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Name, in his zealously exerting himself in Oppofition to Idolatry, in particular Acts of his, was foretold above three Hundred Years before he was born, and the Prophecy feal'd by a Miracle, and renewed and confirmed by the Words of a fecond Prophet, as what furely would not fail, 1 Kings xiii. I-6, 32. This Prophecy was alfo in Effect a Prediction of the moral Conduct of the People, in upholding their Schifmatical and Idolatrous Worship 'till that Time, and the Idolatry of thofe Priests of the high Places, which it is foretold Jofiah fhould offer upon that Altar of Bethel. -— Micaiah foretold the foolish and finful Conduct of Ahab, in refufing to hearken to the Word of the Lord by him, and chufing rather to hearken to the falfe Prophets, in going to Ramoth-Gilead to his Ruin, 1 Kings xxi. 20,-22. The moral Con→ duct of Hazael was foretold, in that Cruelty he fhould be guilty of; on which Hazael fays, What, is thy Servant a Dog, that he fould do this Thing! The Prophet speaks of the Event as what he knew, and not what he conjectured. 2 Kings viii. 12. I know the Evil that thou wilt do unto the Children of Ifrael: Thou wilt dafh their Children, and rip up their Women with Child.-The moral Conduct of Cyrus is foretold, long before he had a Being, in his Mercy to God's People, and Regard to the true God, in turning the Captivity of the Jews, and promoting the building of the Temple. Ifai. xliv. 28. & xlv. 13. Compare 2 Chron. xxxvi. 22, 23. and Ezra i. 1,-4.- How many Instances of the moral Conduct of the Kings of the North and South, particular Inftances of the wicked Behaviour of the Kings of Syria and Egypt, are foretold in the xith Chapter of Daniel? Their Corruption, Violence, Robbery, Treachery, and Lies. And particularly, how much is foretold of the horrid Wickedness of Antiochus Epiphanes, called there

a vile Perfon, inftead of Epiphanes, or Illuftrious, In that Chapter, and alfo in Chap. viii. ver. 9,14, 23, to the End, are foretold his Flattery, Deceit and Lies, his having his Heart fet to do Mifchief, and fet against the holy Covenant, his deftroying and treading under Foot the boly People, in a marvellous Manner, his having Indignation against the holy Covenant, fetting his Heart against it, and confpiring against it, his polluting the Sanctuary of Strength, treading it under Foot, taking away the daily Sacrifice, and placing the Abomination that maketh defolate; his great Pride, magnifying himself against God, and uttering marvellous Blafphemies against Him, 'till God in Indignation should destroy him. Withal, the moral Conduct of the Jews, on Occafion of his Perfecution, is predicted. 'Tis foretold, that he should corrupt many by Flatteries, Chap. xi. 32,-34. -34. But that others fhould behave with a glorious Conftancy and Fortitude, in Oppofition to him, ver. 32. And that fome good Men fhould fall and repent, ver. 35. Chrift foretold Peter's Sin, in denying his Lord, with its Circumftances, in a peremptory Manner. And fo, that great Sin of Judas, in betraying his Mafter, and its dreadful and eternal Punishment in Hell, was foretold in the like pofitive Manner. Matt. xxvi. 21,-25. and parallel Places in the other Evangelifts.

2. Many Events have been foretold by God, which were confequent and dependent on the moral Conduct of particular Perfons, and were accomplished, either by their virtuous or vicious Actions. Thus, the Children of Ifrael's going down into Egypt to dwell there, was foretold to Abraham, Gen. xv. which was brought about by the Wickedness of Jofeph's Brethren in felling him, and the Wickedness of Jofeph's Miftrefs, and his

Own

own fignal Virtue in refifting her Temptation. The Accomplishment of the Thing prefigur'd in Jofeph's Dream, depended on the fame moral Conduct. Jotham's Parable and Prophecy, Judges ix. 15,20. was accomplished by the wicked Conduct of Abimelech, and the Men of Shechem. The Prophecies against the Houfe of Eli, 1 Sam. Chap. ii. & iii. were accomplished by the Wickednels of Deeg the Edomite, in accusing the Priests; and the great Impiety, and extreme Cruelty of Saul in destroying the Priefts at Nob. 1 Sam. xxii. -Nathan's Prophecy against David, 2 Sam. xii, II, 12. was fulfill'd by the horrible Wickedness of Abfalom, in rebelling against his Father, feeking his Life, and lying with his Concubines in the Sight of the Sun. The Prophecy against Solomon, 1 Kings xi. 11,-13. was fulfilled by Jeroboam's Rebellion and Ufurpation, which are fpoken of as his Wickednefs, 2 Chron. xiii. 5, 6. compare ver. 18. The Prophecy against Jeroboam's Family, 1 Kings xiv. was fulfilled by the Confpiracy, Treafon, and cruel Murders of Baafha, 1 Kings xv. 27. &c. The Predictions of the Prophet Jebu against the Houfe of Baafha, 1 Kings xvi. at the Beginning, were fulfilled by the Treafon and Parricide of Zimri, 1 Kings xvi. 9,—13,

20.

3, How often has God foretold the future moral Conduct of Nations and Peoples, of Numbers," Bodies, and Succeffions of Men; with God's judicial Proceedings, and many other Events confequent and dependent on their Virtues and Vices; which could not be foreknown, if the Volitions of Men, wherein they acted as moral Agents, had not been foreseen? The future Cruelty of the. Egyptians in oppreffing Ifrael, and God's judging and punishing them for it, was foretold long be

fore

fore it came to pass, Gen. xv. 13, 14. The Continuance of the Iniquity of the Amorites, and the Increase of it until it should be full, and they ripe for Destruction, was foretold above four Hundred Years before-hand, Gen. xv. 16. A&t. vii. 6, 7. The Prophecies of the Deftruction of Jerufalem, and the Land of Judah, were abfolute; 2 Kings XX. 17, 19. Chap. xxii. 15, to the End. It was foretold in Hezekiab's Time, and was abundantly infifted on in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, who wrote nothing after Hezekiah's Days. It was foretold in Jofiah's Time, in the Beginning of a great Reformation, 2 Kings xxii. And it is manifeft by innumerable Things in the Predictions of the Prophets, relating to this Event, its Time, its Circumftances, its Continuance and End; the Return from the Captivity, the Restoration of the Temple, City and Land, and many Circumstances, and Confequences of That; I fay, thefe fhew plainly, that the Prophecies of this great Event were abfolute. And yet this Event was connected with, and dependent on two Things in Men's moral Conduct: firft, the injurious Rapine and Violence of the King of Babylon and his People, as the efficient Caufe; which God often speaks of as what he highly refented, and would feverely punish; and 2dly, The final Obftinacy of the Jews. That great Event is often spoken of as suspended on this. Jer. iv. 1. & v. 1. vii. 1,—7. xi. 1,—6. xvii. 24. to the End. xxv. 1,—7. xxvi. 1,-8, 13. & xxxviii. 17, 18. Therefore this Destruction and Captivity could not be foreknown, unless such a moral Conduct of the Chaldeans and Jews had been foreknown. And then it was foretold, that the People should be finally obstinate, to the Destruction and utter Defolation of the City and Land. Ifai. vi. 9,-11. Jer. i. 18, 19. vii. 27,-29. Ezek, iii. 7. & xxiv. 13, 14.

The

The final Obftinacy of thofe Jews who were left in the Land of Ifrael, and who afterwards went down into Egypt, in their Idolatry and Rejection of the true God, was foretold by God, and the Prediction confirmed with an Oath, Jer. xliv. 26, 27. And God tells the People, Ifai. xlviii. 3, 4,-8. that he had predicted thofe Things which fhould be confequent on their Treachery and Obftinacy, because he knew they would be obstinate; and that he had declared these Things before-hand, for their Conviction of his being the only true God, &c.

The Destruction of Babylon, with many of the Circumstances of it, was foretold, as the Judgment of God for the exceeding Pride and Haughtiness of the Heads of that Monarchy, Nebuchad. nezzar, and his Succeffors, and their wickedly deftroying other Nations, and particularly for their exalting themselves against the true God and his People, before any of thefe Monarchs had a Being; Ifai. Chap. xiii, xiv, xlvii: Compare Habbak. ii. 5, to the End, and Jer. Chap. 1. and li. That Babylon's Deftruction was to be a Recompence, according to the Works of their own Hands, appears by Jer. xxv. 14. — The Immorality which the People of Babylon, and particularly her Princes and great Men, were guilty of, that very Night that the City was deftroyed, their Revelling and Drunkenness at Belshazzar's Idolatrous Feaft, was foretold, Jer. li. 39, 57.

The Return of the Jews from the Babylonifh Captivity is often very particularly foretold, with many Circumstances, and the Promises of it are very peremptory; Jer. xxxi. 35,-40. and xxxii. 6,-15, 41, 44. and xxxiii. 24,-26. And the very Time of their Return was prefix'd; Jer.