quisite sense of mind than is usual
among Christians.
If he said of
any affair, I cannot bless it! it
was worse to it than the most in-
auspicious presages in the world."||
Such is the picture of this ex-
alted man, drawn by one who had
the advantage of long and intimate
converse with him, and exhibited
before multitudes, who were the
most competent judges of its fideli-

ty. His attention was wholly taken up with his professional duties. He left the management of his temporal concerns altogether with his wife.

Mather says, that one day some of his own cattle stood before the door; his wife, to try him, asked him whose they were; she found as she had expected, that he knew nothing of the matter.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

EXPOSITION OF ROMANS IX. 3.

For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

least, was the advent of the Messiah. Now, in consequence of their stupidity and perverseness in re

To ascertain the import of the above passage, it will be necessary to consider its connexion with the context, and compare it with paral-jecting and crucifying Him, who is lel passages, as well as to examine the original.

over all, God blessed forever, they were to be cut off from the Church The Apostle introduces the sub- of God, their altar deserted, their ject with the greatest solemnity. temple demolished, their holy city I say the truth in Christ, I lie trodden down and destroyed, and not, my conscience also bearing they become a proverb and a bye me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I word among all nations, until the have great heaviness and continual || fulness of the Gentiles be come in. sorrow in my heart." What was the Considering the natural relation, cause of this heaviness and sorrow in which the apostle stood to them, of heart? It arose from the appre- all this could not fail most deeply hension of what was to befal the to affect his benevolent heart. NotJews, his natural, but not his spir- withstanding all the marks of vioitual brethren. For ages they had lence and abuse he had received been God's peculiar people, to whom from them after his conversion to pertaineth the adoption, by which Christianity, he entertained none they, as a nation, became his cho- but the most affectionate and besen people; and the glory, which nevolent feelings for them; and was the shechinah, or symbol of for the sincerity and acuteness of his divine presence; and the cove- his grief on their account, he gave nants, and the giving of the law, not only his solemn asseveration; and the service of God, and the but what would he not do, and promises; whose were the fathers, what would he not willingly suffer, and of whom, concerning the flesh, could he instrumentally save them Christ came, who is over all, God from the disgrace and ruin that blessed forever. Long had they awaited them! could he but perbeen the only true Church of God suade them to embrace that Savin the world, and received the iour, whom they had despised and greatest marks of his compassion- crucified! Brethren, my heart's ate regard, of which the last, and desire, and prayer to God for Isunhappily for them esteemed the rael is, that they might be saved.

I could wish, that myself were ac- ||of men, shall be redeemed: but cursed from Christ for my breth- || shall surely be put to death.

ren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, rather than see them shut out of the kingdom of Christ, and the doors of the church closed against them by their unbelief, and they have no share in the spiritual services, the precious promises, and joyful hope of the gospel. Such ardent piety, and such affectionate sentiments, were a most solemn and powerful appeal to the heart and conscience of his Jewish brethren, well calculated to lessen their animosity toward the apostle, and to persuade them to be reconciled unto God.

Einai anathema apo tou Christou, as translated in our English version, to be accursed from Christ, conveys no very definite idea, especially to the English reader, and consequently has occasioned much perplexity. If the obscurity of the passage under consideration may in some measure be removed, and the importance of going to the fountain of biblical knowledge be presented to those, who have opportunity, two important objects will be gained.

Charem is also applied to the city of Jericho, Joshua vi. 17. And the city shall be accursed, (anathematized,) even it, and all, omnia, all things, that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. Verse 18th. And ye, in any wise, keep yourselves from the accursed thing, (anathema,) lest ye make yourselves accursed, or anathematize yourselves, when ye take of the accursed thing, (anathema,) and make the camp of Israel a curse, (anathema,) and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, were to be consecrated, (kedesh,) holiness, to the Lord; these came into the treasury of the Lord, and were set apart for the service of the tabernacle. Verse 21st, And they utterly destroyed, (anathematized,) all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old; and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. Chapter viith, verse 1st, But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing, (anathema :) for Achan took of the accursed thing, (anathema ;) and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.

The Hebrew word, charem, which in the Latin Vulgate is rendered anathema, was applied to persons, animals, and things, devoted to God according to the ceremonial law, and not afterward to be redeemed, nor applied to any other These passages are adduced to use. Leviticus xxvii. 21. But the shew how anathema is used in the field, when it goeth out in the ju- Old Testament; and from these bilee, shall be holy unto the Lord, it appears, that the term does not as a field devoted, (anathema ;) of itself necessarily express or imand the possession thereof shall be ply an imprecation, or malediction; the priest's. Again, 28th and 29th but the meaning of the term must, verses. No devoted thing, (anath-like almost all others, be deterema,) that a man shall devote, mined by its application, or the (anathematize,) unto the Lord of connexion, in which it is used. all that he hath, both of man and When inanimate things were debeast, and of the field of his pos- voted to God, or anathematized, session, shall be sold or redeemed: they were solemnly consecrated to every devoted thing (anathema) is him by a vow, which could not be most holy unto the Lord. None revoked, and ever after they were devoted (anathematized,) which to be exclusively applied to his sershall be devoted (anathematized)vice. When persons or animals

were thus devoted to God, they || construction be admitted, the aposcould not be redeemed; but were tle was willing, or could be wilto be put to death. In this re- ling, to be doomed to eternal despect they were typical of Christ,struction from the presence of the and taught the absolute necessity Lord, and the glory of his power, of the great and only effectual sa- whom he ardently loved; he could crifice for sin, made by his death.relinquish the joys of heaven, and When God anathematized the with the enemies of Christ endure wicked, they were utterly destroy- the torments of endless and keen ed, and their destruction was an despair for his brethren, the Jews. awful representation of his dis- He could not intend to be so unpleasure at sin, and an awful derstood, because he well knew though imperfect representation of the thing to be inconsistent and the final and everlasting destruc-impossible. Inconsistent, because tion of the ungodly.

There can be no doubt, that the apostle uses the word anathema, devoted, or accursed, in the passage under consideration in such a sense, as is perfectly consistent with his duties as a Christian and an apostle of Jesus Christ; perfectly consistent with his present joys and hope of future blessedness. Nor can there be a doubt but, that he included in the use of the term, the idea of suffering even unto death. Indeed he had suffered almost eve

the enjoyment of Christ? Could || tainly could not wish, that any dohe wish not to taste for a seasonings of his might render it necesthat joy, which is unspeakable and sary and just for the churches to full of glory? This cannot be re- close their doors against him; and conciled with his own conclusive for him to be unjustly and unnemode of reasoning in the preceding cessarily excluded could have no chapter of this same Epistle, in other effect, than to injure the which he perfectly seals the mouth cause he most tenderly loved. To of objection, and triumphantly admit, therefore, of such an interasks, who shall separate us from pretation of his language, militates the love of Christ ? It would place with every principle of religion the apostle in a very awkward posi- and church discipline. tion, both as a logician and a Christian, to suppose, that he could so soon forget his own reasoning and conclusion, and wish for a thing, which he had just proved to be impossible. Or shall the apostle be supposed to intend, by being accursed from Christ, to be separated from the church, the mystical body of Christ? As it is impossible to conceive how the Apostle could wish to receive in the day of judgment the same doom, as will all those who love not the Lordry thing except death. Five times Jesus Christ; and impossible to conceive how he could wish for a temporary suspension of his communion with God; so it is equally difficult to conceive how he could be reconciled to an excommunication from the church, which is the mystical body of Christ, where those ordinances and privileges are enjoyed, the very design of which is to preserve, increase and sweeten such communion. How can it be imagined, that the man, who from his conversion to Christianity had been so warmly attached to the cause of Christ, had suffered so much, had laboured so abundantly and successfully in preaching the Gospel and establishing churches, should wish to be an outcast from those very churches, and to have no share in their affections, privileges and joys? Furthermore, what advantage could the Jews, or the cause of God receive from his expulsion? The reproach must have fallen upon the churches, which withdrew their fellowship, and not upon the apostle. He cerMARCH, 1825.

he had received of the Jews forty stripes save one. Thrice they had beaten him with rods. At Lystra they had stoned, and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But none of these things moved him, neither counted he his life dear unto himself, so that he might finish his course with joy, and the ministry which he had re.. ceived of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. If we consider, that anathema may here be very properly translated by seorsum ponere, to place upward, and that the apostle alludes to crucifixion, in which mode of torture the sufferer is placed upward upon the cross, on which he expires; also if we should translate the Greek preposition apo after the manner of, instead of from, as it now stands, the passage will read thus, I could wish, that myself were crucified after the manner of Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. This translation of the passage is not more liberal, than

10

For the Am. Bap. Magazine.

JOURNEY TO THE FALLS OF NIAGARA.

My dear Sister,

LETTER II.

Saratoga Springs, July 21, 1824.

of your absent friends, I shall give
you a brief sketch of the events in
which we have participated since
the date of my last communication.
We left New-York in company
with M. and C. last Friday in the af-
The boat was excessively
ternoon.
crowded. The fare is reduced to
two dollars, so that every body is
now going to Albany. Many of
the passengers were obliged to sit
up all night, and those who were
so fortunate as to obtain births or
settees, were almost suffocated with

the heat.

that of many others in the Scriptures; we have, it is conceived, the idea precisely, which the apostle intended to convey, and the English reader is essentially benefited. Crucifixion was considered an accursed death. Gal. iii. 13th. Curs ed is every one, that hangeth on a I RECEIVED your letter this morntree. In this sense the apostle ing, and am much gratified to hear could be willing, and, indeed, was that the family are all well. As I willing, to be accursed, or to be so am aware you feel a deep interest considered. This he could wil-in whatever concerns the happiness lingly endure, to shew the Jews his love to Christ, and his constancy in the faith of the gospel. Accordingly when the time of his departure drew nigh, with the faith and the hope of exalted piety, he could say, I am now ready to be offered. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, 1 have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day; and not unto me only, but unto all that love his appearing. In this joyful manner, and agreeably to his own desire, he finished his course, and testified by his martyrdom the gospel of the grace of God to Jews and Gentiles, and received the crown of life, the glorious reward, through grace, of such distinguished piety, faithfulness and benevolence. This is the highest degree of benevolence re-lime, and as you survey the massive quired, and was all the apostle could wish, or hope to attain. 1 John iii. 16. Hereby perceive we Hudson, your thoughts are elevathe love of God, because he laid ted to Him, who before the moundown his life for us; and we ought tains were brought forth, or ever he to lay down our life for the breth-had formed the earth and the world, ren. John xv. 13. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Thus the apostle, though dead, yet speaketh by his patience of hope, by his labours of love, by his constancy in suffering, and exhorts us not to count our life dear unto us; but to do all things, and suffer all things, for Christ and the brethren's sake, assuring us, that if we do this thing willingly, our great

and final reward is certain.

But notwithstanding the inconveniences of a crowded boat, it is impossible for a person of any reflection, to pass up the North River on a pleasant summer's day, without being surprised and delighted with the objects which successively meet his view. About one half the distance, the scenery is truly sub

palisades, and the lofty mountains

which form the western bank of the

even from everlasting to everlasting is God. Although the other part of the distance does not present such a succession of magnificent objects, yet the eye is frequently gratified by views which are beautiful beyond my feeble powers of description. It was also peculiarly interesting to see not less, perhaps, than thirty vessels under sail, moving in different directions; some, deeply laden with the produce of the country, were on their way to