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the darkness and delusion, and awaken the faith, piety and devotion of an ignorant, profligate and unbelieving generation. Thus will the spirit of Prophecy give the surest testimony to Jesus.

NOTES.

P. 83. (1) St. Peter, 2 Ep. i. 20, says, "No Prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,” ίδιας επιλύσεως; meaning, that the sense of a scriptural Prophecy does not depend on the prophet's own interpretation: "for Prophecy came not in old time by the will of Man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The prophets themselves were often ignorant of the purport of the oracles, which they published. When Caiphas said, (John xi. 49,) "It is expedient, that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not;" he meant, that the public safety required the death of Jesus: but John tells us, that "this he spake not of himself, but, being high priest, that year, he prophesied, that Jesus should die for that nation." Thus too, Daniel (xii. 8, 9,) says, "I heard, but understood not; and the Lord said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed, till the time of the end." The Gentiles also thought, that their prophets understood not the import of their own predictions, but were merely passive. This was the opinion of Socrates: λεγουσι μεν πολλα και καλα, ισασι δε ουδεν ων λεγουσι.

Many, however, of the prophecies, confidently relied on by some, as applicable to Christ, are by others confined to the historical events and characters, with which they are intermingled in the prophetical books. See an example of this, as to Isaiah ix. 6, &c., in Rammohun Roy, and three papers by Mr. Wallace, in the 19th vol. of the Monthly Repository. This passage is never quoted, nor expressly referred to in the

New Tetament; and is involved in historical discussion, Hebrew criticism, and contradictory translations. "These words, the Everlasting Father, are very ill rendered: for it is absurd to say of the Son, that he is the Everlasting Father, the Father of himself: but the phrase - ought to be translated, as in the best copies of the Septuagint, πατηρ του μελλοντος alvos, and in the Vulgate, Pater futuri sæculi; the Father or Lord of the Age to come."-Clarke's Scriptural Trinity, Note on § 50, p.

376.

Applied to the good king Hezekiah, it would mean the Father of the next generation; as we say, the Father of his people.

Isaiah vii. 14, is another instance. "By others the word byn is rendered damsel, instead of virgin, and is supposed to refer to the queen of Ahaz, who was then pregnant of Hezekiah. Dr. Pye Smith follows the authority of Trypho, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Abarbanel, in giving the last signification to this word."-Townsend's New Test. arranged, vol. I, p. 33.

Her Son was named Emmanuel, signifying God with us, as a sign, that God would be on the side of Judah: and the same name is applied to Jesus by Matthew, because "he was to save the people from their sins." (i. 21.) But he is never called by that name. The terminations el, jah or ah, are common in Hebrew names; and indicate no peculiar relation between the person and God. The same custom prevailed among our Puritanical forefathers.

"The name Emmanuel and the like, prove nothing more, in point of argument, than even the names of places, Jehovah Jireh, &c."-Clarke's Scriptural Trinity, chap. xi. 1.

Emmanuel occurs also, Isaiah viii. 8 and 10, where no application to Christ can be made.

P. 84.—(2) “Jesus Christ figuré par Joseph, bien-aimé de son pere, envoyé du pere pour voir ses freres, est l'innocent vendu par ses freres vingt deniers, & par là devenu leur Seigneur, leur Sauveur, & le Sauveur des étrangers, & le

Sauveur du monde; ce qui n'eust point esté sans le dessein de le perdre, sans la vente & la reprobation qu'ils en firent.

Dans la prison Joseph innocent entre deux criminels; Jesus en la croix entre deux larrons. Joseph prédit le salut à l'un & la mort à l'autre sur les mesmes apparences; Jesus Christ sauve l'un & laisse l'autre aprés les mesmes crimes. Joseph ne fait que prédire; Jesus Christ fait. Joseph demande à celuy qui sera sauvé qu'il se souvienne de luy quand il sera venu en sa gloire; & celuy que Jesus Christ sauve, luy demande qu'il se souvienne de luy quand il sera en son Royaume."-Pensees de M. Pascal.

Kidder, in his demonstration of the Messias, traces the resemblance much further; and then finds a similar correspondence between Sampson and our Lord.

Dr. Jortin enumerates thirty-nine points of resemblance between Moses and Jesus.-See Remarks on Eccl. Hist. i. 148.

SERMON V.

ON MYSTERIES.

DEUTERONOMY, xxix.-29.

"Secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children, for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law."

As this text has no perceptible relation to the preceding discourse of Moses, it may be considered as a separate piece of instruction, of general application. The subject, also, is so distinctly divided, that we need not look for any better distribution of it. It implies, first, that Mysteries, which have not been revealed, belong exclusively to God: secondly, that religious truths, which have been made known to us by revelation, are intended for the use and benefit of us and our children, for ever; and, thirdly, that the end, which they are intended to serve, is obedience to the Divine law.

In Scriptural language, Mystery is tantamount to a secret or "hidden wisdom:" not implying, in general, that the subject is "hard to be understood," much less incomprehensible; but only, that it has not hitherto been revealed. Thus, Paul speaks of the "revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest." "We speak of the wisdom of God in a Mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which none of the princes of this world knew: but God has revealed it unto us." "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will," (his secret intention) "that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and partakers of the promises in Christ." This he calls "the fellowship of the mystery," or the mystery of the fellowship. Such is the meaning of the word in the Epistles of Paul. It is usually applied to the calling of the Gentiles, which was a plain matter of fact. To the Corinthians he says, "Behold I shew you a mystery;" and then proceeds to explain the resurrection of the dead. The word occurs but once in the Gospels, where our Lord says, "unto you it is given to know the Mystery of the kingdom of heaven." But this mystery was no more than the interpretation of the parable of the sower. It is to be found in the Revelation of John; but not in his Epistles, nor in those of Peter, James or Jude; nor in the Old Testament. In the texts quoted from St. Paul, there is nothing unintelli

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