viz., "So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

And, to make the thing more certain, if possible, we remark that the Syriac and other versions adopt the word which signifies "the universe."

So likewise Bishop Bull says that alov is frequently used in the Jewish writings as meaning "worlds," in allusion to their notion of "the three worlds," viz. ; the lower world or the region of the elements; the middle world, or the region of the celestial orbs; and the upper world, or the abode of the divine majesty; or what Paul in 2 Cor. xii. 2, seems to mean by "the third heavens."

Thus, though we find that air is used to mean the world; and though Jewish usage was as above indicated, yet we here see no argument for understanding μihorros aivos as meaning "the eternal world," "heaven," or "the third heavens."

What then shall we do to fix the meaning of the words μillortos alvos in Hebrews vi. 5? We find a phrase in Hebrews ii. 5, which is somewhat analagous, viz., o yàọ àyyikoıç ûnitaže tiv olxovμévnv týv μélovσav; which is rendered, "For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come."

Olzovμiny, that is here rendered "world" (which is derived from oixée, that is used nine times in the New Testament in the sense of "to dwell" or "to inhabit," and sixty-three times in the LXX.) is employed in fifteen instances in the New Testament and thirty-eight in the LXX. for the inhabited earth; and by the showing of all commentators, as well as by its connection, it means the coming age or the new dispensation as distinguished from the old. The term Millovoav seems to be used because it was "the coming age" so long as the temple and the Jewish state were in existence.

The apostle was showing Christ's superiority to angels, and consequently the superiority of the Messianic age to the old dispensation. Besides we find in 1 Cor. x. 11, another phrase that has some slight analogy to the terms μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, Viz., εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντησεν ; rendered in our version, on whom the ends of the world are come." But it needs hardly be said that it has been fully shown by learned commentators, both orthodox and heterodox, as Grotius, Crellius, Light

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foot, Whitby, Pearse, Rosenmüller and others, that this phrase cannot be properly rendered " ends of the world" in any appropriate sense. And some have maintained that there is an evident allusion to the Jewish notion of computing the duration of the world, which was by dividing it into periods of two thousand years; as (1) the period before the law, or of the Mosaic dispensation; (2) the period of the Mosaic dispensation; and (3) the Messianic age, or the final dispensation of God to

man.

Now, if the apostle used alov in such a sense, it is as if he had said, "If the Israelites perished without mercy in an age of comparative darkness, because they lusted after evil things, how much more shall ye perish in your sins, if ye ignore all the greater and better light of God's final dispensation under the Messiah." Now if this has any bearing upon Heb. ii. 5, and Heb. vi. 5, we may consider the apostle as appealing to his Jewish brethren by a kind of argumentum ad hominem in respect to their views of the coming age, or the final dispensation of God to man. How powerful is his argument against apostasy as thus understood, since they would sin against the last remedy provided for the moral maladies of the world. It makes his argument more potent than any other exegesis possibly can. may be stated as follows: "For it is impossible for such as were once enlightened and have had some correct knowledge of the heavenly gift, and have felt the convincing influences of the Holy Spirit, and have had some correct views of the gospel, and have felt in a measure the powerful influences of God's final dispensation of the church confirmed by miracles which none could deny, to renew them to repentance, since they have fallen away, apostatized from all the benign influences of that dispensation to which all Israel looked forward with intense interest as the final dispensation. For they have done worse than those who crucified the Lord of glory, since they have done it the second time, and in spite of all the wonders that attended the first crucifixion; and they have sinned against the last remedy, and put themselves beyond the pale of its blessings."

With this agrees the closing part of his argument, which seems to have been utterly ignored by most commentators, where such persons are compared "to those portions of the

earth which bear thorns and briars," which are destined to the fire.

But perhaps it will be objected that "tasting of the heavenly gift can be predicated only of real Christians, and that therefore the apostle speaks hypothetically concerning the danger of apostasy.

To this we reply, that we have an argument against their being real Christians in the very words of the Greek. For γευσαμένους with the genitive τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου does not nec essarily imply an experimental tasting of the heavenly gift. For verbs of sense with a genitive have a less meaning than with the accusative. We must admit this, or make Paul contradict himself in the two accounts of his conversion. Thus in Acts ix. 7, it is said that the men who journeyed with him heard the voice, ἀκούοντες τῆς φωνῆς, but saw no man. Here the object is in the genitive, and the substance of the declaration is that they heard a noise without understanding the words and their import. But in Acts xxii. 9. Paul says Tir di qwriv ove žxovoar, They heard not the voice.". Here the verb governs the accusative, and it means that they did not hear, understanding the utterance.

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Now if we turn to Acts xxvi. 14, we shall see why it was that the men did not understand, while Paul did: krovσa qariv λαλοῦσαν πρός με τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ; I heard a voice speaking unto me in the Hebrew tongue." Paul heard understandingly because he was familiar with the Hebrew, while those who accompanied him, in their ignorance of Hebrew, heard only a noise.

This peculiarity runs through Greek usage in all verbs of sense. So here in Heb. vi. 5, yevoquévous as first used is with the genitive, and does not necessarily imply an experimental tasting of the heavenly gift, but some perception of it; while in the clause that follows the word governs the accusative. And they had such an imperfect and partial taste as Herod had when he gladly heard John preach, and felt somewhat the influences. of God's final dispensation to the church. But they were never converted; and naganeoóvτas, having apostatized, they are like those portions of the earth that bear thorns and briars, "whose end is to be burned." Thus the apostle would have the Hebrews take good heed not to follow those who went back and

walked no more with Christ, for they were in danger of sinning against the last remedy for fallen humanity, and thus falling into the fire that never shall be quenched.

But it may be objected, again, that the expression ἀνακαινίζειν εἰς μετάνοιαν, in the sixth verse, makes it certain that the persons spoken of had been once renewed, and that л must settle that point.

But it is to be observed that nu is used with very great latitude in both Testaments, in the one hundred and forty-two instances in which it occurs in the New, and the twelve in the LXX.'s translation of the Old Testament. While it is admitted that it often denotes a repetition of an act, it seems not always to do so; and for such as wish to show that a contrary view may be defended, we suggest for their consideration its usage in Matt. iv. 8; Mark x. 10; x. 32; xiv. 69; and xv. 13; John x. 7; Acts x. 16; Rom. xi. 23; Deut. xxx. 3; 2 Chron. xix. 4. In these places na may be considered as rather an expletive. And if this may be taken so in Heb. vi. 6, we may affirm that there is nothing hypothetical in this exhortation against apostasy.

ARTICLE VI.

OUR NATIONAL BANNER: ITS SACRED ORIGIN AND IMPORT.

It was valuable beyond estimation in the days of our Revolutionary fathers, who devised its present form, and suffered so terribly to maintain it. But it has become vastly more so of late, by the immense sacrifices made to crush this great and infamous rebellion. If a good thing may be properly estimated by what it costs, who can now estimate the full value of our national emblem? Language, and even our arithmetic, fail. For, though we may approximate in our estimate of the money expended and property wasted, on both sides, for both sides are

still our country and so the sacrifice is one, yet who can estimate the value of human lives also here sacrificed, with all the sufferings endured, the tears shed in desolated homes, and the misery involved? All this and more must be brought into the account and truly computed, would we know the full cost of this civil war, and the true value of our federal ensign. Nor have all this life and treasure and tears been expended in vain. Our banner is the emblem of our national sovereignty, protecting all our rights and privileges, our institutions of learning and benevolence, of civil and religious freedom, and leading the way for all nations, through our example, to enjoy, at no distant day, the same exaltation.

But this great value of our banner will appear still further enhanced, if we call to mind its Hebrew origin and design, as we may learn them from the Scriptures. The first mention of the name is not discoverable in our translation, except by aid of the "marginal reading." It is found in the following connection. On the departure of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, under Moses, the first conflict they had with an enemy was at Rephidim, with Amalek :

"And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek. To-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfitted Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi." Marginal reading, "The Lord my banner."Ex. xvii. 9-15.