filled,' as the Jews are by a constant || characterizes Jesus Christ; yet, taken miracle preserved a distinct people for as a whole, this grand system refers to the completion of other prophecies re- him; for the testimony of Jesus is the lating to them. We see one who op- spirit of prophecy. "All the revoluposeth and exalteth himself' above all tions of divine providence have him for laws, divine and human, sitting as God their scope and end. Is an empire, or in the church of God, and showing him- kingdom erected? that empire, or kingself that he is God, whose coming is af- dom is erected with a view, directly or ter the working of Satan, with all power, indirectly, to the kingdom of the Mesand signs, and lying wonders, and with siah. Is an empire, or kingdom, suball deceivableness of unrighteousness.' verted or overthrown? that empire, or We see a great apostasy in the Chris- kingdom, is overthrown in subserviency tian church, which consists chiefly in to the glory of his kingdom and emthe worship of demons, angels, or de- pire, which shall know neither bounds parted saints, and is promoted through || nor end, but whose limits shall be no the hypocrisy of liars, forbidding to mar- other than the limits of the universe, ry, and commanding to abstain from and whose end no other than the days of meats. We see the seven churches of eternity. Jesus Christ, then, is the only Asia lying in the same forlorn and deso- person that ever existed in whom all late condition that the angel had signi- the prophecies meet as in a centre." fied to St. John, their candlestick re- In order, therefore, to oppose error and moved out of its place,' their churches confront the infidel, we must study the turned into mosques, their worship into prophecies not as independent of each superstition. In short, we see the cha- other, but as connected; for "the arracters of the beast and the false pro-gument from prophecy," says Bishop phet', and the whore of Babylon,' now Hurd, "is not to be formed from the exemplified in every particular, and in consideration of single prophecies, but a city that is seated upon seven moun- from all the prophecies taken together, tains;' so that, if the bishop of Rome and considered as making one system; had set for his picture, a greater resem- in which, from the mutual dependence blance and likeness could not have been and connection of its parts, preceding drawn. prophecies prepare and illustrate those "For these things we have the attes-which follow; and these, again, reflect tation of past, and the experience of light on the foregoing just as in any present times; and we cannot well be philosophical system, that which shows deceived, if we will only believe our own the solidity of it is the harmony and coreyes and observation. We actually see respondence of the whole, not the apthe completion of many of the prophe-plication of it in particular instances. cies in the state of men and things around us; and we have the prophecies themselves recorded in books, which books have been read in public assemblies these 1700 or 2000 years, have been dispersed into several countries, have been translated into several languages, and quoted and commented upon by different nations, so that there is no room to suspect so much as a possibility of forgery or illusion."

4. Rules for understanding the prophecies.

In order to understand the prophecies, and to form a right judgment of the argument for the truth of Chris tianity, we must not consider them singly and apart, but as a grand whole, or a chain reaching through several thousand years, yet manifestly subservient to one and the same end. This end is no other than the establishment of the universal empire of truth and righteousness under the dominion of Jesus Christ. We are not, indeed, to suppose that each of the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament expressly points out, and clearly

Hence, though the evidence be but small from the completion of any one prophecy taken separately, yet that evidence, being always something, the amount of the whole evidence resulting from a great number of prophecies, all relative to the same design, may be considerable; like many scattered rays, which, though each be weak in itself, yet,, concentrated into one point, shall form a strong light, and strike the sense very powerfully. Still more: this evidence is not merely a growing eviclence, but is indeed multiplied upon us, from the number of reflected lights which the several componant parts of such a system reciprocally throw upon each; till, at length, the conviction rise unto a high degree of moral certainty."

Farther, in order to understand the prophecies, we must endeavour to find out the true subject of prophecy; that is precisely what the prophets speak of, and the characters that are applied to that subject. The literal sense should be always kept in view, and a know

ledge of oriental customs attended. The their secular affairs by repairing to beginning and end of the prophetic ser- these meetings which filled their heads mons must be carefully observed. The with notions, and might occasion distime, as near as possible, of the predic-putes and sedition in the state; that it ton should be ascertained. An ac- was good for the church to have but quaintance with the method of salvation few preachers, three or four in a counby Christ will greatly assist us in this ty being sufficient. She further dework. The mind must be unprejudiced,clared her dislike of the number of these and we should be well acquainted with exercises, and therefore commanded the Scriptures at large. These rules, him peremptorily to put them down. with dependence on the divine teaching. The archbishop, however, instead of will assist us in understanding the pro- obeying the commands of his royal misphesies. See Bishop Newton's Distress, thought that she had made some sertations on the Prophecies Bishop || infringement upon his office, and wrote Sherlock's Use and Intent of Prophecy; the queen a long and earnest letter, deBishop Hurd's Sermons on the Prophecies; Sir Isaac Newton's Observations on the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse; Gray's Key to the Old Testament; Simpson's Key to the Prophecies; Illustrations of Prophecy; Vuringa's Typus Doctrine Prophetica; Gill on the Prophets; Ettrick's second Exodus, or Remarks on the Prophecies of the Last times; Kett's History the Interpreter of Prophecy. See also the works of Mede, Smith, Halifax, Apthorp, and Faber, on the subject.

claring that his conscience would not suffer him to comp'y with her commands. The queen was so inflamed with this letter, that the archbishop was sequestered from his office and he nver afterwards recovered the queen's favour. Thus ended the prophesyings; 'a useful institution," says Neale, for promoting Christian knowledge and piety, at a time when both were at a very low ebb in the nation. The queen put them down for no other reason, but because they enlightened the people's minds in the Scriptures, and encouraged their inquiries after truth; her majesty being always of opinion that knowledge and learning in the laity would only endanger their peaceable submission to her absolute will and pleasure."

PROPHET, a person who fortels future events. It is particularly applied to such inspired persons among the Jews as were commissioned by God to declare his will and purposes to that people. See PROPHECY.

False Prophets Sce IMPOSTORS; and Josephus's Hist. of the Jews

PROPHESYINGS,religiousexercises of the clergy in the reign of Queen Ei zabeth, instituted for the purpose of promoting knowledge and piety. The inministers of a particular division at a set time met together in some church of a market or other large town, and there each in their order explained, according to their abilities, some portion of Scripture allotted to them before. This done, a moderator made his observations on what had been said, and determined the true sense of the place, a certain space of time being fixed for despatching the whole. These institutions, like all others, however, it seems, were abused, by irregularity, disputations, and divisions. Archbishop Grindal endeavoured to regulate the prophesyings, and cover them from the objections that the court made against them, by enjoining the ministers to observe decency and order, by forbidding them to meddle with politics and church government, and by PROPITIATION a sacrifice offered prohibiting all non-conformist ministers to God to assuage his wrath, and render and laymen from being speakers. The him propitious. Among the Jews, there queen, however, was resolved to sup were both ordinary and public sacrifices, press them; and having sent for the as holocausts, &c. offered by way of archbishop, told him she was informed thanksgiving; and extraordinary ones, that the rites and ceremonies of the offered by persons guilty of any crime, church were not duly observed in these by way of propitiation. The Romish prophesyings; that persons not law church believe the mass to be a sacrifully called to be ministers exercised in fice of propitiation for the living and the them; that the assemblies themselves dead. The reformed churches allow of were illegal, not being allowed by pub-no propitiation, but that one offered by lic authority; that the laity neglected"Jesus on the cross, whereby divine jus

Sons of the Prophets, en appellation given to young men who were educated in the schools or colleges under a proper master, who was commonly, if not always, an inspired prophet in the knowledge of religion, and in sacred music, and thus were qualified to the public preachers, 1 Sani. x. 1 Sam. xi. 2 Sam. xix. 2 Kings, ii.

tice is appeased, and our sins forgiven,,, it has its manifest disadvantages. It too Rom. i 25. 1 John, ii. 2.

As it respects the unbloody propitiatory sacrifice of the mass above-mentioned, little need be said to confute such a doctrine. Indeed, it is owned in the church of Rome, that there is no other foundation for the belief of it than an unwritten tradition. There is no hint in the Scripture of Christ's offering his body and blood to his Father at his institution of the eucharist. It is also a manifest contradiction to St. Paul's doctrine, who teaches, that, without shedding of blood, there is no remission; therefore there can be no remission of sins in the mass. The sacrifice of Christ, according to the same apostle, is not to be repeated. A second oblation would be superfluous; consequently the pretended true and proper sacrifice of the mass must be superfluous and useless.

often alienates the soul from God; excites pride; exposes to temptation; hardens the heart; occasions idleness; promotes effeminacy; damps zeal and energy; and, too often has a baneful relative influence. It is no wonder, therefore, that the Almighty in general withholds it from his children; and that adversity should be their lot rather than prosperity, Indeed adversity seems more beneficial on the whole, although it be so unpleasant to our feelings. “The advantages of prosperity," says Bacon, are to be wished; but the advantages of adversity are to be admired. The principal virtue of prosperity, is temperance; the principal virtue of adversity, is fortitude, which in morality is allowed to be the most heroical virtue: prosperity best discovers vice, adversity best discovers virtue, which is like those The propitiation made by Jesus Christ perfumes that are most fragrant when is that which atones for and covers our burnt or bruised." It is not, however, guilt, as the mercy-seat did the tables of to be understood, that prosperity in itthe law; or it may be defined thus: self is unlawful. The world with all its "It is the averting the punishment due various productions was formed by the to any one, by undergoing the penalty in Almighty for the happiness of man, and the room of the guilty." Thus Jesus designed to endear himself to us, and to Christ is called the propitiation or lead our minds up to him. What howatonement, as his complete righteous-ever God often gives us as a blessing, ness appeases his Father, and satisfies by our own folly we pervert and turn his law and justice for all our trans-into a gressions. See ATONEMENT, and books under that article.

PROPORTION OF FAITH. See ANALOGY OF FAITH.

curse. Where prosperity is

given, there religion is absolutely necessary to enable us to act under it as we ought. Where this divine principle influences the mind, prosperity may be PROSELYTE, a new convert to enjoyed and become a blessing; for "While bad men snatch the pleasures some religion or religious sect. Among the Hebrews, proselytes were distin of the world as by stealth, without guished into two sorts: the first called countenance from God, the proprietor proselytes of the gate, because suffered of the world; the righteous sit openly to live among them, and were those who down to the feast of life, under the observed the moral law only, and the smile of heaven. No guilty fears damp rules imposed on the children of Noah; their joys. The blessing of God rests the second were called proselytes of upon all they possess. Their piety rejustice, who engaged to receive circum-flects sunshine from heaven upon the cision, and the whole law of Moses, and enjoyed all the privileges of a native Hebrew.

PROSEUCHE, from gown, signifies prayer; but it is taken for the places of prayer of the Jews, and was pretty near the same as their synagogues. But the synagogues were originally in the cities, and were covered places; whereas, for the most part, the proseuches, were out of the cities and on the banks of rivers, having no covering, except, perhaps, the shade of some trees or covered galleries. Acts, xvi. 13.

PROSPERITY, a state wherein things succeed, according to our wishes, and are productive of affluence and ease. However desirable prosperity be,

prosperity of the world; unites in one point of view the smiling aspect, both of the powers above, and of the objects below. Not only have they as full a relish as others of the innocent pleasures of life, but moreover, in them they hold communion with God. In all || that is good or fair, they trace his hand. From the beauties of nature, from the improvements of art, from the enjoyments of social life, they raise their affections to the source of all the happiness which surrounds them, and thus widen the sphere of their pleasures, by adding intellectual and spiritual to earthly joys. Blair's Sermons, vol. i. ser. S. Bates's Works, p. 297.

Spiritual prosperity consists in the

continual progress of the mind in know- in the particular concerns of individuals, ledge, purity, and joy. It arises from is contrary both to reason and to Scripthe participation of the divine blessing; ture. It renders the government of the and evidences itself by frequency in || Almighty altogether loose and continprayer; love to God's word; delight gent, and would leave no ground for in his people; attendance on his ordi- reposing any trust under its protection; nances; zeal in his cause; submission for the majority of human affairs would to his will; usefulness in his church; then be allowed to fluctuate in a fortuiand increasing abhorrence of every thing tous course, without moving in any reguthat is derogatory to his glory. lar direction, and without tending to any one scope. The uniform doctrine of the sacred writings is, that throughout the universe nothing happens without God; that his hand is ever active, and his decree or permission intervenes in all; that nothing is too great or unwieldy for his management, and nothing so minute and inconsiderable as to be below his inspection and care. While he is guiding the sun and moon in their course through the heavens; while in this inferior world he is ruling among empires, stilling the ragings of the waters, and the tumults of the people, he is at the same time watching over the humble good man, who, in the obscurity of his cottage, is serving and worship

PROTESTANT, a name first given in Germany to those who adhered to the doctrine of Luther, because in 1529, they protested against a decree of the emperor Charles V. and the diet of Spires; declaring that they appealed to a general council. The same has also been given to those of the sentiments of Calvin; and is now become a common denomination for all those of the reformed churches. See article REFORMATION; Fell's Four Letters on genuine Protestantism; Chillingworth's Religion of the Protestants; Robertson's Hist. of Charles V. vol. ii. p. 249, 250. PROVIDENCE. the superintendance and care which God exercises over creation. The arguments for the proping him." vidence of God are generally drawn "In what manner, indeed, Provifrom the light of nature; the being of a dence interposes in human affairs; by God; the creation of the world; the what means it influences the thoughts wonderfully disposing and controlling and counsels of men, and, notwiththe affairs and actions of men; from the standing the influence it exerts, leaves absolute necessity of it; from the va to them the freedom of choice, are rious blessings enjoyed by his creatures; subjects of dark and mysterious nature, the awful judgments that have been in- and which have given occasion to many flicted; and from the astonishing pre- an intricate controversy. Let us re servation of the Bible and the church member, that the manner in which through every age, notwithstanding the God influences the motion of all the attempts of earth and hell against them. heavenly bodies, the nature of that seProvidence has been divided into im-cret power by which he is ever directmediate and mediate, ordinary and ex-ing the sun and the moon, the planets, traordinary, common and special, uni-stars, and comets, in their course versal and particular. Immediate providence is what is exercised by God himself, without the use of any instrument or second cause; mediate providence is what is exercised in the use of means: ordinary providence is what is exercised in the common course of means, and by the chain of second causes; extraordinary is what is out of the common way, as miraculous operations: common providence is what belongs to the whole world; special, what relates to the church: universal relates to the general upholding and preserving all things; particular relates to individuals in every action and circumstance. This last, however, is denied by some. But, as a good writer observes, "The opinion entertained by some that the providence of God extends no farther than to a general superintendance of the laws of nature, without interposing

through the heavens, while they appear to move themselves in a free course, are matters no less inexplicable to us than the manner in which he influences the councils of men. But though the mode of divine operation remains unknown, the fact of an overruling influence is equally certain in the moral as it is in the natural world. In cases where the fact is clearly authenticated, we are not at liberty to call its truth in question, merely because we understand not the manner in which it is brought about. Nothing can be more clear, from the testimony of Scripture, than that God takes part in all that happens among mankind; directing and over-ruling the whole course of events so as to make every one of them answer the designs of his wise and righteous government. We cannot, indeed, conCeive God acting as the governor of the

and from

world at all, unless his government were his pleasure, and the hearts of all men to extend to all the events that happen. are in his hands, to turn them whereIt is upon the supposition of a particu-soever he will, as rivers of water. From lar providence that our worship and the imperfection of our knowledge to prayers to him are founded. All his ascertain what is good for us, perfections would be utterly insignifi- the defect of our power to bring about cant to us, if they were not exercised, that good when known, arise all those on every occasion, according as the cir- disappointments which continually tes cumstances of his creatures required. tify that the way of man is not in himThe Almighty would then be no more self; that he is not the master of his than an unconcerned spectator of the own lot; that, though he may devise, it behaviour of his subjects, regarding the is God who directs; God, who can obedient and the rebellious with an make the smallest incident an effectual equal eye. instrument of his providence for overturning the most laboured plans of men.

The experience of every one also, must, more or less, bear testimony to it. We need not for this purpose have re- "Accident, and chance, and fortune, course to those sudden and unexpected are words which we often bere menvicissitudes which have sometimes as- tioned, and much is ascribed to them in tonished whole nations, and drawn their the life of man. But they are words attention to the conspicuous hand of without meaning; or, as far as they heaven. We need not appeal to the have any signification, they are no other history of the statesman and the war- than names for the unknown operations rior; of the ambitious and the enter- of Providence; for it is certain that in prising. We confine our observation to God's universe nothing comes to pass those whose lives have been most plain causelessly, or in vain. Every event has and simple, and who had no desire to its own determined direction. That depart from the ordinary train of con- chaos of human affairs and intrigues duct. In how many instances have we where we can see no light, that mass of found, that we are held in subjection to || disorder and confusion which they ofa higher Power, on whom depends the ten present to our view, is all clearness accomplishment of our wishes and de- and order in the sight of Him who is signs? Fondly we had projected some governing and directing all, and bringfavourite plan: we thought that we had ing forward every event in its due time forecast and provided for all that might and place. The Lord sitteth on the happen; we had taken our measures flood. The Lord maketh the wrath of with such vigilant prudence, that on man to praise him, as he maketh the every side we seemed to ourselves per- hail and the rain obey his word. He fectly guarded and secure; but, lo! hath prepared his throne in the heavens; some little event hath come about, un- and his kingdom ruleth over all. A foreseen by us, and in its consequences man's heart deviseth his way, but the at the first seemingly inconsiderable, || Lord directeth his steps." which yet hath turned the whole course of things into a new direction, and blasted all our hopes. At other times our counsels and plans have been per mitted to succeed: we then applauded our own wisdom, and sat down to feast on the happiness we had attained. To our surprise we found that happiness was not there, and that God's decree had appointed it to be only vanity. We labour for prosperity, and obtain it not. Unexpected, it is sometimes made to drop upon us as of its own accord. The happiness of man depends on secret-2. Consultation.-3. Supplication. The springs too nice and delicate to be ad- tokens of the divine will and pleasure in justed by human art: it requires a fa any particular case are not to be gathvourable combination of external cirered from our inclinations, particular cumstances with the state of his own mind. To accomplish on every cccasion such a combination, is far beyond his power: but it is what God can at all times effect; as the whole series of external causes are arranged according to

"To follow the leadings of Providence, means no other than to act agreeably to the law of duty, prudence, and safety, or any particular circumstance, according to the direction or determination of the word or law of God. He follows the dictates of Providence, who takes a due survey of the situation he is placed in, compares it with the rules of the word which reaches his case, and acts accordingly. To know the will of God as it respects providence, there must be, 1. Deliberation.

frames, the form of Scripture phrases, impulses, nor even the event, as that cannot always be a rule of judgment; but whatever appears to be proper du ty, true prudence, or real necessity, that we should esteem to be his will." See