The Evidence and Authory of Divine Revelation (Volume 1); Being a View of the Testimony of the Law and the Prophets to the Messiah, with the Subsequent Testimonies (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1816. Excerpt: ... 275 C H A P. IX. Prophecies of the Old Testament. Connected with the typical representations which prefigured the Messiah and his redemption, the Old Testament Scriptures contain a series of promises and predictions, by which his coming was foretold. By this means a body of evidence, from the earliest times, was laid up in store, which was afterwards to be brought forward in its place. This kind of evidence, when properly considered, affords the strongest conviction of the truth of what it attests. As miracles present immediate evidence of the operation and finger of God, so the fulfilment of prophecy equally denotes similar interposition. The knowledge of future contingent events belongs to God only. On this ground is founded the challenge to the idols of the heathen nations, recorded by Isaiah xli. 21, "Produce your cause, saith the Lord, bring forth your strong reasons, saith the king of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen. Let them shew the former things what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them, or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are God's." Isa. xlii. 9, " Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them." The coincidence of an event with a particular dream or conjecture, dignified as it might be with the name of a prophecy, a few detached instances of which we meet with in profane history, can impress no conviction of Divine interposition. It would be more remarkable were such coincidences never to occur. But the prophecies of the Scriptures claim a very different kind of regard. They are not referable only to a few instances, neither are they of an insulate...