eth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, that he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.

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On this passage Dr. Hawker justly inquires: Are the qualities of the grace of Christ, and the love of God, which, it will not be doubted, are such personal qualities as afford the probability of their being imparted from one to another, more so than the communion of the Holy Ghost; or would they be joined with the communion of one that is himself a creature, an attribute, or energy.

But in the Greek of the New Testament we sometimes find a masculine article or pronoun joined to the neuter veνvua; now why, if not especially to denote personality,

is this violation of the laws of Grammar?

Thus John xvi. 13. We have Οταν δε έλθη εκεινος, το πνεύμα. Also John xiv. 26. xv. 26. Ephes.

i. 13.

These passages then, and such as these, were the land-marks to which I clung, knowing that either the inspiration of the book must be denied, or that they must be admitted in their obvious and grammatical sense. The cause of my doubts on the personality of the Holy Ghost sprang from what I at first conceived to be the generally unfavourable tone of Scripture to the doctrine.

And now you will pardon me, if I urge you, again to review the arguments which have induced you to forsake the faith which I shall boldly declare to have been once delivered to the saints. Can those who assert the contrary furnish us with the date when the church of. Christ, descending from her purity,

first embraced the doctrine of the Holy Spirit's personality? Or rather, dare they to impugn our proposition, that this doctrine, held by the Catholic church, has been brought down through an uninterrupted succession from apostolic times? The page of ecclesiastical history is indeed deformed by an infinite variety of error, but never yet has heresy so fearfully prevailed, as to merge into insignifi- . cance the Catholic church, or to raise doubt on that which she professed to hold; and it is then neither rash nor vain to assert the

apostolicity of one of its chief and

fundamental doctrines.

Although I do not look on the system which would have us deny personality to the Holy Ghost with the same loathing and utter abhorrence which the Socinian scheme imperatively demands ; yet I am fully convinced that the error of the one will lead to the monstrous and life-destroying doctrine of the latter, and that the convert to the former, nerved and prepared by his former desecration, will soon learn to deny deity to the Lord Jesus, to trample on the atonement, and to degrade our Lord and Saviour into a creature.

Many, very many, bereft of the Spirit's influence, could trace their apostacy to doubts on his personality. I have written nought but what I conscientiously believe; then think me not harsh, but rather esteem this braving of your displeasure, as in truth it is, an affectionate regard for your eternal happiness. Surveying the abyss which yet yawns beneath you, may God of his mercy, and the offended Holy Spirit give you the power to fly from that perdition which I fear commonly ensues on a continuance in this vital error.

Very truly yours,

H. F.

THE next passage of scripture to which our attention is drawn, is that very striking one which describes the last days and dying language of the patriarch Jacob, when about to terminate his earthly pilgrimage, as a stranger and sojourner in the land of Egypt.

In very few instances recorded in holy writ, does the power of faith appear more illustriously operative. Let the circumstances of the dying patriarch be considered. True it was, that by the peculiar operations of God's providence, one of his younger sons had recently been raised to a post of high authority under the sovereign of Egypt. But with that single exception, in what situation were his children, or what had been his own condition and that of his fathers, but that of homeless and wandering shepherds. Very lately had both he and they apprehended actual death by famine; and although a refuge had been provided for them in Egypt, yet the station and estimation conceded to them there, is indicated by the language of Pharaoh to Joseph: "If thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle." Gen. xlvii. 6.

And yet, thus dying, a stranger and a sojourner in a land where their very occupation was held in abomination (Gen. xlvi. 34.), still, such is the triumphant faith of the patriarch, that his last words are occupied in bestowing sceptres and dominions on his children; grasping as he does, with the firmest hold, that ancient promise of God, made to him above a hundred years before, in the vision of Bethel, "The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed: ... thou shalt spread abroad to the

JUNE 1833.

west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Looking backward then, through the hundred years which had elapsed since the reception of this promise, and forward, through the more than two hundred which were yet to pass before its accomplishment, the patriarch takes up the language of prophecy, and describes the future features and allotted destinies of "the tribes of Israel," when coming into possession of the promised land; and even the leading features of their history down to the Messiah's coming.

The first of these predictions we find in the close of chapter fortyeight of Genesis, in which Joseph's presentation of his children to his father is related. Jacob then tells his best beloved son, that he has

given him one portion above his brethren." And the history of the Israelites shews the fulfilment of this promise, in the settlement of the descendants of Joseph's two sons as two distinct tribes among the twelve. The tribe of Levi being taken out of the twelve, and set apart for the peculiar service of God, room was made for this extension, and accordingly we find, in the book of Numbers, in the encampments of the children of Israel, no place assigned, or mention made, of the tribe of Levi,--but on the other hand, we have the descendants of Joseph claiming their double portion, as the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

But further;-in blessing these his favoured grandchildren, Jacob erred, as it seemed unto Joseph, in placing his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his

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left hand on the head of Manasseh, the elder. Jacob, however, immediately intimated to him that nothing, in these prophetic proceedings, partook of error or uncertainty; but that this apparently mistaken or capricious arrangement was only another instance of that discriminating exercise of the sovereignty of God, which in his own case had determined, as touching himself and Esau, "The elder shall serve the younger." Of Manasseh the patriarch instantly assures his son, that "he also shall be great, but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations."

The fulfilment of this promise is abundantly apparent. Even in the wilderness we already find that the children of Ephraim were forty thousand, while the tribe of his elder brother numbered only thirty-two thousand. But this predominance increases as we proceed, and Moses speaks of them in his dying prophecy, as "the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh." And, when we advance further, we find that in the days of the prophets, Ephraim is repeatedly spoken of as the very head and leading tribe of Israel, and as, in short, synonymous with Israel itself. As, for instance, in Isaiah vii. 2. "It was told the house of David, (Judah,) saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim." And in Jer. vii. 15. “I will cast you (Judah) out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim."

He

But we must advance to the next chapter, wherein the patriarch distinguishes his other sons, and their descendants in succession. begins with Reuben, his first-born, upon whom his chief blessing might be expected to descend. But Reuben had sinned in an especial manner, (Gen. xxxv. 22.) and his judgment is marked and peculiar. "Unstable as water,

thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed."

'Reuben's incest had been committed forty years before, and probably was repented of, and pardoned as to its eternal punishment: yet, being a crime of so infamous a nature, it was on this occasion remembered, and his tribe was degraded on account of it; to testify not only Jacob's, but the Lord's, abhorrence of such abominable practices, for a warning to the Israelites, and to all future ages.'

And in full accordance with this prediction, the tribe of Reuben never had the pre-eminence in any respect; nor is a single individual of this tribe mentioned in the whole of Scripture, as attaining to any distinction or honour among the children of Israel.

Nor did the blessing of the firstborn descend upon the second or third sons of Jacob. Simeon and Levi had also grievously transgressed in the massacre of the Shechemites, and their sentence ran thus, "Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel."

Accordingly, the tribe of Simeon had only a portion within the lot of Judah, where being straitened, part of them went in quest of new settlements, and were thus divided in Jacob. Tradition also reports, that numbers of this tribe were dispersed among the other tribes, as instructors of children, for their support. The sentence in Levi's case was not reversed, but converted into a blessing, in consequence of the service which his descendants performed, in their zeal against the worshippers of the golden calf; so that being consecrated to God, as the priestly tribe, they were honourably and profitably divided and scattered in that character throughout Israel.—But the tribe of Simeon, being deeply criminal in the matter of Baal-peor, were not so favoured.'-Scott.

Not until two hundred and fifty years afterwards was Canaan divided among the tribes of Israel; and the division then took place by lot. Yet how exact the fulfilment of the prediction!

"The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun; and their border went up towards the sea." Joshua xix. 10, 11. This tribe possessed the sea-coast, nearly from the sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean, and its border reached to the territory of which Zidon was the capital.

"Issachar is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens. And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulders to bear, and became a servant unto tribute."

An unwarlike, but prudent character is here described. Accordingly, we seldom hear of this tribe, as mingling in the contests of their brethren. Once they are enumerated, and in remarkable terms. Among those who came to David to Hebron, "to turn the kingdom unto him, according to the word of the Lord," there came "of Ephraim, twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of val

our;

" and " of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, fifty thousand which could keep rank." and of the other tribes in like manner; but " of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two hundred, and all their brethren were at their commandment." 1 Chron. xii. Here we have that characteristic of prudence, and aptitude for counsel, rather than for war, which had been ascribed to them by their dying

progenitor. With such wondrous exactness did the spirit of prophecy delineate by the lips of the dying patriarch, even the provincial distinctions of character of the future tribes.

pecu

The characters of the tribe of Dan, as subtle and mischievous, from whom Sampson descended; of Naphtali, to whose tribe Barak belonged; and of Gad and Asher, are more briefly sketched, and to understand their full import and accomplishment, we need more detailed knowledge of the internal history of the Israelites than we at present possess. Joseph is liarly honoured, and we have already remarked, that his younger son Ephraim so immensely increased, as to become, in fact, the head and leader of the ten tribes, so that the kingdom of Israel was commonly called Ephraim." Benjamin is described as ravening like a wolf, and certainly no tribe evinced so fierce and cruel a character, as did that which descended from this, the youngest son of Jacob.

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But, to revert to Judah, the fourth son, upon whom the blessing of the first-born was laid, we find it said of him:

"Judah, thou art he whom thy lrethren shall praise; thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up; he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."

The first feature in this sketch is, that of the pre-eminence of the tribe of Judah. The blessing conferred by Isaac upon Jacob, " Be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down unto thee, is here transferred, in almost the same words, to Judah, "Thou art

he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy father's children shall bow down before thee."

This pre-eminence was never lost. In the march from Egypt to Canaan, the tribe of Judah always led the van. After passing Jordan, on taking possession of the promised land, this tribe was first put into possession of its portion. After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, "Who shall go up against the Canaanites first; and the Lord said, Judah shall go up." The crown, also, after the single reign of Saul, was fixed in their tribe, and the temple of the Lord was fixed in their city of Jerusalem. And, even when ten tribes fell from their allegiance, so strong and numerous was Judah, that with one other tribe, Benjamin, it maintained its independence, and outlived its rival.

But the remaining clause demands more particular attention; seeing that it is one of those passages which bear peculiar and irrefragable testimony to the divine origin of the Holy Scriptures.

Supposing, for an instant, that we consented to enter into an argument on the authenticity of the Scriptures, and to speak of their divine origin as a matter to be proved. Viewing the matter in this light, it is, as every one knows, a matter on which even a tolerablyinformed infidel can entertain no doubt, that the Pentateuch is a book of very great antiquity. In fact, there is no more reason for doubting that the books of Moses were actually written by him whose name they bear, than there is for supposing that the commentaries of Cæsar, or the histories of Livy or Tacitus, were fabricated by other persons, and in a later age. Here, then, in the passage before us, is a plain prediction, and that in a writing which there is abundant collateral evidence to shew, existed many centuries before Christ, that the sceptre should

not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh came, to whom the gathering of the people belonged." The implied inference is equally clear, that when Shiloh came, the sceptre should depart, and the lawgiver cease, in Judah.

This prediction was given, as no Christian will for a moment doubt, some centuries before either sceptre or lawgiver was known in Judah. This is one point to be observed; but even the sceptic must admit the other, namely, that it was extant centuries before the sceptre and the lawgiver departed. This departure was, in the prediction, distinctly connected in point of time with the coming of Shiloh, -he who was sent, the peaceable one, or the Prince of Peace.

The coming of this Prince of Peace took place seventeen hundred years after the giving of this prophecy. Up to that period

the sceptre and legislative authority of Judah had continued; the nation retaining its organization even through the Babylonish captivity. But in the very same generation which saw the coming of Shiloh, the Prince of Peace, an entire end was put to Judah's sceptre, and Judah's laws. The judgments executed upon their nation by Titus, were of the most exterminating character. The whole nation was scattered and dispersed over the face of the earth; a cruel captivity being the lot of all, and nothing but the especial power of God, performing his own word, could have preserved their race from entire oblivion.

The inference is unavoidable. God himself, (Isaiah xlvi.) claims this power of revealing future events to be his own peculiar pre"There is none like me : rogative. declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things which are not yet done, saying, My counsel sdall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."