Book II gives prophecies of the last day, of Belial or Antichrist, the return of Israel, the coming of Elias, the resurrection, the judgment, rewards of the good, the punishment of the wicked. The prophetess then confesses her own guilt; next, she praises God, the Creator, and declares that he should be worshipped, and idols reprobated; next, she gives an enigmatical signification to the name Adam. The first and second books are ascribed to an occidental writer in the fifth century.

Book III is Messianic. Begins with a prophecy respecting Antichrist, or, as was then supposed, Nero. Next, the theme is the tower of Babel, the confusion of tongues, the kingdoms that succeed the dispersion, the Jews and their captivities, condemnation of idolatry, prophecies against Babylon, Egypt, Gog and Magog, Lybia, Rome, the cities of Asia, Alexander the Great, the destruction of Troy-Homer-next inveighs against the idolatry of the Grecians, exhortation to the Jews urging the practice of justice and piety, the Church, an account of the Sibyl's history. This book is ascribed to an Alexandrian Jew in the time of Maccabees.

Book IV. The Sibyl denies that she is a false prophetess, of the lying Apollo, asserts that she is sent by the true God, who had revealed to her the history of the world. Exhortation to justice and piety in view of impending judgments. The last day, the judgment, the resurrection. This book is ascribed to some Christian writer soon after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Book V. The marks of the Roman emperors, using the numerical term attached to each name. (Professor Stuart hence shows that the designation of a name by a number which occurs in Rev. 13: 18, was common in the times when these apocalyptical works were written.) The destruction of Rome, Memphis, Thebes, and other nations and cities. The shaking of many islands and cities, and especially the temple of Diana, at Ephesus, by earthquakes. The erection of the temple of the true God in Egypt. This book is assigned to a Jewish Christian in the time of Adrian.

Book VI contains only thirty-two verses. These describe very clearly the baptism of Christ. The appearance of the Holy Spirit. The miracles of Christ. Reprobation of the Jews because they crowned him with thorns, gave

VOL. XIII.NO. XLIX.

9*

This

him vinegar to drink, and nailed him to the cross. book is ascribed to some Christian writer in the latter part of the third, or the early part of the fourth century.

Book VII. The flood, prophecies respecting various nations and cities, the doctrine of the Trinity, the last times, the felicity of the millenial reign, which the Sibyl hardly expects to enjoy on account of her own wickedness. This book is assigned to a Christian Jew, in the latter part of the third century.

Book VIII predicts the judgment, inveighs against avarice, threatens Rome, prophecies respecting Adrian and Nero, the acrostic verses, the passion of the Saviour, the three hours' darkness, his descent to Hades, his miracles, his resurrection, the true God, the birth of Christ. This book is assigned to about the fifth century.

Books IX and X are wanting. Book XI. The Gre cians, Macedonians, Romans, Egyptians. It is assigned to an Alexandrian Jew before Christ, or it may be an imitation.

Book XII resembles Book V. Assigned to the third century.

Book XIII. The oriental wars of the Romans down to the times of Valerian and Gallienus. Assigned to the middle of the third century.

Book XIV. The destruction of Rome is the predominant subject. It is assigned to the fifth century.

We have seen that the Greek and the Roman Sibylline verses belonged to the same class, and partook of the same general character. But were these heathen Sibylline Oracles one and the same with the Christian Sibylline Oracles? There is the evident similarity of name. There were among the Roman Oracles acrostics, and we find acrostics in the Christian Sibylline Oracles. But the principle in the construction of the acrostic was different in the two cases.-The Roman Oracles, when they were consulted, always encouraged the idolatrous worship of the Romans. There is nothing of this sort in the Christian Sibylline Oracles; but, on the contrary, the severest denunciation of all forms of idolatry. The Roman Oracles, if we take the testimony of Virgil, were constructed in a very hap-hazard manner, so that even the sagacious Æneas must use the greatest celerity and caution, lest a breath of air might confound or disturb the

meaning of the responses. But the Oracles of which Cicero speaks, he describes as bearing the marks of care and poetical skill in their composition. Perhaps the simple narrative of Justin will reconcile these two statements. He says that they were generally uttered metrically, but were very easily disturbed or forgotten. The Christian Sibylline Oracles, like the Roman Oracles described by Cicero, are in regular hexameter verse and executed with considerable care. The Roman Oracles were not open to the public inspection, but the Christian Sibylline Oracles were widely disseminated and could be read by all. And still it may be true that many verses were alike in each collection, especially since the last Roman collection was gathered from very different and distant sources.

But whence originated the Christian Sibylline Books? The usual answer is that they were invented in the second century. But they are quoted by Alexander Polyhistor 140 B. C., by Josephus in the succeeding century, and in the second and third centuries we find them quoted as acknowledged ancient writings, or some of them at least. They occur in The Pastor, in Justin Martyr, in Athenagoras, in Clement of Alexandria, Origen and others. Again, in the fourth century, we find them quoted by Eusebius, Lactantius, Jerome, Augustine.

Dr. Bleek has, therefore, and very justly, given the range of four or five centuries for the completion of the Sibylline Oracles.

Some critics have ascribed to the early Christians a theological purpose in the composition of these heterogeneous poems, and have ranked them in the class of pious frauds. This may be true of some of these oracles. The Christians wished to condemn the heathen out of their own mouths, and hence, it is said, they attributed to the ancient Sibyl, Christian prophecies and Christian comminations. But still it may be fairly questioned whether the Christians of the first and second centuries had the time which would be necessary to devote to such a scholastic purpose, to say nothing of the baseness and impiety of the deed. And could not these poems have originated in a far deeper, but a more natural and more honorable principle? May not the Christian Sibylline Oracles be the desultory poems of a Messianic period? Do they not embody the popular sentiments and anticipations, which were deeply

impressed on the public mind immediately before and immediately after the incarnation of the Son of God? Look at the times immediately preceding the advent of the Messiah. We cannot suppose that the Jews had lost their native spirit of poetry. Their history was written in poetry the most sublime. Their laws were written in poetry the most divine. Their temple, their synagogue, and their family worship was enlivened by the inimitable songs of David, and by the glowing and patriotic sentiments of Isaiah and the prophets. But more; they were now an oppressed people; they were under a degrading servitude to a foreign heathen nation. But could this crush their national spirit, sanctified and deepened as this ever was by the hallowed influence of a heaven-appointed religion? And, furthermore, they were waiting with earnest longings for a Deliverer-a Messiah-the Prince who should reinstate them in their ancient rights and immunities, and give them an exalted preeminence over the nations of the earth. And such expectations were not confined to the Jews. The signs of the times indicated to all nations that

There was an earnest and deep persuasion, based on the sacred books of the Jews and of the Romans, that the world was to witness a wonderful revolution, and that the Orient would prevail.

The race of holy prophets had indeed passed away from the Jewish nation; but this would only serve to increase the national feeling of anxiety, and to excite in swift alternation their gloomy forebodings and their exalted hopes. Under circumstances such as these, we can hardly conceive it possible that the spirit of poetry would lie dormant and cold, and that no one would be found who should embody these deep-seated national impressions and national feelings in national song. The enemies of Israel would and ought to be vanquished, and if this was felt, it would also be sung.

But why take the Greek hexameter in order to embody a national feeling of the Jews? We answer, that the might of Grecian culture was invincible. Greek was the language of the world; and the destined conquerors of the

world would not disdain the world's language. Nor could they, if they would, resist the tendency of a more modern and very prevalent culture. Even Roman barbarity must bow before Grecian refinement. And this tendency prevailed. Witness the later apocryphal writings of Jewish history. Witness the Septuagint-the New Testament-Philo Judæus and Josephus.

But why use the term ißulla? It might be asked why adopt the word goonus? But the former in Greek is the more sacred and venerable name, and this would account for its more favorite use in the Sibylline Oracles. But did the Jewish bard, when he used the word Sibylla, do any thing more than an ardent enthusiasm in his subject would impel him to do? Would he deign in his moments of inspiration to palm off his sacred fire as the raving utterances of a heathen Sibyl? It is impossible. Even the tolerably fervid poet would scorn to deceive. Words are but his instruments, and it matters but little to him if they but express the fire of his soul.

But can we account for additions to any previously existing Jewish Oracles by Christian hands? Look for a moment at the stupendous facts that cluster around the incarnation of the Son of God. All these were vivid and fresh in the popular memory, and at least not diminished in their outward drapery as they appeared to the popular mind. It was indeed an era of wonders. The golden age of the poets had at last returned, and the Christian mind, not yet stripped of all its heathen associations, could hardly fail to transcribe the strange and stirring events of the times in the language and dress of the aucient popular poetry. But the Christian mind was partly regenerated by the energy of the new religion; and in the spirit of benevolence, which was thus enkindled, the pious and fervent soul would seek to impart to others its precious acquisitions in an attractive dress. It is only thus that we can account for a beautiful simplicity which pervades so many of these oracles. And while the soul was glowing with the sacred truths expressed, what wonder that the author inspired with his theme should declare it as the counsel of God?

But further. There were also the popular Christian impressions of the speedy second advent of the Messiah, and these from the time of St. John increased until they