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Spring 5 Design Patterns

Master efficient application development with patterns such

as proxy, singleton, the template method, and more

Dinesh Rajput

BIRMINGHAM - MUMBAI
Spring 5 Design Patterns
Copyright © 2017 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the
publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

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First published: October 2017

Production reference: 1031017

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

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B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78829-945-9

www.packtpub.com
 Credits

Author Copy Editor

Dinesh Rajput Sonia Mathur

Reviewer Project Coordinator

Rajeev Kumar Mohan Prajakta Naik

Commissioning Editor Proofreader

Merint Mathew Safis Editing

Acquisition Editor Indexer

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 About the Author
Dinesh Rajput is the chief editor of a website Dineshonjava, a technical blog dedicated to
the Spring and Java technologies. It has a series of articles related to Java technologies.
Dinesh has been a Spring enthusiast since 2008 and is a Pivotal Certified Spring
Professional, an author, and a blogger. He has more than 10 years of experience with
different aspects of Spring and Java design and development. His core expertise lies in the
latest version of Spring Framework, Spring Boot, Spring Security, creating REST APIs,
Microservice Architecture, Reactive Pattern, Spring AOP, Design Patterns, Struts,
Hibernate, Web Services, Spring Batch, Cassandra, MongoDB, and Web Application Design
and Architecture.

He is currently working as a technology manager at a leading product and web

development company. He worked as a developer and tech lead at the Bennett, Coleman &
Co. Ltd and was the first developer in his previous company, Paytm. Dinesh is passionate
about the latest Java technologies and loves to write technical blogs related to it. He is a
very active member of the Java and Spring community on different forums. When it comes
to the Spring Framework and Java, Dinesh tops the list!

Through the course of writing this book, I contacted many people who helped me to clarify
many dark corners of Reactive Patterns and GoF patterns. First of all, many thanks to the
reviewer of this book, Rajeev Kumar Mohan, who is a technology consultant and trainer.

Special thanks go to Naveen Jain, who helped me create some real-world scenarios for all
GoF design patterns, as mentioned in the examples.

And of course, my thanks to my lovely wife Anamika for encouraging me and supporting
me in the writing of this book. Also thanks to my dear son Arnav for playing mobile games
with me; it made me feel refreshed at the time of writing this book.

Finally, this book took shape from the work of Packt editors, Lawrence Veigas and Karan,
who guided me through the writing process and Supriya, who joined at the last stage of the
publishing process and brought many suggestions on how to make the book better and
more useful for readers.
 About the Reviewer
Rajeev Kumar Mohan has over 17 years of experience in IT, Software Development, and
Corporate Training. He has worked for various IT majors like IBM, Pentasoft, Sapient, and
Deft Infosystems. He started career as a programmer and managed various projects.

He is subject matter expert in Java, J2EE and related Frameworks, Android, and many UI
Technologies. Besides SCJP and SCWCD, Rajeev has completed four masters.

He is Organic Chemistry and Computer Science master MCA and MBA. Rajeev is
recruitment consultant and impaneled training consultant for HCL, Amdocs, Steria, TCS,
Wipro, Oracle University, IBM, CSC, Genpact , Sapient Infosys and Capgemini.

Rajeev is the founder of Greater Noida based firm SNS Infotech. He also worked for the
National Institute Of Fashion Technology [NIFT].

I would like to thank God to provide me opportunity to review the book. I would also like to
thank my kids Sana and Saina and wife Nilam for their cooperation and for encouraging
and allowing me to finish the review on time.
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I want to dedicate this book to my parents, my lovely wife, and my dear son Arnav.

Specially dedicated to my Grand Father Late Mr. Arjun Singh

 Table of Contents
Preface 1
Chapter 1: Getting Started with Spring Framework 5.0 and Design
Patterns 7
Introducing Spring Framework 8
Simplifying application development using Spring and its pattern 9
Using the power of the POJO pattern 10
Injecting dependencies between POJOs 11
How DI works and makes things easy for development and testing 12
Using factory helper pattern for dependent components 13
Using DI pattern for dependent components 15
Applying aspects for cross cutting concerns 19
How Spring AOP works 21
Applying the template pattern to eliminate boilerplate code 25
The Template Design pattern in Spring 26
Using a Spring container to manage beans with the Factory pattern 28
Bean factory 29
Application contexts 29
Creating a container with an application context 29
Life of a bean in the container 31
Spring modules 33
Core Spring container 34
Spring's AOP module 34
Spring DAO - data access and integration 34
Spring's ORM 35
Spring web MVC 35
New features in Spring Framework 5.0 35
Summary 37
Chapter 2: Overview of GOF Design Patterns - Core Design Patterns 38
Introducing the power of design patterns 40
Common GoF Design Pattern overview 41
Creational design patterns 42
Factory design pattern 42
Implementing the Factory design pattern in Spring Framework 43
Sample implementation of the Factory design pattern 44
Abstract factory design pattern 47
 Common problems where you should apply the Abstract factory design pattern 47
Implementing the Abstract factory design pattern in the Spring Framework 48
Sample implementation of the Abstract Factory design pattern 48
Singleton design pattern 53
Common problems where you should apply Singleton pattern 54
Singleton design pattern implementation in the Spring Framework 54
Sample implementation of the Singleton design pattern 55
Prototype design pattern 56
Benefits of the Prototype design pattern 56
UML class structure 57
Sample implementation of the Prototype design pattern 58
Builder design pattern 60
Benefits of the Builder pattern: 60
UML class structure 60
Implementing the Builder pattern in the Spring Framework 61
Common problems where you should apply Builder pattern 61
Sample implementation of the Builder design pattern 62
Summary 64
Chapter 3: Consideration of Structural and Behavioral Patterns 65
Examining the core design patterns 66
Structural design patterns 66
The adapter design pattern 67
Benefits of the adapter pattern 67
Common requirements for the adapter pattern 68
Implementation of the adapter design pattern in the Spring Framework 68
Sample implementation of the adapter design pattern 69
The Bridge design pattern 71
Benefits of the Bridge pattern 72
Common problems solved by the Bridge design pattern 72
Implementing the Bridge design pattern in the Spring Framework 72
Sample implementation of the Bridge design pattern 73
Composite design pattern 77
Common problems solved by the composite pattern 78
UML structure of the Composite design pattern 78
Sample implementation of the Composite design pattern 80
Decorator design pattern 82
Common problems solved by the Decorator pattern 83
Implementing the Decorator pattern 86
Decorator design pattern in the Spring Framework 88
Facade Design Pattern 89
Knowing when to use the Facade Pattern 89
Implementing the Facade design pattern 92
The UML structure for the Facade design pattern 93
Facade Pattern in the Spring Framework 94
Proxy design pattern 95
Purpose of the Proxy pattern 95

[ ii ]
 UML structure for the Proxy design pattern 95
Implementing the Proxy design pattern 96
Proxy pattern in the Spring Framework 97
Behavioral design patterns 97
Chain of Responsibility design pattern 98
Chain of Responsibility pattern in the Spring Framework 99
Command design pattern 99
Command design pattern in the Spring Framework 100
Interpreter Design pattern 101
Interpreter design pattern in the Spring Framework 102
Iterator Design Pattern 102
Iterator design pattern in the Spring Framework 103
Observer pattern in the Spring Framework 106
Template Design Pattern 106
JEE design patterns 107
Summary 109
Chapter 4: Wiring Beans using the Dependency Injection Pattern 110
The dependency injection pattern 112
Solving problems using the dependencies injection pattern 112
Without dependency injection 113
With dependency injection pattern 116
Types of dependency injection patterns 118
Constructor-based dependency injection pattern 118
Setter-based dependency injection 120
Configuring the dependency injection pattern with Spring 123
Dependency injection pattern with Java-based configuration 124
Creating a Java configuration class - AppConfig.java 125
Declaring Spring beans into configuration class 125
Injecting Spring beans 126
Best approach to configure the dependency injection pattern with Java 127
Dependency injection pattern with XML-based configuration 128
Creating an XML configuration file 129
Declaring Spring beans in an XML file 129
Injecting Spring beans 130
Using constructor injection 130
Using setter injection 131
Dependency injection pattern with Annotation-based configuration 133
What are Stereotype annotations? 134
Creating auto searchable beans using Stereotype annotations 135
Searching beans using component scanning 137
Annotating beans for autowiring 139
Using @Autowired with setter method 141
Using @Autowired with the fields 141
The Autowiring DI pattern and disambiguation 142

[ iii ]
 Resolving disambiguation in Autowiring DI pattern 143
Implementing the Abstract Factory Pattern in Spring (FactoryBean interface) 144
Implementation of FactoryBean interface in Spring 145
Sample implementation of FactoryBean interface 145
Best practices for configuring the DI pattern 147
Summary 149
Chapter 5: Understanding the Bean Life Cycle and Used Patterns 150
The Spring bean life cycle and its phases 151
The initialization phase 152
Creating the application context from configuration 152
Load bean definitions 154
Initializing bean instances 157
Customizing beans using a BeanPostProcessor 158
The Initializer extension point 160
The Use phase of beans 163
Implementing the Decorator and Proxy patterns in Spring using Proxies 164
The destruction phase of the beans 165
Understanding bean scopes 168
The singleton bean scope 169
The prototype bean scope 170
The session bean scope 170
The request bean scope 171
Other scopes in Spring 171
Custom scopes 171
Creating custom scopes 171
Summary 174
Chapter 6: Spring Aspect Oriented Programming with Proxy and
Decorator pattern 175
Proxy pattern in Spring 177
Proxying classes using Decorator pattern in Spring 177
What are cross-cutting concerns? 178
What is Aspect-Oriented Programming? 179
Problems resolved by AOP 180
Code tangling 180
Code scattering 181
How AOP Works to solve problems 183
Core AOP terminology and concepts 184
Advice 184
Join Point 186
Pointcut 186
Aspect 186

[ iv ]
 Weaving 186
Defining pointcuts 187
Writing pointcuts 188
Creating aspects 190
Define aspects using Annotation 191
Implementing Advice 193
Advice type - Before 193
Before Advice example 193
Advice Types: After Returning 194
After Returning Advice example 195
Advice Types: After Throwing 195
After Throwing Advice example 196
Advice Types: After 197
After Advice example 197
Advice Types - Around 198
Around Advice example 198
Define aspects using XML configuration 200
Understanding AOP proxies 202
Summary 204
Chapter 7: Accessing a Database with Spring and JDBC Template
Patterns 205
The best approach to designing your data-access 206
The resource management problem 209
Implementing the template design pattern 210
Problems with the traditional JDBC 211
Solving problems with Spring's JdbcTemplate 212
Configuring the data source and object pool pattern 214
Configuring a data source using a JDBC driver 215
Configuring the data source using pool connections 217
Implementing the Builder pattern to create an embedded data source 219
Abstracting database access using the DAO pattern 220
The DAO pattern with the Spring Framework 221
Working with JdbcTemplate 222
When to use JdbcTemplate 222
Creating a JdbcTemplate in an application 223
Implementing a JDBC-based repository 223
Jdbc callback interfaces 225
Creating a RowMapper class 225
Implementing RowCallbackHandler 226
Implementing ResultSetExtractor 227
Best practices for Jdbc and configuring JdbcTemplate 229

[v]
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was
no more sea."
Upon this passage we may repeat the remark which we applied to
the foregoing: that the events which follow this descent of the
Saviour, and which are stated as its consequences, are such as apply
only to the church of God on earth; and that, therefore, the words
before us cannot point to any dissolution of the universe. The
immediate effects of the passing away of the heaven and the earth,
are the formation of a new heaven and a new earth, and the
descent of "the holy city New Jerusalem." This latter event the
celebrated Dr. Hammond declares cannot refer to the state of
glorified saints in heaven, but must signify some peculiar benefit
bestowed upon the church on earth. The expression "descending out
of heaven from God," at once determines its reference to a state of
things below; and it no doubt relates to the restoration of
Christianity to its primitive purity. In the very same manner does Dr.
Clarke explain the passage, though he evidently betrays a wish to
find within it a proof of the dissolution of all things. "The New
Jerusalem," says he, "doubtless means the Christian church in a
state of great prosperity and purity:" and alluding to the description
given of her, he observes, that "it has been most injudiciously
applied to heaven." If, then, the consequence of the passing away of
the first heaven is to usher in (not eternal glory, but) a prosperous
state of the church on earth, it must follow in course that such a
passing away of the heavens must refer to a change and alteration
in the church, and not in the natural world;—to the conclusion and
departure of a state of darkness, and the commencement of a new
state of light and affection. As the former Jewish heaven of types
and shadows departed at the first coming of the Son of God, and as
the mythological heaven of Paganism was "shriveled up" at the
triumph of the Gospel, so must the modern Christian heaven of
ignorance and evil pass away at the Second Coming of the Son of
Man; and to it will succeed a new heaven of purity and peace.
In this application of the passage, we are supported by the
explanation of the above commentators. They agree in defining
heaven and earth figuratively, to mean the state of the world and of
the church;—of the Jewish world, when applied to the Jews;—of the
Pagan world, when applied to the Heathen: and by the self-same
mode of interpretation, we are justified in applying it to the Christian
world in its reference to Christians. In no case can it be explained of
the visible world of matter; for the passages being acknowledged to
be figurative, it must, as in the other instances, bear the figurative
meaning.
Having thus noticed the only two texts in the Revelations, which
seem, in the least, to bear upon the subject, I may be allowed again
to repeat my surprise, that persons should be found attempting to
support a doctrine by the literal sense of this book. Those among
the advocates of the popular belief, who have most carefully studied
the prophecy, protest their ignorance of its meaning and application.
"I cannot pretend to explain the book," says the writer above
quoted; "I do not understand it. I repeat it, I do not understand the
book; and I am satisfied, that not one who has written on the
subject, knows anything more of it than myself."—"What the
prophecies mean, and when and how they are to be fulfilled, God in
heaven alone knows." It "is termed a Revelation; but it is a
revelation of symbols;—an exhibition of enigmas, to which no
particular solution is given; and to which God alone can give the
solution." "To pretend to say, (observes Calmet,) what this new
heaven and new earth mean, and what are their ornaments and
qualities, is, in my opinion, the greatest of all presumptions." Yet,
into this presumption do the generality of Christians fall, who, amidst
this candid confession of learned ignorance, bring forth with the
greatest confidence the literal sense of the book, to support a
doctrine which length of time has seemed to render sacred.
The words of the apostles now demand our attention; and with
respect to these we notice a fact which is necessary to the proper
understanding of their ideas; that is, that the apostles were
themselves ignorant both of the time when, and the manner how,
the second coming of the Lord would be accomplished; and that
they have, therefore, when speaking upon this subject, carefully
abstained from giving any opinion of their own, confining themselves
entirely to the words of the Saviour, or paraphrasing them without
altering the symbolic images.
This circumstance in no degree detracts from that extraordinary
illumination with which the apostles were endowed. They were men
raised up by God, and filled with the Divine influence, in order that
they might propagate in the world, and among all nations, the
religion of Christ; but it does not appear that among the
supernatural gifts which they received, the gift of prophecy was
included, except in the case of the apostle John. Yet, even if we
allow, for the sake of argument, that they did possess this gift, it
would by no means follow that they perfectly understood their own
predictions. It is the peculiar nature of prophecy, that its proper
meaning is not known until the time of its fulfillment; and this was
especially the case with the Jewish writers who foretold the first
advent of the Saviour. Although their predictions seem now so clear
and strong, yet both the prophets themselves and their followers,
were at the time ignorant of their precise meaning; and hence arose
the absurd notions which the Jews entertained of a temporal
salvation and an earthly Saviour. The gift of prophecy was, therefore,
except in very rare instances, accompanied by entire ignorance of
the manner of its fulfillment. It does not, however, appear that this
gift was bestowed in general upon the apostles; their knowledge of
the second coming of the Saviour was derived entirely from the
words of the Saviour; and of the express meaning of these words, as
referring to a future event, they were completely ignorant. In
quoting his prediction they, therefore, seem to have held a
persuasion that this second coming was very speedily to be
accomplished. Thus they speak of the "day of the Lord" as "at
hand,"—of "the Judge standing at the door:" and Paul, in particular,
seems to have believed that some of the Christians of that day, if not
himself among them, would live to see its approach.
Whether this latter opinion be true or not, certain it is that the
words of the apostles had such an effect upon the first Christians,
that they were in momentary expectation of the appearance of the
Lord. During the first nine centuries after his ascension, a general
idea prevailed that his second coming would speedily take place; and
when, after waiting nine hundred years, they found their
expectations disappointed, they still looked to the one thousandth
year to usher in this great event; and so powerfully did this opinion
operate upon the world, that rich and poor flocked in great numbers
to the Holy Land, there to await his appearance. The wealthy sold
their possessions, or gave them away to charitable institutions; kings
quitted their thrones, and subjects their employment, under the
impression that "the end of all things was at hand," and that the
world was of no further value. Such, then, was the effect of a
misapplication of prophetic language; and though nearly nineteen
hundred years have gone by, yet are the Christian churches still
following in the steps of their predecessors, holding the literal sense
of the Word in defiance of reason, and looking for the Lord's
personal appearance in the clouds of heaven, though common sense
proclaims its improbability.
But to return. From a comparison of the descriptions of the
apostles with the predictions of the Lord, it is easy to perceive
whence they quoted. In many instances the two accounts are almost
word for word the same; in others they are enlarged; but in none is
the connexion of events, or the prophetic symbols, disturbed. "The
day of the Lord (says Peter,) shall come as a thief in the night, in
which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise." Here it is
easy to perceive whence the words of the apostle were drawn; for
we have only to compare them with those of our Lord, to be
convinced that it was from these the description is taken. "Heaven
and earth (says the Saviour) shall pass away, but my words shall not
pass away." "Know this, that if the good man of the house had
known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched,
and not have suffered his house to be broken through." Again, Paul
declares, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God; and the dead
in Christ shall rise first." Here, too, the prophecy is quoted from the
Saviour's declaration: "He shall send his angels with a great sound of
a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four
winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Once more the Apostle
John says: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, even they that pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall
wail because of Him:" where the allusion is to these words: "Then
shall appear the sign of the coming of the Son of Man in heaven;
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, when they see the
Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great
glory." "Behold, (says the Lord) I stand at the door and knock;"
"Behold," says the apostle, echoing the Saviour's words, "the Judge
standeth at the door."
It would exceed my present limits to enter fully into this subject.
Suffice to say, that in most passages the reference to our Lord's
predictions may be plainly discerned; and in all the prophetic
representatives are retained: The sun,—the moon,—the stars,—the
earth,—the heavens, darkness, dissolution, and fire—the very
images which are used by the Saviour, are likewise used by the
apostles, and used, too, with a reference to the same period—the
last days of the Christian church. If these images, when used by the
prophets and by the Redeemer, are figurative, then, as the same
images applied to the same period, they are figurative when
employed by the apostles. Or, if the dissolution and burning of the
earth described by the latter are literal facts, then the burning of the
earth and its dissolution described by the former, are literal facts
likewise; for the same images applied to the same period, must have
the same meaning.
If, then, these observations be correct, and I see not how they
can be fairly controverted;—if the apostles did not, except in one
instance, possess the power of foretelling future events, and if their
descriptions of the second coming of the Lord are gathered from his
own words, or from the prophetic writings, then we must judge of
their meaning by that of the prophecies whence they are derived.
This is a plain and self-evident conclusion. If I quote the words of
any writer, the meaning of the quotation must be gathered from the
works of that writer; and more especially if I quote for a similar
purpose, and profess myself one of his disciples and admirers. The
passages, therefore, which occur in the apostolic writings, are by no
means decisive proofs of the doctrine in debate. As quotations and
paraphrases of the Lord's words and those of the prophets, they
must, by every rule of fair criticism, have a similar meaning. We
have seen that the former are, by the acknowledgment of the most
learned writers, figurative and correspondent; the just inference
therefore is, that the latter, as quotations and paraphrases of them,
must be figurative also.
4. The last part of our proposition comes now before us, namely:
that the doctrine of the destruction of the universe is opposed to the
end of creation, and to the character of God as a Being of
unbounded love and infinite wisdom. I may here be told of the
tendency of matter to dissolution; of its mutability and constant
change; of the elements of destruction which nature herself
engenders; and of all those by which reason and science have
sought to gloss over the popular tenet. But the mutability of nature
is no proof of final dissolution. Mutability is liability to change, or a
continual tendency to remove from one state to another. Whatever is
changeable, or whatever can experience alteration, is, therefore,
mutable. But this mutability attaches not to material nature alone,
but to all creation; the highest archangel in the highest heaven, as
well as every spirit embodied on earth, is a mutable creature. The
state of glory in the eternal world, as well as the state of man below,
is a state of mutability,—a state in which there are continual
changes either for the better or the worse. This will appear plain if
we consider that, whatever is immutable cannot be acted upon by
any higher power; for the action of such a superior cause supposes
a corresponding effect and that effect supposes a change in the
object acted upon, in one way or another; and, consequently, any
object upon which an effect can be produced, must be a mutable or
changeable object. Now, in the case of angelic beings, God, the First
Cause of their existence, is continually acting upon them by his love
and wisdom, and thus raising them eternally in the scale of
blessedness: such alteration of their state from glory to glory is a
change,—an effect produced upon them by an Almighty Cause; and
this effect is at once a proof that angels themselves are mutable
creatures, or liable to change. The same may be said of the state of
blessedness; it is continually receiving fresh supplies of glory from
the Fountain of life, and is thus changing—becoming more and more
blessed: and it equally applies to the spirit of man. This, like the
mind, is never "at one stay;" nor, perhaps, does the state of the
mind remain precisely the same for two hours together. The angels
of heaven, the state of the blessed, the spirit of man, are all
changeable. God is the only immutable Being; for He alone cannot
be acted upon or changed by any higher power; and hence it is one
of his exclusive prerogatives to be "without variableness or shadow
of turning." If, then, the angelic hosts, as well as heaven itself, are
mutable, while yet they endure for ever, the mutability of nature is
no proof at all that she, any more than the former, is approaching
dissolution.
"Nature herself," as one well observes, "effects her renovation
from her decay." Matter, though decomposed and subjected to ten
thousand changes, loses none of its essential properties; but
continually assuming new forms, gives variety to the world, without
being at all altered from its original nature. Indeed, it has been
strongly asserted that there has not been a particle of matter lost
from the creation to the present moment; changed every particle
may have been, but still there is not one wanting; and if this be the
case, such continual change is no proof of approaching destruction.
We are accustomed to look upon God as a Being of infinite Love;
and, perhaps, at this stage of the subject it may be well to inquire,
what motive induced the Lord first to create the visible universe; and
what was the end proposed in its creation. In the breast of the
Divine Being there could exist but one motive from which creation
could spring; and this was Love. But the Love of God being infinite,
could only have respect to an eternal work; hence the end of
creation was to make as many beings as possible happy, and this to
all eternity. In order to accomplish this, infinite Love clothing or
embodying itself in wisdom, made the worlds. According to the
words of the apostle, "By the Word (or the wisdom of God,) were
the heavens made;" intending these as the habitations of rational
beings, who after having passed through a short state of probation,
might finally enter upon a spiritual state and enjoy perfect
happiness. The wisdom of God, being the manifestation of his love,
in completing this work, arranged everything in the most perfect
order; and accordingly every part of the universe is formed in the
manner best fitted to promote the end of its existence,—the
everlasting happiness of man. In our own world, where evil has
produced a corresponding change in outward things, even that
change itself is good, since, while it reminds man of his corruption, it
leads him to seek a better habitation.
Thus far our assertions are easy of proof. God Is Love;—not merely
loving, but Love, the Spring and Fountain of all derived existence.
And love, even in its derivative form in the bosom of man, is an
active passion, continually seeking for objects on whom to bestow its
affection. As is the stream, then, so is the fountain: God being Love
in its Infinite Essence, must ever have sought to form creatures
capable of being rendered eternally happy; and hence the motive
that led to creation. But love always manifests itself in the
understanding or thought; and by the thought is brought into
outward action. It is the thought or wisdom of man in which his love
first takes a definite form; this serves it for a guide, and directs its
operations: and so again is it with the Being in whose "image" we
are formed. The manifestation of infinite Love, is infinite Wisdom;
and this brings the power into outward act: by infinite Wisdom,
therefore, as the acting form of infinite Love, were rational beings
and their varied habitations created. But this perfect wisdom can
never produce anything unlike itself; for, as is the cause, so is the
effect; hence the frame of nature which that wisdom calls into being,
must be like itself, the most perfect and complete that could possibly
exist. The motive, therefore, which led to creation was Love; its
cause, Wisdom; its end, continued and eternal happiness.
And further, as the love and wisdom of God once operated in
bringing the universe into existence, so from that period have they
been unceasingly employed in preserving the creatures which they
formed; for, as the end of creation was the "bringing of many souls
into glory," so, to the present, has that end been answered by the
constant exercise of the Divine protection over the universe of
matter and its rational inhabitants; that the one might continue a fit
habitation for the creatures of God; and that by the constant
procreation of the human race, a succession of men might be
brought into being as candidates for everlasting glory. But the
expected dissolution of the universe, and the end of human
succession, will at once put a stop to this infinite design. If, after a
certain number of persons have been born into the world, the
procreation of man must end, then the purpose of creation cannot
be infinite; for that which has reference to a certain number and a
definite period of time, is not an infinite purpose; and that which is
not an infinite purpose, is not the off-spring of infinite love. Or, if the
purpose of God in creation did spring from infinite love, then it must
be an infinite purpose; and if the purpose of creation be infinite,
then it is not bounded by a few thousand years, nor will it end with
a few generations.
Nor is the popular doctrine more consistent with the character of
God than with the infinity of his designs. We have seen that love was
the cause of the world's creation; but what motive, I ask, can lead to
its destruction? There is nothing in the Almighty contrary to love;
therefore, if it is destroyed at all, love must be still the motive. But
love never works except for the good of its creatures; therefore, if
the universe is dissolved, it must be because such dissolution will
confer a benefit upon mankind. And the question then arises: What
benefit can mankind derive from the destruction of this material
world? The answer of some will be ready. "The world" they tell us,
"has been changed by sin, and it will be dissolved in order that it
may be restored to its pristine glory and beauty;—that a new heaven
and a new earth may spring from its ashes." But does the change
here supposed in the constitution of the world, require its
dissolution? When sin entered into the universe, and the mind of
man was contaminated, an immediate and corresponding effect was
produced upon the world of matter; but the production of that effect
was not accompanied by a dissolution of the material system; it
operated surely indeed, but slowly, and without any outward
destruction. Why, then, should not the change from evil to good, be
effected in like manner as the change from good to evil? When the
earth is "filled with the knowledge of the Lord,"—when all shall
experimentally "know Him from the least even unto the greatest,"—
when man is again restored to his former state of peace and purity,
a corresponding change must once more take place in his material
habitation; but that change requires no destruction of the world to
effect it. Similar causes produce similar effects; and as a change in
man from good to evil, produced an alteration in the system of the
world, but without any dissolution, so a change in the souls of men
from evil to good, must likewise produce an alteration in the earth,
but without dissolution.
But this destruction, it is said, is to usher in "a new heaven and
new earth." We are, therefore, justified in asking, for what purpose
is this new material system created? Since it is believed that the
succession of man will cease with this earth, why should another
earth be formed? Is another race of men to be created? This, the
strongest advocates of the doctrine do not even suppose. Is it, then,
to be the habitation of the righteous of the present earth? This, it
cannot be, for the bodies of the departed will no longer be material,
but spiritual; and to assert that a spiritual substance can dwell and
walk on a material earth, however pure that earth may be, is to
assert what every one sees to be preposterous. Since, then, it will
not suit the departed righteous, and another race is not to be
formed, why, we continue to ask, will this new earth be created?
Here we are left completely in the dark; nor amidst all the reasoning
of the advocates of the popular doctrine, can we find a single clue to
direct us to an answer.
And here the former inquiry properly comes in. Since there is
nothing in the nature of God contrary to love, and since that love
only works for the temporal or everlasting benefit of man, what
motive can induce the Almighty to destroy this visible universe? We
have seen that the state of mankind in time will not be improved by
it; for a change in the constitution of the earth has been already,
and may again be, effected without it: and, besides, whenever such
an event takes place, time and the temporal existence of man will be
no more: and the eternal happiness of the blessed can in no degree
be increased by an overthrow of material nature; for when the spirit
has left this sphere, it has done with matter, and no longer depends
upon it for its feelings or its pleasures. If, then, such a dissolution of
the earth as Christians in general look for, will neither benefit
mankind in time nor in eternity, then it is contrary to the character of
God that He should bring such an event to pass; for He never
operates unless to effect some benevolent purpose; and this will
effect none, either here or hereafter.
The same reasons which induced the Almighty to call the universe
into existence, will therefore induce Him to continue its existence.
The desire which He felt to make as many rational beings as possible
happy, led to creation. The same feeling has preserved the world in
existence to the present moment. And as God is unchangeable, that
desire must operate as powerfully ten thousand ages hence, as it
does now; and the operation of that desire must, as a necessary
consequence, lead to the preservation of this earth, from which a
succession of rational creatures is to spring. If, then, at a future
period the world is destroyed, and the multiplication of the human
race ceases, it must be either because the Lord is unable to save
more, or is unwilling to do it. The first supposition is impious, and
the other supposes a change in the Almighty; for then that desire
which led to creation must have ceased to exist in the Divine bosom;
the infinite love of God must have ceased to operate; and of
consequence, the Lord Himself must have changed both his desires
and his operations. The destruction of the world is, therefore,
opposed to the character of God, as a Being of infinite Love and
unbounded power.
We may now sum up the arguments which have been adduced.
 1. When the literal sense of a passage of Scripture is opposed to
common sense and reason, such literal sense must be laid aside, as
not containing the true meaning. But the literal sense of those
passages which speak of a destruction of the earth, is both absurd
and unreasonable. Therefore the literal sense of these passages
must be abandoned, and does not contain the proper interpretation.
Again: when two prophecies are found couched in the same
language, and referring to a similar event, one of which is fulfilled
while the other remains unaccomplished; the manner in which the
latter will be fulfilled, must be judged of by the previous fulfillment
of the former. But the first prophecies relating to the first coming of
the Lord, are exactly similar to those which refer to His second
coming; yet they never were literally fulfilled: therefore we have no
just reason to look for a literal fulfillment of the latter. 2. When any
text of Scripture is, in the letter, inconsistent with itself, or with other
plain and express passages of the Word, the interpretation must be
sought for in the spiritual meaning of the words. But the proofs of
this earth's destruction are inconsistent with themselves, and are
opposed to other plain and direct portions of the Word of God;
therefore the meaning of those alleged proofs must be found, not in
the literal sense, but in their spirit. 3. In the explanation of every
part of the Sacred Scriptures, a due regard must be had to the
connexion in which it stands; and any mode of explanation which
tends to break such connexion, or is at variance with it, may be
beautiful but cannot be true. But the connexion in which the
passages referred to are found, is completely at variance with the
doctrine derived from them; nor can they in any way support that
doctrine until severed from this connexion. Therefore that
explanation which the generality of Christians gives them, cannot be
correct. 4. And, lastly, whatever doctrine is opposed to the character
of God, as a God of unbounded love and infinite wisdom, is not a
doctrine of the Bible. But the doctrine before us is thus opposed
both to his nature and perfections; therefore it cannot be true.
The arguments arising out of these propositions might be carried
to a great extent. If, however, they have been supported by reason
as well as Scripture,—if we have no right to expect a literal
fulfillment of the prophecy relating to the Lord's second coming; and
if the literal sense of the passages must be abandoned; then we
have no reason to look for an overthrow of the universe, and the
improbability of such a destruction has been fairly established.
Having thus gone through the principal part of the subject, and
having shown that the common interpretation, against which so
many and serious objections lie, cannot be the true meaning; I
proceed, as a necessary conclusion, to notice briefly the spiritual
meaning of the prophetic symbols used in the passages that we
have noticed, and their connexion with each other. That the whole of
these passages relate to the Christian church, we have already
stated; and that they are of importance to us, may be fairly inferred
from their being found in the Sacred Volume. It is, therefore,
scarcely possible to conceive that even learned and pious men have
been able to perceive nothing within them but earthly concerns,—
mere temporal events; the destruction of Jerusalem; the conversion
(whether real or pretended) of Constantine; wars in Italy; the
irruption of the Goths; and the famine of the Antonines; as if these
events were either able, or likely, to give that saving wisdom which it
is the object of God by his Word to bestow. Everything in the Sacred
Volume is intended to contribute to our salvation; but transactions
like these do not tend to make us wiser or better. It is to the
Christian church, and to its principles and practice, therefore, that
these descriptions refer; and as they relate to the general body, they
apply to every individual of which that body is composed, and thus
demand our most serious attention.
The principal symbol used in these prophecies is, "the sun;" and
this is said to "become black," and to be "turned into darkness." Our
first inquiry, therefore, is, what principle in the spiritual world of
Christianity, corresponds with this luminary in the world of matter.
And in this inquiry we shall be aided, if we consider the functions it
performs. The sun is the source of all natural heat and splendor; and
without his influence, the worlds in the solar system, now glowing in
light and beauty, would be dead and unattractive masses of matter.
He is the cause of all vegetable and animal life: deprived of his
beams, vegetation would decay, and the animal kingdom sink in
death. He is the principal agent in the production of sight; the eye
without him, would be a useless organ. In a word, if we were called
upon to name the most important agent in the material world, our
thoughts would turn at once to the sun. Now, in the spiritual world,
including both the church of God and the individual spirit of man,
what is that which produces the same effects as the natural sun
does in the system of matter? What is the source of love and
wisdom, spiritual heat and spiritual light?—What is it that produces
in the mind those fruits of righteousness which are the
characteristics of true religion? What gives to reason (the eye of the
mind) its power of discerning spiritual things? and invests the soul,
naturally dark and lifeless, with spiritual life and glory? It is Divine
Love that does this. This is the Sun of the spiritual universe,—the
Fountain of all heavenly light and life,—the Cause of every good
word and work. And in giving this meaning to the natural image, we
are supported throughout by the Sacred Scripture. The Lord is called
"the Sun," and, "the Sun of Righteousness." He is said to rise upon
the mind, when the spirit turns itself toward Him; and to turn away
from man, when he departs from his Maker. In the same manner,
whenever the prophets or apostles were favored with a visible
representation of the Divine Majesty, they describe the face of God
as shining like the sun. Now the face of God is his Love. Hence the
Psalmist says, "Lift upon us the light of thy countenance, and cause
thy face to shine upon us." And this love of God is described as the
sun, rising, shining, and giving light. Thus, too, in the visions of
John, when the apostle beheld an image of the pure church of
Christ, he describes her as "a woman clothed with the sun;" or
encompassed on every side by the Divine Love. By the sun, then, in
the internal sense of prophecy, we understand the infinite and
unbounded love of the Almighty, which alone is the cause of life and
light; and which gives strength, support, and beauty, to the spiritual
system of man.
 Having obtained the meaning of this principal symbol, we shall be
at no loss to determine that of the other. "The moon," as regards
apparent splendor, is the second great luminary in the visible
heavens. In herself, however, she is a dark body, and possesses no
power of communicating light except by the reflection of the sun's
beams. In this case, therefore, we have to seek a second principle in
the heaven of the church, corresponding with this second light in the
heaven of matter; a principle which, though it enlightens and cheers
the soul, has no brightness in itself; but derives all its usefulness and
beauty from a conjunction with LOVE. And this principle we find in
FAITH; that faith which springs from charity. As the moon derives all
her light from the sun, so does true faith draw all its glory from love.
As the moon separated from the sun's influence, is dark and lifeless,
so is faith without love, dead and useless. And as the light
proceeding from the moon is but the rays of the sun reflected from
her surface, so is the faith that springs from a modification of the
love of God, a reflection of his infinite benevolence.
And here, again, the apostle confirms this idea. While he
represents the church of God as being clothed with the Sun, he also
describes her as standing upon the moon, or having "the moon
under her feet:"—pointing out the love with which she is continually
encompassed, and the faith upon which she is securely founded.
Thus Paul, speaking of the universal church of Christ, declares that it
is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets:"—that is,
upon their doctrines, and upon the truth which they made known;
"Jesus Christ Himself," as the Truth Itself, being "the chief corner
stone." Eph. ii. 20. With this, too, agrees the sublime prophecy of
Isaiah. When speaking of the church restored to its full perfection
and glory, he says, "Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall
thy moon withdraw herself; for Jehovah shall be thine Everlasting
Light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." ix. 20. That is:
Thy love shall no more depart, neither shall thy faith and charity
decay; for God shall dwell in every soul by his love, and his beams
shall be reflected from every bosom.
 We might go through the whole of those predictions which relate
to this subject; and in all cases we should find that this
interpretation of the figures not only makes a complete and
consistent sense, but that the passages so interpreted would stand
in the most complete agreement with the general tenor of the
Scriptures, and with the hopes of the best and wisest among men.
The third symbolic figure is, "the stars:" and these, as regards the
quantity of light transmitted to the earth, are secondary luminaries
in the visible system. They shine not with any borrowed radiance,
but with their own native splendor. And here, again, we must repeat
the inquiry, what are those luminaries in the mental heaven, which
hold a secondary place in the concern of salvation, to love and faith;
yet shine, not with reflected light, but with the real brightness of the
Divine Glory? The answer is easy: They are the doctrines of religion
or the knowledges of truth;—those portions of the eternal reason,
which the manifested Truth has Himself revealed. But some may be
ready to observe, that these are already included in the Faith of
which I have just spoken. A single remark, however, will obviate this
objection. That FAITH and the knowledge of truth generally go
together, is certainly true,—even as the moon and stars shine at the
same time. But to know the truth is one thing, and to have faith in
God is another and widely different thing; as different as the light of
the stars is from that of the moon. And as the stars frequently shine
when the moon is not seen, so does the knowledge of truth
frequently exist in the mind when true faith has no existence. I am,
therefore, consistent in declaring that the light of the stars,—the
knowledge of doctrines, though a valuable acquisition, is secondary
in importance both to Christian faith and to Divine Love. Yet the
doctrines or truths which are the objects of this knowledge, are not
derived from any source lower than divinity itself; they are, as just
observed, portions of eternal wisdom designed for the guidance of
the church of God; and derived from the "Father of lights," from
whom proceeds "every good and every perfect gift."
In thus mentioning doctrines, (or the term which I have used as
synonymous, truths, for pure doctrines are but truths embodied) I
by no means refer to the tenets of a sect or party, but to the eternal
wisdom of the Almighty, as revealed in his word: and with respect to
this, the parallel between it and the natural image may be carried
through all its parts. As the stars are of the same nature with the
sun, and like him shine with their native and proper light, so is the
wisdom of God of the same nature with his love; both being
essential attributes of Divinity. As the stars, however, though in
themselves splendid bodies, communicate no heat to the earth, and
are but of secondary importance in comparison with the sun and
moon, so does the mere knowledge of truths, (although the truths in
themselves possess the nature of divinity,) leave the soul as cold and
lifeless as before; and is of far less importance in the spiritual system
than the love of God, or faith, its reflection on the soul. Carry the
comparison as far as we may, still the stars of the natural heaven
correspond exactly to the truths of the church; and the light which
they emit, to the knowledge of that truth.
And this interpretation of the symbol agrees, too, with the vision
of the apostle. The church clothed with the Sun of love, and
standing upon faith; the symbolic moon had upon her head (the seat
of intelligence and wisdom) a crown of twelve stars;—denoting the
knowledges of pure truth which should ornament that church in her
last state of peace and holiness. So the great red dragon, who is
described as fighting with Michael and his angels, is said to have
drawn the third part of the stars from heaven;—pointing out the
almost total extinction of real truth in the corrupted Christian
churches. We might again trace this meaning in every passage
where the natural image occurs, and we should still find that the
sense it gives to each of them is consistent both with the Word of
God, as referring to the great concern of salvation, and with the
connexion in which the passages are found.
In these symbolic representations we, therefore, perceive the
three sources of light in the Christian heaven, love, faith, and
knowledge. The first being the diffused affection of the Father of
spirits; the second, its reflection in the soul of man; the third, the
truths of doctrine which enliven and ornament the church,
proceeding immediately from the Source of all Wisdom. The glory of
each is the same in substance, as the light of the sun, moon, and
stars, is the same in nature; but it differs in degree, as the luminary
whence it springs is of more or less importance to the eternal
happiness of man. Knowledge is the least important; of itself merely,
it produces nothing. Faith rises above knowledge; yet even faith by
itself is useless. Love is the chief; this quickens, animates, and
renders fruitful, the church of God, and the soul of each individual
member.
I press this interpretation on no one; yet I may say, without
breaking the bounds of Christian liberty, that it carries probability on
its very face. The parallel between the natural image and its spiritual
correspondent, is complete throughout; but this can by no means be
said of the various constructions which have generally been put
upon them. The sun, it is said, is the civil government of a state;
and the moon, its ecclesiastical policy. But in vain shall we attempt
to draw a comparison here between the natural figure and the
object said to be signified by it. The civil government of an empire is
not the source of all wisdom, love, and prosperity, as the sun is of
heat, light, and fruitfulness. It does not give to the ecclesiastical all
its power, glory, and beauty, as the sun does to the moon; nor would
the church become dead and lifeless if separated from the state, as
the moon would if severed from the sun. The pastors of the church,
which it is affirmed are the stars, do not, like the stars, shine with
their own native splendor. The comparison, therefore, does not in
any degree hold good: while in the meaning we have given above,
consistency both with Scripture and reason, as well as with the best
interests of man, is preserved throughout.
Now if this signification of the sun, moon, and stars, be correct,
we need not employ much time in fixing the meaning of the terms
"heaven," and "earth," when applied to the church of God. Heaven,
or the atmosphere, is that in which the sun, moon, and stars
appear; and by means of which they produce their effects. It is the
grand reservoir of those particles, which, acted upon by the sun, and
thus set in motion, cause heat; and preserve on the earth, life and
vegetation. And the earth is that body, on the surface of which
vegetation flourishes and life appears. This at once points out the
figures as applying to the inward feelings and outward life of an
individual; or, to the internal state of the church and its outward
forms and ceremonies. It is in what the apostle calls "the inward
man," that love, faith, and knowledge produce their first effects; and
by operating upon the feelings and affections of the mind, cause
spiritual light and heat—true wisdom and divine love. And these
produce a corresponding effect in the outward conduct, bringing
forth "fruits meet for repentance,"—the living forms and witnesses of
religion. As the sun shines in the atmosphere and produces fruit on
the earth, so love shines in the soul and brings forth effects in the
conduct, either in the case of an individual, or of the church as an
assembly of individuals. By the same rule of analogy we may
perceive what is meant by the clouds. These in the natural world,
are vapors exhaled from the earth by the heat of the sun; and which
condensed into form in the atmosphere, serve to perform their
important functions. They temper and lessen in some degree the
heat of the sun; they serve to beautify the appearance of the
heavens; they are the great depository of rain, and the principal
agents in the production of tempests. That which corresponds to
them must, therefore, be something springing from the outward
state of man, which is the grand depository of truth (spiritual water),
behind which the glory of the Divine Love and Wisdom is seen, and
which accommodates this wisdom to the capacity of mankind. And
this we find in the outward letter of the Word of God. The historical
narratives, the figures of prophecy, the parables of the Saviour, are
all images rising from the world and the temporal state of mankind;
and thus, like the clouds, they have their origin from the earth.
Within this outward body of image and narrative are contained the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge; it is the grand source from
which truth must be drawn. And the glory of God shines through the
whole, imparting to every natural form the splendor of divinity. And
as the material images of the Bible serve to accommodate the
wisdom of God to the capacity of his creatures, so have they often
been the cause of those convulsions in the church, which seemed
even to threaten her existence. "The letter" has often killed, when
unaccompanied in the mind with the "spirit which giveth life." We
cannot, therefore, find in the figure before us anything which so
completely accords with its origin and design, as the outward letter
of the Word of God—the clouds of the Christian heaven.
The meaning of the principal symbols being thus stated, we pass
to the connexion which they bear to each other in the predictions of
the Saviour. We have already noted that the prophecy contained in
Matthew, and recorded by the other Evangelists, refers in its primary
application to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies;
but in its more extensive meaning it points to the state of the
Christian church in her period of decline and corruption, of which
Jerusalem in her last days was a fitting type. With respect to this it is
declared "the sun shall be darkened"—the Divine Love obscured and
lost; "and the moon shall not give her light"—faith and charity shall
sink in darkness; "and the stars"—the knowledge of truth "shall fall
from heaven,"—no longer exist in the minds of her members; "and
the powers of heaven"—the whole internal state of the church "shall
be shaken"—shall be thrown into complete disorder and confusion.
This meaning, to which we are led by the connexion and
correspondence of the natural symbols, points to a time (not when
the universe shall be destroyed, but) when true religion shall have
ceased to exist in the church:—"when the love of many shall wax
cold:" when true faith will no longer be found; and when knowledge
—the knowledge of genuine spiritual truth—shall have passed away.
The same things are described in the vision of the apostle. "There
was a great earthquake"—a shaking and disorder in the state of the
church; "and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the
moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth,"—
the knowledge of truth which once shone in the mind, sunk into
mere outward creeds and confessions of faith; "and the heaven
departed as a scroll when it is rolled together"—the whole internal
state of the church was thrown into confusion, and every inward
feeling of religion perished.
 The event immediately following is the appearance of the Son of
Man in the clouds, with a trumpet; and since it is confessed that a
trumpet signifies "the call of the Gospel," or as I would express it,
the manifestation of truth; and as the clouds correspond to the
outward form of the Word, the appearance of the Lord in the clouds
and attended by trumpets, must signify the manifestation of spiritual
love and truth in the letter of Scripture: and this is supported by
what is afterwards said to be the consequence; "a new heaven and
a new earth,"—a new state of the church both internal and external,
both as regards inward feelings and outward conduct.
That this interpretation is true, I call upon no one to believe; but
that it is probable will, I think, be confessed by all; and that it is in
perfect harmony with the infinite designs of God toward his rational
creatures, as well as with his character as a Being of infinite Love,
will be equally acknowledged. Whether there has been a period in
the Christian church (as there certainly was in the Jewish) when the
above description was applicable to her; when religion had sunk into
mere formality; when bigotry and intolerance both in priests and
people, cut up charity by the roots; when faith was a mere body
from which the spirit had departed; when the clergy were mere
formalists, and the people were sensualized; when sacred
knowledge was neglected by the one and unknown to the other:
whether, I say, such a period has yet arrived, and if so, whether it
was eighty years ago, or eight hundred, it is not my province now to
inquire. My object is to show that the images used by the sacred
penmen have reference to such a state, and to a subsequent
restoration; and this I have shown by the rule or law of analogy
existing between spiritual and natural things, as well as by the grand
design of the Word of God in which those images occur.
And if it be probable that such is really the fact, then the design
with which I commenced my task is completed. If the natural sense
of the words of Scripture is absurd—if the best commentators
themselves admit that in their outward application the words have
no reference to the destruction of the natural world—and if,
considered in their internal meaning, they relate to the church, its
decline, and restoration; then there is no proof in the Scriptures of
the dissolution of the visible universe; but strong evidence that it will
never take place.
Let us, however, before leaving the subject, take a hasty glance at
the two doctrines which have been presented. The first declares that
after creating the universe, and endowing it with life and beauty;
after forming man as a candidate for eternal glory, and after raising
up a church which it is said was to endure "for ever," God will at a
future time (for what reason, or to answer what purpose, is
unknown,) destroy the fabric he has created; throw the whole
universe into confusion and reduce it to ashes. That He will, for
some reason equally unknown, put an end to the human race, and
no more bring rational creatures to eternal happiness; that heaven
will be closed, and not another candidate admitted; and that the
church will then cease on earth, and never again be restored. And
this supposition is founded on vague and mysterious texts of
Scripture, and on a literal interpretation of figures which the most
learned confess they cannot comprehend.
The other doctrine maintains that God, having created the world
and peopled it with inhabitants, will continue it in existence; and that
though religion will in the "latter ages" decline, yet at length "the
Lord will appear in the brightness of his glory," will destroy evil and
false-hood among men,—restore the world to its first state of purity;
and that it shall then for ever become one vast temple, from which a
ceaseless song of praise shall continually arise; while its inhabitants,
prepared and preparing for a higher state, shall pass in succession
into the eternal rest of God; and that the earth shall therefore be a
nursery for glory,—a place of trial for a continual race of candidates
for heaven.
This is a consummation worthy of the Creator,—worthy of the
infinity of his nature and perfections,—worthy of the plan of
redemption which He became incarnate to effect. It is agreeable to
the dictates of the soundest reason, and in accordance with the
hopes and wishes of every man who has not bowed down his reason
to the idol of popular opinion. While the opposite tenet sets reason
at defiance, makes the Bible teach what is practically absurd, and
stands in opposition to the opinion of some of the most learned
among its own advocates.
We cannot conclude this little treatise more appropriately than in
the words of a writer often quoted in these pages.
"The doctrines or principles which I have stated and defended in
this work, I believe to be the truths of God. Those against which I
have argued, I believe to be either false or unproved. The doctrine
which cannot stand the test of rational investigation, cannot be true.
We have gone too far when we have said 'such and such doctrines
should not be subjected to rational investigation, being doctrines of
pure revelation.' I know no such doctrine in the Bible. The doctrines
of the Scripture are doctrines of eternal reason; and they are
revealed because they are such. Human reason could not have
found them out; but when revealed, reason can both apprehend and
comprehend them. It sees their perfect harmony among themselves,
their agreement with the perfections of the Divine Nature, and their
sovereign suitableness to the nature and state of man: thus reason
approves and applauds. Some men cannot reason, and therefore
they declaim against reason, and proscribe it in the examination of
religious truth."
Men may incorporate their doctrines in creeds, or articles of faith,
and sing them in hymns; and this may be both useful and edifying if
the doctrines be true. But in every question which involves the
eternal interests of man, the Holy Scriptures must be appealed to in
union with reason their great commentator. He who forms his creed
or confession of faith without these, may believe anything or
nothing, as the cunning of others or his own caprice may dictate.
Human creeds and confessions have been often put in the place of
the Bible, to the dishonor both of revelation and reason. Let those
go away, let these be retained, whatever be the consequence.
[1] See on this subject, "The Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures asserted,"
by Rev. S. Noble:—a work well worthy the perusal of every Christian, and which
deserves a place in every library.
[2] See Wesley's Sermons. Sermon xv. "preached before the Hon. Sir Edward
Clive, one of the judges of his Majesty's court of common pleas, in St. Paul's
Church, Bedford, on Friday, March 10, 1758."
[3] Dr. Clarke has a very curious note on this passage. He supposes that the
"noise" will be occasioned by the action of electric fire, on the watery particles of
the atmosphere. These, being divided into their two component gases, the one
will ascend into the higher regions, and the other float on the earth's surface.
Thus, he says, the account of the apostle is "philosophically correct." Whether
this be the apostle, or whether such account is correct in any degree, let
common sense judge.
[4] This passage in its mere outward application, refers to a temporal
overthrow in the land of Idumea; it has also, however, an acknowledged relation
to the triumphs of the Gospel, and the overthrow of its enemies. Still, it makes
little difference in the strength of the argument, to which event it is referred.
Such descriptions have been given, they have been fulfilled, yet in no case
literally. This is all that need be proved.
[5] See Sir Isaac Newton,—Locke,—Dr. A. Clarke,—Burkitt, etc.
[6] See Dr. Adam Clarke's remark upon this passage.
[7] Birkitt's Notes on the New Testament.
[8] For further remarks on this text, see "Noble's Plenary Inspiration of the
Scriptures."
[9] Dr. A. Clarke, in loc.

THE END.