The theology of the early patriarchs, illustrated by an appeal to subsequent parts of the holy Scriptures, a series of letters

threefold agency, though varied in operation, is one in essence. And by this mode of external influence, by which your bodily life is maintained from day to day, you have described to you the way in which the life of the soul is begun and continued. That life consists in communion with God, from which as sinners you are excluded, but to which you may be restored through Jesus Christ," the light of life," the influence of whose Spirit is the breath of "spiritual and eternal life."

Has the Christian Missionary to deal with a Jew, an appeal to the CHERUBIM of his own revered Temple appears to the writer of these Letters to be the strongest appeal that can be made. If the doctrine of THE CHERUBIM as it is here expounded, be admitted, the controversy between the Christian and his Jewish opponent is brought to a short issue; the compound nature of his Messiah is established, and the grand cause of all the sufferings of his nation is found to be a rejection of the truths taught in the clearest manner by his own ceremonial code. He is convinced out of his own mouth, while he professes attachment to the institutes of his great prophet.

Such, then, are the grounds on which the following Letters are made public. Their publication proceeds from an earnest desire that a scheme of Philosophy and Theology, which, in the opinion of the Editor, has been rejected without due examination, and which, he conceives, has received strong additional evidence in its favour from the progress of scientific inquiry since its first appeal to the patronage of the Christian student, should now obtain a candid and impartial hearing. The Editor could have wished that the subject had been taken up by abler hands than his own, and is conscious that it could hardly have fallen into worse; but his hope is, that the following

sketches (for they claim no higher character) may excite some learned advocate to call forth inquiry on points, which are at least curious and interesting, and which, so far as he knows, cannot, even if rejected, prejudice the "faith once delivered to the saints." They clash with no orthodox dogma in Divinity: they only offer aid to the great truths of the everlasting Gospel, by presenting a second authenticated volume, in which is to be found a fac simile of the Book of Revelation. The great truths revealed in both volumes, are the Triunity of the Divine essence, the Deity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the necessity of his atonement and of the inspiration of his Spirit. Should Hutchinsonianism, so called, be proved materially erroneous,

Magnis tamen excidat ausis.

Such evidence as that which a comparison between the volumes of nature and revelation affords, is increasingly important, in proportion as the lapse of time places the age of miracles at a remote distance from us, and during the interval in which we are waiting for that predicted era which will furnish the unerring clew to the interpretation of New Testament Prophecy. In the interval infidelity is confidently asking, “Where is the promise of his coming?" But the analogy between Creation and Revelation renders the inquiry inexcusable. Rom. i. 20. May it be supposed, that this evidence has been suffered to be dormant, like the witnesses in the apocalypse, for the greater exercise of faith in the Christian church; and that while the parables of nature have addressed themselves to all nations in illustration of the mysteries of redemption, the key to those parables has been withheld for the same awful reason which our Lord assigned for his own conduct

in revealing the meaning of his parables to his disciples only? May it not be expected that the preachers mentioned Ps. xix. 1, who address themselves equally to every part of the world, and whose language is legible in every country, will be employed in the general diffusion of Divine knowledge to which the church is taught to look forward? The word of God is going forth from the end of the heavens; and its circuit has already reached to its other extremity; and wherever it goes, its commentary in the agency of the material heavens accompanies its progress. And when the text and commentary are brought into one view, what results may not be expected, as the commentary is written by the same infallible pen which wrote the text.

Nonnulli forsan hæc omnia, utpote nova et a sensu passim receptâ reflectentia, tristiori supercilio excepturi sunt. At memimerint velim, hæc ea esse, quæ, salvâ fidei normâ, et spe salutis integrâ, in utramque partem disputari possunt. Hoc argumentum hujusmodi est, quo nemo graviter errare potest, uti nec ego pertinaciter volo.Spencer, De legibus Hebræorum. Lib. iii. P. 283.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.

LETTER.

PAGE.

1

I. Creation the Prototype of Revelation....

II. The Solar System a Self-moving Machine.. 10

III. The Active and Passive Parts of Matter....

IV. The Agency employed in the Formation of

the Earth

V. The Production and Agency of Light

VI. The Formation and Constitution of Man

VII. The Institution of the Sabbath