ration between the 'beloved city' and the world without, will be such as to render any association of men in the flesh and glorified spirits no more frequent than in the time of the patriarchs, when some entertained angels unawares.' The passages which speak of bringing glory and honour into the city' may be translated with equal propriety 'to the city."

We have not space to enter upon the question of the binding of Satan during the millennium. Chapter vii., in which Mr. Brown discusses this subject, at great length, is really worthy of any German rationalist.

The Spiritual Reign, an Essay on the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,' by Clemens, is an able work on the same side as Mr. Brown's, by a layman of the Church of England. Having considered the latter work at such length, it is unnecessary to occupy the reader's attention with this, especially as the arguments employed are substantially the same as those of Mr. Brown. The book is written in a very interesting style, and will well repay perusal by those who are desirous to ascertain the arguments of post-millennarians in favour of a spiritual reign of principles, rather than a personal reign of the Lord, together with his risen saints, during the thousand years.

The Harmony of the Apocalypse with other Portions of Holy Scripture' is an attempt to exhibit the close analogy between that and other prophecies of Holy Scripture. All commentators,' says Bishop Jebb, in a passage quoted in the preface of this work, have observed the striking resemblance between portions of the Apocalypse, considerable both in number and extent, and the prophetic books of the Old Testament.' Mr. Hoare then adds, It seemed to the author that it might be of material service to the better understanding of the more difficult parts, if the resemblance here spoken of by the Bishop could be literally exhibited to the eye of the student, by introducing into the actual text such other passages of Scripture as might seem to have been in the eye of the Apostle when he wrote.' Such is the object of the compiler of this volume, and the mode in which he has sought to accomplish it is by placing in one column the text of the Apocalypse, and in another a combination of passages from various parts of Scripture, agreeing with it, in his opinion, both in form and måtter, so as to constitute a kind of Scripture paraphrase to the book.

Whatever value might belong to such a work, if rightly executed, the book before us possesses so many faults, perhaps inseparable from the plan, as to be altogether useless. The knowledge and judgment required to paraphrase the Revelation, we may safely say, no man but the Apostle himself has ever possessed. To write an Exposition of the Apocalypse is a widely different

thing. The views contained in such a work, after being well considered, can be received or rejected at pleasure; but the paraphrase before us is intended to aid the student in forming his opinions of this mysterious book. Any error here, therefore, must be of incalculable mischief; and as nothing short of inspiration could guard the author from mistakes, we need not say such a book is far more calculated to mislead than to assist the mind whilst attempting to discover the mysteries of the Apocalyptic visions.

The work of Dr. Adams brings before us a novel and singular interpretation of the opening of the book sealed with seven seals' (Rev. v. 1). He thinks that this book is the Old Testament; that it is represented as sealed, to intimate that its contents are in some way hidden from mankind; and that its unsealing will be equivalent to a new revelation. It is further the opinion of Dr. Adams, that at the destruction of Jerusalem the sacred oracles of the Jews were carried to Rome, according to the testimony of Josephus ; that this constituted the sealing up of the sacred books; that they still remain sealed, being probably in the Vatican Library of Rome, in some hidden corner; that at the coming of Christ, at the commencement of the millennium, this authentic copy of the Hebrew Scriptures will be reproduced, and the most glorious effects be the natural consequence.

This most extravagant and absurd notion the author has attempted to support by a number of striking testimonies from the very ancient commentators on the Apocalypse, all of whom appear to have considered the sealed book' to be the Old Testament Scriptures. Still any attempt to show that this opinion is altogether untenable would be an insult to the understandings of our readers.

Mr. Hatley Frere's new work differs in many respects from the Commentaries on the Apocalypse already published. One of the most striking features of this difference is the novel opinion that the seals denote judgments upon the Western, the trumpets judgments upon the Eastern Empire. We altogether dissent from this theory, for which indeed no reasons are assigned. In fact, we think it evident that some of these symbols are not judgments at all. The first seal is so obviously a representation of the progress of the gospel in the early ages, that we marvel how such intelligent commentators as Elliott, Frere, and a host of others, can interpret it of a Roman Emperor!

Mr. Frere's interpretation of the first beast, as the civil power of Rome, and of the second as the ecclesiastical power, is, we think, the only view which suits the vision.

We cannot say the same of his exposition of chapter xiv., which we consider as very objectionable. The heading to the inter

pretation

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pretation of this sublime vision is Works of the Protestant Nation (i. e. Britain) during the Period of Infidelity'! The characteristics of the saints of God in the 4th and 5th verses- These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth; these were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb; and in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God'-are, strange to say, applied to the British people! although nothing can be plainer than that the individuals referred to are at the very period seen standing with the Lamb' 'before the throne of God.' We greatly regret that so able and pious a commentator should be so far misled as to apply such exalted language to a nation so corrupt

as ours.

In expounding the vials, Mr. Frere considers them as already past, except the seventh, which began to be accomplished at the French Revolution in 1848, but it is not yet at an end. The millennial scene (xx. 4) he interprets literally; and looks forward to a personal reign of our Lord with his risen saints during a thousand years.

The Commentary on the Apocalypse' by the justly celebrated Hengstenberg, as yet only reaches to chapter xii. of that book; and there is, we understand, no immediate prospect of the remainder. We shall therefore at present give only a brief outline of Hengstenberg's interpretation of the Apocalypse, reserving the discussion of his theory till we have the whole work in our hands. In the early part of this first volume we have the period of the composition of the book discussed at some length. The result is n favour of the later date. Hengstenberg decidedly thinks that it must have been written in the time of the Emperor Domitian, and at a period of persecution. There is no express reference to the destruction of Jerusalem as impending, therefore it was written subsequently to that event.

This learned commentator divides the Apocalypse into a certain number of groups. The first is the group of the seven churches. The second is the group of the seven seals. The third is the group of the seven trumpets. The fourth is the group of the three enemies of the kingdom of God,' viz., the dragon, the ten-horned beast from the sea, and the two-horned beast from the earth. The first beast he considers a symbolic representation of the mass of mankind-the God-hostile power of the world. The second beast he thinks a figurative emblem of philosophy, falsely so called.

We now come to the fifth group, which is that of the vials. The sixth is that of the special judgment of the beasts. All these groups are, according to Hengstenberg, not successive, but complementary, as he terms them. The one fills up what was wanting in the

other,

other, but each reaches down to the end of time. The learned author does not think, as is usual with other commentators, that each vision of this mysterious book received its accomplishment in any specific event. They are rather to be interpreted generally, as denoting certain agencies in operation at different periods of the Church's history.

Between several of these groups, Hengstenberg places episodes, or intermediate scenes-as, for instance, that of the 7th chapter, and that of the 10th also. The group of the vials he regards as a sort of prelude to the next group-that of the special judgment of the enemies of God's kingdom. Such is a brief outline of this valuable contribution to Apocalyptic literature. We look forward with no ordinary interest to the remainder of the book, on receiving which we shall be better able to give a view of the whole theory of the gifted author in reference to the book of the Revelation.

I K

ON THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN SYRIA."

THE East has been called the cradle of medical science. Under the patronage and protection of the Khalifehs of Baghdad and Egypt, various departments of knowledge were pursued with eagerness, and many arts were carried to a good degree of perfection; but particular precedence was ever given to the science of medicine, and its votaries often received the highest honours and emoluments. This high respect paid to the healing art must have arisen not only from the nature of its primary object, the relief of the various ills to which flesh is heir, but also from its intrinsic difficulties, and from the fact of its involving, to a great degree, an acquaintance with the whole circle of the sciences. Physicians were generally at the same time naturalists, metaphy

a It has often occurred to us to want a good account of the diseases and medical practice of Syria, without which it is not easy to understand the allusions to those subjects which we find in the Scriptures. Especially as contributing to the identification of the diseases named in the Bible would such an account be of importance. It is therefore with much gratification that we found in the last Number of the Journal of the American Oriental Society (New Haven, 1849) a valuable and interesting communication on this subject from the Rev. C. V. A. Van Dyck, M.D., missionary in Syria of the American Board of Foreign Missions, who has had such very peculiar advantages in investigating this matter as could scarcely be found combined in any other person. As the Journal of the American Oriental Society appears to be but little known in this country, unless to a few Oriental scholars, we are induced to render this valuable information accessible here, by giving it a place in the Journal of Sacred Literature. The interest of the article is much enhanced by the indications of Oriental customs and ideas which it affords.-EDITOR, J. S. L. K 2 sicians,

sicians, astrologers, and alchemists, a fact which accounts for their being called Hukema, wise men, their proper designation being 'Tibba, healers. Both titles continue in use, although the present 'incumbents' deserve neither the one nor the other.

The names of Avicenna, Abulcasis, Avenzoar, Averroes, and Rhazes are familiar to every medical man. The works of the latter are very rare, and are not so much valued by the present Arab physicians as those of Avicenna, whose elaborate treatises upon pathology, materia medica, theory and practice, and natural science, form the basis of oriental practice at the present day. The work of Razi, in which he notices some of the exanthemata, and prescribes treatment much the same as that now employed by our own practitioners, is thrown aside; and the most decided preference is given to the treatment based upon the theory of morbific humours as advanced by Avicenna, who drew most of his information from the works of Galen, Dioscorides, Aristotle, Hippocrates, and other ancient Greek authors.

Much has been said about Arab science in general, and high praises have been bestowed upon Arab philosophers; but I imagine that a full development of facts would show that by far the greater part of Arab science has been derived from Greek Sources. The questions, how, and when, and by whom, Greek literature was introduced into the Arabic language would afford abundant matter for research to the Arabic scholar. Something may be learned on this subject from the following brief accounts of a few eminent Arab physicians, drawn mostly from Ibn Khallikan's Memoirs of the eminent Men of Islamism."b

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1. Abu Hashim Ibn Yezid Ibn Mu'aweh Ibn Abi Sofyan ElAmawi. He was one of the most learned men of the Koreish, particularly in medicine and alchemy, subjects upon which he wrote several tracts. He obtained most of his information from a monk called Merjanus the Greek, and one of his tracts is devoted to an account of his transactions with this monk, mingled with snatches of poetry, some of which are in praise of his teacher. His grandfather, Abu Sofyan, was the conductor of the caravan of the Koreish which caused the battle of Bedr. He died in the 85th year of the Hegira.

2. Abu 'Abdalla Ja'far Eş-Şadik Ibn Mohammed El-Bakir Ibn 'Ali Zein El-'Abidin Ibn 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib, who was born in the 80th year of the Hegira, and was surnamed Es-Sadik in consequence of the uprightness of his character. He wrote a work on alchemy and magic, which was commented upon and enlarged in a work of 2000 pages by his disciple Abu Musa Jabir Ibn b A manuscript copy of this work was offered for sale at Aleppo a few years since, for sixty dollars, and was considered cheap.

Hayyan