“Aixaloσúvn 8" — The righteousness of God, *—the justice of God as exhibited in His plan of saving sinners.

“ Aixaioσúv ǹ in tỡ vóμs”— The righteousness which is of the law, †—the justification which is obtained by a performance of all the ritual precepts.

“Tò μwpòv Tỡ ☺EZ” — The foolishness of God, ‡—the method of God's procedure in the salvation of mankind, which appears, to men of the world, foolishness.

“ Εσχάτως απέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίες”-He hath exhibited us last, as appointed to death, §-These words refer to a custom which existed among the Romans of bringing out criminals in the morning and afternoon to contend with wild beasts; when they who were brought forward in the morning were allowed weapons of defence, but those that appeared in the afternoon were naked, and without weapons; and even if the latter proved conquerors, they were not liberated, but preserved for future combat. And it is in reference to these that the Apostle uses this expression, to shew the extreme danger to which himself and the other Apostles were continually exposed; being like men brought out last into the Roman Amphitheatre, to whom there was no prospect of escaping death.[[

"Ev áľúμos εinixpivelas” — With unleavened loaves of sincerity,¶—with dispositions of truth and piety; the Apostle here alludes to the unleavened bread used by the Jews at the Passover, and is warning the Corinthians to purge out the malice and hatred which had crept in among them, lest, as a little leaven among the meal soon leavens the whole lump, these evil dispositions of heart should infect the whole soul, and render it unfit to partake of the Christian Passover, the Lord's Supper: and the Apostle may also be cautioning the Corinthian Church against retaining in her communion an individual possessed of such evil dispositions, lest his conduct should injuriously influence other members, and cause the Lord to withdraw from her His Holy Spirit.

“Tòv åppabŵva Tỹ Пvúμaros”—The pledge of the Spirit, **—the witness of the Holy Spirit, in the heart of a believer, as a pledge to assure him of his acceptance with God.

66

“ Οὕτω πυκτεύω, ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων, ἀλλ ̓ ὑπωπιάζω με τὸ σῶμα καὶ δυλαγωγῶ.” So I fight, not as beating the air, but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, ++-I strive in the Christian warfare, not as one of the theatrical performers, beating about in the air for mere exercise, but as one aiming at a valuable and immortal wreath of glory; and as the Ishmian combatants are careful as to their manner of living, that they may be the better prepared to engage in contest,‡‡ so I, that I may the easier conquer my carnal mind, which still remains in me, do keep under my desires and dispositions, and bring them into subjection to the authority of Christ.

CANDIDATES FOR DEACON'S ORDERS.

MISCELLANEOUS.

I.

For whom is it supposed that the Gospel of St. Matthew was written? what internal evidence does it furnish in favour of this supposition ?-State shortly the arguments, by which it is proved that St. Luke was the Author of the Acts of the Apostles. With what particular design does the Gospel of St. John appear to have been written? how does its general character differ from that of the other Gospels?

For the Jewish Converts: and internal evidence of this supposition is furnished by its containing the pedigree of the kingly family from Abram through David, from whom the Messiah was to proceed; and thus the author of it appeals to the Jews upon their own authentic genealogies, that Jesus was the son of David, the son of Abram, and therefore in the line of the promised Messiah. The writer of this book is also very particular in mentioning many circumstances connected with the birth and childhood of Christ, by which he shews the Jews, who acknowledged the inspiration of the Old Testament Writings, and were therefore much more proper persons than the Gentiles to be referred to the predictions relative to the coming of the Messiah, that the Scriptures were fulfilled, even to the jot and to the tittle, in Jesus Christ the Son of Joseph and Mary. Moreover, the general style of this Gospel conduces to the supposition that it was written for the Jews.*

The unanimous testimonies of writers, some of whom lived contemporary with, and others subsequently to, the times of the Apostles, make it strongly evident that St. Luke, the Evangelist, was the Author of the Book of Acts. In addition to which we find both the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of St. Luke dedicated to the same person-Theophilus; and the History is taken up in the Acts where St. Luke left it in his Gospel. And, moreover, in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the writer mentions a πρωτος λογος,” a former discourse, or narrative, which proves either that St. Luke's Gospel is the narrative here rereferred to, and, consequently that himself was the author of both the Gospel and the Book of Acts; or, that this " πρωτος λογος” is lost from among the Sacred Writings, a fact which is circumstantially inadmissible.+

66

The particular design of St. John's Gospel appears to have been to refute certain errors held by the Knostics, Cerinthians, and others, respecting the proper Divinity of the Lord Jesus ; doctrines in many respects of a nearly similar nature * Tomline's "Christian Theology," Vol. I. pp. 296-309, sect. v.-Horne's "Introduction," Vol. IV. pp. 256-278, sect. vii. + Tomline, Vol. I. pp. 341-344, sect. 1.-Horne, Vol. IV. pp. 317-325, sects. ii, iii. ‡ Tomline, Vol. I. pp. 327-340, sect. v.-Horne, Vol. IV. pp. 304--317, sects. v. vi,

H

to the Arian and Socinian errors of the present day: and the general character of this Gospel differs from that of the others in that, whilst they may be considered properly historical, this of St. John is as properly doctrinal as historical, bearing a greater resemblance than the other three to the character of the Epistles.

II.

What erroneous opinions with respect to Christ did His disciples entertain during the continuance of His ministry on earth? give instances of this.

That He would prove Himself a temporal prince, and advance them to stations of honour and power in His kingdom, which they considered earthly.— This appears from the following instances;

He was inquired of by his disciples, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?"-and the mother of Zebedee's children, James and John, desired of our Lord that her "two sons might sit, the one on His right hand, and the othor on His left, in his kingdom :"+—and also after His resurrection, as he journeyed with two of his disciples towards Emmaus, conversing about the things that had happened at Jerusalem, they shewed how deeply fixed in their minds had been the impression that His kingdom would be of this world, and that he would obtain a complete conquest over the civil powers of the Romans, under whose subjugation the Jews now lived, when they said, "We supposed this (Jesus) had been He who should have redeemed Israel."+

What do you consider to have been the design of the Temptation of Christ? and of His Transfiguration ?-With respect to the latter, how do you account for His command to the three disciples, to tell no man what they had seen, till He had risen from the dead?

The design of Christ's Temptation was probably to shew that He was really man—the second Adam-made like unto His brethren, and tempted in all points like as we are, that, being Himself thus tempted, He might be “touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and able to succour them that are tempted." And the design of His Transfiguration was to shew that He was God as well as man, while He there exhibited to His disciples something of the "Glory which He had with the Father before the world was:" it was designed to shew also that He came 66 not to destroy the Law and the prophets, but to fulfil them;" for the presence of Moses and Elias on this occasion, the former the Lawgiver, and the latter the zealous defender of that Law, was to confirm the Jewish mind in the authority of Christ being superior to their's, which they now appeared to resign to Christ as the Messiah, and as that Prophet whom Moses himself so long before had declared, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken."

With respect to Christ's Transfiguration, He appears to have commanded the three disciples to tell no man what they had seen, lest they and the people generally, taking this celestial appearance to be THE "sign from Heaven" for which they had long and anxiously looked, should "take Him by force, and make Him a king" in that low and earthly sense in which, till after His Resurrection, they had been accustomed to regard both Himself and His kingdom.

IV.

“The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." (John IV. 9.)-Who were the Samaritans ? and what was the cause of the national enmity here alluded to ?-Explain the allusions in the following passages:-"Whosoever shall compel thee to go a "mile."" It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited "by me."-" They make broad their phylacteries."-" Pray "that your flight be not on the Sabbath Day.”—“ Thou art a "Galilean, and thy speech betrayeth thee."

The Samaritans were the inhabitants of that part of the Holy Land which was called Samaria. They were originally sent from Cuthæa in Persia, and other Parts of the Babylonish Empire, to occupy Samaria, which had been desolated by the removal of the ten tribes into Babylon in the year 721 B.C.* The cause of the national enmity here alluded to was this:-The Jews after their return from the seventy years' captivity, made preparations for rebuilding the Temple at Jerusalem,—when the Samaritans offered them their assistance, alleging that they also worshipped the God of Israel; but the Jews, looking upon the Samaritans as somewhat idolatrous Gentiles, although they had mixed the worship of the true God with that of their own idols, and practised the rite of circumcision, rejected their offer, which so excited the indignation of the Samaritans that they did all in their power to impede the progress of the Temple; and hence arose that enmity which ever after existed between these people.+

"Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile," alludes to the ancient ayyapo, or messengers, appointed to make public proclamations, and to carry royal messages; who, when on their journies, were allowed to take any man's horse, or even to compel him in person to assist them in the execution of their orders, however inconvenient it might be to the individual.‡

"It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me," alludes to a tradition of the Jewish Elders, that if a son should dedicate to the Temple by a vow, although he might not have delivered it into the Treasury, that portion of his property which would have enabled him to relieve the necessities of his parents, he was under a sacred obligation not to assist them, how great soever

* Tomline, Vol. I. pp. 205, 206, 213. "Hebrew Commonwealth," Vol. I. p. 185. Horne, Vol. III. pp. 98, 99.

+1 Kings xvii. 24. Tomline, Vol. I. p. 213. Jahn's Stackhouse's "History of the Bible," Vol. II, p. 1243.

might be their distress. So that this passage signifies, "Whatsoever would have profited thee is (17p korban,) a gift, or oblation to God, and cannot therefore be employed to the relief of thy necessities."*

The Jews were accustomed to wear upon their arms and foreheads " Phylacteries,”-pieces of parchment, upon which were written portions of the Law; and the Pharisees, that they might appear the more righteous" in the eyes of men," made their phylacteries broader than were those of the Jews in general; to which ostentatious practice our Saviour alludes in the words, "They make broad their phylacteries."+

"Pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath Day," was an admonition given by our Saviour to His disciples in reference to a custom of the Jews not to travel more than about one mile on the Sabbath Day, even to escape danger; and by it He taught His disciples to "give no offence to any one," and to avoid that which had even "the appearance of evil."‡

"Thou art a Galilæan, and thy speech betrayeth thee." The Galilæan Jews, probably from their intercourse with the Northern Gentile Nations, had a peculiar Syriac dialect, or a provincial way of pronouncing & like y, like, like p, ▷ like w, and so on, by which they were easily distinguished from the inhabitants of the other parts of the Holy Land.§

*Horne, Vol. III. pp. 295, 296. + Horne, Vol. III. pp. 365, 396, 397. Godwin's "Moses and Aaron," Book iii, ch. 3. Josephus, "Antiquities," Book xiii, ch. viii, sect. 4. Horne, Vol. III. p. 14.-See also the Book of JUDGES, xii. 6, where we find the Ephraimites tested by the Gileadites in the pronunciation of the word aw (Shibboleth), which the former pronounced

.(Sibboleth) סבלת

V.

Give such a general interpretation of the expression "The "kingdom of Heaven," as may include the various senses in which it is used in the Gospels.

Give the Greek for the following words, and the exact meaning of each: "Gospel"-"Parable"-" Miracle"-" Prophet""Publican" "Alms"- "Offence.'

Give the English for the following: “ἐφημερία”“ προχειροτονέω

“ ἀρχιτρίκλινος”-“ κεραία”-“ ἀγγαρεύω”—“ἐπιέσιος”

66

δεισιδαιμονία”.

By the expression, "The Kingdom of Heaven," is intended-" The reign of Christ's influence or religion upon earth; and the display of His glory in the salvation of the faithful throughout eternity. The former consists externally, of Christ's visible Church established in the world; and internally, of that "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," which is enjoyed by each true member of that church; or, in other words, of the growth in grace, or the rise and progress of religion in the soul, of each member-the church SPIRITUAL or MYSTICAL. The