mankind publicly assembled to worship God. The stated, public worship of God, such as is here described, cannot exist but by the agreement of numbers; nor without stated times, and established places of worshipping. It cannot be doubted, that the antediluvians, if they were sufficiently pious to worship God publicly, were also sufficiently pious to worship him on the day, appointed by himself. This declaration, therefore, may be fairly considered as asserting, that the Sabbath was now statedly celebrated by a number of the human race. It also shews us, that public worship, and the social observance of the Sabbath were begun in the world, as soon 25 mankind became sufficiently numerous. From that period to the present both institutions have probably been observed without intermission.

Thirdly: Concerning the patriarch Enoch we have this remarkable declaration: That at the age of three hundred and sixty five years, he, having heretofore walked with God, was not, for God took him: i. e. having eminently served God, he ceased to exist in this world, because God took him out of it in a miraculous manner.

Two reasons are naturally assigned for this dispensation. First, to shew the regard, which God bears to piety: secondly, to teach, in an indubitable manner, the reality of a future existence, and particularly of future happiness. Nothing could more forcibly impress these great truths on the mind, than the miraculous translation of Enoch to another and a better world.

Fourthly: The period of life, attained by the antediluvians, merits our attention.

Adam was created for immortal life; and although he violated his duty, and lost this glorious privilege, yet he cannot be supposed to have lost, also, the whole firmness of a constitution, designed for such endurance. To his descendants a share of this vigor must, if the laws of human nature were then what they are now, necessarily have been communicated. As now, children usually partake of the strength of vigorous parents; so, then, the descendants of Adam must have shared in the firmness of their progenitor.

The world, also, was formed to be the dwelling of immortal beings, and was fitted to sustain their immortality. Its nature is not casily conceived to have undergone such a change, as would make it the means of lessening human life below the period, here assigned to the antediluvians. Even Infidels must concede, that there is no assignable reason why, in the circumstances declared, the life of man should not reach the date, asserted by Moses.

In the mean time, it is to be remembered, that the scriptural account of this subject is of a piece. Human life was originally designed for immortality. From the Apostasy to the deluge it extended through a thousand years. After the deluge, which, according to the Scriptures greatly altered the state of this world, the period gradually lessened down to seventy years; at which it was finally fixed.

It only remains to be remarked, that all the patriarchs in this list, except Noah, died before the deluge; and, as a testimony to their piety, were saved from the violent death, which swept away their guilty survi

vors.

I shall now proceed to mention several extraneous testimonies to this part of sacred history.

1. Berosus, the Chaldean historian, declares, that there were ten generations of men before the flood.

2. Sanchoniathon, according to Shuckford, declares, that there were eleven generations from the first man to Misor or Misr, the son of Ham, and the father of the Misraim: According to Bedford, twelve. Moses makes twelve.

3. Sanchoniathon calls the first male and female descendants of Protogonos and Æon, (the first mortals,) Γενος and Γενεα, supposed to be derived, by an easy mutation, from Cainos and Caina. 4. Berosus, the Chaldæan, Manetho, the Egyptian, Hyronimus, the Phoenician, and Histiaus, Hecataus, Hellanicus, and Hesiod, Greeks, all declare the lives of the first men to have lasted a thousand years.

5. Catullus testifies the corruption of the race of men, after they had lost their original inno

7. Josephus cites Acesilaus, Ephorus, and Nicolaus Damascenus, as testifying that the life of man was originally a thousand years.

8. Varro divides the time, which had elapsed before his day, into three parts; and calls that, which intervened between the first man and the flood, ignotum.

9. Plato says, as heretofore quoted; "The cause of vice, or of a vicious nature, is from our first parents."

10. The heathen Philosophers generally acknowledged, that it was connatural to man to sin.

11. Hesiod says, that the first mortals were created by the Gods; that they were of a serene and quiet spirit; that they lived without toil, or care, on what the earth spontaneously and abundantly produced; that they were free from the decline of old age; that they fell asleep, rather than died; that, while they lived, they enjoyed all good without molestation; and, that, after their death, they were worshipped as gods, &c

The next generation, or sort of men, he declares to have been greatly worse in their moral character, and inferior in their understanding. The child, he observes, was educated at his mother's side for a hundred years. They cut off each others'

believed by mankind.

6. Traditions, and records, of this fact are found in the writings of the Greeks, Romans, and Hindoos.

lected to worship the gods; and, he adds, that Jupiter hid them, or concealed them; an idea, corresponding with the scriptural representation, that they all disappeared under the Deluge.

can, (and who will deny it) then a pious and judicious expositor may be even more extensively useful, through the medium of the press, than any preacher, however faithful and pious, whose instructions cease with his life.

There is another view of this subject, which we deem perfectJy conclusive. It will not, we are confident, because it cannot, be denied, that the Bible abounds with allusions to manners, customs and facts, which it no where fully explains; and of course, that some knowledge, drawn from other sources, of the general history of the ages and countries in which the Scriptures were written, is, to say the least, very desirable. How, we would ask, are the common people to obtain this knowledge? Not one in a thousand of them, can have access to the various and expensive books of history, travels, and antiquities, where it is to be found; or if they could, would have time to glean it, from hundreds of large quartos and octavos. Now it is the business of a commentator to collect from all authors, ancient and modern, and to direct to one point of vision, those scattered rays of light, which, without such direction, would reach the eyes of but very few. To have an author always at hand, who has executed this arduous task faithfully and judiciously, is an invaluable blessing. It is like living in the same house with a learned and pious friend, who has, for our sakes, spent the best part of his life in treasuring up knowledge, and permits us to draw upon him whenever we please. For a practical illustration of the correctness of these

remarks, we would refer our readers to Dr. Scott's notes upon the parable of the marriage feast, in the twenty second chapter of Matthew; to the parable of the ten virgins in the twenty-fifth chapter; and to the letting down of the man sick of a palsy, through the roof of a house, where Christ was preaching, as stated in the second chapter of Mark. Other passages equally pertinent to the case in hand, or perhaps more so, will readily occur to the diligent reader of this exposition of the Sacred Oracles.

The observations which we have just made, might, with little variation, be applied to the types, symbols, and prophecies of the Scriptures. It is idle, or something worse, to say, that these can be as well understood without the explanations of learned men, as with them. Our readers will agree with us, that none but Goths and Vandals, could, without the deepest regret, witness the destruction of such authors, as Mede, Lightfoot, Stillingfleet, Newton, Lardner, Owen, Jones, Faber, and a long list of others, who have labored in the same field, and thrown much light upon those parts of revealed truth, to which they have respectively directed their attention. But if these are worth being preserved and read, for the same reason ought the works of such commentators as Calvin and Poole, and Henry, and Patrick, and Doddridge, and Scott, to be snatched from the hand, which would sacrilegiously commit them to the flames, or assign them a place among the lumber of bookseller's shops. We doubt not, that thousands of happy souls are now praising God on

Mount Zion above, for the instructions and comfort which they received during their earthly pilgrimage, from these and similar publications.

But while we express ourselves thus decidedly in favor of general expositions of Scripture, we are anxious to guard against those abuses, to which they are liable. If they are made to serve as pillows for the slothful; if they are used as convenient machines to save the labor of investigation and reflection; if they are put on a level with the Divine Oracles; or if, in short, they are viewed in any other light than as the works of fallible men, they will indeed prove injurious to their posses

sors.

The proper use of a commentary is not to encourage idleness, but to assist industry; not to supersede the study of the sacred pages, but to facilitate it. Such a work, however ably and judiciously executed, is mere human authority after all. Let it never be forgotten, that the Scriptures are the standard, and the only standard, of truth. Let them be kept forever in view, as the pole star, to guide the soul into the haven of eternal rest. Let them be searched daily, with all that diligence which their supreme importance demands; and in these balances of the sanctuary let every human opinion be weighed. Let this course be pursued, and we are sure, that Commentaries may be studied with great advantage, especially by those, who have scanty means and little leisure for more extensive reading.

We have not room at present to discuss the question, how far, or in what stage of their pro

gress, students in divinity, may profitably turn their attention to formal expositions of Scripture. We fully agree with Dr. Campbell, that such works should not be studied first, and that biblical criticism and sacred history, deserve a far greater share of time and attention, throughout the whole course. But we are by no means certain, that the Dr. has not assigned too low a place, even in the library of the theolo gical student, to our learned and pious commentators.

When we began this article, it was our intention to hazard some remarks upon what we conceive to be the leading features of a good commentary; nor can we persuade ourselves to do less, than throw out a few brief hints, though we are fearful of trespassing too far upon the patience of our readers. If such a work is intended principally for the learned, it ought critically to investigate the conflicting claims of various readings; to settle, as far as possible, the true meaning of difficult texts, by a fair and careful examination of the original; and to con. tain some of the discordant glosses and constructions, which men of different sentiments have put upon the sacred text, to gether with the arguments, by which they have severally labor. ed to maintain their opinions. It should, in fine, be a work, from which the public teachers of religion, may draw much useful instruction, for their own benefit and the benefit of their people.

we

Very different, however, are the characteristics, which *Sce his Lectures on Systematic Theology.