182G.] 



Domestic 



and Foreign. 



415 



suggest to the human mhiJ ? Is it probable tliat tlie 

 simplicity of the primeval race should have inventea 

 it ? Or is it in any greater degree probable, that 

 God having pre-ordained the i'/-«a< sacrifice, should 

 have omittetl to institute that, which was so espe- 

 cially and admirably to adumbrate its mysteries? 

 These are questions which may be put to common 

 sense for decision ; no learning or depth of thought 

 is requisite for their consideration. 



Tlicre is such irresistible straight- forward 

 force in the above, that in our opinion, no 

 learning, no sophistry, no line spun theories 

 ' could overcome it. We will, however, 

 quote one more short passage. The posi- 

 tion is, " Christ is the Lamb slain from the 

 foundation of the world." — On this Mr. 

 Molesworth thus conclusively observes -. — 

 If, then, God had his sacrifice in view, if sacri- 

 fice did afterwards unquestionably typify his atone- 

 ment, if God did give that promi.ve of the seed, and 

 if sacrifice be among the earliest recortli, why should 

 it be supposed to be divested of its typical character ? 

 why should express prophecy point out the med ; and 

 why should God aci.«/)f the sacrifice, and not give it 

 , to the s.icrificer as a type and pleilge of that He- 

 ^ deeraer, which it aftei-wards adumbrated. Why in 

 short, if ALL men were interested in the one Media- 

 tor and Saviour, why should there be any psnorf at 

 which, or any justijieii man, to whose faith, sacrifice 

 should not present a sacramental type of the Re- 

 deemer. 



If these arguments are not satisfactory, 

 we know not what would be. 



The sixth chapter, whicli discusses " in 

 what sense would the general tenor of the 

 law predisjjose the Jews to interpret those 

 ])assages of the primeval and patriarchal 

 history in which no mention was made of 

 the origi^i of sacrifice ?" is asliort and very 

 masterly piece of argument. The chapter 

 allotted to the examhiation of the " proofs 

 that Sacrificial Atonement was not peculiar 

 to the Mosaic law, but the charter of the 

 primeval and patriarchal dispensations," 

 is as magnificent and clear an argument as 

 we ever met with, and should be diligently 

 read by ever}' divine. 



Mr. JMolesworth some time back pub- 

 lished a dissertation on the Exodus, shew- 

 ing, that all previous commentators had 

 erred in their statement of the time it took 

 place. He now comes for^vard, and, with 

 equal originality and power, thus explains 

 the Abrahamic sacrifice — so fine, so clear, 

 and so new an illustration must strike even 

 -the careless reader : we give it, because we 

 feel assured that every reader of taste must 

 enjoy it. 



I affirm, then, that the received opinion, that 

 Isaac in this transaction, was a type of Christ's 

 SACRIFICE !i erroneous; — that neither the circum- 

 stances of the narrative, nor the allusion to it by 

 St. Paul, warrant any such inference ; and that by 

 a departure from the simple outlines traced in 

 Scripture, much of the force and beauty of this 

 magnificent type has been overloolced, or has been . 

 obscured, by various unauthorized conceits. The 

 real type of Christ, on this, as well as on other im- 

 portant occasions, was the Ram or Male Lamb 

 caught in the thicket, and provided by God. Isaac 

 was the type of the Faithful Children of 

 Abhaka.ii, 



This ex|)osition of that wonderful type 

 carries conviction with it ; but our author 

 has supported his ex|>lanutiun in a manner 

 which reflects honour on him and on hi>i 

 profession, and must gain for him the meed 

 of praise. Our limits will not allow us to 

 say more, than that this book classes with 

 the few which settles for ever the subject of 

 which it treats. On the question of sacrifice 

 it must become a text book ; and will, we 

 hope, be read in our iniivcrsities. The 

 style is pure English, well collocated and 

 forcible, and reminds us of the writings of 

 Bishop Bull. Mr. Davidson, though com- 

 pletely beaten from the field, must feel that 

 lie has met with at once a gentlemanly and 

 powerful op])oncnt. 



Ti'ie Rebel, a Tak. 2 vols. 8t'o. — Tliese 

 volumes are ushered into the world with 

 all the mystery in which it is the fashion of 

 the present day to shroud sucli productions. 

 Although this novel lias no ])retensions to 

 a high rank, and does not contain one new 

 incident or character, we were interested in 

 the ciitastrojiho. The component parts 

 are, as usual — old maids, fortune-hunters, 

 lords and valets either knaves or fools, 

 quantiries of love-sick damsels and ena- 

 moured swains ; Sir William Sherburne 

 the hero, his friend Kenard Lutterworth ; 

 crosses in love, infidelities, friendships, 

 hopes and fears, and a gipsy, who is a 

 beautiful and very well bred desccnilant of 

 our old friend INIeg Merrilies, and whose^ 

 death we transcribe as a specimen of the 

 writer's powers and style. 



Nevertheless unbounded love for him had In- 

 fluenced her actions. It was love for Aim that had 

 caused her to leave Wentbridge : it was love for him 

 (love as pure and unbounded as ever filled the heart 

 of woman) that had driven her to shun his presence, 

 and never to appear before him, but where his iier- 

 sonal safety seemed to require her assistance. These 

 truths flashed on the mind of Sir William, as he 

 gazed on the suppliant and beautiful figure before 

 him. " Alas !" said the baronet to himself, "how 

 would such a heart as her's be able to bear the intel- 

 ligence of my death, when the mere idea drives her 

 almost to distraction !" 



An expression of pity, of kindness, of softness, I 

 may add of affection, was visible in Sir William's 

 face, as he looked on Helen ; whose dark, but small 

 and well-formed hands were clasped, and raised in 

 the attitude of intreaty ; wliilst her slight and ele- 

 gant figure was lowly bending at his feet. Helen 

 caught the expression of his countenance, and augur- 

 ing well to her cause from his silence, she again be- 

 sought him, in a voice of the deepest feeling, to 

 escape. 



" No, Helen— I have passed my word of honour 

 and nothing earthly shall tempt me to break it,'? 

 replied Sir William, endeavouring at the same time 

 to raise her from her supplicating posture; but she 

 shnmk from his touch as though it had been pollu- 

 tion ; and rising hastily she said, in a low suppressed 

 voice, "I have now but one more question to ask, 

 William Sherboume, and answer it trtilt/, and as you 

 hope to be happy hereafter .' Do you mean to abide 

 your trial?" 



" I do" — replied Sir William, in a voice so firm as 

 convinced Helen that all further intreaty would be 

 vain. 



