to have been by accident; (for here the ftrefs of the argument for Christianity lies ;) then is the truth of it proved. It is obvious, how much advantage, the nature of this evidence gives to thofe 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 ano'ther thing, is of little weight in itself; but impoffible to fhew, in like manner, the united force of the whole ar'gument in one view”.’

4

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 DIS'COVERED WITH CERTAINTY; but not all the mi⚫nute circumstances. 3d. That, the nearer the time of 'their accomplishment approaches, more of the predictions 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 thofe perfons only, who ftudy it, with competent knowledge, uprightness, and diligence""."

That there are difficulties in the prophets, at prefent 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 these difficulties will never be removed, either by the fulfilment of the events pre

Butler's Analogy, p. 401.

6.

On the Apoc. vel. I. p. Z3 dicted,

difted, or by the fuccefsful induflry 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 Chriftian 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 those obscurities, which now in a confiderable degree darken the face of prophecy, will be cleared up by the acumen and research of the commentators who fhall hereafter appear; and that future ages will confequently poffefs a very superior acquaintance with the prophetic fcriptures, as well as with every other species of knowledge?

6

Dr. Hartley, in the fecond 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 fo 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 muft,' fays Dr. Hartley, refer to the writers who have treated it in detail.

And as thofe, who have examined this point with accu

racy and impartiality, do, as I prefume, univerfally agree to the pofition here laid down, fo those who have

not done it, can have no pretence for afferting the con

'trary;

trary; this being an historical 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 fo general,-as to exclude both chance and human-forefight, i. e. to infer a divine communication. Thirdly, I obferve that those types and prophecies, whofe interpretation is fo obfcure, that interpreters have not been able to difcover any probable application, cannot any ways invalidate the evidence arifing from the reft. They are analogous to thofe parts of the works of nature, whofe ufes, and fubferviency to the reft, are not yet understood. And as no one calls in queftion the evidences of defign, which appear in many parts of the human body, because the uses 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 un'furmountable difficulties may hitherto attend many other parts 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 those who preach or prophefy during the great apoftafy, shall be able to do this only in an obfcure, imperfect manner, and convert but a few. Now the paft and present obfcurity of prophecy agrees ' remarkably with this prediction; and the opening, which is already made, fince the revival of letters, in

6

6

53

53 The obscurity or unintelligibleness of one part of a prophecy, does not, in any degree, invalidate the proof of forefight, arising from the ap'pearing completion of those other parts which are understood. For the * cafe 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.

6

4

applying the prophecies to the events, seems to prefage, that the latter times are now approaching; and that by 'the more full discovery of the true meaning of the pro

phetic writings, and of their aptness to fignify the ' events predicted, there will be fuch an acceffion of evi'dence to the divine authority of the fcriptures, as none but the wilfully ignorant, the profligate, and the obdurate can withstand. It is therefore a confirmation of the prophetic writings, that, by the obscurity of one part of them, a way fhould be prepared for effecting that glorious converfion of all nations, which is predicted in others, in the time and manner in which it is predicted '

Perhaps the following remarks of Dr. Worthington are not altogether inapplicable to the conclufion of the preceding extract from Dr. Hartley. Time may ope⚫rate, and often doth, on the fide of both probability and 'credibility. It is a proverbial faying, that time brings every thing to light. It often detects frauds and impostures, removes falfe colourings and difguifes, and overcomes prejudices, which obfcured the evidence, and kept the mind in fufpence from giving its affent. 'It may bring new proofs to light, which lay hid before; and what was no more than barely probable, or credible, may become abfolutely certain. Sir Ifaac New'ton had made a probable conjecture, concerning the form of the earth what he rendered probable, the French 'geometricians have fince demonftrated to be certain. Things incredible to fome perfons and ages, have been 'known to others for certain truths. The late difcoveries in philofophy, and the reports of travellers, are full of inftances of this kind; and what the philosopher knows for certain, fhocks the faith of the peasant.

$4 On Man, 1749, vol. II. p: 157.

• Apply

Apply this to revelation. At the firft preaching of the gofpel, it was thought a thing incredible, that God 'fhould raife the dead, Acts xxvi. 8. And Paul feemed, to the men of Athens, to be a fetter-forth of strange 'Gods, because he preached unto them Jefus and the re'furrection, ch. xvii. 18, and yet Jefus and the refurrec⚫tion were soon afterwards believed in by great numbers 'there and elsewhere 55.'

4

Of the importance of contemplating, frequently and accurately, thofe arguments in fupport of revelation, which are derived from prophecy, Chriftians, I apprehend, are not in general fufficiently apprized. Faith,' fays an eminent writer, is not one abfolute and deter'minate thing, but it admits of degrees; proceeding from a fimple affent to a propofition, which arifes from a 'bare preponderancy of the arguments in favour of it, and advancing by the most infenfible gradation, to that fulness of perfuafion, which arifes from the perception of the greatest clearness and strength of the evidence 'for it. The paffions and affections, if they be at all moved by a bare affent, will be extremely languid, though the thing itself be of the greatest moment; whereas a full persuasion of the reality of an interesting ⚫ object excites the most vigorous and fervent emotions. The difference of the impreffion they make upon the mind is properly compared to the effect of an object, ' placed at a very great, or a very small distance. If any thing in the conduct of life depend upon belief, we 'fhall, in the former cafe, be hardly influenced by it at

all; a very small motive being fufficient to overpower 'the effect of fo fuperficial a faith; at beft we shall be 'irrefolute and inconftant; whereas, in the latter cafe, ⚫ we shall be determined to vigorous and immediate ac