Israel will be made the Lord's "battle-axe and weapon of war,' (v. 19.,) and "the slain of all the earth to fall;" with many other circumstances, which either were not accomplished at all, at the taking of that city by the Medes in the time of Cyrus, or which were but very inadequately fulfilled.

(2.) The next class of prophecies which may be noticed, are those in which the fulfilment is inadequate, not so much from the historical event exhibiting but a slight and very imperfect sketch, with much evident omission of detail when compared with the prophetical description; but when the events fulfilled correspond in magnitude with what is predicted, whilst other features of the prophecy have not received a shadow of fulfilment. Thus, in Zechariah xii. 9-14, we have an instance of a prophecy fulfilled only in one single circumstance, at its primary accomplishment. The prophecy relates to the destruction of the nations which shall come against Jerusalem, and the spirit of supplication and penitence which shall be manifested by Israel; who shall then look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn. Now verse 10. is pointed to by St. John (chap. xix. 37.) as fulfilled at the crucifixion; and so it was most literally, so far as the piercing Jesus then took place; but there was no national mourning then of the Jews, neither any destruction of the nations coming against Jerusalem. This prophecy therefore does not so much regard a twofold sense, as a twofold period; and the piercing Jesus must consequently be regarded as but an inchoate fulfilment, whereby he is already pointed out to the church, as the Shepherd of Israel and the equal of God, mentioned in the 13th chapter of Zechariah, who was to be smitten. And notwithstanding the long gap between the fulfilment of the one part of the prophecy and the other, we must nevertheless look for a period when Israel shall nationally look on him and mourn, and inquiring, "What are these wounds in thine hands?" be informed, that they are "those with which he was wounded in the house of his friends," (v. 6.) when "he came to his own, and his own received him not." John i. 11.

Joel ii. 28, is likewise another instance of inchoate fulfilment; the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, therein mentioned, having been declared by St. Peter to have been accomplished on the day of Pentecost (Acts ii. 16-21.) But instead of the Lord "in those days and at that time," bringing again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, and taking vengeance on the nations, (Joel iii. 1-17.) Judah went into captivity, and the Gentiles have trodden down Jerusalem unto this day.*

The expression "afterward," in Joel ii. 28,-"And it shall come to pass “afterward” (›s Heb. μsta rauta Sept.) that I will pour out my spirit,”

(3.) In like manner a key will be found to the understanding those prophecies, in which the first and second advents of the Lord Jesus are involved. In most instances they apparently refer to a twofold period only, and the particulars which apply to each may be readily separated. Thus Mr. Mede, on Isaiah ix. observes: "That the old prophets (for the most part) speak of the coming of Christ indefinitely and in general, without that distinction of first and second coming, which the gospel out of Daniel hath more clearly taught us; and so consequently they spake of the things of Christ's coming indefinitely and altogether, which we, who are now more fully informed by a revelation of the gospel of a twofold coming, must apply each of them to its proper time; those things which befit the state of his first coming, unto it; and such things as befit the state of his second coming, unto his second; and what befits both alike may be applied unto both." (Works, fol. 755.) In some instances, however, the context would lead one, from the inadequate fulfilment of the particulars relating to the first advent, to expect a repetition and more complete accomplishment of them at the second advent. 1

An example may be found in Psalm ii. where, besides the "private interpretation" of it to the family of David, which was probably understood in his days, we have apparently a twofold reference to the times of the Messiah. For it is quoted, Acts iv. 25, as having received a fulfilment in the gathering of Herod and Pilate against Jesus. But the scope of that Psalm points (as do most of the prophecies,) to a period of judgment on the ungodly coalition therein described, for which there was no precedent in the times of the apostle. For the judgment which fell on the Jews by the instrumentality of Titus is inadequate, seeing it was inflicted, not on both the parties who formed this monstrous coalition, but by one of the parties on the other. So that what was then transacted was but a partial fulfilment of the context of which would lead one to expect this outpouring after the great day of the destruction of the northern army and other enemies of Israel, has induced many interpreters to view the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, as only an inchoate effusion, and that we may expect another in the great and terrible day of the Lord: so that while he pours out of the vials of his wrath on his enemies, he will shed abundantly from the vials of his mercy on his church. This expectation is thought to be further justified from verse 23, and from Zech. x. 1, where mention is made of a "former and latter rain;" to which St. James is supposed to refer, chap. v. 7, and to allude to a second effusion of the Spirit. I offer no opinion on this expectation: I would only further point out to the reader, as worthy of observation, that when St. Peter quotes this, he changes the expression "afterward" to "last days," without any warrant either from the Hebrew or Greek texts; though doubtless he was moved by the Spirit so to do. And again it should be remarked, that St. Paul quotes Joel ii. 32; (see Rom. x. 13.) as applicable to his generation; showing that one event of the prophecy being fulfilled, believers might take it as a token to call on the Lord for salvation, in the fullest sense, at all times.

VOL. II.-8

their taking counsel against the Lord, and of their machinations being frustrated, or overruled for good. It remains therefore to be more fully accomplished at the second advent of Christ.

Malachi iv. 5. presents us with an instance in which a twofold fulfilment of a part of the prophecy is clearly to be expected, at the same time that a portion of it will only receive one fulfilment. "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." The context shows that this great and dreadful day of the Lord is one, wherein the wrath of the Lord shall burn like an oven against all the proud and wicked, who shall be burnt up as stubble, and the righteous shall tread them down as ashes under the soles of their feet. Verse 5 we know, from our Saviour's testimony, received a primary fulfilment in John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah; and, judging from Matt. xvii. 11,-"Elias truly shall first come and restore all things," spoken by our Lord before he passed on to speak of John the Baptist-a coming of the actual Elijah is still to be expected. For it would be contradictory in our Lord to speak of it as a thing future ("Elias truly shall first come,") and as of a thing past, ("But I say unto you, that Elias is come already,") in the same breath. Certainly the fathers of the primitive Christian Church, down to the time of Jerome, looked for a coming of the actual Elijah; and under any view of the prophecy, the scope of it already pointed out was not fulfilled; neither was there any restitution of all things, as stated by our Lord there should be, in his mention of Elijah quoted above.

2. Another important principle of interpretation, intimately connected with the canon of the apostle, and indeed flowing from it, comes next to be noticed. There is evidently, from what has already been instanced from the prophecies, especially from Joel and Zechariah, a period arriving, when the affairs of the church of Christ shall be brought to a grand CRISIS. Previous to it, the carnal enmity of all mere professors will be made manifest by a universal spirit of apostacy, in which the form of godliness shall alone be seen, and none shall be valiant for the truth; (see 2 Tim. iii. and numerous places in the Old Testament:) and this will bring on a period of great tribulation and peril to the church, and to the Jews in particular; but out of it there will be a marvellous deliverance and exaltation of the Lord's people, with a great destruction of his enemies, accompanied, or immediately followed, by the resurrection from the dead and the commencement of the millennial dispensation.

Now this CRISIS is continually regarded in the prophecies: I

may indeed with safety assert, that it is always regarded when judgment and vengeance are spoken of. For this rule of St. Peter, in order to be applicable to every generation of the church during its time state, necessarily requires the period of judgment to be so far procrastinated, as that the last generation of believers shall be able to make practical use of it: otherwise, it would still be to that generation of the church of private or limited interpretation, excluding them from any direct concern in it. This will be found a useful clue to the right understanding of the Psalms; in which the constant allusions to the actions and spirit of the ungodly, to their triumphing for a time, and to their punishment at last, however they may primarily refer to the spirit of insubordination exhibited in David's time, have a more direct reference to the proceedings of the ungodly in the latter days, to the complaints thereupon of Christ in his members, and to the rising up at lengh of Jehovah to avenge them, and to set them at liberty from him that puffeth at them.

Another proof of crisis being regarded in prophecy, is the circumstance of a promise, which apparently has respect to something that has been afterwards fulfilled, being nevertheless sustained and carried forward beyond the period of fulfilment, even though we can find no circumstances from which we can clearly and expressly infer that the fulfilment was inadequate. An instance may be taken from Psalm xcv.: "Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways: unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.' This appears clearly to refer in the context to that generation of Israelites whose carcasses fell in the wilderness, they not being permitted to see the promised land; and this circumstance decidedly fixes the primary application of the rest spoken of to the land of Canaan. But to limit the application of it to Canaan would be to make the prediction of "private interpretation;" and accordingly we find the apostle still applying it in his days to the generation in which he lived; and he argues, that as the psalmist had done the same to the men of his generation, so long after the rest into which they were led by Joshua, therefore there must yet "remain a rest to the people of God. Heb. iii.

But it is not only matter of a directly prophetical character

*This looking of all prophecy toward crisis has not been unobserved in this particular by Bishop Lowth, who, on Isa. x. 20, observes, 'that it is usual with the prophets, when they foretel some extraordinary event in or near their own times, to carry their views farther, and point at some great deliverance which God shall vouchsafe to his people in the latter ages of the world.'

that it is thus deferred to the period of crisis. I may go farther and say, that almost every object of religious interest is deferred as to its fulness and completeness to the same time. Is it rest?-it remaineth (as we have seen,) and is to be ultimately bestowed on us "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." 2 Thess. i. 7. Is it grace?-though given now, still, as to its consummation, "it is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. i. 13. Is it salvation? in numerous instances it is described as "ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter i. 5. And to the same crisis, allusion is repeatedly made by the use of the phrase "that day:" and it is highly probable that every portion of scripture shall at that period possess a peculiar utility; so that things which appear now really to be of private application, and to respect local or temporary peculiarities, will then acquire a more immediate practical character, and it shall be found then that "all scripture is profitable." See for instances of this, Matt. vii. 22; Luke x. 12, xxi. 34; 2 Thess. i. 10; 2 Tim. i. 2, 18, iv. 8. And if we are now passing into that crisis, (which all things seem manifestly to indicate,) how important it is that the people of God should diligently study his word, and specially take heed unto prophecy!

3. There is yet another principle of interpretation, which must be mentioned, as connected with the great rule now under consideration: and that is the fulfilment of certain circumstances of a prophecy as a sign and pledge of the fulfilment of the remainder. Thus in the prophecies which have already been noticed, the incipient accomplishment of a part is a token and assurance to us of the remainder being fulfilled at the time of crisis; and those which have been fulfilled primarily in an accommodated sense, or by circumstances inadequate to the express terms of the prophecy, afford us a pledge of a more complete accomplishment ultimately in a sense that can have no imperfect, contracted, or private application. In this view, the piercing of Jesus, and the Pentecostal effusion of the Spirit, are signs and pledges of the future fulfilment of all that is foretold in Zech. xii. and Joel ii. iii. The coming of John Baptist in the spirit and power of Elijah, is a pledge of some other great fore-runner as the herald of Christ's second advent; and the enjoyment of Canaan by the Israelites, is a pledge of the rest that remaineth for the people of God. In the latter instance it appears clearly predicted as such, as I have endeavoured to prove at page 23; the covenant then made with Abraham being intended as the assurance for himself, (see Heb. vi. 16, 17,) for it had in it all the, solemnity of an oath; and the subsequent affliction of his posterity in a strange land, and