plishment of many of their predictions attested to their own cotemporaries. To us, who live after the lapfe of numerous ages, in which

fo many additional predictions have been verified; who know that the great Redeemer has fuffered and performed what they only foretold; who see at this moment the predictions delivered by Moses, the earliest of the prophets, nearly four thousand years ago, verifying in every quarter of the world in the fate of the Jews" fcattered among all people "from one end of the earth to the other, an "aftonishment, and a proverb, and a byeword

among all nations:" to us the kind of evidence, which was bestowed on the contemporaries of the prophets in a degree fufficiently convincing, comes with an accumulation of force irresistible to every thing but ignorance or obduracy. To this evidence the New Teftament adds its fulleft atteftation. The proofs which it fupplies of the infpiration of the feparate books of prophecy will be noticed in the fhort account of each book about to be given. But in this place it is proper to mention fome of the many teftimonies which are afforded to the writings of the prophets taken collectively. "Prophecy came not in "old time by the will of man ; but holy men of God fpake as they were moved by the

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"Holy

"Holy Ghost (k)."—"God, at fundry times and in divers manners, fpake in time paft "unto the fathers by the prophets (4)."—“ If they hear not Mofes and the prophets; "neither would they be perfuaded, though "one rofe from the dead (m)."-"Beginning át Mofes, and all the prophets, he (Chrift) "expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (n)."

Ifaiah prophefied, as we learn from himfelf (0), in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. He probably did not enter upon his office until towards the close of Uzziah's reign, about seven hundred and fifty-eight years before Chrift; and he was certainly living about forty-five years afterwards, in the fourteenth. year of the reign of Hezekiah (p). His work, with the exception of fome historical paffages contained in it, is composed, according to the general custom of the Hebrew prophets (9), in metre. It is characterised by (1), Heb. i. 1.

(4) 2 Pet. xxi. 21. (m) Luke, xvi. 31. (0) Ifaiah, i. 1.

(n) Luke, zziv. 27,

(p) 2 Kings, xx. i.

(9) On the subject of Hebrew poetry, and the difcriminating excellences of the several Hebrew poets, confult Bifhop Lowth's admirable Prelections on Hebrew Poetry, his preliminary dif courfe to his new Tranflation of Ifaiah, Dr. Blayney's New Verfion of Jeremiah, and Archbishop Newcome's Translation of the minor Prophets,

grandeur

grandeur of conception and elevation of style; and abounds in paffages of the fublimest poetry. The predictions of Isaiah were addreffed principally to the kingdom of Judah; though he occafionally adverts to the ten tribes. He proclaims the impending deftruction of the Affyrian empire; the utter and perpetual defolation of Babylon; and the fubverfion of the Philiftines, Syrians, Egyptians, and other furrounding nations. And in his predictions concerning the Meffiaht and the final iglories of the Chriftian church. he expatiates with fuch accuracy and fuch magnificence of defcription, that he has been emphatically denominated the evangelical prophet. His book is quoted with high diftinction by Chrift and the apoftles (r).

Jeremiah was called to the prophetic miniftry fix hundred and twenty-eight years before the Chriftian era, in the thirteenth year of the reign of Jofiahi king of Judah; and continued in the exercife of it during rather more than forty years, until the deftruction of Jerufalem by Nebuchadnezzar (s). In his writings, which are diftinguished for prècifion and energy, and for their peculiar

(*) As in Mat. iv. 14. viii. 17. xii. 17 xiii. 6. Luke, fii. 4. iv. 17. John, xii. 39. 41. xxviii. 25. Romans, ix. 27. x. 16. 20, &c. (v) Ferein. L. 1—3.

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14. Mark, vii, Acts, viii. 28.

pathos ;

pathos; the Babylonian captivity, the time of its continuance, the restoration of the Jews, the deftruction of Babylon and of some other nations, and many circumstances respecting the birth and office of the Meffiah, are prominent features. He is fpecifically mentioned and quoted in the New Teftament (†).

Ezekiel prophefied in Mefopotamia, on the banks of the river Chebar, where he had been placed with many of his captive countrymen by the Chaldeans (u). His prophecies, the chief portion of which is not written in poetical measure, are remarkable for indignant vehemence of ftyle. They are darkened by mysterious vifions; and contain many things yet to be accomplished. Of fome parts, however, as of the deftruction of the Ammonites, Moabites, Philiftines, and other nations by Nebuchadnezzar, the accomplishment, was speedy: and to the irrecoverable desolation of Tyre, according to his predictions, many revolving ages have borne witnefs. St. John in the book of Revela tions appears to allude in a pointed manner to Ezekiel (v).

(1) Matt. ii. 17, 18. xvi. 14.

(#) Ezek. i. 1-3.

with

(v) Compare Rev. xix. 17. to the end, and xx. 8, 9. Ezekiel xxxviii and xxxix. to 20, I

Daniel, who was of the royal house of Judah, was carried captive fix hundred and fix years before Chrift, with Jehoiachim from Jerufalem by Nebuchadnezzar; and was advanced by that monarch and his fucceffors, in confequence of Divine infpiration fignally bestowed upon him, to the highest offices in the Babylonian empire. Amid the ensnaring allurements of his exalted condition, he exhibited for the inftruction of future ages, and of ftatesmen in particular, a glorious example of active and unshaken piety; and of stedfast obedience to the commandments of God, in defiance of all perfonal hazard, and of the crooked fuggestions of worldly wisdom. He lived to see his countrymen return, on the acceffion of Cyrus, to their native land: but being then, nearly ninety years of age, he probably remained in Babylon. His predictions, which are written in profe, relate principally to the four great empires which fucceeded each other, the Affyrian, the Perfian, the Grecian, and the Roman; the precife time of the coming of Chrift; the rife and duration of Antichrift; the final triumph and universal prevalence of the Christian religion. Many of his prophecies have been fulfilled with fuch manifeft precision, that fome fceptical writers, with boldness equalled only

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