evinces its own arrogance, and establishes the divine origin of revelation. 6 Now we boldly assert, that the natural and invariable effect of these superhuman conceptions of God, and of his attributes and agency, is, that, in proportion as they are remote from the biblical style, they tend to render themselves ineffective as to all proper moral consequences on the heart. We urge that a Deity who is equally everywhere to the human mind, is virtually, to that mind itself, nowhere. It is well known that the direct result of pantheism is to diminish every salutary impression afforded by religion, and scarcely less pernicious is the tendency of those views which, under the plea of exalting to the utmost our ideas of the divine immensity, generalise them into a mere universal spiritualism. We are not ashamed to confess our acquiescence in the old and trite observation, that we may reason upon any subject till we bring it to nothing,' and we take this effect of supernaturalism, properly so called, to be undubitable. To the mind of the common people there is no alternative between biblical conceptions of God, and none at all, or at least none that are influential; and we dare the philosopher himself to deny that his conceptions of the Great First Cause cease to inspire reverence, in proportion as they become transcendental. We hold it to be a maxim in regard to the ceptions of the human mind in its present state, that extremes in opinion coincide in their moral effects upon it, and we think that the consequences are nearly the same, of conceiving the Deity to be altogether such an one as we are,' and of conceiving of Him, as immeasurably unlike ourselves. per It may be considered very humbling, but we believe that universal experience attests the fact, that in proportion as our views of such subjects, as the divine nature and attributes, become unduly abstract, they become indefinite; and that such being the case, the style of Scripture evinces its own inspiration by that very quality which has been most tenaciously laid hold of to invalidate its claim to it. For the same reason we prefer the moderate views of such subjects propounded by Paley, in his chapter on the natural attributes of the Deity,' as far better suited to us in our present state, than the metaphysical superlatives of Newton, in his general scholium; although that great man on other occasions has adhered to the biblical style so closely, as to induce the charge from Leibnitz, that he had spoken of the Deity in a human manner. While the negation of all limits, with regard to the attributes of Deity, is but a reasonable conclusion from his works, and is certainly most agreeable to the Scriptures, we regard the conclusions of mere à priori speculation as precarious in themselves, and pernicious in • Rees, Cyclopædia, art. 'Anthropopathia.' their their practical consequences. The soundest philosophy as well as the surest grounds for devotion are contained in the following observations of Dr. Thomas Brown. This one designing Power, we are accustomed to say, is omniscient; and in the only sense in which that phrase can have any meaning, when used by éreatures so ignorant as ourselves, to signify our impossibility of discovering any limits to the wisdom which formed the magnificent design of the world, the phrase may be used as expressive only of the admiration that is justly due to wisdom so sublime. He who formed the universe, and adapted it, in all its parts, for those gracious purposes to which it is subservient, must, of course, have known the relations which he established; and knowing every relation of everything existing, he may truly be said to be omniscient in his relation to everything that exists. But it is in this definite sense only that the phrase has any meaning, as used by creatures whose knowledge itself is so very limited. Beyond this universe it is presumptuous for man to venture even in the homage which he offers. The absolute wisdom of the Deity, transcendant as it may be when compared even with that noble display of it which is within us and without us wherever we turn our eyes, we are incapable even of conceiving; and admiring what we know, an awful veneration of what is unknown is all that remains to us. Our only meaning of the term omniscience then does not arrogate to us any knowledge of those infinite relations which we assert the Deity to know: it is merely that the supreme being knows every relation of every existing thing, and that it is impossible for us to conceive any limit to his knowledge. His omnipotence in like manner as conceived by us, whatever it may be in reality, is not a power extending to circumstances of which, from our own ignorance, we must be incapable of forming a conception; but a power which has produced whatever exists, and to which we cannot discover any limit. may be capable of producing wonders as far surpassing those which we perceive, as the whole fabric of the universe surpasses the little workmanship of human hands; but the relation of the Deity to these unexisting or unknown objects is beyond the feebleness of our praise, as it is beyond the arrogance of our conception." It We presume then that a strong presumptive argument is afforded by the position, that it involves a great detriment to the piety of any man to discard scriptural ideas of God and his attributes. It is an accepted rule in philosophy that the reasoning which conducts us to an erroneous result must be incorrect; and a more erroneous result can scarcely be conceived than a diminution of our reverence for the Creator, and a repugnance of mind to the sublimest verities of revelation. And we appeal to the calamitous effects 'Lectures on Ethics, with Preface by Dr. Chalmers. Edinburgh, 1846, p. 380. upon upon the devotion of any mind accustomed to these indefinite expatiations so carefully avoided in the last quotation, and we ask whether it does not find itself unfitted and even disinclined by them, for the affectionate and contrite contemplation of the incarnation and the cross; whether it is not incapacitated by such ideas to receive the consolation afforded by the doctrine of the Saviour's intercession, and disqualified by them for the duties of public worship and secret scriptural prayer; and from the dissonance between the state of mind induced by such conceptions, and the simplicity and tenacity of evangelical faith, we derive a practical refutation of those conceptions themselves. They are either erroneous, or, if correct, are totally unsuited to the present state of man, his present degree of knowledge, and his present duties and engagements. What then seems to be the safest and even the most philosophical course to be pursued under our present circumstances, but to retain those conceptions of divine things with which the Spirit of inspiration has thought fit to display them to our perceptions? To abandon these appears to us to be no less presumptuous and perilous than the attempt to discard the instincts of our nature, in order to guide our daily conduct by the results of abstract reasoning. Let the subject then be considered, if the reader pleases, as not advanced even a step by the foregoing observations. We would submit that in this, as in many other instances, true philosophy consists in going back rather than in advancing. For just as the true moral philosopher sends us back to the original and unsophisticated dictates of the heart for our guidance, so the truly philosophical Christian advises us to be content with the representations of Scripture. The true philosopher submits to consider all the great laws of nature as at present so many ultimate facts, which suffice for the guidance of his researches, though he observes in them many particulars which confound his best concerted theories, and which subject his humility and patience to a severe trial. He wisely, however, distinguishes what is really known from what lies beyond the present reach of his faculties. He does not discard what is ascertained, because it is associated with some things which defy his comprehension. He looks forward to a time when that which is at present true in his conceptions will remain so; when that which is inexplicable will be found compatible with what truth he already knows, and when new facts will be presented to his view which will serve to harmonize the most contending phenomena, as they now seem to his limited conceptions. The Christian will best consult his own stedfastness as well as do most honour to revelation, when he imitates this procedure. It may be the privilege of both, to understand more fully hereafter, why their perceptions of things were conveyed through their present channels, and limited by their present bounds. AN AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL. By Professor H. A. C. HAEVERNICK, D.D." Translated from the German by the Rev. F. W. GOTCH, M.A., of Trinity College, Dublin. THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. A NEW work on Ezekiel is sufficiently justified by the long continued and highly culpable neglect of his writings. In preparing the following Commentary the author has had abundant occasion to be sensible of the want of the solid preparatory labours of earlier times, such as we possess for the other prophets in the works of a Vitringa, Seb. Schmid, Maren (?), and others. Even the later theologians have, to the present day, bestowed remarkably little attention on this prophet; and with regard to these I regret a The name of Dr. H. A. C. Hävernick was first introduced to the public, at least in this country, by Hengstenberg, who, in his treatise on the authenticity of Daniel, published in 1831, says that he is indebted to Mr. Hävernick, Cand. Theol., for the correction of the press and the compilation of the index, and mentions his being then engaged in preparing a Commentary on Daniel in such terms as to excite the expectation that it would prove a very valuable contribution to theological literature.* This Commentary appeared in the following year. In 1836 Hävernick, then licentiate of theology and private teacher in the University of Rostock, brought out the first volume of his Introduction to the Old Testament, which he dedicated to his former teacher, Professor Tholuck. The first part of the second volume followed in 1839, but the work was not completed till 1844. Meanwhile Dr. Hävernick had received the apointment of Professor Ordinarius of Theology_in_the university of Königsberg, and had published (in 1833) his Commentary on Ezekiel. The preliminary remarks prefixed to the Commentary on Ezekiel were repeated in substance, though somewhat abridged, in the last part of his Introduction, and to these were added in the latter work a short statement of the contents of Ezekiel's prophecies, and an examination of the objections which have been made to their genuineness. The whole of the preliminary remarks, as they appear in the Commentary, together with the additions made to them in the Introduction, are presented in the following translation. In a subsequent Number we hope to give a specimen of the Commentary itself. The premature death of Hävernick in 1845 was felt as a severe loss by all the friends of sound Biblical literature, who had hoped much from his future labours. With the first plan of the present publication he was acquainted, and he took sufficient interest in it to justify the expectation that it would have received much advantage from his assistance had his days been prolonged. *The articles on the Pentateuch and the separate books thereof, and also that on Daniel, in the Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature, are from the pen of Dr. Hävernick. especially especially that I was not able to make use of Ewald's work on the Prophets for the beginning of the exposition, although I must confess that I have found in this book more that is adapted to suggest inquiry than that is really satisfactory. A strong predilection led me long ago to the prophecies of Ezekiel, as it did before that to the Book of Daniel, to which they are in many ways related; and I will not deny that the circumstance of lighting here on a province so little cultivated, and the charm of removing the manifold difficulties which arise in it, had no small share in this choice. At the same time, however, I was filled with the inward conviction that it is highly important for the church of the Lord, as well as for theological science, in our times especially, that the pure and unadulterated contents of the prophetic word should, in spite of all its adversaries, be brought to our knowledge, and that all love and truth should be bestowed on the conscientious investigation of it. Under these circumstances my work must lay especial claim to an equitable judgment; and it would afford me great joy if, by means of it, I should contribute to the result, that minds of a generous temper were more turned to this portion of prophetic literature, and that thus this difficult subject might be presented in various aspects. To the friends, therefore, far and near, who, in our earnest times of questioning or boldly denying everything, have not yet learnt amidst their hard struggles to find in the Word of Life the joy and gladness of their hearts, and to strive after the understanding of it with genuine love of truth;-to these, for their friendly and benevolent reception, be my book especially commended. But in reference to those from whose judgment frequently just so little is to be learnt, and to be gained for science, as their blame goes over into sheer calumny and witless scorn (of which, alas! there are not wanting melancholy instances in recent times) I know how to comfort myself with the golden saying of one of the fathers,‘Laudari a male viventibus nolo, abhorreo; dolori mihi est, non voluptati.' I have always esteemed it a great favour from the Lord to be able to retreat from the unrefreshing bustle of the perverted spirit of the age into that holy calm, which is devoted to the contemplation and investigation of the word of God, and in this book I have experienced most abundantly how true that is which LEO says with especial reference to the prophets of the exile,—‘All, since that time, who have lost the land promised by God to their spirits, and to whom in their trouble God has proffered this bread of grace, the writings of the prophets, all have eaten to the full thereof, but none has exhausted its riches; all have refreshed themselves to new hope and new faith at this well of life, and ye |