state, foreknew whatever would result from man's freedom of thoughts and actions; not only with respect to individual men, but to nations and empires, and that in every moment of time to the end of the world. It has seemed good to His infinite wisdom, to make known to us this inconcievable attribute of the Divine Nature, by vouchsafing us written notices of some future events, of particular importance to the faithful, couched in such figu rative terms of expression as the time when the prophecy was written, and the nature of the fact so revealed, did respectively require.

* 1 Cor. xii, 11.

These prophecies are declared to have been given, in the first place, as cautionary warnings to the faithful worshippers of God against several emergencies of difficulty to their judgment, or danger to their souls; and in the comprehension of them, (in a degree sufficient for that purpose,) the candid and ingenuous have many promises of assistance from that same Holy Spirit which dictated the prophe cies themselves.-And in the next place, they are held forth as proofs of the power and prescience and supreme majesty of God, to which no false god can make any pretence; and by consequence, they are to remain for ever, as undeniable testimonies of the truth and divine origin of those sacred scriptures, in which such prophecies (attested by corresponding facts in history, and the observation of mankind) should be found.-" Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come, for ever :"* —that is, that all generations may have proofs of the infallible truth and power of God for

*Isaiah xxx. 8.

ever before them. "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: not one of these shall fail." "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." In this sense God exhibits the people of Israel as his vouchers, as they are the subjects of many wonderful prophecies, from first to last; and he challenges the world to point out any thing they can find fault with, in regard to his truth in that instance." Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me."‡

To this most convincing testimony of himself, which the mimic powers of darkness are wholly unable to counterfeit, the majestic God of nature makes his appeal against the stupid advocates of idolatry :-"I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth,”—(as the false gods of the heathen, which delivered their oracles in the darkness of secret ca

* Isa, xxxiv, 16. + Mat, v, 18.

Isa. xlv. 11,

verns, and in the most delusive and ambiguous, terms :)" I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain. I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time ?— Have not I, the Lord ?"*" And who, as I,

Isai. xlv. 19. God here appeals to the reason and judgment of the apostates, the worshippers of idols, to make a comparison between the Lord, and the false gods to which they were addicted, in respect of this single point, the foreknowledge of future events; the most infallible proof of a power and wisdom truly divine. He defies them to shew any thing in the pretended oracles of heathenism at all comparable with the prophecies of scripture,-in respect of their publicity,— clearness and perspicuity,—truth and righteousness,—and extensive reach into distant times. In all which respects, the oracular responses of the false gods (for any thing in the nature of real prophecy they could not attempt,) were notoriously the contrary.

Of the wicked and artful ambiguity of the heathen oracles, many examples are to be found in authors. King Pyrrhus

shall call,—and shall declare it,—and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people?-and the things that are coming, and shall come?-let them shew unto them."*Let the pretended gods of the heathen give any proofs of a prescience and omnipotence like unto this, if they are able !" Bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen :-declare us things to come !-Shew the things that are to come bereafter, that we may know that ye are gods."+

meditating war against the Romans, consulted the oracle first, about the event, and received for answer

"Aio te, acida, Romanos vincere posse :"

which is a perfect quibble, and may be understood in contrary

senses :

"I prophesy that you, the Romans may subdue."

He took it in a favorable sense, but instead of his conquering the Romans, they subdued him, and still the oracle had foretold the event, Cræsus had a like response, that if he passed the river Halys, he "should overturn a great empire,"—but the event proved it was not that of the enemy, but his own. Isai. xli, 22, &e.

*Isai. xliv. 7.