tament.---John xiii. 18. cited, &c. Matth. xxi. 42, also Matth. xx. 42, &c.---Christ and his Apostles thus give us a Rule of Interpretation.---A History of Christ may be drawn from the Psalms.---The Psalms thus interpreted of the Messiah by the Jews.---The Devil himself acknowledged the same.---Last words of David."

Admirable use is here made of the Book of Psalms, and perhaps readers in general will regret with us, that the Lecturer's limits prevented him from being more copious on this part of his subject.

Of that sacred and elegant book, Mr. Nares observes:

"In approaching to the book of PSALMS, how shall we express a due admiration of those sacred poems! sublime beyond all competition, even as strains of lyric writing, they are filled. with an inspiration infinitely higher than belongs to any human poetry. They have been called, by an able writer, who well knew them, an Epitome of the Bible, adapted to the purposes of devotion.' In truth, all the important subjects which the Scriptures any where present, are there adapted to the use of meditation, prayer, thanksgiving, instruction, and whatever else a holy life can possibly suggest or require. In addition to all this, they are filled throughout with the divine spirit of prophecy, which, sometimes covertly, and sometimes openly, delineates in them the life, the character, the sufferings, the glories, and the merits of the great Redeemer. DAVID, who for the most part is the speaker in them, appears sometimes as the actual, and sometimes as the mystical KING OF ISRAEL; and frequently both characters are so united, that, where the literal ends, and where the spiritual sense begins, may not be easily discerned; but that both are truly there cannot, except by a deplorable, and perhaps a wilful blindness, be unperceived.'

In the seventh Sermon "The Chronology of Prophecy is continued."

The text is John i. part of verse 45: "We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph."

ARGUMENT. No doubt was made, at that period, that the Messiah was then to come.-We have the same documents as they had, and may prove the same.-Chronology of Prophecy continued from the Psalms,. SOLOMON, he knew what was revealed to David. Pss. 45 and 72, addressed to him, and full of that prophecy. Ps. 45 is an Epithalamium, and in that resembles Solomon's Song.-View of the 72d Psalm.-On

-

Bishop Morne, Preface to Ps. in init.

the

the Inauguration of Solomon.-Solomon himself a Prophet and Psalmist. View of his three known Psalms, 127, 128, and 132. Of his other Works, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles: only the last prophetical,

"View of Israel at the close of his reign-Beginnings of Apostacy, and Consequences of it.-The manifest Interposition of God in the sudden Downfall of the Jewish Power.---Nearly two Centuries without further Promise of the Messiah.-Rise of the sixteen Prophets.-These noticed in chronological Order. 1 Jonah, 2 Amos, 3 Hosea, 4 Isaiah. After him the Prophecy may be considered as fully revealed.---The Captivity a Reason for a Continuation of Prophecies."

In his observations on the writings of Solomon, the learned Lecturer says, that "the books entitled Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, appear not to contain any thing prophetical, even by implication or allusion." This assertion seems too hasty and unqualified; at least as far as relates to the Book of Proverbs. From the 20th verse to the end of the first chapter we have such a description of WISDOM, the rejection of its gracious call, and the denunciation of the most fearful judgments in consequence of it, as should seem to have some allusion to the ministry of Messiah, and to the obduracy and punishment of the Jewish nation.

What is said of WISDOM in the latter part of the 8th and the beginning of the 9th chapter is so remarkable, that if compared with John i. 1, Coloss. i. 16, Heb. i. 3, and many other passages of the New Testament, it will be found, we apprehend, to apply only to HIM who is truly the WISDOM OF GOD, the MESSIAH; and as such it has been considered by Justin Martyr, Irenæus, Origen, and others, among the fathers of the Christian Church, as well as by many moderns. Nay, even the ancient Jews understood this passage of the Proverbs as spoken of a person, (see Dr. Allix's Judgment of the Jewish Church against the Unitarians.)

In the eighth Sermon, on Matt. xi. 13, the chronological order of the prophets is continued, and the distinctive characters of each, as in the preceding lecture, are pointed out. The following analysis shews the importance of the subjects:

"The Law full of the Image of Christ.-The Prophets continued chronologically.-5 Joel, a Prophet of Judah.-6 Micah, spoke of Bethlehem.-7 Nahum, confined to nearer Trans

3 N 2

actions

actions.--8 Zephaniah alludes only to Prosperity after Conversion. ---9 Jeremiah.---The various Contents of the Prophecies contributed to their Preservation. ---Jeremiah prophesied of THE BRANCH.A new Law promised.---10 Habakkuk relates chiefly to the impending Captivity, &c.---11 Daniel.---Conduct of Josephus respecting his Prophecies.--Expectation derived from them. ---Prophesied of three great Empires after Babylon.---Daniel limits seventy Weeks for the fulfilment of the Prophecy respecting the Messiah.---12 Obadiah.---13 Ezekiel, much of his Prophecy allegorical.---14 Haggai prophesied after the return from Captivity to console the Israelites.--15 Zechariah foretold of the BRANCH.---16 Malachi prophesied at the time appointed for the sealing of the Vision, &c.--- His concluding Words, a last Legacy of Inspiration."

On that remarkable prediction of Haggai, that the "DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS" should come and fill the second temple with glory, Mr. Nares has the following observations in a note:

"The divinity of Christ may, in fact, be irresistibly deduced frem this prophecy. For the first temple had received the Schechinah, or visible glory, which announced the presence of the Lord; but the second, it is said, was to eclipse it, because the Lord was actually to visit it in person; now that visitation was fulfilled by Jesus Christ, or not all; and he consequently was THE LORD HIMSELF in person; that is, the only Lord ever manifested to Israel; for no man hath seen God (the Father) at any time; the person seen, in all visible appearances, was THE SON, the Jehovah, the God of Israel."

Having pursued the chain of Old Testament Prophecies respecting the Messiah to a close, the preacher concludes this lecture in the following excellent terms:

The Prophets and the Law," said our Saviour, "prophesied until John. We have now arrived at the interval which divided the prophets from that harbinger of Christ. The infinite variety of other circumstances by which those divine messengers proved their inspiration, have been little notieed in this inquiry; our attention having been fixed upon that only which had reference to the gospel. Here, however, we cannot have failed to remark an exact and beautiful consistency; pointing out that though the channels of inspiration differed, the source of it was the same; that it flowed always from the same Divine knowledge, and from the same most merciful intentions. The threatenings against sin are followed always by promises of mercy; and that mercy is never satisfied till it rests in universal conversion and universal blessedness. Let us hope that this period, so long re

tarded

tarded by the perverseness of men, and still apparently resisted with the utmost force of that impediment, is steadily advancing, by the secret plans of Providence; which, when they shall be ripened, will supersede all doubts, correct all errors, remove the veil from every heart, and make the world one fold, beneath the blessed shepherd JESUS CHRIST."

(To be concluded in our next.)

A Comparative View of the New Plan of Education promulgated by Mr. JOSEPH LANCASTER, in his Tracts concerning the Instruction of the Children of the Labouring Part of the Community; and of the System of Christian Education founded by our pious Forefathers for the Initiation of the Young Members of the Established Church in the Principles of the Reformed Religion. By Mrs. TRIMMER, 8vo.

WE

E opened this excellent and well-timed pamphlet (which is dedicated to the members of the venerable SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE) with considerable interest; we were well aware that the author possessed complete information on the subject; we have long borne testimony to the attention which she has paid to every part of education; we have read her elementary publications with most perfect satisfaction; and we esteem her periodical work, the GUARDIAN of EDUCATION, as a production of very great national importance. Mrs. Trimmer, in the tract before us, has fully answered all our expectations, although they have thus confessedly been raised uncommonly high. The argument lies in small compass, and may be. comprized in a single sentence;---is it not better that children should be educated in the settled and pure principles of the Church of England, as by law established, than brought up to an unfixed profession of religion, unascertained by creeds, articles, or any of those formularies which have been employed from the time of the Apostles to this present hour by the Holy Catholic Church of Christ; to discriminate between truth and falsehood, between heresy and schism on one hand, and the orthodox faith on the other?-Mr. Lancaster maintains that the use of creeds is altogether unnecessary, and is a decided friend to what

he

he denominates a generalizing plan; Mrs. Trimmer, on the contrary, is of opinion, as we ourselves most certainly are, that it is best to initiate the youthful mind in what she terms, and most truly, the national system of religion; viz. that prescribed by the act of uniformity, that enjoined by the Rubric in the book of Common Prayer, which Rubric is part of the statute law of the land.

At the same time that we profess ourselves to range on the side of Mrs. Trimmer, as to the principles which are to be inculcated in charity-schools; we beg leave, in conjunction with her, to pay a tribute, a most willing. tribute, of applause to the mechanical part of Mr. Lancaster's plan. He knows perfectly how to economize time, how to facilitate instruction, how to do the business of a schoolmaster with the greatest effect, and with the greatest ease. He appears deeply acquainted with the human heart; and particularly with the faculties, the hopes and fears of the youthful mind. He knows how to stimulate it most powerfully, and also how to curb it most effectually. He deserves great praise for what he has done, and we hope and trust, that his mode of teaching will be adopted by the country at large; under two or three qualifications, which the ardour of his mind renders necessary; for some of his rewards seem not well adapted to the class of society to which his pupils belong, and some of his punishments seem too degrading and severe. (See Pp. 39 and 43.)

Mr. Lancaster is one of the people called Quakers; and he declaims, not a little, against creeds and names, and, what he calls, a pharisaical sect-making Spirit. He seems to regard THE CHURCH itself as a sect; and he argues as if the education of the children of the labouring class of the community, was not a national concern.

"That the state of education amongst the lower orders of people is such as demands very serious attention, cannot be denied, and a more proper object than this cannot perhaps be found for the exercise of that spirit of benevolence by which persons of all religious persuasions in this nation are so eminently distinguished. But in answer to Mr. Lancaster's observation, that "it ought to be a national concern," I may appeal to the "Act of Uniformity" for the proof, that from the first establishment of the Protestant Church in this kingdom education has been a national concern; and it will continue to be so till that Act is repealed: and had the system founded by the pious reform

ers