ble and so obvious, that further remarks upon them are unnecessary.

Proposed Emendations of our Version.

V. 7. Instead of use not vain repetitions, the meaning of the original would be better conveyed by this phrase; use not vain expressions. Campbell has it, talk not at random. All kinds of vain and idle expressions, not less than repetitions, are forbidden in this passage.

V. 16. Of a gloomy countenance, or a dismal countenance, would be preferable to the phrase in our version. The word rendered disfigure is very forcible, as it literally signifies to cause to disappear. The meaning here is, that the persons referred to entirely change the natural genuine expression of their countenances, by an affectation of great seriousness and devotion. The same word is translated corrupt, in the 19th verse. Consume, in this latter verse, would have been much better; as moth and rust consume treasures, and thus cause them to disappear. To those who understand treasures to mean precious metals only, it will appear incongruous to represent them as consumed or corrupted by the moth; but the original word means any other collection of valuable property, as well as money, or the precious metals.

There is a very considerable obscurity, unless I am mistaken, in the 22d and 23d verses, as they stand in our translation. By this obscurity our Savior's reasoning is not correctly apprehended, and loses much of its

force. Campbell's version, with a slight variation to make it more literal, is as follows: The lamp of the body is the eye. If, therefore, thine eye be sound, thy whole body will be light: but if thine eye be bad, thy whole body will be dark. And if even the light which is in thee be darkness, how great will the darkness be. The greatest improvement here is the adoption of the word sound instead of single; a change which is abundantly justified, and which accords with the French translation.

V. 25. Be not anxious is the true meaning of the word rendered take no thought. This is one of the most manifest and most important errors to be found in our version. A similar alteration is required in the 27th, 28th, 31st, and 33d, verses.

V. 30. Herbage is much preferable to grass, as the lily does not come within the meaning of grass.

Doctrines.

Our blessed Lord proceeds in his discourse, and teaches us, that we are never to perform our religious and moral duties from ostentatious motives; v. 1; that, whenever we do so, we are not to expect, for we shall not receive, any reward at the hands of God; that we should never imitate hypocrites in taking pains to give alms in public, in order to obtain honor from men; v. 2; that hypocrites, who do thus, receive their whole reward in the human applause which they seek; that alms are to be performed as secretly as possible; v. 3; that the all-seeing God will reward them, who sincerely

regard his authority; v. 4; that we should never perform our private devotions in public view, in order to obtain honor from men, as hypocrites do; v. 5; that persons of this class receive the reward which they seek, but no other; that our private devotions should be as secret as possible; v. 6; that the all-seeing God will openly reward them who serve him in secret; that we should never use vain, idle, unmeaning expressions in our prayers; nor think that the excellence of a prayer consists in its length; v. 7; that God knows, before we ask, what things we need; v. 8; that the manner of our prayers should resemble that which our Lord gave, on this occasion, as a specimen of suitable prayers v. 9; that social prayer is a duty; that God may be affectionately addressed, by the fallen children of men, as their Father; that heaven may be represented as the peculiar dwelling-place of God; that it ought to be the first desire of our hearts, that the hame and attributes of Jehovah may be universally seen and acknowledged to be holy; that we should also pray for the complete establishment of the reign of God on earth, and that his will may be done by all men, as it is done in heaven; v. 10; that we are to make daily petitions for our daily bread; v. 11; that we are always to take the attitude of sinners before God, and to ask for forgiveness, as we forgive those who have in any way injured us; v. 12; that we must beseech God not to lead us into temptation, but to deliver us from evil of every kind; v. 13; that a forgiving disposition to

ards those who have injured

us, will secure the forgiveness of our sins at the hands of God; v. 14; that they, who do not forgive their fellow-sinners, will not be forgiven by God; v. 15; that, when the duty of fasting is performed, all external marks of grief, which hypocrites put on from ostentation, should be carefully avoided; v. 16; that they who seek the applause of men will have no other reward; that a contrary course is ever to be pursued, and the marks of cheerfulness to be chosen, even when the soul is humbled before God on account of sin; v. 17; that God, who sees his servants and will reward them, is to be supremely regarded in every religious service; v. 18; that our hearts should not be set upon amassing worldly treasures, which are perpetually exposed to be lost, in many ways in regard to which human foresight cannot effectually guard; v. 19; but that we should endeavor to amass treasures in heaven, where they will never be exposed to loss or diminution; v. 20; that our heart will be fixed upon our treasure, wherever it may be; v. 21; that the eye is the avenue of light to the body; v. 22; that if, therefore, the eye be in good condition, the body will be supplied with light; but that, if the eye be defective, the body will be dark; v. 23; that if the very member, which was formed to dispel dark. ness, become itself dark, the darkness of the body will be great indeed; that it is not possible to serve two sovereign Lords, and that no man can be supremely devoted to God, and to the acquisition of worldly good at the same time; v. 24; that it is therefore wise not to be

anxious with respect to the preservation of life by food and raiment; for He who gave life, the greater gift, will give food to sustain the life which he has given; and He who formed the human body will furnish raiment to clothe it; v. 25; that the fowls of the air, which make no provision for their future wants, are fed by our heavenly Father; v. 26; that men, rational and immortal beings, are of much more consequence in the creation than these animals; that no man by anxiety can add to the height of his per2 son;* v. 27; that we need not be anxious for raiment, as the same glorious being, who so gorgeous ly arrays the herbage of the field notwithstanding its transitory nature, will not fail to clothe his rational offspring; v. 28-30; that they, who manifest the anxiety here forbidden, are distrustful, having no suitable confidence in God; v. 30; that all anxieties with respect to future supplies of food and raiment is wrong, and likens us to pagans, as God knows that we need these things; v. 31, 32; that we ought first to seek an interest in the everlasting kingdom of God, and the posses sion of that righteousness which he requires, and all things neces sary for our continuance on earth willbe superadded to these spirit ual blessings; v. 33; and that it is wrong therefore, to be anxious; even for the morrow, as the cares of each day are sufficient for that day; v. 34.

Among the vast number of

*I here take this verse in the common acceptation, and according to our translation; though there is great reason to believe that it should be understood differently. The reader is referred to Campbell's note on Luke xii, 25, where he will find a valuable examination of the passage.

implied doctrines contained in this chapter the following deserve particular notice: viz. that human applause is never a proper motive of action; v. 1; that secret prayer is the duty of all men; v. 6; that there are intelligent beings in heaven, who perform the will of God perfectly; v. 10; that fasting is a duty; v. 17; and that God exercises a perpetual and universal providence over the animal, and vegetable, as well as the intelligent creation; v. 26, 30, 33.

Miscellaneous Remarks.

If we thoroughly examine the manner in which our Savior treats the great ruling passion of mankind, a regard to human applause, we shall see a striking difference between his views and the views not only of men in general, but even of most of his professed followers. If it' is unlawful to perform acts of charity for the sake of acquiring reputation, acts so salutary and so beneficent, I infer, that no actions, whatever ought to be performed from a regard to reputation merely. Every duty should be done from a regard to the authority of God, and not for the sake of being seen, and honored by men. But how differently from this are children. taught. by many professedly religious parents. How often is the young and tender mind referred to what men will say, and what they will think, as though the opinions of men were the standard of all law, human and divine, and as though the applause of men was the highest reward of virtue, and the noblest aim of an immortal being. But

what an insult is such a course of instruction to the Supreme Legislator, who has clearly expressed his mind on the subject, and with whose decision the dictates of enlightened reason exactly coincide? What become of such phrases as a laudable ambition, an honest pride, and others like them, when compared with our Savior's instruction and example. Let children and others be told to do this, because it is right; to abstain from that, because it is wrong; to practise a course of duty, because God has commanded it; to avoid sin, because God has forbidden it; and they will never want motives sufficiently intelligible and powerful. O, if Christian nations would cast away to the moles and to the bats this miserable idol, the applause of men, we might soon experience a wonderful improvement in the character of Christendom..

The Lord's prayer is the most wonderful composition ever committed to writing. Its simplicity, its dignity, its comprehensiveness, its piety, its suitableness to the wants of men, well deserve the most attentive consideration. When I contemplate the several parts of this admirable compend, I am convinced, that even infidels would acknowledge it to have proceeded from God, if their ninds were not not desperately blinded. When I hear a prayer, in which there is no reference to the holiness, glory, and will of God, nor to the sinfulness and spiritual wants and dangers of men, I conclude at once that such a prayer is not suited to the state of man, and cannot have sprung from a mind imbued with the genuine principles

Yet

of the Christian religion. such prayers are made. I have repeatedly heard them. Let the reader imagine prayers suited to the Socinian scheme, and he will have some conception of those to which I allude; though it is not probable he will make so low an estimate of what these prayers contain, as actually hearing them would enable him to do.

How great must be the difference between the prayers of Luther, Calvin, Hooker, Baxter, Hale, Edwards, Brainerd, and those of Socinus, Priestley, and Belsham? And which of these classes would most resemble the plain, obvious, unë sophisticated language of the New Testament?

In the 22nd and 23rd verses, our Savior gives most important instruction by a happy description of the dark and gloomy condition of a man, whose eye, the only medium of light, should be unfit to perform its office, and should thus become darkness itself. By this similitude he represents the case of those, who are involved in error, whose first principles are wrong, and whose progress in moral and religious inquiries is like the groping of a blind man. Well might he say, How great must the darkness be!

The word rendered masters, in the 24th verse, is the same which is generally rendered Lord; and I could have wished it had been so rendered here. The meaning of our Savior is, evidently, that two Lords cannot possess the supreme authority at the same time. If Jehovah is served, he is the Lord; if Mammon, the service is idolatry.

PHILALETHES.

REVIVAL OF RELIGION IN GREEN

WICH, (MASS.)

The following account was sent for pub lication by the Rev. JOSEPH BLODGET, pastor of the first church in Greenwich.

my

first

THE compassionate Head of the Church manifested his gracious and special presence in labors among this people, in December 1785. Immediately after my ordination, which took place

in November 1786, there were sixteen persons, who gave such happy evidence of a change of heart, that they were admitted to Christian communion. We then enjoyed great harmony for about fifteen years, small additions being made to the church, without any general attention to religion, till it pleased God, in the year 1802, to awaken sinners and enliven saints, in such a manner as to astonish all clas

ses of persons. The holy Sabbath was a day wished for, and greatly delighted in. The Holy Comforter visited almost every house. Many were aroused from the slumbers of infidelity, and cheerfully engaged in the cause of Immanuel. Some, who were before tolerably easy with our connexion, now became incensed, and joined the Universalists. We had conferences and lectures very frequently, and most happily without irregularities. Our communion Sabbaths were refreshing indeed. Some individuals, who had been inclining to join sectaries, were now drawn into our fraternal embrace. Thus were we graciously prospered. From March to December sixty three were received to communion, in a small parish of about eighty families. The subjects of the work were from the

age of 65 down to 11. Some were under the most trying convictions for several months; others but a few days. When relieved, they exulted in the doctrines of grace and gave up their cavils against the Bible sentiments. At this happy season, none were forward to profess Christianity, till they were satisfied that they possessed love to God. The half-way scheme of covenanting for baptism now entirely ceased. There was a

manifest change in the habits and customs of old and young. Idle visits and festive season's were turned into occasions of speaking often one to another on the subject of religion. Balls were laid aside. The dancing master found no employment. Parents and children were engaged in familiarizing the cate-> chism to their minds, and in searching the Scriptures daily. Family prayer was more attended to.

We also had the pleasure to observe, that profane language, gambling, and tavernhaunting were less practised. There was scarcely a single house, where a pack of cards was kept. Sacred music was much cultivated; and our seasons of praising God were pleasant; eminently so on communion occasions.

From this time of peculiar refreshing, there were but small additions to the church till eight years afterwards; when it pleas ed the Lord, in 1810, to cause a wonderful revival in Hardwick, a contiguous town. Many precious drops of the shower rejoiced us. Thirty two persons gave such evidence of conver sion, that they were admitted to the church.

In general, they