The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-05-18

The Earth Inhabited Before the
Creation Of Adam.
No Conflict Between the Bible
and Geology.
The World in o State Of Almost
Universal ApOstacy.
. fcONTINUED.]

either soul or spirit, 'in the technical sense
in which we use the term" as signifying
something distinct from the body. But
pardon me for saying that am not yet
satisfied. What did Stephen mean when
he was stoned to death, by calling upon
God, and saying, lord Jesus, receive
(de1a,) my spirit" (pneuma).-Acts Y ~:
Nasarene.-The Greek word dexai. (Which
is translated receive in the text yon al
lude to- may be also rendered sustain or
support. Booth, in his Lexicon OF Prinl-
tive Greek Words, gives this as one OF the
Specifications of the word. (The prayer Of
Stephen then would read, Lord Jesus sUs-
A 1 my spirit, or ASSIST ME to suffer.)
stephen him self fell asleep.-Emphatic Dr.
dgl0t.
Observation-Disclosures YOU expla-
nation of this verse, some of my friends
insist that the declaration Of Jesus to the
thief on the cross, "Verily | say unto thee.
TO-DAY shalt thou be with me in PARADISE"
is quite sufficient to prove the immediate
transfer of the soul to heaven as soon 'as
the body dies.
Nazdre9e.--Suppose you place the COM
ma, in the passage you have quoted, after
the word to-day, instead of before it. How
would it read then? verify i say unto
thee TO-DAY, [verily | say unto thee n0,c,]
Thou shalt be with me in paradise" The
comma was misplaced by King James
translators, and hence the passage in qucs-
ton has been a stumbling-block to mil
lions of people. How important n is to
punctuate correctly! Christ knew, before
his cruciiixion, that he had to be in the
grave three days and three nights, tor this
was the sign which he had given to the
| Pharisees, the sign of the Prophet Jonah.
PhariSee.-l saw an article recently IN
the Baptist, written by a Hebrew scholar,
IN which Genesis 81 was relied upon to
prove that man was created immortal.
The author admits that when God breathed
into mans nostrils the breath Of life, man
became a living ANIMAL" but contends
that an immortal spirit was communicated
to him. The Baptist is published in Mem
phis, and its editor spoke in the highest
terms of its Hebrew contributor. What
say you in response to this?
follows: "And Jehovah God formed the
man Heb. the Adam, dust from the
ground, [%hadddmohl, and blew into his
n~ostrils the breath of life; and the man
became q living ANIMAL" (nepheSh Maya).
He also says. " We should be acting IN
FAITHFULLY If zoe acere TO Gdirm that an inn
mortal spirit is contained or implied in this
pdssage."-Cyclopadia Bib. Lit, vol. i, p. 80.
Kitto's C~yclopadia of Biblical Literature
is a standard work, and the article from
which We made the above extract was
written by Rev. J.Pye Smith, DID,. FRS.
F.G.S.. and if he had not been thoroughly
acquainted with the Hebrew language said
article would not have appeared in DR.,
Kitto's work.
DR.. Adam Clarke, remarking on the text
in question. says ''nephesh hhdya is a gen
eral term to express ALL CREATURES en-
dued with animal life. i'll any of its inf
nitely varied g~radations."
The editor Of the Baptist must find bet
ter authority to sustain his position than
the mere assertion of an unknown Hebrew
scholar, who is evidently a Pharisee, and
a disciple of Plato.
Pharisee.--I have hitherto believed that
| had an immortal soul, and that. when
Christ returned, the heavens and the earth
would .pass'away and all the people would
be destroyed. Does not Isaiah say that
God will create a u new heaven and a new
earth, and the former shall not be remem-
bered pisa. Go: II.
Nasarene.-Ye s. But in the next verse
He says, But be We glad and rejoice for
ever 1n that which | create; for behold l
create Jerusalem O rejoicing. and her people a
JOY"
In "a Summary View and Explanation
of the Writings CT the Prophets" by the
Rev. DIR. John Smith, quoted by DR.. Adam
Clark, in his introduction to Isaiah, there
occur the following remarks:
''Sir Isaac Newton remarks that in at
tempting to understand the prophecies,
we are in the first place to acquaint our
selves with the iigurative language of the
prophets. This language is taken from
the analogy between the world natural and
an empire or kiukdom as "a world polite"
Accordingly, the whole world natural,
consisting of heavens and earth, signifies
the whole world polite, consisting of
'throncs' and people, or so much OF it as is
considered in the prophecy. Great earth
quakcs and the shaking of heaven and
earth is put for the shaking of Kingdoms,
so as to distract or overthrow them; Gre
ating a new heaven and earth, and the
passing away ofan old one, or the begin
ming and end of the world, for the rise and
the wane OF the body polite signiied
thereby. In the heaven, the sun and moon
are, by Interpreters of dreams, put for the
persons of kings and queens; but In sacred
prophecy which regards not single per-
sons, the sun Is put for the whole series
and race Of kings in the Kingdoms of the
world polite, shining with regal power
and glory: the moon considered rs the
kings wife, { i. G. cccles %iastical body the
stars for subordinate prhlccs and great
men. -. Light for glory, darkness for
error, blindness, and ignorance; ddrken-
ing-smiting, or setting of sun, moon. and
stars, for the ceasing of the kingdoms, or
for the desolatiOn thereof, proportioned to
the darkness darkenfng the sun, turning
the moon into blood, and falling of the
stars for the same.
''By images borrowed from the world
natural, the prophets frequently under
stand something analogous In the world
polite. Thus, the sun, moon, stars, and
heavenly bodies denote kings queens, ru-
lers, and persons in great power : their in
crease Of %splendOur denotes increase oil
prosperity; their darke ming, setting or
falling, denotes a reverse OF fortune; or
the entire ceasing of that power Of, king
dom to which they refer. Great earth
quakes and the shaking of heaven and
earth, denotes the cOmmotlon and over
throw Of kingdoms; and the beginning or
end of the world, their rise or ruin"
1.-THE cedars Of lebanon, oaks of bashan,
fir trees, and other stately trees of the
forest denote kings. princes, potentates,
and persons of the highest rank: briars
and thorns, the common people, or those
Of the meanestorder. High mountains and
lofty hills, in like manner, denote king
republics, states, and cities towns
and fortresses signify defenders and pro-
ships Of tarshish, merchants or
people; and the daughters of
my capital or mother city, the lesser
cities. or suburbs around IT. Cities never
conquered are further styled virgins"
It is evident that the phrase "new heav-
m and a new earth" is metaph0rically
employed to designate the polity or ordcr
If things to be established In the Kingdom
II God when Christ and the Saints will
compose the "new heaven" thereof.
Pharisee.-Y0u do not believe, then, that
he earth is to be destroyed at ALL.
Ndsorene.-How can | when the Scrip +,
,x,.oo n tkoH Stha nu~fh oksJ~sL A--~-V I