dulge my daughters with fre quent parties, to keep up with the numerous improvements in fashions and manners; all this takes off my loose change, so that I have nothing to give, if my conscience were not opposed to the plan.

Now comes my difficulty. It wounds me exceedingly to fall behind my neighbors in any thing. I can't endure to be thought mean or stingy. It hurts me intolerably to put off a charitable subscription, on which I see the names of many, who are not so able as myself. A thing of this kind will sometimes make me feel disagreeably a whole month. I am afraid that many will think I am not so rich as my neighbors, because I do not give away so much as they do.

In a word, I am brought to this dilemma; I must either give away my money, or run the risk of being regarded as an underling, and of losing somewhat of my minister's good opinion, for you must know that he thinks me quite a reputable man.

Now I see no way of relief, unless our minister and his friends can be induced to suspend their exertions for charitable purposes. This would bring us all to a level again, and my money would be safe. I know of no one more likely to have influence with our minister than yourself Mr. Editor. He places confidence in you; and does not fail to read every thing which your work contains. Now what I have to request of you is, that you, or some of your keen correspondents, should produce a piece on the mischiefs of multiplying, and hunting up, objects of charity. Be pointed and severe in your strictures. Tell

people how painful it is to see so many subscription papers. Paint their evil effects in glowing colors. They will drain all the money from the country; they will circumscribe the pleasures of our children, and reduce them to a state of penury. You will have a wide field before you, and I have no doubt but you will occupy it to advantage.

By speedy attention to this subject you will probably relieve your humble servant,

JAPHETH.

P. S. While I am about writing, Mr. Editor, I ought to put in a word for my wife, whose situation is fuil as painful as my own, and who agrees with me fully in my sentiments on this subject. You must know, that the women in our town, have formed a Cent Society for charitable purposes. It is very fashionable to become members of it. But my wife, though she wishes to be equal with any, cannot feel willing as yet to join this institution.

She has tried various methods to throw off the dreaded opprobrium of being backward in such a thing.

Sometimes she wants the money for her daughters. At other times she endeavors to ridicule the society on account of its name, as a frivolous and childish thing. Were it a Dollar, or an Eagle Society, says she, I would join it. But it all does not answer. The women, she fears, will regard it as a little thing in my wife, to refuse a cent a week, when she cannot say but the ob ject is good. And many have no more sense than to reply, to the last mentioned argument, that if a cent is too inconsiderable, she may freely put in a

Os re-perusing my second number, I observe a sentence liable to be misunderstood; and therefore take the first opportunity of explaining it. The sentence occurs in the Panoplist for Feb. p. 396, and asserts, that 'the word translated Lord, Matt. ii, 13, 15, and 19, undoubtedly means the self-existent God; and is used in Greek for Jehovah in Hebrew.' It might be understood, that the passages here referred to are represented as direct quotations from the Old Testament. This was not my intention; but simply to state, that wherever the phrases the angel of the Lord, and the Lord spake, occur in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for Lord is Jehovah. That the self-existent God is meant in these passages in Matt. ii, no person can doubt. But Matt. iii, 3, is a direct quotation from a prophecy, in which Isaiah uses the word Jehovah.

I take this occasion to say, that the French translation referred to in my last number, (Pan. for March, p. 456,) was printed from the stereotype copy circulated by the British and Foreign Bible Society. It may be presumed, therefore, that learned and judicious men in England esteem it the best French transation in existence.

MATTHEW IV.

Various Readings. Ver. 4. Griesbach is of opinion,

that a Greek preposition, different from the one which is translated by before every word, has nearly equal claims to be considered as the true reading. The proposed alteration could neither affect the translation nor the

sense.

V. 10. a. G. behind me. If this addition be admitted, the clause will read, Get thee behind me, Satan, as in Luke iv, 8, instead of Get thee hence, Satan.

V. 12. p. o. Jesus. The verse will then read, Now when he had heard, &c.

V. 13. Griesbach proposes a different mode of spelling Capernaum, as of nearly equal authority with the common one.

V. 18. om. Jesus. The verse will then read, And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw, &c.

None of these various readings affect the sense, unless that of the 10th verse; and if the force of the Greek verb, translated Get thee hence, be considered, the alteration of the meaning by the proposed addition seems scarcely perceptible.

It

No important emendation of our version of this chapter has occurred to me, except in regard to the word rendered repent, in the 17th verse. The meaning of this was discussed and explained in my last number. has occurred to me as a natural inquiry, How came so many translators to render the word so inadequately as they have done, if the meaning of the original be in fact as I have stated? By way of answer let the following things be considered.

The original word, according to the explanation already given, imports a change of moral character, whenever it is used to express a preparation for evangelical enjoyment, or for a future state of happiness. This change of moral character implies many things; of which one of the principal is sorrow for sin. Perhaps among new converts, generally, self-loathing, or a deep abhorrence of their past character and conduct, is the most prominent feeling. It is not strange, therefore, that the Latin translation usually called the Vulgate should have adopted a word expressive of sorrow for past conduct; especially as the Latin tongue has no single word which gives the exact meaning of the original. Conformably to the Vulgate, many modern translations have expressions equivalent to our repent. This has not, however, been the universal practice. Beza has generally taken a word much preferable, and which conveys the idea of a return to a state of sanity and wisdom. Still he has not hit the exact meaning of the Greek. The error in most cases has been the taking of a part of the meaning conveyed, or rather implied, in the original, instead of expressing the whole. Dr. Campbell, for instance, finding that the evangelical change here required is durable in its effects and consequences, lays much stress upon the idea of permanence, and expresses the change by reformation, which, according to him, is a permanent change from worse to better. Now the original word does not of itself convey the idea of a permanent change; but when used to designate the great moral

change which the Gospel requires, the idea of permanence is perfectly compatible with all the ideas really conveyed: and we learn from many passages of Scripture, that this change is in fact permanent.

Let it be observed, also, that the word repent, in its genuine acceptation, has no reference to the moral nature of the action repented of, nor to the moral character of the person repenting.

Thus a miser may repent that he gave a trifle in charity just as truly, as Paul repented that he had persecuted the Christians.

Learned divines, however, have perceived in every age, that the common translations of the passage in question, and of others like it, needed explanation. They have defined repentance and the equivalent words in other languages, by explaining very fully the moral change above mentioned, and all its effects and consequences. An excellent Latin compend of theology, now lying before me, defines repentance, (i. e. the Latin word used by Beza,) to be the circumcision of the heart, a conversion to God, a spiritual renovation, sanctification of the man, the new creation, and the first resurrection. Though these are good definitions of the great moral change required by the Gospel, they are much too extensive for the meaning of our word repentance. On attentive consideration, therefore, I am confirmed in the opinion, that the French translation above referred to, and which is equivalent to convert yourselves, or be converted, is the best translation I have met with. The following paraphrase of the 17th verse is

offered to the consideration of the reader: 'From that time began Jesus to make proclamation, and to say, Change your dispositions, become of a different moral character, in order to share in the enjoyments of that heavenly kingdom, that reign of piety and benevolence, which I am come to reveal, establish, and defend, and which shall be perfected in a future state of unchangeable happiness and glory.' Unless I am greatly mistaken, this view of the subject throws light on many passages of Scripture. It is sometimes asked, for instance, Which is first, repentance or faith? And taking the common acceptation of repentance among religious people, viz. a godly sorrow for sin, it is difficult to tell which is first, faith or this repentance. But understanding the word translated repentance to mean a moral change of char. acter, the difficulty is removed; for this change must precede both a godly sorrow for sin, and evangelical faith. The reader will excuse the length of these remarks, when he considers the vast importance of the subject.

Dr. Campbell's translation of this chapter is in several instances too much like a paraphrase.

› Doctrines.

We are taught in this chapter, that our Savior was carried up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be exposed to the temptations of the devil; v. 1; that after having fasted forty days and forty nights He became hungry, and was accosted by the tempter with a request that he would work a miracle for his own sustenance, if He were, as He had been proVOL. V. New Series.

claimed from heaven, the Son of God; v. 2, 3; that he repelled the temptation by an appropriate quotation from the Scriptures of the Old Testament; v, 4; that the devil next conducts our Savior to one of the highest parts of the temple, which stood in the midst of Jerusalem, and proposes that he should cast himself down, in order to experience the fulfilment of a divine promise made to all the children of God; v. 5, 6; that Christ repelled the temptation by another quotation from Scripture; v. 7; that the devil again conducts him to the top of a very high mountain, spreads before him the wealth, power, and grandeur, of the whole world, and offers to give them to Him, on the single condition that He will prostrate himself before the giver, and worship him; v. 8, 9; that our Savior repels this third temptation by a third quotation from Scripture, and banishes Satan from His presence with indignation, and a tone of infinite superiority to the tempter and all his machinations; v. 10; that the tempter, being foiled, leaves our Savior, and angels come and serve Him; v. 11; that Christ, hearing of the seizure of John, left Nazareth and dwelt in Capernaum, so that a prophecy of Isaiah was accomplished; v. 12-16; that mankind without the Gospel are in a state of utter moral darkness; v. 16; that when our Savior first came to reside at Capernaum he made proclamation of the necessity of a moral change in the character of men generally, so that they might profit by the Gospel dispensation which was about to be revealed; v. 17; that Christ chose his four first disciples, afterward

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to become apostles, from among the fishermen of Galilee; v. 18--22; that Christ publicly taught throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom, healing every species of sickness, and delivering from the power of evil spirits all who were possessed by them; that these wonderful events carried His fame through all Syria; and that multitudes followed him from the neighboring territories; v. 23-23.

Among the implied doctrines contained in this chapter, we observe, that here is taught the existence of two intelligent agents; one, the Spirit, who afterwards is revealed as the third person in the ever blessed Trinity; the other, the devil, the false accuser, the tempter, the great enemy of God and man; v. 1; that Christ was truly man, being subject to human passions; v. 2; that the best way to resist temptation is to resort toScripture; v.4, 7, 10; that Scripture may be quoted for any purpose, however diabolical,and by any party,however, unprincipled; v. 6; that the proper way to correct a misapplication of a particular passage of Scripture is by comparing it with other passages; v. 7; that, therefore, every person ought to be acquainted with Scripture, as every person is exposed to temptation; that there are good angels,who delighted to minister to the Savior while on earth; v. 11; that it is sometimes prudent to yield to injustice, and to avoid exposing one's self to wicked men; v. 12; that mankind are so depraved as to need a thorough change before they can enjoy the Gospel; v. 17; and that malignant spirits were permitted to

torment some individuals, at least, among the people of Syria; v. 24.

Miscellaneous Remarks.

It is utterly inconceivable to me, that the Spirit should be introduced, as He is in the first verse, if an attribute of God, as Socinians assert, or a mere abstract quality, were intended.

The word translated Lord, v. 7 and 10, is Jehovah in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, from which these passages are quoted.

Our Savior suffered himself to be directed by Satan, so far as to go, at his instance, to a height of the temple, and to the top of a a mountain. These actions, it should be remembered, were strictly innocent and lawful. The moment the tempter proposed any thing wrong, that moment he was repelled. Perhaps our Savior's conduct, in this particular, is designed to teach us, that we should not be deterred from doing what is clearly innocent, though bad men or devils mean to take occasion of our actions to injure us: provided, however, we have some good object continually in view, and never expose ourselves ne edlessly to temptation.

Christ says, v. 19, I will make you fishers of men. Considering that the conversion and salvation of men are the peculiar work of God, does not Christ here assume the divine prerogative of saving men by his own inherent power? He certainly does not intimate the necessity of any power superior to his own. And in the performance of these first miracles described by the evangelist, it does not appear, that our Sav