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ART. IV. A connected and chronological View of the Prophecies relating to the Christian Church; in twelve Sermons: preached in Lincoln's Inn Chapel from the Year 1800 to 1804, at the Lecture founded by the Right Rev. William Warburton, Lord Bishop of Gloucester. By Robert Nares, A.M. F.R.S. F.A.S. Archdeacon of Stafford, &c. 8vo. pp. 371. 7s. 6d. Boards. Rivingtons.

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T the Lecture instituted by Dr. Warburton, for the purpose of proving the truth of the Christian religion from the completion of the Prophecies, four series of sermons have been preached. The first was by Dr. Hurd, now Bp. of Worcester, published in 1772; the second by Dr. Hallifax, afterward Bp. of Gloucester, in 1776; the third by Dr. Bagot, afterward Bp. of Bristol, Norwich, and St. Asaph, in 1780; and the fourth by Dr.Apthorpe, Rector of St. Mary-le-Bow, in 1786. Having followed such predecessors, Mr. Nares may be supposed to have had peculiar stimuli to exertion: but, whether he regarded the subject as in a manner exhausted, or whether he felt himself unequal to enter into a deep and erudite discussion of it, he has contented himself with tracing a general outline, and with giving short comments on the prophecies from Genesis to the Revelation. Such superficial notices are adapted to an ordinary congregation, but are not (we should think) calculated for the Society of Lincoln's Inn, and for the War burtonian Lecture.

• Prophecy is considered as the bond of connection between the two Covenants; and as our Saviour declares (Luke xxiv. 44.) that there are passages in the law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, which refer to him, the first object of these discourses is to enumerate and discuss those prophecies which relate to him as author and perpetual head of the Christian Church,' and the second to arrange and explain those which foretell the fate of his disciples, whether adverse or prosperous, from the time of his departure from them, to that of his last most solemn advent.'

The greatest portion of the volume is occupied with remarks on the prophecies of the O. T.; in which Mr. Nares, though occasionally he hints at being original, appears to us to follow a very beaten track, and to retail a number of old fashioned observations. He gives himself credit for exactly marking the commencement of the Jewish Theocracy to be at the time when (Exod. vi. 3.) Jehovah declares to the Israelites that he will be their God; and he boldly tells us that, on the soundest authorities of the Jewish and Christian Churches, Jehovah is Christ, so that virtually the Jewish nation was then under the government of Christ. We think that Mr. Nares would be puzzled

puzzled to produce any sound authority in the Jewish Church, which asserted that Jehovah and the Messiah were the same person; and it is not easy to reconcile such a position with the doctrine of the Trinity, unless we "confound the persons,” which we are prohibited from doing.

We are also informed, in the same sermon, that the death of Christ, as historically recorded, took place on the very day of the paschal sacrifice, which it was to supersede.' There is certainly no originality in this doctrine, which has been maintained before Mr. Nares preached his lectures: but, if he had read Dr. Whitby's Appendix to his Annotations on the 14th chapter of St. Mark, or Jennings's account of the Passover in his Jewish Antiquities, he must have been convinced that such a position is untenable.

With reference to Types and Double Senses, the preacher repeats assertions which have been often advanced on these subjects, but he has presented us with no new light. All judicious interpreters must be aware of the peril which we encounter in abandoning the imagination to the discovery of types, and of the double and treble accomplishments of prophecies. It is edifying, indeed, to teach us that the Israelites altogether are justly considered as typifying the Christian world. Their bondage in Egypt is truly said to represent the natural and unconverted state of man, in bondage to sin and wrath. God then became their King, and by the blood of the Paschal Lamb, rescued them from impending destruction, Their passage through the wilderness delineates to us the probationary struggles of Christians; and the promised land of Canaan prefigures the heavenly Kingdom, towards which we travel in our pilgrimage through life. Such hints are often administered to country congregations: but we suspect that the critics of Lincoln's Inn did not approve of having David, the adulterer and man of blood, represented as a type of the immaculate Prince of peace; nor, because Christ affirms that allusion is made to him in the Psalms, of having it laid down as a general position that Every thing in the Psalms may be considered in some sense as applicable to him.' Is it logical to erect an universal proposition on particular facts?

Many divines besides Mr. Nares have contended for the double sense of prophecy: but the objection against this mode of interpretation is truly formidable, and nothing which is advanced in this volume contributes in the smallest degree to remove it. On the other hand, the very instances which are produced as explanatory of a double sense are adverse to that idea. A passage in Numbers xxiv. 27. is given as an instance of the twofold meaning or intention of prophecy: but " the star and the

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sceptre, which were to smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Seth," cannot, without making more use of fancy than of judgment, be applied to the conquests of the Jews, and to the peaceful reign of the Messiah. We are taught that, by "the sons of Seth," we are to understand all mankind but the preacher does not tell us, as he ought to do, that Christ was to smite all mankind.

A chain of prophecies obviously referring to Christ will be found in the O. T.: but to endeavour without adequate reason to increase their number, and to maintain that our Saviour was intended to be designated wherever the circumstances apply to him,' will serve only to increase the cavils of infidels. Aware of the danger of attempting to prove too much, we should be inclined to adopt that plan which is calculated to diminish rather than to accumulate objections; and we would recommend to Mr. Nares the perusal of Dr. Sykes's remarks on double senses, and on the method of judging of the sense of Revelation (see Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion, p. 217. et seq.) Dr. S. observes that "our Saviour and the Apostles applied the term to fulfill, where there was only a similitude of circumstances, and that they cited the words of the Old Testament, without always designing to express the accomplishment of a prophecy." The adaptation of past circumstances to present events is noted by the Evangelists, without the intimation of a prediction or of a double sense. Convincing instances of this fact are quoted by Dr. Sykes.

Having separately noticed the succession of Jewish prophets, Mr. Nares, when he arrives at the awful interval of 400 years which occurred between the two dispensations, takes a retrospective view of the first part of his subject. From this sermon (No. 9.) we shall make an extract:

If we consider the conduct of Divine Providence towards the Jews, and the manifest uses of prophecy to them, we shall see other probable reasons (and, since Scripture is silent upon it, only probable reasons can exist) for this long interruption of the line of Prophets. When their kingdom was first settled, with the express approbation of God, under his faithful servant David, the promise of the Messiah was fixed to his family, and became a constant subject of prophetic vision to that inspired Monarch; insomuch that, in all his Psalms, whatever be their primary intention, there may be understood a secret, if not a manifest reference, to that glorious Personage, and his everlasting Kingdom. The same happened, in some degree, to his son and successor Solomon. But, when he fell into idolatry; and, still more, when the kingdom, after him, was divided, and the separated kingdom of Israel had been formed into a regular establishment of idolatrous worship, two great uses of prophecy, among others, beGame particularly conspicuous; 1. the one, to warn both Israel and

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Judah of the impending punishments, which must ensue, if they continued their idolatrous practices; 2. the other, to preserve and keep alive their faith in that Great Deliverer, who was hereafter to appear. Various other collateral purposes, both to the Jews, and to other nations, were effected, from time to time, by means of prophecy; but these were the great lines, continued through every part of the dispensation, and perpetually recalled to notice.

At length the vengeance, so long threatened, fell upon the whole nation; and seventy years of captivity, in a foreign country, while their city, their territory, and their temple, were trodden down and lay in desolation, proved beyond all controversy one part of the above proposition, i. e. "that God would punish for idolatry in the way that be bad then denounced; namely, by rejection, and national shame." But, in the deep misery of this infliction, there was a danger, that the contrary movement of despair might succeed to the infatuated obsti nacy of the people: or it might have happened, that, when they were removed, for nearly two generations, from their own language, and all the local recollections of their country; placed in the midst of idolaters, and in a state of slavery under them, they might totally. have forgotten their God, their duties, and their hopes, and have become an undistinguishable part of the people among whom they lived. To prevent these evils, their prophets were continued through the captivity, during which period some of the most illustrious of those heavenly Messengers were commissioned to instruct, to comfort, and to warn them. When they returned from captivity, while their second temple was building, and their re-established nation was gra dually acquiring solidity and strength, the line of prophets was continued, for about a century.

The promises of the Messiah had now been confirmed, and fully opened; and their last prophet, Malachi, concluded his Book with what appears, as before noticed, to be a farewell charge. For he told them, "that the Sun of Righteousness should arise, with healing in his wings: that they ought in the mean time, to adhere to the Law of Moses, and the Statutes given to Israel in Horeb; and that before THE GREAT DAY of the Lord," that is, THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, "Elias should be sent, to prepare His way, lest the whole land should fall under the curse of unbelief." This is the substance of the concluding verses of Malachi, and contains a kind of general warning, respecting the Messiah, and the interval which was to precede his manifestation.

The chief purposes of prophecy, with respect to the Jews, were now completed. The people were weaned from idolatry, into which they never afterwards relapsed; the Laws of Moses, and the service of the Temple, were re-established, and were not likely to be again neglected; the promise of the Messiah was made as clear as words could make it; and no new punishment remained to be denounced. The intervening period was to be a period of expectation; resting on former promises, and the written records of Scripture; till He should come into the world, who was to fulfil all promises, and realize all authorized hopes. Providence does nothing in vain. While prophecy could render service, it was continued; when it could do no

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more than was already done-no more than would be equally effected by its preservation in writing, it ceased; and revived no more till the approach of him, who had been its first and greatest object.'

This passage will shew that Mr. Nares possesses some of the qualities of a good preacher.

In the second grand division of his subject, he ranges the prophecies under 10 heads:

1. The rejection of the Jews, and call of the Gentiles. 2. The preaching of the Gospel throughout the world. 3. The persecutions of the Apostles and their converts. 4 The destruction of Jerusalem. 5. The fate of Rome, and its conversion. 6. The rise of Mahomet and the Saracenic power. 7. The rise and character of Antichrist. 8. The conversion of the Jews. 9. The general prevalence of the Gospel. 10. The universal Resurrection, and Day of Judgment.'

It is not in our power to attend the preacher through these particulars but we cannot avoid noticing that he speaks with commendable caution on the return of the Jews to their own land; remarking that it is by no means improbable that the expressions employed respecting their land may be altogether figurative. In conclusion, he trusts that the contemplation of the subject of prophecy will confirm the faith of the Christian and that hence such light in due time will beam on the accomplishment of those predictions which respect a future period, as will completely dissipate the doubts of the Infidel, and give to Gospel Truth an universal triumph. If we cannot subscribe to all Mr, Nares's positions, in this pleasing contemplation we sincerely accord,

ART. V. A Vindication of the Justice and Policy of the late Wars carried on in Hindostan and the Deckan, by Marquis Wellesley, Governor General, &c. &c.. in Conjunction with his Highness the Peishwah, Bajee Rao, Chief of the Marhatta States; against the subordinate Marhatta Chieftains, Dowlut Rao Scindiah, Ragajee Bhoonsiah, and Jesswunt Rao Holkar. 4to. 5s. sewed. Stockdale. 1806.

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NDIVIDUALS in parliament, the East India Company, the Directors, and the public voice, impute misconduct to the Maquis Wellesley in the administration of the affairs of India. The dispatch proposed to be sent to the noble Marquis by the Directors, of which the public is now in possession, embraces a vast mass of criminating matter, stated with great ability and temper; and in mild and gentle terms, severe charges are preferred against the late Governor-General. The Mahratta war seems to be the chief grievance, which, under the appearance of being lightly touched, is here deeply probed. It is not usual

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