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not to be as Shiloh, forsaken for ever. There are great things to come, awaiting that very spot. The type of that scene in David's days is not yet realised in full. At ver. 70, the Singer has his eye on what Ezekiel (xxxiv. 23) has foretold,—the David and The Tabernacle of that coming day, when our 66 Beloved," led up from the Bethlehem manger to the throne, shall feed Israel and Jacob, with upright heart and skilful hand-dealing prudently, exalted, extolled, and very high. Grace shall reach its zenith then. Our earth shall bask under the hot noonday sun of grace-grace no more thwarted and slighted, no more forgotten and denied, no more disbelieved and hated. Come quickly, Faithful and True Witness ! Come quickly, and be again among us,

not King only, not Priest only, but

Messiah, the Prophet, shewing us that God's ways are not our ways.

SYMBOLS OF THE APOCALYPSE.

As it is often felt to be a difficulty in the study of the Apocalypse to ascertain what is figurative or symbolical language, and what is not, the following simple hints may be found useful.

1. The Greek word oμotos, signifying "likeness, or resemblance to," occurs twenty-one times in connexion with expressions to which it necessarily imparts a symbolic character. See chap. i. 13, 15; ii. 18; iv. 3, 6, 7; ix. 7, 10, 19; xi. 1; xiii. 2, 4, 11; xiv. 14; xvi. 13; xviii. 18; xxi. 11, 18. (In chap. iv. 3, 7, and ix. 7, it occurs twice in each verse.)

2. The Greek ós (generally translated “ as," or as it were," occurs forty-four times, always implying that the language is symbolic or figurative. Chap. i. 10, 14, 15, 16; ii. 18; iv. 1, 7; v. 6; vi. 1, 12, 13, 14; viii. 8, 10.; ix. 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 17; x. 1; xiii. 2, 3, 11; xiv. 2, 3; xv. 2; xvi. 3; xviii. 21; xix. 6, 12; xxi. 2, 11, 21; xxii. 1. (In chap. i. 14, vi. 12, ix. 7, 8, 9, and x. 1, it occurs twice, and in chap. xix. 6, three times.)

3. There are also eight passages, at least, in which the symbols are explained.

"Golden vials, . . . which are the prayers of saints." Chap. v. 8. "My two witnesses.. These are the two olive trees," &c. Chap.

xi. 3, 4.

"The great dragon,

XX. 2.

"The seven heads

"The ten horns.

"The waters . . .

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are seven mountains." Chap. xvii. 9.

are ten kings." Chap. xvii. 12.

are peoples and multitudes," &c. Chap. xvii. 15. "The woman is that great city," &c. Chap. xvii. 18.

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"The fine linen . . . is the righteousness of saints." Chap. xix. 8. Here, then, we have upwards of seventy instances in which we may view the language as strictly symbolical. They are surely sufficient to

guide us very safely to a generally correct interpretation, under the teaching of the Spirit of truth, of the symbols used in the book. The more carefully the language is examined, the more evident will it become that the humble and sincere seeker after truth, though a fool, shall not err therein. The Book explains itself.

JEWISH TERMS IN THE APOCALYPSE.

THE Jewish character of the terms made use of is scarcely less remarkable than the symbolical. They stand out in most striking contrast to the language in all the epistles, where we scarcely can meet with the expressions that are constantly recurring here. (The scenery is most emphatically that of the Jewish temple.)

"Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar. But the court, which is without the temple, leave out," &c. (chap. xi. 1, 2).

The Jews and Gentiles are here expressly distinguished: the court "is given unto the Gentiles," the temple being, of course, reserved for the Jews-whilst the "holy city" is represented as trodden under foot of the Gentiles during forty-two months.

"The altar" is mentioned eight times in the book.

"The lamb," no less than twenty-six times (and it is remarkable that the Greek ȧpvíov is never applied to Christ in the New Testament, except in this book).

Jesus is also called "The Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David" (chap. v. 5), and "the root and offspring of David (chap.

xxii. 16).

The 144,000 sealed ones are gathered from "all the tribes of the children of Israel" (chap. vii. 4-8).

There is mention also of "the golden altar," and the " incense," and the "golden censer," and "the fire of the altar," and "the ark of his testament," and the "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne" (chap. viii. 3, 4, 5; iv. 6; xi. 19).

We read, too, of "the Hebrew tongue" (chap. ix. 11, and xvi. 16), and of the "river Euphrates" (chap. ix. 14, and xvi. 12), which strongly indicates that, both as to language and locality, the Jews are mainly to be regarded in the interpretation of such passages. They scarcely can be so spiritualised as to be accommodated to the Christian Church. A careful comparison of the whole book with the writings of the Prophets, will bring to light the wondrous harmony that exists between them; and no mode of interpretation will be found so safe as the comparing of scripture with scripture.

Reviews.

A Glance at Coming Events, in a series of Letters on the Millennarian Theory. By HENRY BANNERMAN. London. 1853.

THE first part of this volume assails millennarianism with more than sufficient keenness, but not with much knowledge of millennarianism, or of the arguments in its support. Our readers may ponder it at

their leisure.

Instead of entering on a refutation of the first part of the book, we wish rather to turn attention to the second, in which the author expounds certain views respecting the intermediate state, and other kindred topics.

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In letter seventh, the author attacks the doctrine of the soul's immortality. "That there is within us an immortal spirit is an assumption easier made than established by proper proof” (p. 124). "We know that eternal life was not promised by the law of Moses (p. 133). "The Pharisees, who openly professed the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, were rebuked and refuted at once by Jesus declaring to them, Except ye eat the flesh, &c., ye have no life in you" (p. 140). The author seems not to believe even the immateriality of the soul, though he is cautious in his statement on this point (see p. 195).

In letter eighth he maintains that at death the soul sleeps, and enters on a state of utter unconsciousness. What this unconsciousness implies he does not say, merely calling it "an unknown and inconceivable condition of existence" (p. 182). Having stated that they who have fallen asleep in Jesus are in a state of "entire insensibility," he adds, that "it admits of demonstration that to them time has no existence" (p. 203). And again, "there will not be a moment's interval between each individual's death, and their hearing the sound of the last trumpet " (p. 205).

We merely call attention to these opinions without at present entering on their confutation. We should wish that the author had told us his ideas of future punishment; for we find that those who maintain his theory of immortality not belonging to the soul by nature, but being conferred on it by Christ, are led naturally and necessarily to deny punishment. For if the soul is not immortal, and if immortality be the gift of Christ to them that believe on Him, of course the wicked have no immortality,-they drop into annihilation.

We confess that we are glad that the author is an anti-millennarian. This is one of many instances which shew the strange opinions with which anti-millennarianism has been connected from the days of Origen downwards. Had a millennarian written the latter part of this book, reviews and newspapers without number would have given forth loud

voices of warning against the perils and follies of Chiliasm. As the author is an opponent of Chiliasm, he may count upon very faint disapprobation-perhaps a little praise.

The book is an evil one. It flings its speculations abroad among the theories of the day-adding to that state of confusion and fermentation which we see exhibited in the present day, when men, bent on philosophising and spiritualising-eager for change and novelty—are drifting away from the simplicity that is in Christ. Believing, as we do, in the soul's immortality, in its immateriality-in its bliss after death, and in the eternal punishment of the wicked, we protest against such speculations as this volume deals forth.

A Logical Analysis of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, &c.
CHARLES FERME. Edinburgh. 1651.

By

FROM this relic of old Scottish theology we extract the following exposition of the part of the 8th chapter. It shews how literally, in many respects, Scripture was interpreted in these days.

'The Apostle shews the trouble of the antecedent from it in this way" Creation, or created things have been made subject to vanity, in hope of deliverance into the glory of the sons of God:

"Therefore, creation waits with intense longing for the revelation of that glory."

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'The antecedent is given in verses 20, 21, where the present condition of created things is shewn, being represented as consisting in two things: First, "That created things have been made subject to vanity:" and, secondly, "That they have been made subject in the hope of deliverance." As regards the first under the name of vanity, I understand here two things: 1st, "Man himself," to whom created things have been made subject, and whom they serve, who, in Psalm lxii. 10, is called "vanity," and "vainer than vanity; 2d, "All the misery of created things on man's account," which, again, I consider as comprised in three particulars. Of these the first is "The miserable bondage of created things under sinful man ; the misery of which bondage is seen in two things: 1st, in their annoyance and fatigue, which God pities, and against which He has made provision in the fourth commandment (Exodus xx. 10); 2d, in their perversion to a different end from that for which they were created, and for which they were designed to be serviceable to man (Hosea ii. 8). The second particular is-The pollution of created things from the contagion of man's sin, under which pollution the creature suffers, and under which it groans, until it shall be purified by renewal with fire at the coming of the Lord (2 Peter iii. 10). The third particular of this misery isthe various changes of things, and the manifold judgments of God, which, along with sinful man, created things, serving man, undergo (Genesis iii. 17; iv. 11, 12). All these four things, viz.: man rendered

vain by sin, the miserable bondage of created things under vain man, their pollution arising from the contagion of his vanity, and, in fine, the judgment of God, which, along with man, they undergo all these things, I say, I consider as included under the name of this "vanity," to which the world has been made subject; "not of its own accord, but on account of Him who hath made it subject." The Apostle has thus shewn us the first part of the condition of creation, viz., "its subjection to vanity." This he now goes on to illustrate by its efficient cause, which he sets forth under a contrast. "Creation has been made subject to vanity, not of its own accord : this is the first member of the contrast, and that which is said not to be the cause. "But on account of Him who hath made it subject: " this is the second member of the contrast, and that which is affirmed to be the cause. Therefore, that which is said not to be the cause of this subjection, is the nature itself of created things, which were made free from vanity, and which, of their own nature, would neither have obeyed man now fallen, nor have been miserable along with him; that again which is affirmed to be the cause, is the appointment of a longsuffering God, whose pleasure it is, on account of the elect who are to be called, that the world should be serviceable even to sinners (Matthew v. 45). Or it may be said that this illustration is taken from a contrast of ends" not of its own accord," that is, "not on its own account," but 66 on account of him who hath made it subject (to vanity)," i. e., "for the use of man, who, by his sin, has plunged the world into vanity along with himself, so that the meaning will be,-as the world was created at first for the use of man, and to be serviceable to him; so now that it has been subjected to vanity, that is, made vain, and subject to corruption through man's sin, it is yet preserved under this corruption, on account of the expected renewal of the same man, along with whom the world itself also shall be renewed, according as it is written, 1 Cor. v. 17, "Old things are passed away, behold all things have become new; and again, 2 Peter iii. 13, "We look for new heavens and a new earth." The Apostle therefore says, "that the world being preserved on account of elect men, groans under corruption, and is subject to vanity, longing for the liberty of the elect, that it may be restored to liberty along with them.” '

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Letter to a Free Church Minister, in Defence of Pre-millennialists, and with reference to Assertions made on the Authority of Dr D. Brown, author of "Christ's Second Advent-will it be Pre-millennial?" to which is prefixed, an Account of the Correspondence which gave rise to said Letter. By Rev. JAMES STIRLING, Kirriemuir, Dundee. WE are truly glad to find in the north of Scotland a witness for the Lord's coming and kingdom. We thank Mr Stirling for his testimony, and for the spirit in which he has maintained it. We wished to give some extracts from his excellent and well-written letter; but perhaps it

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