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did efteem him ftricken, fmitten of God and afflicted; but he was wounded for our tranfgreffions, he was bruifed for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his ftripes we are healed." Again, the defcription in the feventh verfe, "he was oppreffed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the flaughter, and as a sheep before her fhearers is dumb, fo he opened not his mouth," quadrates with no part of the Jewish history with which we are acquainted. The mention of the " grave," and the "tomb," in the ninth verfe, is not very applicable to the fortunes of a nation; and ftill lefs fo is the conclufion of the prophecy in the twelfth verfe, which exprefsly reprefents the fufferings as voluntary, and the fufferer as interceding for the offenders, "because he hath poured out his foul unto death, and he was numbered with the tranfgreffors, and he bare the fin of many, and made interceffion for the tranfgreffors."

There are other prophecies of the Old

Teftament,

Teftament, interpreted by Chriftians to relate to the gospel history, which are deferving both of great regard, and of a very attentive confideration: but I content myself with stating the above, as well because I think it the cleareft and the strongest of all, as because most of the reft, in order that their value be reprefented with any tolerable degree of fidelity, require a difcuffion unfuitable to the limits and nature of this work. The reader will find them difpofed in order, and distinctly explained, in Bishop Chandler's treatise upon the fubject: and he will bear in mind, what has been often, and, I think, truly, urged by the advocates of Christianity, that there is no other eminent perfon, to the history of whofe life fo many circumftances can be made to apply. They who object, that much has been done by the power of chance, the ingenuity of accommodation, and the industry of research, ought to try whether the fame, or any thing like it, could be done, if Mahomet, or any other person, were proposed as the subject of Jewish prophecy,

II. A

II. A fecond head of argument from prophecy, is founded upon our Lord's predictions concerning the destruction of Jerufalem, recorded by three out of the four evangelifts.

Luke xxi. 5-25. "And as fome spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly ftones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come," in the which there fhall not be left one ftone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they afked him, faying, Mafter, but when fhall these things be? and what sign shall there be when these things fhall come to pafs? And he faid, Take heed that ye be not deceived, for many fhall come in my name, faying, I am Chrift; and the time draweth near. Go ye not therefore after them. But, when ye fhall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified; for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation fhall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and great

6

earth

my

earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines and peftilences: and fearful fights, and great figns fhall there be from heaven. But before all these, they fhall lay their hands on you, and perfecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for name's fake. And it fhall turn to you for a teftimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer; for I will give you a mouth and wifdom, which all your adverfaries shall not be able to gainsay nor refift. And ye fhall be betrayed both by parents and brethren, and kinsfolk and friends; and fome of you fhall they cause to be put to death. And ye fhall be hated of all men for my name's fake. But there fhall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience poffefs ye your fouls. And when ye fhall fee Jerufalem compaffed with armies, then know that the defolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains: and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are

in

in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give fuck, in those days; for there fhall be great diftrefs in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they fhall fall by the edge of the fword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerufalem fhall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

In terms nearly fimilar, this difcourfe is related in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, and the thirteenth of Mark. The profpect of the fame evils drew from our Saviour, upon another occafion, the following affecting expreffions of concern, which are preferved by St. Luke (xix. 41): " And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, faying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes, for

the