dah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose
goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting. (Mic. v. 2.)

His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver and the purchase of the potter's field with the money were foretold by Zechariah.

"And I said unto them, If ye think
good, give me my price; and if not, for-
bear.
And the Lord said unto me,

Cast it unto the potter."

13.)

(Zech. xi. 12,

The lottery practiced to determine who should have his garment was foretold.

"They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." (Ps. xxii. 18.)

Even the giving of the vinegar to him to drink was predicted.

"And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Ps. lxix. 21.)

The sacred record teaches us that these predictions were literally fulfilled.

"They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments,

casting lots: that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the prophet, They
parted my garments among them, and
upon my vesture did they cast lots."
(Matt. xxvii. 34, 35.)

Many other prophecies relating to the Messiah, as claimed by theologians, are found in the Bible; and according to the biographers of Christ, they were all fulfilled in him.

Now, I have called as prophetic witnesses Jacob, David, Zechariah, Micah, Daniel, and Isaiah. It is customary in modern courts to call a character witness to prove the good character of a witness who has testified; and I call Josephus, the well-known Jewish historian.

Of Jacob our character witness testifies:

So he died when he had lived full a hundred and fifty years, three only abated, having not been behind any of his ancestors in piety toward God. (“Antiquities," Book II., Chapter VIII.)

Of David our character witness testifies:

This man was of an excellent character and was endowed with all virtues that were desirable in a king. (“Antiquities,” Book VII., Chapter XV.)

Josephus testifies concerning Zechariah that he was one of the prophets and that the temple was rebuilt at Jerusalem according to the prophecies of

Haggai and Zechariah. (“Antiquities," Book XI., Chapter IV.)

As to Isaiah, we have the testimony of Josephus that this prophet had never written a falsehood.

Now as to this prophet [Isaiah], he was by the confession of all a divine and wonderful man in speaking truth; and out of the assurance that he had never written what was false, he wrote down all his prophecies and left them behind him in books, that their accomplishment might be judged of from the events by posterity. ("Antiquities," Book X., Chapter II.)

Of Daniel our character witness testifies that he was "illustrious and famous on account of the opinion that men had that he was beloved of God"; that his books were still read at the time Josephus wrote; and that from them it was "believed that Daniel conversed with God, for he did not only prophesy of future events, as did the other prophets, but he also determined the time of their accomplishment.” (“Antiquities of the Jews," Book X., Chapter XI.)

Josephus says that Daniel not only uttered prophecies like the other prophets, but that "he also determined the time of their accomplishment"; and it was Daniel who predicted that when the Messiah came he would "cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.'

5. The testimony of the biographers of Jesus as to the incarnation is positive and direct.

The testimony of Matthew and John as to the incarnation has the merit of being direct and to the point at least.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." (Matt. i. 18.)

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (John i. 14.)

It is impossible to read these quotations and then say, with Ernest Renan, Elbert Hubbard, and others, that the disciples of Jesus were good but deluded men. When Matthew wrote that Mary was "found with child of the Holy Ghost," he either stated what he knew to be true, or solemnly proclaimed an awful fact without knowing whether it was true, or knowingly wrote the most outrageous falsehood ever uttered by a human being.

If this statement is false, then it is inconceivable and incredible that God, who proclaimed himself a jealous God, would permit a religion founded upon such a stupendous falsehood to prosper.

The Church, the greatest institution on the earth

to-day, is built upon faith in this declaration that Mary "was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

6. The allegation as to the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus is supported by circumstances attending his birth.

Many significant facts and circumstances are recorded as having happened in connection with the birth of Jesus that tend to corroborate and support the main allegation as to his birth.

It is alleged that an angel appeared unto some shepherds and announced to them the birth of "a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord," and the angel told them just where the Babe could be found and how they might recognize him. The singing by the heavenly choir and the recognition of Jesus by Simeon and by Anna when the Child was brought to the temple to be presented "to the Lord" by the offering of the usual sacrifice are facts which, if true, show that the coming of the Messiah was not kept a secret. Anna was a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, who made her home continuously in the temple, and she "spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (Luke ii. 36-38.)

These allegations were written by Matthew about the year A.D. 61, and extremely old men at that