God, to the confufion of our nation this prophefy of blindness, deafnefs, ignorance and obduracy, remain unabated until this day, according to the teftimony of your fervant Mofes, our law-giver, in the following words; "And the Lord thy God fhall raife you up a prophet of your own brethren like unto me, him fhall you hear, and it fhall come to pass, that every foul that will not hear that prophet to do whatfoever he commandeth them, fhall be cut off from his people." The completion of these prophecies is evidenced and have been verified from the deftruction of our temple and city. And, according to our prophet Daniel 9th chapter, (before Chrift 534 years) for rejecting and putting to death the Meffiah. This heavy malediction fhould remain in our nation, and points out the time of this bloody catastrophe difclofed by the angel Gabriel. 490 years before Chrift. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the tranfgreffion, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlafting righteoufnefs, and to feal up the vifion and prophecy, and to anoint the moft holy. Know, therefore, and underftand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerufalem unto the Meffiah the Prince fhall be feven weeks, and threefcore and two weeks; the street fhall be built again, and the wall even in troublous times; and after threefcore and two weeks fhall Meffiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince (the Romans under Titus) that fhall Z 3 come come shall deftroy the city and the fanctuary; and the end thereof fhall be with a flood, and to the end of the war defolations are determined; and he fhall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he fhall caufe the facrifice and the oblation to ceafe, and for the overfpreading of abominations he fhall make it defolate, even until the confummation, and that determined, fhall be poured upon the defolate. Boy. Before Chrift 520 years. In the feventh month, in the one and twentieth day (fecond year of Darius) came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, faying, Speak now to Zerubbabel, fon of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the fon of Josedech, the high-prieft, and to the refidue of the people, faying, Who is left among you that faw this houfe in her first glory? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? yet, now be ftrong, O Zerubbabel, faith the Lord; and be ftrong, O Joshua, fon of Jofedech, the highprieft; and be strong, all ye people of the land, faith the Lord, and work; for I am with you, faith the Lord of Hofts, according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt; fo my fpirit remaineth among you, fear ye not. For thus faith the Lord of Hofts, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will fhake the heavens and the earth, and the fun, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the defire of all nations fhall come; and I will fill this house with glory, faith the Lord of Hofts. The Silver is mine, and the gold is mine, faith the Lord of Hofts. The glory of this latter house fhall be greater than of the former, faith the Lord of Holts; and in this place will I give peace, faith the Lord of Hofts. Ezra 6th chapter. Thefe are your words, O Lord; your temple was built and finifhed on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the fixth year of Darius the king, and facrifice was offered for the fpace of five hundred years, until it was deftroyed by the Romans under Titus. In this temple, O my God, you fulfilled and accomplished your determined decree, promised man at the fall of our first parents, made fure to Abraham that in his feed all the nations of the earth fhould be bleffed, you were pleased, my Lord, to transmit your bleffing to Ifaac, and after him to Jacob, you then continued it in the tribe of Judah, until David; him you appointed (a poor fheep boy) king over all Ifrael, feated him on the throne of majefty, and crowned him with the diadem, placing in his hand the royal fceptre, and with him confirmed an everlafting covenant ordered in all things and fure. O O my Lord, you not only crowned him with royalty by making him king, but you have raifed and dignified him with the exalted title of royal prophet. His pfalms are the inestimable treasure of your goodnefs, in them the prophecies are set forth, what was to be accomplished one thousand years after, your divinity, humanity, abjection, fufferings, rejection, death, refurrrection, afcenfion, triumphantly feated on the right-hand of the infinite Majefty, reprobation of your enemies, and eter Z 4 nal nal felicity of the Elect. The Pfalmift prophecies alfo of the chriftian facrifice and office of priesthood in the new covenant, after the fimilitude of Melchifedech, whose offering was bread and wine. From this æra, the prophets, heralds, of thee, O Great King and Lord of the Universe, proclaim the great day of falvation, in which you would manifeft yourself in human flesh taken from a virgin. (Before Chrift 742.) 17th chapter of Ifaiah."Behold, a virgin fhall conceive and bear a fon, and fhall call his name Immanuel, that is, God with us." 9th chap. "For unto us a child is born, a fon is given; and the government shall be upon his fhoulder; and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increafe of his government and peace there fhall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of Hofts will perform this." St. Luke 1ft.. chapter. "And in the fixth month from the conception of St. John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel was fent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin efpoufed to a man whose name was Jofeph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, faid to her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; bleffed art thou among women. And when fhe had heard, fhe was troubled at his faying, and thought with herself, what manner of falutation this fhould be. And the angel faid to her: Fear not, Mary, Mary, for thou haft found grace with God. Be hold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and fhall bring forth a fon; and thou fhalt call his name Jefus. He fhall be great, and fhall be called the fon of the Most High; and the Lord God fhall give unto Him the throne of David his father; and he fhall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there fhall be no end. And Mary faid to the angel: How fhall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel anfwering, faid to her; The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the power of the Moft High fhall over-fhadow thee; and therefore the Holy which fhall be born of thee, fhall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy coufin Elizabeth the hath alfo conceived a fon in her old age; and this is the fixth month with her that is called barren, because no word fhall be impoffible with God. And Mary faid; Behold the hand-maid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." Ifaiah 40th chap. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, faith your God; fpeak ye comfortably to Jerufalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for he hath received of the Lord's hand, double for all her fins. The voice of him that crieth in the wildernefs, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make Atraight in the defart a high way for our God. Every valley fhall be exalted, and every mountain and hill fhall be made low; and the crooked fhall be made ftraight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord fhall be re vealed, |