sides what has already occurred to illustrate his character, it may be observed, that he was of a lively and penetrating genius, of a sociable temper, and inoffensively pleasant upon occasions. He was a person of unblemished integrity, and exceedingly liberal, for, notwithstanding the largeness of his revenues, his fortune was almost exhausted by his benefactions to Oxford and Reading. His piety was no less exemplary and distinguished, being constant at his chapel and private devotions.

Lord Clarendon, indeed, describes "his temper as being somewhat sudden, and that his passion was too soon kindled: that he failed in a plausible application, neglected address, and believed bare honesty and vigorous pursuit sufficient to carry him through." Notwithstanding this, the same great historian treats his memory with high respect, reporting him "as a person of eminent learning and piety: that he behaved himself with great Christian courage and magnanimity on the scaffold; and that his good qualities were obtained by a very few, and the greatest of his infirmities were common to the best of men." His remains were interred in Barking church near the Tower, with the office appointed by the liturgy, which was the more remarkable, as on the day when his attainder passed the lords they voted down the Book of Common Prayer, and ordered the Directory should be used instead of it*.

the

WORKS--1. Seven Sermons preached on public occasions, in years 1621, 1622, 1625, 1626, and 1628; printed in those years, and re-printed together at London in 1651, 12mo.

2. A Relation of the Conference between him and Fisher the Jesuit, fol. London, 1624, again in 1637, and lastly in 1673, with an Index.

3. Answer to the Remonstrance made by the House of Commons in 1628.

4. A Speech delivered in the Star Chamber on Wednesday' the 14th of June 1637, at the censure of John Bastwick, Henry Burton, and William Prynne, concerning Pretended Innovations in the Church, 4to.

The following pieces of his were published by others:

5. Annotations, or Memorables of King James I. published by W. Prynne, in 1644.

6. The Diary of his Life, in 1644, by the same person, but in a most shamefully mangled manner. It was printed in a correct manner by the learned Henry.Wharton, in 1695, folio, - together with the remains of the archbishop.

Collier, ii. 835.

7. Offi

7. Officium quotidianum, or a manuel of private, devotions, written by him, was published in 1650, and 1663, in 12mo.

8. A Summary of Devotions, London 4667, 12mo. from his

own copy.

9. A Letter sent from him when prisoner in the Tower to the Vice Chancellor, Doctors, and the rest of the Convocation at Oxford, intimating his humble desires to his Majesty for a speedy, reconcilement between him and his High Court of Parliament.

10. Several Letters in the Cabala; in Dr, Parr's Life of Archbishop Usher; and in G. J. Vossii & clarorum virorum ad eum Epistola, London, 1690.

1

SACRED CRITICISM. No. XIX.

A CRITIQUE ON OUR LORD's PROPHECIES,

OUR

Matt. xxiii. xxiv. xxv.

PART II.

Continued from Page 21.

UR Lord proceeds to describe, in the brilliant and glowing imagery of ancient prophecy, the great terrestrial changes, or natural and political convulsions and revolutions which were to take place throughout the world, at the expiration of the desolations of the Jewish, and persecutious of the Christian Church; and immediately to precede his presence:

"But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of THE SON OF MAN in the heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall view the SON OF MAN coming in the clouds of the heaven, with much power and glory."

"And He shall send forth his angels with a trumpet of great sound, and shall assemble together his elect, from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." Matt. xxiv. 29-31.

The Evangelist Luke, in the parallel passage, has given an admirable explanation of "these signs in the sun, and moon, and sturs;" as denoting “ denoting "upon earth distress of Nations with perplexity-men's hearts fainting with fear, Vol. VII. Churchm. Mag. Aug. 1804. N

and

and expectation of the [woes] coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then they shall view the SON OF MAN coming in a cloud with much power and much glory."

"But when these [signs] begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption draweth nigh." Luke xxi. 25-28.

The apostle Peter has recorded a contrary error to that noticed by our Lord, and the apostle Paul, which was to prevail in "the last days," namely of those Infidel

scoffers," who were to deny the second advent of Christ in glory; saying, "Where is the promise of his presence? for ever since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue [as they were] from the beginning of the creation." 2 Pet.

iii. 3-4.

In answer by anticipation to this objection of future ages, drawn from the delay of our Lord's promise, the apostle observes, that what appears long to man is short to God: that "with THE LORD, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day! years as one day." And he assigns the merciful reason of the apparent delay:

"The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some count delay; but He is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come over to repentance:"—9.

And he proceeds to state the certainty and the unexpectedness of its execution, as our Lord had done before; and illustrated in the instance of the deluge, Matt. xxiv. 3744. Compare Luke xxi. 35. 1 Thess. v. 2.-Rev,

xvi. 15.

"For the day of THE LORD will come as a thief by night; in which the heavens shall pass away with an explosion, and the elements shall be dissolved with heat, and the earth, and the works therein, shall be burnt up.

-10.

This, like our Lord's, is a highly figurative description, in the glowing imagery of ancient prophecy, of that fiery trial, (1 Cor. iii. 13.) which shall destroy and consume all the enemies of God and his Church, in perfect conformity also, with Peter's discourses on the day of Pentecost, Act. ii. 19-21. and afterwards, Act. iii. 19-21. Compare Joel ii. 31-32. Isa. xxxiv. 4. &c. 2 Thess. i. 710. &c.

And that this is the apostle's meaning, is evident from

the

the concluding exhortation and application of the doctrine:

"Since then, all these are to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought ye to be in holy conversations and religious exercises? Expecting and hastening the appearance of the day of GOD; during which, the heavens shall be dissolved with fire, and the elements consume with heat: for, according to his promise we do expect a new heaven, and new earth, wherein righteousness shall reside. Wherefore, beloved, expecting these, strive to be found by Him in peace, unspotted and unblameable, and count our Lord's delay, salvation.”—11, 15.

Ye then, beloved, fore-knowing [the promise of our LORD] be on your guard, that ye be not perverted by the error of lawless [scoffers], and fall off from your proper stedfastness [of expectation;] but [rather] grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. To him be glory, both now, and unto the day of the age [to come] Amen."-17, 19.

Here the apostle led them to expect "new heavens and a new earth," or a regeneration and thorough reformation of the present world, according to the language of prophecy, Isa, lxv. 17. lxvi. 22. Jer. iii. 16. xxxi. 31 -33. Hag. ii. 6-9. Rev. xxi. 1—5.

And that this interpretation is conformable to the primitive doctrine of the Church of England, at the time of the Reformation, (though unhappily in these last days, fallen rather into neglect and dispute) may appear from the admirable commentary on this mysterious passage, in King Edward the Sixths Catechism, 1553.

"Master. The end of the world Holi Scripture calleth the fulfyllynge and parformaunce of the kingdome and mystery of Christ, and the renewing of all thynges: for, (sayth the apostle Peter in his second epistle, the third chapter) "We loke for a new heaven and a new earth, according to the promise of God, whearin dwelleth ryghteousnesse. And it semeth reason, that corruption, unstedfaste chaunge and synne, whereunto the whole world is subject, should at length have an end. Now bi what way, and what fashion circumstaunces, these thinges shal come to passe, I would fayne heare thee tell.

"Scholer. I will tell you, as well as I can, accordynge to the wytnesse of the same apostle, "The heavens shal passe awaye like a storm: the elementes shall melt awaye; the earthe, and all the workes therein, shall bee consumed wyth

N 2

wyth fire;" as thoughe he should say: as gould is wont to be fined, so shall the whole world be purified with fire, and be broughte to hys full perfection. The lesser world, which is man, followyng the same, shall lykewyse bee delyvered from corruption and chaunge: and so, for man, this greater worlde, which for hys sake was first created, shall, at length, be renewed; and be clad wyth another hew, much more pleasaunt and beautifull.”

That our forefathers of the Reformation did not confound Christ's coming at the regeneration, with his coming, at the final consummation of all things, to the general judgment, will also appear from the next question:

Master. What then remayneth?

"Scholer. The last and general dome. For Christe shall come at whoes voice al the dead shall ryse againe, perfecte and sound both in bodi and soul: (John v. 2829.) The whole world shall beholde hym sittynge in the royal throne of hys Majestie; and after the examination of everye man's conscience, the laste sentence shal be pronounced: Then the chyldren of God shall bee in perfecte possessyon of that kingdome of fredome from death and of everlasting life, whyche was prepared for them before the foundacyons of the world were layd,' and they shall reygne wyth Christe for ever,' (Rev. xxii. 5.) But the ungodlye' that beleved not, shall be throwen from thense into everlastynge fyre appointed for the devil and his angelles,' Matt. xxv. 31-46, 1 Cor. xv. 24. Rev. xx. 11-15.)

And that our forefathers looked forward with earnest expectation and joyful hope, to the full establishment of the kingdom of God upon earth; is evident also, from the admirable commentary of the same Catechism upon the second petition of our Lord's prayer:

hys

Scholer. In the second part we require, that' kyngedome come;" For we see not yet all thynges in subjection to CHRIST, (Heb. ii. S. Psal. viii. 6. Psal. cx. 12. 1 Cor. xv. 25-27. Ephes. i. 22. 1 Pet. iii. 22. &c.) We see not the stone hewed of from the mountayne, wythoute worke of man, which also brosed and brought to nought the image' whiche Daniell descriveth, (ii. 34 -41) that the onlye "rock CHRISTE" may obtayn and possesse the dominion of the hole world, graunted him of his Father, (1 Cor. x. 4. Matt. xvi. 18. 1 Cor. iii. 11. Dan. vii. 13—27.) Antichrist is not yet slayne;' 2 Thess. ii. 8-10, Rev. xix, 20. Dan. vii, 10.) For thys

cause