either of the aspiring or of the self-inquiring mind, as the endeavour to clear the way towards the infolded meanings of our life-giving Scriptures, the fruits of which may then become our own? The sentiments of an able theologian upon this subject are so favourable to the pursuit, that a passage from his much valued work must here be quoted.

"A like labour of the mind, with a similar exercise of our faculties, is requisite, in order to obtain knowledge, both human and divine: this is the very purpose of that Being who confers the blessing; we must seek to find, and knock to have it opened. From discoveries hence made, we learn what a number of latent truths are to be found in the Scriptures; and when these, upon examination, are observed, they afford more inward satisfaction, and are more conducive to faith, than if they were superficial and self-evident. They likewise increase our regard for the Scriptures; for the more we discover of latent design and wisdom in an object, the greater will be our veneration, and the stronger our faith 1."

1 Gray's Key to the Old Testament.

What a still more modern writer has said, in respect to the conviction which must follow mathematical demonstration, may also be brought to bear upon the conviction which we ought to feel, when we see a remote Prophecy fulfilled in our own days. "I need not add that, whenever such mathematical reasoning can be applied, it affords the only means of rendering doubt absurd, and dissent ridiculous."

Close, L

May, 1837.

J. H.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PRELIMINARY.

The evil spirit conspicuously portrayed in the Holy Scriptures, p. 2.-Change

effected in the moral government of the world by the fall of man, p. 2.—

Increase of worldly knowledge in the present day, calling for, and encou-

raging, a farther and deeper investigation of the Bible, p. 3.-The New

Testament throwing light upon the temporary obscurity of the Old Testament

prophecies, p. 5.-Sir Isaac Newton's opinion of prophecy, p. 5.—Instance

of this in the explanation given by subsequent revelations, of the wickedness

of the old world, and prevalent idolatry of the new, p. 7.-Opinion of St.

Chrysostom stated respecting St. Paul's especial communications to the Ephe-

sians, p. 9.—Consideration of the predestinated children, p. 10.—The wheat

and tares, p. 11.—The multiplied conception, and the sorrow consequent upon

it, p. 12. Cain and Abei, p. 13.-The substitute, provided for murdered Abel,

requisite as a revival or perpetuation of the good seed, p. 14.-Three different

seeds in the world, p. 15.-Cain's progeny specially marked, p. 16.—The cause

why the worship of God did not preeminently succeed in the new world, traced

in the nature of the three sons of Noah, p. 17.—From their progeny arose the

predicted empire of Daniel, p. 18.—The wickedness of these nations only to

be accounted for upon the principle of Satan's ascendancy in the new world,

as well as in the old, p. 19.—Gradual but increasing spread of the good seed,

p. 20. Their long oppression, p. 21.-Instanced in the destruction of the

Jews by the Romans, p. 22.-Roman empire prefigured in the Revelations

by the beacon colour, red, p. 22.-Extract from Burnside, on the tempta-

tions of evil spirits, p. 23.

CHAPTER II.

THE METALLIC IMAGE.

Probability that some particular prophecies may for a season have been mis-

taken, and applied to objects which they only partially resembled, p. 30.—

The clearer subsequent development of such prophecies of great use in giving

interest to the Scriptures, p. 31.—The Metallic Image of the book of Daniel

generally considered to be a compendium of the four empires of Babylon,

Persia, Greece and Rome, p. 31.—Strange omission of the Saracenic in this

system, p. 32.-Spirit of idolatry in ancient Babylon, p. 33.-Satanic influence

circulating in all the four great empires, p. 34.-Nebuchadnezzar's dream,

in Daniel's fourth chapter, containing an infolded prediction of the ap-

proaching fall of the empire, p. 34.-Improbability that Daniel should portray

a falling dynasty under the symbol of a rising beast, p. 35.-Though the last

beast of the series must synchronize with the last empire of the Metallic

Image, it does not follow that the first empires should have commenced at the

same time, or been duplicates of each other, p. 35.-Probable reason why the

lion should be suffered for a season to be identified with the golden head,

p. 36.-Different scales laid down for the compendiums, p. 37.—The æra of

the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus, the basis of Pagan chronology, p. 38.—

Seventh chapter of Daniel, p. 38.-The lion shown to tally best with the

silver emblem of the Metallic Image of the twofold state of the Medes and

Persians, p. 43.-The bear strictly applicable to Alexander as a devourer of

flesh, but not admitted to a fundamental station in the Metallic Image, in con-

sequence of the short duration of Alexander's conquests, p. 44.-The Grecian

empire raised on one side, p. 45.—The leopard and the brass empire strictly

descriptive of the Romans. The leopard's four heads described, p. 46.—

The fourth beast, and the iron and clay kingdom, identified with the Saracenic

empire, which exceeded every other in enmity towards the religion, and the

people of God: improbability that such an empire would be omitted in the

scheme of prophecy, p. 47.-The feet and toes of the Image portending by

the difference of their texture the two descriptions of people brought into

juxta position under the Saracenic dominion: the impossibility of their

union, p. 48.-Duration of this last Antichristian empire, p. 49.—Arrange-

ment of the parts of the Metallic Image, in connection with the series of the

four beasts, according to the preceding hypothesis, p. 50.—Allusion to the

two horned beast of the thirteenth chapter of the Revelations, p. 51.

CHAPTER III.

CONCERNING ESAU.

Commentators hitherto unable to reconcile the dominion, which arose in Arabia,

with the blessing pronounced either upon Ishmael or Esau, p. 53.-Situation