tonian Lecture, thinks the prophe- terms have a meaning there peculiar ties concerning the coming of Christ to the prophetic books only, and no tay be considered under two heads. relation to the final judgment and the They either respect the person, general resurrection spoken of by our character, and office of the Messiah, Lord in Matthew xxv. 31. Rom. ii. or the fate and fortune of that king- 14. And as the second coming of dom which he came to establish in the Christ is only in his power and proworld. Divines call these, prophe- vidence, then of course the nineteenth cies of his FIRST coming; and the chapter of the Revelations has been other, prophecies of his SECOND: strangely misapplied! He, who in only it may be proper to observe, that chapter is called the Word of that the second advent of the Messiah God, King of Kings, and Lord of is not like the first, confined to one Lords, and who executes the judgsingle and precise period, but is gra- ments of Heaven upon the kings of dual and successive." the earth, the captains and mighty men; upon the beast and the false Jesus Christ in person, but, as Bishop Hurd has perhaps involuntarily indicated, "Some agent of his power and providence; some state or constitution of government unfolding itself by just degrees, and coming as oft as the conductor of it thinks fit to interpose by any signal acts." One of the first of them in order Now, in respect to the coming of Christ, it is clear, that the Bishop prophet, viz. the false church, is not gives up the vulgar idea of a motion from one part of space to another, in which the body moved was not present before; for he adds, "Christ comes in his power and providence through all ages of the Church. His first coming was then over, when he expired on the cross. His second commenced with the resurrection, and It will now be incumbent on me to will continue to the end of the world. shew how far these signal acts, this So that this last coming of Jesus is to power and providence, making use be understood of his spiritual king- of the instrumentality of France, dom, which is not one act of sove- have been appreciated by several reignty exerted at once, but a state English commentators within the or constitution of government sub- period of the two last centuries. sisting through a long tract of time, unfolding itself by just degrees, and of time, is Doctor Thomas Goodwin, coming as oft as the conductor of it some time President of Magdalen thinks fit to interpose by any signal College, Oxford: he wrote his Exacts of his administration. And in position of the Revelations in 1639, this sense we are directed to pray that though it was not.published till 1683, his kingdom, though long set up, may soon after his death. Penetrated come; that is, may advance through with sympathy and affection for the all its stages, till it shall arrive at that French nation, he says, "The saints full state of glory in which it shall and churches of France, God has shine out in the great day as it is made a wonder to me in all his procalled, the day of judgment." ceedings towards them first and last; Thus far the Bishop; but as his and there would seem some special Lordship mentions no third coming favour reserved for them yet at the of Christ to judge all mankind at one last. And so as that kingdom had time and place; nor any such idea the first great stroke, so now it should as a coming in person, during his have the honour of having the last second advent; nor otherwise than great stroke in the ruin of Rome. "in his power and providence," it Mr. Arthur Dent, preacher at follows that the judgment of the South Shoobury, Essex, has a very world, or rather that of nations singular opinion respecting the conand empires, may and must be exe- dition of the Pontificate before the cuted solely by the coming of Christ Millenium. The work he wrote and in his power and providence," and published in 1639 and 1650, is ennot by his person. This one thing at titled The Ruine of Rome, or an Exleast is certain, that, in the Revela- position upon the whole Revelation. tions, whatever is said of the judg- In page 344, he says, We know St. ment and the first resurrection, these John's words are plain, that these kingdoms which took part with the with this, the Confederated Princes Beast shall take part against her; as giving their kingdom yet to the therefore it followeth, that all the Beast, and even the Protestant Princes kingdoms of Europe shall take part so far as they enter into the constitu againt him and it is very possible tion of Nebuchadnezzar's image, that in time, France, Spain, and wherever it is found, with its seven Italy, shall turn against the Beast. thousand names, Rev. xi. 13. shall be We know that he hath lost seven ground to powder also." of his horns; the eighth, which is Mr. Peter Jurieu positively declared, France, beginneth to be somewhat ene hundred and twenty years ago, loose, and to shake, which, if it fall that "the augmentation of France off, the rest will follow after apace." would be no damage to the ProtestWith respect to the See of Rome, ants." Respecting the tenth part of he observes," Through the revolting the city, he says, "In my opinion and falling away of the kingdoms it we cannot doubt that it is France: shall be exceedingly weakened, and this does not signify that the French brought so low that the kings of the monarchy shall be ruined; it may be earth shall easily take it; or, as the humbled, but in all appearance ProHoly Ghost speaketh, Revelations vidence does design a great eleva xvi. 26, shall easily pass over, their tion for her afterwards. One thing Euphrates being dried up, and enter is certain that the Babylonian Empire, their Babylon. But then will some viz. the Roman or Germanic, shall men say, shall there be no Pope at perish through the disobedience of all, a little before the coming of the ten kings: but who shall begin Christ? I answer, and not I, but this last revolt? It is probable that the Holy Ghost for me, He shall be France shall; it cannot be any country a poor Pope, a desolate Pope; a Pope but France." At length, after indiwhose flesh shall be torn; whose flesh shall wither, as we shall hear anon. He shall be such a Pope as Ishbosheth was a King when Abner and all Israel fell away from him, Sam. ii. 3-He shall be such a Pope as the King of Portugal is a King." cating that the Monks and Jesuits shall be abolished, he concludes as if he had actually seen the effects of the conquests of Marengo, Austerlitz, and Jena: these great events he says, "deserve to be distinguished from all others, for they have changed, or shall change, the whole face of the world," or rather the face of Christendom. Mr. Thomas Beverley, who published The great Charter for the Interpretation of Prophecy, London Dr. Mather, in his Discourse on 1694, seems to have described France Faith and Fervency in Prayer, puband the Turkish Fmpire, as he judged lished in 1710, p. 97, speaking of the they would be previous to their fall, great earthquake (or revolution] with remarkable accuracy. Speaking which was to overthrow the tenth of France, as being in alliance with part of the great Papal city, says, the Turks, he says, "Notwithstand- " May the kingdom of France be ing this, let what can be done, France that tenth part of the city which shall be kept within his own bounds, shall fall. May (or should) ́we hear to be but one of the ten (kingdoms) of a mighty revolution there, we and the Turk shall be in a low totter shall then know that the kingdom of ing condition, to be supported only Christ is at hand." upon the aids of France, that he may not come to his end so soon, but must do at last. And further, the great success of finishing the war upon (old) France, God hath reserved for the stone cut out of the mountain, which is not merely in any human hand: these things shall be done. The French grandeur, as it now stands in opposition to the kingdom of Christ, shall be ground to pow der. The Turkish woe shall be clear removed, but then, together Sayer Rudd, M. D. who, in 1734, published an essay towards a new explication of the doctrine of the Millenium, says, "A period will be put to the reign of the Beast by a REVOLUTION IN FRANCE, and that under a Louis." The celebrated Mr. J. Whiston was also persuaded, that France was the tenth kingdom or government designed for a leader and example to all the rest in Europe." retaliation, "the punishment of evildoers and the praise of them that do well." Some few writers have indeed imagined that the honour and privilege is intended for England. I shall conclude with quoting from one of the In a word, the sacred writings, most learned and intelligent among from whence these predictions were them. Arguing upon the general originally derived, are undeniably exopinion, that the abolition of the An- plicit in announcing a great apostacy tichristian kingdom would first take and a great deliverance in Christenplace in one of the European states dom: every Protestant, and particualone, he observes" that considering larly dissenters, have always seen this how much Wickliffe and the Lollards apostacy connected with Popery; and preceded Luther and Calvin, I once an unnatural alliance between Church fondly persuadeed myself that our and State where it has prevailed. country would have the distinguished Hence the strong and invariable athonour of accomplishing this circum- tachment of the latter to the House stance of the prophecy. At present, of Hanover, and the tolerance of the 1792, France seems likely to be the Protestant succession, which, may God kingdom intended in the Divine long preserve.-Hence too the hopes Councils. As yet, however, the Or- of the enlightened Catholics, that thodox Church is actually established some Protestant Prince would finally and maintained by the civil govern- be made instrumental in breaking ment, though her wealth and power every chain, and rescuing them from are greatly diminished, and the effects the pains and penalties imposed in of her persecuting intolerant spirit, the dark ages. Yours, &c. are there entirely suppressed." ANTI-MERCATOR. This is extracted from the second P.S. I wish to remark, that a new edition of a Letter to Dr. Hurd, article in the creed of some of the Bishop of Worcester, By Edward Orthodox is calculated to counteract Evanson, A. M. He therefore, thus any attempt to enlarge or enlighten concludes his observations: "Now their understandings. They seem alindeed, my Lord, the conscientious most inclined to admit a duality of Christians in France, may with rea- Devils; one incarnate, the other, as son exclaim in the classical language, usual, disembodied. Antichrist, or very unjustly applied by your Lord- the man of sin is now not made up ship to the Protestant Reformation in of many, as the apostle John exour own country: presses it; but, according to them, he is one individual person. Not the Pope, according to the old mode of accounting for, or getting over these matters, but rather some Lay person. A few years ago, in Scotland, Robespiere was the supposed Man of Sin. This new character may be extremely useful to a venal Hierarchy, for fixing a moral or political stigma upon any one who displeases them; and with a little spiritual juggling may be made to suit a Burdett, or a Buo naparte, just as the prevailing interest may require. Libertas nos sera tamen respexit." What shall we say to this evidence? Shall we impute it to conjecture, to party-collusion, or mere chance? The first would be childish, the second absurd, and the latter sheer atheism. The incredulous may boast of their philosophy, but here the judgment which these Christians have passed upon men and things, upon kingdoms and states, proves they possessed philosophy in reality. Their conclusions, though expressed in the oriental or scriptural dialect, have been drawn from long observations upon the ten- Á beneficed clergyman in Shropdency of virtue and vice, both in shipe, assured the writer of this article individuals and large bodies. Their a few months since, that, in his opi application of the predictions of sa- nion, Antichrist was the Emperor of cred writ, are the result of those the French: he thought some canoeternal distinctions between right and nized quiz of the 10th or 12th century wrong, that can never be obliterated. had made it evident" that Antichrist They are the genuine conclusions would be a secular Prince, who, notfrom a belief of God's moral govern- withstanding the great good he would ment of the world, from the law of do in the early part of his career, his crimes having rendered him odious And Hell to be sure is at Paris or Rome, TRANSLATIONS from ELIAN'S VA- (Continued.) No. 21.-Of Zeuxis' picture of Helen, and of Nicastor, the painter. EUXIS, a native of Heraclea, Xbad draw a Heleu. Nicastor, the had not been afraid lest the Peloponnesians would have combined to fight in defence of Sparta. No. 24.-The cruelty of Alexander, the tyrant of the Phæreans. Alexander, the tyrant of the Phæreans, had the character of a very cruel man. At the representation of a tragedy of the poet Theodorus, he was so moved by the sorrows of Aërope, that he burst into tears, and rising up from his seat, went out of the theatre. Apologizing for this to Theodorus, he assured him "that it was not from contempt, nor to shew any disrespect; but from shame to reflect, that he should feel compassion for the miseries of a fictitious character on the stage, but none for his own sub- injuries. limner, was much struck with the likePhocion, the son of Phocus, who ness, and expressed a great admiration had often headed the armies of his of the picture. A person came up to country, was condemned to die, and him and asked him, Why he was was about to drink the cup of hem so wonderfully affected with this lock, in prison; when, on the lictor piece of art?" He replied, "Thou handing it to him, his friends asked couldst not have asked me this ques- him if he had any charge to his son? tion if you had my eyes." I should remark the same with respect to oratory, the ears must be as nicely formed as are the eyes of the artist. No. 22.-The escape of Eschylus, after being condemned for irreligion. Eschylus, the tragedian, had been sentenced to death for the impiety of one of his dramas, and the Athenians were ready to stone him, when Amynias, his younger brother, throwing aside his robe, shewed his arm without a hand. Amynias had distinguished himself by his bravery in the battle of Salamis; and having lost his hand, was the first of the Athenians who had been rewarded. When the judges saw what he had suffered, they recollected his exploits and acquitted Eschylus. No. 23.-The vicissitudes of Fortune, Who is ignorant of the quick turns and sudden changes of fortune? The Lacedæmonians, for instance, were masters of the Thebans, and then were subdued by them: so that the Thebans not only advanced to the Peloponuesus, but crossed the Eurotas, and laid waste the country of the Lacedæmonians, and would have taken the capital, i Epininondas "Yes," he replied, "I command him not to remember, against the Athenians, the cup which I am going to drink." He who does not admire and applaud this man, is not, in my opinion, capable of entertaining a sublime sentiment. No. 26.-The fortitude with which Anaxagoras supported the death of his children. A person came and informed Anaxagoras, of Clazomene, as he was engaged in giving lectures to his pupils, that his two only sons were dead. with perfect composure he replied, "I know that I begot them mortal." No. 27-Of Tachus, who died from luxurious living. Tachus, the Egyptian, as long as he made use of his own country diet, and lived sparingly, was one of the healthiest of men. But, after be went to Persia, and adopted its delicate dishes, he could no longer relish the food he had disused; and ended life by a dysentery, exchanging a luxurious table for death. No. 28-Of the judges of the Egyptians, and the author of their laws. The Egyptians said, that they had learnt their laws from Mercury. So all The following is a conversation of nations, by ascribing them to a divine Socrates with Alcibiades. The latter, origin, secure honour and veneration to when young, was greatly disheartened their institutions. The priests were and distressed with the thoughts of adformerly the judges in Egypt; among dressing an assembly of the people. whom the oldest was the chief, and Socrates encouraged him and raised decided on all cases. It was neces- his spirits. "Don't you despise," sary that he should be the most up- says he, "that leather-cutter?" pointright and uncorrupted of men. He ing to one by name. Alcibiades rewore on his neck an image called plied, "Yes." Socrates replied, Truth, made of the sapphire stone. "Don't you think very lightly of that But I wish not a judge so much to wear auctioneer who is haranguing the an image of truth made of stone, as croud; and of that tent-maker?" that truth should dwell in his mind. No. 29.-Dionysius and Philip. Dionysius the second, and Philip the son of Amyntas, happened at a time to meet. Among many other topics, which as usual, turned up in the course of conversation, this was one:-Philip asked Dionysius, how it was, that when he had received from his father so large an empire, he had not preserved it? He answered, not very wide of the truth, "Because my father left me all things, but the good fortune with which he obtained and kept it." The youthful son of Clinias owned he did. "Well," said Socrates, "the whole assembly of the Athenians consists of a number of such characters collected together; and if, when taken singly, you have a low opinion of each, you should not think much of them when they are hurdled together." In this way the son of Sophroniscus and Phænaretes instructed the son of Clinias and Deimonasehes. No. 32. The counsel of Pyrrhus' physician rejected by the Romans. Cineas, the physician of Pyrrhus, it is reported, in a private correspondence with the Romans, promised, for a sum of money, which he asked, to take off Pyrrhus by poison. They would not hearken to his proposal; for the Romans had learnt to be brave by virtue, and not to conquer their enemies by the arts of deceit and by stratagems. And they discovered to Pyhrrus the designs of Cineas. No. 33.-The behaviour of Pericles towards the Athenians. N. B. Dionysius, the tyrant of Sicily, was the son of Dionysius; he lost his kingdom by his cruelty, and retired to Corinth, where he kept a school and taught boys their letters. UPTON. The Roman emperors kept in their chambers a golden image of Fortune, which, on their death, passed over to their successors; as if they could bequeath with it their own fortune, as hereditary. Dionysius denied that he Was not Pericles, the son of Xanhad thus succeeded to his father's. thippus, yielding and respectful to the KUHNIUS. people of Athens? It appears to me No. 30-The law of the Cretans that he was. For as often as he was on the instruction of youth. to be present in their public assembly, The Cretans commanded, that the he prayed that not a word might sons of freemen should be taught the escape from his lips, which would laws in songs set to music; that, irritate them, or appear contrary to being captivated by the charms of their opinion and oppose their will. music, they might with more ease No. 34.-The Clazomenians beand pleasure retain them in their me- smear the benches of the Ephon with mory; and that, if at any time they soot. did any thing which was forbidden, Some Clazomenians, on an em. they might not be able to plead ig- bassy to Sparta, behaved in an insonorance. In the second place, they lent and contemptuous manner; for were taught hymns in honour of the they besmeared with soot the benches gods; and thirdly, the eulogiums and and thrones on which the Ephon was praises of brave men. accustomed to sit, to judge causes and pass decrees. The Ephon expressed his resentment at this, but calling the public cryer, commanded him to pro No. 31.-How Socrates inspired Alcibiades with courage, and raised him above an undue fear of the people. |