influence. Its star is now evidently in the ascendant. Its power is a conquering power, and it gives no indications of weakness or decay. It rises over the nations like an unebbing tide, higher, stronger, further on with every heave of the restless wave. If such anticipations are to, be realized, then, perhaps, there are other reasons than those which spring from national vanity, which should lead us to look to America as the land where the intellect of man shall reach the culminating point of its greatness. I cannot but believe that we already possess more of those influences which promote the growth of mind than any other people. The vastness and magnificence of the features of our scenery give strength and boldness, and expansion to the soul. The intense activity produced by the genius of our institutions, brings mind every where into sharp conflict with mind, producing mutual growth; and small though the influence of faith be upon the national character, there is in the United States more of true spiritual religion than in any other nation on earth.

We only need, then, as it would seem, the intellect of the country to be fully pervaded by the religious sentiment, until the genius of the land shall feel the influence of a heaven-born faith, to cause the American mind to stand forth proudly preeminent in science, literature and art. If ever our country obtain on earth an enduring fame as a cultivated nation, that reputation will be based upon a Christian literature, a Christian science, and a political structure drawn from the principles of the Gospel. Thus only shall we become even intellectually great.

The principles which have been stated, by an unavoidable inference, should place the American scholar by the side of the minister of the Gospel. Their task in its general features is the same; to elevate, expand, and refine the national mind by the power of truth; to devote the measureless influences of a cultivated mind to the bringing of his country under the power of a quick, strong faith in the realities of the spiritual world, until this great country, in all its vast concerns, shall live and move under a solemn sense of the presence of the

invisble, of coming retribution, of an overshadowing heaven, from which even now angels come down and sweep past us on their errands of love, ministering to the heirs of salvation, and from which the sleepless eye of God looks down on the children of men.

ARTICLE II.

EXPOSITION OF MATTHEW 16. 18.

By REV. CALEB CLARK, Truxton, N. Y.

Matthew 16: 18. "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

THE first point to be ascertained in the exposition of this passage, is, the import of the phrase "my church." Does it mean the whole company of saints who are, and will be, “redeemed by his blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation," who constitute the "church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven?" or does it mean "the visible church," the company of professors of Christ's religion on earth, who are entitled to the privilege of being called his church? The latter certainly: for he speaks here of what he was doing and would continue to do on earth. Consequently he does not speak of the redeemed church in heaven, but of his church to be built up on earth, by believing his doctrines, and following his institutes and ordinances.

But the phrase, "I will build my church," demands more particular investigation. Oixodounow, the word in the original text, translated "I will build," does not necessarily imply that Christ was then about to begin a new building, which before had no existence; but may mean that he would continue to build it in extent on a broader foundation, and to carry it up in height uutil he should bring forth the top-stone with shout

ing grace, grace unto it. The advocates of the idea of a new church begun by Christ under the Christian dispensation, place too much dependence for the proof of their doctrine on this word. They seem to suppose that because it is compounded of two words, olxos and douéo, and literally means to build a house, therefore, when employed figuratively, it must mean to begin to build an edifice, and not to enlarge or complete the building. A careful inspection of such passages as John 2: 20, Luke 11: 47 and 48, 1 Peter 2: 5, in the New Testament, and Ezra 4: 2, Neh. 2: 17, 4: 1, 17, 18, in the LXX, will satisfy every impartial reader that oixodouéw does not always necessarily signify to begin a new structure. When, therefore, Christ says in the text, "I will build my church,” he must not of necessity be understood to mean that he had destroyed the old one, dug up its foundation, and was about to lay a new one on which he would soon build a new church. Nor is the figurative application of the word to spiritual things more fortunate for those who insist that it must mean in the passage before us the commencement of a new church. Does it signify to begin to build a new church in 1 Cor. 14: 4, ó dè προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ? Or is the idea of a new church found in the substantive derived from this verb in the fifth verse of the same chapter, ἵνα ἡ ἐκκλησία οἰκοδομὴν λάβη ? In the seventeenth verse it is applied to an individual, «22' ó ἕτερος οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖται, and must mean the other is not built up in Christian knowledge and virtue. In 1 Cor. 8: 10, it is used to signify the effect of one person's conduct upon another, in fortifying him in acting contrary to the dictates of his own conscience. It is translated "emboldened." "For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened (oixodoμnserai) to eat those things which are offered to idols?" The notion of building a new conscience for him would not be seriously entertained even by those who insist that Christ built a new church. If the doctrine that Christ built a new church is found in other places of the New Testament it will afford some support to such an exposition of

the text in hand; but if not, it cannot be successfully maintained from the phrase, "I will build my church."

It will be seen from the passages quoted above, that the verb oixodouéo translated 'build' in the text, is used in reference to the church in two ways: 1, to signify increase of the number of members, and 2, the increase of Christian knowledge and graces in those who are already in the church. That it means the addition of members to the church, in the text, seems to me to be the most natural conclusion, although it may imply also the increase of knowledge and graces. In Acts 9: 31, we are told, "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified (oixoSoμovμeva), and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied (inλnívorro). The rest which these churches enjoyed had a tendency, under apostolic labors, to build them up both by the increase of ⚫ knowledge and grace, and by large addition of members. So also Peter writes, 1 Epist. 2: 5, "Ye also as lively stones are built up (oixodoμɛove) a spiritual house." The figure of building the church up like a house on a foundation, seems to imply then the addition of members, like the addition of stones to the edifice as it increases in size. So Paul says, 1 Cor. 3: 9, "Ye are God's building (oixodoun)." And it is recorded in Acts 2: 47, "The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Let us now descend to the foundation of this building and examine, if we can, the rock on which our blessed Lord declares he will build his church. There are three interpretations of this: 1, it is Christ; 2, it is the confession of Peter, in ver. 16, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God;" and 3, it is Peter. The last I adopt as more tenable than the others. The objection against the first is that there is nothing to point out Christ in the connection of the passage. And to suppose that he pointed to himself when he spake it, is mere hypothesis in the absence of all proof. He was addressing Peter, and apparently assigning a reason for the emphatic mention of his

name, and we discern nothing on the face of the text, that should lead us to suppose that, after saying to him, "Thou art Peter," he should immediately procced to speak of himself as "this rock." There ought to be better proof than conjecture for the interpretation of such a text as this. The second of the above interpretations is rejected because there is not any sufficient reason for calling Peter's confession that he was the Christ, a rock; and least of all, "this rock," which implies a particular one in distinction from others, or one which had been spoken of before. Moreover, it would destroy the emphasis on Peter (ó Пérgos). Let us substitute Peter's acknowledgment in ver. 16, for "this rock," in the 18th. "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter," and upon fession that I am the Christ, "I will build my church." All allusion to the meaning of the name Peter vanishes at once, and no good reason appears for mentioning it at all, and especially with such an emphatic address.

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The third and last interpretation is retained for the following reasons. 1. The verse preceding, and that following the text, are addressed to Peter; and the text begins with the emphatic address, "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter;" and then follow the words, "and upon this rock," etc. Now, is another subject introduced here which does not relate to Peter, any more than to any body else who should confess that Jesus was the Christ? 2. The connective particles xaidé at the commencement of this verse, show also that the words following them are a continuation of the address to Peter, and that they convey a sentiment still more important to him, than what he had already said. "And I say also to thee," etc. 3. That part of the verse which follows the word Peter, appears to be explicative of the significant emphasis placed upon that name, and apparently assigns the reason for the address. "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter." And the xa following does not militate against this supposition. For in such passages as 1 John 3: 4, xai