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is disputed, and apparently with some reason: though it does not seem to be very considerably wide of the mark. For according to the computation of Mr. Clinton, in his Fasti Hellenici recently published, (an authority of the first respectability,) after carefully adjusting the Hebrew chronology he makes the present year (1836) to be 5974 from creation, or within 26 years of the Seventh Millennary.* But within this twenty six years, if the Millennium is at the end of them to commence, events of the most intense importance are to occur; (as the restoration of the Jews, the great crisis of tribulation, &c.) and in the opinion of some intelligent interpreters, the Son of man appears for the salvation of his saints during the transaction of those events.

It may be proper to mention here, that Mr. Cuninghame, whose opinions on the interpretation of Prophecy are entitled to the serious consideration of every student, divides the period of the seventh trumpet into seven blasts, corresponding with the seven thunders of the Apocalypse, which blasts continue each of them during a period of seven years, the whole seven blasts extending through a Jubilean period of 49 years. The seventh septenary then, corresponding with the seventh or final blast of the seventh trumpet, he considers to have commenced in 1834, and that the downfall of Babylon with violence will consequently take place in 1840, to be followed by the gathering together of the Beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, and the treading of the wine press of the wrath of God.t

We

have in former numbers expressed our want of conviction in the view taken by Mr. Cuninghame of the Jubilean Chronology; but we still advance those considerations, which cause us to hesitate, merely as preventing that conviction, and leaving room for question; not as conclusive against his system.

Taking however the most scrupulous view of the subject, we cannot but be moved at the drawing together, to so comparatively small a focus, of the views of different writers, most of them independent of each other; together with the remarkable character of the times during the last half century, and the general expectation of some great crisis being at hand. Sure we are, taking any view of the subject, that 66 now is our Salvation nearer than when we believed;"-convinced we are likewise, that the coming of the Lord will be premillennial, however writers differ from each other respecting subordinate details;—the current of events all loudly proclaim that he is not "tarrying," but rather they seem to warn us that "a short work will the Lord make upon the earth ;"

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and whilst we look at no one par. ticular year, we are persuaded that the true posture of the Christian Church should be that of expecting the coming of the Bridegroom in any year and every year, and to stand with the loins girt and the light burning ready to receive him. May our Lord grant, to every professor of the truth, to join with the Spirit and the Bride in saying Come ;-and whereas his word assures us, Surely I come quickly;" to respond to it, "Amen, Even so, Come, Lord Jesus."

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* See an interesting notice of his Work in the Investigator, Vol. Iv. page 334.

Tract on the Jubilean Chronology, p. 21. &c.

We might name other writers of eminence, as Mr. Frere, Mr. Faber, &c. who place the years 1847 and 1865 as periods previous to which some of the events alluded to are to happen.

8

Original Essays.

ON THE PROPHETICAL CHARACTER OF THE PSALMS.

Perhaps no portion of the Word of God has been more prized in every age of the Church than the Book of Psalms. The reason of this is, as I apprehend, the fact, that so many of the Psalms set forth the personal experience of the believer under various circumstances; so that every child of God is almost certain, sooner or later, to find something in that experience corresponding with his own. Thus some have only a few favourite Psalms, because their experience of the divine life is not as yet sufficiently extensive to enable them to enter into others of a similar character; whilst some are not yet brought to view any of them with particular regard, because their short acquaintance with the believer's conflict has given them scarcely any experience at all. It is after a long warfare, when the Christian has nearly fought the good fight of faith,

-when he has at least run a considerable portion of his race, and is pressing forward to finish his course, -it is then that this Book becomes so much endeared to him, because his increased acquaintance with spiritual things gives him so much greater a capacity to understand and apply it.

I fear, however, that I shall provoke from some the imputation of pedantry, when I venture to assert, that there is perhaps no part of the word of God that is so frequently read, and yet so little understood! But I will put it to the conscience of the Reader himself:-are there

not some Psalms which are not delighted in, because they are either not comprehended, or presumed to relate to matters which he imagines will never have any reference to his own times or to his own immedi. ate spiritual concerns? Are there not in other Psalms, which do approve themselves on the whole, passages, nevertheless, which are not clearly understood, and which are consequently slurred over, even though the Psalm be read and meditated on? And to this I may add, (what possibly the reader is not aware of,)—that many of those, the meaning of which is by the generality supposed to be perceived, are not really understood, as regards their principal signification; but have a forced and accommodated sense put upon them, in order to adapt them to the ordinary experience of the Church.

Under this persuasion therefore, I purpose in a series of papers, if the Lord spare and condescend to aid me, to bring before the Readers of the Investigator and Expositor a brief exposition of the Psalms; whereby I conceive, if I possess the key to their right interpretation, I shall be made instrumental in enabling many, when they read the Psalms or hear them read, to take an interest in them, and derive a measure of edification from them, which as yet they have not experienced.

But first I must request the attention of the Reader to a few principles of interpretation, which must

be kept in view in the course of our exposition, and without the recollection of which the view which will be taken hereafter of many Psalms will appear arbitrary and destitute of scriptural foundation.

1st. I view the speaker, when he opens his mouth in righteousness, to be CHRIST; but-Christ in his head and members, or whole body. Sometimes he speaks as the head only, or in his own individual character; sometimes he speaks by his Spirit in his members, the Church; and sometimes it is as head and members together. This is a long recognised principle as regards Christ himself; it being obvious from our Saviour's own words, that many things were written in the Psalms concerning him ; and likewise from the fact, that what appears to be spoken in some places by David concerning himself, the Apostle insists must in its principal application be referred

to Jesus.c

It is overlooked, however, that the Spirit of Christ sometimes speaks in the character of the members of the body, and not so immediately as the head. Thus in the case of the promises made to Abraham, we see that the Holy Ghost sometimes refers those promises to Christ, as the seed of Abraham;d and sometimes they are applied to the more general posterity of Abraham, as when it is said, that his seed shall be as the stars of heaven or the sand upon the sea shore for multitude.e And this same promise of a countless multitude, as a seed, has an ultimate reference to that spiritual seed, who are believers in Christ and partakers of the faith of Abraham, which is in other words the members of Christ ;f so that the promises are made through Christ the head unto the members, who

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are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,g and viewed by the foreknowledge of Jehovah as in Christ;

-as it is written in Psalm cXXXIX, "Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."

We shall consequently find Israel spoken of, in his covenant relation to God, as one man, the reference being sometimes to the members, sometimes to the head. For example, Psalm cxxi is addressed throughout to some individual person, in the same manner as Psalm xcı, and the application is generally made primarily to Christ; but this person is in the 4th verse evidently Israel. So the words in Hosea xi. 1 "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt," are applied by St. Matt. to Christ;h but the context of Hosea x1 shews, that the primary application of the subject by the prophet is to Israel in the aggregate; and Matt. therefore can only apply it to Christ on the principle, that there is an identification of the head with the members. Once more St. Paul speaks of the spiritual Israel, as including both Jew and Gentile, as if they constituted but one individual, and this by virtue of union with their covenant head, Christ; so that those (he says) who were before "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, were in Christ Jesus made nigh,"who had made in himself of twain one new man ;" -“ reconciling both unto God in one body by the cross."'i In which place observe, that the whole are accounted to be Israel; but they are accounted so, as being now the one body of Christ.

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hend, alluded to sometimes in the head, sometimes in the members, sometimes in the entire,-who in the Psalms confesses sins, who walks in righteousness, who receives promises, who expresses confidence, who experiences deliverance, and in whom the whole word of God is fulfilled. The righteousness belongs to the head; the sin belongs only to the members; excepting that it is by imputation laid upon the head. This will reconcile the difficulty, so often felt by some, in regard to confession of sin, in Psalms which evidently apply to Christ; but which sins he never could have experienced himself: and also in regard to the apparent application of righteousness to man, which other Scriptures shew does not belong to any man but Jesus ; and which can only be imputed to others by virtue of their union with Christ. It is the viewing the Israel of God in this union, that leads the Spirit to say of him-" God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, the shout of a king is among them.”k— in which place observe, the reference is first to Israel in the singular number ("him") being viewed in the headship, either as Jacob, or Jacob's seed, Christ; and then in the plural number, ("them") being viewed in the members. In like manner also, dangers and deliverances are sometimes spoken of, which the Lord did not personally experience; but the Church either has or will experience them, and thus fill up in the members, what was behind hand of the sufferings of Christ.1

the head and members, the same as in the instance of Christ.

I need not again proceed to establish the principle in the abstract, that a congregation or body of individuals may be spoken of sometimes in reference to the multitude collectively, and sometimes in reference to their head: this has, I trust, been sufficiently proved in the case of the righteous, and therefore there can be no objection to the application of it to the unrighteous. All that is required will be a few examples in proof of allusion being made sometimes to the head, sometimes to the members of " the synagogue of Satan."

2. Secondly, I consider the speak er, when he opens his mouth in unrighteousness, or is spoken of as provoking to the uttermost the wrath of God, to be ANTICHRIST : and this in k Numb. xxiii. 21.

We have an instance then in Psalm vii. In verses 1 & 2 it is: "Save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me; lest he tear my soul like a lion, &c." In verses 13-16 it is written: "He (God) hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. (pl.) Behold he travaileth with iniquity &c." Another instance is in Habakkuk III. 13, 14 "Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked &c.: Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me; their rejoicing was to devour the poor secretly." The head here, if the context be considered, is evidently the same to whom chap. II is chiefly addressed, as to an individual"Yea also because he transgresseth by wine, a proud man, neither keepeth at home, (i. e. within bounds,) who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, &c." It again is evidently the same. as in Psalm cx. 6-" He shall wound the head over many countries.”* 1 Col. I. 24.

* The original is in the singular number, not heads as in our translation. The

3. I would finally observe, that various considerations induce me to view the prophetical portion of the Psalms as having principally a reference to the great crisis of the last days. There is doubtless a reference in them, in most instances, to the passing circumstances of David; who is, in relation to the ultimate object of the Spirit, merely a type. There is likewise a reference to the times of the first advent of Christ; because, as before stated, he declares that the Psalms speak of him, and they are applied to him by the Apostle: but in this instance the fulfilment is not complete, there being numerous circumstances which remain yet to be accomplished. It is further evident, from the very general use made of the Psalms by the Church in all ages, *that they are most of them susceptible of application to passing circumstances, which at any time may affect the believer politically or individually; and it is probable that the Psalms, and some of the more directly prophetical portions of Scripture, have been designedly couched in such terms as will enable the believer thus to apply them to the spiritual condition of the Church or of himself, that they may be profitable to the saints in all ages. But it will be equally evident, to him who desires to make a strict and satisfactory application of the whole of the Psalms, that they cannot in this way have received any thing like a full accomplishment. And if not a jot or tittle shall pass from the word of God, but all must be fulfilled, there must still be some period when the whole shall receive its comple

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tion in the fullest sense. those circumstances, to which portions of the Psalms have appeared applicable, (as, for example, former periods of apostasy and ungodliness,) have not been so intense in degree, or so complete in particulars, as to come up to the colouring of the prophet; which has given occasion to some to conclude, that the Holy Ghost employs the language of exaggeration, and exceeds the bounds of sobriety and truth, for the sake of indulging in rhetorical ornament :an idea most derogatory to the truth and holiness of God!

The real fact however appears to be, that the deficiency, in the instances just adverted to, of the events as compared with the description, arises from their not being the events which are ultimately contemplated by the Spirit; and the fulfilment therefore will never be equal in reality to the language of the Spirit, until that crisis arrives which is principally in the mind of the Spirit. For, to advert once more to the description of the apostate and ungodly, there never has been a period when the characteristics of the wicked have not been more or less visible in individuals. Even that awful picture given in Romans III. 10—18, which is made up of quotations gathered from the Psalms and the Prophets, is declared by St. Paul to be specially addressed to those that were under the Law, and applicable to the character of man, and to the Jews in particular, throughout the legal dispensation. And these same things being thus quoted and brought before us in the Gospel, appeal in like

Septuagint has it plural, kɛpaλag: and it is remarkable in how many instances the Sept. changes the singular of the Hebrew into the plural.

* There exist considerably more than 200 published expositions or paraphrases of the Psalms; about one half of which are contained in commentaries on the whole of the Scriptures, and are in many instances compiled; but the larger moiety may be considered as original, and have been published independently.

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