quoi Dieu a le plus pourvu; car l'événement qui les a remplies est un miracle subsistant depuis la naissance de l'Eglise jusqu'à la fin. Aussi Dieu a suscité des prophètes durant seize cents ans; et pendant quatre cents ans après, il a dispersé toutes ces prophéties avec tous les Juifs, qui les portaient, dans tous les lieux du monde.-Quand un seul homme aurait fait un livre des prédictions de Jésus-Christ, pour le temps et pour la manière, et que Jésus-Christ serait venu conformement à ces prophéties, ce serait une force infinie. Mais il y a bien plus ici. C'est une suite d'hommes qui, constamment et sans variation, viennent l'un en suite de l'autre, prédire ce même avénement. C'est un peuple entier, qui l'annonce." But, following the example of the rationalists, Schleiermacher in particular has broken away from this common conviction of the whole Christian Church.1

The question, of primary importance here, is whether there are really any Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. Schleiermacher answers this in the negative. He found nothing but indefinite presentiments, utterances of a subjective consciousness of the need of redemption, "a yearning of human nature for Christianity," such as may be proved to have existed in heathenism as well. In making such an assertion, he placed himself in decided antagonism to the authority of Christ and his apostles. For it is evident, not only from the passages just quoted, but from many others which have been referred to in the course of this work, that they did acknowledge the existence of actual prophecies in the Scriptures. And the fallacy of the assertion is quite as apparent, if we examine the prophecies themselves. We have brought forward proofs, that the Scriptures contain a long series of genuine prophecies. Compare, for example, what has already been observed in vol. iii., p. 299, with reference to Zechariah's description of the future. Compare also Dan. ix., where the anointing of Christ with the Holy Ghost, his death, the forgiveness of sins to be secured by him, and the judgment to be executed on Jerusalem by a foreign prince, are announced. The nation from which the Redeemer is to arise, is foretold in the Old Testament, and even the tribe (Gen. xlix. and other passages), the family (first of all in 2 Sam. vii.), the place (Micah v.),

1 Glaubenslehre i. 116 (105. 6), Zweites Sendschreiben an Lücke, Studien und Kritiken 29, p. 497.

and the time of his birth, viz., during the period of the political existence of Judah (see vol. i. p. 62), previous to the destruction of the second temple (Haggai), in the time of the fourth monarchy (Dan. ii. 7), and in the seventieth week (Dan. ix.). The prophets point out clearly and distinctly the condition of both the family and nation at the time of the coming of Christ, and fully agree in predicting, that before that event all the glory of Israel will pass away (vol. i. p. 516), the tabernacle of David fall into ruins (Amos ix. 11), and the line of David sink into the obscurity of private life, (vol. ii. p. 110). The prophets foretel that with Christ's coming a new spiritual and vital principle will begin to work in the human race (Joel iii.; Jer. xxxi. 31-40; Ezek. xi. 19), and history has confirmed the announcement. "All nations," says Pascal, "were sunk in infidelity and concupiscence; but the whole earth now burned with charity, princes forsook their glory, and girls endured martyrdom. Whence came this power? The Messiah had arrived.” The prophets also place in connexion with the coming of Christ a severe judgment upon Judah, and its expulsion from the Lord's own land (e.g. Zēch. v. and xi.; Mal. iii.). The fulfilment is before our eyes, as well as that of the prophecies, which announce the spread of the kingdom of God among the heathen in the days of the Messiah, such for example as Ezek. xvii. 22-24, and Mal. i. 11, “from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles."

Again, the assertion, that an agreement between the prophecies and the actual result, in matters of detail, is of no importance whatever, is no more reconcileable with the authority of Christ and the apostles, than the denial of the existence of genuine prophecies. For if this be the case, why is the harmony between prophecy and fulfilment expressly pointed out in connexion with the most remarkable circumstances of the life of Christ? Why did Christ explain to his apostles, after his resurrection, the passages in all the Scriptures relating to his sufferings and glory? Why did he add, after saying to his disciples "all ye shall be offended because of me this night," "for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad?" (Matt. xxvi. 31). Why did he say to the disciples (ver. 54), "how then shall the Scriptures

be fulfilled ?" and to the crowd (ver. 56) "all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled ?" He that is of the truth will listen in this matter to the voice of him who has said, "I am the truth." If Schleiermacher's views were correct, how could it be recorded of the people at Berea as a thing deserving praise, that they carefully compared the gospel statements with the Scriptures of the Old Testament, " searching the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Philip would rather be deserving of blame, for founding his address to the treasurer of Queen Candace upon Is. liii. If it was a matter of importance to that age, that the perfect agreement between prophecy and fulfilment should be clearly demonstrated, it is of no less importance now. This is obvious from the fact, that the apostles themselves do not attach importance to it, solely when they have to do with Jews, but also when writing and preaching to the Gentiles. In the present day, not merely the great mass of the Jews, but also a great portion of those who are living in outward fellowship with the Christian Church, are in just the same condition as the Jews of the time of Christ. They have no true knowledge of Christ, but have yet to learn to know him. It is true that this knowledge can no more be obtained by them from the Messianic prophecies alone, than by the Jews of that day. On the contrary, external evidence of the truth of Christianity, whatever its objective validity may be, can never accomplish anything, without the existence of the only state of mind, that can create a susceptibility for the impression, which evidence of this description is fitted to produce. But where this state of mind does exist, a perception of the harmony between prophecy and fulfilment may produce the most beneficial results. There is the less room to deny this, on account of the clear testimony of history itself. Conscientious converts from Judaism are hardly ever to be met with, whose convictions are not to a great extent attributable to this. And even in the case of many who had fallen victims to rationalistic unbelief, such prophecies

1 Thus, for example, the unbelief of Augusti gave way when he was engaged in writing a work upon Isaiah, and came to the fifty-third chapter. See the account of the life and conversion of F. A. Augusti, formerly a Jewish Rabbi, but afterwards for fifty-three years a teacher of Christianity, Gotha 1783. Other examples are to be met with in Hausmeister's Bekehrungsgeschichten Jüdischer Proselyten.

as Is. liii. have frequently afforded important aid in leading them back to the way of salvation. But the importance of the Messianic prophecies is not restricted to the first stages of Christian experience; it continues even in the case of such as are further advanced. For on the one hand there are none whose faith is so strong that they can afford to despise one of the means of fortifying it, which have been provided by God himself; and the more firmly a Christian holds by the historical Christ, and breaks away from the nebulous image of an ideal Saviour, who, if he want no credentials, can afford neither strength nor consolation, the greater is the improbability of his ever doing this. On the other hand, advanced Christians feel more and more the need of comprehending the divine institutions of salvation as a connected whole, and tracing the whole plan devised by the wisdom of God. This is a delightful study, full of incitement to seek the knowledge and love of God. In this nothing can be regarded as trivial, since even the smallest line acquires importance from its connexion with the whole. There is nothing isolated; action and reaction are visible everywhere, and whilst light is thrown by the fulfilment upon the preparatory stages, the latter throw light upon the fulfilment in return.1

Another objection adduced by Schleiermacher against the Messianic prophecies is this, that we cannot desire to base our firm faith in Christianity upon our much weaker faith in Judaism. But Steudel has justly replied to this, that we do not attribute the force of proof to the prophecies themselves, but to the harmony between the prophecies and their fulfilment. And Sack (Apologet. p. 258) has pointed out the unscriptural character of the contrast, which is thus drawn between Judaism and Christianity, by showing that prophecy forms no part of Judaism as dissociated with Christianity, but according to the New Testament view the prophets are organs of the Holy Ghost, of the Spirit of Christ, who thus manifested himself to the Church of God through their instrumentality, before his actual appearance in the flesh, 1 Pet. i. 11.

1 "Est etiam pars verbi divini prophetica suavissimum studii perpetui exercitium, ubi incrementum successive capimus, quod fastidium detergit, sed finem nunquam reperimus, gaudemus tamen alimento spirituali, fidem, spem et caritatem roborante et excitante."

The really classical passage of the New Testament, by which this thoroughly abnormal and unchristian theory of Schleiermacher is completely refuted, is contained in 2 Pet. i. 19-21, a passage the depth of which is a sufficient proof of its apostolical origin. "We have," says the apostle, "a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation, for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Messianic prophecies (that the "word of prophecy" relates especially to these is evident from the connexion with what precedes) are of even greater importance to Christians than to Jews. The word of prophecy is to them a surer word, since they can compare the predictions with the fulfilment. The apostle's preaching of Christ did not rest upon arbitrary speculations, but according to ver. 16, upon the fact that the apostles were eye-witnesses of his majesty." From these historical facts, the word of prophecy acquired still greater firmness and importance. For this reason it is doubly advantageous to Christians to pay attention to those things, from which Schleiermacher attempted with all his might to draw away the Church of Christ. The apostle does not say "ye did well," but "ye do well." It is not Jews but Christians whom he praises, for giving heed to the word of prophecy, and that not merely as the foundation of faith, but also as the means of strengthening their belief. It could only lead to confusion to connect εὡς οὗ, &c., with προσέχοντες, instead of paívovTI (compare Matt. xi. 13). In this case the present would be unsuitable. The apostle is writing to those who already are, not to those who are to become Christians, "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us" (ver. 1). Hence he does not say how long they are to be attentive, but how long the light has shined. The period, when the light first shone in the dark place (a light which could only be kindled by the inspiration of God), was the coming of Christ in the flesh, when the day-star immediately rose in the hearts. It

1 See on the other hand Knapp, opusc. p. 16.