man's seed, the virgin's son." What more characteristic circumstance could have been contrived to distinguish the birth of one man from another? Would such an anomolous introduction into the world" fit almost any circumstance?" And when it is remembered, 'that a vast multitude of prophecies and types, had all reference to this individual, and all centered in him, can it be imputed to them, that they are “loose or obscure," or that they can "fit almost any circumstance?" Impossible. I will here mention only a few, a very few of this vast number. The "woman's seed" was the first promise; which Jesus Christ was. And this seed was to "bruise the serpent's head.” He did bruise the serpent's head; or destroy the power of sin, and remove the penalty of death. The serpent was to bruise his heel, he did bruise his heel; that is his mortal part, by being the instrument of his death. Next, the sceptre was not to pass from Judah, until Shiloh come; it did not pass away until Jesus Christ came. When Shiloh came, "he was to gather together the people;" Jesus Christ did send his Apostles to gather together his people (the Gentiles) Again; a Prophet was to rise up among the Jews like unto Moses; who was also a lawgiver. Jesus Christ, a Prophet, and a lawgiver, did rise up among the Jews. "Thou wilt not, says David, suffer thy holy one to see corruption." Jesus Christ was crucified, dead, and buried, but saw not corruption. "The voice of him who crieth in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord &c." This voice in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord, just preceeded the advent of Jesus Christ. "He was numbered with the transgressors." Jesus Christ was crucified with two thieves. "He made his grave with the rich." Jesus Christ was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man. These prophecies might be extended to a much greater length, if this were a suitable occasion, but even from these, I would appeal to the candour of any honest man, whether so many particular, and extraordinary circumstances, could be predicted of one individual, by mere guess; or if they all

met in one individual subsequent to prediction, whether it would not be impossible, upon any principle of reasoning, to deny the first to be prophecies and the last their fulfillment? I might here strengthen the above conclusion, if it were necessary, which surely it cannot be, by a reference to some of the more prominent types; from the offering of Abel, to the establishment of the Levitical law. Instead of which, I will endeavour to explain, briefly, the reasons why prophecy is not so intelligible now, as it was at the time of its delivery, and until the advent of our blessed Saviour.

At the era alluded to, prophecy stood in the place of record; the Jews were educated in the ceremonies of their religion, and, of course, understood the significancy of them. Those ceremonies served as a gloss upon prophecy; the pascal lamb pointed out a Redeemer, and the instrument upon which it was fixed, and which Justin Martyr says was in the form of a cross, clearly pointed out the manner of his death. And, doubtless, they understood the meaning of Abel's offering; and also the purport of those which were denominated sin-offerings, and particularly that which was annually made,, when the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies. All these had an importance attached to them, inasmuch, as they were the foundations of the Jewish faith. But after the advent of the antitype; after the fulfillment of all those conditions of which these were the shadows, then their importance ceased: and, as almost immediately after the completion of the latter, the Jews became a scattered people; as their temple was destroyed, their ceremonies abolished, their communion interrupted, their hopes blighted, so the meaning of prophecy, and the significancy of types, were forgotten; and hence the language of the one is now obscure, and the meaning of the other almost unintelligible, except where the writers contemporary with our blessed Lord, have preserved both.

After having candidly weighed these arguments, I trust there is no Deist living who will venture to pronounce,

as Mr. Paine has done, that the prophecies and types contained in the sacred scriptures, exhibit the Almighty as "jesting with mankind;" but that every one of them will acknowledge, that although they are imperfectly understood now, yet that they were evidently well understood by those to whom they were addressed, and who were most interested to understand them.

"But it is with prophecy as it is with miracle. It could not answer the purpose even if it were real. Those to whom a prophecy should be told, could not tell whether the man prophesied or lied, or whether it had been revealed to him, or whether he conceited it; and if the thing that he prophesied, or pretended to prophecy should happen, or something like it among the multitude of things that are daily happening, nobody could again know whether he foreknew it, or guessed at it, or whether it was accidental. A prophet, therefore, is a character useless and unnecessary, and the safe side of the case is, to guard against being imposed upon, by not giving credit to such relations."

That prophecy could answer the purpose for which it was designed, is a fact, because it did. The Jews founded all their hopes upon it. Mr. Paine, has very justly said, that “it is with prophecy as it is with miracle," for he mistook both, or the evidence of both. He who prophesied, performed miracles; he fulfilled the condition, or answered the test, introduced into the Bible, as a

proof of true prophecy. "When a prophet speaketh any thing in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously thou shalt not be afraid of him."

When Moses, prophesying the death of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, said, "if these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, then ye shall understand that those men have provoked the

Lord." Would it, let me ask, be impossible to tell "whether he prophesied or lied?" "And if the thing that he prophesied, or pretended to prophesy, should happen, or something like it among the multitude of things that are. daily happening;" would nobody know, "whether he foreknew it, or guessed at it, or whether it was accidental?" Now let me tell the Deist, for he may not know it, that immediately after Moses "had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods; and the earth closed upon them." This single example puts to flight the shadowy objections of Mr. Paine. The test of true prophecy is also exhibited in an unexceptionable manner in the offering of Elijah, the prophecy of Deborah &c. &c. or, to come to the New Testament, in the prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem; and the universal diffusion of the Gospel. But, Mr. Paine says, "a prophet is a character useless and unnecessary." To us, prophecy is of little other use than as it affords confirmatory evidence that the Scriptures are the word of God; to the Jews it was the foundation of their faith. Prophecy promised them what the world has since received; and what is most remarkable, prophecy also foretold the obstinate rejection of Christianity by that nation.

"Upon the whole, mystery, miracle, and prophecy are appendages that belong to fabulous and not to true religion. They are the means by which so many Lo here's! and Lo there's! have been spread about the world, and religion been made into a Trade. The success of one impos tor gave encouragement to another, and the quieting salvo of doing some good, by keeping up a pious fraud, protected them from remorse."

That "mystery" is an inseparable "appendage" of Deism, and quite unconnected with Christianity, has already been proved. See page 274, &c. That "miracle, and prophecy," which is a species of miracle, are

essential to "true religion," has also been shown. See page 279-296; and, therefore, to reason, as Mr. Paine has done, from the abuse of a thing to the falshood of it, is as illogical as it is dishonest. But how impostor could succeed to impostor without detection; how they could contrive their several frauds so as to complete one grand scheme, such as that of Judaism and Christianity, consisting of an infinite number of essential and minute particulars, and embracing as they do, the purest and most perfect system of morality, it is impossible to imagine.

The charge of pious fraud has been already exploded. See page 260-265, and thus the items of this paragraph vanish before the light of enquiry.

"Having now extended the subject to a greater length than I first intended, I shall bring it to a close, by abstracting a summary from the whole.

First, That the idea or belief of a word of God existing in print, or in writing, or in speech, is inconsistent in itself, for the reasons already assigned. These reasons, among many others, are the want of an univer.... sal language; the mutability of language; the errors to which translations are subject; the probability of totally suppressing such a word; the probability of altering it or of fabricating the whole, and imposing it up on the world.

Secondly, That the creation we behold, is the real and ever existing. word of God in which we cannot be deceived. It proclaimeth his power, demonstrates his wisdom, it manifests his goodness and beneficence.

Thirdly, That the moral duty of man consists in imitating the moral' goodness and beneficence of God manifested in the creation towards all ́

his creatures.

That seeing as we daily do, the goodness of God to all men, it is an example calling upon all men to practise the same towards each other; and, consequently, that every thing of persecution and revenge between man and man, and every thing of cruelty to animals, is a violation of moral duty."

All the objections brought together in this recapitu