"The first and sixth lines are here considered, at once, as constructively parallel, and as affording a continuous sense: the intermediate four lines may be accounted parenthetical; the second, constructively parallel with the fifth; and the third with the fourth. The first line seems to contain the character of a confirmed proficient in religion,—his strength is in God; the sixth line, to describe his final beatification,—he shall appear before God in Zion. The intermediate quatrain may be regarded as descriptive of the intermediate course pursued by those who desire to be good and happy; they are passengers; but they know their destination, and they long for it; at a distance from the temple, they are anxious to arrive there; the very highways to Jerusalem are in their heart. And what is the consequence? Affection smooths all difficulties: the parched and sandy desert becomes a rich well-watered valley; and they cheerfully advance from strength to strength; from one degree of virtuous proficiency to another." (Sacred Literature, pp. 55, 56.)

II. Rules for COMPARING Parallel Passages.

1. Ascertain the primary meaning of the passage under consideration.

In 1 Cor. iv. 5, we read, Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heurts. Now here is a parallelism of members, but the fundamental meaning is, that God judges the counsels of men; he therefore judges without respect of persons, and with unerring impartiality. The Apostle's design was, to show that it is impossible for men to perceive and judge the counsels of one another.

2. Although the Sacred Scriptures, PRIMARILY coming from God, are perfectly consistent, and harmonize throughout; yet, as they were SECONDARILY written by different authors, on various topics, and in different styles, those books are in the first instance to be compared, which were composed by the same author, in the same language, and on a parallel subject.

By comparing Psal. xxxviii. 10, with 1 Sam. xiv. 26, 27, (in which Jonathan, having taken some honey for his refreshment, is said to have had his eyes enlightened,) we shall readily apprehend the force of the psalmist's complaint, that the light of his eyes was gone from him; for the eyes of a person in good health are so strong as to sparkle with the rays of light that fall upon them; whereas, when the constitution is worn by long sickness, or broken by grief, the eyes lose their vigour and brilliancy, and, in cases of incipient blindness, the light gradually fails the eyes.

3. Collect all those similar passages, in which the same forms of speech occur, and the same topics are proposed: and consider well, whether they are really parallel, that is, not only whether the same word, but also the same thing, answers together, in order to form a safe judgment concerning it.

It often happens that one word has several distinct meanings, one of which obtains in one place, and one in another place. When, therefore, words of such various meanings present themselves, all those passages where they occur are not to be immediately considered as parallel, unless they have a similar power. Thus, if any one were to compare Jonah iv. 10, (where mention is made of the gourd which came up in a night, and perished in a night, and which, in the original Hebrew, is termed the son of a night,) with 1 Thess. v. 5, where Christians are called, not children of the night, but children of the day, it would be a spurious parallel.

4. Where two parallel passages present themselves, the clearer and more copious place must be selected to illustrate one that is more briefly and obscurely expressed.

5. No assistance is to be derived from similar passages, the sense of which is uncertain.

The method here indicated is the only effectual way by which to ascertain parallel words and phrases, as well as parallelisms of things: it will indeed require a considerable portion of time and study, which every one may not perhaps be able to give; but individuals thus circumstanced may advantageously facilitate their researches by having recourse to editions of the Bible with parallel references, and to concordances, the most useful of which are specified in the Appendix.

§3. Of the Analogy of Faith.

I. ANALOGY OF FAITH defined.

The Analogy of Faith may be defined to be the constant and perpetual harmony of Scripture in the fundamental points of faith and practice, deduced from those passages, in which they are discussed by the inspired penmen, either directly, or expressly, and in clear, plain, and intelligible language. Or, more briefly, the analogy of faith may be defined to be that proportion, which the doctrines of the Gospel bear to each other, or the close connexion between the truths of revealed religion. It is one of the most important aids for ascertaining the sense of Scripture. The Analogy of Faith is an expression borrowed from Saint Paul's Epistle to the Romans, (xii. 6,) where he exhorts those who prophesy in the church (that is, those who exercise the office of authoritatively expounding the Scriptures,) to prophesy according to the proportion, or, as the word is in the original, the Analogy of Faith.

II. Hints for investigating the Analogy of Faith.

1. Whenever any doctrine is manifest, either from the whole tenor of divine revelation, or from its scope, it must not be weakened or set aside by a few obscure passages.

No truth is more certain in religion, or is more frequently asserted in the Bible than this, viz.: that God is good, not only to some individuals, but also towards ALL men. (See Psal, cxlv. 9. Ezek. xviii, 23, 32. John iii. 16. Tit, ii. 11, &c. &c.) If, therefore, any passages occur which at first sight appear to contradict the goodness of God, as, for instance, that He has created some persons that he might damn them, (as some have insinuated ;) in such case the very clear and certain doctrine relative to the goodness of God is not to be impugned, much less set aside, by these obscure places, which, on the contrary, ought to be illustrated by such passages as are more clear. Thus Prov. xvi, 4, has, by several eminent writers, been sup.

posed to refer to the predestination of the elect, and the reprobation of the wicked, but without any foundation. The passage, however, may be more correctly rendered, The Lord hath made all things to answer to themselves, or aptly to refer to one another, yea, even the wicked, for the evil day, that is, to be the executioner of evil to others; on which account they are in Scripture termed the rod of Jehovah, (Isa. x. 5,) and his sword (Psal, xvii, 13.) But there is no necessity for rejecting the received version, the plain and obvious sense of which is that there is nothing in the world which does not contribute to the glory of God, and promote the accomplishment of his adorable designs.

2. No doctrine can belong to the analogy of faith, which is founded on a single text.

Every essential principle of religion is delivered in more than one place. Besides, single sentences are not to be detached from the places where they stand, but must be taken in connexion with the whole discourse.

From disregard of this rule, the temporary direction of the apostle James (v. 14, 15,) has been perverted by the church of Rome, and rendered a permanent institution, (by her miscalled a sacrament, for it was never instituted by Jesus Christ,) from a mean of recovery, to a charm, when recovery is desperate, for the salvation of the soul.

3. The WHOLE system of revelation must be explained, so as to be consistent with itself.-When two passages APPEAR to be contradictory, if the sense of the one can be clearly ascertained, in such case that must regulate our interpretation of the other.

4. An obscure, doubtful, ambiguous, or figurative text must never be interpreted in such a sense as to make it contradict a plain one.

In explaining the Scriptures, consistency of sense and principles ought to be supported in all their several parts; and if any one part be so interpreted as to clash with another, such interpretation cannot be justified. Nor can it be otherwise corrected than by considering every doubt. ful or difficult text, first by itself, then with its context, and then by comparing it with other passages of Scripture; and thus bringing what may seem obscure into a consistency with what is plain and evident,

The doctrine of transubstantiation, inculcated by the church of Rome, is founded on a strictly literal interpretation of figurative expressions, "This is my body," &c. (Matt, xxvi. 26, &c.) and (which has no relation to the supper,) "Eat my flesh, drink my blood," (John vi. 51-58.) But independently of this, we may further conclude that the sense put upon the words, "This is my body," by the church of Rome, cannot be the true one, being contrary to the express declaration of the New Testament history, from which it is evident that our Lord is ascended into heaven, where he is to continue "till the time of the restitution of all things;" (Acts iii. 21,) that is, till his second coming to judgment. How then can his body be in ten thousand several places on earth at one and the same time? We may further add that, if the doctrine of transubstantiation be true, it will follow that our Saviour, when he instituted the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, did actually eat his own flesh, and drink his own blood: a conclusion this, so obviously contradictory both to reason and to Scripture, that it is astonishing how any sensible and religious man can credit such a test,

5. Such passages as are expressed with BREVITY are to be expounded by those, where the same doctrines or duties are expressed MORE LARGELY and fully.

i. The doctrine of justification, for instance, is briefly stated in Phil, iii. ; but that momentuous doctrine is professedly discussed in the Epistle to the Galatians, and especially in that to the Romans: and according to the

tenor of these, particularly Rom. iii., all the other passages of Scripture that treat of justification, should be explained.

ii. Even slight variations will frequently serve for the purpose of reciprocal illustration. Thus, the beatitudes, related in Luke vi,, though delivered at another time, and in a different place, are the same with those delivered by Jesus Christ, in his sermon on the mount, and recorded in Matt. v. Being, however, epitomised by the former evangelist, they may be explained by the latter.

6. "Where several doctrines of equal importance are proposed, and revealed with great clearness, we must be careful to give to each its full and equal weight."

"Thus, that we are saved by the free grace of God, and through faith in Christ, is a doctrine too plainly affirmed by the sacred writers, to be set aside by any contravening position. (Eph. ii. 8.) But so, on the other hand, are the doctrines of repentance unto life, and of obedience unto salvation. (Acts iii, 19. Matt. xix. 17.) To set either of these truths at variance with the others, would be to frustrate the declared purpose of the Gospel, and to make it of none effect. Points thus clearly established, and from their very nature indispensable, must be made to correspond with each other and the exposition, which best preserves them unimpaired and undiminished, will, in any case, be a safe interpretation, and most probably the true one. The analogy of faith will thus be kept entire, and will approve itself, in every respect, as becoming its Divine Author, and worthy of all acceptation." (Bp. Vanmildert's Bampton Lectures, p. 294.)

It must, however, be ever borne in mind, that, valuable as this aid is, it is to be used only in concurrence with those which have been discussed and illustrated in the preceding sections. But, by a due attention to these principles, accompanied by humility and sincerity, with a desire to know and obey the revealed will of God, and, above all, with fervent supplication to the throne of Grace for a blessing on his labours, the diligent inquirer after Scripture truth, may confidently hope for success, and will be enabled to perceive the design of every portion of holy writ, its harmony with the rest, and the divine perfection of the whole.

§ 4. Historical Circumstances.

HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES are an important help to the correct understanding of the sacred writers. Under this term are comprised :-1. The Order; 2. The Title; 3. The Author; 4. The Date of each of the several books of Scripture; 5. The Place where it was written; 6. The Occasion upon which the several books were written; 7. Ancient Sacred and Profane History; 8. The Chronology, or period of time embraced in the Scriptures generally, and of each book in particular; 9. Biblical Antiquities; (All these topics are adverted to, in the third and

fourth parts of this volume :) and, 10. The knowledge of the Affections, or feelings of the Sacred writers, and of the sentiments of the persons whom they addressed.

I. A knowledge of the ORDER of the different Books, especially such as are historical, will more readily assist the student to discover the order of the different histories and other matters discussed in them, as well as to trace the divine economy towards mankind, under the Mosaic and Christian dispensations.

II. The TITLES are further worthy of notice, because some of them announce the chief subject of the book—as Genesis, the generations of heaven and earth-Exodus, the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, &c.; while other titles denote the churches, or particular persons, for whose more immediate use some parts of scripture were composed, and thus elucidate particular passages.

III. Where the name of the AUTHOR of a book is not distinctly stated, it may be collected from internal circumstances; as, his peculiar character, mode of thinking, and style of writing, as well as the incidental testimonies concerning himself, which his writings may contain. Thus,

The expressions in 2 Pet. i. 18, and iii. 1. 15, prove Saint Peter to have been the author of that epistle; and a comparison of the Epistles and Gospel of St. John proves also that they are the production of one and the same author.

IV. A knowledge of the TIME when a book was written, also of the state of the Church at that time, will indicate the reason and propriety of things said in such book, as well as the author's scope, or intention in writing it. Thus,

(1.) The injunction in 1 Thess. v. 27, which may appear unnecessary, will be found to be a very proper one, when it is considered that that was the first epistle written by St. Paul; and that the apostle, knowing the plenitude of his divine commission, demands the same respect to be paid to his writings, which had been given to those of the ancient prophets, which, in all probability, were read in every assembly for Christian worship.

(2.) When St. James wrote his epistle, the Christians were suffering a cruel persecution, in consequence of which many were not only declining in faith, love, and a holy life, but also abused the grace of God to licentiousness, boasting of a faith destitute of its appropriate fruits; viz.: who boasted of a bare assent to the doctrines of the Gospel, and boldly affirmed that this inoperative and dead faith was alone sufficient to obtain salvation. (Chapter ii. verse 17, et seq.) Hence we may easily perceive, that the apostle's scope, was not to treat of the doctrine of justification; but, the state of the church requiring it, to correct those errors in doctrine, and those sinful practices, which had crept into the church, and particu larly to expose that fundamental error of a dead faith unproductive of