The labors of John the Baptist, which were always restricted withthe limits of the old testament service, did not appear to the PharisaJews to offer any hostility to their attachment to the law. Nevereless, he had laid open their hypocrisy so earnestly, Matt. iii. 7, that ey felt by no means favorably inclined towards him. Nothing but e general authority which he enjoyed on account of his strict adhence to the law, had prevented them from giving expression to their stile disposition, Matt. xxi. 26. He had now been thrown into prin by Herod. But Jesus appeared in his place, a man who reproved pocrisy much more strongly, Matt. xxiii. 1-31, who also subjected mself much less to the outward human enactments of those learned the scripture his hearers increased. (The praes. To and not the perf. because at that time the thing had not yet ceased, Viger, p. .4.) This disquieted those members of the Sanhedrim who were of Pharisaic disposition. They persecuted Jesus. But as he knew at he had not then arrived at the end of his labors, he leaves Judea, order to escape from their persecutions. It seems that but few Phasees resided in Galilee.' p. 123.

This is all the philology which Tholuck deems it necessary to spend upon so simple a piece of history. On the same passage, uinoel expends nearly two large pages of solid Latin. He first nows, that xúpos is often a name of honor, and in the present inance, synonymous with didarxados; and he refers for proof to hat he has said on Matt. xxi. 3. In a similar style he shows, that xpaσais means the members of the council belonging to the sect f Pharisees. Then he asserts that odav means had heard ith indignation.' He states, that John had been imprisoned by [erod; and is very full in respect to the estimation in which ohn was held by the Pharisees, and the reasons why they were larmed at the movements of Jesus. He says, that the use of he noun 'Irous instead of the pronoun avròs is a Hebraism, nd refers to a work of Storr to prove it; at the same time he roves it to be very good Greek, by referring to another learned vriter. On the word Barriga, he remarks, that Jesus was said to baptize, because his disciples baptized under his direction; and he tells us how Chrysostom says, that those who carried this report to the Pharisee chiefs, lied, saying that Jesus himself baptized, in order to make the thing more odicus. In explanation of the record that Jesus himself baptized not, he gives several obvious reasons why the Savior chose to commit that function to his disciples. On the third verse, he says, that Jesus, after having thrown out the rudiments of his doctrine in Judea, prudently withdrew from the Pharisees, who were ready to lay violent hands upon him, because he knew that the time for him to die had not yet come; and departed into Galilee, because there the authority of the Pharisees was not so great as at Jerusalem.

the idea, that the salvation of sinners is only a secondary object.. be taken up and sought only on select and special occasions. in protracted meetings and the like, for the author is no ad of these, but in seasons of revival, and when providence fa visiting persons with sickness or other afflictions. We shou sorry to have such an impression prevail; for we believe, when the intercourse of christians with each other and wit world is what the word of God requires, every act and every t ment of every christian will contribute in some way, directly directly, to the work of bringing sinners to God and salvation.

There are multitudes also in the churches, who are wishing gather the fruit of a quiet conscience from the present meas their piety; while they have always about them a dreamy const ness, that this is not sufficient to justify their hopes of heave to accomplish the design of heaven in calling them into Ch kingdom. In general the disquietude of their souls is relieve:: a comparison of themselves with wrong standards. One of is found in the character of their fellow-christians, another style of preaching on which they attend, and another sta books they read. Do these favor the enticements of thei inclinations and lusts; they easily persuade themselves, that version has done so much for them, that a little more exciten in the course of their lives and the shock of exchanging will set all right. Here then we must once more say, that we not feel as sure as we should be glad to do, that this book wit help professed christians to think themselves not much fr from the work at which they should arrive, than what might be pected of fallen creatures, in a sinful world.

In a word, our only desire is, and in this we have not the least son to believe, that we differ from the writer of these "Hints," the seal of truth may be fixed upon the minds of christians, and its practical results may be seen in their lives. We look, content ly and anxiously, for the day when the converts to righteousness will understand; that they have but just begun to realize the infa ence of those great moral truths which are destined to subdue a bring the whole man into obedience to Christ. The time is co ing, when those who are sanctified in part, by looking at the standard of God's word, will see clearly how much more is to be done. If the work under review shall be the means of turning away eyes and hearts of professed christians from the expectation signs and wonders; as if the kingdom of God were to come wit observation; and of fixing them upon the resources of the assoc ated and united church; the author will have occasion to bless Go for the agency which suggested the thought of sending this circul to the "saints who are scattered abroad" throughout the world. Let those who are looking for salvation from the hills, who are ex

the

cting to see miracles wrought by ministers alone, and without their 'n agency, or by great and protracted meetings accompanied by no sting reformation in the every day intercourse of christians, "look themselves, that we lose not those things we have wrought, but at we receive a full reward." Then the light of the moon will as the sun, and the light of the sun sevenfold. Nor do we heate to predict, that when the intercourse of christians with each her and with the world, shall become conformed to the divine andard; the hopes of ages passed in respect to the Messiah's kingom will be fulfilled with a rapidity which will mock imagination, d seem more like a vision than reality. Indeed nothing but the ght of the angel through the midst of heaven would be able to eep pace with the light; for then, like the blush of morning, it ould glance from one hill-top of the earth to another, until the allies would be vocal with the praises of God, and the handful f corn in the top of the mountains would shake like Lebanon.

We perceive affixed to the second edition of the work before 3 a recommendatory preface taken from the English re-print and ritten by W. Urwick, D. D. Of this writer we have no knowledge ut the name. We see nothing however in his pages demanding articular notice. His views of the importance of the subject are learly though briefly expressed, and the work is by him espeially recommended to four classess of persons ;-young christians, persons-young heads of families, deacons and leading members of the churches nd ministers of the gospel. He approves most decidedly of the author's remarks on the subjects on which we have commented, but gives no particular reasons in support of the conclusions advanced. It is unnecessary for us to pursue the topic, and we dismiss the volume merely remarking, that it is characterized by its author's well-known ease and gracefulness of execution, and we would add our best wishes for its success in accomplishing that object for which we doubt not it was written, the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom and the good of mankind.

ART. VI.-ETYMOLOGIES AND CRITICISM. BY NOAH WEBSTER, LL. D.

THERE are few subjects on which literary men have occupied their time and attention, which appear to be less understood, than the origin and formation of languages. The first principles of etymology seem to be wholly unknown, or imperfectly understood. The writer's attention has been called to this subject by some examples of this imperfect knowledge of the origin and primary signification of words, presented in recent publications.

The author of the Lives of the Apostles, in the beginning his work, has attempted to ascertain the primitive signicate the Greek word orλλw, from which is derived the word q He cites a great number of authorities to show the various st in which this word and its compounds are used by Greek w and comes to the conclusion, that the primary sense is not tor but to equip or prepare. But accurate investigation will show such a complex or indefinite signification as is expressed by t words, is rarely or never the primary sense of any word what The primary or radical sense of a word is some simple p action or property; and the more complex significations pac from subsequent use and appropriation.

The Greek or is the same word as the German and E. stellen, to put, place, lay, set; Swedish stalla, or staela. Ei nish, it is stiller, to put, lay, set; and also to still, to quiet. word, like hundreds of others, was introduced into the Greek tribes of the Teutonic race, who settled in Greece, either & ginal inhabitants, or more probably, as conquerors. No spr tion of Greek and Latin words are of Teutonic origin.

Now the original meaning of this word is not to fix a firm, but to send or throw down; the sense of firing, setting? stilling, is secondary; the consequence of the action of end throwing, or laying down.

The sense of the word under consideration, may be illus by words of like signification in other languages.

In Latin, mitto, mittere signifies to send; in French, the s word, mettre, signifies to put, lay, set. The same word, in Italian, has the same meaning as in the French. The La lego, legare, signifies to send; the same word in Saxon, lega lecgan, signifies to put, set, or lay, and we have this word in In all these words, the radical or primary sense is to send.

a son is one

Another example will show how imperfectly the origin the various derivative senses of words has been understood. T Hebrew word ben, a son, is connected in origin with a verb whit is rendered to build; and hence, say lexicographers, who builds up his father's family. But the same word sign also the young of a beast, and surely this can hardly be said t build up a family.

Now in this case, the mistake arises from taking a secondary meaning for the primary. The primary sense of building, in the word, is to send or lay down, to set as on a foundation; the ere tion or superstructure, is a secondary sense. The primary meat ing of ben, a son, is issue, that which is sent forth or produced offspring, as we express the sense in English. I am confident no example can be produced, in which this simple

on of sending can be deduced from the more complex one of ipping, fixing out, or preparing. Such a deduction is an insion of the usual order of formation or derivation of words. Take for example, the word dress in English. This word must very complex and indefinite in most of its uses, and therefore, cannot have been the primary sense. On tracing the word to original, we find it derived from a word that signifies to make tight. It comes to us, through the Italian, from the Latin igo, Italian dirizzare, French dresser. The root is the Latin o, rectus. Rego, is rendered to rule or govern; but this is a ondary sense; the primary sense is to strain or stretch; this makes straight, right; and government is restraint. To dress, n, is to make straight or right, and military men have retained original sense, in the phrase "look to the right and dress." In appropriation of the word to the adjustment of apparel, and to kery, the sense is to make right; that is, fit, prepare for the or occasion.

We have a similar process of derivation in the word array, ich is from the root of rod, radius, ray, the primary sense of ich is to shoot, to thrust or send out, as rays of light, or as the nch of a tree.

We use the word set, with another word, to express a similar a. We say to set off, when we express the sense of arranging, bellishing, implying enlargement or display. So to fix out, is prepare what is necessary.

That the radical meaning of the Greek λw is to send, we ve evidence in the compound side, from which is formed istle. This word signifies, that which is sent to another. But is sense cannot be deduced from the radical sense of equipping preparing. This Greek compound signifies also to compose or ljust, as garments; that is, to send or put on, or make to sit well. The primary signification of arods, whence apostle, is to send way. So from the Latin lego, we have legate, and from mitto, issionary, committee, commissary, commissioner; and from the 'rench envoyer, to send, we have envoy.

We have great confidence in German commentators,in the scince of interpretation. Whatever can be done, by examining the ses of words in authors, the laborious and learned Germans Dave done. But in the knowledge of the primary significaion of words, and the process of deriving from that the various secondary applications, their works are yet very imperfect.

Remarks on Matthew v. 21, 27, 33.-In these passages of Matthew's gospel, the words "'Hxoare öri égjen Tois apxaios" are, in our English version, rendered "Ye have heard, that it was said by them of old time."

Rosenmueller remarks on these words, that some persons think VOL VIII.

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