In this capacity he has two great volumes placed before him which are to be the theme of his perpetual pondering-the volume of Nature and the volume of Revelation. In regard to both these volumes we know not how to resist the belief that the same great law holds good, viz. of gradual development. No one can entertain a doubt that it has thus far been by slow and toilsome steps, that natural science has achieved its triumphs. The arcana of creation have hitherto been laid open fact by fact, and principle by principle. Ages elapsed before even the true method of prosecuting physical inquiries was fixed by the genius of the immortal author of the Organon. And at the present day Geology, for instance, is but just beginning to unwrap the bandages which have swathed for countless centuries the mummy globe which we inhabit. And so in every other field of the naturalist's investigations the process of discovery has been alike tardy and gradational. Who can question that the most advanced outposts of the territory conquered by the science of this generation, will have dwindled and become scarcely perceptible to the retroverted eye of the philosopher of 1944 ?

If such then be the case with the book of Nature, is there any reason to doubt that the same law obtains in regard to the book of Revelation? Is there the least ground for surprise or offence at the intimation, that there may be new discoveries in Revelation, as well as in physical science?—that the diligent study of the sacred volume may open new and unexpected views of truth leading to the most momentous results? There is doubtless a strong predisposition in pious minds to rest in the persuasion, that all the important truths of Revelation have been long since ascertained and fixed, at least in their grand outline. It will perhaps be admitted that its doctrines and disclosures may be more clearly and accurately defined in detail—that the different parts of the great scheme may be more nicely discriminated, balanced, and adjusted-that its separate dis

tinguishing features may be brought out in bolder relief, and their various relations and consequences more distinctly exhibited. But still it is supposed that the system as a whole is well settled and incapable of extending its bounds. The inass of Christians probably look upon the progress of Truth somewhat as they do upon that of a conquering power, like that of Israel in Canaan, which has completely overrun the limits of the invaded country, and attained the ne plus ultra of territorial acquisition, but which yet has a good deal to do within those limits in achieving an entire subjugation, and in parcelling out the region under the new regime.

Or, to vary our illustration somewhat, the views entertained by many, perhaps by most, of the Christian world, on the subject of Revelation, are similar to those entertained on the subject of Geography. We are conscious to ourselves of understanding the general form, dimensions, and divisions of the earth. Its great continents and oceans-its mountains, rivers, and islands—are all mapped out to our mind's eye. And so also of its political distributions into empires and states. We feel entirely assured of having mastered-of having brought within our mental ken-all the grander features of the globe which we inhabit. And if the question were asked what farther knowledge we expect to acquire on this subject, we should at once reply, that our acquaintance with particular regions—their local aspect-their peculiarities of soil, production, and climate -the manners and customs of the races that inhabit them--

may be indefinitely increased. So in the field before us, we admit the possibility of a greater amount of information as to the particulars of revealed truth-the clearing up of certain verbal difficulties and obscurities in the sacred textand the happier illustration of certain passages from the manners and usages of Oriental life-while at the same time we no more look for any farther grand and momentous

disclosures than we do for the discovery of a third continent of equal dimensions with the eastern or western.

This we believe may be safely affirmed to be the prevailing impression and attitude of the Christian mind throughout the world, and we would by no means intimate that there is not a substantial truth involved in this view of the subject. There are doubtless certain great fundamental and paramount facts in revelation which lie open on its very face, and beyond which we cannot possibly anticipate any higher or ulterior disclosures. Who, for instance, could think for a moment of educing from the pages of revelation any truth to be set by the side of the sublime central fact of the atoning work of Jesus Christ in the matter of man's salvation? This constitutes the very core of all inspired truth imparted by God to man, and neither time nor eternity will develope any thing to supersede or equal it. So, again, as to the great system of moral duties-the code of ethical precepts designed to govern the intercourse of men in their relations with each other-we have no reason to suppose it ever will or can be improved upon, or that any discoveries will ever be made that shall supersede, vacate, or alter its imperative claims. In whatever other department of revealed truth we may look for advances to be made, we anticipate none here. It will never be any more or any less clearly our duty than it now is to love God with all our hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves, and to do to others as we would that they should do to us.

But while we hold this as an impregnable and indispensable position, we do not hesitate at the same time to affirm, that many things connected with this mediatorial scheme-many things in its sanctions, many things in its typical shadows, many things in its predicted issues-do admit of, and will doubtless eventually receive, a vastly fuller and clearer exposition than has yet been afforded to the world. And, in reference to the discussion upon which we

have entered in the present volume, we cannot but very sensibly feel that we shall labor in vain to commend to our readers' assent the views advanced, so long as the impression is dominant in their minds that the ultimatum of inspired truth has already been attained, and that scarcely any thing new is to be expected in scriptural elucidations. On this point we confess to an extreme anxiety to make our readers partakers of our own convictions. We perceive clearly that in the course of our ensuing investigations we shall be obliged to draw largely on any concessions which they may see fit to grant in the outset, that biblical science, like all other sciences, is progressive; and what conception can we form: of progress in this department which does not modify, and in some cases perhaps supersede established ideas?

We repeat, then, our main position, that our knowledge of the contents of revelation is destined to be progressive; and in support of this position we certainly have the advantage. of the argument drawn from the general analogy of Nature and of Providence. Throughout the whole range of creation we recognize the perpetual presence and operation of this great law. The principle of progressive advance from the imperfect to the finished-from the rude to the refined - from the infantile to the mature-from primordial elements to elaborate formations-from tender germs to ripened fruits-from initial workings to ultimate consummations-is every where apparent; and why should it not hold here also? If progress is heaven's law in every other sphere of observation, the presumption certainly is that there is no exception here; and we are at liberty to affirm the fact, unless some adequate reason can be previously assigned for questioning or denying it. But we appeal to positive proof of the point which we have assumed, and advert―

I. To the fact of actual confessed obscurities remaining at this day in the word of God, after all the efforts that have been made to remove them. Is any thing more obvious than that multitudes of such obscurities occur throughout the

pages of holy writ? Have we not often had occasion to complain of them, and to exclaim, "O for some Danielsome dissolver of doubts and shower of hard sentences-to unriddle the intractable enigmas!" Does not the most casual perusal discover phrases and passages, paragraphs and sections, which to the mass of readers are shrouded in a veil of triple darkness? This, we admit, is more particularly true of the prophetical writings, to which, from their nature, a greater degree of obscurity attaches than to any other portion of the sacred volume. But the characteristic of which we speak is not confined to the prophecies. In the historical, poetical, typical, and even the preceptive parts, we continually encounter passages which baffle our utmost powers of apprehension.

It is indeed true that in all matters of vital importance -in all points involving the fundamentals of a commanded faith-the pages of the Old and New Testaments are distinguished by a sun-like lucidness, so that it is no less truly than tritely said, that "he that runneth may read," and "the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein." Were it otherwise, in fact, the very end of bestowing a revelation would be defeated, and the term itself become a misnomer; for surely a revelation not intelligible, would be no revelation at all. But notwithstanding the homage thus paid to the inspired oracles in this acknowledgment, it is vain to deny that vast obscurity does rest upon certain portions of the book of God. Chapter after chapter presents to multitudes of readers little else than a mere dead letter. They may perhaps glean a consistent and useful sense from detached texts and single expressions, yet as to mastering the general drift and argument of the wholeseeing the logical connexion of the different parts—and eliciting a clear, well-compacted, and satisfactory meaning from the writer's language-in this they are obliged to confess themselves sadly at fault; and if asked, as Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch, "Understandest thou what