Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-11-06
PROBABILITIES

S iAiSohiuS OF the text. Ii were tautolo-
gy' 100. In the previous verse, we find
Ine very ineligible order, Render to all
their oues. This, one would think. MIGHT
oe"er nave served as The text for a sermon
on Inc general subject. Ii is plain, expi.
cH' com prehensive, certain in lis imnort.
anu suited 10 all the ends of such a ser.
mon. We are not at all opposed to The
ioea oil punctuality, as well as efficiency.
IN the payment of debts. Whatever IS
due, ought d: maturity to be Maid Onr
quest is simply this: What means the
text! What Is its native senseq
SOLUTION.
Among the chief rules of a preacher. the
hrst Seems TO be this: UNDERSTAND
YOUR TEXT that is, look at it in the org
lnal; parse il there, and master IFS NH
loiogy; interpret 1t, oscertaininp It's ma
tive sense; consider It's stress end hear.
ing, and carry out its proper drift in your
sermon. If This golden and primary ,uie
| OF preaching were universally honored
what revolution a1d what an i.nproye--
ment would it occasion every where9-
How much nonsense, folly, impertinence.
error, and extravaganza, that now cari-a.
ture Christianity, to the disgust of the
sensible and the contemp, of the impious,
would be utterly banished from the church
OF God The best vindication of Chris. (
tlanlty, and lis adorable Author, is correct
representation. Truth is eulogy. Speak
OF ne as lam, was the privilege of Othel.
los manly claim and revelation needs
no other, TO be justified and gloli6ed even
by Its enemies. Truth will be The medi.
um of praise in heaven, forever; it will
constitute the very poetry of the praise of
God
aver that the translation is mistaken:
that 1t is no command at all that il is on.
~ one OF the not uncommon mistakes.
made by all translators from The Greek,
IN similar relations; that language, un-
rlvaled as it is for precision and elegant
exactitude, is yet not without lis ambioui-
Ties, especially an the Identical forms of the
second person plural--to name no more
OF the indicative and imperative moods
From the original word, 0pheiLete, viewed
by itself, who can tell if il be, o1re ge or
ye o1oe2-only that the former IS nearly
absurd.
If il be imperative here then it is quite
solitary instance. The word occurs in
the New Testament nearly forty times:
and, with lis conjugales and coeua,os
much oftener. Bot in no other Instance
does 1t take The awkward position of the
imperative, that am aware. See John
KIN. Ia, | Cor. v. 10. ct ala, where the
| identical word and form are found.
La The indicative. the meaning is all
plain, natural, right; as, in the impera-
tive, 1t is unnatural and even absurd
Thus-in paraphrase
Ye owe no man anything, apart from
mutual love; since he that loveth another.
discharges in that all his obligations. For
the commands of the second table are all
reducible to this. in which each other is
chiefly cOmprehended: Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as myself Love worketh
no i'll 10 his neighbor; therefore love is
fulfilling OF the law therefore We owe no
man anything but love and its appropriate
fruits.
See the context, Rom. xiii. 10.
Special reasons. which some will un-
IderStand, and which will cork no IN 10
others, have induced me TO publish this
exposition in the Evangelist. If il shall
be useful TO any, l have my reward. Let
us not owe love to one another only. bur
pay it also. 1t would help our oversight
on many wrangled subject. Ii would
improve our perceptions, our reasoning
powers, our manners, and even our or
thodoxy!
To those whom names affect, more than
argument, and who prefer the oversight
OF others 10 their own, i, may be accepla.
Bile, in case where grammar and phiIol-
ogy are so determinale, to know that the
solution here illustrated, rests on a basis
Improved and indicated, more than three
Centuries ago, by thar incompatible schoI-
ar of his age, Erasmus. But TO thinkers
OF common sense. not pledged by techni-
cality, or pride, or parry. 10 system, or
to one way of thinking, il will be far more
satisfactory to read The original, render
ling the verb oioe in the Indicative: when
all is plain and convincing; and when
you arrive at that. which some prominent
theologians seem learnedly TO abhor, or
obstinately to avoid, the native sense of
The passage. Alas that such felony
: against heaven, should ever be committed
on earth. as to prefer any other thing or
sentiment, to the words of God and the
sense he meaneth in them.
: SAMUEL H Cox.
: Brooklyn, Oct. A, 1889.