The Hebraims are kept, and the phrase of that language is kept. Bishop Walton says, The last English translation made by divers learned men, at the command of King James, may justly contend with any now extant in any other language in Europe; although carped at by Hugh Broughton, who has railed at Archbishop Bancroft, and Messrs. Barrow and Lively, -two of the authorized translators. Bishop Lowth says, The vulgar translation of the Bible is the standard of our language. Bishop Horsely says, The translators in James the First's time, were as literal as they could, to avoid obscurity, and were extremely happy in the simplicity and dignity of their expressions. Their adherence to the Hebrew idiom, is supposed, at once, to have enriched and adorned our language. Bishop Middleton says, The style of our present version is simple, harmonious, and energetic. D. Geddes says, If accuracy, fidelity, and the strictest attention to the letter of the text, be supposed to constitute the qualities of an excellent version, this, of all versions, must, in general, be accounted the most excellent. Every sentence, every word, every syllable, every letter and point, seem to have been weighed with the nicest rectitude, and expressed, either in the text or margin, with the greatest precision. Pagninus himself is hardly more literal; and it was well remarked by Robertson, above a hundred years ago, that it may serve for a Lexicon of the Hebrew language, as well as for a translation. The Rev. J. W. Whittaker says, Sciolists and Charlatans, inferior to our translators in erudition, in talents, and integrity, have been found questioning their qualifications for the task they so well performed. Their version has been justly esteemed by the Church, and all the sects which have forsaken her, for its general faithfulness, and the severe beauty of its language. It has survived the convulsion of Church and State, when the Established religion was persecuted with the most rancorous malignity; and left at a distance all the petty rivalships of sectarianism, and the effervescence of national frenzy. It may be compared with any translation in the world, without fear of inferiority; it has not shrunk from the most rigorous examination; it challenges investigation, and has hitherto remained unrivalled. Dr. Doddridge says, On a diligent comparison of our translation with the original, we find, that of the New Testament, and, I might also add, that of the Old, is, in the main, faithful and judicious. We do not scruple, on some occasions, to animadvert upon it; but these remarks affect not the fundamentals of religion, and seldom reach any farther than the beauty of a figure, or, at most, the connection of an

argument. Dr. Pocock, the prince, as it were, of oriental learning, says, That translation of our own which we follow, is such, and so agreeable to the original, as that we might well choose, among others, to follow it, were it not our own, and established by authority among us. The Rev. William Orme, speaking of the English version of the Scriptures, says, Like everything human, it is, no doubt, imperfect; but, as a translation of the Bible, it has few rivals, and, as a whole, is superior. It is, in general, faithful, simple, and perspicuous. It has seized the spirit, and copied the manner of the Divine original. It seldom descends to meanness or vulgarity; but often rises to elegance and sublimity. It is level to the understanding of the cottager, and fit to meet the eye of the critic, the poet, and the philosopher. It has been the companion of our princes and our nobles, and prized by many of them as their most invaluable treasure. It is the birthright of our numerous population; and has proved the means of knowledge, holiness, and joy, to millions; and we trust it is destined, for ages yet to come, to be the glory of the rich, and the inheritance of the poor, the guide to the way worn pilgrim, and the messenger of peace to many a dying sinner. Dr. Taylor, Norwich, says, In above the space of 200 years, learning may have received considerable improvement, and, by that means, some inaccuracies may be found in a translation more than 200 years old; but, as our English translation is, in itself, by far the most excellent book in our language, so it is a pure and plentiful fountain of Divine knowledge, giving a true idea and full account of the Divine dispensations, and of the Gospel of our salvation; insomuch, that whoever studies the Bible, the English Bible is sure of gaining that knowledge and faith which, if duly applied to the heart and conversation, will infallibly guide him to eternal life. The best testimony we are compelled, by antiscriptural, antianglical, antigrammatical, antiverbal, antilogical, antisequential, antisensible geology, to adduce, shall be that of Dr. Adam Clarke, the Methodist-no mean orientalist :-Those, says he, who have compared most of the European translations with the original, have not scrupled to say, that the English translation of the Bible, made under the direction of King James the First, is the most accurate and faithful of the whole. Nor is this its only praise, -the translators have seized the very spirit and soul of the original, and expressed this, almost everywhere, with pathos and energy. Besides, our translators have not only made a standard translation, but they have made their translation the standard of our language. The English tongue, in their day,

was not equal to such a work; but God enabled them to stand, as upon Mount Sinai-to use the expression of a learned friend-and crane up their country's language to the dignity of the original's; so that, after the lapse of 200 years, the English Bible is, with very few exceptions, the standard of the purity and excellence of the English tongue. The original, from which it was taken, is alone superior to the Bible, translated by the authority of King James. This is an opinion in which my heart, my judgment, and my conscience coincide. The character of James I., says the Dr., has been greatly underrated. In the Hampton Court Conference, he certainly shewed a clear and ready comprehension of every subject brought before him, extensive reading, and a remarkably sound judgment. For the best translation into any language, we are indebted, under God, to King James, who was called a hypocrite by those who had no religion; and a pedant, by persons who had not half his learning. Both piety and justice require, that while we are thankful to God for the gift of His Word, we should revere the memory of the man who was the instrument of conveying the water of life through a channel by which its purity has been so wonderfully preserved. Instead of being impatient for the revision of the present text, to adopt the energetic expression of Mr. Todd, we shall take up the book which, from our infancy, we have known and loved with increased delight; and resolve, not hastily to violate, in regard to itself. the rule which it records. Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him. The original is perfect, like its Author, and all His works. It is supported by miracles and prophecy,-direct and collateral evidences. The direct arise from the nature, consistency, and probability of the facts; and from the simplicity, uniformity, competency, and fidelity of the testimonies by which they are supported. The collateral evidences are either the same occurrences supported by heathen testimonies, or others which con cur with, and corroborate the history of Christianity. Its internal evidences arise either from its exact conformity with the character of God, from its aptitude to the frame and circumstances of man, or from those supernatural convictions and assistances which are impressed on the mind by the immediate operation of the Divine Spirit.

Moses was neither too credulous, nor dishonest, nor an enthusiast, nor a fanatic; he was not a novice; he was not an impostor, nor a knave, nor ignorant; in short, he neither was imposed upon, nor imposed upon mankind. He was able to write, and knew that he was writing sense, and did not intend

to put any general sentence at the beginning of his work, unconnected with, or, rather, incalculably disjoined from what immediately followed; nor, awful to be conceived, and horrible to be expressed, did the inspiring Spirit join in the blunder, or deceit, notwithstanding of Dr. Candlish, or H. Miller, or all the minority. The original is faultless; the translation almost as perfect as it can be made. The original expresses most immediate and connected sequence; and so does the translation. We ask these gentlemen, Could a person whose understanding is enlightened by the influences of divine grace -who is deeply convinced of the depravity of his nature, and groans under the burden of his actual guilt-who sees his own inability to help himself—who is taught to behold God as the chief good, the Lord Jesus as the only way to obtain felicity, and that the Holy Ghost is the grand agent in applying the blessings of the Gospel to his soul;-could the person who trembles at the Word-whose heart is renovated, and inclined to revere, honour, worship, trust in, and live to God-whose affections are elevated above the world, and centre in God alone-who embraces Him as his portion, loves him supremely, and his neighbour as himself—who is zealous in the defence and support of the cause of God-who loves, and religiously keeps God's day-who loves all that is good, and hates all that is evil-who does not neglect one commanded duty, or commit, willingly and deliberately, one sin forbidden;-could a person who is pardoned, justified, adopted into the family of God, and has the spirit of adoption, and all the fruits of the Spirit; and who has assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost ;-could such a person believe, for one instant, the gratuitous affirmations, assertions, assumptions, declarations, deductions, inferences, and suppositions of geology? God tells us expressly, that in six days He made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is. The all that in them is, reduplicates on heaven, the heaven of heavens, as Moses and Solomon call it; and the third heavens, as it is called by Paul,-the seat of the blessed, where Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and all the redeemed are. The witnesses of the resurrection inform us, that Jesus rose while it was yet dark, rather before day began to dawn in Judea, from the 20th to the 27th March, which we would suppose about five in the morning. Jesus, we assume, was born precisely at the same instant that He arose, at the autumnal equinox, about the 21st September. At that instant, and at that season, He created the heaven of heavens in a moment, and immediately filled it with all its bright inhabitants, angels and archangels, cherubim and sera

phim, thrones and dominions, principalities and powers. They were all, like Adam, perfect at once, and knew and entered cheerfully upon their great and glorious service. At nine in the morning, emphatically the first hour of prayer, He came, attended with Gabriel and Michael, and all whom He chose to accompany Him, and called the matter of this world into existence, consisting of earth and water blended together. It had not then its present form; it was empty, and covered with thick darkness, and the Holy Spirit was present, putting it, if you please, into its present form, as He enlightens the mind in the knowledge of Christ, and renews the human soul. At twelve o'clock on the exact horologe of heaven, the hour when darkness encompassed the Redeemer, God said, Let there be light; and there was light. We do not thank Mr. Miller for his will-o'-the-wisp concession, to mislead, as we were once bamboozled, in 1794, with the meteors between Avon water and Kirkpatrick kirk. He may keep his six days chaos to help himself and Dr. Fleming, who pretends-we say advisedly, pretends-he adopts not Ovid, but Moses' chaos,-a word which is not scriptural, but heathenish, and belongs to chaotic geology. At three o'clock, when the Saviour of the world gave up His heavenly spirit, He called the light, day, and the darkness He called night; and the day, the first day of creation, a singular day, was concluded; and the evening and the morning were the first day. Six in the evening concluded the day; but this was the first evening;-a memorable evening, when the Passover was to be killed, and Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. This was the regulator-the great balance-wheel; for all things are of Christ, (John i. 1-3; Col. i. 15-18; Heb. i. 2.)

The Rev. G. Wight of Doune, whom Mr. Turner, Port of Monteith, should discipline, says, in awful language, To say that there was light before the sun, is absurd. And Dr. W. L. Alexander, Horse Wynd, or Kirk-in-the-field-where poor Darnly was murdered; bonny Mary being an accompliceseconds this blasphemous saying; and did not Dr. Crichton favourably and gently review that daring publication? The Dr. defends the Sabbath; he should also defend the Word of the living God. Let us look at the record, not to garble it, like Mr. Miller. The last word of the first verse, that independent proposition, as is falsely stated, is earth in the original, and in the translation. The first word of the second verse, in the original and translation, is earth. Earth to earth-dust to dust. The copulative conjunction and, is connecting both, -the only conjunction in the Hebrew, used 35,535 times in