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BIBLICAL. NO. 5.

BY H. C. BLINN.

THOSE who directed the revision of the New Testament have felt authorized to erase the 21st verse of Matt. xvii., as spurious, and also verse 11th of the xviii chapter.

Matt. xx., 16. "So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called but few chosen."

A very happy change has been made in this place, and the passage now has nothing to do with the condition of individuals as the words "for many are called but few chosen,' have been found to be an interpolation.

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Matt xx., 22 and 23. "But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Ar ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" The revised version now reads, "But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?"

The remarks referring to baptism in the 22 and 23 verses are now thrown out. It is remarkable that the Bible transcribers should have been so officious as to enlarge to such an extent, upon the say ngs of Jesus, and put into his mouth what they were interested that he should say, to help establish their own peculiar theology.

"For no prophecy ever came by the will of man; but men spake from God being moved by the Holy Spirit."

Mark vii. The whole chapter has been subjected to a thorough sifting. Words and sentences have been liberally cast aside and still the book is made better.

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Mark ix., 23. "Jesus said unto him. If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.' The revision changes the sense very essentially by a change of the It has been thought very imporsentence. tant to punctuate a quotation exactly like the text, but the revisors have taken unbounded liberty and of course, in many cases, made very radical changes. The father here says, "If thou canst do any thing," as though there might be a doubt on the point, and a Then Jesus comma follows the remark. says, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible." A comma follows believe. This makes a very mild appeal to the faith of the man, who had brought the child, but the revisors change the sense entirely, and make Jesus put forth, a cutting rebuke. "And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth, As much as to say, Away with your doubting!

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Mark ix., 29. Speaking of diseases that are to be healed by prayer and fasting;-it now seems that Jesus did not advise the fast"This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.

The ninth chapter of Mark is well worth a careful perusal, as the revision has many changes from the A. V. by which a better reading is obtained.

Matt. xxiii., 14. "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devouring, but said, widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. " The whole of this verse is crossed out although it is said to be found in some of the old MSS. This has been read and quoted for two hundred years, and been the subject for hundreds of sermons while purporting to be the words of Jesus and written by Matthew.

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Mark xvi. From the eighth verse to the end of the chapter is considered spurious, as the old MSS. have so many different readings. This takes away nearly all that Mark had to say about the resurrection. section also contains several remarkable passages which have been very freely used in making strong points, for still stronger ser

mons.

This rejected

Mark vi., 11. "Verily I say unto you. It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city." So much of the eleventh verse is erased. Was it written by holy men? Peter said this much of some of the prophecies, Luke iv., 4. "Man shall not live by bread "For the prophecy came not in old times by alone" the remaining part of the verse, "but the will of man, but holy men of God spake as by every word of God," is omitted as not beIn the fifth verse the they were moved by the Holy Spirit." But longing to the text. the revision corrects this for the better. I words, "into a high mountain" are left out,

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"Get thee behind about, latent it may be, you may call it the Soul, if you want to; whichever you call it, it is the element, in our make up, which connects us with the great hereafter.

and in the eighth verse,
me, Satan," has met the same fate. In the
eighteenth verse, to heal the broken heart-
ed," is erased. This chapter has been singu-
larly mutilated and it may take many years
to reconcile such changes in the minds of
some Bible readers.

FAITH, is the Divine Afflatus, vivifying the Latent Germ. Fanaticism, sometimes, usurps the throne of Faith, producing unhealthy action.

BELIEF, the result of education, of

Luke xi., 44. "Woe unto you, for ye are as graves." Jesus did not say woe unto you Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, as these names were evidently added by some designing person in recopying the Testament. The word hypocrites is not to be found in the whole dictum, or of investigation. Sensible or chapter. otherwise, according to the progress of the age, and status of the individual.

THEOLOGY,—a set of ideas, or dogmas, the concoction of would be master minds, a kind of substitute for living faith and practical Righteousness. INDIVIDUALITY,-Whether, in coming

Luke xvi., 9. “And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness: that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. " This important passage has been the subject of much comment. The revisors have changed it a mere trifle. "Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of worlds, we retain our present individualunrighteousness, that when it shall fail, they

may receive you into the eternal tabernacles."

This advice to make friends with the spirit of the world does not sound like the testimony of Jesus, or the apostle. A better rendering is as follows:-Make not to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, for they will fail, while ye are received into lasting

ity, or take other forms, is not, an open question. We modestly leave it an open question, for others, to solve for themselves, in their own way. The material of which we are composed being unannihilable, we are bound to exist in some habitations. This certainly must have been shape. Should we, in coming worlds, the spirit of the Teacher. Paul says, "Make retain our present individuality, a life no provision for the flesh, "Whosoever squared by living faith here, will e therefore will be a friend of the world is the largely to our advantage there. enemy of God." Too many have already tried this same thing to the ruin of their souls. Canterbury, N. II.

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Should we take new forms of individuality, that individuality will be like the material elevated and refined, or otherwise, of which the new formation is composed.

Mt. Lebanon, N. Y.

IN MEMORY OF ELIZA FOWLER.

GENTLY rests her weary spirit,
Free from strife and earthly care;
Far beyond this world of sorrow,
To those mansions ever fair.
Long was she a faithful toiler
In the vineyard of the Lord;

Now the strife on earth is ended,
She will reap her just reward.

Why then should we mourn the parting,
Could we wish her back to earth,
Since she's gone to swell the number
Who have found the heavenly birth.
Thus when we like her have conquered,
And our journey here is o'er;

We may hope some day to meet her
On that distant shining shore.
Mt. Lebanon, N. Y.

Ar the last supper, eleven disciples partook of one loaf of bread, and one cup, which Jesus said typically, was his body and blood-meaning to represent the unity of his spiritual substance, and circulating life. As each of these were alike in kind and quality, though distributed to many parts, so is the spirit and body of Christ, though distributed to many members. Hence his spirit must produce the same kind of fruit in every soul that lives by it. Consequently, those who partake of the real body and blood of Christ cannot walk contrary to each other without departing from Christ, in whom is no contradiction.-A. G. H.

IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH A. BARKER.

ELVAH F. COLLINS.

'Tis well with our Sister, we all can respond,
The angels have beckoned her home;
And we can rejoice that her soul now unbound,
O'er the bright fields elysian can roam.
We'll breathe to her spirit, the peace of the
The strength of the conqueror's joy [Dove,
And help her to loose the last shackle of earth
That would hinder her angel employ.
Float upward, O freed one! Rejoice in thy
To bid transient glories adieu, [call
We'll follow thy footsteps when death's shadow
And our pilgrimage here closes too. [falls,
Watervliet, N. Y.

ABUSING the body and keeping the body under, are two different things. The former is a great sin, the latter a constant duty.

MY WELCOME HOME.

WHO will greet me first in Heaven,
When that blissful realm I gain,—
When hands have ceased from toiling,
And the heart has ceased from pain;
When the last farewell is spoken,

Severed the last tender tie,
And I know how sweet, how solemn,
And how blest it is to die.

As my barque glides o'er the waters
Of that cold and silent stream,
I shall see the domes of temples

In the distance brightly gleam.—
Temples of that beauteous city

From all blight and sorrow free; Who from out its golden portal

First will haste to welcome me? Who will greet me first in glory?

Oft the earnest thought will rise, Musing on the unknown wonders

Of that home beyond the skies. Who will be my heavenly mentor? Will it be some seraph bright, Or an angel from the countless

Myriads of that world of light? No-not these! for they have never

Gladdened here my mortal view; But the dear ones gone before me,They, the loved, the tried, the true; They who walked with me life's pathway From my soul by death were riven, They who loved me best in this world Will be the first to greet me in Heaven -Selected.

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pure; Be peace makers; Be sure we are right before commencing anything, whether of a temporal nature or spiritual interest; Be steadfast; Be what we seem to be, and seem to be what we really are.

Letter

Box.

SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.

For Juvenile Bible Scholars.

EDNAH E. FITTS.

Be industrious and active, soul and body. Whoever indulges in idleness, will find sooner or later, that time thus spent is lost. It is one of the strong holds of the Adversary AMONG many interesting and profitable leswhereby he helps some individuals to make sons to be learned from the Bible we may their profession nothing but a sham. Be class the history of Solomon's Temple. I thankful; Be prudent and saving of the presume many of my young friends have temporal blessings given; Be interested in all read in their Bibles about the temple at Jeruthat pertains to our spiritual welfare, and be salem, and that Jesus found persons there so earnestly devoted to the work of the gos- who sold sheep and oxen, and how he made pel, that those not of us, may take knowledge a small scourge and drove them out, saying: of us, as did the Jews of Peter and John," Make not my Father's house a house of that we have not only been with Jesus, but merchandise." John ii., 16. You may have hold a relationship and union in the spirit | wondered also, what kind of a place the temnever to be marred nor broken. ple was, and by whom it was built?

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"I SHALL NOT PASS AGAIN THIS WAY."
THE bread that bringeth strength I want to give,
The water pure that bids the thirsty live;
I want to help the fainting day by day;
"I'm sure I shall not pass again this way."

I want to give the oil of joy for tears,
The faith to conquer crowding doubts and fears;
Beauty for ashes may I give alway;
"I'm sure I shall not pass again this way."

I want to give good measure, running o'er,
And into angry hearts I want to pour
The answer soft that turneth wrath away;
"I'm sure I shall not pass again this way.

I want to give, e'en as the Master gave,
Help to the erring; and I want to have
Forgiveness in my own heart from day to day;
"I'm sure I shall not pass again this way."
I want to give to others hope and faith,

I want to do all that the Master saith;

I want to live aright from day to day; "I'm sure I shall not pass again this way." -Selected.

As its name implies, it was built by King Solomon nearly a thousand years before Jesus was born, and required the labor of 183,000 men for seven years. Previous to the building of this temple, the Jews had worshipped at the Tabernacle, which was a movable structure, adapted to their roving manner of life. After many severe battles, the Israelites took possession of the kingdoms which God had promised Abraham.

As the Jews became established they made for themselves permanent dwellings and also made the House of God. David, who was king of Israel, purposed to build a house for God, wherein should dwell the ark of the covenant and made known his intention to Nathan, the prophet, who gave this answer, that while God approved of his design, he could not permit him to build a house to his name, because he had fought great battles and was a man of blood.

By this we may learn that to give to God an acceptable offering we must live in peace and love, one with another, for if we "Love not our brother whom we have seen, how can we love God whom we have not seen." David submitted to the will of God, but provided gold, silver, iron, brass, timber and stone in great abundance. He also gave his son a pattern of the house and with instructions how to build. Solomon was anointed king and in the fourth year of his reign began to build the

House of God. As Solomon needed more timber than his father had provided he made an agreement with the king of Tyre, that he would give him a yearly supply of wheat and oil in exchange for cedar, fir and olive trees.

These were hewn by the Sidonians in the forests of Lebanon. Hiram complied, and came to Jerusalem to assist Solomon.

The temple was built of stone made ready before it was brought to the place for use, and there was neither hammer nor ax, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building. 1 Kings, vi., 7.

maritans heard that the children of captivity had returned to Jerusalem and were rebuilding the temple, they formed a written accusation against them and presented it to the king. In consequence of this, the Jews ceased building, till encouraged by the prophet, and with the consent of the king, they again commenced building the temple. Haggai prophesied that the glory of this second temple should exceed that of the first; not as being more magnificent in outward appearance, but because in that place God would manifest his power and propagate peace unto all nations. In four years the temple was finished, and Some of the stones were forty feet long, although the treasures of the House of God, thirteen feet high, twenty feet thick, all of which the Chaldeans carried into Babylon, white marble. A description of this beauti-had been restored to the Jews, yet they could ful building may be read in 2 Chron. iii. not regain some things which the first conWhen it was finished the Elders and chief tained, and which constituted its chief glory, men in Israel assembled to dedicate it. The and wanting these, no Jew would admit that it priests brought the ark of the covenant out exceeded the former in glory. of the city of David, and placed it in the This second Temple stood unharmed neartemple, under the wings of the two cheru-ly three hundred and fifty years, when it was bim. There was nothing in the ark save the profaned and pillaged by the king of Syria. two tables of the law which Moses put there- An altar of Jupiter then occupied the place of in at Horeb, more than four centuries before. the sacred altar. About three years after This celebrated temple remained in its glo- this, the Jews purified the temple and restored ry about thirty-four years when the king of to the Jews their worship. Egypt, carried away its treasures. Under the Hebrew rulers, it fell into great decay, but was repaired B. C. eight hundred and eighty nine. Nearly one hundred years after Ahaz removed the brazen altar and placed a heathen altar in its stead. He also removed the brazen sea, brake many of the sacred vessels and closed the temple. Hezekiah cleansed the temple and restored all the vessels; but in the fourteenth year of his reign, he gave much of its wealth to the king of Assyria. His son Manasseh reared altars unto Baal, in the temple and led the people into idolatry. In the reign of Josiah he destroyed idolatry and caused the temple to be cleansed and repaired. In the reign of Zedekiah, B. C. six hundred and two, the temple was destroyed by the Chaldeans.

This second temple stood nearly five hundred years when Herod the Great began to repair it. This was before the birth of our Savior. The main building was completed in nine and a half years. It was in this building that Jesus conversed with the Jewish Doctors when he was twelve years of age.

Jesus went to the passover of the Jews, and finding there, many persons engaged in selling cattle and changing money, he made a scourge of small cords, and drove both the people and cattle, from the courts of the temple, overthrew the tables, and poured out the changers' money, and said to them that sold doves; "Take these things hence, make not my Father's house a house of merchandise." In the court of the temple, Christ taught the people, and performed many miracles. According to Christ's prophecy, Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans, A. D. 70, and the soldiers made a fort of the temple, and final

THE SECOND Temple. About fifty years after the destruction of the first temple, Cyrus king of Persia, was moved by spirit-direction, and granted the Jews permission to return to their own coun-ly sacked and burned it. try, and rebuild the temple. When the Sa- Canterbury, N. H.

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