husis [we]. None of the changes in the reading, however, have any influence on the thought.

That αὐτὸς has ἡμεῖς

is just following.

σε αὐτοὶ τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἔχοντες.” understood before it, is evident from the The passage then is, "we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit." The meaning of this has been taken differently, according to the meaning given to ȧrapy. It has been supἀπαρχὴν. posed to refer to Paul himself, to the apostles, to those who had first partaken of supernatural influences of the Spirit, and to all Christians. àrapy is literally "the beginning, the first fruits." The word is used of the first fruits of the harvest which were offered to God; compare Rom. xi, 16, with Lev. xxiii, 10-14. As applied to men, see Rom. xvi, 5; 1 Cor. xvi, 15; Jam. i, 18, where those first converted to Christianity are called the first fruits; and hence, it is said that the apostles, or at most, those who were converted immediately after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, must be meant here. It is said, again, that the first fruits always formed the richest part of the harvest, the first in quality, as well as in time; and hence, it is interpreted by some as applying to those who received power to work miracles, &c.

Another idea connected with the term first fruits, is that it was the earnest or pledge of the coming harvest; the seasons had been propitious, God had blessed their labors, and now in token of gratitude the first fruits are offered to Him; they wait not till the harvest is all gathered in, but they consider that when the first fruits are seen, the harvest is secured; they regard it as a pledge, a token of coming plenty. Christ is said to be "the first fruits of them that slept," in all of these senses; he was the first in time, and the first in rank of those who rose to sleep no more, and his resurrection is the pledge, the token, of ours.

Now we take the word àrapy in this passage as the "first fruits," both in the sense of time, and as a pledge of something more to come, and consider it as applicable to every Christian. The phrase, it is to be observed, is not, "we who are the first fruits of the Spirit," but "we who have the first fruits of the

Spirit." That Christians have the influences of the Holy Spirit is admitted by all, but it is also revealed that they are only the first, that after death we shall receive the full fruition; hence all Christians have now the first fruits; and the very possession of these is an evidence, an earnest to him of this fruition; the full harvest is to be reaped only in heaven. See 2 Cor. i, 22; Eph. i, 13, 14. "The first fruits of the Spirit are such communications of his grace on earth, as fully insure the full enjoyment of God hereafter." (Dr. John Brown.) This interpretation fully agrees with the whole context; and why should we limit that to a few, which the passage will admit of being extended to the larger number?

It has been supposed that the first "ourselves also" refers to recent converts, and that "even [or and, xa?] we ourselves" refers to the apostles, but we cannot discover that this rests on any good ground. " Eavrois Grevάtwμev [groan within ourἐν ἑαυτοῖς στενάζωμεν selves]." Conf. Paul, Rom. vii, 14, "O wretched man that I am!" 2 Cor. v, 4, "For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened," &c. Says Haldane, "Their groanings are not such as those of hypocrites, which are only outward; they are from within. They do not always meet the ear of man, but they reach the throne of God." And Stuart, "We groan within ourselves, i. e. internally; not externally. We suppress the rising sigh; we bow with submission to the will of God which afflicts us; we receive his chastisement as children; our frail nature feels it, and we sigh or groan inwardly; but no murmuring word escapes us; we suppress the outward demonstration of pain, lest we should even seem to complain." How beautifully this describes the condition of many a suffering Christian, who would at the same time gladly be freed from this earth, longing "to depart, and to be with Christ."

σε υἱοθεσίαν ἀπεκδεχόμενοι, τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν [waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body]." The two clauses serve to explain each other. Christians have now, see verses 15, 16, the "vεua vioderías [spirit of adoption]," and "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit

that we are the children of God;" but we wait for the adoption itself; for the time when Christians shall be fully manifested as the "sons of God;" and this will be at the resurrection, when our bodies shall be redeemed from the bondage of corruption; it is the same work, for when our bodies are redeemed from the power of death, then we shall receive the adoption. It will then be no secret knowledge that we are indeed the sons of God, but it will be open, before the world. "The adoption includes far more than the redemption of the body. But the latter event is to be coincident with the former, and is included in it as one of its most prominent parts."

Such we consider to be the true interpretation of this passage, which though obscure to the exegete has been sufficiently plain to the practical Christian, who has sought comfort in trial and suffering. The precious truths which he finds on the surface, will be none the less valuable because others may go deeper in search of other treasures. Whatever may be its full meaning, it will ever be treasured by Christians as furnishing satisfactory proof, that "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

ARTICLE VI.

CHURCH POETRY AND MUSIC.

In the first number of this Review we made a quasi promise to discuss the subject of Hymnology, but have hitherto not found time. The fact that the General Assembly have directed the Publication Committee to go fully into this subject, invests it with interest at this moment. To see how thoroughly the Assembly have gone into this matter, we have only to glance at the parts of their plan which have been confided to the Committee. They are,

1. The purchase of the Church Psalmist, the Psalm and Hymn Book in most general use in our churches.

2. Authority to arrange for the acquiring, if it can be had at a reasonable price, of the Parish Psalmody, a book used to some extent in the Middle and Southern States.

3. The Psalter, in the common version, is committed to Rev. Dr. Duffield, of Detroit, to be prepared for chanting.

4. Drs. Beman, Barnes, and Fisher, are appointed to prepare a supplement to the Church Psalmist, that the collection may be as complete as possible.

5. The Publication Committee are to appoint a committee of three persons, who are to correspond with pastors, leaders of choirs, and other suitable persons, in order to ascertain what tunes are in general use and approved by the churches, that those may be selected that have thus been sanctioned by the general approbation, not only of the present but of past times. The committee will thus be prepared to publish a Tunebook for the Church.

As all these several objects are in the hands of the Church itself, and thus all selfish and private interests are excluded, the Committee can work to the direct point of securing a complete system of apparatus, which may be made the medium. through which the praises of God may be suitably celebrated

in the sanctuary. We rejoice in the full and free trust which the Assembly have thus reposed in the Committee. They have the opportunity of accomplishing a work that has never yet been fully done by any Protestant Church, and we hope that the thoroughness with which everything actually accomplished by this Committee has been carried out, will be but the earnest of the manner in which its business is ever to be conducted. We had rather that everything undertaken, even if slowly carried on, should be well finished, than that sundry projects should be begun at once, and all imperfectly prosecuted.

The first broad remark which must be made on the subject of hymnology is, that, considering the elements of power given in this part of Divine worship, there is a signal failure to make of it what it should be.

God offers Himself as an object of affection and adoration. But he is boundless in his own nature. The impulses of the soul, when it strives to touch infinity, have more than the fullest sway. When the imagination, strengthened by faith, has reached the limits of the created universe, it has passed over only that little portion of Jehovah that has been expressed. Even we, feeble as we are, have a world within us, for which we cannot find fitting expression. The artist, poet, orator, all feel how faint are marble, colors, words, gestures, to body forth the images which the soul finds opening upon its vision.

Lo! these are but the whisper of His ways,

But the thunder of His power, who can understand!

God is eternal. Before all worlds, He is. We cannot understand it. We earnestly rejoice that we cannot. What kind of a God would he be whom a creature could comprehend! The very essence of a creature's glory is to yearn after something better than itself, to go beyond its poor, narrow conditions, and seek for closer and closer union with beings high, pure, and holy. The Highest and Holiest of all has invited us to know and love Himself, and to draw into intimate union with Him. What the religion of Boodh originally meant, at the first and earliest spring of its tradition, by absorption into God, is