Mofes, and therefore as proving him to be the promised Meffiah expected by the Jews';

and the publication of the Gofpel to the Gentiles previous to the deftruction of the Jewish polity, confidered as proving Jefus to be the Meffiah, "in whom all the nations of the earth were to be bleffed.”

SECOND CLASS.

PROPHECIES RELATING

TO THE REIGN OF

ANTICHRIST, AND THE REIGN AND FINAL
TRIUMPH OF THE MESSIAH.

I. Prophecies concerning the establishment

of the Papal Power, or Popery, confidered as the fcourge of the Western Churches, in confequence of the corruptions of the Religion of Chrift, and as one branch of Antichrift.

II. Prophecies concerning the establishment of the Mahometan Power, or Mahometanism, -confidered as the fcourge of the Eastern Churches, in confequence of the corruptions of the Religion of Chrift, — and as another branch of Antichrist.

III. Prophecies concerning Infidelity,confidered as particularly prevalent in the last

and

and prefent centuries, as a third branch of Antichrift, and as a rifing power, which has already made great progress in its work, as the fcourge of Popery, or the Church of Rome, has affected a confiderable change among the followers of Mahomet, and has enticed a multitude of Proteftants to enlift under its banners.

IV. Prophecies concerning the general diffufion of the Gofpel-the converfion of the Jews the final triumph of our Lord, and the univerfal happinefs of his glorious reign, -confidered as the accomplishment of the original promife made to Adam, as the ul timate meaning of the prophetic defcriptions of the kingdom of the Meffiah, and as tending to reconcile the different opinions of Jews and Chriftians upon this fubject,dub

CLASS I

CHAPTER THE FIRST.

The Promife made to Adam after the Fallconfidered as a Prophecy of general Salvation by the Meffiah, the Redeemer of the World.

As it is the fashion of the prefent day, to queftion the truth of the narrative of which this Prophecy forms a part, I must entreat the reader to place the weight of historic evidence against the force of ridicule, before he thinks himself at liberty to reject it as falfe.Without any reference to the authority of infpiration for fupport, he will find the teftimony of all antiquity more than a balance. for the cavils of modern fcepticism. If it were within the limits of this work, it would be eafy to prove, that the earliest annals of the remoteft ages-the various fyftem of theology among the moft antient nations—

the

the voice of tradition, and the writings of philofophy, confirm the Mofaic hiftory of the fall of man, the antiquity of facrifices, the flood, and the general difperfion of mankind, beyond the poffibility of doubt. — And if the truth of this narrative can be thus established by an impartial examination of fuch unconnected evidence, it can fcarcely remain a question in the mind of any one, who confiders the impoffibility that Mofes fhould obtain the knowledge of these facts by any human means, and their fingular agreement with the principles of the Chriftian Religion-whether this narrative was written by infpiration?-I may therefore confider the Divine authority of this narration, as ftanding firm upon a mass of external and internal evidence, the combined ftrength of which has never yet been fhaken; whatever may be the affertions of ignorance or enmity, or however plaufibly the mifreprefentations of fome of the parts may seem to contradict its claim to our belief.

Notwithstanding the obfcurity which hangs over these first pages of the Mofaic history, the great truths, which it concerns us to know, are clearly difcernible. We may plainly fee, that God had revealed himself to Adam by actual

actual communications, previous to the forfeiture of his happiness. The blessing pronounced, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it "— the authority given, "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the fowl of the air, and over every thing that moveth upon the earth" the fingle prohibition, "Of every tree in

the garden thou mayeft freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it"-and the awful denunciation of punishment in case of disobedience," In the day that thou eateft, thou fhalt furely die," fufficiently prove, that Adam was clearly informed of the existence of God, from whom himself and all things had received their being, and to whom himfelf and all things were confequently fubject; and thus was furnished with the best guide and support to reafon, and the strongest defence against the power of temptation.

This important truth, which is confirmed by the whole tenor of Scripture, and of early history, at once vindicates the justice and goodness of God, and difplays the heinous nature of man's tranfgreffion. It teaches us

• Gen. ch. ii.

to