LECTURE XI.

HEBREWS i. 1, 2.

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things."

Although the miraculous generation of Jesus Christ is most sincerely believed by your speaker, still it will not be the subject of minute and labored discussion in these lectures, since it is not a point on which the credibility of the history of the birth, ministry, miracles, labors, death and resurrection of the Saviour depends. That he is the Son of God, is acknowledged in the creeds of all who assume the name of Christians, or who profess to depend on the divine inspiration of the writings of the New Testament. It is therefore deemed unnecessary to call your attention to those parts of scripture history which are not absolutely susceptible of the most plain and positive proof; such as shall defy the arts and evasions of skepticism, and place the most prominent and important facts of the history of Christ beyond the power of reasonable and historical contradiction. The facts on which we are about to remark, were not removed to some remote corner of the earth, or to the limits of an empire which has long since been consigned to the shades of oblivion, or whose history has been lost in the rubbish of antique fable: But they are facts which transpired under the powerful sway of imperial Rome; when, in point of prosperity, she was at the very zenith of her glory, and when she held dominion over more than half of the whole globe.

The remotest parts of Asia had bowed before her standards; diadems were disposed according to the pleasure of her emperors; and her proud eagles had extended their wings even over the British Isles, which, in the familiar language of scripture, was designated as "the ends of the

earth." The most powerful and polished nations of the earth acknowledged her sovereignty, and trembled at the stern mandates of her power.

At a period, when a general impression prevailed throughout the eastern world, that some extraordinary personage would soon make his appearance among men, and establish a new and more happy form of government; we date the welcome birth and glorious entry of the "Prince of Peace" into our world.

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That such were the anticipations of the whole Jewish nation, is too evident to admit of a single doubt. patriarch Jacob, whose predictions Moses had long since recorded, taught them to expect that the Shiloh should come, ere the sceptre departed from Judah, or a lawgiver from between his feet.

When the intelligence of the singular star, which was seen in the east, was communicated to Herod by the wise men, he called the chief priests and scribes of the Jews, and demanded of them where Christ should be born. This question, it appears, they readily answered, and informed him that it was evident that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. They were led to this conclusion by the prophecy of Micah, who lived more than 700 years before Christ; and who designated Bethlehem, as the place of the Saviour's birth. This fact will appear evident, by comparing Micah v. 2; with St. Matt. ii. 5, 6.

Having settled the question, where the Saviour was to be born, according to prophetic authority, and shown that the Jewish doctors anticipated that the birth of the Messiah would be in Bethlehem, we shall now attend to the time of his birth, and show by prophetic authority that he was expected at about the period in which he made his appearance.

The Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmudists, in fixing the time of the Messiah's birth, place it about 4000 years from the creation. The Babylonian Doctors supposed that Messias would be born about four hundred years after the destruction of the first Temple, as may be seen by consulting the dissertation of Dr. Lightfoot on the time of Christ's birth. This calculation of the Babylonian Doctors, which placed the coming of Christ about one

hundred years earlier than the true period of his birth, will readily account for the general expectation which every where prevailed, for a considerable time before the event transpired. But the testimony on which the whole Jewish nation placed their principal reliance, was that which was contained in the prophecy of Daniel, 9th chap. concerning the seventy weeks, which, according to the custom of prophet reckoning, a day for a year, would fix the Messiah's birth at a distance of about four hundred and ninety years from the close of the Babylonish captivity.

This period arrived, and the whole nation was anxiously looking for the appearance of the illustrious Prince, by whom they anticipated a speedy and glorious deliverance from all their oppressions. The preaching of John the Baptist drew the attention of the doctors and public functionaries of the Jewish nation, and excited the inquiry, whether he were the Christ, or whether they should look for another for they evidently esteemed John as a great prophet. These are not the only facts with which we are furnished in Scripture, in relation to this event. The appearance of a singular star, or luminous body, was alluded to by Balaam, more than fifteen hundred years before, when he beheld in prophetic vision, the future glory of the house of Jacob, under the triumphant reign of the Prince of Peace. The singular prophecy of Balaam seems to have been preserved by the Chaldeans, Persians, Mesopotamians and Idumeans; and from the best evidences which we can gather out of the ancient records and traditions, other nations, as well as the Jews, were looking for the appearance of an extraordinary person, or Ruler, among the descendants of Jacob.

I shall here notice a few evidences that such an expectation was not peculiar to the Jews. Seutonius, a Roman historian, says, that " an ancient and settled persuasion prevailed throughout the east, that the Fates had decreed some one to proceed from Judea, who should attain universal empire. This persuasion, which the event proved" (as this writer supposes,) "to respect the Roman Emperor, the Jews applied to themselves and therefore rebelled." But the inconsistency of applying this settled and

prevailing persuasion to the Roman Emperor, is apparent to the smallest capacity; for he tells us plainly, that the persuasion was that it should rise out of Judea : therefore, it could have no reference to the Roman Emperor, unless it can be shown that the Roman Emperor was a Jew. This, however, no man in his senses will attempt to prove, or even pretend to believe.

Tacitus, another Roman historian, furnishes a similar passage. He tells us, Book v. that at the time Jerusalem was beseiged by Titus, "many were under a strong persuasion, that in the ancient books kept by their Priests, a prophecy was contained, that at this very time the power of the East should prevail, and out of Judea should spring such as were to rule over all nations :" But he calls this a prophetic riddle, by which Titus and Vespasian were prefigured. Here again you see the same inconsistent conclusion with that of Seutonius: for the prediction supposed that this power of universal dominion should spring out of Judea.

The representations of these Roman historians accord so perfectly with the prophecy of Daniel, concerning the Messiah, that it is difficult to resist the inclination to bring them into fellowship, in this department of our labors. "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not be destroyed.” ' Dan. vii. 13, 14. This prediction, in connexion with his prophecy of the seventy weeks, which has before been noticed, shows, with great clearness, that a character similar to that which was described by Seutonius, was universally expected among the Jews at about the period of the Saviour's birth.

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To place the fact beyond all doubt, that some extraordinary personage, some illustrious Ruler, who should sway the sceptre of the globe, was generally expected throughout the eastern heathen world, I shall lay before you a part of the much admired eclogue of Virgil, written about forty years before the birth of Christ. It is supposed to

have been composed as a compliment to Marcellus, the nephew of Augustus, and son of Octavia. The simple fact, that Marcellus was never placed upon the throne of the Roman empire; that he had little to do in the affairs of government, and that he died a private man, affords sufficient evidence that the character here described will not apply to him; nor will it apply to any temporal monarch that ever existed upon the earth: Still it evinces that the expectation of a glorious and universal ruler prevailed, and that the anticipation was ardently indulged by the hea then world.

"Sicilian Muses, let us attempt more exalted strains! The last era foretold in Cumean verse is already arrived. The grand series of revolving ages commences anew. Now a new progeny is sent down from lofty heaven. Be propitious, chaste Lucina, to the infant boy-by him the iron years shall close, and the golden age shall arise upon all the world. Under thy consular sway, Pollio, shall this glory of the age make his entrance, and the great months begin their revolutions. Should any vestiges of guilt remain, swept away under thy direction, the earth shall be released from fear forever; and with his Father's virtues shall he rule the tranquil world. The earth shall pour before thee, sweet boy, without culture, her smiling first fruits. The timid herds shall not be afraid of the large fierce lions. The venomous asp shall expire, and the deadly, poisonous plant shall wither. The fields. shall become yellow with golden ears of corn; the blushing grape shall hang over the wild bramble; and the stubborn oak shall distil soft, dewy honey. Yet still shall some vestiges of pristine vice remain ; which shall cause the sea to be ploughed with ships-towns to be besieged-and the face of the earth to be wounded with furrows. New wars shall arise-new heroes be sent to. battle-But when thy maturity is come, every land shall produce all necessary things, and commerce shall cease. The ground shall not endure the harrow, nor shall the vine need the pruning-hook. As they wove their thread, the Destinies sang this strain- "Roll on ye years of felicity "-Bright offspring of the gods! thou great increase of Jove advance to thy distinguished honors! for now the