not taken place. Is the prediction of this coincidence of two continued and independent circumstances, in the course of human affairs, for near one thousand eight hundred years, to be accounted for, either by enthusiasm or imposture? But I must forbear enlarging on such prophecies of the New Testament, as were not fully accomplished during the lives of those to whom it was first addressed; as these could have formed no part of the evidence on which the first converts received the Gospel, which only I am now obliged to consider. Undoubtedly no argument more decisively proves the genuine inspiration, and divine authority, of the apostolic writings, than the predictions found in them, of the successive fortunes of Christianity, from its first promulgation to the present hour; predictions which have been constantly and gradually accomplished on the earth, and are at this moment advancing to a still more perfect and signal completion. * But this important argument, which every day receives accumulated evidence, need not be introduced here. It has been ably and fully treated of by many writers, whose works I would earnestly recommend to every man who wishes to confirm his faith, and impress upon his heart a deep sense of the divine origin and stupendous importance of the Christian scheme. shall conclude my remarks on this part of the subject by observing, that as the prophecies contained in the apostolic writings, which by their speedy accomplishment may have contributed to conciliate or to confirm the faith of the first converts, are I * Amongst the most useful of these works are the following:-Lardner on the fulfilment of our Saviour's predictions concerning the Jews; Jewish and Heathen testimonies, vol. 1, ch. iii. Seventh vol, of Dr. Kippis's edition; ditto in his three sermons on the state of the Jews, vol. 10, p. 63; Newton's dissertations on the prophecies; Bishops Hurd, Halifax, and Bagot, in their sermons preached at Warburton's lecture; Worthington's sermons, preached at Boyle's lecture, 1766; Sharpe's second Argument in defence of Christianity; Kidder's demonstration of the Messiah; the works of Joseph Mede and Henry More; the approved Commentators on the New Testament; especially on the Revelations; Dr. Macknight's truth of the gospel history, p. 199. Miller's history of the propagation of Christianity; Benson's Essay on the Man of Sin, in his paraphrase on the Epistles, p. 268; and to mention no more, the Rev. E. W. Whitaker, in his general and connected view of the prophecies relating to the times of the Gentiles, Egham, 1795, sold by Rivington, in London, 1 vol. 12mo.; a work which must interest the generality of readers, as the author adduces the testimony of the celebrated Mr. Gibbon to the facts which, as he alleges, prove the accomplishment of the Scripture prophecies. N.B. The tracts marked * are reprinted in the 5th vol. of Bishop Watson's collection, evidently such as enthusiasm did not dictate; so also these writings rarely contain any predictions of events immediately approaching, except those delivered by our Lord, which we have now considered; and the few they do contain are not ascribed to the apostles or evangelists themselves. In the Acts of the apostles I have observed only the following predictions. One, of the famine which took place in the days of Claudius Cæsar,* and which was related not merely to show the inspiration of the prophet, but because it was connected with the subject of the history; as in consequence of it a contribution was raised in the different churches for the Christians in Judea; a fact to which frequent allusions are made, both in the Acts and Epistles. Another was pronounced, when St. Paul was going up to Jerusalem,† declaring, that the Jews there would bind him, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles; which seems also to have been mentioned, not so much for its own sake, as to introduce the affecting incidents connected with it. When the Christians, at Cæsarea, besought the apostle, that he would not go up to Jerusalem; and he answered, with the firmness of a martyr, and the tenderness of a parent, "what mean you to weep and to break mine heart, for I am ready, not to be bound only, but to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus." Both these predictions are ascribed to the same person, Agabus, who does not seem to have been distinguished on any other account in the Christian church. St. Paul himself is described in one place, when in danger from a violent tempest, to have received an assurance, that he, and all his companions in the voyage, should escape. And in another he exhorts the Thessalonians, not to be moved with his afflictions, for "yourselves, says the apostle, know that we are appointed thereunto; for verily, when we were with you we told you before, that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass, and ye know."|| But though assured that he was appointed to sustain suffering in general, yet he confesses himself ignorant of the particular mode of suffering which awaited him; for before he heard the prophecy of Agabus, as to the particular event of his journey to Jerusalem, he declares to the church at Ephesus: "Behold I Ib. xxi. 13. § Ib. xxvii. 10. • Acts xi. 30. † Ib. xxi. 10, 11. 1 Thess. iii. 3. go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things which shall befal me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me; and now behold, I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more."* Now, I appeal to every candid mind, whether the tenor of this narration and of these sentiments, is not very different from what we should naturally expect either from deceivers or fanatics? Would men who fabricated a history to gain the reputation of a prophetic character for themselves or others, ascribe the most striking and important predictions, not to themselves, or to those whose characters they wished to exalt, but to some other obscure individual, who is represented as expressly revealing what they before had been ignorant of? Such confessions as these never proceed from impostors. On the other hand, would wild enthusiasts, wrapt in the vain dreams of a perpetually superintending inspiration, have thus strictly limited their pretensions to prophetic light, to a few events of their lives, out of a great multitude, confessing themselves in others totally dark and ignorant? Would they have been able to say to the overpowering torrent of fanatic delusion,-so far shall you go, but no further? Assuredly not. Let me add, that when the apostles deliver predictions of remote events affecting the interests of the church in distant ages, while they confess themselves ignorant of many, which were immediately interesting to themselves; this seems exactly conformable to what we should expect from the inspiration of that wisdom, which descended from above not to gratify their private curiosity, nor to promote their personal advantage, but to exhibit them as the lights of the world, in whom the spirit of prophecy should bear testimony to Jesus-a testimony, whose clearness should increase with the progress of time, and whose full splendour should be reserved to illuminate the remotest periods of futurity. * Acts xx. 22, 25--The entire address is well worth perusal; conscious truth and honesty, sincere piety, and prudent, but earnest zeal, breathe forth so forcibly in every part of it, as can scarcely fail of penetrating the heart, and convincing the understanding of every reader. SECTION V. The mode in which the Apostles proposed the evidence of Christianity was free from Enthusiasm. IF from the nature of the evidence offered by the apostles, we turn our attention to the mode in which it was proposed, we shall be still more clearly convinced of the truth and soberness with which their instructions were enforced. It has indeed been sometimes alleged, in order to show that the acceptance of Christianity was not founded on rational conviction, that its first teachers did not give their hearers sufficient time to examine the proofs which they advanced.* But this is directly contradicted * by the history of the apostles. In many instances, doubtless, the direct exhibition of clear and uncontrolled miracles to the senses of men, joined with the immediate interference of the Spirit of God, produced such full and instantaneous conviction, as rendered all abstract reasoning superfluous and impertinent. Hence three thousand of those who witnessed the miraculous effusion of the Holy Ghost at the feast of Pentecost, were converted at once; and the subsequent miracles of the apostles increased the number speedily to five thousand. But the general progress of the Gospel, though rapid enough to evince the interposition of divine power, was yet sufficiently deliberate and gradual, to afford full room for the exercise of calm reason and sober inquiry, in those by whom it was embraced. At Antioch, Paul and Barnabas, for a "whole year, assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people." From thence they were delegated, after deliberate prayer and fasting, to preach the Gospel to the surrounding region. And when they had executed their commission during an absence of considerable length, they returned to Antioch, and abode there a * Vide Christianity not founded on argument, p. 39, with Doddridge's reply, letter ii. p. 10; and Dr. Randolph's Christian faith a rational assent, p. 180-195. + Acts xi. 26. long time with the disciples.* At Corinth, though St. Paul had the most extensive province of the apostles, yet he continued a year and six months teaching the word of God, and "reasoned publicly in the synagogue every Sabbath, persuading the Jews and Greeks.t To the inhabitants of Ephesus he appeals, that he had not ceased to warn them night and day "for the space of three years.”‡ "At Rome Paul dwelt two years in his own hired house, and received all that came unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern our Lord Jesus Christ."§ Besides this, the apostles frequently in their circuits returned again to the same places; || and when they could not conveniently go themselves, they sent other teachers to plant the Gospel, or establish it where planted; and in every city where they came, they ordained elders capable of building on the foundation they had laid, and teaching all who desired to receive instruction. And as both our Lord and his apostles afforded sufficient time for inquiry, they also adduced the evidence, which they supplied for the truth of Christianity, in that manner which was most natural and simple, and best calculated to prove its truth and reality. They proposed the evidence of their mission in two very different situations, to those who had not yet expressed any prejudice against the Gospel or against the proofs of its divinity, and also to those who were actuated by strong prejudices, engaged in active opposition, and who raised the most forcible objections they could discover. In these opposite situations they proposed the evidences of the Gospel, in different manners, each of which was exactly proper in the circumstances under which it was employed, and each proves the truth and soberness which attended the promulgation of Christianity. In addressing those who did not raise objections against the *Acts xiv. 28. + Ib. xviii. 4, 11. Acts xx. 31. Ib. xv. 41. § Ib. xxviii. the end. For these observations on the manner in which our Saviour and his apostles proposed the evidences of Christianity, and its propriety, I am indebted to Dr. Alexander Gerard, Professor of Divinity in the College of Aberdeen, who in his volume of dissertations on subjects relating to the genius and evidence of Christianity, published in London and Edinburgh, 1766, has a copious and elaborate dissertation on this subject. |