seems to me indeed, altogether incredible, that such men as Mede, Sir Isaac and Bishop Newton, D. H. More, Archdeacon Woodhouse, Dr. Cressener, and many others, should have laboured utterly in vain; and that no advances should have been made till the present day, in the interpretation of this book. These remarks are the more necessary, in as much as we find in these times, new systems of interpretation springing up like funguses around us. We live in a period, when every anonymous tyro in a prophetic magazine, every A. B., or D. E., thinks himself qualified to set aside the labours of centuries, and exalt his own crude lucubrations into a system of Apocalyptic interpretation. For my own part I must confess, that I have not been able to go to work so glibly. I have felt too deeply, the arduousness of the undertaking, to have either the presumption, or the inclination to enter upon it, as if no one had advanced a step before me, to clear away difficulties, and establish synchronisms, and principles of interpretation.

I must here also, say a few words, in reference to a notion which has gone abroad in the present day, chiefly through the medium of the Morning Watch, that there is to be a double acting over of the Apocalyptic prophecies. They have, it seems, according to this scheme, received only a symbolical fulfilment during the 1260 prophetic days or years, and there still remains a literal accomplishment of them, in a supplementary period of three years and a half of solar time.

The whole prophetic character of the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, having been, according to this scheme, once acted in the history of the secular Roman empire, is to receive a higher, because a more literal accomplishment in an individual, the personal Antichrist, or Assyrian.* In like manner, the little horn of Daniel's fourth Beast, and the second Apocalyptic Beast, having run their course of 1260 prophetic days, are again to fulfil it, in the person of the same individual.

Now the advocates of these systems ought to begin, by defining the meaning of terms. Let them tell us what is the symbolical or typical accomplishment of a symbol? To my mind, the expression conveys no one tangible idea, and it

*Morning Watch, for September, 1832, p. 48.

seems to be pure nonsense. I read for example in the book of Genesis, that Pharaoh king of Egypt, had two symbolical dreams, which were both fulfilled by real events, namely that of the seven well-favoured kine, and the seven good ears of corn, by the seven years of plenty; and that of the seven ill-favoured kine, and seven thin ears, by the seven years of famine.

We know also from the words of Jacob to his sons, how grievous the famine was. Why," said the aged patriarch, "do ye look one upon another? Behold I have heard that "there is corn in Egypt; get you down thither, and buy for

us from thence, that we may live and not die."* Now assuredly it has never yet entered into the mind of any sober person, that this famine was a symbolical fulfilment of Pharaoh's dreams. What then do these writers mean, when they tell us that the rise of the Papal power, and of the Gothic-Roman, and Harlot-ridden empire, were symbolical fulfilments of the Apocalyptic prophecies ? Were these events less real, and less tangible, and less noxious, than the seven years' famine in Egypt; and if not less real, and less tangible, how does it accord with Scriptural verity, to speak of them as being symbolical fulfilments of the symbols.+

Moreover, were we for a moment to grant the fact, that the seals and trumpets, the vials, and other symbols, are to be acted over again, how is their future fulfilment to be more literal than the past, unless we are indeed to suppose, that a literal Beast with seven heads, and ten horns, is to appear on the stage of the world; and unless we suppose, that a liquid called wrath, is to be poured out from seven literal bowls, &c., &c., &c. !!!

To go into the refutation of these schemes, would require volumes, for it is one of the contrivances of their advocates, absolutely to write down opposition, by such a mass of words as to defy any ordinary capacity, either of memory or of leisure, even to get possession of their reasoning. I shall therefore just observe, in reference to these writers, that it appears to me, that giving the reins to their imaginations, they

* Gen. xlii. 1, 2. + Morning Watch, for June, 1832, pp. 308, 321. Ibid. for September, 1832, p. 48.

bray as in a mortar the Apocalyptic visions; and mistaking resemblances for identities, they confound all chronology, all synchronisms, all order and all evidence of the past fulfilment of the Apocalypse, as also all well grounded confidence in any interpretation which can be given of it.

And that this censure is not too severe, I shall now proceed to show. In Rev. viii. 13, an angel flies through the midst of heaven, denouncing a triple Woe on the inhabitants of the earth. The first two woes, by the nearly unanimous consent of the Church during the last three centuries, are the Saracens and Turks. Now when the period allotted to the first wo is over, it is solemnly announced by the Spirit, chap. ix. 12, "one woe "is past and behold there come two more woes hereafter." I apprehend that this annunciation, as well as the similar one respecting the second wo, in xi. 14, are to be held, not only as chronological marks, but as merciful promises to the Church and the world, similar in character to that contained in the covenant of God with Noah; namely, that both these woes having once run their allotted course, are not again to be permitted to visit the earth. And let it be observed, that the interpreters whom we are now opposing, have always held the above interpretation of the first two wo trumpets, to be sound and correct; that is they have with us applied the first wo to the Saracens, and the second to the Turks. At length, however, they come forward with the new discovery, that the former fulfilment of these woes, in the desolations and darkness of many centuries was only symbolical, and without abandoning yea still holding that interpretation, they in flat contradiction, to the voice of the Spirit, that when the two former woes shall have once visited the earth, they are for ever past,† tell us that these woes having inflicted many centuries of calamity on the earth in one form, and being thus past, are about to renew their desolations in another more literal and therefore more awful shape. When the Spirit assures us, that two woes having once

*

* See a paper, by Mr. Irving, Morning Watch, No. XIV. June, 1832, pp. 309, and 321, also M. W. No. XV. p. 47.

The Greek word intimating the passing away, of both woes, is anλber, than which I presume a more emphatic one could not have been selected. It means literally that they have gone away, or departed.

run their course, there remains only one wo; these writers dare to come forward and announce a triple wo* even after the admitted fulfilment of the two former woes. Thus they do in effect maintain, that instead of three woes, there are at least five woes. I need not after this multiply words, to prove that this system confounds all chronology, and deprives the Church of all the consolation of knowing, that however sharp and bitter her remaining hour of suffering may be, yet there are at least some of her past cups of wo, which she is not called to drink again. These writers make her to drink every former cup twice, and if twice why not oftener, why not a dozen of times?

* Mr. Irving, in Morning Watch, No. XV. p. 30.

I am well aware how utterly hostile are the writers of this school of interpretation, to all close reasoning on the Apocalyptic prophecies, in the way of analysis. We who employ the mode of analysis, are in their estimation mere system builders, and symbol expounders; mere anatomists of God's word. (Morning Watch, No. X. p. 315.) Our humble labours are a discussing or dissecting of the word of God, or wrangling with proud familiarity over it. (No. XI. p. 52.) We are, however, neither to be intimidated, nor put out of temper, by such insinuations. We shall meet them by a few plain and calm remarks. Either the Apocalypse is a most exact prophecy, or it is not. To affirm that it is not, is in effect to say, that it is not from God. But if it be an exact prophecy, how is it to be understood and applied, excepting by an exact analysis? for what is the process of analysis, but the resolution of a complex subject, into all its parts, so as to overlook no analogy, and no distinction and difference however minute? To study the Apocalypse without dissecting, or anatomizing or analyzing it, for all these words are of like import, is therefore an affront to its Divine author. It is in fact to affirm, either that it is not worthy of a minute study, or that the mind of man may grasp it as a whole, without a close attention to all its parts. That which these writers apply to us as a term of censure, we therefore glory in, viz., that we are anatomists of the word of God. Let them not however say, that in so doing, we wrangle with proud familiarity over it, or "essay it in the flesh." To analyze God's word with the deepest sense of its importance, and with deep reverence, is not to wrangle over it, and is not a fleshly, but an eminently spiritual exercise; in which we expect, and desire, and pray for that illumination of the Spirit, without which we know that our labour is vain. There is, however, one species of anatomy, in which we dare not hold fellowship with some of these writers. We dare to anatomize the written word of God, because we believe that it was given us for that end; and we believe the eating of the Word, spoken of by Jeremiah xv. 16, to be just that intense study of it, which leads to a perfect analysis. But we dare not to dissect and anatomize the Word made flesh, and plunging into the mazes of human metaphysics, to declare, that the flesh in which He, the Lord of Glory, tabernacled when upon earth, was flesh of sin, (Morning Watch, No. XI. p. 33,) and that he took sinful flesh, and that "if Christ was made under the law he must have

The very essence of a chronological prophecy is, that the events signified in it, are to be accomplished within a specified period, and after being once fulfilled in that period, they are again to be acted in another period of time, it nullifies the chronology, and introduces endless confusion. Moreover what is to hinder a commentator if this be once admitted, from affirming that the whole four empires of Daniel, are again successively to receive power and dominion, and act their part a second time, and even a third and fourth time, in the great drama of prophecy.

But I shall be here met in limine by an objection to the whole of the foregoing reasoning. It will at once be said that I am carnal, resisting the Holy Ghost; for that the interpretations which I am now arguing against are according to the testimony of Mr. Irving, and, to use his words, the result of "the idea which, with many precious words of heavenly utterance, the Holy Ghost declaring and approving himself by other tongues, hath at sundry times, and through several vessels, made known in the midst of us." '—" All which carefully noting in my memory, pondering in my heart, and applying to the opening of

been made by his human nature liable to, yea, and INCLINED TO, all those things which the law interdicted." See Mr. Irving's pamphlet on the Human Nature of Christ, pp. 8, and 10. From such doctrines we start back with fear and dismay, counting them to be directly contrary to the word of God. It is only since I began to pen this Preface, that I for the first time have had in my hand, Mr. Irving's tract above-mentioned; I had before indeed, met with passages in his Lectures on the Apocalypse, respecting our Lord's Humanity, which I pointed out to some of his friends, as containing most fearful sentiments; but till I saw the pamphlet last-mentioned, I was not aware how far he had gone. I have now introduced this subject from a sense of duty, considering myself called upon to embrace the earliest opportunity of publicly expressing my utter opposition to this doctrine; and the more so as an idea has widely gone forth, that all who hold the belief of our Lord's pre-millenial advent and reign, participate in the sentiments of Mr. Irving, as to our Lord s Humanity. Let me add, however, that if Mr. Irving has erred on one side, it is to be feared that many have erred on the other, in denying that the humanity of our Lord, was the frail humanity of fallen Adam. The Fathers held quite other doctrine, as is evident from a passage in Athanasius against the Arians, wherein he uses the following words respecting our Lord's Incarnation, Ουδε γαρ εν ασωμάτω τα του σώματος αν εγεγόνει ει μη σωμα λαβων ην φθαρτον και Ovov." The things belonging to a body could not be in that which was incorporeal, unless he had taken a body corruptible and mortal." Athanas. Oper. vol. i. Part i. p. 604, Benedictine edition, Paris, 1689.