and will not take warning by the sore judgments of fire, sword, famine, and pestilence, designed for their good, for correction in mercy; GOD in his wrath takes up and inflicts his last and severest punishments, hardness of heart, infatuation and idolatry, to their final destruction. Idolatry brought the heathens into heinous transgressions; (Levit. xviii. Rom. i.) and heinous transgressions in turn, often bring the slight or superficial professors of true Religion into gross idolatry. "For this cause, GOD shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; to the end that they might all be judged who believe not THE TRUTH, but have pleasure in unrighteousness," (2 Thess. ii. 11, 12,) and Isaiah thus speaks of idolaters: "They have not known nor understood; for GOD hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their hearts that they cannot understand," (Isa. xliv. 18.)

"Let us, therefore," concludes Milton, " using this last means, (last here spoken of, but first to be done) AMEND OUR LIVES WITH ALL SPEED: lest through impenitency we run into that stupidity, which we have heretofore sought by all means so warily to avoid, the worst of superstitions, and the heaviest of all GOD's judgments-POPERY *.”

It may not be amiss to repeat here what was mentioned in a foregoing note, (p. 341 of this volume,) that these strictures on popery, are not dictated by a spirit of controversy," nor (we will add) by the slightest tincture of bigotry; from exclusive attachment to protestantism, or from spleen, ill-will, or hostility to Roman Catholics. Many of his brethren of that description, the author regards and esteems, and lives on terms of familiar and social intercourse with such; and of good will to all descriptions of his flock of every sect. He only fulfils, unwillingly, and with no little reluctance, the ungrateful and thankless task, though necessary and important duty bound upon him at his clerical ordination;" To be ready with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines, contrary to GOD's word,”- -but only by GoD's word, or the sword of the SPIRIT.

This he has humbly and conscientiously endeavoured, in some former Reviews of the errors of Popery, and Inspections of the irregularities of Methodism; considering the one as a most ruinous and destructive heresy from the orthodox faith of the primitive Church ; and the other as, at least, an injudicious and lamentable schism from her constitutional discipline. And "his heart's desire," is "if possible, and as much as in him lieth" to conciliate the attention of all parties and sects, so far as to give a cool, dispassionate, and serious perusal to the mysteries and doctrines of THE GOSPEL, here attempted to be unfolded in their pure spirit, from the lively oracles in the originals; and to the constitution and discipline of the Church of CHRIST, as ordered by the Apostles, and established by the primitive Fathers of the three first centuries, before the council of Nice.

These are the leading motives that suggested and conducted this work throughout.——— "THE GOD AND FATHER of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO IS BLESSED FOR EVERMORE, knoweth that I lie not!??

To this impressive exhortation of the pious patriot, let us add the philanthropic prayers of our Evangelical Liturgy.

"From all false doctrines, heresy, and schism;

From hardness of heart, and contempt of Thy word and commandment,

GOOD LORD DELIVER US.”

"Have mercy, O MERCIFUL GOD, upon all heretics, schismatics, and infidels at home, and upon all Jews, Mahometans, and Pagans abroad; and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word; and so fetch them home, BLESSED LORD, to thy flock; that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made one fold, under one shepherd, JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD." Amen.

Amidst the ocean of ills in which the world is now immersed, and doomed to continue during the effusion of the remaining vials, Our NATIONAL CHURCH, we trust, will float, will buoy herself upon the surface; fulfilling the Sibylline oracle to the Athenians of old,

Ασκος βαπτίζη, δύναι δε τοι ου θεμις εστι.

"Bladder-like, thou mayest be dipped;

But it is not thy fate to be drowned."

Α 66 little while, indeed, and we shall not see her," during a short suppression beneath the waves of this troublesome world; but "a little while, and we shall see her" again, emerging much purer and fairer than ever, after her last baptismal regeneration. Let not then the ministers and stewards of the divine mysteries despond, let not the genuine household of faith despair, though "fallen on evil days, and evil tongues;" but rather let them emulate the Christian fortitude of that enlightened and patriotic Layman, whom blindness, poverty, and disgrace could not depress; nor check his lofty and adventurous spirit from instructing and delighting the world with his "heavenly Muse."

"I argue not,

Against Heaven's hand or will; not 'bate a jot

Of heart or hope; but still bear up, and steer
Right onward!"

I have sworn, with an Apostle, in simplicity and sincerity; and may I gain credence from my Roman Catholic brethren, in adopting the sentiments of one of the first of their Saints;the pious, the amiable, and the persecuted Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray :———“ I love my family better than myself; I love my country better than my family; but I love mankind better than my country." This is true, practical, Christian CHARITY, when exercised, as by Fenelon, for the LOVE OF GOD and for THE SAKE OF CHRIST.

Let them, in humble imitation of the CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION, who was perfected by sufferings himself, and in dutiful obedience to his precept, as members of the Church Militant, "Pray always, in every season; (of distress especially) and faint not;" Let them be sober, be vigilant, to fight the good fight of faith, in this their arduous struggle, not only with flesh and blood, but with all the powers of darkness, now leagued and confederated against CHRIST and his Church; Let them strive to work out their own, and their country's salvation with fear and trembling, ever careful,

Against the wakeful foe, and wide abroad,

Through all the coasts of dark destruction, SEEK
DELIVERANCE FOR US ALL!".

May we be permitted, without presumption, to transfer from "the seven Churches," whose lamps have been so long totally or well nigh extinguished for their lukewarmness and supineness, to our British Isles, whose lamps, blessed be GOD, are still burning, though requiring to be trimmed; the Apostle's sublime and patriotic Benediction in the Introduction of the Apocalypse, as the valediction of this attempt to expound it.

"Grace be to the British Churches, and Peace

From [GOD THE FATHER] who was and is, and is to come,

And from THE SEVEN SPIRITS, before his throne,

And from JESUS CHRIST, the faithful witness,

The first begotten of the dead,

And the Ruler of the kings of the Earth:

To HIM, who loved us, and washed us

From our Sins, in his own blood,

And made us kings and priests,

TO HIS GOD AND FATHER *,

Be the glory and the dominion for evermore, Amen."

For this construction, differing from the received, see the Grammatical Rule, p. 192, note, of this volume.

APPENDIX.

"The Testimony of JESUS is the Spirit of Prophecy."-
"To HIM give all the prophets witness."

FOR the sake of Biblical Students, we here bring into one point of view all the great prophecies and allusions to CHRIST in the OLD TESTAMENT, which are expressly cited, either as predictions fulfilled in him; or applied to him by way of accommodation, in the NEW TESTAMENT.

The first series describes CHRIST in his human nature, as the promised SEED OF THE WOMAN, in the grand charter of our Redemption, Gen. iii. 15; and his pedigree, sufferings, and glory in his successive manifestations of himself until the end of the world.

The second series describes his character and offices, human and divine.

The combination of these, in all their branches, representing him as THE SON OF GOD, and SON OF MAN, conjointly, were, all together, fulfilled, to the utmost nicety, in JESUS OF NAZARETH, and all together, in no other person that ever appeared; demonstrating, that it was "HE of whom Moses and the Prophets did write," and that we Christians have not followed cunningly-devised fables, but many infallible proofs in holding him for

OUR LORD, AND OUR GOD *.

"Hail, SON OF GOD, SAVIOUR OF MEN, THY NAME
Shall be the copious matter of my song

Henceforth; and never shall my Harp THY PRAISE

Forget, nor from THY FATHER'S PRAISE disjoin."-Milton.

X. Born at Bethlehem, the city of
David, ..