We step not to point out how completely these prophecies have been fulfilled. Almost all thc pro phecies, too, speak distinctly of the rejection of the Jews, for a season, at least, and the calling in of the Gentiles. How was the latter event ever to take place under the narrow and exclusive system of Judaism? The ordinances and ceremonies ap pointed to the Jews, were rather intended to keep them separate from the rest of the world, than to induce other nations to adopt their ritual. But the prophets announced a more liberal dispensation, by which all men were to be brought to the knowledge of the truth.
As an evidence of Christianity, prophecy has several advantages over miracles. A miracle is not generally presented more than once to the senses; a prophecy can, at any time, be steadily examined by the eye of the understanding. The evidence arising from the fulfilment of prophecy gathers strength by the lapse of time; and the great events which are successively evolved, in the course of providence, have all the effects of a miracle to strengthen our faith in a divine revelation. The Apostle Peter states, as the ground of his own con viction, the miracles which he had seen, and the voice which he had heard on the mount. So far as he himself was concerned this was quite suffi cient; he states, however, another species of evi dence more accessible to all mankind. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shin eth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." (2 Peter i. 19.) Modern infidels pay the highest compliment to the prophecies when they affirm them to be fabrica tions written after the events which they pretend to predict. This amounts to a confession that the events and the prophecies correspond with each other; and when this is admitted, it is the easiest thing in the world to prove the antiquity of the pre dictions. On this point the Jews and the Christians are as one; and though the former have suffered so much on account of their rejection of the true Mes siah, whose pretensions arc founded on the Law and the Prophets, yet nothing has been able to make them justify their unbelief, as modern scep tics affect to do, by denying the antiquity or authen ticity of the Scriptures which testify of him.
It is a singular and striking feature in the evi dences of Christianity that it founds its pretensions on the very records which the Jews had, for so many ages, been accustomed to respect: and it shows their reverence for the sacred volume, that though it contains so many distinct prophecies to convict them of obstinacy and wilful ignorance, they have yet never attempted to corrupt the sacred text, and make it more conformable to their preju dices. The vigilance of the Christians, indeed, would have rendered it impossible to execute such a design; for they instantly adopted the Jewish scriptures as their own, and guarded them with the most jealous care, as displaying the gradual de velopment of that wonderful scheme which was perfected by the mission and sufferings of Jesus of Nazareth. The Jews felt themselves pressed by the authority of their own scriptures; but they did not dare to alter the original record. There was a translation, however, of the Hebrew scriptures in Greek, now commonly known by the name of the Septuagint, which was in very general use among the Jews in the time of our Lord. This transla tion had been used by the Jews residing in the Gen tile cities, for upwards of two hundred years before the birth of Christ. It is chiefly from this version that the heathen authors derived their knowledge of the Jewish law, and of the doctrines of scripture; and we may judge of the accuracy with which it is executed from the circumstance of its being quoted by the writers of the New Testament. The Jews, finding this version as hostile to their notions as their own original scriptures, encouraged a new translation into Greek; but no effort has ever been able to subvert the clear evidence which stands against them in their own scriptures.
But the evidence resulting from prophecy is not to be confined to the predictions contained in the Old Testament scriptures. The prophecies deliv ered by our Lord and his apostles are equally con clusive to the same purpose. We allude merely to the unequivocal predictions which he delivered re specting the destruction of Jerusalem, and the rapid progress of his religion. The former event was not improbable from the character of the Jews; the latter was in the face of all human probability.