he prays with the force of an almighty decree; he puts his hand to the furtherance of a cause which is destined to move onward with the force of omnipotence. It is a prayer for the divine glory, and as such, He places it among the perfumed supplications already offered by the saints of past generations. He places it among the last aspirations breathed from the death-bed of David, the son of Jesse,-among the mighty prayers which ascended from the fires of the early martyrs,-among the loud cries of those whose souls are heard from under the altar, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"—among the earnest entreaties of the wide creation, which sighs to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. It is a prayer for the salvation of a world He loves; and with delight He sees it flow into that channel where a stream of prayers has for ages been flowing and accumulating, and which shall finally overflow and pour forth a healing flood of heavenly grace over the whole earth. "Ye, therefore, that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the whole earth."

CRITICAL EXPOSITION OF MATTHEW 16:26.

For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

THE only difficulty in the exposition of this passage lies in the supposed ambiguity of the original term, which in our version is rendered soul. On this term, indeed, the meaning of our Lord, in this emphatic interrogation hinges.

There are but two opinions on the subject, which require consideration. The first is, that the term should be rendered life. The second is, that it properly designates the soul; or, in other words, the principle of intelligence and immortality.

That it may be seen how much depends upon the determining of this point, we would remark, that of those who adhere to the first opinion, there are two classes.

Of these classes, the one supposes the question of our Lord to be proverbial, importing merely what value mankind are accustomed to attach to their lives; and having no reference whatever to a future state. To settle the meaning of the word translated soul, is of the greatest importance to this class; because it determines, in their view, the whole meaning of our Lord's interrogation.

The other class, who agree with them in supposing the original term should be rendered life, yet differ materially as to the meaning of our Lord. They suppose that the Saviour refers ultimately to the future life, and not exclusively to the present. As to this point,

they pretty much coincide in interpretation with 'those who think the term rightly translated soul.

The original phrase is, Tv Tuxnν auтu, his own soul. The question to be settled in the first place, is, Does this phrase, in this passage, denote his life, or his soul-the mortal, or the immortal existence?

No light is thrown upon this question, so far as we know, by the etymology or derivation of the word. There is one compound word, in 1 Thess. 5:14, which perhaps may be mentioned, where oxy2uxus is translated feeble-minded. The literal translation would be little-souled. Here it evidently means the mind.

One most important source of evidence to which we can appeal to decide this, or any other question about the meaning of words, is what is well understood by the phrase good usage.

If we go back to the use of the term uxn, in classic authors, it is favorable, we believe, to the sense expressed in our translation. Plato, for instance, in his Treatise on the Immortality of the Soul, uniformly employs xn as its appropriate designation.

If we examine sacred usage, we apprehend the result will be the same. It is true, there is some variation in the use of this term, as well as of others; but the use of ʊx in the sense of soul, or mind, is the most common use in the Septuagint of the Old, and the original Greek of the New Testament. From its perfect correspondence with the Hebrew nephesh, which is generally translated soul, it appears that out of about two hundred times in which it occurs in the Septuagint, more than one hundred and fifty designate the unseen principle of intelligence and enjoyment-the principle which originally distinguished man from the inferior tribes of animals, and gave him an essential likeness to the Father of spirits.

Of its use in the New Testament, we can speak yet more definitely. Here the word un is found one hundred and sixteen times, from Mat. 2:20 to Rev. 20:4. It is used by the sacred writers in three different senses-all, however, bearing an analogy to each other, and to the primary meaning of the principle of intellectual life.

1. The first is what may be called the generic sense; where it is used for human being, or, as we should say, person. ExampleActs 2:41, "There were added to them, the same day, about three thousand souls." In this sense, it is used twenty-nine times.

2. The second sense is somewhat indefinite and vague; but, perhaps, cannot be better rendered into English, than by the term life. For example-Mat. 2:20,"They are dead which sought the young child's soul." 6:25, "Be not anxious about your soul, what ye shall eat." 20:28, "And to give his soul a ransom for many." John 13:37,38, "I will lay down my soul for thy sake." See also Rev. 8:9. This is what we should call the idiomatic or Hebraistic In this sense un is used thirty-two times.

sense.

3. The third sense is the same which we are accustomed, in our tongue, to attach to the term soul; in other words, the intelligent and

immortal mind. Examples-Mat. 10:28, "Fear not them which kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul." 11:29, "And ye shall find rest to your souls." Luke 1:46, "My soul doth magnify the Lord." Acts 14:22, "Confirming the souls of the disciples.' 2 Cor. 12:15, "I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls," (Gr.) Ephes. 6:6, "Doing the will of God from thesoul." Heb. 10:39, "We are of them which believe unto the saving of the soul." James 1:21, "Receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls." 1 Pet. 1:9,22. 2:25, "Bishop of your souls." 3 John 2, "As thy soul prospereth.' This last is what we should consider its proper sense. It is specific, definite and clear. In this sense x is used, in the New Testament, fifty-five times.

As far as frequency and appropriateness of usage, therefore, can go in settling the question before us, the weight of evidence preponderates in favor of the present translation.

The

It may be proper, however, to mention that we have remarked one striking peculiarity in our Saviour's use of this word, which we know not how to designate better than by calling it the double sense. peculiarity referred to, is that of using this term in opposite senses in the different members of the same sentence; apparently with the design to give brevity and force to an antithetical apothegm, and thereby fix it more strongly in the memory. An instance of this is found in the verse immediately preceding the one under consideration. "Whosoever willeth to save his soul, shall lose it; but whosoever willeth to lose his soul for my sake, shall save it." Here it is evident that our Lord avails himself of the two principal senses in which this word is employed, and connects them together in a manner altogether sui generis, but easily understood by his hearers, and exceedingly impressive. The phrase is perfectly idiomatic. It cannot be rendered into another language without losing half its energy and beauty. Our translators seem to have been aware of this. They have given it perhaps as good a translation as the En-、 glish language will admit, substituting life for soul. The meaning is, however, but half expressed in our idiom; and we are obliged to resort to a periphrasis, (such as is found in John 12:25,) to give the sense fully and clearly.-"He that loveth his life, shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal."

The reasons which induced our translators to render x in the 25th verse, by life, do not, however, apply to the 26th, which is the one under discussion. Perceiving this, they have, as we think, rightly, rendered it by the only word, which, in our idiom, would convey the full import and energy of our Saviour's question; "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" The design of our Lord, as is most clear from the connexion, was to inculcate the last degree of self-denial on his followers; and to fortify them against that fear of death, which would, in their circumstances, be a constant temptation to aposta

cy. For this purpose it is, that he places before them the certainty of an eternal retribution, and in the prospect of such a retribution, demands of them a proper estimation of the worth of the soul, which is to be the subject of it. If this be not his obvious meaning, we certainly have mistaken the scope of his instructions on this

occasion.

But if we are right in our understanding of his design, the word xn, could not be rendered life, without an entire evaporation of the spirit of the passage. Indeed, it appears to us that this translation is calculated to convey an idea exactly the reverse of what our Lord intended. For what could be the effect of the question in this case, but to heighten that very love of life, which it was the object of our Lord to depress into its proper subordination to the esteem of things unseen and eternal? And what greater, what more insurmountable objection can be produced against any version, than that it conveys an impression the very reverse of the original ?

We adhere, then, for the reasons assigned, to the present translation, as giving the true impression of the meaning of our Lord. We think the sound exposition of his words to be this. In your estimate of the good and evil to result from your attachment to my religion, be careful to calculate on the scale of eternity. To think to escape from suffering by renouncing the gospel, is the extreme of folly; since thereby its blessings, without which existence is a curse, must be forever forfeited. Think not so much of the ease or the agonies of a dying body. Think rather of the enjoyment or the anguish, which, by your conduct, must be fixed forever in the immortal mind. Could your abjuration, or neglect of religion secure to you unspeakably more than you can possibly expect-could it elevate you to the highest honors and enjoyments earth can bestow, yet how poor a price is this for your hopes of everlasting felicity! Could you ever be so thoughtless or so base as to make such an exchange-the period of reflection must arrive, when, with endless and unavailing remorse, you will bewail a choice pregnant with such fatal and palpable folly. Think now, I beseech you, before it is too late, "What shall a man give in exchange for

his soul?"

POPISH CATHEDRALS IN ENGLAND.

One of the most striking situations for a religious and reflective Protestant is, that of passing some solitary hours under the lofty vault, among the superb arches and columns, of any of the most splendid of these edifices remaining at this day, in England.

If he has sensibility and taste, the magnificence, the graceful union of so many diverse inventions of art, the whole mighty creation of genius that so many centuries since quitted the world,

without leaving even a name, will come with magical impression on his mind, while it is contemplatively darkening into the awe of antiquity. But he will be recalled, -the sculptures, the inscriptions, the sanctuaries enclosed off, for the special benefit, after death, of Ipersons who had very different concerns during life from that of the care of their salvation, and various other insignia of the original character of the place, will help to recal him,-to the thought, that these proud piles were in fact raised to celebrate the conquest, and prolong the dominion of the Power of Darkness over the souls of the people. They were as triumphal arches, erected in memorial of the extermination of that truth which was given to be the life of

men.

As he looks round, and looks upward, on the prodigy of design, and skill, and perseverance, and tributary wealth, he may image to himself the multitudes that, during successive ages, frequented this fane in the assured belief, that the idle ceremonies and impious superstitions, which they there performed or witnessed, were a service acceptable to Heaven, and to be repaid in blessings to the offerers. He may say to himself, Here, on this very floor, under that elevated and decorated vault, in a dim religious light' like this, but with the darkness of the shadow of death in their souls, they prostrated themselves to their saints, or their queen of heaven,' nay, to painted images and toys of wood or wax, to some ounce or two of bread and wine, to fragments of old bones, and rags of clothing. Hither they came, when conscience, in looking either back or forward, dismayed them, to purchase remission with money or atoning penances, or to acquire the privilege of sinning in a certain manner, or for a certain time, with impunity; and they went out at yonder door in the perfect confidence that the priest had secured, in the one case the suspension, in the other the satisfaction, of the divine law. Here they solemnly believed, as they were taught, that, by donatives to the church, they delivered the souls of their departed sinful relatives from the state of punishment; and they went out at that door resolved to bequeath some portion of their possessions, to operate in the same manner for themselves another day, in case of need. Here they were convened to listen in reverence to some representative emissary from the Man of Sin, with new dictates of blasphemy or iniquity to be promulgated in the name of the Almighty; or to witness the trickery of some detestable farce, devised to cheat or fright them out of whatever remainder the former impositions might have left to them of sense, conscience, or property. Here, in fine, there was never presented to their understanding, from their childhood to their death, a comprehensive honest declaration of the laws of duty, and the pure doctrines of salvation. To think; that they should have mistaken for the house of God, and the very gate of heaven, a place where the Power of Darkness had so short a way to come from his appropriate dominions, and his agents and purchased slaves so short a way to go thither. If we could imagine a momentary visit from Him, who once entered a fabric of sacred denomination with a scourge, be