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which, it is well known, have but three; length, breadth, and thickness; but, if we conceive of a person standing on the earth, which in comparison to the heavens around it, becomes but a point, perhaps we may find the follow. ing to be the import of this wonderful text: 'That ye may comprehend what is the breadth, as the heaven around you is broad on either hand; what is the length, as the heaven around you is long, behind and before; what is the height, as the heaven above the globe is high; what is the depth, as the heaven below the globe is deep. Also, that ye may know that still more remotely extending love of Christ; extending, I say, beyond the heavens, and those stars to which we refer longitude and latitude: yea, your powers may be invigorated even further than this; that ye may be filled in all the fulness of deity! Now unto him (God) who is able to do exceed ing abundantly above all that we ask or think, even to the production of such a wonderful capacity and enjoy. ment in us, according to that power which (he) worketh in us; to him, I say, be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, in all generations, ages of ages, Amen!'

I am mistaken if the connexion be not perfectly agreeable to this view of the subject; the transition to the power of God accomplishing this otherwise impossible extension, is natural; and the close is not only natural, but admirable.

By way of support to this interpretation, I would quote from Scripture Illustrated, on Job xxiii. 8, 9..

"I go forward, but he is not there,
Backward, but I cannot perceive him;
On the left hand, but I cannot behold him,
On the right hand, but he hideth himself."

This is a clear allusion to the cardinal points of the heavens, and is taken from a man at sunrise looking towards that glorious object; q. d. 'I go forward, to the east; or backward, to the west; on the left hand, to the north; on the right hand, to the south.' These remarks are drawn from nature: and they seem to be instances of the primitive manner of describing occurrences, situations, &c. by reference to the human body, &c. This primitive manner afterwards became a customary mode of reference and signification.

AMICUS DECORIS.

FURTHER REMARKS ON EPHES. iii. 18.

Mr. Editor,

In a former number of your work, I submitted a query on the mathematical terms in Ephes. iii. 18. Your correspondent, Amicus Decoris, has attempted an "illustration," and conjectures that the passage is "astronomical," referring to "latitude, longitude, zenith, and nadir." But the latter part of his remarks, professedly added "by way of support" to the former, causes a confusion of ideas, as both quotation and comment on the four cardinal points have unhappily produced but two dimensions, instead of four; and is therefore incongruous with the former part of his interpretation. It appears also incomparably below the apostle's ideas of the representative object of the glorious theme on which he delighted to dwell. His views were extended very far beyond any scheme of astronomy, and every system VOL. III.

* $2

of philosophy which the sagacity of the human intellect has devised. Fraught with "the unsearchable riches" committed to his trust, the apostle was anxiously concerned that the Ephesians might be "able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."

The inquiry has been, to what object these mathematical terms of extension allude. Being four, they cannot appertain to a parallelopiped or cube, (the figure of the holy city, described in Rev. xxi. 16.) or to any geometrical body, with which we are familiar; as in them there are only three lineal dimensions, viz. length, breadth, and height,* by which the cubature, or comprehensibility, is ascertained. The question then recurs, to what object can these fourfold terms of extension refer? Or, what may we reasonably suppose was the metaphoric representative image, which the apostle had in view?

Admitting what has been already premised in the question, that all ancient popular metaphoric allusions in language had, as recent ones have, at the formation of each respective metaphor, a certain representative object, to which the allusive terms inequivocally refer; and taking every consideration into the inquiry, it is presumed there is sufficient authority to conclude, that

* It appears when Dr. Watts transposed this 18th verse into metre, that he supposed these four terms alluded to the mensuration of some limited geometrica body; having omitted the term depth as redundant. B. i. hymn 135. Otherwise he might with propriety have rendered that line,

"The height, and depth, and breadth, and length,” agreeably to the original; and, consequently, as it ought to be used.

at least it is highly probable, the sensible object, the image of the metaphor, could be nothing less than UNIVERSAL SPACE.* The apostle had such enlarged and exalted ideas of the love of God, that he considered our solar system, and all other systems of beings superlatively insignificant to represent and illustrate such an ineffable and glorious subject; and was therefore under the necessity of ascending on the scale of nature to the very summit. What other part of nature indeed is there, that can furnish a figure in the least degree appropri ate to the dignity of the subject; or represent to the human understanding such a comprehensive view of the immensity of that love "which passeth knowledge!"

"Earth is too narrow to express

His worth, his glory, or his grace.
The whole creation can afford,

But some faint shadows of our Lord.

Nor earth, nor seas, nor sun, nor stars,
Nor heaven his full resemblance bears."

Leaving these collateral observations, it remains to be examined, whether the assumed object be truly appropriate. In order to convey to the mind consistent ideas of the dimensive terms in question, it is necessary first to consider, that in the mensuration of an edifice, or other regular geometrical bodies, we use three lineal dimensions, generally making the boundary that portion of the horizon which we inhabit. But while we possess our terrestrial abode, and indulge a mental flight, taking enlarged views in all directions into universal all-sur

* Mr. Locke has concluded that space is infinite; and his arguments have generally been admitted as conclusive.

Essay on Human Understanding, vol. i. p. 169.

rounding space, there is another lineal dimension, another term of extension presented to our perception, viz. depth, equally unlimited in extent with height. If, however, in our mental excursion we still soar at large, and rise in imagination superior to locality, it is true, that in the contemplation of universal space, as in the mensuration of limited bodies, we can form some consistent ideas of it by the subservience of the three common terms of extension only; conceiving of them as three central, or diametrical right lines, boundless in extent, intersecting each other in one point, at right angles; two horizontal, breadth and length, and the other perpendicular, height.* But as we cannot help conceiving, while forming notions of universal space, that the point we occupy in it is the centre, the last view therefore produces the same general idea as the former; as we are by it led to consider that the perpendicular line according to our local conception, is bisected by our horizon; the upper half (as before intimated) we may with propriety term height, the lower half depth; which in union with the other two, viz. breadth and length, are by the apostle chosen as very appropriate metaphoric allusions, and lead the mind indicatively to universal space, as the representative object.

Probably it may be remarked, that in this view of the subject, we equally bisect the two horizontal lines. This

The Investigator is aware of the incongruity of this language, and how little it comports with his present ethereal excursion, and that the local terms above, below, lateral, horizontal, perpendicular, &c. &c. are in these regions nullities. But he trusts it will be duly considered, that while a foreigner is in a strange land, and ignorant of the current language, he is necessitated to make use of his own, although it may but feebly convey his ideas.

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