"Yes, I was about to mention that as a second reason for its obscurity. The Emperor Julian did actually try to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, in order to falsify the prediction that it should never be rebuilt; but he was stopped, in his foolish and wicked purpose, by balls of fire, which broke out of the ground, and obliged his workmen to cease from their labours."

"I remember reading of that, in Roman history," said James.

"Another reason is," continued his mother, "that if prophecy were wholly free from obscurity, it might be pretended by objectors that it was fulfilled designedly by the actors in it; that is, they performed the act on purpose to accomplish the prophecy. This has been asserted already by some infidels; and you may judge with how much more apparent ground it would have been said, if prophecy had been free from all obscurity. In fact, there is nothing in which the wisdom of God is more conspicuous than in the precise degree of obscurity in which prophecy is veiled. It is plain enough to remove all doubt from the mind when it is actually fulfilled, and obscure enough not to defeat the

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purposes of God, by making them too distinctly known beforehand."

"I never thought of it so before," said James; "but it seems very striking now."

"The argument from this source is a very strong one, and cannot be evaded. Prophecy has been called a standing miracle; and it is, indeed, a miracle of the most wonderful kind. It is not in the fulfilment of detached predictions alone that we see its full weight, though some of these are remarkable in the highest degree; but we must look at the successive prophecies as forming a chain or series, a wonderful whole, beginning in obscurity, but gradually becoming plainer and plainer, as the time of accomplishment drew near. Such of the prophecies as related to the Messiah were admirably calculated to keep alive the expectation of him in the minds of the Jewish people, and to prepare the way for his coming, when the fulness of time should arrive. They were also greatly adapted to comfort the hearts of those true saints who waited for the consolation of Israel, of whom there were some in every age."

"In one respect," said James, "prophecy

seems to be better than miracles as a proofit grows stronger and stronger as time goes on. In the beginning of the world, men could not have had any proof from prophecy."

"That is true," observed his mother, "and I am glad you have thought of it. Do you recollect any passages in the Bible in which the power of foretelling future events is ascribed to God as an attribute of Deity alone?"

"I think there is a passage in Isaiah," said James; "but I do not recollect the words."

"There are several passages in Isaiah; but probably the one to which you refer is that in which God calls on the idols of the heathen to prove their claims to worship by revealing the future. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods; yea, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you? Peter, also, after speaking of the transfiguration of Christ, which he himself had witnessed, goes on to say,- Moreover, we have a more sure word of prophecy, unto

which ye do well that ye take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place.""

"But, mother, when are we going to begin to mention the instances we have found of the fulfilment of prophecy?" asked Fanny. "I am afraid we shall not have half time enough this evening."

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'No, my dear, I think not; and we will therefore postpone this part of the subject till next Sabbath. Do not look so disappointed; you will have more time to collect and arrange your illustrations; and I wish to give you one direction about it. You may produce first whatever examples you can find of the accomplishment of scattered predictions, such as those Tyre, &c., and then those which relate to find very numerous.

relating to Babylon, place by themselves Christ, which you will Another thing: recol

lect that each of the books of the Bible is a distinct and independent production, the work of one author and published at one time, the whole together forming a series of successive publications, extending over a period of several thousand years. A great deal of the force of this and other arguments for the Divine origin of the Scriptures is lost by our

habit of regarding them as one book, because they happen to be bound in one volume."

Why, what a difference it makes, even "It always seems to me as if all the Bible was written at once."

to think of it!" said Fanny.

"How can you talk so, Fanny?" asked James. "You know that Moses, who wrote the first five books, was dead long before David and Isaiah, and the other prophets, lived."

"Yes, I know it well enough, but I never think of it. If we had each of the books of the Bible in a separate form, it would make a great difference."

CHAPTER XVIII.

EVIDENCE FROM PROPHECY, CONTINUED-PROPHECIES RELATING TO BABYLON AND TYRE.

"I AM sure," said Fanny, as she seated herself, Bible in hand, the next Sabbath evening, "my head is quite confused with the number of things in it; and I have so many fulfilled prophecies to mention, that I shall not know where to begin."