OCCASION of claffic Au- PUNCH's Politics, thors, 135 R. RANELAGH Gardens, scription of, 464 465 154 311 REASONS for ferious Candour, why Lord B*** fhould 429 PARRY's Differtation on Daniel's 318 382 on the Proceedings of Scort's Hymn to Repentance, TAYLOR'S Scheme of Scripture TRIAL of the Roman Catholics SERAPHICAL young Shepherd, SHERIDAN on the Difficulties of 75 VICE-Roy, à Poem, las, 316 WANDSWORTH Epiftle in Metre, Narrative relating to a Paper in the Philofophical 228 WHYTT's phyfiological Efays, Conclufion of Dr. Sharpe's fecond Argument in Defence of Chriftianity. See Review for April laft. HE Argument from Prophecy, to prove that Jesus is the TChrift, is certainly of great importance, and ought to be treated with the moft exact attention to its genuine evidence, and the most impartial and unbiaffed difpofition to submit to its weight and influence. When any predition relating to perfons, or other events in very diftant periods, which are evidently contingent, appears to be literally fulfilled, the objectors to the authority of the revelation in which the affurance is exhibited, muft be filenced if they are not convinced; and, though they may still perfift in their infults and mifreprefentations, muft become the objects of pity or contempt with all competent judges of the Argument *. How far Dr. The fentiments of the celebrated Mr. Anthony Collins upon this topic may, with propriety, be referred to upon this occafion: "If the proofs of Chriftianity from the Old Tellament are valid proofs, then is Chriflianity ftrongly and invincibly established on its true foundations. Becaufe a proof drawn from an INSPIRED BOOK is perfectly conclufive; and prophecies delivered in an infpired book, are, when fulfilled, fuch as may be justly deemed fure and demonítra tive proofs.-Prophecies fulfilled feem the me proper of all arguments to evince the truth of a revelation, which is defigned to be univerfally promulgated to men. For a man, for example who has the Old Testament put into his hands, which contains prophecies, and the New Teftament, which contains their completions, and is once fatisfied, as he may be with the greatest cafe, that the Old Teftament existed before the New, may have a complete, internal, divine demonftration of the truth of Chriftianity, without long and lab ricus inquiries." Difcourfe of the Grounds and Keafons of the Cbrijin Religion, Edit. 1724, p. 26, 27, 29, 30. VOL. XXVII. A Sharpe Sharpe hath fucceeded in the difcuffion of this fubject, we leave to the judgment of fuch as are qualified to decide upon it; and fhall now proceed to give a farther account of the work. In the fixth Chapter he confiders the diflinctive characters of the two eflengers in Malachi iii. 1. the Mcllenger who was to prepare the way, and the Lord, even the Melenger of the covenant. The miffion and character of John the Baptift, the fore-runner of the Lord of Life, are reprefented with particular attention, because his hiftory is a proper introduction to that of Jefus; his office was preparatory to that of our Lord's, and he bare record that Jefus was the Son of God. The time of John's appearance, as diftinguished by the name of Elijah, the TISHBITE, or the CONVERTER, or RESTORER; and of the Lord, the Meflenger of the Covenant, in whom the Jews, in the days of Malachi, delighted, was to precede the final destruction of Jerufalem. Malachi prophefied under the second temple, after the return of the Jews from their captivity; hence it is evident, that his prediction of the coming of a great perfon cannot be interpreted of Zerubbabel, or any of the Leaders of Ifrael out of their captivity and a variety of circumftances fix the time for the completion of the prophecy to the time when John the Baptift and our Lord appeared-The Delight of the Jews, the Meffenger, the Covenant, and the great and dreadful Day of the Lord, are circumftances which afcertain the time to be prior to the fiege of Jerufalem, and the confequent fubverfion of the civil and religious conftitution of the Jews. The birth of John was extraordinary, and diftinguished, like that of Jefus, by miracles; which contributed to the great end of his miffion, fetting a luftre upon him, and exciting a fuitable expectation concerning him: which was the more neceffary, because he was to prepare the way of the Lord, and to make him manifeft unto Ifrael. John hath the name of two Prophets given him,-MY MESSENGER: The original word is Malachi, the name of the Prophet, who defcribes him as the fore-runner, as one fent to prepare the way of the Lord. He is alfo called by the name of Elijah the Prophet; and both appellations are expreffive of the character and office of him who was to be fent. Elijah fignifies the power of God, which was as remarkably fhewn in the perfon, appearance, life, and character of John, as of that other prophet who lived in the days of Ahab. The first and fecond Elias were very much alike in aufterity and fufferings, and calling men to repentance; both led abftemious and auftere lives, and dwelt in deferts. John, though he did no no miracle, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and inftructed from above how to discern the Meffiahi. He knew from the old Prophets that the Meffenger of the Covenant, the Lord whom he had made manifeft to Ifrael, was to do many extraordinary things; and as he was in prifon, and could not be an eye-witnefs of the miracles of our Lord, to give his difciples the fulleft conviction, he fent two of them to afk of Jefus himself," Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" Our Lord, who well understood the defign of this meffage, refers John to the miracles of which they had authentic evidence,which our Saviour juftly calls a greater witness than that of John. John had been witness to the defcent of the Spirit upon Jefus, but the RESIDENCE of that Spirit was to be proved by the miracles which Jefus continued to work, and of which John, when in prifon, could not be an evidence. Though he had heard a voice from heaven, proclaiming Jefus to be the beloved Son of God; yet, to complete the character of the Meffiah, it was neceffary that he fhould accomplish all that had been faid of him by the Prophets. And nothing could be more natural than for John, who found himself DECREASING, to enquire whether Jefus ENCREASED; whether the fpirit REMAINED upon him, and enabled him to accomplish the glorious works foretold of Meffiah in the Old Scriptures ? And if we carefully examine Luke iv. 1, 14. Dr. Sharpe's obfervations upon this circumftance, the continued refidence of the Spirit, will receive fome additional illuftrations. If we reflect upon the number of the people who followed John, and were baptized by him, and the regard they expreffed for him both before and after his death, and yet no fect produced in confequence of fuch belief and baptifm, it will, as Dr. Sharpe apprehends, afford a very good argument in favour of the fuperior power, dignity, character, and office of Jesus. And John's excellent character, even amongst the Jews themfelves, is fuch an argument in proof of his integrity, as will make it more reasonable to admit than reject the teftimony he gave, that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. Dr. Sharpe, in the feventh Chapter, enters into an accurate difcuffion of the predictions relating to the birth and character, life and death of the Meffiah, as given by Ifaiah, Chap. lii. 13-15. liii. which he juftly ftyles a moft celebrated oracle, exhibiting to us, as in a mirror, his humiliation, fufferings, interceffion, death, and glorious exaltation. In the various circumftances of his life an example to his followers, and to all the world, of every virtue, every precept which he delivered; A 2 |