"They pierced my hands and my feet; they stand staring and looking upon me: they parted my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots:—all they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighteth in him:they gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink?"

Maria. All those beautiful and affecting Psalms become of infinitely greater importance and interest when thus explained by the event.

"Thou

Mr. B. Of whom also but our Lord did the Psalmist write, when he rejoiced that "his soul would not be left in hell;" and that the Lord would "not suffer his Holy One to see corruption?" Whose triumph did he celebrate, if not that of the risen Son of God, in the words, hast ascended up on High-thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men, even for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them?" We have in the testimony of prophecy to our Lord, not the agree ment of a few particulars, or the accomplishment of vague and intermediate predictions; but the prophecies are such as could not possibly be foreseen by human knowledge, such as could not possibly be fulfilled by hu man artifice: in detail they are unexceptionable, and in the mass irresistible.

CONVERSATION XV.

Edward. THE prophecies you brought forward in our last conversation have so strongly impressed my mind with the certainty of the argument thence derived in favour of the divine origin of the Scriptures, that I should conceive their evidence irresistible, had I not heard that

59 What are the two questions proposed by Mr. B. in the last paragraph of this conversation?-60 And with what additional remark on the testimony of prophecy does he conclude the conversation?

1 With what observation does Edward commence the fifteenth conver sation?

the interpretation of the prophecies was very doubtful in all cases, and that many eminent men had given up the arguments derived from them.

Mr. B. That some eminent men may have doubted respecting them may be true; but this proves little, for the majority have acknowledged the force of the argument. Those who have studied the subject of the prophecies most carefully have generally been the most zealous advocates.

Maria. But there may be something in the subject calculated to carry away the mind from fact to supposition; and those who have studied this subject most, perhaps, have not given decided proofs of their acuteness in others.

Mr. B. In making this assertion, you are falling into the very fault you condemn;* for the facts of the case are altogether against your hypothesis. Bacon, Newton, and Warburton, names not easily equalled, stand preeminent among the advocates for prophecy. Yet of these, the first most strenuously recommends the study of it, as calculated to throw light upon history; the second himself wrote upon it; and the last founded a lecture, for the purpose of keeping the public attention. fixed upon it, and calling forth the labours of the learned in its elucidation.

Edward. Was there not a Bishop Newton, who wrote upon the prophecies, as well as Sir Isaac ?

Mr. B. Bishop Newton's work is one of the most useful books which we have upon the subject, and is not less interesting in itself than important for the immense body. of proof which it contains. He takes the prophecies in chronological order, and brings forward such a number of testimonies to their fulfilment, from profane as well as sacred authors, that little more need be desired on the subject.

Edward. But has it not been conjectured, that some of the prophecies must have been written after the events, from the accuracy of the fulfilment ?

2 What reply is given by Mr. B.?-8 Maria here makes a suggestionwhat is it?-4 How does Mr. B. reply to it?-5 What does he say of the work of Bishop Newton on the prophecies?-6 What question is asked by Edward as to the time at which some of the prophecies were written?

Mr. B. Porphyry maintained an opinion of this kind with regard to the book of Daniel. He found no difficulty in applying it to the historical events which had occurred; but, being determined to reject the conclusion to which this agreement would naturally lead, he argued that it must have been written subsequently; whereas, there is nothing more certain than that the book was in existence prior to the events in question.

Maria. His opposition has then become advantageous to the cause which he sought to overthrow?

Mr. B. In this case, as in the arguments of Celsus against the miracles of our Lord, the evidence of our adversaries is of the greatest consequence, as proving the facts; for it is not very cifficult to overthrow their false reasoning.

Edward. What other prophecies are generally brought forward în defence of the Scriptures, besides those relating to our Lord Jesus Christ?

Mr. B. They are principally those relative to the Jews, those relative to the Christian church, and those relative to the destruction of great cities and empires more immediately connected with the Jewish or Christian dispensation. There are some others of a more general nature also highly interesting, and some, on which considerable obscurity now rests, of less importance, but still deserving of attention. The prophecies which predict the dispersion of the Jews are peculiarly interesting, as their fulfilment is yet before our eyes; and those which have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem are scarcely less so, as the historical evidence is so full and explicit that there is no denying the facts. Nothing had occurred in the history of mankind, before the time of Moses, that could suggest such singular denunciations as those contained in the twenty-eighth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy; and we have no instance in later times of any thing bearing any analogy to the singular condition

7 What in reply to him does Mr. B. mention of Porphyry?-8 What comparison is made between Porphyry and Celsus?-9 Besides those relating to our Lord, what other prophecies are adduced in defence of the scriptures? 10 What is said of the scripture denunciations upon the Jews, and of their singular condition?

in which the Jews have been placed. Human foresight could not have predicted the event: human policy could not have fulfilled the prophecy.

Maria. I believe the condition of the Jews, scattered among all nations, has always been regarded as one of the greatest difficulties connected with scepticism.

Mr. B. The prophecies relative to the Christian church are only in part accomplished, and therefore we can only partially argue from them. There are, however, some so decided, that it is not easy to escape the conclusion as to the divine origin of the writings in which they are found. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."-1 Tim. iv. 1—3.

Edward. No one, I think, can doubt the accomplishment of this prophecy who is not personally interested in denying its application.

Mr. B. Equally certain are the prophecies relative to the destruction of cities of the East; for though it might be that a person should be able to foresee the temporary ruin of a place, yet it is beyond all calculation of chances that he should foretell the precise nature of their destruction, and especially point out the cases where no restoration should take place. That Nineveh, Babylon, and Tyre, once attracted the attention of the world as its first cities, is as certain as any historical fact can be; that the predictions of their utter and continued desolation were made at a time when they thus existed in splendour, is not less so; and that they have been, and to this day are, totally ruined, is a well-known fact.

Maria. It appears altogether beyond human foresight to predict events like these.

11 How does Maria remark on the condition of the Jews?-12 Are all the prophecies relating to the Christian church accomplished?-13 What very striking one is quoted from St. Paul?-14 What is said of the prophecies relating to the destruction of cities in the East?

Edward. And certainly no human power the accomplishment of such prophecies.

could secure

Mr. B. If then, in cases like these, we have positive proof of the fulfilment of prophecy, it cannot be rational to reject the testimony of history, when it records the fulfilment of other events, where we can have no other proof than that which history affords. In this also we do not ask the testimony of friends, but of enemies: let the Pagan and Jewish historians give their own accounts; we need nothing more. The prophecy and the history, simply placed side by side, will furnish a proof which none of our adversaries can gainsay, much as they may wish to resist the conclusions to which it leads. The only way of escape for the infidel is to discard the testimony of all history, and, for consistency's sake, he might as well discard the testimony of his senses also.

Edward. The proof afforded by the accomplishment of prophecy seems in some respects also independent of the rest of the arguments that may be adduced in favour of Christianity; for if we knew nothing of the author of the Pentateuch, we must conclude, from the fulfilment of its prophecies, that it was of divine authority.

Maria. And in that case our principal anxiety would be to ascertain its being free from any corruption of the original text.

Mr. B. In such an important question it would not, however, be safe to decide on the fulfilment of only one prediction, unless that fulfilment involved a super-human agency; but you have now seen that it is neither upon one prophecy, nor upon one species of predictions, nor upon one prophet alone, that we rest our conclusions. The prophecies were delivered in a succession of ages, by persons who had no connexion with each other, who do not appear always to have been aware of the extent of their own predictions. Of a great number we can

15 What are the remarks of Maria and Edward on these prophecies?16 What are the remarks of Mr. B. upon them?-17 What is the only way in which he says the infidel can escape the conclusion of the argument?-18 What does Edward then say, of the accomplishment of prophecy?-19 In what does Mr. B. say it would be safe to decide?-20 What does he say of the prophecies in a chronological and numerical point of view?