the body of Christ, so it is also the pillar and the ground of truth; the unseen majesty, and the spiritual influence and glory of the head being only visible to the world in and by the professed subjects of his kingdom, and avowed members of his body, to whom his honour and character on earth are confided; as being the obvious and necessary effect of his invisible grace and virtue, and the publickly conspicuous and undeniable evidence and testimonial of his spiritual supremacy and glory. And hence, the body being the constant object, and the active and visible instrument, of Christ's grace and truth in this world, the trustee and depositary of his word and sacraments, occupies more of the time and of the attention of the prophetic spirit, than even the head itself; and the church is more frequently the subject of his premonitions, and the end and aim of his inspirations, than even Christ himself, who is its Redeemer, its Lord, and its Judge. And as it is peculiarly the sense, the concern, and the WORD of prophecy; so it is, in many instances, its interpreter, its standard, and, in a great degree, its completion.

When, therefore, at any time, it is asked, since the prophecies which foreshew the life and death of our Messiah, have all been proved to be completed, what farther evidence of our religion and confirmation of the truth do we require? The answer is obvious, as that is the incipient

and subordinate part of Messiah's character, and the rudimental and preparatory dispensations of mercy and truth, so is it also the less distinguished and momentous period or portion of the church and of prophecy. As the Gospel is superior to the Law, so Christ's life in heaven, and his spiritual rule and benediction of his church, are more essential, more important, and more indispensable, than his life on earth; and his second coming to receive and to crown his members and his brethren, and to condemn and destroy his enemies and the world, is manifestly more excellent and glorious than his first coming, as the end is better than the means, and the conclusion is of more consequence than the commencement. And hence that period of prophecy, whether of the Old or New Testament, which is connected with his spiritual and universal reign in heaven and earth, and is instrumental to the establishment and weal of his church, and therefore announces his approaching advent in power and great glory, to deliver and to reward her, and which, by its various signs and foretokens, assists us to believe in him, and by its promises and threats encourages and incites us to love and to obey him, and to wait and long for him, as our Lord and Judge, is much more valuable, more influential, and more useful, than that period or portion of it which had barely foretold his first coming in the flesh to suffer and to die. What is the Gospel, in this

sense, but prophecy? and what are its ministers but the Lord's prophets to assert and to proclaim his Majesty, and to announce and to prognosticate his coming? for "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Besides, it is not in respect to his life on earth, and his unblemished private character, and his unequalled moral teaching, that he has been so much exposed to the bitter envy, and the incessant machinations of cheats and impostors, and been assaulted and beset by the atrocious rivalry and treason of false Christs, and by the horrid lies and appalling blasphemies of false prophets, none of whom ever ventured to risk their pretensions on suffering a cruel and disgraceful death, and on publickly rising again the third day; they were not ambitious to obtain the crown of martyrdom, nor intent upon rising to pre-eminence and glory by humility, patience, and charity. It is in his official dignity, and his spiritual supremacy, that he has, therefore, been chiefly aped and outraged; and in respect of his divine Majesty and his supreme authority, that he has been denied and blasphemed. All false prophets and pretended messiahs, since his resurrection and exaltation to the throne of glory and the government of the universe, without affecting a competition in virtue, or to surpass him in moral excellence, and in unblemished and unrivalled sanctity, have invariably aped his prophetic and his sacerdotal functions, and counterfeited his royal

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prerogatives. And hence another, and a marked, and decided distinction between the ancient and the latter period or portion of prophecy-whilst the one was immediately and directly opposed to polytheism, and defended the truth, and maintained the rights of the one Lord God against the gods and idols of the heathen, the second and the latter period or portion of it is immediately and directly opposed to doubt and error, and at war with incredulity and apostasy.

Infidels, Mahometans, and Jews, do not hesitate to admit much of the Gospel history; they do not dispute the unspotted character, the holy life, the wise admonitions, and the pure moral instructions of Jesus the son of Mary, nor, of course, that portion or period of prophecy which had foreshewed them. But they deny his resurrection, together with his second coming and glory. Here therefore the Christian prophecies opportunely come to our assistance, in order to advocate the faith of the Gospel, to strengthen the testimony, and support the confession of the Church when miracles have ceased, and when the Jewish period of the prophecies, evaded by cunning, and perverted by imposture, does not afford direct and efficacious aids and evidence, nor adequately and definitely reach and decide the points at issue. For the present and the greatest enemies of the church do not reject the first coming of Christ, nor question his prophetic cha

racter, which are the drift of its announcement, and the substance of its advocacy, and which on our parts there would be no difficulty to prove, nor on theirs to admit.

The great truth which our Lord Jesus Christ asserted and attested, and for which he was condemned and crucified was, that he was the "Son of God,” the “king of Israel,” the "true Messiah,” and would "come in the clouds of heaven to judge the quick and the dead." And his church witnesses the same confession, and, if needs be, suffers in the same cause; the resurrection and glory of Christ, the first-fruits, and afterwards of those that are Christ's at his coming, is therefore the summary of Christian truth, and the substance of the testimony of Christ and of his members; it is peculiarly the faith, the hope, and the PROFESSION of the church; and has been the grand question at issue, between her on the one side, and all species of enemies and all varieties of infidels and of impostors on the other-it is the mystery of godliness, to which is directly opposed the mystery of iniquity. The church necessarily proclaims the mystery of her sovereign and her hope, and even assurance of his final victory and glory *. And her prophecies are enlisted in

αναστασις,

avaoraσic, the resurrection, is justly observed by Dr. Hammond to signify not merely the act of rising again, but includes also the subsequent exaltation and the eternal glory of Christ,