WHERE DO THEY LOVE JESUS?

A little boy, when shown his first lesson on the globes, said, "Show me where they love Jesus, father."

"OH tell me not so many tales,
Of victory and might,
Of spices scenting eastern gales,
Of fire-flies glancing bright,
Of palm tree tall, and coral strand,
And mines with diamonds stored.
Ask every breeze of every land;
Where do they love my Lord!

A new, and bright, and lovely star
O'er eastern lands once shone,
Lighting the wise men from afar
To the Redeemer's throne.

Father, the shepherds knew their King,
And at his couch adored;

Glance o'er this sunny world, and bring

Some tidings of my Lord!"

Sweet child of Jesus' flock! for thee
Sad was the answer given;

But solved is now each mystery

And earth exchanged for heaven;

And, waiting till his kingdom come,
Is thy petition poured;

"Oh bring the wandering nations home!
Teach all to love thee, Lord!"

That prayer be ours, and let us send
Sin's captives to release;

Till o'er this darkened world shall bend
The rainbow arch of peace;
Till in the treasure house on high
Christ's jewels all are stored;
And every breeze that passes by
Bears praises to the Lord!

HISTORY OF THE BIBLE.

THE STATE OF THE TEXT OF THE SCRIPTURES.

THIS is a subject of very great importance, especially when we consider that the various manuscripts and versions from which the Bible was translated differ, many of them, from each other. The number of differences in all is supposed to amount to 150,000. When this fact was first spread abroad christians were not willing to believe it, having always supposed that there existed not the slightest difference, but that if it were so the whole system of christianity would be in danger, and the faith of many weakened. But to show the reason and the remedy we will consider

I. The state in which the text of the scriptures has been handed down to us. There are no Greek autographs of the gospels or epistles now existing. If there were we could find the state of the original without any dispute; but there are none, nor has there been any known to exist since the fourth century. And as there was no printing till the fourteenth century, the scriptures must have been handed down to us in a written form, that is, every word must

have been written copied from some other MS.* before it. And the number of MSS.† increased as the number of christians who wished for them increased, and as the MSS increased, so the number of differences increased and widened.

II. The cause or origin of these various readings in MSS.-They evidently arose, at first, from the mistakes of copyists, for according as they were more or less skilful and exact, so their MSS. would be more or less correct in reference to the originals from which they were copied. 2. Another cause of differences might have arisen in this way: the copyists, in many instances, had the MSS. read to them,‡ and they might have caught up some of the words wrongly, or the reader might have pronounced it wrong, and so some words might either have been left out altogether, or copied differently from the original: and the MSS. copied from them could not be expected to be better than those they were copied from. 3. Another cause of the various readings was the designed corrections of copyists. Some might have been critical and wished to give a fuller and clearer expression to the text: others having to copy from MSS. written carelessly, and not understanding the original meaning, or thinking it would appear ridiculous, wrote what they took to be the meaning, which might have been far from it: some might have omitted certain words that they thought superfluous, or added others that they thought were wanting to give the meaning; and lastly an explanation of some words or text might have been put into the margin which some unlearned man when copying from it put into the text.

III. How these differences are to be corrected and the true original text obtained. 1. By comparing the most ancient and carefully written MSS. which would be the most likely to contain the purest text,

*Manuscript. † Manuscripts.

This was very common in cathedrals and abbeys, where one would dictate to a great many.

because there would not have been so much probability of making mistakes, and if one had been made, there would have been the means of correcting it. 2. By comparing the most ancient versions which were likely to contain the purest text, because made from the most ancient MSS. which we may fairly presume were the most accurate copies of the original, as in that case the stream could not have been rendered turbid by a long and circuitous flow from the fountain. 3. From the quotations of the fathers. But this, of itself, is a very uncertain, imperfect way; because it is probable that they did not copy exactly from the difficulty of finding the passages, the scriptures being then written on large rolls of parchment, so that it is very likely that they often copied from their own memory; or they might have quoted it rather different from the original to come in with their own words. Some have added a fourth way of finding out the true text, namely, by conjectural criticism; but that is quite absurd, for in conjecturing there is no certainty, and the person so doing would be likely to make the text agree with his own views; it is principally the Socinians that use this way of overcoming this difficulty.

IV. The nature and importance of these variations. They are in general very slight and unimportant; take for instance the various readings of the seventh verse of the first chapter of John. Some MSS. have "This same came for a witness" where the difference does not in the slightest degree affect the meaning; also, "In him is life," is in some MSS. "In him was life." "All the omissions of the ancient MSS. put together would not countenance the omission of one essential doctrine of the gospel relative to faith or morals, and all the additions countenanced by the whole mass of MSS. already collated, do not introduce a single point relative to faith or morals essential to salvation, beyond what may be

found in the most imperfect editions, from the Complutensian Editors down to the Elzevirs. And though for the beauty, emphasis, and critical perfection of the letter of the New Testament, a new edition of the Greek Testament, formed on such a plan as that of Professor Griesbach, is greatly to be desired; yet from such a one infidelity can expect no help, false doctrine no support, and even true religion no accession to its excellence, though a few beams may thus be added to its lustre," so says Dr. Adam Clarke. "The multitude of various readings found in ancient MSS.," says the same writer, "should no more weaken any man's faith than the multitude of typographical errors. Nor indeed can it be otherwise unless God were to interpose and miraculously prevent every scribe from making a false letter. It is enough that God absolutely preserves the whole truth in such a way as is consistent with his moral government of the world. The preservation of the dots and tittles in every transcriber's form, and in every printer's form, by a miraculous act of Almighty power, is not to be expected, and is not necessary to the accomplishment of the purposes of Providence and Grace." On this subject the intelligent reader will be pleased with the opinion of that very eminent critic, Dr. Bentley. "Not frighted with the present 30,000 various readings (collected by Dr. Mill), I, for my own part, and as I believe many others, would not lament, if, out of the old MSS. yet untouched, 10,000 more were faithfully collected, some of which, without question, would render the text more beautiful, just, and exact; though of no consequence to the main doctrines of religion, nay perhaps wholly synoynmous in the view of common readers, and quite insensible in any modern version. I hope the above learned remarks will afford a satisfactory explanation of this difficult subject, which leads us on to the fifth point, namely,