are wrought, and can have no farther weight with fucceeding generations, than as they are authenticated by fenfible, honeft, and unprejudiced witneffes: fo prophecy is suited to convince thofe, who fee its predictions fulfilled; and, when first delivered, can only have the effect of a folemn appeal to God, which will be of greater or less weight according to the prudence and moral character of the prophet. Indeed, as prophecies may be fulfilled at different periods, a prophet may obtain honour, even in his life, if he foretells what is accomplished at a short distance; provided the event is too obfcure to be discovered by human wifdom, or too difficult to be compaffed by human contrivance. In this cafe the evidence of divine affiftance, in one inftance, forms a fufficient affurance, that it will not fail in another. And such an argument cannot be overthrown or rejected by a found reafoner, unless a prophecy, which relies upon equal or fimilar authority, fhould be proved to have evidently failed. In like manner, when we fee with our own eyes fome remarkable and important portant predictions, confeffedly delivered many centuries paft, at this time fulfilling without the concurrence of men's fecular intereft, we have not only a proof from thence of the truth of Christianity and the Holy Scriptures, but may firmly believe, that all thofe, which are recorded in the fame books, really came to pass in their respective seasons; as none of them are difproved by contemporary writers. The prophecies of Scripture frequently contained circumstances very unlikely to happen at the time of their delivery; and were either beyond the power of the prophet to effect by natural means, if they were to be fulfilled foon, or their accomplishment was deferred fo long, that his authority, influence, and connections must have been entirely diffolved. They were often, likewise, attended with circumstances seemingly contradictory till explained by the event, and fome of them so casual, that they could only be noticed in due feafon by that Providence, which fees at one view all that will come to pass from the beginning to the end of the world. The The prophecy of Elisha, that the city would be rescued from a moft grievous famine in the space of one day, must have overwhelmed him with fhame, if he had not been divinely inspired. And an impoftor, who had trufted to chance alone, would never have added, that the unbelieving lord, who was thus forewarned, fhould live to fee the truth of the prediction, and yet not enjoy the common deliverance. The prophecy to Jeroboam, the first king of Ifrael, that his altar fhould be destroyed by fome future king of Judah, confidering the civil and religious enmity between the two kingdoms, might have been hazarded without any claim to fuperior wisdom, if it had been generally delivered without any limitation. But when we read, that it was to be fulfilled by a child born to the house of Judah, named Jofiah, and find it accomplished at the diftance of three hundred years, we see the hand of God evidently displayed. Jofiah was named, when his difpofition was not known. He reigned eighteen years before he attempted to deftroy idolatry. His life was was short. And except he had been divinely conducted in his undertakings, he might eafily have omitted the deftruction of this altar. The former kings of Judah had no authority in the land of Ifrael. And the power of his fucceffors was foon diminished, till the whole nation was led into captivity. When therefore we fee only one Jofiah amongst all the kings of Judah, who fulfilled this prophecy without any particular knowledge or intention, the hand of God is remarkably evident in difpofing the events of this world in fuch a manner, as may difplay at once both his power and his providence. The prophecies concerning the fate of Babylon, Tyre, Jerufalem, and Egypt, are of fuch a nature, as could not have been hazarded upon mere conjecture without a manifest probability of failure and detection. That they are as ancient as they pretend, we have neither reason nor authority to entertain a doubt. And though cities and kingdoms are liable to decay; yet that proud Babylon D Babylon fhould fall from its highest grandeur within seventy years, was a fact, that could only be foreknown by the divine wisdom. The agreement of these prophecies with the present state of the world is equally clear. Babylon is fo completely a pool of water, according to the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah, that its very ruins cannot be discovered. Tyre, whose merchants were princes, is now a miferable habitation for fishermen. Jerufalem is still trodden down of the Gentiles. And Egypt, which was famous for wifdom, riches, and power, continues a bafe kingdom, and has been in abject slavery many hundred years. The Arabians afford likewise a strong instance of the truth of the Scripture prophecies. That Ishmael fhould be a wild man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him, and yet dwell in the prefence of all his brethren, are circumftances, which were never found confiftent for any length of time, except in the case of the Arabians and the Romans. It is the most unlikely |