texts of Scripture at least, in confirmation of my opinion. The passages which he has adduced, describe the shouting for victory and in his contemplation of this triumph, your correspondent seems to have overlooked the rest which follows it.

The next observation is, that the silence in Rev. viii, 1. cannot signify the millennial rest of the church because the text describes it, as a "period of one half hour," while the Sabbatismos is described in Rev. xx. 4. as a period of a thousand years. I desire to remind your correspondent, that according to the original text, the silence was not "for the period of one half hour," as he states it, nor "about the space of half an hour," as the English Testament renders it, but as nigrov as it were, half an hour. By this expression, the exact duration is evidently not meant to be indicated. It is an indefinite period: whether long or short, or longer or shorter, is mere argument and opinion. It appears to me, that Rev. viii. 1. declares the fact of the Sabbatical rest of the church, and that Rev. xx. 4. declares the duration of the reign of Messiah and his saints. It is not necessary for me to hazard an opinion, whether the reign of Messiah, and the rest of the Church, are one and the same thing, and thus or otherwise identified in duration; but to support his statement, it is incumbent on C. W. to prove, that they are so. It is not profitable to indulge in loose conjecture, or it might be suggested, that possibly the rest may be for a short period, prior to the commencement of the duties of the reign: but what can we know of these future things beyond the bare and literal meaning of the words of Scripture?

On the whole I have to regret, that C. W. should have pronounced so decidedly, that my "hypothesis is wholly useless," and that it does not in any degree simplify the construction, or facilitate the interpretation of the symbols of the Apocalypse;" for I can in truth and sincerity assure him, that there is a difference of opinion upon this matter; and that there are some very intelligent persons, who think that the scheme I have adduced, is lucid, plain, and simple; and that it is so entirely free from the perplexity, and complexity, which belong to some other schemes, as to be well entitled to consideration.

J. B.

IV. Review of "The Jew, the Master-key to the Apocalypse;" in answer to Mr. Frere's "General Structure," the "Dissertations" of the Rev. Edward Irving, and other Commentators. By J. A. BROWN. pp. xvi. 144. Hatchard; Seeley; Nisbet. From "The Jewish Expo. sitor, for Oct. 1827."

It cannot but be a subject of deep interest to every reflecting Christian, that the attention of so many individuals, deservedly esteemed for their piety and talents, is at the present period turned to the investigation of the prophetical parts of the sacred Scriptures; and this interest must be increased, when it is observed, how much the circumstances and situation of the Jews, have been found instrumental in promoting it. As Editors of the Jewish expositor, and finding ourselves bound to act an impartial part, we do not marshal ourselves on the side of any particular school of prophetical commentators; yet we cannot but turn with satisfaction to the investigation of any temperate production relative to the subject in question, because we know that every effort sincerely made, to expound the sacred text, must serve to elicit truth, and in some degree, to elucidate a topic which is interwoven with the future well-being of the church, and the glory of the eternal God.

Prophecies already fulfilled are viewed retrospectively with admiration and delight, because in every instance of their completion, all the attributes of Jehovah are seen to harmonize, the sovereignty of God appears, and it is manifest that he works all things after the counsel of his own will" at the same time, a veil of mystery hangs over prophecies that are yet unfulfilled, and of which, though one and another talented individual, has ventured to lift up the corner, it "still remains untaken away :" and it must be conceded, that if the strong sight of those who have ventured to approach the secrets of the holy place, have been at all able to discern the motions of "the living spirit in the wheels;" the dazzling brightness issuing therefrom, though it may have thrown a glorious splendour around, has not so sufficiently illuminated the scene, as to enable them clearly to discriminate and point out those prophecies which are now fulfilling, or the time and manner of their accomplishment, as noted in the Scriptures of truth.

It may seem somewhat extraordinary, that after all the patient investigation that has been given by competent persons to this topic, there should have been so little attained; that though the points under consideration be so many, there should be agreement respecting so few; that of all who have written, almost every one has set up some new hypothesis, and laid down some new data; and ventured upon some new premises, which have led to new conclusions: whether these circumstances furnish cause for congratulation or regret, need not be determined in the mere notice we profess to give of books: they should certainly disarm every one of a spirit of positiveness; check every degree of rashness, and lead every one who ventures to speak and publish on the subject, to guard against the idea of his own inspiration in the exposition of prophecy, merely because he may have been diligent and sincere in his endeavours to understand prophecy.

The standard writings of former authors who have writ ten at large, or more particularly on prophetical subjects, are become generally known, as well as those of a more modern date; and it were most devoutly to be wished there were some points of unison among them; but when instead of this, there is so much discordance on almost every point; when one sees such a variety of dates fixed as the periods of calculation for the great prophetical period of 1260, 1290, and 1335 years; when we observe one commentator calcu lating by solar, another by lunar years; one interpreting the "two witnessess" of Rev. xi, as the Waldensian and Albigensian Churches; another as the Old and New Testa ment; a third as the preached and written Word; a fourth as the Jewish and Christian Churches; and a fifth as Joseph and Judah: one expounding "the woman clothed with the sun," Rev. xii. as the Christian Church; another maintaining her to be the emblem of the Jewish Church; and a third more positively deciding her to be the papal harlot; we cannot wonder, as Archdeacon Woodhouse remarks, "If from the interpretations most commonly received, many of the learned have hitherto withholden their assent; and doubts have been expressed whether we are yet in possession of the fortunate clues to be derived from human sagacity, or Divine inspiration, or of the necessary aids of learning, or of the events in history, which, at some future

period, may be destined to ascertain the completion of these prophecies:" and we may add, that it has, perhaps, pleased God in the mysterious dispensations of his will, to shut up the book and seal the full development of it till the time of the end, that the prophecies thereof may be perfectly understood, only by the entire fulfilment of them.

Very numerous have been the Expositors of the Book of the Revelation of St. John; and the Apocalypse being the only book of the New Testament professedly and exclusively prophetical, it would be natural that every student of prophecy should give it an undivided attention. Whatever want of agreement there may have been as to the structure. of the book, the meaning of its several symbols, and the general design of the whole work; almost all have concurred in the idea that it has especial reference to the Christian Church. The work, however, now before us, takes somewhat new ground, and the author falling in with the truth uttered by Joseph Mede, and enforced by Sir Isaac Newton, that "Daniel is the Apocalypse compressed, and St. John Daniel explicated;" maintains that it belongs not to the Christian, but the Jewish church; and that the Jew is the key of interpretation to it. In order to establish this point, Mr. Brown asserts, that "the Jew must be the keystone of every prophetic structure ;" and with this masterkey, he flatters himself that he can unravel things the most intricate, and penetrate into secrets which have hitherto eluded the sagacity and patient investigation of others.

While Mr Brown, in his preface, unhesitatingly avers,that it is "to darken counsel," to propagate the opinion that the 1290 years can have been fulfilled, whilst the Mohammedan abomination exists on the surface of the prophetic earth, and therefore rejects the data of the commencement of this period as adopted by Messrs. Cuninghame, Cooper, Frere, Irving, and others, as well as the long and generally received opinion of "the abomination that maketh desolate," being the Roman power; in the eager desire he feels to rescue the Jewish Church from her present low degradation, and to restore to her those rightful possessions which he thinks have been violently wrested from her by those, who would appropriate her privileges and blessings to the church of God in Great Britain; he seems to have imbibed a sort of morbid sensibility on the subject, and in a most unnatural manner predicts, not

to say invokes, those judgments on his native Christian land which have fallen upon the Jews as a punishment for their rejection of CHRIST, and apostacy from GOD. We hope our author has not made himself familiar with the scene which he describes in the following quotation; and that if he have, he will supplicate the throne of mercy, that the evil may be averted. "Perhaps," he says "the time is coming, when even this nation, boasting of her wooden walls, and her military prowess, and, with singular inconsistency, her pure and holy faith, once, indeed delivered to her forefathers, but shamefully abused, and made a stepping stone to power and authority, may be burnt up with the Turkish, 'fire and brimstone' of the King that shall do according to his will; and like Zidon her type, the Lord God, may be glorified in the midst of her, by sending into her pestilence, and blood into her streets (cities), and the wounded (his own holy people) be judged in the midst of her, (even in LONDON, her metropolis) by the sword upon her on every side, that she may know that He is the Lord. Ezek. xxviii. 23. The year of recompences for the controversy of Zion, it is true, may not be yet come, but the cause of his wounded people will be avenged, and it will come, and will not tarry." If it can be pointed out, that by any national act England has "boasted of her wooden walls," and thus withdrawn her trust from the Most High to repose it in her naval strength; if it can be proved that she has by any national act, with singular inconsistency, boasted of her pure and holy faith, and yet shamefully" as a nation and by a national act, "abused it and made it a stepping stone to authority and power;" if it can be pointed out, that England has by any national act, rejected Christ and execrated his name, as alas! the Jewish nation has done, and is still doing; if it can be proved, that amidst all the individual delinquencies of men in every rank and station of society, "iniquity has" yet "been established by law," then may we fear the realization of such awful events: till then, we will praise our God that he has given us a nail in his holy place," and believe that he can and will graff his ancient people again, they continuing not in unbelief, into the good olive, without cutting us off; and that he will prove the truth of his own word, "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, that there may be one