death, and raised many bodies of the saints, which were confined under his dominion *. 94. MESSIAH was to ascend up into heaven, and reign there at his FATHER'S right hand, invested with universal dominion.-JESUS CHRIST did ascend up into heaven in the sight of many witnesses, and took his place at the righthand of power, invested with universal dominion t. 95. When MESSIAH ascended into heaven, his ascension was to be attended with the ministers of heaven, to usher him into his FATHER'S presence.-When JESUS CHRIST ascended up into heaven, two men stood by the Apostles in white apparel, and addressed them on the joyful occasion ‡. 96. MESSIAH was to send down from heaven the gift of the HOLY GHOST, as a token and pledge that he was exalted, and that his FATHER was pleased with what he had done upon earth for the redemption of his people.JESUS CHRIST sent down the gift of the HOLY GHOST, in the most conspicuous and miraculous manner §. Compare Psalm lxviii. 18, with Matthew xxvii. 52. 97. The + Compare Psalm xvi. 11; lxviii. 18; Isaiah ix. 6, 7; Luke xxiv. 50, 51; Acts i. 9; and Matthew xxviii. 18. The excellent TILLOTSON observes, that "all things which the Prophets had foretold concerning the MESSIAH were punctually made good "in the person, and actions, and sufferings of our SAVIOUR." Compare Daniel vii. 13, 14, with Acts i. 10, 11. Sermon 104. Compare Psalm lxviii. 18; Joel ii. 28-32, with Acts ii. 1-4, and Ep. iv. 8-12. "When our LORD, after his resurrection, beginning at Moses and ALL the Prophets, had expounded unto his Apostles in all the scriptures the things concerning himself, and opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures; Luke xxiv. 27, 45; then they saw plainly (and any one now, who will trace the whole thread of the Old Testament, may plainly see) that there is a continued series of connexion, one uniform analogy and design, carried on for many ages by divine prescience through a succession of prophecies; which, as in their proper centre, do all meet together in CHRIST, and in him only; however the single lines, when considered apart, may many of them be imagined to have another direction, and point to intermediate events. Nothing is more evident, than that the whole succession of prophecies can possibly be applied to none but CHRIST. Nothing is more miraculous, than that they should all of them be capable of being possibly applied to him. And whatever in termediate 97. The doctrine of MESSIAH was to begin to be preached at Jerusalem, and from thence to spread itself through the nations.-The gospel of CHRIST was first preached in that city, and actually dispersed itself through all the neighbouring countries in the course of a few years*. 98. Though MESSIAH was to be generally rejected and despised in his life-time; after his death, the pleasure of the LORD, in the conversion and salvation of mankind, was to prosper in his hand. How exactly these circumstances agree with the history of JESUS CHRIST, is well known to every Christian†. 99. The followers of MESSIAH should meet with great and severe trials and persecution for their adherence to his cause. The followers of JESUS CHRIST had the whole world in arms against them for several ages †. 100. The rejectors of MESSIAR should be rejected of GOD, and his followers called by another name. The JEWS, who would not have CHRIST to rule over them, were rejected by him, and his followers were called by another name, through divine appointment, as it should • seem, to accomplish this prophecy §. 101. MESSIAH was to be opposed by kings, and persons in authority, with great vigour and resolution -JESUS CHRIST was very generally opposed through the whole of his termediate deliverances or deliverers of God's people may seemingly or really be spoken of upon particular occasions, nothing is more reasonable than to believe (in the Apostle's certainty, who conversed personally with our LORD after his resurrection, nothing could be more reasonable than to believe) that the ultimate and general view of the prophetic SPIRIT always was fixed on him, of whom in some of the ancient prophecies it is expressly affirmed, that GOD's servant, DAVID, shall be the PRINCE over his people for ever; that his dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." CLARKE'S Sermons, vol. v. ser. 1. * Compare Isaiah ii. 1---4; Micah. iv. 1.4; with Acts 2d chap. and Romans x. 18. Isaiah liii. 10---12. Compare Isaiah 1xvi. 5. and Malachi iii. 1---3, with Matthew X. 16--18, and 1 Corinthians iv. 9. Compare Isaiah lxii. 2; Ixv. 15, with Acts xi. 26. his public ministry, by the great Ones of the world, and all the power of the Roman empire was in opposition to his cause and people for upwards of three hundred years*. 102 Notwithstanding the opposition of the kings and princes of the world for a season, the time was to come when kings should be nursing fathers to the church, and queens nursing mothers.-Most of the governors of the nations of Europe have been protectors of the cause of CHRIST now for many centuries t. 103. It was, upon a great variety of occasions, predicted, that MESSIAH should enlighten the Gentile nations with the knowledge of the true GOD.-JESUS CHRIST gave particular commandment to his Apostles, no longer to confine their ministrations to the Jews, as he had done during his life-time; but to go out into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature + 104. MESSIAH was to destroy the covering of the face which was cast over all people, and the veil which was spread over all nations. When JESUS CHRIST appeared, he, by his Word, Spirit, and Apostles, enlightened the minds of men, and effected a most surprizing change in all the nations where his gospel was received §. 105. TO MESSIAH every knee was to bow, every tongue to swear, and every heart to submit.-The whole Christian world, professedly at least, pay this obedience to JESUS CHRIST, the REDEEMER of souls, and to no other being whatever. And in due time all opposing power shall be everlastingly annihilated ||. 106. It was predicted, that all the enemies of MESSIAH should be ashamed and confounded.-JESUS CHRIST has already made an awful example of his enemies, the Jews; first, in the destruction of their city and temple; second * ly, Compare Psalm ii. 2; cx. 5, 6; Luke xxiii. 8-12. See the His tory of the Church for the First Three Centuries. + Isaiah xlix. 23; lx. iii. Compare Isaiah Ix. with Mark xvi. 15. Compare Isaiah xxv. 6–8; Acts ji. 1---11; xxvi. 17, 18. and Philippians ii, 10, 11. ly, in their present dispersion; and, in the proper season, every opposing power should be brought into subjection*. 107. It was predicted, that MESSIAH would make a great and visible difference between his believing and unbelieving countrymen --When the Romans besieged Jerusalem, near two millions of unbelieving Jews perished, while every single believer fled out of the city, and escaped in safety to the mountains †. 108. MESSIAH was to appear in the world at the comsummation of the ages, to raise mankind from the dead, and judge the human race in righteousness.-JESUS CHRIST is the resurrection and the life, shall appear again at the close of nature, and decide the final fates both of men and angels . 109. MESSIAH was to destroy death itself, triumph over the grave, and create new heavens and a new earth, wherein should dwell universal righteousness.JESUS CHRISTIs he who alone is equal to the mighty undertaking, and is divinely appointed to that office §. This is a concise view of the predictions contained in the Old Testament, concerning the nature, birth, life, doctrine, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and kingdom of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. There can be no doubt respecting the priority of the predictions to the birth of CHRIST, because it is well known by every person, who is at all conversant in these matters, that the Old Testament was translated out of Hebrew into the Greek language, and dispersed over the world many years before CHRIST came; and that the latest of the predictions was upwards of three centuries before the birth of the REDEEMER Ofmankind. Such a variety of circumstances, therefore, * Compare Psalm ii. ; Psalm cx. 1; Isaiah xlv. 24; liv. 17; lx. 12 with Matthew xxiv; 2 Thes. i. 7---9; and the History of the Jews. + Compare Malachi 3d and 4th chapters, with the History of that remarkable Siege. Compare Job xix. 28---27; Isaiah xxv. 8; Daniel xii. 1---3; Hosea xiii. 14; Micah ii. 13: Matthew xxv. 31--46; John xi. 25; Acts xvii. 30, 31; 1 Corinthians vi. 3; 2 Corinthians v. 10. § Compare Hosea xiii. 14; Isaiah Ixv. 17; lxvi. 22; 1 Corinthians xv. 54, 55; Revelations xx. 14; xxi. 4. therefore, predicted concerning one man, so many years before he was born, of so extraordinary a nature, and under such convulsions and revolutions of civil governments, all accomplished in CHRIST, and in no other person that ever appeared in the world, point him out, with irresistible evidence, as the SAVIOUR of mankind. I call upon, and challenge the most hardened infidel in Christendom to refute the conclusion. But to render the investigation more simple, and to bring the inquiry within a narrower compass, let any man, who is sceptically inclined, take the fifty-second and fifty-third chapters of ISAIAH, and compare them seriously with the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh chapters of St. MATTHEW's gospel, and then let him deny that JESUS CHRIST is the true MESSIAH, if he can. ROCHESTER and many others have made the experiment, and found it the power of God unto the conviction of their minds, and the salvation of their souls. That all these extremely minute circumstances of time, place, character, and the like, should concenter in CHRIST, and in no other person that ever appeared in human nature, is truly remarkable, and absolutely demonstrative of his Messiahship. Indeed, that he should be born at such a time, in such a place, and under circumstances of poverty; that he should suffer, and be opposed by those that were strangers to his character, and be finally put to an ignominious death: these things were all common to him with many more of our fellow-creatures. But, that he should profess to be the SAVIOUR of mankind-that he should be described as one that was to come-be born under the fourth monarchy-while the second temple was yet standing-before the dominion of the Jews was entirely taken away--in a time of profound and universal peace-when there was a general expectation of some extraordinary person:--that he should have existed with GOD before the foundations of the world were laid-been the companion of the ALMIGHTY-been sprung from the DEITY by an ineffable generation-been the son of GoD-the son of man-begotten of a pure virgin by divine energy, and not by carnal copulation-that he, should be the son of ABRAHAM--ISAAC--JACOB--JUDAH 4 --JESSE |