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Jewish economy, the destruction
of Jerusalem and the calamities
of the Jews by the Romans;-If,
I say, that author or any other
person will demonstrate that
these visions will apply to other
subjects and have been as pre-
cisely fulfilled in other events as
they have in those to which
they confine themselves, he will
render a most important and es-
sential service to mankind.
It may now be observed,

III. That these visions have received a minute and complete accomplishment in their peculiar events. This observation, it is hoped, hath been so antici

empire as aptly as it is represented by the lion; or if he will make the ram with two horns represent the Macedonian empire, first with Alexander at its head, and then devided between his four captains, as fitly as it is represented by the he goat with a notable horn between his eyes and four horns on his head; or if he will make the he goat represent the empire of Media and Persia as fitly as it is represented by the ram with two horns; or even if he will make the coming of the he goat to the ram and smiting him and breaking his two horns, as aptly represent the conquest of Baby-pated in the preceding explanalon by Cyrus, as it represented the conquest of Darius and the Medo Persian empire by Alexander; or if he will apply the characteristics of the little horn, the eyes of a man,, a mouth speaking great words, a look more stout than his fellows, &c. to any other power or potentate, as aptly as they apply to the hierarchy of Rome; or if, passing types and proceeding to predictions, he will shew that the prophecies concerning the kings of the north and south, may be applied to any two emulating kingdoms with as great justice and propriety, as even he must know that they apply to the Seleucide of Syria and the Ptolemies of Egypt; or if passing from kings and courts to times and seasons, he will shew that the vision of the seven

tion, that it can receive no improvement by further illustration. Have not the four great monarchies, long since risen, displayed their power and greatness on the theatre of human action, and retired from the stage? Have not the seventy weeks long since expired, and their peculiar events been ac complished? Hath not Antichrist, long since, reared up himself, spoken great words against the most High, thought to change times and laws, and worn out the saints with pains and tortures? And is it not most manifest from the signs of the times, that the judgment is sitting, and they are taking away his kingdom from him to consume and destroy it even to the end? Is it not most evident also, that the stone cut out with

ty weeks has been accomplish-out hands is smiting the image, ed as minutely in other events, as it was fulfilled in the restoration of the Jewish state by Ezra and Nehemiah, in the incarnation of the Messiah, and the accomplisment of the work of redemption, the dissolution of the

and filling the whole earth? That the exalted Messiah is rearing up his glorious kingdom which shall not be given to another people, but shall stand forever? Is it not most evident, that all the visions and prophecies re

lating to preceding times and events have received a minute and full accomplishment? Yea, is it not as demonstrable from the most authentic histories, that the subjects in their kind, and the events in that order in which this prophetic system hath drawn them, have been effected and realized, as it is that Julius Cæsar was assassinated

by Cassius and Brutus, or that the Roman empire was peaceful and happy in the reign of Augustus ?*

cy. It being conceded that Daniel wrote these prophecies, he must necessarily have written them either,

1. From the native force and penetration of his own mind; but this could not suggest to him his own personal situation the next day, or the next hour; much less could it suggest to him, with precision, the sion of empires which depended rise, greatness, fall and succesupon the genius, volitions, connexions, habits, motives and en. terprises of innumerable indi

The genuineness of the book of Daniel and the accomplish-viduals in distant countries, and ment of his visions being admitted, we may infallibly infer, the divine inspiration of his prophe

different regions, and for a long succession of ages or he must have written them,

2. From philosophical and political calculation..

If it be said, that Daniel from effeminacy of the Babylonish his knowledge of the luxury and court, and of the connexions which had been formed between the courts of Media and Persia might have predicted the conquest of Babylon by their united arms and valor; yet what political data did he possess, from which he could have calculated the war of the Persians with the Greeks, and that the Greeks who then existed in numerous independent states, being united under one common sovereign, should attempt the conquest of Persia and effect it? That the royal family should be extinguished, and the empire be divided into four kingdoms, and that implacable enmities should subsist between the kings of Syria and Egypt? Or what

* When Jerome, in his controversy with Porphyry, in support of Christianity produced the argument from prophecy, and especially from the prophecies of Daniel, his learned antagonist found himself reduced to the hard necessity, to evade the argument, of denying that the book of Daniel was a prophecy; and of affirming, that it was an history written by some spurious author after the facts existed; asserting that it was absolutely impossible that such a series of events should be so accurately described in the way of prediction. A late opposer of Christianity has asserted, that the prophecies are a bow of a thousand years, which comes only within a thousand miles of a mark. So we see the great ancient and the modern opposers of Christianity asserting opposite propositions respecting the prophecies. One, that they defcribe events so exactly that they cannot be predictions of future events, but must be histories of past transactions. The other, that they are so obscure and equivocal as to fit almost any circumstance that may happen afterward. Wil! it amuse or edify the believers of divine revelation to see these virulent opposers of Chris-political principles did he postianity settle this contradiction between themselves?

VOL. V. No. 2.

sess, from which he could calculate that Rome, then in

I

state of infancy and obscurity, and for extent of territory inferior to many of the provinces of Babylon, should subdue, and as with great iron teeth devour the whole, and then be subdued herself by the barbarous nations of the north? Or by what political skill could he predict the rise, power, tyranny and persecutions of Antichrist, who for ages afterwards did not exist even in embryo? To predicted these events and the order in which they should exist, must it not absolutely have baffled and confounded the most consummate skill of the ablest politician? But Daniel did predict them, and the order in which they should succeed; and his predictions have been realized in their peculiar events.

3. If Daniel could not have predicted these events by an effort of genius, or by political skill, by no power or principle within himself, he must have predicted them through the influence of some foreign cause or external agent;-but no external agent was adequate to this but he of whom are are all things and by whom are all things, and who hath determined the times before appointed, who is GOD. He only, whose infinitely capacious mind, at one all-comprehensive and intuitive view apprehends, the most distant future events, with equal clearness and precision' as the present, could communicate this series of revolutions and events to his holy servant, the Prophet. Originating from this supreme and infinitely intelligent cause, from God, to whom are known all his works from the beginning of the world, and communicated to his holy Frophet by

his immediate influence, they possess an infallible certainty and precision, and demonstrate their divine authority by their exact fulfilment. This revelation, therefore, bears the strong and lively impression of original divinity. With equal perspicuity it evinces an absolute divine prescience of future events, and the establishment of a universal and immutable system of operation, according to which God invariably proceeds, working all things according to the counsel of his own will. His own designs and operations being irreversibly established in his own mind, for his own purpose and grace, for the instruction and support of his people, he revealed them to his holy servants, the Prophets, and they communicated them, not in words which man's wisdom taught, but which were dictated by the Holy Ghost. Originating from such an infallible cause and realized in their peculiar events, they demonstrate with an irresistible energy, that the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The evidence for the divine authority of the holy scriptures, from prophecy, by the continued fulfilment of it, hath been increasing from age to age. It hath received additional lustre from those recent events in providence, by which God hath been visibly taking away the dominion of the little horn and giving the kingdom to the people of his saints. Much more hardened and inexcusable must they be who reject this revelation from God, under that blaze of light, with which the divine

ORIGINAL LETTER of the Rev.
RICHARD BAXTER, written
nearly 150 years ago, taken
from an English Magazine.
To E. R. Esq.

SIR,

HE many obligations laid

THE

upon me by the kindness of your parents, and the last request of your mother on your behalf, command me to make known my thoughts to you concerning your present and everlasting state.

I know the grace of God is free, and that many parents are in heaven, whose children are in hell; but yet, some respect the mercy of God hath to children for their parents' sake; which puts me in some hope of you; and, for myself, I cannot think of your mother, whose soul is now with God, without a strong affection to her offspring; which will not suffer me to see you perish in utter silence, and to forbear my admonition, how ungrateful soever it may prove to your corruption.

authority of it now addresses itself to the mind, than they who lived in past, in more obscure and bewildered ages. Let no one be faithless and unbelieving, lest he procure to himself that awful rebuke of heaven, Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish. And do not these considerations mightily tend to confirm the faith of believers, and make the children of Zion joyful in their king? What irresistible evidence have they from the accomplishment of scripture prophecies, of their real divinity? And are not the fulfilment of those, which relate to Babylon, Media and Persia, Greece, Rome and Antichrist, so many implicit assurances; that he will fulfil those made to the Messiah, respecting his glorious and eternal kingdom?— How impressively does the exhortation of the Prophet address them? The vision is yet an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. And is not the Lord, to the astonishment and joy of his friends, and the confusion of his foes, marvellously effecting an accomplishment of these promises in the present day? Anding, sporting, idle company and should not the manifest operations of the most High stimulate his servants to fortitude, activity, zeal and perseverance in those holy exertions which he hath appointed to be the means of promoting his cause in the world? Commending them by faith and prayer to his gracious benediction, we wait and in a full assurance that in the set time he will appear in his glory and build up Zion, and make her a joy and praise in the earth?

I have long enquired after your welfare; and, from the voice of Fame, I heard a very sad report of you:-That you were quite given up to drink

courses, in flat licentiousness,
in your disobedience to your
father, and to the grief of his
heart; and that, as you were a
child when you should have been
a man, so now, you grow worse
than man or child;
so that your
father has purposed to marry,
and disinherit you, that he might
not leave his estate to such a

I was loth to credit this report; but made further enquiry of some that I knew to be your friends, and all confirm

ed it; so that I am in great fears lest it be true.

Say not so, without an acknowledgment of brutishness; do not so, unless you will disown your manhood.

I beseech you, tell me, do you ever think of dying, and of what follows? If not, what shift do you make to overcome your wit, so far as to forget it? If you do, what shift make you to over

Sir, believe it, these lines are not begun to you without tears. Alas! that the only son, the too much beloved darling of my dear deceased friend, should prove a wretch, an invincible neglecter of God and his salvation, and an heir of everlasting misery (without conversion) !come your wit and sense itself Shall the soul of such an affectionate, careful mother see you in damnation? Shall the heart of a loving father, who looked for much of his earthly comfort in you, have his greatest earthly sorrow from you? Is it not sorrow enough to him to part with half himself, but he must see his only son as lost and dead while he is alive?

so far as to disregard it? Can your guilty soul endure the terrors of an offended Majesty? Is it nothing to be condemned by the most holy God to everlasting torments?

Sir, you had best bethink you quickly whom you have to do with. It is not only an earthly father that you offend, but you are a creature and a subject of eternal Majesty.You owe him your highest love and obedience; and he will have

Sir, if you cannot feel words, you shall shortly have that which will make you feel. What! is your heart become a stone?-it, or he will have your heart's Have you so lately seen the face of death in a deceased mother, and do you no better bethink you of your own? I beseech you, for the sake of her that charged you by her last words to you, to be ruled by me; nay, I beseech you, for the sake of God and of your soul, that you would take these lines a little into your private serious thoughts if you know how to be serious; and that you will not proceed any further in your folly, till you can tell how to answer the questions which I shall now put to

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blood for it. He will make you
know yourself, and know your
maker, and know his laws, and
know your duty-or he will
make you howl in endless mis-
ery for it. You may make bold
with a man like yourself; but
be not too bold with the consum-
ing fire. The sun is darkness
in comparison of his glory; the
heavens and earth are but as an
hand-breadth, in comparison of
his infiniteness. Thousands and
ten thousands of glorious An-
gels are praising and serving
Him, while such a thing as you
are slighting, forgetting and dis-
obeying Him.
think he will long put up with
this at your hands?
If you
dare take your Prince by the
throat, if you dare play with a
raging hungry lion, yet do not
play with the wrath of God.-
If you dare venture on fire or

And do you

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