his unreserved resignation to his the world than suffer him to be a disgrace to his profession. Yet few men had more humbling and self-abasing views of themselves than Mr. Austin, as must have been obvious to every one who listened attentively to his prayers; but amidst all his short-comings his great consolation was, that he had "a High-priest to bear the iniquity of his holy things." Indeed his public prayers partook of all the originality of his preaching: they were not long, loose, declamatory harangues of half an hour's duration; but concise and pointed addresses at the throne of grace, characterised by simplicity and the rich influences of the Spirit of grace and supplication: and so impressed was he with the impor-versation with his friends, the tance of what we have now adverted to, that he would sometimes, in preaching, animadvert in most pointed terms on prayers of an opposite description, terming them no better than "idle chattering." There all my hopes are laid: This and the following stanzas, we have observed him to sing with peculiar energy; and even in con following lines were often repeated by him, and the last two lines in particular he would dwell upon with great fervour. He guards thy soul, he keeps thy breath, Where thickest dangers come: Till God commands thee home. Another hymn that he frequently selected on these occasions was the 550th in Dr. Rippon's Selection. But we are extending this article to an immeasurable length, and though much be yet untold,we must hasten to a conclusion. Of the circumstances connected with his decease, we have spoken upon a former occasion (See Vol. II. p. 255-6.) and shall not therefore here recapitulate them. But hav. ing been privileged with an opportunity of witnessing his deportment during his declining months, we deem it a duty which we owe to his memory to record a few interesting particulars that perhaps escaped the notice of some others even of his own friends. His health began visibly, though gradually, to decline about the beginning of the winter of 1815, and from that period to the close of his life, he became encreasingly" spiritual in his ministrations, or to use the language of the apostle, as his outward man perished his inward was renewed day by day." His dependance upon God and An! I shall soon be dying, Time swiftly glides away; Upon a world unknown; On Jesus Christ alone. Upon Mount Calvary bled! And bruise him in my stead; Unworthy as I am: The sin-atoning Lamb. soul laid open to our inspection! Then with the saints in glory, And so, like a shock of corn REMARKS ON THE COVENANT "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the I stripes of the children of men: But my dom shall be established for ever before ever. that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed, Gen. xxii. 18-And this given to David, that God would set up his seed after him, and establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. These promises, and especially the two last, are, as it were, the text of the succeeding prophecies, and in the New Testament they are applied unto Christ, see Gal, iii. 8. Heb. i. 5. That the apostles were infallible interpreters of the prophetic scriptures, there can be no doubt. They were instructed by Christ himself, who expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself, Luke xxiv. 27, 44, they had the promise of the Spirit to lead them into all truth, John xvi. 13. and God bore witness to the truth of their doctrine by miracles, Heb. ii. 4. But yet an enquiring mind will find some difficulty in understanding how, or by what rule of interpretation this last promise is applied unto Christ by the sacred writers, since it is frequently applied to the royal heirs of David, who were to succeed him on his earthly throne, and particularly to Solomon, see 1 Chron. xxii. 8-10. ch. xxviii. 5-7. 2 Chron. vi. 9, 10, 16. ch. vii. 18. ch. xxi. 7. Besides it is supposed that the objects of it may commit iniquity. The have attempted to remove it, by Some perceiving this difficulty, mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away be- alledging that God made two dif fore thee. And thine house and thy king-ferent promises to David; one thee: thy throne shall be established for respecting the Messiah, mentionAccording to all these words, and ed 2 Sam. vii. 4-17. and repeataccording to all this vision, so did Nathan ed 1 Chron. xvii. 4-15. speak unto David." 2 Sam. vii. 12—17, other respecting Solomon, recorded 1 Chron. xxii. 7-10. and often referred to in other places. But the arguments in support of this opinion do not appear to us to be conclusive. The words in 1 Chron. xxii. 7-10. seem to be only David's repetition of the promise in 2 Sam. vii. and his application of it to Solomon, to enforce the charge he there gives him; and as THESE remarkable verses comprise the covenant of royalty which God made with David, when the latter purposed to build the temple at Jerusalem. There are three great radical promises in the Old Testament-That given to Adam, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, Gen. iii. 15-That given to Abraham, to the supposition of his committing iniquity, that is to be found in the promise which is supposed to relate only to Christ, though that particular cannot possibly apply to him. things which were to be spoken after, Heb. iii. 5. and if we consider the nature of this testimony, we shall find that it was chiefly typical, i. e. the Mosaic economy was designedly framed in such a We are therefore decidedly of manner as to exhibit the spiritual opinion, that the difficulty now and heavenly things of Christ's stated can never be satisfactorily church and kingdom under earthly solved without admitting a double figures and types. Hence it is sense of prophecy, viz. the literal termed the letter, the flesh, in disand mystical, or the letter and tinction from the gospel which spirit. And though there are stands related to it as its spirit, many prophecies in the Old mystery or antitype, 2 Cor. iii. 6. Testament, which can apply only Gal. iii. 3. Accordingly we are to Christ; yet there are several told in general, that the law had a others as well as this which must shadow of good things to come, be explained upon the principle Heb. x. 1. and the body or subabove mentioned. This twofold stance of that shadow is expressly sense of prophecy may appear at declared to be Christ's, Col. ii. 17. first sight somewhat suspicious, as he is also declared to be the and tending to weaken the evi- spirit of the legal letter, 2 Cor. dence arising from prophecy; but iii. 17. Nor is this only declared when properly considered, it will in general, but the apostle in his have the opposite effect. To epistle to the Hebrews shews evince this wonderful construction particularly how Christ was preof prophecy, and open up the figured under the old covenant in grounds of it, let it be considered, his mediatorial character, priest1. That the Messiah and his hood, sacrifice, &c. ch. iii. vii. x. kingdom were not only predicted, His kingdom was also typified but prefigured under the Old under that dispensation by the Testament, both by persons and kingdom of Israel which was things. It is clear from the a theocracy; and consequently writings of the inspired apostles, David and Solomon, who were that the Jewish economy was in-made God's first-born, higher than tended as an introduction to the the kings of the earth, Ps. lxxxix. spiritual dispensation of the gos-27. and sat on the throne of Jehopel, in which it was to have its end and accomplishment. It was added after the promise of Christ made to Abraham, as an interim dispensation, until that promise should be fulfilled, and in a subserviency unto it, Gal. iii. 16–23. Its carnal ordinances were imposed upon Israel only until the time of reformation, Heb. ix. 10. and the end of its poedagogy was to bring them in due time to Christ, Gal. iii. 24, 25. The whole frame of the Jewish constitution of church and state, which was established by the faithful ministry of Moses, was intended for a testimony of those vah over Israel, 1 Chron. xxix. 23. were types of him in his kingly office. This is the only reason that can be given why Christ is so often promised under the name David;---"They shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.” Jer. xxx. 9. see also Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. ch. xxxvii. 24, 25. Hosea iii. 5. The kingdom of David was then fallen down; but the kingdom of the Messiah is promised under the notion of restoring David's kingdom again ;---“ In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise to Christ and his kingdom, and up his ruins, and I will build it as such prophecies required to have in the days of old." Amos. ix. 11. a double sense, because both the Acts xv. 16, 17. And the peace | type and antitype were concerned and prosperity of his reign is often in them. Thus the promise made described by figures drawn from unto David respecting the perthe reign of Solomon, when the petuity of the kingdom in his kingdom of Israel was in its royal issue, in its immediate and greatest glory. Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. literal sense had a view to the Mic. iv. 3, 4. with 1 Kings iv. 25. | earthly kingdom of Israel, and to Farther, the angel foretelling the Solomon and his successors on birth of Christ, says, "The Lord the throne,-to them it is applied | God shall give unto him the throne at the time-for them it is pleadof his father David." Luke i. 32. ed, Psalm lxxxix. and cxxxii. Now we know that Christ was not and to them some parts of it can literally David; that the setting only apply, such as their supposed up of his kingdom, was not a re- commission of iniquity, and their storation of David's earthly king- consequent punishment, 1 Chron. dom; and that Christ never lite-xxviii. 9. This is what we call rally sat upon David's throne: the letter or literal meaning of the But when we consider the cove- prophecy. nant made with David to which these prophecies refer, and that David and Solomon were types of Christ in his kingly office, and their throne and kingdom a type of his, we may easily see the true | reason of this prophetic style whereby the latter is held forth under the figure of the former. But this leads us to observe But then it is as evident, that this promise had a mystery or spiritual meaning, which was the main and ultimate thing intended in it. Its first and immediate object was the type, as has been shown, and consequently its great and ultimate object in which it terminates and has its full accomplishment must be the antitype. But this sense of prophecy needs to be farther confirmed. We have seen what the letter of this prophecy 2. That if Christ and his kingdom were typified under the Old Testament, by the whole frame of the Jewish economy, as now | respects. Let us see whether shown, then it will follow that many of the prophecies under that dispensation must have a double sense. For, The kingdom of Israel was a theocracy, or government of God in a peculiar sense; and therefore its administration required an immediate revelation of the will of God their king, upon every important occasion, by the spirit of prophecy. Accordingly we find that this government was attended with a prophetic dispensation. Some of these prophecies respected only the affairs of that people, and had their full and literal accomplishment among them. Others of them respected such of their affairs as had a typical reference prophecies as well as types have a spirit. That they have is abundantly clear from what the angel declared to John, Rev. xix, 10. "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Here we observe-That prophecy has a spirit, or mystical sense, which is its great and ultimate end and scope--That this spirit supposes it to have a letter or literal sense subordinate to the former-That the testimony of Jesus, or the gospel testimony respecting Jesus, is the spirit, or true sense, as well as the ultimate scope and intent of prophecy. This then is the principle upon which several of the prophecies of the Old Testament are applied unto Jesus, though they had a literal respect | Most High, and that Jehovah in the first instance to the affairs would establish the throne of his of the Jewish nation; the spirit of kingdom for ever"-A prediction, them, and that which was mainly as we have seen, primarily pointintended was the testimony of ing to Solomon and the temple Jesus. In so far as these pro- which he erected in Jerusalem, phecies respected the type, they but ultimately directed to Christ served the purposes of the Jewish of whom the former were types, theocracy Their accomplishment and only meeting its full accomin the type, was a clear proof of plishment in him. Acts xiii. 34the prophet's divine mission to that 36. John xii. 34. Heb. i. 5. people; and also a present pledge and earnest to the faithful among them of the accomplishment of THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRISthe spirit of the prophecy in due time. As to the promise under consideration, the spirit of it was evidently the testimony of Jesus, and was so understood by David who confessed that all his salvation and desire were in it, 2 Sam. xxiii. The throne was never really perpetuated in David's earthly house. When David's house was brought low and at last deprived of the government, the prophets grew clearer upon this promise, Isaiah ix. 6, 7. Jer. xxiii. 5..7, Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. ch. xxxvii. 24, 25. Hos. iii. 5. Amos ix. 11. And the New Testament directly applies it to Jesus. Acts xv. 16, 17. Luke i. 32, 33. ver. 68, 69. Upon the whole, then, it will greatly assist us, in understanding the prophetic writings, to keep steadily in view that there are three kinds of prophecies; the first are those which respected the affairs of the Jews, and are restricted entirely to that object. The second are such as respected the Messiah and none else. And the third are such as respected the types of the Messiah, and ultimately the Messiah himself; and of this last sort is the promise made to David, that "when his days should be fulfilled and he should sleep with his fathers, God would set up his seed after him, and establish his kingdom-that he should build a house for the | TIANS MUST EXCEED THAT OF THE PHARISEES. "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matt. v. 20. THESE words are part of our Lord's excellent Sermon on the Mount, which was addressed in a peculiar manner to his disciples who believed on him. In this discourse Christ delivers them the law, not in its letter as it was given to the typical Israel as a nation of this world, sanctioned with temporal rewards and punishments, but in its spiritual extent and perfection, as it reaches the thoughts and intents of the heart, and enforced by the eternal rewards and punishments of the life to come. It was in this spirit and perfection of the law that Christ fulfilled it for his people of all nations, and became the end of it for righteousness to every one who believeth. In this sense only does it suits his New Testament kingdom which is not of this world, in which mere outward sanctity will not avail, and where temporal sanctions can have no place. Having redeemed his people from the curse of the law, he gives it to them as a perfect law of liberty, to be the rule of their conformity and obedience to him their king, and they shall be judged according to these his sayings at the last day. None can properly obey any part of this law |