back more simply and thoroughly on the Holy Spirit.—On Tuesday, the 20th ult. the Rev. John Baillie read an able and lucid paper on "Antichrist." The Antichrist, he said, appeared to have two stages of development; (1) The "mystery of iniquity," or the Antichrist veiled under the pretext of honouring Christ; which is Popery; and (2) The man of sin "revealed," or the Antichrist without his disguise, openly opposing himself to Christ; which is the infidel person yet to appear. This he stated was the middle ground or meeting point betwixt the two opposite extremes of preterism and futurism. Antichrist was now in a transition state, passing from the veiled to the unveiled. We regret our inability to give the arguments by which the rev. gentleman so forcibly illustrated his position. meeting was afterwards addressed by several other speakers, who also advocated similar views.

The

CRITICISM AND EXEGESIS.-It is high time that we read the Scriptures simply exegetically, according to such fundamental principles as are laid down in Matt. xiii. 23; viii. 31, 32; 1 Thess. iii. 13. Too long has criticism schooled, and often destroyed exegesis; and yet what can the former be but at best a Martha, who busies herself with many things in the neighbourhood, and with reference to our Lord, while they who with exegetical faithfulness endeavour to investigate and to appropriate the contents of the divine books, choose the good part of Mary, who sits at the feet of the Divine Master to learn from Him.-Auberlen's Daniel and St. John.

Postscript to Contributors and Correspondents,

FOR NOS. 1 AND 2.

With a view to carry out one of the principal objects contemplated by THE BIBLE TREASURY, the Editor thinks it necessary to state:

denies a millennium altogether, or what is equivalent, refers it to the middle ages; (2) post-millenarianism, which places a millennium and a triumph of the Gospel for 1000 years before the second advent; (3) pre-millenarianism, in a distinctive sense, or the view which places not only the first but the second resurrection and the judgment in Rev. xx. 12, before the millennium, leaving its close with scarcely any marked character; (4) millenarianism which places the advent and the first resurrection at the beginning of a future millennium; but the general judgment and resurrection of the rest of the dead at its close. The differences of preterism and futurism are secondary, and relate to the mere reference of prophecies in this dispensation. Now correctly there are three views: the preterist, which refers nearly all to the times of Antiochus and the fall of Jerusalem; the historical or continuous, which spreads the predictions throughout the dispensation; and the futurist, which applies them all to a few years of crisis at the very time of the advent. It is the two latter which were really meant in the subject proposed. In their principles of specific or critical interpretation these differ greatly, and in this respect there is little or no approximation. But in the general view of the real course of God's providence, as declared from all the prophecies, there may be a very near approach. For if the prophecies extend throughout this dispensation of mystery, which is followed by one of manifested divine power, there must be, towards the close of their fulfilment, a season of transition in which the mysterious conflict of good and evil comes forth more evidently to view before the final victory. Again, if they are all referred to a short crisis for their proper application, it must be owned by every thoughtful futurist, that all previous events have been a gradual preparation and ripening for that season of more open conflict and wonder. And hence the practical view of providence, on the two systems, may approach to a very near agreement, while the critical reasons and special interpretations of prophecy, may diverge widely and often seem totally opposed to each other.- -On the 13th ult., the Rev. W. Penefather, M.A., Barnet, read a paper on the subject," Has the christian church any scriptural warrant to pray for an outpouring of the Spirit previous to the day of the Lord?" Quoting the passages from Joel and Zechariah alluding to the "former and the latter rain," and comparing them with other passages scattered through the Bible, he said it might be 2nd, Contributors and correspondents will be conclearly inferred that a spiritual meaning attached to these ex-sidered responsible for their own papers; and for their pressions. The outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost might be deemed the "former rain "-there was still the promise of the latter-"unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off." This was the age of the Comforter; the early church, forgetting the fact, had given undue prominence to mere externals, and hence a decay of faith that had left a blight on successive ages. But the day of the Lord draweth nigh; what remained of this tempestuous season was as the sea rocking itself to rest. In Hosea we read, "Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us, in the third he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared in the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth ”and these verses he endeavoured to show, were an allusion to the present times. The Jewish church now seemed prepared to take up the prophet's language. Rapidly passing some of the most noticeable events of the age in review, and alluding to the recent writ of the Sultan, and the marked progress of christianity at home and abroad, during the last two hundred years, he argued that this was the beginning of the "latter rain," and in conclusion urged his hearers to prayer. What might they not accomplish if they had faith to grasp the resources of the Divine Spirit? The Rev. Dr. Marsh, who followed, regarded the church in these times as about to become a witness simply among the nations, and argued from various statements of the apostle Paul, and also from analogy, that as the preceding dispensations had each ended in apostasy, so this would terminate also. The Rev. John Bonar then made some remarks of a practical kind, observing that as the students of prophecy were led to lay less stress on means than others, they were thrown No. 2. Vol. I.-July 1, 1856.

1st,-As far as substantial soundness in the faith (understanding these phrases in their ordinary evangelical signification) and Christian spirit and temper are concerned, the editor holds himself responsible for the entire contents of the publication.

own papers only.

for many encouraging expressions of approval, and several valuable suggestions. Besides those to whom we have replied privately, we have to acknowledge communications from "T. B. K," "W. B., Cheapside," "J. Shedden," and "J. S. Elsworth."

We have to express our sincere thanks to numerous kind correspondents

We must refer "R." to a preceding paragraph at the head of these "Notices." Our contributors will not always be found to hold precisely similar principles.

At the suggestion of several friends and correspondents, we shall in future keep the advertisements distinct from the body of the work. Our subscribers will observe that with a view to effect this object, the first page of our present number (this page) is a reproduction of the last page of No. 1., which can now be detached from the work itself. That there should be no complaint, however, as to a diminished quantity of matter, we have upon this occasion given our readers three extra pages; we cannot promise to repeat this, unless indeed our humble effort to promote truth should so commend itself to the judgment and sympathy of our friends and subscribers, as to induce them to assist us in obtaining a very large circulation.

We mention this

Several kind friends have sent us lists of persons to whom the Bible Treasury is to be posted for various periods, at the cost of our Correspondents, who have transmitted us payment for the same. in the hope that other friends may copy so good an example; and we respectfully solicit the co-operation of those of the Lord's people who approve of our design, and who may feel disposed, to help us in this way.

All communications and books for review to be sent to the EDITOR OF THE BIBLE TREASURY, care of Daniel F. Oakey, 21, Warwick Lane, Paternoster-row.

The name and address of the writer must accompany all contributions, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. No notice will be taken of anonymous communications.

We cannot undertake to return MSS, unless acompanied by a special request to that effect, and postage stamps to cover carriage.

Advertisements to be sent to Mr. G. F. Nelson, 104, Fleet-st., London.

Reviews.

No. II.

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW

TESTAMENTS. *

contents.

In illustration and support of his argument, Mr. W. expounds the passage in Peter's discourse, from which these words are quoted. He explains that Jesus is the Prophet of whom Moses wrote and Peter spake. He refers to the gospels, as containing much that this great In turning to Mr Waldegrave's second proposition, that Prophet taught, but contends that the Acts and Epistles "in all points upon which the New Testament gives us munications. He shews that by these, the previously may with equal truth be regarded as his oracular cominstruction, it is, as containing the full, the clear, and the final manifestation of the divine will, our rightful "imperfect revelation of the Divine will" is completed; guide to the interpretation of the Old," we wish parti- before; and that the New Testament is not only supmany things being thus revealed, which were hidden cularly to guard against being misunderstood. There is much of truth contained in it, beyond all doubt; but plementary to the Old, but often expository of its all the force that it can justly exert on any christian ment institutions are abrogated by Christ in the New He proves that in certain cases Old Testamind, is the result of what we acknowledge as cheer-Testament; and from the whole he infers, that on fully as our author himself. There are distinctions between the Old Testament and the New, which no Testament are of greater weight, and entitled to more prophetic subjects the literal portions of the New christian can fail to recognize. The authority is the consideration, than the predictions of the older volume same in both; for both are the Word of God. The of inspiration. grand central object is the same; for both testify of Christ. "The law, the prophets, and the psalms," as well as the gospels, the epistles, and the apocalypse, have him for their glorious, never-failing theme. But how differently is he presented in these two grand departments of divine revelation! The difference is felt even by those who would be at a loss to define its nature and explain its cause. Much that Mr. W. says on this point, is so self-evident, that our only wonder is that he should have thought it needful to say it at all. At the same time he is far from having succeeded, as it appears to us, in illustrating the most important aspects of his subject; and the arguments he has advanced, seem anything but conclusive, in favour of the principle of interpretation for which he contends.

It is not so obvious as Mr. W. would intimate (page 15), that in New Testament revelations as to the future, "figure is the exception, literality the rule." That this may be the fact as to the whole volume, we do not dispute; but in regard to its prophetic passages, which can alone decide prophetic questions, the statement is far from being indisputable. The numerous parables by which our Lord conveyed prophetic instruction to his hearers, as well as other obvious considerations, will at once occur to our readers. But as this is not

the basis on which Mr. W. rests his defence of the principle in question, we would not bestow upon it a more extended notice than he gives to it himself. His great argument we give in his own words :

"The New Testament has this distinct and incontestable claim to the right of arbitration, that it is the inspired record of the words of that Great Prophet, of whom it was said, 'him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you:"" p. 15.

Contributed by the Author of "Plain Papers on Prophetic and other Subjects," and being a review of the following works:

1. New Testament Millenarianism; or, The Kingdom and Coming of Christ, as taught by himself and his apostles: set forth in eight sermons, preached before the University of Oxford in the year 1854, at the lecture founded by the late Rev. John Bampton, by the Hon. and Rev. Samuel Waldegrave, M.A., rector of Barford St. Martin, Wilts, and late fellow of All Souls College. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co., 1855, 8vo., pp. 686.

2. Notice of the above, in "The British and Foreign Evangelical Review," No. xiv., October, 1855.

January, 1856,

3. Notice of the above, in "The London Quarterly Review," No. X., 4. Millennial Studies: or, What saith the Scriptures concerning the Kingdom and Advent of Christ? By the Rev. W. R. Lyon, B.A. London: Ward and Co.

To the argument drawn from the setting aside of Levitical rites, and the passing away of typical ceremonies, we have already replied; showing, at the same time, how seriously our author's reasoning arrays Scripture against Scripture, and exalts one part of it at the Nor do the particulars now expense of another. enumerated require much remark. It may well be questioned whether the fulfilment of the Jewish lawgiver's prediction in our blessed Lord, as declared by feature of the distinctive character possessed by the Peter in the third of Acts, constitutes the highest New Testament. Questions might be raised as to the meaning of the word "prophet Mr. W.'s discourse is founded. Is the foretelling of meaning of the word "prophet" in the text on which future events that which is chiefly indicated by that term, as applied by Moses to himself, and to that blessed One whose advent he predicts? Is it not rather as the founder, by divine appointment, of the legal economy foretells the coming of another, by whom a better disor dispensation, that he speaks of himself, while he pensation should be established? Moses and the law were to be heard, till Christ should come, and the gospel be introduced; or, as the evangelist has it, "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus rather to be the divine authority of the lawgiver than Christ," (John i. 17). In either case, it would seem the supernatural foresight of the seer, that is indicated by the word prophet, as used in the text under consideration.

Nor do the words "him shall ye hear in all things,” imply that his revelations are more strictly true than were those made by means of Moses. The One of whom the passage treats, was to be "a prophet," says Moses, "like unto me." The authority of Moses, as their system, was acknowledged by the Jews; but he their divinely apppointed legislator and the founder of himself foretold the coming of another of equal (he does not say higher) authority; and him they were to hear in all things. Moses himself thus sets his seal to the mission of Christ, by which his own temporary economy was to be superseded and replaced; but until thus superseded and replaced, Moses was to be heard, and his injunctions to be obeyed, as implicitly as Christ

and his words are now to be submitted to by all. In fact, we have Christ's own declaration to assure us, that such as truly heard the one, reverently and obediently listened to the other also. "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." (John v. 46).

In a word, neither Moses nor Peter lays down a canon of interpretation in the passage on which our author builds so much. The question in Deut. xviii., and in Acts iii., is not whether the Old Testament or the New is to be preferred as fixing the sense of a disputed passage; but, whether Jesus was to be received as the Messiah. "No," said the Jews, "we know that God spake by Moses, and we will cleave to Moses." "Moses himself commands you to receive Jesus,' was Peter's reply! A cogent reply it was, worthy of the Holy Ghost, under whose inspiration it was made. But to infer from it, that the meaning of Old Testament prophecies is to be authoritatively determined by a few passages of the New Testament, deemed literal and clear by those who make such a use of them, would be to fix upon it a sense which, we are bold to maintain, the apostle never contemplated; it would be to draw from it a deduction, as contrary to the passage itself, rightly understood, as it is derogatory to the book of inspiration as a whole.

while Moses was "faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after," Christ was as "a Son over his own house." He was "counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house." And while "every house is builded by some one, he that built all things (which Christ did) is God,” (Heb. iii.) The true, distinctive glory of the New Testament, shines upon us in the fact, that "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." Nor is even this the whole. Not only was he, as a messenger, thus pre-eminently glorious; he was himself the glory of the message,-God was revealed not only by but in him, who was "the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person." "The Word was made flesh," says the evangelist, "and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father," was the language of this blessed One himself. The Old Testament contains nothing resembling this. The will of God is there partially disclosed; his creating power and providential wisdom are exhibited; his government of Israel and the nations is copiously treated of; man's dreary history is largely recorded; the grace of God to individuals is placed in striking relief, while testimony is borne to their faith, and its precious fruits; Christ himself is foreshadowed and foretold, from the pronouncing of the curse on the serpent, and the first institution of slain sacrifices, in Gen. iii. and iv., to the last of the long line of Israel's prophets, and the re-establishment of Levitical rites, on the return from Babylon, in Ezra's and Nehemiah's day. But God himself was not revealed. "The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness," is Solomon's thought of God, in erecting for him the temple in which he deigned to take up his That which, first of all, distinguishes the New Testa- abode. But there, as in the tabernacle which had ment, is the record it contains of the perfect revelation preceded it, everything testified of the barriers which of God himself, in the person of his Son. Viewed as an sin had raised between God and his people, and of the inspired writing, its authority cannot be greater than distance and reserve which marked the relations that of the equally inspired writings of the Old Testa-existing between him and them. Foreshadowings ment. But as to its subject-that which it presents to there were of the Saviour, in whose coming this reserve us—we no sooner open it, and begin to read, than we was to be laid aside, and by whose sacrifice this distance find ourselves in the presence of God himself. "God was to be destroyed. But it is in the New Testament was manifest in the flesh." It is God who speaks in that we find ourselves actually in the presence of Jesus, the Old Testament as really as in the New. But in the who, while a man and the lowliest of men, was yet the one, he is in the distance, or causing his voice to be full revelation, the perfect display of all that God is, in heard from amid the thick darkness in which he dwells; his wisdom, power, holiness, and love. All this was in the other, "Emmanuel "-" God with us," is the manifested in him, moreover, in perfect grace to the wonder which bursts upon us in the first chapter of sinner. With wisdom, which confounded his adverthe book. "Verily, thou art a God that hidest thy-saries by a word-power, which controlled the elements, self," (Is. xlv. 15,) is the utterance even of the and to which devils themselves were subject-holiness, evangelical prophet, as he is often termed. "No man so absolute and intrinsic, that contact with man's evil hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him," is what the evangelist affirms, (John i. 18); and it is this which stamps its character on the New Testament throughout. God himself is revealed in the person of Christ. No doubt he was the Prophet like unto Moses, whose coming Moses had foretold. But

We shall have occasion to return to this chapter in the Acts, but would now invite the attention of the christian reader to the whole subject of the connexion between the Old and New Testaments. It is one of profoundest interest in itself; while its bearings on the millenarian question are quite as important as our esteemed author represents them to be. The reader himself must judge, whether the path, to which Mr. W. invites us, be one in which the brighter lights of the later revelations, become really available for the elucidation of those, which are more obscure in character, and of more ancient date.

could not defile him-his love and grace were such, that a poor sinful Samaritan woman could freely converse with him, while he revealed himself to her as the Saviour, and his Father as the One who sought such as she, to worship him in spirit and in truth! God, fully revealed in grace in the person of his Son, is that which constitutes the inexpressible charm with which

subject the fullest examination in the light of God's Word. We turn from it now, to point out some other considerations connected with the distinction between the Old Testament and the New.

words in which he himself defines it: "That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel." (Eph. iii. 6.) "Christ in you, the hope of glory," are the terms in which he sums up this mystery in Col. i. .; The three great characteristics of the New Testament but then he declares that it is " among the Gentiles" we have seen to be, that God is there made known as that "the riches of the glory of this mystery" have fully revealed in Christ; accomplished redemption is their scope and their development. Now nothing can there proclaimed, with all its blessed results; and there be more obvious, even to a cursory reader of God's we have the unfolding of the previously unrevealed Word, than that the Old Testament abounds with mystery of the heavenly unity of the church with predictions of blessing to the Gentiles under Messiah's Christ, by virtue of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. reign. Our post-millenarian brethren will, at all events, Two results naturally ensue, and may be seen to pervade admit this. It was no unrevealed mystery that, when the volume. First the subjects with which it promithe Seed should come to whom the promises were made, nently and distinctively deals, are not such as relate to both Jews and Gentiles should be blessed under him, and God's government of creation, Israel, and the nations, by him. But that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, with which the Old Testament is so largely occupied; and of the same body,—that believing Jews and believing but the more vital and momentous questions of eternity, Gentiles should be incorporated in one, being brought the soul, life, death, heaven and hell. We are far thus into a position of perfect equality with each other, from intending that the Old Testament says nothing of by both, and both alike, becoming the body of Christ; the latter class of subjects, or that the New Testament that there should be thus a community or corporation of is silent on the former. It is with the general features persons not only blessed under Christ and by Christ, but the predominant character of both volumes, that we blessed in him and with him, 'quickened together,' are at present concerned; and who can doubt that "raised up together," and "made to sit together in eternity is stamped upon the one, as prominently as heavenly places in Christ," as the epistle to the Ephe-time is impressed upon the other? Now it is to God's sians declares; that Christ should be in such, the hope government of the world that prophecy applies; and of glory, this is, indeed, what had been hid in God hence the extent to which the Old Testament consists of from all former ages and generations, and what was only revealed to the apostles and prophets of the new economy, since the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of God, and the descent of the Holy Ghost from heaven.

66

prophecy. In proportion as the subject is touched
upon in the New Testament, it becomes prophetic; but
even in its prophetic parts, as Matt. xiii, and xxiv, xxv;
2 Thess. ii; and the Apocalypse as a whole, eternity is
connected with what takes place in time, in a way but
little known in the Old Testament. Then, secondly,
the distinction between Jew and Gentile, so maintained
in the older volume of God's Word, begins in the later
one, to fade away before the glory of Jesus, the incar-
nate Son of God; it disappears before his cross, by
which the middle wall of partition is broken down;
and one essential feature of "the mystery," revealed
by the Holy Ghost come down from heaven, is this, that
in a risen and ascended Christ there is neither Jew nor
Greek, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. Not
that these distinctions have finally ceased in the world,
viewed as the subject of God's government. So far
from this, "Jews,' Gentiles," and "the Church of
God" form the present triple distribution of mankind,
in an apostolic precept enjoining upon believers an
inoffensive course towards all the three. (1 Cor. x. 32.)
It is in the church, the body of Christ, that these, and
all mere human distinctions, have passed away.
"Male
and female," as really as "Jew and Gentile," is an
unknown, unrecognised distinction, in regard to the
oneness of believers with an earth-rejected, heavenly
Christ. (Gal. iii. 28).

99.66

The importance of this subject, in its bearing on the millenarian question, can scarcely be over-rated. Let it be once assumed that the subject of the prophecies is identical with that of the epistles-that the latter contain nothing but what was more obscurely revealed in the former-and the consequence is inevitable. The prophecies are spiritualized in order to raise them towards the level of the epistles; the epistles are brought down to the level of the spiritual sense put upon the prophecies; and each department of divine truth is thus shorn of its peculiar, distinctive character. The church of God, indwelt by the Holy Ghost, and thus made "one body" and "one spirit" with its risen and glorified Head in heaven, is confounded in men's thoughts with the whole company of the redeemed from the beginning to the end of time. All its peculiar blessedness as one with Christ, whether in his present rejection, or in the glory in which he is by and bye to be revealed, is reduced to what is common to saints of every dispensation. Old Testament predictions concerning such as are to be blessed under Christ and by Christ, are regarded, in the spiritual sense sought to be imposed upon them, as expressive of the portion which pertains to those, and those only, who are blessed in him and with him, "members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." This is a theme which we cannot at present pursue; but here is to be found, we are fully persuaded, the fundamental error of the Bampton The number of petitions for a new version of the English Bible PUBLIC FEELING ON THE BIBLE TRANSLATION QUESTION.— lecturer, and of nearly, if not quite, all, who reject pre-presented to Parliament up to the 28th of May, was thirteen, millennial views. We hope, hereafter, to give the and the number of signatures 639!

The connexions between the Old Testament and the New we reserve as the subject of our next communication.