Audies, was to qualify them on all occafions to affert the true religion, to check and reftrain the national apoftacy of the kings and people, and to make gradual difcoveries, lefs or more luminous, of the approaching redemption of mankind. Prophecy, thus taught as a facred science by a moral discipline and religious education, was effectually guarded from imposture and fanaticifm; it was regulated by the experience of fage preceptors, themfelves infpired men; and its moft daring and impetuous flights were controuled by fober reafon and by the written law.' If Dr. Apthorp were called upon to prove the truth of this account of the schools of the prophets, or even to reconcile it to probability, we believe that he would be much at a lofs. And as to the latter part of the quotation, what idea muft he have of prophetic inspiration, to think that its flights needed to be reftrained and controlled by fober reason? In the fequel of this difcourfe he points out four periods in which prophecy was imparted with fignal luftre; namely, in the age of Mofes, in the age of David, during the Babylonian and Perfian empires, and in the evangelic age, or first century of the Chriftian church;' and makes feveral obfervations, fome more, fome lefs judicious, on the wifdom of God in diftinguishing these four periods by written and recorded prophecies. As a fpecimen, we fhall prefent our readers with the following extract from his remarks on the third period: Amidst this ample fcope and immenfe variety of divine prefcience, we difcern it ever attentive to one primary object, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIVINE RELIGION BY A DIVINE SAVIOUR: this Saviour the central point, to whom all the rays of infpiration converge; the Hero, if I may fo exprefs him, of this celestial epopée ; influencing and actuating the whole fcheme of Providence; perfonally the Author as well as Subject of Prophecy; for whom all the incidents are prepared, in whom they all terminate. And that nothing might be wanting to illuflrate and difcriminate his character, the obftacles that should oppofe his great atchievement are proleptically placed in fuch a point of view, as admits of no other folution than from great events long fubfequent to the origin and establishment of Christianity, and ftill vifibly influencing the world, and the age we live in.’ The fecond difcourfe is entitled Canons of Interpretation. The text is the fame with that of the preceding: From the very nature of prophecy,' fays he, as flowing from the divine prefcience, obfcurity is effential to it.' Surely not, as flowing from the divine prefcience. A better, indeed the only plaufible reafon for the obscurity of prophecy, is given by our Author himself in the next fentence. A prophecy divefted of its myftic and recondite character,' that is, of its obfcurity, would be a direction rather than a prefage.' The firft rule of interpretation which Dr. A. lays down is thus expreffed: I begin with laying the greatest stress on a principle, which may feem to militate with the the confeffed Obfcurity of the Prophetic Word: that the Argument from Prophecy is CLEAR and LUMINOUS, not only in its general refult, but in the obvious and certain fenfe of the most effential predictions.' But this, whether juft or not, is an obfervation respecting prophecy, and not a rule for interpreting it. His fecond rule is, In interpreting the prophecies we cannot err in following the guidance of the New Teftament.' But this is taking for granted the very point, which it was the profeffed defign of thefe lectures to prove, viz. the truth of the Chriftian revelation. The third and fourth rules are profeffedly taken from Bishop Warburton's Divine Legation, and refer to the ufe of Significant or Expreffive ACTIONS in the expreffion of prophetic ideas,' and to The Logical Fitnefs of the DOUBLE SENSE; for which Dr. A. is a ftrenuous advocate. At the close of this difcourfe the Doctor has given us a tranflation of Vitringa's rules of interpretation; of which our readers may form a general idea from the method of interpretation which our Author has followed: but we have not room for particular extracts or remarks. It may not be amifs to take notice in this place, that at the end of each of the other difcourfes are added notes, under the title of Proofs and Illuftrations,' confifting chiefly of extracts from Vitringa, Gaffetius, Michaelis, Fabricius, Daubuz, and other writers. The third difcourfe is entitled Prophecies of the Birth of Chrift. The paffages which Dr. A. profeffes to illuftrate are, If. vii. 14. which the reader will naturally expect him to refer to our Saviour, ch. viii. 18. ix. 1-9. and ch. xi. We fhall lay before our Readers the following extracts from his illuftration of ch. ix 6. and appeal to their judgment whether the character that we have given in the beginning of this article, of the language, and fpirit of thefe difcourfes, be not juft: • For unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given. From predicting the place of Chrift's teaching; and the fcene of his miracles, He [the prophet] proceeds in the moft luminous and emphatic terms, to affign the Caufe of this great Deliverance, and to defcribe the auguft Perfon and Character of the Deliverer. This divine perfon is defcribed by Six diftinct titles and attributes; none of which can with any fymmetry be applied to any Character merely human, and which agree to no other than that of the Meffiah.' In the first claufe the diverfity of expreffion is not merely parallel or fynonimous, but intimates diftinct ideas of Chrift's humanity. Unto Us, for us men and for our falvation, is repeated with a graceful emphafis. The birth of Chrift in his HUMAN nature is expreffed in the proper and ufual manner: a Child is Born. His DIVINE nature, and the clemency of God, are expreffed with exact precision: a Son is Given.'-According to this mode of interpretation our Saviour spoke of himself in his divine nature, Mark, xiii. 32. where he ftyles himself, the Son abfolutely. REV. The 66 The MIGHTY GOD. Myfterious appellation! yet fo explicit, as to overcome the Refiftance of Reafon to a Revealed article of Faith; cafting down imaginations, and every high ibing that exalteth itfelf against the Knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift *. In the texts we are confidering, Jefus is ftyled Immanuel, and the Mighty God; with the confent of all the ancient Verfions, that of the Jewish nation efpecially, which expreffes their faith, at the very time when the Meffiah was expected. "The prophet faith to the house of David, that a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us; and he hath taken the law upon him"felf that he might keep it; and his name fhall be called, God "before the face [or, from the face] of the Admirable Counfel; the "Man that abideth for ever; the Meffiah, whofe peace fhall be "multiplied upon us in his days." Such is the ancient Chaldee or Jewish paraphrafe on thefe divine titles; and it is a clear proof, among innumerable, of the fincere and genuine doctrine of the Ancient Jews concerning the Perfon and Deity of the Meffiah. Our LORD himfelf and his Apoftles fo confirm that doctrine, as fcarcely to have given a New Revelation concerning the Three Divine Perfons; who are clearly diftinguished in One Deity, throughout the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Teftament, in the belt of the apocry phal writings, in the most ancient Targums, and in the invaluable works of Philo. The Chriftian revelation gave the ftamp of divine authority to the received doctrine of the Jewish church, concerning the Trinity of Perfons: and it afferted, what was lefs explicitly known by the Jews, the equal honours, and eternity of the divine Perfons, giving diftinct ideas of the gracious offices which each fuftains in the falvation of mankind. This is not the proper occafion to enlarge on this illuftrious doctrine: and we need not go beyond our evangelic prophet, for the most certain proofs of Our Lord's divinity. In that celeftial Vision †, when the Seraphims cried one to another, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hofts; the whole earth is full of bis glory; befides the angelic Tayos, we are affured on the highest authority, that These things faid Efaias, when he faw His glory, and Spake of HIM. To mark his pre-existence, he is ftyled not only the Branch, but the Roor of Jeffe § and Judea is named, His land, feven centuries before the birth of Immanuel . In another place, all the divine Perfons are specified: where the Meffiah fays, The Lord GOD, and his SPIRIT hath fent ME. Thus faith the LORD thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Ifrael ¶. How convincing are thofe charming paffages of the 40th chapter, whofe application to Chrift is unanimously admitted! Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, faith your God. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of the LORD: make ftraight in the defart a highway for our GOD.-Say unto the cities of Judah, behold your GOD. Behold, the LORD God will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his requard is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a fhepherd. Who hath directed the SPIRIT of the LORD, or being bis Counsellor bath taught him? In the text we are commenting, the * 2 Cor. x. 5. § Ifa. xi. 10. + Chap. vi. ↑ John, xii. 41. ¶ xlviii. 16, 17. epithet epithet of MIGHTY GOD is proper to the fubject; the conquering, the victorious, the triumphant. What is this victory, but that fignal conqueft, when having Spoiled principalities and powers, he made a fhew of them openly, triumphing over them by his cros*? In this conqueft is included that of the hoftile powers on earth, who have attempted by perfecution, herefy, or other arts, to fupprefs the truth of the Gospel.' After this ample fpecimen of Dr. Apthorp's language and fentiments, we fhall be very concife in our account of the following difcourfes. The title of the fourth difcourfe is, Chronological Characters of the Meffiah. The text, Dan. ix. 24-27. It contains an explanation of Daniel's famous prophecy of the feventy weeks, which Dr. A. dates from the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus in the feventh year of his reign, and confequently looks upon the latter part of the 26th verfe, and the whole of the 27th, in which the fate of the Jewish nation is predicted, as referring to events BEYOND the limits of the feventy weeks, but aptly annexed to them, as an illuftrious demonftration of the divine foreknowledge, of the authority of Chrift, and of the truth of the gospel.' This difcourfe is, in our opinion, the best in the whole collection, though far from being unexceptionable. The fifth is entitled Theological Characters of the Meffiah. The text, Dan. ix. 24. Our readers may judge of the ftrain of this discourse by the following extract: Under the univerfal consciousness of fin, what way is there to obtain acceptance with God? The fole dependence of natural reafon is on the juftice of God; a juftice, certainly tempered with equity; and which perfectly coincides with his wifdom and goodness; a juftice, which will certainly reward what ever can deferve reward. But on this principle, who can confcientiously claim acceptance with the Deity? Is there any man, fo blameless, fo pure, fo holy, and fo juft, as to ftand his trial at the tribunal of divine juftice? Yet this he must do, if he rejects the mediation of Chrift: and we might almoft infer the reasonableness and existence of that mediation, from its neceffity in order to render God propitious to finners.' The divine juftice, according to the idea here given of it, appears to us to be fo far from coinciding with wifdom and goodnefs, that it militates againft both, and totally excludes the latter. A few pages after we have the following wild fuppofition: Perhaps he,' that is, God, would fcarce have Created the world, but to Redeem it by the Satisfaction of His beloved Son.' The title of the fixth is, The Chain of Prophecies relating to the Meffiah. The text is, Dan. ix. 24. To feal up the vifion and prophecy, and to anoint the Moft Holy. In this difcourfe we have an ample lift of Pfalms, which our Author confiders as prophetic * Coloff, ii. 15. of of the virgin birth, paffion, atonement, refurrection, kingdom, &c. of the Meffiah, and even expreffive of his pre-existence and coëqual DEITY: to which the Doctor has added an illuftration of fome detached paffages of the prophets, which refer, as he thinks, to the evangelical hiftory and doctrine. 6 The feventh difcourfe, under the title of Prophecies of the Death of Chrift, is a commentary on the 53d chapter of Ifaiah. Here we have a repetition of the ideas and fentiments contained in the fifth, refpecting the neceffity of the death of Chrift as a vicarious facrifice, &c. For inftance, When God determined to fave reformed finners, it was not agreeable to the eternal laws of his moral government, to fave them without a fatisfaction to his Juftice. Such a Satisfaction was indifpenfably neceflary. Otherwife, the menaces of God against Sin would be of no avail, if he fhould wave his own prohibition; and it would render our Difobedience an indifferent thing, and even a subject of Approbation and reward, if he fhould Save us in our own demerits. To avoid fo impious and abfurd a confequence, we muft difcern, that there is no other way to make our pardon reconcileable with the Divine Rectitude, than by an infinite Satisfaction:" And a great deal more in the fame ftrain, equally repugnant to reason, and inconfiftent with the many representations which the Scriptures give us of the Supreme Being, as the Lord God, merci ful and gracious, long-fuffering, abundant in goodness, flow to anger, and plenteous in mercy; forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion, and fin. The eighth and ninth difcourfes are entitled Prophecies of the Kingdom of Chrift. The former is a commentary on the fecond pfalm, which Dr. A. applies throughout, in a fecondary sense, to the Meffiah. The latter more particularly illuftrates the 8th and 9th verfes of that pfalm, the greater part of the 72d, and fome paffages of the prophet Ifaiah, as predicting the prevalence of the Chriftian religion, till it was established by Conftantine, its gradual progrefs and extenfion to the present day, and its future univerfality. In this difcourfe Dr. A. has introduced the following remarks on Pf. ii. ver. 7, 11, 12. In the primary and hiftorical fenfe, the tributary princes are injoined to pay their homage to the theocracy, administered in the perfon of King David as God's Viceroy; their fervice being claimed by Jehovah as paramount. Serve the LORD with fear-But the fingularity of the fubfequent expreffion, Kifs THE SON, is an argument that the fecondary or religious fenfe was principal in the ideas of Infpiration. In the 7th verfe*, thou art my fon, is no otherwife applicable to David, than as God's Viceroy: but in its theological fenfe, it is fo appofite to the Son of God, as to be a proof of his deity. In the 12th verfe, the expreffion is still more appropriate + ; Kifs the Son. The peculiar ufe of a Chaldaic word intimates a fin בגי אתה * נשקו בר + gular |
