feft himself by weak inftruments, have been more con'fpicuous in that defignation?—The benefits of pro'phecy, though conveyed by one nation, would finally 'redound to all; and the more effectually, we have seen, ' for being conveyed by one nation. May we not con'clude then (having the fact, as I said, to reafon upon) 'that, to obtain fuch purpose, it was fit to felect a peculiar people? And, if thus much be acknowledged, it will hardly be thought a question of much moment, though no answer could be given to it, why the Jews ' had that exclusive privilege conferred upon them".'

It has been urged, by the objectors against prophecy, that the pointing out of future events is to be fatisfactorily accounted for by that fuperior degree of fagacity, by which some men are feen to be distinguished; and that conjectures, as experience informs us, will not unfrequently be realized by chance and a felicity of coincidence. This objection bp. Hurd has answered at confiderable length. Much as I have quoted from this able writer, I am unwilling to omit the infertion of a part of his reply. That the completion of two or three predictions, though they perfectly correfpond to the events to which they are applied, does not infer a certainty of inspiration, the bishop of Worcester readily admits. If, however, fays the prelate, the prophecies in the Old and New Teftament be very numerous, and if those 'prophecies, fo many of them, I mean, as are alleged in 'this controversy with unbelievers, have had a reason*able completion,-it must appear highly credible and probable, that so numerous prophecies, so fulfilled, had ⚫ not their origin from human conjecture, nor their accomplishment from what we call chance. For mere 'conjecture is not usually so happy; nor chance fo con

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ftant. Farther ftill; if the fcriptural prophecies have 'been completed in numerous inftances, and if in no inftance whatfoever can it be clearly fhewn, that they have failed in the event, the prefumption is ftill ftronger that fuch coincidence could not be fortuitous; and a material difference between fcriptural prophecy ' and pagan divination is, at the fame time, pointed out. For, that, in the multitude of pretended oracles in the days of paganism, fome few only should come to pass, while the generality of them fell to the ground, may 'well be the sport of fortune. But, that very many prophecies, recorded in our fcriptures, have had an evident completion, when not one of all thofe, there recorded, can be convicted of impofture, must surely be 'the work of defign.' But the prophecies of fcripture are not merely numerous. A great number of them are alfo eminently minute and circumftantial. On the

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whole, the general evidence for the truth of Chrif tianity, as refulting from the fcriptural prophecies, though poffibly not that, which fome may wish or ex'pect, is yet apparently very confiderable. Some coin'cidences might fall out, by accident; and more might be imagined. But when fo many, and such prophecies ' are brought together, and compared with their corref 'ponding events, it becomes ridiculous (because the ef'fect is in no degree proportioned to the cause) to fay of 'fuch coincidences, that they are the creatures of fancy, or could have been the work of chance50*

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'The truth of our religion, like the truth of common

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matters, is,' fays bp. Butler, to be judged of by all the

' evidence taken together. And unless the whole feries ' of things which may be alleged in this argument, and ' every particular thing in it, can reasonably be fuppofed

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to have been by accident; (for here the ftrefs of the argument for Chriftianity lies;) then is the truth of it ' proved. It is obvious, how much advantage, the na. ' ture of this evidence gives to those perfons, who attack Christianity, especially in converfation. For it is eafy 'to fhew, in a fhort and lively manner, that fuch and fuch things are liable to objection; that this, and another thing, is of little weight in itfelf; but impoffible to 'fhew, in like manner, the united force of the whole ar'gument in one view 51.

'The following qualities,' fays Dr. Johnston of Holywood, feem infeparable from prophecy; at least they are found in every prophecy which I have confidered; and appear to me to be closely connected with the very nature of prophecy, ift. That the prophecies are expreffed in dark, but never in contradictory language, 2d. That, BEFORE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT, THE GREAT OUTLINES OF THE EVENTS MAY BE DISCOVERED WITH CERTAINTY; but not all the minute circumstances. 3d. That, the nearer the time of their accomplishment approaches, more of the predic.' tions may be known.-And 4th, that neither before the ' event shall the general meaning of the prophecy, nor after the event fhall the full meaning of it, appear to the generality of mankind; but they fhall appear to

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those perfons only, who ftudy it, with competent knowledge, uprightness, and diligence 52'

That there are difficulties in the prophets, at present inexplicable to the upright and the diligent, as well as to the careless and the ignorant, is on all hands admitted. But furely the admiffion of this fact does not neceffarily lead to the conclufion, that thefe difficulties will never be removed, either by the fulfilment of the events pre

dicted, or by the fuccefsful induftry and the united talents of fucceeding critics, Four, or five centuries ago, antecedently to the refurrection of letters, how extremely little was known of the Jewish or the Christian prophets, with any degree of accuracy or certainty, in comparison of what now is known! Is there not then ground to believe, that a renewal of the fame efforts will be productive of fimilar effects? Is there not reason, not merely to hope, but confidently to conclude, that many of thofe obfcurities, which now in a confiderable degree darken the face of prophecy, will be cleared up by the acumen and research of the commentators who shall hereafter appear; and that future ages will confequently poffefs a very superior acquaintance with the prophetic fcriptures, as well as with every other fpecies of knowledge?

Dr. Hartley, in the second part of his Obfervations on Man, enters upon the evidences of the prophetic fcriptures. That the degree of obfcurity, which is found in "the prophecies of the fcriptures, is not so great as to in* validate the foregoing evidences for their divine authority: but, on the contrary, is itself an indirect teftimony ' in their favour,' is the thirty-first propofition of that work. In order to prove this, this celebrated physician obferves, First, that there are a fufficient number of 'prophecies, whofe interpretation is certain, clear, and 'precife, to fhew that their agreement with the events predicted is far above the powers of chance, or human forefight. But for the proof of this point, which takes ⚫ in a great compafs of literature, I must,' says Dr. Hartley,refer to the writers who have treated it in detail,

And as those, who have examined this point with accu. racy and impartiality, do, as I prefume, universally ' agree to the pofition here laid down, fo those who have not done it, can have po pretence for afferting the con

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trary; this being an hiftorical matter, which is to be determined as others of a like kind, viz. by the historical evidences. Secondly, that, even in the types and prophecies where interpreters differ from each other, the 'differences are often fo inconfiderable, and the agree'ments so general,-as to exclude both chance and hu'man-foresight, i. e. to infer a divine communication. Thirdly, I obferve that thofe types and prophecies, 'whose interpretation is fo obfcure, that interpreters • have not been able to discover any probable application, cannot any ways invalidate the evidence arifing from the rest. They are analogous to thofe parts of the works of nature, whofe uses, and fubferviency to 'the rest, are not yet underflood. And as no one calls in queftion the evidences of defign, which appear in many parts of the human body, becaufe the ufes of others are not yet known; fo the interpretations of pro' phecy, which are clearly or probably made out, remain * the fame evidence of defign, notwithstanding that unfurmountable difficulties may hitherto attend many * other parts 53 of the prophetic writings. Fourthly, it is predicted in the prophecies, that in the latter times 'great multitudes will be converted to the Chriftian faith; whereas thofe who preach or prophefy during the great apoftafy, fhall be able to do this only in an * obfcure, imperfect manner, and convert but a few. Now the past and present obfcurity of prophecy agrees remarkably with this prediction; and the opening, 'which is already made, fince the revival of letters, in

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53 The obscurity or unintelligibleness of one part of a prophecy, does not, in any degree, invalidate the proof of forefight, arifing from the appearing completion of those other parts which are understood. For the * çafe is evidently the fame, as if those parts, which are not understood,

were loft, or not written at all, or written in an unknown tongue.' Butler's Analogy, 1750, p. 366,