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Discourses on Prophecy, the Substance of 12 Sermons
Discourses on Prophecy the Substance of 12 Sermons Author:John Davison General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1839 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: DISCOURSE II. PART II. Jeremiah xxv. 4. And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the Prophets, rising early, and sending them ; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your car to hear. HITHERTO I have considered the contents of Prophecy, which may be called moral or didactic, as distinguished from its predictive matter. But I must pursue the statement already given through two topics which deserve for their importance, under this head of my subject, a more distinct mention; an importance which will be acknowledged on every principle of Reason or Natural Religion. The first of these topics is the doctrine of Providence, the other the doctrine of Repentance. I. The Prophets of the Old Testament inculcate with a remarkable perspicuity and decision, the overruling agency of God's providence in the affairs of the world. Their whole prophecy is more or less a commentary upon this doctrine. Let us attend to the form in which it is expressed. The prediction of prophecy, verified in its fulfilment, atteststhe divine foreknowledge, and the communication of that foreknowledge. But prophecy combines therewith the illustration of another divine attribute. It represents the future event, which it brings to view, as a part of that system of things in which the Creator is present by the direction of his power, and the counsels of his wisdom, appointing the issues of futurity as well as foreseeing them ; acting with " his " mighty hand and outstretched arm," seen or unseen ; " ruling in the kingdoms of men, ordering all " things both in heaven and earth." This doctrine of a controuling and present provid...« less