of his public ministry, by the great ones of the world, and all the power of the Roman empire was in opposition to his cause and people, for upwards of three hundred years.(5)

Notwithstanding the opposition of the kings and princes of the world for a season, the time was to come when kings should be nursing fathers to the church, and queens nursing mothers.-Most of the governors of the nations of Europe have been protectors of the church of Christ now for many centuries. (6)

It was upon a great variety of occasions predicted, that Messiah should enlighten the Gentile nations with the knowledge of the true God.-Jesus Christ gave particular commandment to his apostles, no longer to confine their ministrations to the Jews, as he had done during his life-time; but to go out into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.(7)

Messiah was to destroy the face of the covering which was cast over all people, and the veil which was spread over all nations. When Jesus Christ appeared, he, by his word, Spirit, and apostles, enlightened the minds of men, and effected a most surprising change in all the nations where his gospel was received. (8)

To Messiah every knee was to bow, every tongue to swear, and every heart to submit.-The whole christian world, professedly at least, pay this obedience to Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of souls, and to no other being whatever. And in due time, all opposing power shall be everlastingly annihilated.(9)

(5) Compare Psalm ii. 2; cx. 5, 6; Luke xxiii. 8-12. (6) Isaiah xlix. 23; lx. iii.

(7) Compare Isaiah lx. with Mark xvi. 15.

(8) Compare Isaiah xxv. 7; Acts ii. 1-11; xxvi. 17, 18.

(9) Compare Psalm cx. 1; Isaiah xlv. 25; 1 Corinthians xv. 24-28; and Philippians ii. 10, 11.

It was predicted, that all the enemies of Messiah should be ashamed and confounded.-Jesus Christ has already made an awful example of his enemies, the Jews; first, in the destruction of their city and temple; secondly, in their present dispersion; and, in proper season, every opposing power shall be brought into subjection.(60)

It was predicted, that Messiah would make a great and visible difference between his believing and unbelieving countrymen.-When the Romans besieged Jerusalem, near two millions of unbelieving Jews perished, while every single believer fled out of the city, and escaped in safety, to the mountains.(1)

Messiah was to appear in the world at the consummatum of the ages, to raise mankind from the dead, and judge the human race in righteousness.-Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life, shall appear again at the close of nature, and decide the final fates both of men and angels.(2)

the

Messiah was to destroy death itself, triumph over grave, and create new heavens and a new earth, wherein should dwell universal righteousness.-Jesus Christ is he who alone is equal to the mighty undertaking, and is divinely appointed to that office. (3)

This is a concise view of the predictions contained in the Old Testament, concerning the nature, birth, life, doctrine, suffering, death, resurrection, ascen

(60) Compare Psalm ii. 9; Psalm cx. 1; Isaiah xlv. 24; liv. 17; ix. 12; with Matthew xxiv. 2 Thes. i. 7-9; and the History of the Jews.

(1) Compare Malachi 3d and 4th chapters, with the History of that remarkable Siege.

(2) Compare Job xix. 23-27; Isaiah xxv. 8; Daniel xii. 1-3; Hosea xiii. 14; Micah ii. 13; Matthew xxv. 31-49; John xi. 25; Acts xvii. 30, 31; 1 Corinthians vi. 3; 2 Corinthians v. 10.

(3) Compare Hosea xiii. 14; Isaiah lxv. 17; lxvi. 22; 1 Corinthians xv. 54, 55; Revelations xx. 14; xxi. 4.

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sion, and kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There can be no doubt respecting the priority of the predictions to the birth of Christ, because it is well known by every person, that the Old Testament was translated out of the Hebrew into the Greek language, and dispersed over the world, many years before Christ came; and that the latest of the predictions was upwards of three centuries before the birth of the Redeemer of mankind. Such a variety of circumstances, therefore, predicted concerning one man, so many years before he was born, of so extraordinary a nature, and under such convulsions and revolutions of civil government, all accomplished by Christ, and in no other person that ever appeared in the world, point him out, with irresistible evidence, as the Saviour of mankind.

But let any man who is sceptically inclined, take the fifty-second and fifty-third chapters of Isaiah, and compare them seriously with the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh chapters of Matthew's gospel, and then let him deny, if he can, that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah. Rochester, and many others have made the experiment, and have found it the power of God unto the conviction of their minds, and the salvation of their souls. That all these extremely minute circumstances of time, place, character, &c. should concenter in Jesus Christ, and in no other person, is truly remarkable, and absolutely demonstrative of his Messiahship. That he should be born at such a time, in such a place, and under circumstances of poverty; that he should suffer, and be opposed by those that were strangers to his character, and be finally put to an ignominious death: these things were all common to him with many more of our fellow creatures. that he should profess to be the Saviour of mankindthat he should be described as one that was to comebe born under the fourth monarchy-while the second temple was yet standing-before the dominion of the

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Jews was entirely taken away-in a time of profound and universal peace-when there was a general expectation of some extraordinary person:-that he should have existed with God before the foundations of the world were laid-been the companion of the Almighty-been sprung from the Deity by an ineffable generation-been the Son of God-The Son of manbegotten of a pure virgin by divine energy-that he should be the son of Abraham-Isaac-Jacob-Judah -Jesse-David-born in a mean condition-yet having an illustrious herald preceding him-in the spirit of Elijah preaching, not in Jerusalem, but in the wilderness and successful in his office:-that he should be born in Bethlehem-go down into Egypt -be a preacher of the gospel-exercise his ministry in Galilee-in the neighbourhood of Zebulon and Naphtali-yet be proprietor of the temple in Jerusalem-that he should be the servant of God, whose name is the Branch-a Plant of Renown-the Messenger of the Covenant-a Prophet-a Priest; not of the tribe of Levi, and after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedeck--a King--a Righteous King-the Prince of Peace-having an universal and everlasting kingdom:-that he should be the Son of Righteousness--the East--the Just One-Emmanuel-the Shepherd-Jehovah our righteousness-the Lion of the tribe of Judah:-that he should be anointed, not with oil to his offices, but with the Holy Ghost; -that he should be of a most meek, patient, humble disposition-teaching mankind the doctrines of salvation without pomp and noise-endowed with a peculiar degree of wisdom and understanding-and speaking the most healing words to tender minds and afflicted consciences-changing thereby all the powers of the soul—that he should confirm the reality of his mission and the divinity of his doctrine, by a variety of benevolent miracles-and yet that the principal persons among his countrymen should not submit to his pre

tensions-be the chief corner stone of his church, and, notwithstanding, be rejected by the builders, though embraced by many of the common people :that he should be despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief-be seen riding in humble triumph into the capital of his kingdom-the people crying hosanna to the son of David: -that his zeal for the honour of God should transport him almost to excess:-that he should be betrayed by a friend-sold for thirty pieces of silver-that these pieces should be thrown down in the templeand applied to the purchase of a Potter's field :-that he should be condemned in judgment-forsaken by all his friends in his greatest need-finish his public office in three years and a half-be ignominiously Scourged-smitten on the face-befouled with spittle -wounded in his hands-by his friends-marred and disfigured in his countenance-patient and silent under all his ill-treatment-suspended with wicked men-buried in the tomb of a rich man-put to death exactly at the end of 490 years from a particular period -presented with vinegar and gall-wounded in his hands and feet-laughed to scorn under his sufferings-that his garment should be parted among his keepers that lots should be cast for his seamless vesture:-under all his distresses that not a bone of his body should be broken:-that his side should be pierced :-that he should make intercession for transgressors-be cut off, though innocent:-that a fountain should be opened to wash away sin-atonement made for the iniquities of the world-in the last of Daniel's 70 weeks-the old covenant abolished—a new one introduced-the blood of Messiah being the seal of the covenant:-that, though he should be buried, he should not see corruption-but be raised from the grave on the third day-that he should bring from the dead some tokens of his victory-ascend into heaven-attended with angels-take his