Page images
PDF
EPUB

SERMON XXI.

PAGE 313." St. Paul's application of the word anathema.”—The interpretation of this word, by a learned Professor of Divinity, does not appear to me precisely applicable to the passage under consideration. "Anathema," he says, "is a thing set apart, and generally in a bad sense, i. e. devoted to destruction. But it has not necessarily that sense: αναθεμα απο τινος is set apart by any one. St. Paul had been set apart, and consecrated by Christ to his service, and he had prayed that this devotion of himself might be for the good of his countrymen." Burton's N. T. on Rom. ix. 2. If this interpretation, however, be admitted, it must certainly be considered as a solution of the difficulty.

P. 319.-"How bitter are the imprecations of David," &c. It is observed by Dr. Samuel Clarke, that the terms employed by David, in Psalm cix. 8, seq. being used by him not as a private person, concerning his own particular enemies, but as a prophet, concerning him who was to betray our Lord, are plainly not an imprecation, but a prediction; and almost all the like expressions, in the whole Book of Psalms, carry with them sufficient marks of their being intended only as prophetical denunciations of the wrath of God against profane men and enemies of religion in all future generations. See Clarke's Works, Vol. 2, p. 377.

SERMON XXII.

PAGE 331." The autograph of any of the Sacred Writers."-It is well known that the Venetians pretend to posses a copy of St. Mark's Gospel, written by his

own hand. But in what language written is a disputed point. The majority of Roman Catholic writers are in favour of Latin; while others assert that it is written in Greek. Vide Fabric. B. Græc. Tom. 3, p. 131, d. Very fortunately, however, for the admirers of this treasure, the dampness of the place in which the MS. was kept, has so materially injured it as to render it almost illegible. Marsh's Michaelis, Vol. 3, p. 225. There are certainly vestiges of the Latin idiom in several parts of St. Mark's Gospel.

66

PAGE 336.- A revisal of the last translation of the Bible."-No one has more forcibly recommended, or more clearly demonstrated the expedience of this measure, than the late Dr. Newcome, Archbishop of Armagh.

PAGE 337.“ Obscurely, or even erroneously, rendered."-One of the most remarkable instances of an erroneous version is that mentioned by Dr. Prideaux, Numb. xxiv. 17.-" There shall arise a star out of Jacob, &c. and shall destroy all the corners (tribes or princes) of Moab, and destroy all the children of Seth." But the children of Seth are the children of Adam, and of course (as it is properly paraphrased) the children of men. Where then would be the scepter, or kingdom of the Messiah, if all the children of men are to be destroyed? The words therefore should be rendered"and shall rule over all the children of Seth." See Prideaux. Connect. of O. & N. T. Vol. 2, p. 550. Ed. 8vo. 1718. and Robertson, Clav. Pentateuchi § 3296.

PAGE 341." What was the state of religious knowledge in this country nearly two hundred years since." It was probably from a view of the troubles excited by fanatical preachers and pretenders to theological knowledge that the learned Selden was induced to make the following observations: “Scrutamini

Scripturas-these two words have undone the world; because Christ spoke it to his disciples, therefore we must all, men, women, and children, read and interpret the Scripture. Laymen have best interpreted the hard places in the Bible; such as Johannes Picus, Scaliger, Grotius, Salmasius, Heinsius, &c. "Table Talk, under article Bible." Selden was much attached, as his works shew, to Rabbinical studies; and this seems to be the reason why he named the Prince of Mirandola among the best interpreters of Scripture.

PAGE 344.—“ In respect to our East Indian possessions."-Henry Martin, in his Discourse on Christian India, after strongly urging the necessity of supplying the Natives with copies of the Holy Scriptures, as the most simple, practical, and unobjectionable means of effecting their conversion, gives however no very favourable representation of the progress made in that work by the Clergy and Missionaries in his time. "There are," says he, "no less than 900,000 Christians close at hand. Many of them are relapsing fast to idolatry, and are already indeed little better than Heathens: yet they are for ever broken off from their parent stock; they have lost their castes; they cannot be received back again, and have none to whom they can look but us. To their Heathen and Mahommedan neighbours they exhibit a dreadful example of what Christianity could do for them; for of all the Christians, whom they see, they must observe that the greater number know nothing about their religion, and that those who have light have no love." Sermons, p. 437, 438.

FINIS.

« PreviousContinue »