But in what way, it may be asked, are the effects of the accomplishment of these prophecies of the Messiah apparent before our eyes in the present day? This leads me to consider,

IV. The SPIRITUAL OFFICES predicted of the Messiah, which our Lord fulfilled, and is now fulfilling, in the church.

us.

His bodily presence is indeed no longer amongst

We cannot witness his miracles nor hear his doctrine. These we receive by the means of undoubted testimony. But the spiritual offices and functions of the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind, grounded on his personal sufferings and obedience unto death, and committed to him by the Father as the reward of those sufferings, are exercised by him in every age, and are the hope and joy of his church. He has "been with it always," according to his promise, and he will continue to be so, "till the end of the world." The great blessing of the Holy Ghost, on the mission of whom he rested all the truth of his Messiahship, was vouchsafed on the day of Pentecost; and the apostles, endued with the powers of that divine Spirit, went forth to preach the gospel, which has reached us, and brought us out of darkness into God's marvellous light. These effects we witness every day. All who are truly sincere in their Christian faith, are receiving constantly the benefits resulting from them; whilst to others, the external position of the church, its extension, and solemn celebrations, are sufficient evidences of the truth of what we assert. What office, I ask, of the Messiah, has not and does not the Son of God, in his state of exaltation, fulfil?

Did he not, and doth he not, "bruise the serpent's head ?" Did he not "spoil principalities and powers, and make a show of them openly, triumphing over

them on his cross ?" Has he not, and doth he not, "destroy the works of the devil ?"

Is he not also our "Shiloh," gathering unto himself anuniversal church, "having made peace by the blood of his cross?"

Is he not, again, "the prophet like unto Moses”— a living oracle, the constant authorized expounder of God's will during his whole ministry-resembling Moses in the fulness of his communications with God, the magnitude of the revelation made to him, and the institution of a religion founded on this revelation ? 55 Is he not "the redeemer" referred to by Job, who was to "stand in the latter day upon the earth ?"

If we come to the Psalms, what is there so great, what so spiritual and exalted, foretold of the Messiah, which our Jesus has not fulfilled, and does not fulfil ?

If we plunge into the evangelical riches of Isaiah, what is there, even in his extended and mysterious prophecies, which our Lord has not fully accomplished? Did he not "preach the acceptable year of the Lord ?" Have not the "Gentiles come to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising ?" Has not the "Spirit rested upon him ?” Has he not, and does he not, "bring forth judgment to the Gentiles ?" Is he not a 66 covenant for the people, a light for the Gentiles?" Does he not say, by all the ministrations of his gospel, "Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth ?" Has he not founded his universal church, upon the footing of his sacrifice-of being "wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities ?" In a word, is he not, as it was predicted he should be, the Redeemer, the Mediator, the Teacher, the Intercessor, the Deliverer, the mighty Saviour of men?

What did Jeremiah foretell of the new covenant, or

55 Davison.

Ezekiel of the effusion of the Holy Ghost, or Joel of the gifts of grace, which our Emmanuel did not bestow?

Do not, I ask, sincere Christians behold in him all these spiritual attributes, and derive from him all the blessings of his divine offices and directions? I know that irreligious persons cannot enter into these particulars. Such objectors I refer to the preceding proofs of the Messiahship of Christ. But for others, I have a right to appeal to those spiritual blessings which the prophecies declare to flow from the advent of the Saviour. I ask, Is he not their shepherd, their friend, their brother, their prophet, their master, their ruler, their king, their high priest, their divine chief and head?

If such, then, be the palpable fulfilment of the predictions of the Messiah in the present kingdom of our Lord-if such be the broad and manifest events themselves, such the number and independence of the prophets who foretold them, such the accumulation of the spirit of prophecy attending their accomplishment, and such the exalted spiritual offices exercised by him in every age;

I. Let us FALL PROSTRATE IN HUMILIATION AND FAITH AT THE FEET of the Saviour, and acknowledge in him the fulfilment of the divine predictions; acknowledge in him the overwhelming demonstration of superhuman prescience and power; acknowledge in him the accomplishment of prophecy, and the establishment of the divine authority of the religion which he introduced.

II. If you ask for A CONTRAST to all this plain interpretation of prophecy in the person of Christ, and to all these offices of grace discharged by him, look to the subterfuges of the Jews in evading the application of their own sacred word to our blessed

Lord; and to the false Christs by whom they have been so often deceived. See their ancient doctors admitting all the chief predictions to belong to the Messiah, and the modern ones denying such an use. Hear them prohibiting the reading of the prediction of our Lord's passion in Isaiah; and denouncing a curse on those who compute the years of Daniel. Examine, if your patience can endure the trial, the childish follies which they produce as explanations of our noblest evangelical oracles. And when this part of the contrast has raised and set forth the brightness of the sacred predictions as unequivocally accomplished in Jesus our Lord; then turn to the false Christs who in different ages have arisen to delude and destroy those who refused Jesus as their true Messiah. Remember, the very time when these wretched impostors began to appear, marked out that the fulness of the predicted period was come, and proclaimed with a loud voice, that the weeks of Daniel were run out, and that the Messiah had actually appeared. Before this period, no pretender arose. After the rejection of our Lord, crowds of the basest false prophets obtained attention. This we shall have to notice in the next part of this lecture. But I observe the fact here, that the contrast, by its deep gloom, may serve to set forth the genuine characters of truth and grace which mark every step of our Redeemer's life, every part of his miraculous works, and every word that proceeded out of his mouth. Like all the other branches of the evidences of the gospel, truth stands out boldly and alone. There is nothing second or similar to it. It is unequalled and unmixed. It meets the sincere inquirer, and commends itself to his reason, his conscience, all the affections of his soul.

III. Let us make the only true use of this part of our subject, by IMPLORING OF our Lord the spiRITUAL BLESSINGS which he is dispensing. Let us

not stop in acknowledging the accomplishment of predictions, and confessing our belief in the mission of our Lord Christ. Let us rely upon him as our Saviour, let us seek pardon and reconciliation at his hands, let us beseech him to be our Teacher, our Master, our Intercessor, not only by the general instructions of his word and his ministers, but by the special communications of his grace, by his merciful answers to our prayers, by the influence of his Holy Spirit upon our hearts, by his supplies of power and wisdom under temptation, and his mighty succour in the seasons of difficulty. Thus shall we understand all the fulness of his name and offices. Thus shall we know him as our King and our Lord. Thus shall we look forward with joy to his second coming to judge the world, assured that he will then most completely fulfil all the import of his spiritual titles and functions," and receive us to himself, that where he is, there we may be also."

VOL. I.