asked them whether they were not aware that those very things had been written as the events that would mark the Messiah's course when he should come? 66 Ought not the Christ (as it is in the original) to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" and he proceeded to point out in "Moses and all the prophets," and "in all the Scriptures," the very things recorded prophetically of which the disciples had omitted to notice the details. The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah's prophecy could scarcely have been passed over in this Divine exposition of Scripture—still less the twenty-second Psalm, to which Jesus had referred when on the cross. These passages contain prophetic statements of events described with singular minuteness, and had their detail been attentively observed by the disciples, the reproof of the Lord would not have been called forth.

It may be easy to comprehend that great differences of interpretation might have existed in the opinions of that band of faithful Jews who "looked for redemption in Jerusalem," in the days of expectation, when Simeon and Anna were of their number. (Luke ii. 38.) It may be conceived that by some whose hearts cherished the hope of the then coming Messiah, the declaration that "he made his grave with the wicked, and with the

rich in his death," might have been received as figuratively denoting the general characteristics of the Messiah's humiliation. Some figurative meaning might possibly have been discovered for the prophecy, "they part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." It is still more easy to imagine how, amongst another class of those faithful watchers for the redemption of Israel which they anticipated from the sure word of prophecy, there might have been marked differences as to the precise events that would fulfil that which the Scripture, literally and naturally interpreted, taught them to expect. Some minds might have been unable to overcome the apparent difficulty in reconciling a division of the garments with the casting lots for them, and varieties of opinions might have arisen amongst those who, all confiding in the literal interpretation of the twenty-second Psalm, may each have had different modes of adapting the statements to the events that were likely to fulfil it. A similar difficulty might possibly arise from the combination of "the wicked" and "the rich," in the circumstances of death so plainly predicted with respect to the Messiah. It would, on the one hand, have been extremely unreasonable for their brethren who might have adverted to the figurative interpretation of these passages, to have argued

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from the discrepancies between the various suggestions of different minds, that the principle was altogether erroneous, by which they gathered the simple ideas which the words of David or of Isaiah seemed to convey, because in so doing they came to different conclusions in arranging the form and manner of the events predicted. the other hand, the very variety existing amongst those who were all equally endeavouring to work out the same principle, ought to have had the effect of quickening the observation of each and all in watching for the actual events, under the conviction that all difficulties would be taken out of the way, as the actual events filled up the picture of which the prophetic pencil had traced the outline. It might be no ground for surprise that the former class of students of prophecy should have held "sad communication" under the disappointment of not finding in Jesus him whom they expected, according to their mode of interpretation; but it might well be considered a matter of wonder that students of the latter class should fail to recognise the anticipated Messiah, where the incident of the seamless tunic, not mentioned in the prophecy, became the key to one difficulty, and proved how the garments might be parted amongst the executioners, and yet that they might be induced to cast lots for the

possession of the single vesture; and where another difficulty vanished as He who had been crucified between two wicked malefactors was buried in the tomb of the rich member of the Sanhedrim.

These minute details must have been some of the things which the Lord explained to the disciples on the way to Emmaus, since they form part of the things that the Christ "ought to have suffered" according to the Scripture, and that part especially which Cleopas and his companion had overlooked, as distinguished from the more general truths which they had received. They were minute events distinctly foretold by the prophets, and literally fulfilled at the time the Lord began the great work which is the subject of prophecy. In order to fulfil the Scripture to the letter, it was necessary that the Christ should suffer these things, and "enter into his glory." The prophetic Scriptures contain many other statements with reference to the consummation of that glory into which Jesus then entered. Details of events connected with the return of the Christ to the earth to establish his kingdom of glory, are much more abundant than were those relating to his first coming to enter upon the work, and we believe that they will be as literally and minutely fulfilled as were those to

which Jesus alluded in reproving the disciples for being unacquainted with them. We further believe that, however varied may be the views taken by various minds on some of these matters of detail in searching "all that the prophets have written" on the subject, the safest and the wisest course is to contemplate the great predicted events in every point of view, waiting for the light which will be thrown from on high as time developes circumstances. The minute details of David and Isaiah had reference to the events that occurred at the opening of the Gospel dispensation, and by these prophetic delineations became the signs by which the times of the Messiah in his humiliation might have been known just immediately upon his coming, and as far as the generation then living was concerned, only then. Whenever the Lord Jesus shall be pleased to fulfil the promise conveyed by the angelic messengers at the time of his ascension, and "shall so come in like manner as he was seen to go into heaven," the prophetical details will then have their peculiar value, all the more importantly as the distinction between a want of watchful preparation for the approach of the beginning of the dispensation, and for the approach of its close, is incalculably great. How many who, at the time of the atonement, were utterly unprepared in any way to profit by "all