promised to deliver them from their enemies; and that he came to deliver them from their iniquities, and from no other enemies. - When David predicted that Messiah would deliver his people from their enemies, it might be supposed, in the view of sense, that the Egyptians were intended; and in that case I should not be able to demonstrate the fulfilment of the prophecy. But let it be allowed that sin is intended,-for, in reality, Egyptians are not enemies, but iniquities are so, then the term "enemies" must be regarded as equivocal. But if we find, as is the case in other places, both in Isaiah and in other prophecies, that the promise is to deliver his people from their sins, the ambiguity is removed, and the double meaning of the term "enemies” reduced to the simple one of "iniquities." For if the writer meant to convey the idea of sin, he might well describe it as an enemy; but if it was merely enemies that he intended, he could not describe them as iniquities. Now Moses, David, and Isaiah, all made use of the same terms. Who then shall say that they did not mean to convey the same idea? and that the meaning of David, when speaking of enemies,—which is evidently that of iniquities,-is not the same as that of Moses, in using the same expression? Daniel (9th chap.) prays for deliverance of his people from the bondage of their enemies: but his thoughts were directed to their sins; and in proof of this, he says that Gabriel appeared to him, to tell him that his prayer was heard, and that in seventy weeks it should be fulfilled; when his people should be delivered from their iniquity,-sin brought to an end, and the Deliverer, the Holy of holy ones, bring in everlasting righteousness;-not a legal, but an everlasting one. + Prediction. It is predicted that at the time of the Messiah a new covenant should be formed, which should supersede the departure from Egypt, (Jerem. xxiii. 5, Is. xliii. 16,) and should establish the law, not externally, but in the heart; that Christ should fix his fear in the heart, not in the external conduct. + Who does not discern in all this the law of Christianity? That the Jews would reject Jesus Christ, and that they would be rejected by God, inasmuch as the chosen vine would produce only sour grapes. That the chosen people would be infidel, ungrateful, and incredulous: Populum non credentem et contradicentem." That God would visit them with blindness, and they would grope as the blind in the noon-day. (Deut. xxviii. 28.) That then idolatry should be overthrown; that the Messiah should destroy the idols, and restore the worship of the true God. That the temples of idolatry should be destroyed, and that in all nations and all places animal sacrifices should be done away, and a pure worship restored. + The zeal of the Jews for their law and their temple. Josephus and Philo "ad Caium."* + What other people ever possessed such zeal? And it was necessary. + What a blessing is it, to have so much light in the midst of such obscurity! It is most interesting to trace with the eye of faith, Cyrus, Alexander, the Roman, Pompey, and Herod, all promoting, without knowing it, the triumphs of the Gospel! + Delightful by faith to read the histories of Herod and Cæsar! The Prophets blended individual transactions with the particulars respecting the Messiah, that the predictions of the Messiah should not be without proof, and the individual prophecies not without fruit. * An illegible word. EDITORIAL NOTICE. AFTER discoursing on the Prophecies, Pascal "entered," says M. Perier, on the subject of the New Testament. 66 commenced with Jesus Christ." He Among the numerous unpublished fragments collected in this chapter, we have furnished that which Pascal entitled "The mystery of Jesus Christ," composed apparently under the influence of a species of melancholy transport, in a continuous series, and almost entirely without erasures: these pages are remarkable for the highly enthusiastic (mystique) character impressed upon them. The reader will be especially struck with that passage in which the writer, wrapt in tender contemplation, seems to see Jesus present to his view, converses with him, hears his words, and replies to him: we might seem to be reading a chapter of "The Imitation."* It may be conjectured that these pages, which are not found in the collection of the " Pensées," formed part of the Portfolio, which the Abbé Perier mentions in the following manner, in the 3d Certificate prefixed to the Autograph MS. :- "I, the undersigned, certify that the Portfolios collected in this volume, which are abridgments of the 'Life of Jesus Christ,' are in the handwriting of my uncle, M. Pascal, and were found after his death among his papers; which volume I have deposited in the Library of the Abbey St. Germain des Prez, for custody there, &c." This part of the MSS. of Pascal, with the exception of the portion preserved in the following pages, is now probably wholly lost. The original of the diagram placed in front of the following chapter, is drawn by Pascal's own hand, at p. 113 of the autograph MS. (French Editor.) *“De L'Imitation." (À Kempis.) |