indeed; but at diftant intervals, and under different parts of that fyftem.

Now, as fufpicious as this circumftance may appear, at first fight, it will be found, on inquiry, to be exactly fuited to that idea of prophecy which the text gives us of it, as being from the first, and all along, intended to bear teftimony to Jesus.'

Our Author's fecond conclufion is that prophecies of a double fenfe may well be expected in fuch a fcheme as that of fcriptural prophecy. This conclufion he supports and illuftrates in a very ingenious manner, and then proceeds to observe, in the third place, that it is very conceivable and credible that the line of prophecy fhould run chiefly in one family and people, and that the other nations of the earth fhould be no further the immediate objects of it, than as they chanced to be connected with that people.

His laft inference is, that, if, even after a mature confideration of the prophecies, and of the events, in which they are taken to be fulfilled, there fhould, after all, be fome cloud remaining on this fubject, which, with all our wit or pains, we cannot wholly remove, this ftate of things would afford no objection to prophecy, becaufe it is indeed no other than we might reafonably expect. If the end and ufe of prophecy be to atteft the truth of Chriftianity, then may we be fure that fuch atteftation will not carry with it the utmost degree of evidence. For Christianity is plainly a ftate of difcipline and probation, calculated to improve our moral nature, by giving fcope and exercise to our moral faculties: fo that, though the evidence for it be real evidence, and on the whole fufficient evidence, yet we cannot expect it to be of that fort which fhould compel our affent. Something muft be left to quicken our attention, to excite our industry, and to try the natural ingenuity of the hu man mind.

Had the purpose of prophecy, he adds, been to fhew, merely, that a predicted event was forefeen, then the end had been beft anfwered by throwing all poffible evidence into the completion. But its concern being to fhew this to fuch only as should be difpofed to admit a reasonable degree of evidence, it was not neceffary, or rather it was plainly not fit, that the completion fhould be feen in that strong and irrefiftible light.

The Doctor concludes his third fermon in the following

manner:

TO THESE deductions from the text, more might be added. For I believe it will be found that if the end of prophecy, as here delivered, be fteadily kept in view and diligently purfued, it will go a great way towards leading us to a profperous iffue in most of those inquiries which are thought to perplex this fubject. But I mean to reafon from it no farther than just to fhew, in the way of specimen, the method in which it becomes us to fpeculate on the prophetic

fyftem.

fyftem. We are not to imagine principles at pleafure, and then apply them to that fyftem. But we are, firit, to find out what the principles are, on which prophecy is founded, and by which it claims to be tried; and then to fee whether they will bold, that is, whether they will aptly and properly apply to the particulars, of which it is compounded. If they will, the fynem itself is thus far clearly juftified. All that remains is to compare the prophecies with their corresponding events, in order to affure ourselves that there is real evidence of their completion.

The use of this method has been fhewn in FOUR capital inftances, It is objected to the fcriptural prophecies, that they are obfcure-that they abound in double fenfes that they were delivered to one people-that, after all, there is fometimes difficulty in making out the completion-all of them, it is faid, very fufpicious circumftances; and which rather indicate a scheme of human contrivance, than of divine infpiration.

To thefe objections it is replied, that, from the very idea which the fcriptures themfelves give of prophecy, thefe circumstances muft needs be found in it; and further ftill, that thefe circumftances, when fairly confidered, do honour to that idea: for that the obfcurity, complained of, refults, from the immenfity of the scheme-the double fenfes, from the intimate connection of its parts-the partial and confined delivery, from the wisdom and neceffity of felecting a peculiar people to be the vehicle and repofitory of the jacred oracles-And lastly, the incomplete evidence, from the nature of the fubject, and from the meral genius of that difpenfation, to which the scheme of prophecy itself belongs.'

In the fourth fermon our Author confiders the general argument from prophecy, fhews what the amount of that evidence is which refults from this kind of proof, and anfwers fome of the principal objections of unbelievers. Having opened the general idea of prophecy, and enforced the general argument from it, in proof of our holy religion, he advances a step farther, and proceeds to take a nearer view of the prophecies themselves, which may be confidered under two heads. They either respect the perfon, character, and office of the Meffiah, or, the fate and fortunes of that kingdom, which he came to establish in the world. The former of thefe are called by Divines, prophecies of his fir coming, and the other, prophecies of his fecond.

It may be proper to obferve, the Doctor fays, that the fecond advent of the Meffiah is not, like the firft, confined to one fingle and precife period, but is gradual and fucceffive. This diftinction, we are told, is founded in the reafon of the thing. He could only come, in perfon, at one limited time. He comes, in bis power and his providence, through all ages of the church. His first coming was then over, when he expired on the cross. His fecond commenced with his refurrection, and will continue to the end of the world. So that this laft coming of Jefus is to be understood of his fpiritual kingdom; which is not one act of fovereignty exerted at once, but a ftate or conftitution of government, fubfifting through a long tract of time, unfolding

itself

itfelf by juft degrees, and coming as oft as the conductor of it thinks fit to interpofe by any fignal acts of his administration. And in this fenfe we are directed to pray, that his kingdom, though long fince fet up, may come; that is, may advance through all its ftages, till it arrive at that full flate of glory, in which it shall fhine out in the great day, as it is called, the day of judgment.

Now, though the prophecies of Chrift's firft coming be not the immediate fubject of our Author's inquiry, yet it will contribute very much, he fays, to rectify and enlarge our ideas of the divine conduct, in this whole difpenfation of prophecy, and to make way for that conviction, which the prophecies of Chrift's fecond coming were intended to give, if we stop awhile to contemplate the method and ceconomy of that prophetic fyftem, by which the first advent of the Meffiah was announced and prepared. Accordingly this is the fubject of his fifth fermon; and the whole of what he advances upon it well deferves to be attentively confidered, being, in our opinion, extremely pertinent and judicious.

In his fixth fermon he confiders the prophecies concerning Chrift's fecond coming:

It muft, fays he, trike the most careless reader of the prophe'cies to observe, that the general fubject of them all was announced from the earliest time, and was only drawn out more diftinctly by fucceeding prophets: that, of the two ages, into which the world of God, I mean his religious world, is divided in holy fcripture, the former, which abounds most in prophecy, was plainly made fubservient to the latter: that not only the events of that preceding age are foretold by its own prophets, but that the fortunes of the lat, and very remote age, are occafionally revealed by them; and that the fame oracles, which atteft the first coming of Chrift, as if impatient to be confined to fo narrow bounds, overflow, as it were, into the future age, and expatiate on the principal facts and circumLances of his fecond coming.

By this divine artifice, if I may fo fpeak, the two difpenfations, the Jewish and Chriftian, are clofely tied together, or rather compacted into one intire harmonious fyftem; fuch, as we might expect, if it were indeed formed, and conducted by him, to whom are known all his works from the beginning.

So that, in refpect of the fortunes, which were to befal the Chrif tian church, even in the latter days, we may ftill afk, in the triumphant terms of the Jewish prophet-Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have yé not underflood from the foundation of the earth + ?

But, though this fubject was opened by the old prophets, fo far as feemed expedient in that age, and clearly enough, to fhew the integrity and continuity of the whole fyftem, it was more illuftriously, because more diftin&tly, difplayed by the evangelical prophets.

Acts xv. 18.

+ Ifaiah xl. 21.

• And

:

And here, again, the fame provifion of wisdom and goodness meets us, as before. The Chriftian prophets, like the Jewish, bespeak our attention to what they reveal of the greater and more diftant events in their difpenfation, by other lefs momentous prophecies, which were fpeedily to be accomplished; thus, impreffing upon us an awful fenfe of their divine forefight, and procuring an eafy credit from us to their fubfequent predictions: while the events, which both these prophetic Schemes point out, are fo diftributed through all time, as to furnish, fucceffively, to the feveral ages of the world, the means of a fresh and ftill growing conviction +.

AS THE ORDER of thefe Difcourfes, now, leads me to exemplify this last obfervation, I fhall do it in THREE remarkable prophecies concerning the Chriftian church; I mean thofe, which refpect . THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 2. THE DISPERSION OF THE JEWS, And 3. THE CONVERSION OF THE GENTILES.'

We must refer our Readers to what the Doctor fays on each of these prophecies, and fhall, in our next number, give them a general view of the remaining fix fermons.

R.

ART. V. An Appeal to the Public on the Subject of the National Debt. By Richard Price, D. D. F. R. S. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Cadell.

I

T is an obfervation of Dr. D'Avenant, an excellent Writer on the fubject of Political Arithmetic, that, "when a ftate is in diforder and plunged in debts and difficulties, it is a duty incumbent upon all men at fuch a time, not to entertain defpair, but rather, in that juncture to embrace the government more warmly than before, as the Romans did after their defeat at Canna; and when the common-wealth is afflicted, every one ought to lend a helping hand towards mending and restoring her condition, and to employ all the faculties of his body and mind in her fervice." The Author of this appeal has approved himself on these generous and noble principles, a true friend to his country; and we fee united in him qualities, which do not always concur in the fame perfon, great abilities and good inclinations to do it effential fervice. He does not content himself with barely pointing out the proper mode of relief; but urges the application of it with all the powers of eloquence, animated by an amor patria, which will do him honour with lateft pofterity. The redemption of a finking ftate is the object for which he writes and labours; and though his benevolent attempt for this

We fee this defign very plainly, in the prophecies of Jefus concerning his own death and refurrection; concerning the defcent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecoft; concerning events, that were.to befal his difciples; and in other inftances.

La plus grande des preuves de Jefus Chrift, ce font les prophetics. C'eft auffi à quoi Dieu a la plus pourvû; car l'evenement, qui les a remplies, eft un MIRACLE SUBSISTANT depuis la naiffance de l'Eglife jufqu'à la fin. M. Pafcal!

purpose

purpose fhould fail of fuccefs, he can feel no pain on his own account. I know (fays he) I have meant to act the part of a good citizen; and I fhall return to obfcurity and filence, fatisfied with this reflection; and happy in the confcioufnefs of wanting nothing this world can give me.' It now remains with government and the public to determine, whether, with the means of redrefs in our power and with the affurance that prudence and integrity may ftill fave us, we are to be devoted to ruin or not. This is not a question, dictated by the spirit of party or of oppofition. Every member of the ftate is effentially concerned in it. The being and profperity of our country depend on a deliberate attention to it and an adminiftration which adopted the plan, proposed by this ingenious Author, perhaps the only plan, that can avail for our fecurity and welfare, would acquire popularity and influence by fuch a step, much more honourable and more lafting, and more effectual likewife to every neceflary purpofe, than thofe which arife from an accumulating debt and a growing dependence. Such a measure would be attended with the credit and fatisfaction, objects to which no Briton can be infenfible, of faving the public and pofterity from approaching ruin. It is hoped that the wisdom of government will difcern the neceffity and propriety of adverting to this important object: and that the prefent period fhall be recorded in the annals of our country, as the era of its deliverance from impending deftruction. We are perfuaded, that the eyes of the public are opened by thefe interesting publications; and that the attention of every individual, who hast any regard for the intereft of his family or of fociety, is alarmed. And we fhould not wonder, if we heard of an affociation, formed on the principles of private interest and public virtue, amongst men of property and, character through every part of the kingdom, in order to recommend and enforce a proper attention to the ftate of the nation in this refpect. The idea, however, is flattering to those who feel any concern for the welfare and glory of the nation.

A finking fund,' fays our Author, according to the most general idea of it, fignifies any faving or furplus, fet apart from the reft of an annual income, and appropriated to the purpofe of paying off or finking debts.' There are three ways in which a kingdom may apply fuch a faving. ft, The interests, difengaged from time to time by the payments made with it, may be themfelves applied to the payment of the public debts. Or, 2dly, They may be spent on current fervices. Or, 3dly, They may be immediately annihilated by abolishing the taxes charged with them.

In the first way of employing a finking fund, it becomes a fund always encreafing itfelf. Every now inter dilengaged by it, containing