we would cheerfully and cordially recommend this "Family Prayer-Book and Private Manual," as a great and important aid.

[For the Christian Examiner.]

[Since we received the following article, in continuation of a series on the same subject, its excellent author has been numbered with the dead. In the course of our last interview with him, he spoke slightly of a cold in his head, which he thought might prove troublesome to him in returning to Sandwich in the depth of winter. This supposed cold was the commencement of a serious disorder, which in a few days hurried him to the grave.

The investigation into the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words, which have, in our received translation of the Bible, so often been invested with the sense of eternal duration, would probably have been brought to a close by Mr. Goodwin some time ago, had we been able to print his communications as fast as he prepared them. But the truth is, the majority of our readers did not take, and could not be expected to take, an interest in the inquiry commensurate with its real importance, and the thorough and scholar-like manner in which it was conducted. The discussion was too thorough, too learned, too careful for the generality of the subscribers even to a theological work, and we were therefore obliged to delay the publication of the successive letters for longer intervals than our own wishes would have dictated. We have had but one opinion of these letters from their commencement. We have always thought that they were distinguished for originality, patience of research, a happy union of respect for celebrated biblical scholars and lexicographers, with a resolution not to submit to their guidance or dictation implicitly, a great beauty and fertility of illustration, and, crowning all, a true Christian charity. We acknowledge ourselves indebted to them for much information, and are convinced that their author has thrown a light upon the words in question, which will hereafter be gratefully acknowledged by those who shall seek to discover their meaning, and which cannot excusably be disregarded by any biblical student.

In Mr. Goodwin we have lost, not only a correspondent, but a friend; one whom we were constantly learning to esteem and prize more and more. We never conversed with him, though but a few moments, without being made better and wiser. His mind was always vigorous and inquisitive; his heart was always kind. He was not, as many solitary students are, ignorant of all subjects, and indifferent to all, but those within their own confined sphere. His eyes were open to surrounding objects and passing events, and he could speak pleasantly on most of the topics of general interest. Natural history received much of his attention, for he loved to study the works as well as the word of God. But all his knowledge was consecrated to the high uses of piety. From the fields and the woods, from the rivers and the sea, he brought their first-fruits, and their rare and beautiful things, and laid them as an offering upon the altar.

His congregation has lost a faithful pastor and teacher. It will probably be long before his place will be supplied to them or to the neighbouring community. Every year of his life had increased his influence, and his influence had always been devoted to the most beneficial purposes. His image is bright and holy in the memory of all who knew him.

The Rev. Ezra Shaw Goodwin was born on the 11th of September, 1787. He fitted for college with the Rev. Mr. Gurney, late of Middleborough, and was graduated at Harvard University in the year 1807. He was settled in

the Christian ministry at Sandwich in this state, on the 17th of March, 1813, for the period of ten years, and at the expiration of this term was engaged without limitation. He died February 5th, 1833. At the time of his decease he was a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Besides the articles contributed to this work on the meaning of Aiwy, &c. which were written in the form of letters addressed to his venerable friend and father-in-law, the Hon. Judge Davis of this city, Mr. Goodwin had published the following works. A Sermon on the Secrecy of the Soul in Communion with God;" printed in Vol. iii., No. IX., of the Liberal Preacher. "Address before the Barnstable Peace Society; "December 25, 1830. "Ancient and Modern Orthodoxy ;" an article in the Unitarian Advocate, for December, 1831. "Alice Bradford;" a Tract. "Some Scriptural Readings, compared with some Unscriptural Sayings," a Tract printed for the American Unitarian Association, No. 66, 1st Series. "Notices of the Great Storm, September 23, 1815;" printed in the 10th Volume, 2d Series, of the Massachusetts Historical Collections. -THE EDITORS.]

ART. IX.- Meaning of y. Fourth Letter from the Rev. Mr. Goodwin.*

MY FIFTH evidence of a spiritual sense in hy is the actual USAGE of this word in the Hebrew Scriptures.

In order to elucidate this usage, it would be desirable to produce all the instances in which this word appears, and endeavour," in each case, to determine its meaning from the connexion in which it stands." But, to do this with every instance would far exceed my present limits. It would require a volume. It, therefore, becomes necessary, to make a selection of a number of texts containing this term, sufficient to exhibit its habitual meaning. If such a selection be fairly made, we may, from these texts, form a correct judgment concerning others, in which the same term appears. But, should I make such a selection, it would be liable to the charge of having been made for the express purpose of proving the meaning in question. In truth, it would be so done, and would, of course, be regarded, by the reader, with a jealousy unfavorable to the reception of the amount of evidence which it might afford. I, therefore, abstain from so doing; and, willingly adopt a selection of texts made by Professor Stuart, himself, as that in which to pursue the investigation.

Professor Stuart produces a number of passages containingy, which he exhibits as examples of its habitual

*For the Third Letter, see the Christian Examiner for November, 1832, Vol. VIII, New Series, p. 225.

meaning. This meaning he considers to be eternity, eternal, everlasting, for ever, etc., and wishes to be so understood.

It is to be presumed, that a list of texts selected by so eminent a critic for this express purpose, presents a fair view of the habitual import of the term in question. Although, therefore, I might have chosen some passages more directly to my purpose than some of these, and omitted some which have no direct bearing on the point in hand; yet, that the subject may be fairly met, I exhibit each of his proof-texts in order, without omitting any. In remarking on them severally, I inquire,

1. Does the term, in this text signify eternity, or eternal? 2. Does it signify spirituality, or spiritual?

3. What (if neither of these) does it signify?

In the outset, Professor Stuart produces twenty-one passages; which he thinks "are enough to show what meaningy usually bears in the Hebrew Scriptures." I give my first attention to these twenty-one texts; premising, that in these quotations from Scripture, the words printed in Italic are intended to correspond to hy in some of its forms. The texts are quoted, with the numbers of the chapters and verses as they appear in the Received English Translation of the Bible. They are as follow;

Genesis ix. 16. "That I may remember the everlasting cove

nant."

This covenant is that in which God affirms, that there shall not "any more be a flood, to destroy the earth." Of this covenant the rainbow is the seal, or witness. This covenant is eternal if the earth be eternal; and not otherwise. Unless you would consider a covenant to remain, after both its object and its subject have ceased; which is not to be believed. But, truly, we may ask what will become of the eternity of this everlasting covenant, in the day when the "earth shall be burnt up"; and what will become of the rainbow, the witness of this covenant, in the day when "the elements," necessary to its existence, shall have melted with "fervent heat"? It is to be suspected, that this would be a short eternity, compared with one which knows no end. The longest possible endurance of this covenant, is, I conceive, expressed in Genesis viii. 22, where the thoughts of the Divine mind are thus declared; "While

the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." The covenant in question was, without doubt, the actual declaration of the Divine purposes here described; its endurance, of course, is limited to the (to us) unknown term," while the earth remaineth." The meaning of hy in this place, then is simply enduring, if the word refer here to duration at all, which I very much doubt. I am more inclined to think, that the term refers to the new state which was taking place for mankind, at the time when the covenant was made; the new aior, sæculum, age, existence, or by whatever name you will call it.

One state, or one y, or one aior, had been completed, and brought to an end at the flood. A new one was now taking place, and the covenant had reference to this new state or existence, ordained for mankined. But, having no precise adjective, by which to express reference to such a state, unless it be existential, which I cannot expect will be admitted, I therefore adopt the term enduring by which to express what I believe to be the meaning of by in this place. Perhaps the Latin scaulare might come nearer to it; if Henry Stephens be correct in affirming that certain things which "the Romans called sæculares, the Greeks called aiwriους.”

.....

Genesis xvii. 7. "I will establish my covenant ...for an everlasting covenant."

This is the covenant, which God made with Abraham, and his seed after him, to give them the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and be their God. If positive eternity be here expressed, then eternity endures no longer, than from the days when the covenant took effect, to those of the Messiah. A very brief eternity, in truth. The mere human race have already seen it exhausted; and have seen another period of equal length elapse besides.

But I do not think that the reference in this place is to the duration of the covenant at all, any farther than as duration, of some sort, forms part in the idea of every existent thing. God intended to constitute a state or dispensation, which was to continue till the advent of the Messiah. The possession of the land of Canaan was requisite to the people of the state in view, not merely as a place of abode, but for the different duties, privileges, institutions, ordinances, reve

lations, prophecies, promises, laws, doctrines, the natural, spiritual, civil, and ecclesiastical conditions and circumstances, appertaining to the dispensation or state which was then constituted. The covenant which gave them this land with such specific reference to that dispensation, or state of things, is better described by the word dispensational, than any other. This I believe to be the meaning of the Hebrew adjective in the present instance; and I may hereafter make use of the same term to express the meaning of the same Hebrew word, when it seems appropriate.

Air has been already proved to signify state or condition of things; and considering aidrios to have been either coined or adopted by the Seventy, in order to answer the adjective

y, I must believe that it refers, among other things, to the nature, circumstances, and duration of the particular state, condition, or constituted existence, with respect to which it is at any time employed.

I can hardly believe, also, that any one acquainted with Hebrew modes of thinking and forms of speech, will wish me to go into an argument to prove, that by corresponds, with exact precision, to air, in this meaning of state, condition of things, dispensation, in general an existence, as well as in many other meanings. Suffice it to say, that the presenty and the hy to come, the Touros, or vur air, and the air ullo are reciprocally correspondent to the state that now is, and the state which is to come; and that many Hebrew writers, of ancient or modern times, designated and still designate the state of things under the Mosaic dispensation, and the new state of things to take place under the Messiah, by the contradistinguishing terms, the present, and the future hy, STATE, or world. On this meaning some further remarks will be made, in commenting on Psalm xc. 2.

I now return to the text under consideration, and observe, that many wise men think, that under the covenant to give Canaan to Abraham and his seed, there was couched a covenant to give to Abraham and his true, i. e. spiritual seed, the spiritual inheritance of the righteous. Be it so; and then it is a secret, mysterious, SPIRITUAL Covenant, and appositely illustrates the sense of spirituality, in by, which I believe to exist in that word as well as the sense of state, age, dispensation, &c.

VOL. XIV.N. S. VOL. IX. NO. II.

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