ago, as being born and brought up a Jew; as familiar with the Old Testament; habituated to words, phrases, and idioms of language common among the Jews; and in fact, as far as possible to enter into the feelings, habits of thinking, and even the prejudices of that wonderful people.

New Testament usage of a word or phrase, is another very important rule of which we shall avail ourselves in interpreting the passages which shall be brought before us. For example, in Matth. xxiv. 3, we have the phrase the end of the world. Now, if this phrase does not mean here the end of this natural world, but the end of the Jewish age, we think it ought to have the same meaning in other places, unless the subject and scope of the writer entirely forbids it.— When I therefore come to this phrase, or others in the course of this investigation, all the places in which such phrases are found, will be brought forward at once and considered. This will save the repetition of remark, and will enable the reader to form a more correct judgment of the true Scripture meaning of such phrases.Besides, if any inspired writer uses a word or phrase, and its sense is ascertained, if he uses it again, or repeatedly, it ought to be understood in the same sense, unless he by some way shows us he is to be differently understood. This is nothing more than every writer or speaker is entitled to, whom we wish to treat with common civility. If he uses it in another book, or if it is used by other sacred writers, our means of ascertaining its true sense are increased.

Much misunderstanding of the Scriptures has arisen from our overlooking what some may think but trifling circumstances. For example, some seldom take into view the writer, the time when he wrote, or the circumstances in which he was placed. They also over

look the persons to whom he addressed himself, the circumstances in which they were placed, and the subject on which he discourses to them. The scope and drift of his discourse from the context, is seldom considered. Hence words, phrases, and verses are quoted, to prove what was never thought of by him. His words are quoted, and a sense affixed to them agreeable to the religious creeds of the persons, which, if the context was but consulted, would show them their mistake, and that, though unintentionally, they were perverting the Scriptures. We also may err, and fail in what we propose, but we shall at least make the attempt. Infallibility is no article of our creed; we would only do all in our power to produce a correct understanding of the Scriptures, without which, endless division and debate must exist among Christians.

SECTION V.

ALL THE PLACES NOTICED, WHERE AION AND AIONIOS ARE RENDERED AGES, COURSE, NEVER, FOREVER, EVERMORE, ETERNAL, EVERLASTING; BUT WHICH HAVE NO RELATION TO PUNISHMENT.

THE word aion is rendered ages, in the conmon version, in the following places. Eph. ii. 7, "That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace." It would have been absurd to have rendered it here, "that in the eternities to come." Nor would it have sounded well to have said, "that in the worlds to come," for the question might have

been asked, Pray how many eternities or worlds are to come? Our translators, then, not only own that this word signifies age, but were compelled to render it so in this passage. Again, Col. i. 26," Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations." The remarks on the last text equally apply here. It would not have done to have said, "even the mystery which hath been hid from generations,' for the term generations is used immediately after in the passage. Macknight on this text, says, "The mystery which was kept hid from the ages and from the generations.' In the parallel passage, Eph. iii. 5, it is, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles.' So likewise Romans xvi. 25, the mystery which hath been kept secret,' chronois aioniois, in the times of the ages, or during the Mosaic dispensation. For the meaning of the words mystery, and ages, see Eph. i. 9; Tit. i. 2, notes. Though the salvation of mankind by faith, was promised in the covenant with Abraham, and spoken of by the prophets, it was not understood by the Jews, see Eph. iii. 5, note, and therefore it is here called a mystery, or thing kept secret, in allusion to the heathen mysteries."

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I shall also quote the following from Pierce, on this passage, as it sheds general light on this whole subject. The mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations.' The expression of to mysterion to apokekrymmenon apo ton aionon, is rendered by our translators, Eph. iii. 9, the mystery hid from the beginning of the world; but it is manifest from this place, where it is joined with apo ton geneon, that it is rightly translated here hid from ages, and that it ought to have been so translated in that place also. The same thing is meant when he speaks of the revelation

of the mystery, which we translate, kept secret since the world began; but Mr. Locke better renders it in the secular times, that is, the times under the law. I shall here transcribe his remark upon the words, Rom. xvi. 25, because it gives much light to this matter.Why the times under the law were called chronoi aionioi, we may find a reason in their jubilees, which were aiones, sæcula, or ages, by which all the time under the law was measured: and so chronon aionion is used, 2 Tim. i. 9, Tit. i. 2. And so aiones are put for the times of the law, or the jubilees, Luke i. 70; Acts iii. 21; 1 Cor. ii. 7; x. 11; Eph. iii. 9; Col. i. 26; Heb. ix. 26. And so God is called the rock, aionon, of ages, Isai. xxvi. 4, in the same sense that he is called the rock of Israel, Isai. xxx. 29, i. e. the strength and support of the Jewish state; for it is of the Jews the prophet here speaks. So Exod. xxi. 6, eiston aiona, signifies not as we translate it, forever, but to the jubilee; which will appear if we compare Lev. xxv. 39-41, and Exod. xxi. 2. Now that the times of the law were the times spoken of here by St. Paul, seems plain from that which he declares to have continued a mystery during all those times, viz. God's purpose of taking in the Gentiles to be his people under the Messiah; for this could not be said to be a mystery at any other time, but during the time that the Jews were the peculiar people of God, separated to him from among the nations of the earth. Before that tine there was no such name or notion of distinction, as Gentiles. Before the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the calling of the Israelites to be God's pecu liar people, was as much a mystery, as the calling of others out of other nations was a mystery afterwards, All that St. Paul insists on here, and in all the places where he mentions this mystery is to show, that though

God had declared this his purpose to the Jews, by the predictions of his prophets among them, yet it lay concealed from their knowledge, it was a mystery to them, they understood no such thing; there was not any where the least suspicion or thought of it, till the Messiah being come, it was declared by St. Paul to the Jews, and Gentiles, and made out by the writings of the prophets which were now understood.''

Aion is rendered course, Eph. ii. 2, "Wherein in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world." Macknight says, "Chandler observes that the Greek word aion, and the Latin avum, which corresponds to it, signify the life of man; and by an easy figure, the manner of a man's living.' That alim, in the Old Testament, often signifies a man's lifetime, has been seen above. And aionion signifies the lifetime of Onesimus, Phile. 15. See Macknight on this verse.

دو

The Greek phrase eis ton aiona, occurs in the following texts, and is rendered in our version never.John iv. 14, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." And viii. 51, “If a man keep my saying he shall never see death." See also verse 52. In chap. x. 28, it is said, "they shall never perish," referring to Christ's sheep. And xi. 26, "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." And xiii. 8, Peter said to Jesus-" thou shalt never wash my feet." Dr. Campbell in his note on John ix. 32, says, concerning the phrases ek tou aionos and eis ton aiona, "but in popular language, the former often denotes no more than from the beginning of the world, or even from very early times; and eis ton aiona does not always means to eternity, in the strict sense of the word. That the use is nearly the same in the Pagan writers, has been very well shown by Wetstein."