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النشر الإلكتروني

217

Correspondence.

"THIS GENERATION."-MATT. XXIV. 34.

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As the verse ("Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled") is generally quoted as an insuperable objection to applying the portion of Scripture, with which it stands in connexion, to the second coming of Christ to establish his Millennial kingdom on earth, allow me to quote a note from Dr. Adam Clarke's Commentary on Matt. xxiv. 34.

The Doctor may be considered as an impartial testimony on the subject, as he is by no means considered a modern Millennarian.

v. 34. "This generation shall not pass,” ἡ γενεα αυτη this race, i. e. the Jews, shall not cease from being a distinct people, till all the counsels of God relative to them and the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. Some translate yɛvɛa ȧvrn this generation, meaning the persons who were then living, that they should not die before these signs &c. took place; but though this was true, as to the calamities that fell upon the Jews, and the destruction of their government, temple, &c. yet as our Lord mentions Jerusalem continuing to be under the power of the Gentiles, till the fulness of the Gentiles should come in, (i. e. till all the nations of the world should receive the Gospel of Christ, after which the Jews themselves should be converted unto God, Rom. XI. 25.) I think it more proper not to restrain its meaning to the few years which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem; but to

understand it of the care taken by divine Providence to preserve them as a distinct people, and yet to keep them out of their own land and from their temple service."

Thinking this quotation may aid further to establish the view which has already been taken of this verse. I remain, &c. W. G.

THE SIXTH VIAL.-REV. XVI.

To the Editor of the Investigator. Sir,

I beg to address you, and as shortly as is possible, on a sufficiently important subject. I agree with the general body of your Correspondents, in thinking that the prophetical portions of Scripture have been unwarrantably, and indeed dangerously, neglected by some; and still farther, that a decided prejudice against the study of them has been excited by others. I am also of opinion, that the study of prophecy has restored many a careless mind to Christian comforts and devout impressions; which is less to be wondered at if it be allowed, (as I think it must be,) that within the last thirty years so remarkable a light has been thrown upon the obscurer points of Daniel and the Apocalypse, as to leave little reasonable doubt that the Spirit of God has furthered the effect; though not to afford absolute demonstration thereof. I add those last words, because too many writers on these topics have used the terms "estab

lished," proved," and "demonstrated," far too freely, and therefore disadvantageously to their cause.

What however may be decidedly good in itself, is scarcely ever, as the world is at present constituted, free from some peculiar danger of its own and I suspect you will concur in the observation, that an interest of so captivating and engrossing a nature may be, and often has been, excited by works on prophecy, as to render all common occurrences, including of course many valuable but every-day duties, quite tasteless in comparison. One ill effect of such high state of excitement is to generate impatience, not only in the student, but in his readers; and (to speak the truth) something like disgust with the word of God, if their impatience be not gratified.

Sir, I have considered this prelude necessary, and shall for the present assume, that we all agree in applying a leading event described under the sixth Apocalyptic vial, to the exhaustion of the Ottoman (Turkish) empire. And why do I say a leading event?-Because so many expositors have treated it as the leading, or rather indeed the only event, to be brought about by that vial. Whereas, various other trials or calamities are foretold; and the sixth is, (to all appearance) the longest in operation of all the vials excepting one: and (to judge by Rev. xvI. alone,) as long in exhaustion as that one.

The events under the sixth vial, having been described successively in the sacred canon, will, I should humbly contend, be successive in operation. If so, those worthy and zealous writers, whose eagerness for great events has incited them to pronounce upon the commencement af the seventh vial woe, may easily be shewn to have proceeded rashly, and on untenable ground. Let me

observe that the expression "Dried up" most probably means, not the gradual declension merely, but the absolute termination of the power typified by the river Euphrates. If such be the meaning of those words, the Euphrates is not dry; though the Turkish empire is, to be sure, in such a state as nothing can illustrate more perfectly and happily than the terms " drying up." So far, however, is the Turkish government from being already extinct, that during the last year it crushed a formidable rebellion in Albania; and not many weeks ago the Sultan was re-placed (by Russian concession) in possession of Silistria. That we are now living under the influence of the sixth vial, I am astonished that any one should doubt, who attends in any respect to these matters. But it is at the same time painful to see some writers of great attainments and eminence cling so tenaciously to their own systems as to argue, in the face of an universally notorious fact, that the sixth vial only commenced-in 1822, according to one,-and 1823 according to another. It cannot be necessary to repeat that the Greek revolt broke out early in the spring of 1821, inasmuch as prince Ypsilanti's proclamations (followed, or even accompanied by acts of hostility) were announced in April, at the latest, of that year, by all the newspapers of Europe, under the triumphant prelude of "Revolution in Greece!!!" I briefly now remind you, Sir, that the contest between the Turks and Greeks, after more than six years struggle, terminated by the acknowledged independence of the latter, shortly after the affair of Navarino.

That degree of Turkish humiliation was succeeded by the peace, imposed on the part of Russia, in autumn 1829; while at mid-winter 1832 the battle of Iconium (Konieh)

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again laid the Ottoman power at the mercy of a conqueror,—and that conqueror her own former vassal.

On these subjects we have not hitherto been allowed positive proof by Providence; but I assume, that the effusion of the sixth vial commenced in spring 1821: and why? —not because the Ottoman empire had not been long visibly declining; but because up to that time no material diminution had taken place in her territory. Whereas since the dawn of the Greek Revolution, her exhaustion has proceeded with an accelerated and portentous impulse, and she has lost mighty provinces both in Europe and Asia. It is true perhaps that the mystic Euphrates has ceased to flow: still she is not dry. When she becomes so, "the kings of the east," now darkly guessed at, may begin to be actually discernible; and then, in all likelihood, will the delusions of the three

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With respect to the fifteenth verse of the chapter now under consideration, (the coming of the Lord as a thief,) I shall not venture upon a subject so inconceivably awful. But it must mean something; and it has pleased the Holy Spirit to include that verse within the sixth vial's operation.

The purport of this letter, Sir, is to repress if possible that impetuosity and over-eagerness for wondrous dispensations, by which many writers, it may be feared, have injured the cause which is doubtless nearest to their hearts. I have probably intruded upon you too long. I remain, &c.

G. G. Fitz-Gilbert. Orpington, May 28, 1836.

Notices of Books.

(7) The Pope Confounded and his Kingdom Exposed, in a divine opening of Daniel VIII. 23-25, by MARTIN LUTHER. Now first translated into English, by the Rev. HENRY COLE, late of Clare Hall, Camb. Translator of Select Works of Luther.

Lond. Nisbet, 1836. 8vo. pp, 204. 6s. Cloth, gilt.

Our remaining limits compel us to reduce our Review of Books to very brief Notices; and the volume which heads this article has a first claim, when the eminent character of its author is considered.

In one respect we consider it a valuable and seasonable publication :

valuable, as affording some pithy and forcible arguments of the great champion of the Reformation, against the specious sophistries of the talented Romanists with whom he had to contend: seasonable, as exhibiting the character of popery in many of its particulars, when the harlot was yet under the influence of the fumes from the strong potations she had taken of the cup of the wine of her fornication. Notwithstanding the arrogance and absurdity still so frequently betrayed by modern popery, no person can form any adequate notion of what she was, in the period immediately suc

ceeding to that in which she existed in the plentitude of her power, but by perusing the works of the controversialists of the age of the Reformation. Their writings are more especially useful in this respect, when they are of a prophetical character; for the nature of the case in general requires them to bring forward those facts and circumstances which are necessary for the purpose of establishing the resemblance of popery to the delineations given by the prophets; and by this means we have a portrait presented to us, which we should not otherwise pos

sess.

It is in this point of view alone, however, that we esteem the present work. As an exposition of Daniel VIII. it is now pretty well exploded; for it is applied, without any limita tion, to the papacy, wheresoever found. Sir Isaac Newton and bishop Newton, and since then Mr. Cuninghame, who still considers it to represent popery, have seen the propriety, from the circumstance of the Little Horn of this chapter arising out of the third beast of Daniel, of limiting its application to popery in the East. But Mr. Faber, Mr. Frere, and Mr. Keith, apply it now exclusively to Mahometanism. We cannot ourselves acquiesce in the system, so much practised by the earlier protestant expositors, of making almost every thing in prophecy apply to Popery: as in the present instance Luther makes such texts as Rom. xvI. 17; 2nd Peter ii. 1, 2; chap. 111. 3, and Jude's Epistle subservient to the same views; though it is very evident to us, who have the advantage of living at a later period, that they relate to very different parties.

On this latter prophecy indeed, contained in the epistle to St. Jude, our Reformer has a remarkable observation.-"The Epistle of

Jude once seemed to me almost useless; but now, I see that it breathes the same spirit as Peter, and is written with the express design to expose and condemn the Pope." (p. 123.) With all our admiration of Luther, it is impossible to shut our eyes to the fact that he has his defects; and one of them is of a remarkable character, considering how vehemently he contended for the truth of God's word, and opposed the traditions of the Pharisees of his times.-Whilst he receives the canon of the Scriptures as a whole, he seems nevertheless to consider himself at liberty to judge of the importance and profitableness of the various portions of God's word, according to the measure of his own light and experience. The evil of thus doing, though there appear to be plausible grounds for it, is incalculable, and indirectly tends as decidedly to undermine the authority of that portion of the word of God, as if it were openly denied. How lamentably this is the case in the instance of prophecy! Men cannot see the practical tendency of many portions of it ;-it appears to them "almost useless;"-and therefore they consider themselves at liberty to disregard or neglect it: whereas their duty is reverently to receive and give heed to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," as all together being the food of man's spiritual life; and though they see not its use at present, to wait patiently the teaching of the Spirit, that they may be guided into a right understanding thereof. The impropriety of thus rashly concluding against any portion of God's word upon their own partial and inadequate experience is obvious in this and another instance in which Luther is concerned. He once denounced the epistle of St. James as chaffy, (epistola straminea,) but was, later in life, when an Anti

nomian spirit began to prevail among some of the reformed, led to see its importance and perfect consistency with the epistles of St. James. And in the present instance, the insufficiency of man's understanding and experience to judge of the utility of any part of God's word is betrayed in a two-fold degree; first by his previously considering Jude's epistle to be useless, and then by his afterwards concluding it to be written" with the express design to expose and condemn the Pope;" in which he appears to our judgment to be still mistaken, though not in an equal degree.

We shall now endeavour in conclusion briefly to sketch his exposition of Daniel v111. 23-25, which he introduces with a remarkable specimen of his ironical powers. The book is directed against a work of Ambrose Catharinus, who is insisting that the authority and infallibility of the Romish church is declared in Scripture. And Luther, having deprived him of his support from Matt. xvi. 18, and shewn him that when properly understood it makes against the Romish church, then proceeds to say,--that he does not therefore deny the existence of the Papistical church, and the mention of it in Scripture; on the contrary, he states that there is no one thing, (Christ excepted,) concerning which so much is said both in the Old and New Testaments;

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"And after their kingdom, when prevarications (or transgressions) shall have sunk them into darkness, there shall stand up a KING, powerful in faces (or appearances,) and intelligent of propositions (or enigmas ;) and his efficacy shall be strengthened, but not by his own efficacy. And he shall destroy wonderful things, (or he shall wonderfully corrupt and destroy,) and shall prosper and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the people of the saints. And all shall appeal to him for judgment; and his craft shall prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in his success he shall destroy many. And he shall stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken to pieces without hand."

"In the first place," he says, "no regard is to be paid to those who would understand this and similar places in the prophets as having reference to one person only; for such know not, that the manner of the prophets is to signify or represent under one person any whole kingdom in a body. Hence they would mistakingly make Antichrist, whom Paul calls "the man of sin," and "the son of perdition," to be one person; whereas the apostle would have the whole body and chaos of those impious men, and the whole succession of those that reign, to be understood as Antichrist. Thus in Dan. VIII. the ram signifies the kingdom of the Persians, the goat the kingdom of the Grecians." (p. 42.)

He thus accounts for his application of it to Rome-"When the prophet says, that this king should stand up at the end of the four kingdoms, of which the last is the Ro

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