into the predicted return, they carefully distinguish between the kingdom of Judah and that of Israel. On these general principles then we cannot think that the prophets have used any thing like a turgid or swollen language, but believe that we may still look for a future fulfilment literally of the glowing predictions.

The common mode of interpretation however is rather to relinquish this attempt to establish a literal interpretation, and to rest chiefly upon a FIGURATIVE OR SPIRITUAL VIEW OF THE PASSAGE. Those however who do so materially differ in their mode of interpretation. The Roman Catholics would so confine Zion to the church of Christ, as to apply all the promised riches and glory to the church of Rome in particular, and by this prove that Rome only is the true church; and some Protestants have applied the predictions to particular suffering and faithful Protestant churches, and their deliverances from these trials; and with neither of these private views of prophecy can the author agree. Christians at large of all ages have generally applied the predictions to the true church of Christ and its members; and in a modified sense, as hereafter shewn, this may be scripturally maintained.

1. Let us first notice, as a general principle of interpretation, that the scriptures are written in a plain and intelligible way, (Prov. viii. 8, 9.) adapted to those to whom they were first addressed, and to all ages. WHERE A LITERAL SENSE INVOLVES NO ABSURDITY OR MANIFEST FIGURE, IT IS, IN THE FIRST PLACE, TO BE HELD AS THE TRUE AND RIGHT SENSE, and no farther or deeper meaning should be allowed to shut out this first sense, which must be true, whatever else may further be drawn from it. God means fully, what to the people he addresses he plainly says. Here is the sure foundation of all Christian

Mede says,

"I cannot be persuaded to forsake the proper and

faith, and let us not be moved from it. Where the obvious, grammatical and literal meaning is capable of a plain and literal fulfilment, in times past or in times to come, and does not contradict other scriptures, and there is no manifest figure in the words, we must at any rate hold that obvious meaning if we would not reduce all scripture to an uncertainty, and have no sure standing for all our confidence in Gods word. Let us ever then take this general principle, as of first importance in our interpretation, and believe accordingly.*

2. But with this first principle of interpretation

usual import of scripture language, where neither the insinuation of the text itself, nor manifest tokens of allegory, nor the necessity and the nature of the things spoken of (which will bear no other sense) do warrant it. For to do so were to lose all footing of divine testimony, and instead of scripture to believe mine own imaginations." He then applies this principle to Rev. xx. See Works, 770.

* Bishop Horsley's remarks on the mere spiritualizing of the prophecies, in his translation of Hosea, are just, at least in the qualified sense mentioned above:-"A prejudice which for a long time possessed the mind of Christians against the literal sense of the prophecies relating to the future exaltation of the Jewish nation, gave occasion to a false scheme of interpretation; which, assuming it as a principle, that prophecy under the old dispensation looked forward to nothing beyond the abrogation of the Mosaic ritual, and the dispersion of the Jews by the Romans, either wrested every thing to the history antecedent to that epoch, and generally as nearly as possible to the prophet's times, (as if it were not the gift and business of a prophet to see far before him,) or by figurative interpretations, for the most part forced and unnatural, applied what could not be so wrested, to the Christian church, and rarely to the Christian church on earth, but to the condition of the glorified saints in heaven. This method of exposition, while it prevailed generally, and it is not yet sufficiently exploded, wrapt the writings of all the prophets in tenfold obscurity. It might have been expected that when once the principle was understood to be false, a better system of interpretation would have been immediately adopted. But this has only partially taken place. Amongst ourselves it has long been the persuasion of our best Biblical scholars and ablest divines, that the restoration of the Jews is a principal article of the prophecy, being indeed a principal branch of the great scheme of general redemption." The author cannot enter into Bishop Horsley's sentiments of entirely rejecting the figurative interpretation though he thinks to it have been abused and perverted when the literal was disregarded.

firmly held, we may also SEEK TO OBTAIN FROM THE SCRIPTURES, WHERE THE WORDS ALLOW IT, A YET FULLER MEANING, or all that farther light which God in the riches of his wisdom and love may have designed to give us by them. We need not, on account of the literal meaning, therefore always reject that spiritual application of the prophecies to the church of Christ, which has been so largely held by all Christians from the early ages. While we justly expect a literal fulfilment of plain prophecies, let us not forget there is also a depth and fulness of scripture beyond our first thoughts. We have many reasons to think from their use in the New Testament that there may be, and is, the veiled glory of the spiritual and heavenly kingdom in expressions, the full spiritual meaning of which may be now partially hidden from our view. But let us still hold fast and firmly the solid foundation of all other senses, a literal interpretation fulfilled or to be fulfilled; and be not carried away by our imagination, into forced, vague and fanciful speculations; analogies and applications. Provided we do this such a fuller meaning may not only be a means of bringing forward what is spiritually true and useful, but seems also to be a part of the design of him who so inspired the sacred volume that it might be of varied, extended and universal use to his church. It is a partial view of God's plan of conveying truth, to suppose that when the words admit an allegorical or spiritual sense, we need not think there may be also an exact literal sense besides. The past history of the Jews is perfectly true though it is often a type of better things to come. An allegory may rest on a fact whether that fact has occurred, or be hereafter to occur. The history and the allegory may both be true, and both display the comprehensiveness of divine wisdom.*

The author has much pleasure in referring to his friend Mr.

Speaking of the enlarged sense of prophecy, Mr. Davison says, "Scripture prophecy is so framed in some of its predictions as to bear a sense directed to two objects; of which structure the predictions concerning the kingdom of David furnish a conspicuous example. The double sense of prophecy is, however, of all things the most remote from fraud or equivocation, and has its ground of reason perfectly clear. For what is it? Not the convenient latitude of two unconnected senses wide of each other, and giving room to a fallacious ambiguity, but the combinations of two related, analogous and harmonizing, though diseparate subjects, each clear and definite in itself, implying a two-fold truth in the prescience, and creating an aggravated difficulty, and thereby an accumulated proof, in the completion. So that the double sense of prophecy, in its true idea, is a check upon the pretences of vague and unappropriated prediction rather than a door to admit them." p. 210, 211.

The holy scriptures confirm this view; it is plain to all that the New Testament has revealed to us a

spiritual and heavenly Zion and Jerusalem. Gal. iii. ty 26. Heb. xii. 22. Rev. iii. 12; xiv. 1; xxi. 10. To these the literal and earthly Zion and Jerusalem were the type and emblem, introductory and elementary, aiding us in gaining the full knowledge of the heavenly. And thence there is sometimes a two-fold application of the Old Testament predictions, as the author thinks is clear from the use made of them in the New Testament. Thus in the prophecy Isaiah Ix. 1,Arise, shine; for thy light is come; we have the inspired authority of St. Paul for applying the prediction in which this occurs, to a future restoration

Birks's lecture in the West Street Chapel lectures on Israel restored, as to the principles of interpretation. He can by no means confine himself to Bishop Marsh's view of an allegory, as stated in his lectures, or to that given by Mr. Jukes in his principles of prophetic interpretation. It is not a comprehensive view of the whole system of the Bible.

of the Jews; (compare Isaiah lix. 20 and Rom. xi. 26.) and we have, as it appears to the author, the same inspired authority for applying this particular direction to believers and the church in general,Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, (Ephes. v. 14.) where the apostle seems to refer to this very passage. In a similar manner, when we look at the original passage, (Hosea ii. 23.) with its whole cennection, I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy ; and I will say to them which are not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God, we cannot but refer its completed fulfilment to restored Israel; yet the apostle Paul applies it even to us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. Rom. ix. 24. Our Lord himself has given us an example of this two-fold application of a prophecy, in Malachi iv. 5, where is a prediction of the coming of Elijah before the great day of the Lord. Of this prediction our Lord gives us the exposition, in a two-fold application; first, literal, and yet to be fulfilled-Elias truly shall first come and restore all things; a view in which John himself concurred, when he said he was not Elijah; (John i. 21.) and also spiritual, already then fulfilled; Elias is come already, and they received him not; (Matt. xvii. 11, 12.) John the Baptist having come in the spirit and power of Elijah. Luke i. 17. Had John been received (Matt. xi. 14.) he would have been to them as Elias preparing the way for their full admission into the spiritual and heavenly kingdom. His testimony was rejected, and Elias shall hereafter literally come.

Any general view of the church at large has on the face of it great probability in its favour. It is then a great satisfaction to our minds to be assured that the general church, though it may have had only a partial view of the truth, has not been resting its