times to signify simply the emotion, sometimes only the deWe also find the cause and the

sire, and sometimes both.

effects of this emotion called by the same the name.

following are illustrations.

The

1. Simply the emotion of pleasure in view of agreeable objects. "I have loved the habitation of thy house." Psalm 26:8. Here the emotion of pleasure alone is intended, because the desire of happiness to the object loved would be contrary to reason.

2. Simply the desire of happiness to the object loved. Lev. 19:18. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." This must signify simply the desire of happiness, because the love we feel toward ourselves, is not an emotion of pleasure at the discovery of agreeable qualities, but the simple desire for our own happiness, which is always the same, whatever may be our qualities. This commandment then, demands that we love and seek the happiness of our neighbour, as much as our own.

3. Both the emotion and the desire. "And Israel loved Joseph more than all his children." This affection of the father was both delight in the lovely qualities of his son, and a desire for his happiness.

4. The cause of love. 1 John 4:3. "God is love." That is, God is the cause of love, either of his own toward us, or of ours toward him.

5. The effects of love, in reference to the leading desire, or governing purpose of mind. 1 John 2:15. "Love not the world, nor the things of the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." This cannot forbid us to find any pleasure from the blessings in this world, for this contradicts other parts of the same writer. For the same reason, it cannot mean, that we are not to desire the happiness of those who live in the world. It cannot mean the cause of love, and therefore it must relate to some of the effects. We therefore are taught not to choose the world as

the chief source of happiness, for whoever does this cannot find his chief happiness in God.

6. The effects of love, both on the feelings, and conduct. 1 John 5: 3. "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." The very form of expression determines the meaning in this case.

The term faith or belief may be given as another example. It is used as the name of a state of mind, as the name of its cause, and as the name of its effects, on the affections and main purpose of life.

1. A simple state of mind. James 2: 19. "Thou believest there is one God. Thou doest well; the devils also believe and tremble." "Faith without works is dead, being alone."

James 2: 17.

2. The cause of faith. Rom. 3: 3. "Shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?" (i. e. the promise of God which is the cause of faith or confidence.) Gal. 1: 23. "He preached the faith he once destroyed." (i. e. the truths which cause faith.)

3. A full belief and its effects on the affections and governing purpose of life. Rom. 3: 28. "A man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law." (i. e. feelings and intentions, and not outward actions.) 1 John 5: 4. "And this is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith." Gal. 3: 26. "Ye are the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ." This last use of the term signifies a firm belief in all that was taught by Jesus Christ, and affection and obedience to him, which are the effects of this faith.

The term repentance, also is used in similar modes, as a painful state of mind, as a painful state of mind, caused by a wrong action of our own, as the effects of repentance in a change of purpose, and as a change in a course of conduct, such as is caused by repentance.

1. A painful state of mind, like sorrow or pity, without including the idea of any particular cause. Judges 2:18. "The

Lord repented because of their groanings." Judges 22: 6. "The children of Israel repented for Benjamin their brother."

2. A painful state of mind caused by some wrong action of our own. Matt. 27: 3. "And Judas repented himself, and brought the silver," &c.

3. A change of purpose. Matt. 21: 29. "And he said, I will not, but afterward he repented and went." Num. 23: 19.. "God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it, or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good."

4. A change in a course of conduct. Jonah 3:10. “And God repented of the evil he had thought to do unto the Ninevites." In this last case, other parts of Scripture restrict the meaning of this term. For God cannot do wrong, and is unchangeable in his purposes, having seen the end from the beginning. It therefore can only signify a change in a course of conduct, or the effects which are usually produced by repentance.

The use of the term "name," will serve as another illustration. A name in its original sense signifies a sound or sign, used to recall conceptions. Sometimes a name recalls an idea of a thing, with all its qualities, actions, and attendant circumstances, and sometimes it recalls only a part of them. In Scripture, we shall find the term name, used to signify sometimes the sign alone, sometimes all the conceptions recalled by the sign, and sometimes a part only, of these conceptions. The following are examples.

1. The sound or sign in distinction from the things signified. 1 Sam. 17: 23. "The Philistine of Gath, Goliah by name."

2. All the qualities, actions, and circumstances, which constitute a being or existence. Psalm 29: 2. "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;" that is, the glory due to the eternal Being, who is expressed by the name.

3. A part of the qualities expressed by a name. Prov.

22: 1. “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches;" that is, honour and esteem gained by virtuous conduct, and recalled to mind by a name.

The word "flesh" may serve as another example. There are many habits of mind, both intellectual and moral, which are caused by our animal or sensitive nature. It is owing to the gratifications which are to be derived from the senses, that men contract many vices, and consequent habits of mind. These habits, which are owing to our animal constitution, are called flesh, becauce they are some of the effects of it. The body itself is called flesh, and many circumstances which are owing to a bodily nature, are called by the name. The following are cases to illustrate the uses of the term flesh.

1. The material body, that confines a spiritual existence. Phil. 1: 24. "To abide in the flesh is more needful for you." 1 Cor. 15: 50. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God."

2. All beings that have a material body. Gen. 6:13. "The end of all flesh is before me." John 1:14. "The Word was made flesh,” (i. e. a being encompassed with a material body.)

3. Any wrong desires and consequent bad habits, originating from the bodily constitution of man. Gal. 5:17. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh."

4. A great variety of circumstances occasioned by the bodily nature of man. Gen. 37:27. "He is our flesh.” (i. e. our brother.) John 6: 55. "My flesh is meat indeed,” (i. e. the effects of the incarnation of Christ are means of life to the soul.)

The application of the rules of interpretation to the variety of figurative language employed in the Bible, would occupy more attention than can be allowed in this article. Owing to the peculiarities of the age in which the sacred writers lived, the customs of the nation, the peculiar idioms of lan

guage, and a variety of other circumstances, more knowledge is required to interpret the Bible, than is necessary to obtain the meaning of the language of common life. But it will be found that all this knowledge is accessible to those who will seek it, and that when it is gained, the same rules by which we interpret common books, will enable us to gain the true meaning of Scripture.

The effect which combination, or the mode of arranging words, has on the signification of language, makes it necessary to form rules for the correct position of words. This could not be accomplished, without some mode of classifying language, with reference to this object. For unless there were some general classes, no rules could be made, except for each particular word, and such could be of no use.

The only mode by which classification can ever be effected is, by selecting some particular circumstance, in which words resemble each other, and making this the peculiarity to be recalled, by the name which is applied to the class. It must, therefore, be some peculiarity, either in the sound employed, or in the form of the sign addressed to the eye, or else in the nature of the conception recalled by the word, that is selected as the foundation for classification. Words are classified by their form, in dictionaries, where all words that have a particular shape at their commencement, are arranged in classes with reference to this particular. Words are classified by sound, in rhyming dictionaries, where words of a particular sound at their close, are thus arranged in classes. The clas