were not to pray for the deliverance of such an offender from the penalty of violated law. There were many offences which the law did not punish with death; and the sin not being unto death, the apostles were to labor for the restoration of such offenders, and seek to restore them to the paths of virtue and peace, that they might become again useful members of society. Bishop Horne, we think, gives the true meaning of this passage. He says: "The Talmudical writers have distinguished the capital punishments of the Jews into lesser deaths, and such as were more grievous; but there is no warrant in the Scriptures for these distinctions, neither are these writers agreed among themselves what particular punishments are to be referred to these two heads. A capital erime generally was termed a sin of death, (Deut. xvii. 6); or a sin worthy of death, (Deut. xxi. 22); which mode of expression is adopted, or rather imitated, by the apostle John, who distinguishes between a sin unto death, and a sin not unto death. (1 John v. 16.) Criminals, or those who were deemed worthy of capital punishment, were called sons or men of death, (1 Samuel xv. 32; xxxi. 16; 2 Samuel xix. 28, marginal reading,) just as he who had incurred the punishment of scourging was designated a son of stripes, (Deut. xxv. 16; 1 Kings xiv. 6.) A similar phraseology was adopted by Jesus Christ, when he said to the Jews: "Ye shall die in your sins. (John viii. 21-24.) Eleven different sorts of capital punishments are mentioned in the sacred writings.' DRAW BACK TO PERDITION. "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."-HE BREWS X. 39. Many have erroneously supposed that this language refers to the immortal world, and the drawing back to perdition, means the misery of the soul in hell! It is supposed that the saving of the soul, refers to the deliverance of man from endless punishment. This view of the subject is supported by human creeds, but not by divine revelation. The passage has no reference to the immortal world. Those who abandoned the truth, became unfaithful, and turned back to the beggarly elements of Judaism, and suffered in the judgments which came upon the disobedient and sinful, were said to draw back to perdition, or to destruction, as the original is sometimes rendered. But Paul would have his brethren found faithful, and persevere unto the end, even to the saving of their lives. We here present the opinions of several orthodox commentators upon this passage, as quoted by Paige : LIGHTFOOT.-"As Christ's pouring down his vengeance, in the destruction of that city and peo ple, is called his 'coming in his glory,' and his coming in judgment;' and as the destruction of that city and nation characterized, in Scripture, as the destruction of the whole world, so there are several passages that speak of the nearness of that destruction, that are suited according to such characters. Such is that in 1 Corinthians x. 11, 'Upon whom the ends of the world are come;' 1 Peter iv. 7, 'The end of all things is at hand; Hebrews x. 37, Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.' Sermon on James v. 9. WAKEFIELD. "But we are not they who withdraw unto destruction, but who faithfully persevere, to the deliverance of our lives." CLARKE. "We are not cowards who slink away, and, notwithstanding, meet destruction; but we are faithful, and have our souls saved alive. The words peripoiesis psuche signify the preservation of life. See the note Ephesians i. 14. He intimates, that, notwithstanding the persecution was hot, yet they should escape with their lives." Dec 2015 |