any thing but dissipation;-the man who regards the increase of his goods, and the accumulation of wealth, as the summum bonum how can these men be waiting for the redemption of the body? Put however the question to the most worldly in existence, Would you like to be in heaven?' and the answer will be universally-'Yes.' Some will be crying, 'Oh! that I could get there; whilst others will be bold enough to say, 'I know that my election is sure. Every man has a talent delivered to him; and the unprofitable servant knew that his Lord would come, although he did not strive to improve that which was entrusted to him, but waited in false security: still however still however he waited for and expected his Lord's appearing. So, the foolish virgins had knowledge of and looked for the approach of the bridegroom; and yet were not prepared. All men, to whom the light of the Gospel has come, will acknowledge, that the Lord will appear a second time; though some are not agreed as to the manner, and others are careless and indifferent about it.

It requires no argument to insist, that the real children of God, who have been blessed with knowledge unto salvation, are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God; which is equivalent with the advent of Christ for when he comes, the secrets of all hearts will be disclosed; and it will be made manifest who are his, from the foundation of the world.

Thus have we seen that "not only we, but the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." If I am mistaken in the true import of Abdiel's words, this will appear troublesome and I heartily pray, that if there is one thing advanced contrary to the word of God, it may fall to the ground; but if this be in accordance with His will, and His word, he may give power to receive it to as many as he will.

It may perhaps be imagined, that there is no practical use in this argument: but has it no tendency to bring man to look more to the second advent of our Lord? at whose coming, shall be the restitution of all things: not the glorification only of those who are now in Christ, but also the renovation of all created matter; with the exception of those poor souls, who are doomed to undergo an endless eternity of torment: although in one sense, even they will be restored, for their bodies will rise again. If this were preached, the ungodly, who, if the doctrine of election is mentioned to them, say directly, if there is such a thing as election, all I can do will neither save nor unsave me ;-if I say, the restitution of all things were preached unto them, they would perhaps see, that they are in a worse condition than brute beasts.

I leave the insertion or rejection of this to your better judgment, and beg most respectfully to remain,

MODESTUS.

Pp. vi, 320, 8vo., 8s. Holdsworth & Ball. 4th Ed. 1830.

SECTION V. THE ENTHUSIASM OF PROPHETICAL INTERPRETATION.

It does not fall within our province to review the whole of the Treatise now before us: our more immediate business is with that section, the title of which heads these observations, viz. "The Enthusiasm of Prophetical Interpretation." We shall, therefore, only notice the remaining part of the volume so far as may be necessary to exhibit the real character of the subject under consideration.

One great defect in our humble judgement pervades the whole Treatise viz. the want of a clear and fixed criterion, which shall first precisely define, in what enthusiasm consists; and to which we may afterwards refer and judge the various phenomena observable in the religious world. Such a principle is the more to be desired in a work which treats on so delicate a subject ;—a subject which inevitably leads the Author to assail much of that religious profession, which passes in the Church of Christ for genuine piety. We have sought in vain for this criterion in those passages, which seem at first to promise us a definition. Sometimes the Author appears to expound it to be the influence of the imagination to the exclusion of the judgement; next we are disposed to infer, that it is an undue excitement of the animal affections; again we apprehend it to be the absorption of the mind in some one favourite object; and then we are tempted to conclude, that he means by it reli

informs us indeed what enthusiasm is not; (viz. not a term of measurement, consisting merely in the degree or excess of the religious emotions ;) but he leaves us to infer its quality from a description of those various errors, which he supposes to be propagated by enthusiasts alone. We have thus no sufficient test, whereby to prove those other phenomena, which do not happen to be enumerated in the work: nor indeed have we any actual criterion at all, beyond the individual judgement and spiritual attainments of the Author. It is not to be expected that a writer, in order to illustrate the nature of an evil, will bring forward such cases as shall expose himself to the imputation of infection: most men are disposed to take for granted, that they are themselves exempt from that which they denounce in others. So far indeed is the Author's mode of proceeding from being satisfactory in this respect, that many of his own statements, designed to fix and define the standard of enthusiasm, will by some sober christians be adjudged obnoxious to that very condemnation, which he pronounces on the sentiments of others.

To give an instance or two: we would point to his expectation, contained in the Section on The Enthusiasm of Heresy, that we are rapidly approximating to unanimity of sentiment in the church! Also to the whole of the last Section on The Probable Spread of Christianity, in which he anticipates, from the operation of our present means, a bright era of renovation. A still more questionable point, to which he would affix the stamp of enthusiasm, is to be found in the Section

are incompatible with the principles of Protestantism, as well as unnecessary, arrogant, and unavailing.”—“In truth, there is something incongruous in the notion of a revelation enveloped in menace and restriction. But, be this as it may, it is certain, that whoever would shut up the Scriptures, in whole or in part, from his fellow disciples, or who affirms it to be unsafe or unwise to study such and such passages, is bound to shew reasons of the most convincing kind for the exclusion."

Moreover, prohibitions of this kind. are futile, because impossible to be observed. Every one admits that the study of those prophecies, which have already received their accomplishment, is a high and positive duty; we have a sure word of prophecy, to which we do well to take heed.' But how soon, in attempting to discharge this duty, are we entangled in a snare—if indeed the study of unfulfilled prophecy be in itself improper! For many of the prophecies, and those especially which are the most definite, and the most intelligible, stretch themselves across the wide gulf of time, and rest upon points intervening between the days of the Seer, and the hour when the mystery of providence shall be finished: and these predictions, instead of tracking their way by equal and measured intervals through the course of ages, traverse vast spaces unmarked; and with a sudden bound, parting from an age now long gone by, attain at once the last period of human economy. These abrupt transitions create obscurities which must either shut up the whole prophecy from inquiry, or necessitate a scrutiny of the whole; for, at a first perusal, and without the guidance of learned investigation, who shall venture to place his finger on the syllable which forms the boundary between the past and the future—which constitutes the limit between duty and presumption?

A pre

diction which may seem to belong to futurity, will, perhaps, on better information, be found to regard the past-or the reverse. These extensive prophecies, (and such are those of Daniel and of John,) must then either be shunned altogether from the fear of trespassing on forbidden ground; or they must be studied entire, in dependence upon other means than voluntary ignorance for avoiding presumption

and enthusiasm. Whoever would dis

charge for others the difficult office of marking, throughout the Scriptures, the boundaries of lawful investigation, must

himself first have committed the supposed trespass upon the regions of unfulfilled prophecy. We conclude, therefore, that a separation which no one can effect, is not really needed.

The ancient Church received no cautions against a too eager scrutiny of the great prophecy left to excite its hope: on the contrary, the pious were divinely moved ' to search what might be the purport and season of the revelation made by the 'Spirit of Christ' to the prophets; and though these predictions did in fact give occasion to the delusions of many deceivers ;' and though they were greatly mis-understood, even by the most pious and best informed of the Jewish people; yet did not the foreknowledge of these mischiefs and errors call for any such restrictions upon the spirit of inquiry, as those wherewith some persons are now fain to hedge about the Scriptures.

To the Christian Church the second coming of Christ stands where his first coming stood to the Jewish-in the very centre of the field of prophetic light; and a participation in the glories 'then to be revealed' is even limited to those who in every age are devoutly 'looking for him.' It is true that this doctrine of the second coming of Christ has, like that of his first, wrought strongly upon enthusiastic minds, and been the occasion of some pernicious delusions; yet, for the correction of these incidental evils, we must look to other means than to any existing cautions given to the Church in the Scriptures against a too earnest longing for the promised advent of her King. To snatch this great promise from Scripture in hasty fear, and then to close the book lest we should see more than it is intended we should know, is not our part. On the contrary, it is chiefly from a diligent and comprehensive study of the terms of the great unfulfilled prophecy of Scripture, that a preservative against delusion is to be gathered. check assiduous researches by cautions which the humble may respect, but which the presumptuous will certainly contemn, is to abandon the leading truth of Revelation to the uncorrected wantonness of fanaticism." Pp. 103–109.

To

Proceeding onward to expose the evil character and tendency of dogmatism, the Author distinguishes the language of prophecy into common and mystical. Predictions delivered in the plain and literal style of com