THE

GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

No. 48.]

DECEMBER, 1824. [No. 12. Vol. IV.

THEOLOGICAL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

ON THE CHARACTER OF THE WRITINGS OF ST. PAUL. No. III.*

IN

IN the number immediately preceding the present, it was proposed to take a view of the manner observed by St. Paul in the communication of that matter, the excellence of which had already been observed. The obscurity generally complained of in his important writings was noticed, and it was endeavoured to trace it to the most efficient causes. Enough was stated to show that each of the peculiarities of style mentioned as observable in these writings was productive of obscurity in a greater or less degree. Let it be the present object to propose means for overcoming the difficulties thus presented, and to display the motives for the diligent employment of these means afforded by the excellences of the manner of our author.

The first and most obvious mean-that which must present itself to the notice of every one reflecting on the subject-is, the sedulous study of the apostles themselves, in the original language, with a careful attention to the peculiarities of their style. In the original language, because in that alone, the causes of obscurity in many passages will appear, and because, in very many instances, that which when put into modern dress becomes obscure and difficult, is, to one imbued with the genius of the original language, easy of comprehension, nay, often elegant and forcible. The careful attention to peculiarity of style, moreover, that is required, must be the effect of a constant habit of discriminating observation. It must differ as much from the eager quickness of the school-boy, who inscribes every little idiomatick variation upon his tablets as an instance of peculiarity of style, as from the hasty negligence of the cursory or inattentive reader, who discerns nothing characteristick, except it may be an occasional something, which he is unable to define, and the origin and defects of which he is alike unable to trace. A painful besitancy and bewildering ignorance of the most important traits will be the consequence of either of these extremes. A careful perusal of those who have written upon this subject, and attention to the observations of the most judicious criticks, are the best auxiliaries in the attainment of such habits of discrimination as are required in judging of an author's style.

To this end, as well as to one still more important for the obtaining a correct intellection of the writings of St. Paul, a repeated perusal * See Notice to Correspondents.

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GOSPEL ADVOCATE, VOL. IV.

of each epistle, taking it as a whole, without regard to modern divisions, will be found to be exceedingly conducive. It will not only tend to impress upon our mind the character, and store up in our memory the style, of our author, but it will also be of great assistance in attaining a clear idea of the design and argument of the writer. The obvious necessity of this rule in the interpretation of any profane writer, for example, (as approaching nearest in nature to our subject,) the epistles of Cicero, would make it seem impossible that any should ever have neglected it in the study of these most important documents. Yet experience convinces us that this is the case, and that no small proportion of the errours and controversies respecting the interpretation of the epistles arise from its neglect; from a scrupulous and ridiculous adherence to the generally received divisions, to the utter confusion of the argument, and concealment of the drift, of the writing to be explained.* Whereas, by a contrary course the student will become accustomed to extend his attention to the whole of a passage, and enabled to drop the adjectitious parts and thus to escape the danger of considering that as a part of the argument, which was intended to be merely additional or explanatory.

A familiar acquaintance with the Old Testament in the original, and with the Septuagint version, will also do much toward explaining the obscurities of St. Paul, especially those arising from Hebraistick forms of speech, and from the nature of the quotations. For a knowledge of Hebraisms "the Septuagint must often be consulted; and the interpreter should be so familiar with it, as readily to know in what way Hebrew expressions are translated into Greek. For as the origin of speaking and writing in Greek, concerning sacred things, took its rise from that version, so it is evident, that this version must be the basis of acquaintance with the Hebrew Greek." Nor can any clear idea of the force and amount of proof afforded by a quotation be expected by one who is not so familiar with the book whence it is taken, both as respects its matter and its style, as to be able to decide upon the sense of the passage when connected with the original context, and to determine what variation in sense is allowed by the original language.

A careful comparison of the parallelisms, whether real or verbal, which occur in the writings of St. Paul, will be of great service to the student of his epistles. Their nature, being written in a popular, and, in some respects, immethodical manner, their number, and the similarity of their subjects and design, render them particularly liable to illustration and elucidation by comparison. Frequently the same doctrine is treated of in different words or with different degrees of copiousness and distinctness; in such cases, the real parallelism is serviceable in guiding, as it were, the reader to the true sense of the

Numerous instances might be adduced wherein the sense of a passage is totally obscured by an injudicious separation of intimately connected clauses. The inconveniences and ill effects of a punctilious adherence to this division are displayed at length by Locke. Preface to Notes on the Epistle. pp. 7-15. ed. Lond. 1823. + Stuart's Ernesti. p. 63.

contested passage, or in limiting it to certain bounds, within which only the true interpretation must be sought, thus narrowing the field of investigation, and consequently diminishing the uncertainty of the reader. Still more frequently, however, verbal parallelisms of the strictest kind, wherein the same or very similar words are used in the same sense in different passages, are of service in elucidating passages rendered difficult by obscurity of style. Instances of this are numerous, especially in the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians which inay almost be considered as mutually commenting on each other.

Lastly, above all, attention to the circumstances of those addressed, and a constant recollection of the scope of the writer, will have a tendency to prevent misinterpretation of parts of these epistles. They will enable the student to discriminate between the original, and the secondary or apparent application of any passage or argument, and to reject that interpretation which, being grounded on an isolated view of the subject, is unsupported by, or contrary to, the main argument or design of the writer.

Had these precautions been always carefully observed, it is probable that much controversy would have been prevented, and fewer apparent difficulties suggested in these important writings. If due attention is bestowed upon them, it is apprehended that little real difficulty will be found in these epistles of St. Paul, nor any important obstacle to him who would draw from these well springs of salvation.

Let not, then, the student be discouraged at the enumeration of the difficulties to be encountered in these epistles, and the exertions necessary to overcome them like every valuable acquisition, they require pains and labour for the attainment; but, unlike most other objects of fatiguing enterprise, they will richly repay the expended toil. Independently of the inspired character of these holy treatises, which, of itself, would render anxious days and sleepless nights a light thing when compared with the inestimable value of a complete understanding of their contents: independently of this, there is that in their style itself which will amply recompense the trouble of obtaining a compe⚫ tent acquaintance with it. As examples of a nervous, invigorating, commanding style, they have seldom been equalled, never excelled. The instructions they contain are delivered with a simple gravity and concinnity that commands the attention, and is as much superiour to the high wrought ornaments of professed rhetoricians as the native uncut diamond, to the furbished, glittering paste. Yet are they not deficient in those beauties which captivate the refined taste. Although professedly didactick, there are few pieces of composition that afford a richer variety of appropriate figure. There is scarcely a species of trope that has been noticed by rhetoricians that may not be found in one part or other of these books, and always in an apposite situation.

Nor are there wanting instances of a strength of figure only to be equalled by the importance of the sentiment expressed. As such, the description of the powerful efficacy of the promises and threats of God may be produced. "The word of God is living and energetick, and more cutting than any two-edged sword, dividing even to the

separation of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Again, when the apostle expresses his desire to be useful even to the death, to his converts; how noble and appropriate to men accustomed to the sacrificial rites is his expression!" Yea, and if I be poured out as a libation (évdouar) upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all." And how full of affection and exultation is his figurative appellation of the Philippians; "My brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown!"

But it is not in the use of figures only that the excellence of the apostle's style consists. For appropriate diction he is unrivalled, and occasionally he rises into a sublimity of expression that carries his readers above themselves, and, while it astonishes, convinces or persuades with a delightful violence.

When he undertakes to describe the goodness of our Maker in providing for us the means of salvation, the reader is transported with gratitude, and overwhelmed with self-abasement. When he exultingly depicts the excellences of the gospel dispensation, he commands the enraptured mind, and we are "lost in wonder, love, and praise !" When he concisely describes the sufferings, the constancy, the joyous triumphing in the midst of tortures, of the primitive propagators of Christianity, we acquire a new idea of the human mind; we are tempted to imagine the persons he speaks of to be superiour beings, and to render them our humble adoration, till recalled by the assurance that it is by the might of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, that these holy men so nobly won their heavenly crown. When we read his exulting and fervent expressions of delight in the gospel, and thankfulness for the glorious office of an apostle, how do we feel our hearts burn within us at being permitted by the good providence of God to participate in the privileges so admirably extolled by the great apostle of the Gentiles.

Occasionally too, the student of these epistles is at once astonished and delighted by a fervency of language unexampled in any other writer. Words of the most intense signification are accumulated, and, by their very strength, are made to express their weakness when compared with the inexpressible greatness of their object. Our language cannot express the force of καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος Sons, which is but faintly shadowed forth in the translation of an eminent critick, "an excessively exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Numerous, and some, if possible, still more striking examples occur, but cannot be adequately displayed in any, even the best translation. Even the ordinary grammatical compounds are not suf ficient for the glowing ideas of the apostle. Thus, wishing to express his own utter worthlessness considered in himself, he makes use of a comparative, found only in the most exalted sentences of the classick authors: εμοι τῳ ελαχισοτερῳ, not unaptly rendered by our translators "less than the least."

*2 Cor. iv. 17.

But time would fail me to expatiate upon the beauties of his style, the sublimity of his sentiments, the elegance of his figurative expressions. Let it suffice to say, that the reader of the epistles of St. Paul, while the conviction of the divine inspiration of their author must afford continual incentive to attention, will derive no inconsiderable portion of his pleasure from the eloquence of the author, even though he may have quitted the pages of a Demosthenes for his perusal.* Nor will the obscurity in which St. Paul participates with the Grecian orator and his illustrious model,† be thought in the least sufficient to detract from the pleasure and advantage obtained, by him who has a genuine taste for majestick eloquence, energetick description, or simple and pathetick persuasion. To conclude in the words of St. Chrysostom, "None was more rude in speech than Paul, yet how hath he gained the victory over thousands of philosophers, and stopped the mouths of myriads of rhetoricians !" U. U.

FROM THE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTER.

ESSAYS ON THE LITURGY. No. IV.

REMARKS ON THE SENTENCES OF SCRIPTURE WHICH OPEN THE MORNING AND EVENING SERVICE.

A CELEBRATED heathen temple of old was inscribed with the motto, Know Thyself, in letters of gold so large, that all who approached it might read and be instructed in this great principle of true wisdom. Our Christian temples bear no such writing; but they call upon us powerfully, though silently, to remember ourselves, and the awful character of that Being in whose immediate presence we appear when we enter the sanctuary. They would remind us that we are guilty and dying creatures, drawing nigh to the "High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy." Isa. lvii. 15. They would teach us, as it were, to feel with the awe-stricken patriarch, when he saw the vision of Jehovah in Bethel: "How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Gen. xxviii. 17. If the voice proceeded out of the burning bush when Moses approached it, and said, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground," Exod. iii. 5; if another still small voice met Elijah's ear, as he stood at the entering in of the cave in Horeb: if at these solemn manifestations, the future leader of Israel put his shoes from off his feet; and the prophet wrapped his face in his mantle as unworthy to look upon God; nay,

* St. Paul in some kind and on some subjects, is as eloquent as ever man was not inferiour to Demosthenes or Eschines, or any other anciently most admired." M. Casaubon. On Enthusiasm. p. 188. ed. 1656.

+"Videmus autem Paulum pene Thucydidis more brevi, et exili, et confragoso genere orationis uti." Melancthon. Præf. in Ep. ad Rom.