and growing infirmities rendered necessary. The close of his life was peculiarly easy, and corresponded well with the general tenor of it. "On the morning of January 6, 1772, the most glorious Epiphany he ever beheld, he conversed with his family on the subject of his own death, with the greatest cheerfulness and serenity. Among other things he said, that although he seemed to be but little indisposed, yet he found his strength failing him, and that he must soon leave them, but he was going home'-adding such exhortations as were suitable to the subject of his discourse. He expressed his wishes, that he might resemble, in the manner of his death, his good friend Bishop Berkeley, whom he had greatly loved, and whose exit he had ever esteemed happy.' Heaven granted his wish. For very soon after he had uttered these words, like the good Bishop, he instantaneously expired in his chair, without the least struggle or groan. So that he may rather be said to have been changed, or translated, than to have died; for he felt none of the agonies of death; he underwent no struggle that was sufficient to discompose the pleasing serenity of his countenance." Such was the life and death of Dr. Johnson, which we think our readers will agree with us, present a topic far more interesting than many splendid and ostentatious pieces of biography. It may be studied with the greatest advantage by all those who are intended for the Clerical profession. They cannot reflect without profit, upon the history of a man, who, without any accidental advantages, and placed in circumstances rather of difficulty than of encouragement, by patient and persevering industry highly cultivated his talents, and attained to considerable erudition: and by the steady and conscientious application of his abilities to the ministerial functions, not only passed a long life with great comfort and respectability, and was enabled to look forward to another with the best founded hopes of felicity, but was also more extensively beneficial to a large portion of his fellow-creatures, than often falls to the lot of man. By all those who are persuaded, as we are, that the form of Christianity, which is embraced by our established Church, is the purest and the best, the memory of Dr. Johnson will be highly respected-not only as that of a most worthy man, and excellent pastor, but as a powerful instrument, under divine Providence, for the permanent establishment of Episcopacy in the vast regions of North America. Discourses on Prophecy, in which are considered its Structure, Use, and Inspiration being the Substance of Twelve Sermons, preached in the Chapel of Lincoln's Ion, in the Lecture founded by the Right Rev. William Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester. By JOHN DAVISON, B.D. 8vo. Pp. 672. 18s. London. Murray. 1824. THE Mosaic dispensation, though only a part of a vast system, and introductory to a better covenant, the more it is considered, the more it will be found worthy of its Divine original. But, unhappily, the eye is too often fixed upon its accessories upon those regulations which were framed for particular objects, and no doubt wisely framed, but which from the nature of the detail, and from an apparent want of delicacy in some of them, seem to detract from the merit of the whole. Let it, however, be contemplated in a more enlarged view, in its design to preserve the sacred deposit of faith in the true God, and the principles of a holy worship, and a sound morality; in its guards and fences against idolatry and infidelity; in its adaptation to the peculiar temper and prejudices of the people for whom it was framed; in the provision made for their instruction, and for training them up to better hopes and sublimer prospects; in its mercies and its terrors, its promises and its threatenings; and, above all, in its preparing of the way for Him who was to come; gradually drawing aside the veil which had been hung over the destinies of man, bringing forth its types and its prophecies, and marshalling, in long and well-ordered procession, its Prophets, Priests, and Kings, "As though with solemn pomp, and rites decreed, Or monarch to his throne." Such a view will open nobler, and therefore more just, conceptions of this work of God, and show it worthy to be praised and had in honour. If any of "those who have pleasure therein" should think as we do on this subject; or (which is of more consequence) if any persons should be hereby led to search out the works of the Lord with more candid and serious desire to discover all their excellence, they may be assured, that a right feeling can hardly fail to be excited by a perusal of the work before us. Although we do not agree with Mr. Davison in some of the arguments which he adopts, we heartily admit, that his : "Discourses" are in a high degree calculated to promote just and devout meditation, as well as to strengthen belief, by the exercise of sober judgment, diligent enquiry, and nice discrimination. The parts upon which we feel it necessary to differ from him will be pointed out as we carry our readers through the work; but, in order to prevent future interruption, we will here observe, that we see with regret the same laboured style which we have before remarked in the productions of this writer. It is so pleasing to have a simple proposition laid before us in plain terms, that we are sorry when it is taken out of its natural simplicity, and wrapped up in forms of speech which may give it an air of importance, but can add little of strength or elegance. We cannot admire the introduction of rare terms, such as "Prophecy did not extravagate into remote subjects," and "the disparate longevity of man;" nor of uncouth phrases or figures, as "the census of prophecy," and the being "ingrafted upon the exigency of times and persons." And still less do we approve that involved and laboured style to which we have already alluded, and which appears in almost every page. But we wish not to do more than mention this in passing. Major rerum nascitur ordo." The object of the First Lecture, which is introductory, is "to connect Prophecy with the other proofs of the Gospel, and show the consolidated state of the whole of them." With this view some judicious remarks are made on the nature of the evidence of our religion, all which, however, bear upon one point; namely, That the various proofs of Christianity, whatever may be the force of each separately, ought to be taken together, as forming one great body of evidence, "one subject of connected and harmonizing proof." All possess some force in concluding upon the question at issue, and all are of a kind which comes within the power of our common reason to apprehend a circumstance, the more worthy of notice, because some of the doctrines of our religion are beyond the grasp of our faculties; whereas the evidence of it meets precisely the faculty of judging which we possess. Yet, whatever may be the simplicity and reasonableness of the several proofs of Christianity, the vindication of our faith rests upon an accumulated and concurrent evidence; and in treating of any single branch, the result of such separate argument must always be taken with a reference to the other proofs in reserve. Otherwise, our notions, as to the real force of the evidence, must be erroneous, or incomplete; erroneous, if upon a part of the proof we conclude against the whole; incomplete if we conclude without it. The inconvenience of this is shewn in the conclusions drawn by sceptical writers from the defect, as it appears to them, of single and detached arguments; for, according to their vicious manner of reasoning, they would make it appear that we have a series of exceptions to the truth of religion, instead of a train of favourable presumptions growing stronger at every step. The preacher appeals on this subject to the audience which he addresses, "Whether they have not had occasion to know, how conviction has been improved by converging reasons, and the more so as those reasons arise from considerations differing in kind; how the succession of new matter of proof, even light in itself reduces any supposed uncertainty left in the earlier stage of the enquiry; how the contingency of error is gradually excluded by checks upon the first conclusion, and the conspiring probabilities of a subject run together into a perfect conviction. Let this reasonable process be applied to the examination of Christianity, by men who challenge it to the proof; and I will not say It, but They, have every thing to hope from the trial." P. 38. The prefatory Discourse is closed "by noticing two pieces of concise reasoning, in which the authors have consented to put the defence of our religion on single points of strong and commanding evidence. The Short Method with the Deists,' is one; the tract upon the Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul,' is the other. The ground taken by each of these writers is deemed unassailable. But Mr. Davison introduces the mention of their concise and limited arguments for the purpose of observing, that "If they fail to convince there is much in store to supply the defect; if the single stone or column be sufficient to uphold the edifice, we are not to suppose that the edifice really presses upon that single support; when it reposes, and with a far greater security, upon the broad united strength of the entire range and system of its fabric; that fabric of truth, as we believe it to be, which, in its proofs, as well as its doctrines, is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone". P. 44. From these preliminary remarks we pass to the proper subject of inquiry in this volume. And this divides itself into two heads, which may be called the moral or doctrinal, and the predictive. For prophecy, it is justly said, is not a series of mere predictions: there is a continual strain of moral doctrine running through it, "including under that name the only efficacious and sufficient moral doctrine, that which is founded upon a knowledge of God, his attributes, and his will, with a sense of the direct, personal and responsible relation of man to him." This moral revelation, made by the succession of the Prophets, holds an intermediate place between the Law of Moses and the Gospel: it bears a more spiritual and a more instructive character than the original law. The Law had said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength." Nothing can go beyond this commandment in the extent of it; but where nothing is to be added to extend a law, much may be added to expound it; and to animate its spirit, and to fill up, or direct, its practice. This exhibits the parallel which obtains in revelation between its morals and its predictions. The word of promise was at first general and obscure, but grew in force and clearness till it approached its consummation. In like manner the Divine Law was unfolded. The Prophets carry it on, not as commentators, but under the guidance of an original inspiration, granted to them; and it is remarkable that the Prophet Isaiah, who, of all others, is the most full and explicit in delineating the Messiah's kingdom of redemption, is equally distinguished for the copiousness and variety of his lessons of holiness. The distinction here bestowed upon the Prophet Isaiah, should rather, it may be thought, belong to the Psalmist, as the teacher of evangelical purity and holiness beyond his brethren. The remarks, however, made by Mr. Davison, in this division of his subject, are very pleasing and highly important, and tend to place the office and character of the Prophets in a different point of view from that in which, perhaps, they are usually seen. We are here reminded of the title given under the Gospel dispensation to the interpreters of the ancient Scriptures. They should not be considered merely as persons raised up occasionally, from time to time, and endowed with a Divine gift. It must be remembered, that there were regularly established schools of the Prophets, in which they were trained and educated for their high office; and out of these schools, no doubt, were selected those whom it pleased the Spirit of God to adorn with higher illuminations, and invest with greater powers, and appoint to a more solemn office. The Prophets were among the duly appointed instructors of the Jewish people; and when a reference is made to them, coupled with the Law, it is a reference to the two great branches of oral and written instruction, which the Almighty had provided for his people; the Prophets continually carrying on, enlarging, and spiritualizing that Code which had been given originally by Moses, and probably handing down through each generation the doctrines revealed to the Patriarchs, with which the Law did not meddle. We wish that our author, in that spirit |