3. Their consistency — [Certainly, when we consider that the prophecies were deUverc'd by ilifltrent persons wholly unconnected with each otiier, at di'stiint times and places, during the space of 3G00 years, and that tiie things which they predicted were in ap- pearance so opposite to each other ; it is inconceivable, that no inconsistency should be found in any of them, if they were not inspired by the omniscient and unchangeable God.
Let us enter a little into this point. — The person of the Messiah. He must be "Jehovah's fellow," "the mighty God," antl yet " a man," yea " a worm, and no man, the very scorn of men and the outcast of the people." He must be " the Root and yet the Offspring of David," " David's Son, and yet David's Lord." He must be " a Lion," and yet " a Lamb." He must be a King, a Priest, and a Prophet, all in one. He must die, yet live. Though a Jew, he must die a lloman death, and yet not experience the same treatment as was shewn to those who were crucified with him, in having his bones broken : yea, he shall " be pierced in his hands and feet," where the bones are so numerous, and by the soldier's spear also, and yet " not have a bone broken," He shall die as a malefactor, and yet " have his grave with the rich."^ He shall suffer thus under the hand of his enemies, and yet triumph ; yea, and triumph by dying, and pass through the grave to his throne of glory ; and, after standing at the tri- binial of his rebellious creatures, summon the universe to his tribunal, and fix the everlasting doom of men and angels. Say, whether such apparent inconsistencies would ever have been predicted respecting an impostor, or, if predicted, would have been ever realized and fulfilled ? There are, it is true, many prophecies which are not yet fulfilled. The restoration of the Jews, the conversion of the Gentiles, the universal establishment of Christ's kingdom upon earth ; these things have not yet taken place : nor have the prophecies taught us to expect that they should yet be accomplished. But the fulfihnent of such diversified predictions which we have already seen, leaves us no doubt respecting the accomplish- ment of the remainder in due season : and this is one reason why the evidence from prophecy is so convincing ; that it is ever growing stronger and stronger by the augmented and ever-increasing force which it receives, from the events which are yet daily taking place in the Church and in the world.]
This then may suffice for the first point which we were to consider, namely, the evidence of our reli- gion as founded on prophecy. We now proceed to shew,
II. The