only to these? Surely not. The manner in which he shows in John 3: 14, that the idea of an expiation for sin to be made by him was already stamped upon the Old Testament, teaches that beyond a doubt he would have the whole institution of sacrifices, and in general all the phenomena of the Old Testament, and even the history of individuals, as David, regarded as types and pre-intimations of that which should be perfectly fulfilled in himself. If, according to Mat. 5: 18, every tittle of the law is to be fulfilled, must we not understand the fulfilment in this sense? In this sense, therefore, we affirm that Christ and the apostles quoted the Psalms, as predictions of events in the New Testament history. The righteous man of the Old Testament, suffering for the cause of God, and returning victorious from the contest, was ever also a type of that which should be perfectly fulfilled in Christ. Hence it is said, 1 Pet. 1: 11, that the Spirit of Christ in the prophets prophesied of the events pertaining to him. The Spirit of Christ moved in the prophets, so that, though they lived on the earth before him, they were in a situation to speak of him. Some of these typical psalms cannot be explained without supposing the elevation of the sacred writer above his usual state of mind. In Psalm 22, for example, the author first expresses the deepest sorrow, and utters the most agonizing lamentations; but afterwards he is filled with such confidence of his ultimate triumph, that he ventures to predict the conversion of the whole world, as the glorious fruit of his contest and his victory. Psalm 16 speaks of a hope beyond the grave, with a confidence and clearness such as could have been expected only from a disciple of the New Testament. A great number of expositors from the earliest times have maintained that, a psalm, though it meets a fulfilment in Christ, yet is not to be viewed as exclusively a prophecy of Christ; and that its reference to Christ often is founded only in its typical character. Thus Theodoret, in the fifth century, remarked on Psalm 69,— This psalm treats properly of the sufferings of the Jews in exile; but typically of the Redeemer, and the sufferings which should come upon the people on account of their rejecting him. The venerable Bede, the oracle of the eighth century, refers the psalm, in its proper sense, to the time of the Maccabees. Psalm 40, which in Heb. 10:

5-9 is applied to Christ, Theodoret explains in its proper sense of David, in an indirect sense, of Christ. On the contrary, Ambrose, Augustine and Athanasius have interpreted these two psalms as if they spoke only in the name of Christ and his church. This double method of interpretation occurs also in the commentators of the later Roman Catholic church. The learned Benedictine Calmet, one of the most esteemed of them,-living at the beginning of the eighteenth century,-supposes that in Psalms 40 and 69 David speaks as the type of Christ. In Psalms 16 and 22, he is of opinion that the larger portion-in Psalm 16, the largest portion--treats of David. The typical interpretation of those Messianic psalms in which the writer speaks in the first person, became, in the Reformed Church, the prevailing one. It is applied with clearness and certainty by Calvin, Bucer, Beza, Musculus, Rivet and others. In the interpretation of Luther, on the other hand, David speaks in the Psalms in the person of Christ, so that we have nothing before us but the words of Christ. Most of the Lutheran divines, as Bugenhagen, Brenz, Calov, A. H. Francke, Geier, and others, have adopted the same opinion. Melancthon, however, dissents from it. On Psalm 22: 41 he remarks,David speaks of his own sufferings and deliverances, although with the consciousness that they were only the types of the sufferings and deliverances of the Messiah. Other psalms also, which Luther referred to Christ and his kingdom, Melancthon explained differently. Luther has explained Psalm 20 as referring to David; on the contrary, he has explained Psalm 21 of the Messiah, although it refers back to Psalm 20. The majority of the Lutheran interpreters have followed him. But Melanchon observes, Psalm 21 treats of the same king as Psalm 20. The desire to gain as many prophecies as possible for Christ has led astray many commentators on the Psalms, to such a degree as to destroy all confidence in the superscriptions of the Psalms. Notwithstanding the superscription of Psalm 3, which affirms the piece to have been composed on the occasion of the flight of David from Absalom, Augustine has explained it of Christ and his enemies; so also Cocceius, A. H. Francke, and others. But would it not betray a want of confidence in the great and credible witnesses for the truth in Christ, if, notwith

standing the undeniable testimony of eye-witnesses, we should obstinately adhere to inferior testimony? Besides, it is to be considered that the book of Psalms is not to be viewed as particularly a prophetic book, although it contains individual pieces of a decidedly prophetic character: and also that the prophecies relating to Christ and his kingdom are to be found especially in the writings of the prophets.

ARTICLE IV.

THE MARRIAGE RELATION.

MARRIED LIFE. A Wedding Gift. By JOSEPH BELCHER, D. D. Philadelphia. Am. Bap. Publication Society. 1846. 32mo. pp. 128.

IT has been observed by natural religionists, that the adaptation of light to the eye, and of the eye to light, to produce vision, would prove the being of a God and fully declare the attributes of his omnipotence and infinite wisdom and goodness, if there were not another being or thing to prove it in all the vast universe. But when we consider also the construction of the ear, and its adaptation to the air, and of the air to the ear to produce in us the sensation and perception of sound,-when we consider. also, our other adaptations for smelling, tasting, feeling,how we are clothed with flesh, and muscles, and sinews. and arteries, and veins, and all that pertains to us without and within, so far as we have the power of self-examination, and, then, looking out of the windows of this castle upon all about us, and casting a look upwards, consider the sun, walking in brightness-the moon and stars. which keep their places, and bedeck the firmament of heaven, he must be a fool, indeed, who says, even in his heart, "there is no God." But if man and all the works of nature, prove to us the being and perfections.

The

of God, much more does the Bible prove them. light of the sun is not better adapted to the eye of man, or the eye to the light,-than is the Bible to the mind of man, to remove the darkness of ignorance, and give him spiritual light and knowledge on all subjects, which it is the province of divine revelation to bestow. Nor is the ear better adapted to the air for sound, nor is any-nor all the works of nature, better fitted, adjusted and adapted to their appropriate uses, than is the Bible for the Book,emphatically, above all others,—for the Book of man.

"The author, God himself:

The subject, God and man, salvation, life,
And death-eternal life, eternal death-

Dread words! whose meaning has no end, no bounds.
Most wondrous book! bright candle of the Lord!

Star of eternity! the only star

By which the bark of man could navigate
The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss
Securely only star which rose on Time,
And, on its dark and troubled billows, still,
As generation, drifting swiftly by,
Succeeded generation, threw a ray

Of heaven's own light, and to the hills of God,
The eternal hills pointed the sinner's eye.
By prophets, seers, priests, and sacred bards,
Evangelists, apostles, men inspired,

And by the Holy Ghost, anointed, set
Apart, and consecrated to declare

To earth the counsels of the Eternal One,

This Book, this holiest, this sublimest Book

The Bible teaches us what are our relations to earth and heaven-to time and to eternity, and all our corresponding duties. Among its first lessons we have declared and defined the relation of man to woman, and of woman to man-the marriage relation, and the duties thence. resulting. "So God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; male and female. created he them, and God blessed them; and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Gen. 1: 27, 28. In the next chapter, after a more

particular account of how man was formed-" of the dust of the ground;" and of woman-out of " one of the ribs of man," we read: "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; and she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man." And it is added: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." Gen. 2: 24.

The marriage relation, as originally instituted by God, was, and was designed ever to be, the most intimate-the nearest and the dearest of all the relations of earth. And this relation, we are taught in the New Testament, exists between Christ and his church. It exists between him and all his people collectively, as a body, and between him and each one of them individually, as a member of this body. Hence, says the apostle to the Romans, (chap. 7: 4,) "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." Again, to the Corinthians (2 Ep. 11: 2), “For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." And again, to the Ephesians (chap. 5: 30, 31, 32), "For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church." And, Rev. 21: 9, and 22: 17, "Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." "And the Spirit and the bride say, come," etc.

The church of Christ is the bride of Christ. He is the husband and Saviour of the body.

Let it be observed here, that, in the passages of Scripture which we have just quoted, the marriage relation is not introduced as a figure-a metaphor, or something by which to liken or compare our relation to Christ, but as the very relation itself, which subsists between him and us. An understanding, therefore, of marriage, as originally appointed by God, and of the relation and duties thence resulting, is necessary-and only is necessary for an understanding of the relation and duties re