heaven; and that he best knows how much time is required. The one text now before us, it would seem, should be enough to correct this dangerous delusion. After Paul had done and suffered more than any, perhaps more than all of us together for the cause of Christ, he still counts not himself to have attained the end of his profession. He still looks upon the past as nothing, and presses forward to the mark. "He forgets the things that are behind," as if the whole race were yet before him. What Christian under the light of this example, can compose himself to rest, counting the rosary of his former devotions, labours and sacrifices, performed in the cause of religion? If Paul, after having suffered the loss of all things and endured perpetual labours, frequent scourgings and imprisonments, for Christ's sake, still thought the things which were behind should be forgotten; how shall we dare to repose upon the little which we have already done in the same cause. The best Christian that dwells upon the earth is far below the standard of holiness to which he aspires. And it is greatly to be feared of many now called Christians, that their salvation is now not so near as when they at first believed. For, my brethren, though many are now called Christians; yet Oh, how unlike are they to the inspired author of our text. Notwithstanding all that be had done and suffered in the cause of Christ, though at this very time he was a prisoner at Rome on account of the gospel; though, as he says in a preceding verse, he had for this cause suffered the loss of all things; yet, continues he, I count not myself to have apprehended, or to have attained the end of my profession. But many now called Christians, scarcely enter the lists of the Christian race, before they compose themselves to rest, looking back with confidence upon the attainments they have made as their security for winning the prize. Verily may we all say that either Paul did far more than was necessary to secure his salvation, or we are doing far too little to secure ours. For the same terms that are extended to us, were offered to him also. We must be saved by the same charter of mercy which he witnessed in his life and sealed in his death, or we must perish. The same humble, narrow path, must be trodden by the Christian of every age and every degree. This road has not been widened one inch since it was travelled by "the glorious company of the apostles, and the noble army of martyrs," who have long since entered into that rest which remaineth for the people of God. Here also the proud distinctions of the world are unknown. The high and the low, the rich and the poor, the bond and the free, must enter into life through the same strait gate; must travel the same narrow way. For he that turneth aside, will surely turn aside to perdition. What then remains for us but to be up and doing while our day of grace remains. It may be shorter than we think, and the work of salvation may be more difficult than we now suppose. Our prize at stake is sufficiently great to demand our most unremitting exertions. Let us therefore never stand still till our Master appear, that when he shall come, he may find us ready to receive him and his promised blessings. This we cannot better do, than by following the example of the apostle in our text. "Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, to press toward the mark for the prize of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Let this example be the guide of our life, and in death we shall have peace, and in eternity a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 66 we ADVERSARIA. 66 THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. One of the evils which we must encounter in passing through the valley of the shadow of death," is the separation from the objects which were endeared to us, and the scenes and pleasures which delighted us, in this present world. Here is poignant grief. The fond husband must leave the beloved of his bosom; must leave her to her own fortitude and fate, in this mutable and careful existence. The affectionate mother, must resign her darling offspring, to, she knows not what trials, dangers, and sorrows, in this evil world. Our friends and companions, with whom took sweet counsel together," and who were dear to us as our own souls, we must leave, to see them no more in these earthly forms, in which we have known and loved them. They may mitigate for us the sorrows of disease. They may sooth our apprehensions on our way, and with piety's sweetest offices, encourage our hopes. But they can accompany us only to the gate of death. There, they must leave us. We must be parted from each other; we, to pass into regions, from which we shall return to them no more; and they, to be left weeping together on the gloomy confines of the vale. And how happy are those, with whom, in this dreadful moment, God remains; who do not pass through the solemn gate alone; but, when all earthly friends have retired, have the Father of their spirits with them." Another thing which renders "the valley of the shadow of death" terrible to many, is the darkness with which it is encompassed. It is awfully still. It is dreadfully gloomy. Shadows, clouds, and darkness, rest upon it. I see the infidel approach its entrance. To him it is dismally obscure. Bones, and ashes, are all he can discover. And his heart recoils, with unutterable horrour, from such an extinction of his being. I see the vicious approach it. To them the gloom is terrible. Conscience fills it with ghosts and spectres, and images of terrour. They shudder as they enter. They cry aloud for light. And whom, indeed, do I see unappalled by the darkness, and dismal accompaniments of the grave, but those, upon whose minds the blessed Redeemer hath opened the visions of immortality. To them, there ariseth light in the darkness. That hand, which holdeth" the keys of death and of hell," hath rolled back the clouds which hung over the valley of death. That voice, at which the devils tremble, hath chased from it the images of fear, and spectres of despair. To the sincere followers of the Lamb, it is not a valley of unknown windings, and uncertain end. They see, indeed, that it is a desolate place. But they are taught, that it is the path by which God hath connected this present stage of our existence, with the next. They know that it is the passage, through which the patriarchs, and prophets, and righteous men, of every age, have gone to the fruition of glory. They consider it, as the valley which their Lord hath travelled, subduing in it every thing which could molest, or dismay them; and opening through it, the way to his heavenly kingdom. They enter it, therefore, without fear, or perplexity, having the "Spirit of Truth" for their guide, and, persuaded by him, that, desolate as is the path, it will conduct them to the regions of everlasting day. Blissful light, which religion, sent by our compassionate Creator, sheds upon the tomb! How happy the relief which it gives, from the timidity of ignorance, and the anxiety of doubt! Those terrours, at least, which its darkness gave to "the valley of the shadow of death," are of small power, now that it is illumined with the instructions of the Almighty, and declared by him, to be our path to immortality.-Dehon's Sermons, II. 345-349. REVIEW. Two Discourses on the Atonement. By MOSES STUART, Associate Prof. of Sacred Literature in the Theol. Sem at Andover. Published by request of the Students. 1824. 8vo. pp. 54. We had occasion, not long since,* to mourn in melancholy foreboding, over what we were constrained to think, the evidence of departing glory. It is well known that the Westminster confession of faith is mentioned in the statutes of the Theological Seminary at Andover as, with some few exceptions, its standard exposition of doctrine ; that the professors are required to renew their assent to it every five years; and that our Saviour is there declared to have died as the surety and substitute of his people. When, therefore, one of the professors of that institution ventured to assail, from the pulpit, a fundamental tenet of the Westminster confession, and afterwards to issue his sermon from the press, at the request of the students; such a combination of events seemed to us a sign of most portentous augury. We were not prepared to suppose that on a subject of such weight and magnitude as the atonement, there could be any very great disagreement between professors of the same seminary. We inferred, we now confess, too hastily that the sentiments thus expressed were the sentiments generally received both by professors and students. We foresaw, and have in some degree witnessed the triumph of Unitarianism, at this declension, and its confident anticipations of ultimately gaining the rampart thown up to oppose its progress. It may well be imagined therefore that we received with much eagerness. and we will add, with much anxiety, the discourses of Professor Stuart; and it may *Review of Murdock on the Atonement, March, 1824. also well be imagined, that our joy has been commensurate with our former grief, at finding in them a clear exposition and a complete and triumphant vindication of our faith. Professor Stuart has chosen for his text a part of the sublime prediction of Isaiah, concerning the suffering Saviour. Of this he has given a translation, which, as he remarks, is somewhat nearer than that of our received version, to the spirit of the original. We shall show our readers the difference, by putting the versions in juxtaposition. Received version. ISAIAH LIII. 5, 6. 1 He was wounded FOR our transgressions; 2 He was BRUISED FOR our iniquities; 3 The chastisement or our peace was upon him; 4 And by his STRIPES are we healed. 5 All we like sheep have gone astray; 6 We have TURNED EVERY one TO HIS OWN WAY; 7 And THE LORD hath laid on him the INQUITY OF us all. Prof. Stuart. 1 He was wounded ON ACCOUNT Of our transgressions; 2 He was SMITTEN ON ACCOUNT of our iniquities; 3 The chastisement BY WHICH our peace is PROCURED was LAID on him ; 4 And by his WOUNDS are we healed. 5 All we like sheep have gone astray; 6 We have WANDERED EACH one IN THE PATH THAT HE CHOSE; 7 And JEHOVAH hath laid on him the PUNISHMENT DUE TO us all. A few brief remarks on the variations between Mr. Stuart's and the received version, will be all that is necessary to vindicate their respective merits. "For" is because," "by 1. In the first clause there is a mere verbal difference. used frequently by our translators in the sense of " reason," or on account of." And it is so used here. 66 he was 2. "He was bruised," we think a better translation than smitten," though neither expresses the full force of the original. N properly signifies "one bruised, crushed, or broken in pieces, as any thing is broken in a mortar. No word could more forcibly express the dreadful agony endured by the Redeemer, on account of the iniquities of mankind.* 3. The chastisement of our peace is an exact translation of the Hebrew idiom. Frequent instances occur in the scriptures, when the governing noun signifies the cause, and the noun governed, the effect. Thus Isaiah ix. 6. The prince of peace, i. e. the prince who procures peace for his people. Isai. xi. 2. The spirit of wisdom, i. e. the spiritual influences from which wisdom is derived, Zechar. vi. 13. The counsel of peace, i. e. the council by which the Messiah in his twofold character as king and priest advances the peace *Lowth has translated it, "He was smitten;" yet in the 10th verse he has rendered the infinitive of the same verb, "to crush," which is better, because more forcible. of his people. So in the passage under consideration; the chastisement of our peace means, the chastisement which causes our peace, or by which our peace is procured or effected. "We have peace with God," says St. Paul, "through our Lord Jesus Christ. We were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son." Rom. v. 1. 10. 4. Neither of the words " stripes," or "wounds," expresses the full force of the original. man properly signifies the bloody wale or tumour caused by severe scourging; the wounds produced by stripes. "The plowers," says the Psalmist, in the person of the Redeemer, "plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows." Psalm cxxix. 3. Scourging cuts and, as it were, digs and plows, and makes furrows in the flesh; and the longer the cords of the scourges are, the longer are the wounds and the furrows. For our sakes, he who knew no sin gave his back to the smiters.' Isa. 1. 6: and permitted those plowers to make long their furrows upon it." Bp. Horne. In the original, the word is in the singular number. By repeated scourging the body of the Redeemer became one wound; and by that wound (uara, Pet. ii 24) we, says the prophet, are healed. 5. In the fifth clause there is no variation. 6. Upon the sixth, no remarks are necessary, unless that the received translation is strictly literal, and that of Professor Stuart, a just and elegant paraphrase. To "turn every one to his own way," and to "wander each one in the path that he chose," are to our minds equivalent phrases. 66 66 they 7. Whenever the word LORD occurs in the received version in small capitals, the translators meant the readers to understand that the original word is Jehovah. "The Lord, i. e. Jehovah hath laid or bath caused to light or fall upon him the iniquity of us all," is therefore an exact translation of the original; but the meaning is accurately expressed by Professor Stuart: "Jehovah hath laid on him the punishment due to us all." To bear iniquity is a Hebrew idiom which means, to bear the punishment due to iniquity. Thus the received translation renders Ezek. xiv. 10, in the following manner; shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him.” Whereas the original, if translated word for word, would run thus: They shall bear their iniquity, () The iniquity of the prophet, &c. So Gen. iv. 13. And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment (literally, my iniquity) is greater than I can bear. It is unnecessary to multiply examples; as these two must be sufficient to show the correctness of our translation, and the accuracy of Professor Stuart, in that part of the two versions which seemed to be most at variance. We have said more in the way of criticism than we intended; but our object has been to place the subject in a proper light before our unlearned readers. There is a disposition among a certain class of criticks to undervalue the common translation of the Bible, that they may subvert with greater ease the popular belief in the divinity of Christ, original sin, and the personality and influences of the Holy |