sion. Resolving still to adhere to the Lord's side, and reposing the fullest confidence in his infinite power and sufficiency, they absolutely refused to submit to the king, or to follow the multitude in their idolatry. An accusation, therefore, was immediately brought in, by certain Chaldeans, against them. Then Nebuchadnezer, in his rage and fury, commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, before him. They introduced these men before the king, who expressed his surprise, that they should presume thus to trample upon his authority, by refusing to worship he image which he had erected. At he same time, he distinctly repeated them, the words of the decree, and iterated the awful denunciation, dearing, with all the terrors of inused royalty, that, should they perst in disobedience, a furnace of deviring fire should be their portion, al that no God would be able to delir them out of his hands. They reained calm and undismayed; nor w: the strength of their resolution shken. They dreaded the displeasw of the King of kings, more than thewrath of the king of Babylon. In prference to yielding to known sin, orse guilty of an act, openly impious an idolatrous, they were ready, if the will of heaven should demand it, to neet death itself, even in its most frightful form. "O king, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. Win the utmost alacrity would we serve and please thee, in every thing, not incompatible with duty, but in this we are constrained to incur thy displeasure. Jehovah must be obeyed, rather than man. Do with us as thou wilt. Torture us upon the rack, or plunge us into the fiercest flames which thy wrath can kindle. We put our trust in the Lord God of Israel-we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the image which thou hast set up." Who can fail to admire this decision of principle and action? this invincible fortitude in the cause of the Most High? It was this, which also eminently

distinguished the prophet Daniel, inspiring him, on a certain occasion, with the resolution, rather to be cast into a den of lions, than to suspend his practice of making supplication before the God of his fathers. It was this, which gave a divine elevation of character to the Patriarchs and prophets generally, to the apostles and primitive christians, which caused them to stand firm, amid the shocks of temptation and persecution; so that, under the influence of it, the great Apostle of the Gentiles could exclaim : "None of these things move me; neither count I my life dear unto myself. I am ready, not to be bound only, but to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus." By the same fortitude and firmness, Luther, Calvin, and Knox, with their associates, unmoved by the thunders of Papal power and vengeance, were carried through all the struggles and perils of the Reformation, and rendered immortal benefactors to mankind. It is this, indeed, which, through the special grace of God, influences every true christian to hold fast the profession of his faith without wavering. It raises him above the flatteries and the frowns of the wicked; enables him to stem the current of popular impiety; to withstand, at once, the world, the flesh, and the devil; and, taking up the cross, to follow the lamb, whithersoever he goeth. What is it to be a soldier, when there are no conflicts, and no enemy? In the halcyon days of peace, or at a distance from the battleground, a man may talk of his valour, and lead you to believe, that he would never turn his back to any foe. But the question is, will he actually. endure, in a time of war, and on the field of battle? When the trumpet of alarm is sounding, and the enemy is coming in, like a flood, will he then fly to the standard, and maintain his ground? If he will stand firm, and fight manfully, in an actual engagement, exhibiting himself to be proof, equally, against the arts of bribery and seduction, and the appalling in

fluence of fear, he is, indeed, a good soldier, and is worthy to be crowned with laurels: but if not, all his professions and flourishes, will prove vain and ridiculous. In like manner, the character of the followers of Christ

from God, or is the result of a cheerful and unwavering obedience to his holy will. S. L. M.

For the Christian Spectator.

or so advantageously displayed, as when the interests of the church de

cline. To profess the name of the Lord, and to make fair promises and appearances, especially when the cause of religion is flourishing and fashionable, is attended with no peculiar difficulty: but to maintain a deportment answerable to these promises and appearances, in a season of abounding iniquity, when the idols of the world are set up, and all are required, as it were upon pain of death, to pay their adorations, is a thing rare and difficult. Then, if the christian, with his hand uplifted to Heaven, will solemnly say, No, and unshakenly resist the allurements and the assaults of the adversary, determining at all hazards, to keep his ground, and to discharge his duty, he is a christian indeed. His character shines bright and glorious, as a hero of the cross; and, in the view of all the wise and good, he is infinitely more worthy of imitation and of honor, than a Cæsar, or an Alexander. I am struck with a kind of sacred veneration, for the men of this intrepid, determined, christian character, wherever I meet them; whether delineated on the page of history, or presented to view in the actual walks of life. Such a character should ever be an object of the believer's highest aim. When called to act in a plain case of duty, and where the glory of God is evidently concerned, it is not for him, through any motives of worldly policy, to hesitate or turn aside, but to go forward, directly and resolutely, leaving the consequences to the disposal of infinite wisdom and power. Under all the circumstances of life, he should consider no evil so much to be dreaded, as sin, and no happiness or honor so much to be aspired after, as that which cometh VOL. 2-No. I.

2

particularly of the Bible.

Man is formed by nature for society and the reciprocal communication of thought. In whatever situation placed, as soon as the faculties of his mind are developed, he voluntarily employs certain media, or external actions, to express to another those mental perceptions and operations which would otherwise be known to himself alone. These media are the Signs of Ideas. That they are extremely important to the moral and intellectual cultivation of the human race, will be obvious to every one.

The term Signs of Ideas, it will here be convenient to use in its most extensive sense, to denote any external action which makes known to another that which passes in the mind, whether it be a sensation or a perception, a desire or an affection, an idea or a volition. In order, however, to attain the object for which men employ signs, it is evident that every sign must have its definite meaning.

That branch of the sciences which relates to the signs of Ideas has been called Semiotic, from the Greek word σημειον a sign. It naturally divides itself into two branches; the one containing the rules for the suitable use of signs, and the other, the rules for the right interpretation of them. They differ from each other as Synthesis and Analysis. The science of analyzing the signs of ideas is called Hermeneutic, from έρμηνευω to interpret.

Signs are either natural or artificial. Natural signs are so constituted as to be readily understood by every person without the aid of previous instruction, concert, or arbitrary custom. For example, a drowning person, when unable to use his voice, may beckon with his hand, and thus request assistance. The artificial are those which have been adopted and established by mutual agreement, or by a custom which was merely arbitrary at its first introduction.

Signs are addressed principally to the eye and ear, but sometimes also to the other senses. Thus the present of a fragrant nosegay may have, and often has had,a great significancy. Pictures of objects themselves, certain motions of the body, and complex actions may also be signs of ideas.These last are called symbolical actions. Thus Jeremiah's bearing a yoke, the high-priest's washing himself before he draws near to God, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, are all very significant. Pantomime, or the the language of mute action, the language of symbols, hieroglyphics, &c. were very useful in ancient times for the preservation of knowledge.

Our concern here is principally with speech and writing. These two are the most complete means of communicating ideas, and by the use of them the human mind has attained its cultivation, and religion and morals been taught and propagated. Words uttered by the organs of speech, are the immediate; words expressed in writing, are the mediate signs of ideas.

Language at first consisted probably of only a few sounds. Much gesture and action were therefore neces

sary for the expression of ideas. Afterwards, in order to point out an object or action, the narrator would draw a sketch, or outline. From this arose the symbolical mode of writing, which prevailed for a long time in the East and in Egypt, until alphabetical writing was invented, in Phenicia, as it is generally conceded.

Hermeneutic, according as it is viewed objectively or subjectively, is either a collection of rules by the application of which the meaning of a discourse or writing is discovered and rightly explained; or the knowledge of these rules, and the skill of rightly applying them so as to find out and exhibit the meaning. The

act itself, by which a person discovers and rightly expounds the meaning of a discourse or writing, is called exegesis, or interpretation. He who by practice has acquired such a skill of interpreting according to rules, is a scientific interpreter or exegete. He who, without established rules, has learned, by exercise in reading and reflection, to interpret the Bible, is an empirical interpreter. Thus hermeneutic is the theory, and exegesis the application of it. Both have been usually comprehended under the name of exegetical theology.

The accurate observation of Addison respecting the grammarian and logician,* may be applied with equal propriety to the exegete. Every one that converses is an exegete, though he may be utterly unacquainted with the rules of exegesis, as they are delivered in books and systems. And it is also true, that one, by exercise in translating and expounding different authors, may have attained such skill in interpreting, and have so strengthened and sharpened his exegetical tact, that he may in very many places easily find out and exactly define the sense of sacred writ. Notwithstanding these admissions, however, many reasons may be given, why regular instruction in the science of hermeneutic is both useful and necessary for the student of the Scrip

tures.

1. The subjects, of which the bible treats, require a far more exact study of hermeneutical science, than is necessary for the understanding of other books. The Holy Scriptures, especially the books of the New Testament, treat in a great measure, of intellectual and spiritual objects, of God and other beings endued with reason, of the purposes and will of the Most High, of conscience and duty, of immortality, and of future rewards and punishments. Now these

*"Every one that speaks and reasons is a grammarian and logician, though he may be utterly unacquainted with the rules of grammar or logic, as they are de liverd in books and systems."

subjects are some of the most difficult which the human mind is ever called to investigate.

2. In the books of the Old Testament, we meet with objects pertain ing to the remotest antiquity, and also far removed from us as to place, occurrences such as we have never witnessed, and figures which we are not accustomed to use.

3. All this is in a language which has been long dead, in a style which has great peculiarities, and in species of poetry, prophecy, and proverb, such as we do not find in other books.

4. It must be added also, that the books of the bible were written by various authors, from time to time, so as to embrace a period of nearly two thousand years.

5. The same moral and religious truths, according as the circumstances of mankind required, were at first expressed obscurely in sensible images, then accompanied with verbal description, and at last exhibited in more accurate and refined language.

These reasons, drawn from the character of the bible itself, are, it is believed, sufficient to show, that the religious instructor, who would teach the result of his own examinations, ought from hermeneutic to learn the general and special rules of interpretation, to be acquainted with the various helps for discovering the sense, and to acquire the correct method of dismembering a text, and treating its several parts, so that the true meaning of the phrases and propositions, and the tenor of the whole passage may be faithfully, fully, and clearly exhibited. But there are further reasons which strongly recommend this study.

6. The vast accumulation of books in modern times, and the incalculable labour which has been bestowed on the scriptures, render the scientific and thorough study of them still more necessary. There is hardly an important text in the bible, which has not been variously explained by men

of great apparent candour, acknowledged learning, and, may I not alse add, of unsuspected piety. The serious enquirer after truth, must, I think, close his eyes against this fact, if he willingly foregoes the aid, which the study here recommended presents, for the formation of his own opinions.

7. To the variety of opinion may be added the contentious spirit of the age. It is extremely difficult for the student of theology, unless he possesses settled principles of interpretation, to form his doctrinal views, without being influenced by the allurements of orthodoxy on the one hand, or of liberality on the other. One will admire old opinions, because they are defined and circumscribed by subtile distinctions. Another will adopt the new, because they have the charm of novelty. It requires some effort to differ in sentiment from the great and good and learned, whom one has been taught to revere. It requires some discretion to be singular, and yet not to love singularity. Enlightened criticism is the only preservative from these dangers. The noisy champion, before he has proceeded far in this course, will lose his angry zeal, the party names of modern origin will be forgotten in the study of antiquity, the distinction of new and old will vanish, because that which appears new, will probably be found to be old. The testimony of man will yield to the judgment of God, and with that the admirer of truth will rest perfectly satisfied.

8. The most important distinctions in theology do, in fact, rest on different theories of interpretation, Thus the grammatical historical mode of interpreting, lately advocated by a learned writer in a neighboring state, has for the most part its uniform results. The philosophical mode, advocated by others, has also its distinct results. The doctrine of accommodation, which many learned Germans are said to hold, is also uniform in its conclusions. But one must be a scientific interpreter, to thoroughly un