And Jude 5. runs in Lachmann's edition thus, " Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not."

Now I believe the principle on which all these applications are made is one and the same; namely, that whereever the Old Testament speaks of God as manifesting his glory, or showing himself in any visible form to his people, or descending to visit his people, or to judge their enemies, it is to be understood as speaking of the Word or Son of God, who afterwards was manifested in the flesh in the Person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This principle rests on the notion, that God the Father is and ever has been invisible to man, " dwelling in light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen or can see.” “No man hath seen God at any time: the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." God thus reveals himself to man only in his Son, he communicates with man only by his word.

Thus in Deuteronomy xxxii. 43. the Lord is spoken of as about to judge his people, and to take vengeance on their enemies, attended by his holy angels. At his appearance the heavens rejoice with him, and all the angels of God bow down before him; then he executes his work of judgment, and thoroughly cleanses the land of his people. But all these expressions indicating One who is not veiled in light inaccessible, but who descends on earth, and is manifested to men and angels, are therefore understood to be applicable only to God the Son.

So in Psalm xlv. 6. the Person there addressed as God is described as a King going forth to war, as conquering, as reigning visibly amongst his people. This can only be the Son of God, and therefore he is in the Psalm itself distinguished from God the Father: the Psalmist says to him, "God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

Again, in Psalm cii. the Lord there spoken of " arises to have mercy upon Zion,” (v. 13.) and comes down to earth, "when the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." Here therefore is an appearance Qaveía, of the glory of God; and therefore he who appears is God the Son.

Isaiah vi. 1—10. contains a description of a vision in which God manifested himself to the prophet Isaiah. "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." "Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts." But no man hath seen God at any time; that is, God the Father. And therefore St. John, quite naturally, if I may so speak, observes of the words which he had just before quoted from the tenth verse of this chapter," These things said Isaiah, when he saw his (i.e. Christ's) glory, and spake of him.”

So again in Zechariah xii. 10. God describes himself as taking vengeance on the enemies of his people, and restoring Jerusalem; using the words," they shall look on me whom they have pierced." Here again is a visible manifestation of the Godhead, and therefore St. John understands it of him, who was pierced visibly before his own eyes with the Roman soldier's spear.

When St. Paul says that the Israelites "drank” in the wilderness" of that spiritual Rock which followed them, and that Rock was Christ," and when St. Jude speaks of "Jesus who delivered his people out of Egypt," the notion seems to be the same. He who delivered the people out of Egypt was the same who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and whose glory in a visible form was manifested on the tabernacle. And therefore he who led and supported his people in the wilderness was Christ.

In Psalm lxviii. 18. he who ascended on high, is the God who dwelleth in Zion, and who" went before his

people" in the wilderness: "whose chariots are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.” (ver. 7, 16, 17.) And the very word" ascended" can be only applicable to God on the supposition of his being on earth. But God visiting mankind on earth is Christ.

Joel ii. 27. speaks of God being "in the midst of Israel;" and of" the great and terrible day of the Lord." (ver. 31.) The great day of God is the day of God's appearing, to judge the wicked, and to raise up the good. What St. Paul calls our blessed hope," the glorious appearing of the great God," (Titus ii. 13.) St. Peter calls "the day of God." (2 Peter iii. 12.) And therefore when Joel, after speaking of the coming of " the great and terrible day of the Lord," goes on immediately to say, (ver. 32.) that "whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered," it is evident that he means that Lord whose great day" or whose "appearing" should then have taken place. But God appearing to judge mankind is Christ.

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Finally, Isaiah xlv. 23. must be connected with the beginning of the prophecy in chap. xl. where God, who avenges his people upon Babylon, is expressly said to "visit the cities of Judah," and they are called upon to "behold their God." (xl. 9.) And in chap. xlv. also, in the verse immediately preceding that to which St. Paul refers, God says, " Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." (ver. 22.) And in ver. 24. it is added, "To him shall men come." Here then we have again the notion of God coming down from heaven, and being present among his people, and therefore he to whom every knee shall bow," (ver. 23.) is rightly understood by St. Paul to be Christ the Lord, at whose judgment-seat we shall all stand.

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IT has been my earnest endeavour in the foregoing pages to avoid as much as possible all such questions as might be likely to engender strife; that is to say, such as are connected with the peculiar opinions of any of the various parties existing in the Church. If these are not touched upon, men can differ without hostility, they can analyse a book fairly, can disapprove of some things in it, and yet approve of others; nay, can think its main conclusions erroneous, without condemning it as unsound and mischievous. I have tried so to write on the subject of Prophecy, as not to shock even those from whom on many other points I differ widely. Once or twice I found myself on the very edge of debateable ground: but as my argument did not oblige me to enter on it, I was glad not to cross its boundaries. At the same time I need not, I trust, say, that what I have written is in no respect coloured for the purpose of conciliation: if any one agrees with the views and language of this volume, let him be assured, that so far the agreement between us is real; that I hold these views and use this language as sincerely and as earnestly as he could do himself; and let him share with me the comfort of believing, for surely a great comfort it should be to Christians, that there are other points over and above the main articles of our common faith, on which we can truly have the same mind and speak the same thing.

THE END.

BAXTER, PRINTER, OXFORD.