60, 70, 80, 100 and 137 bushels of corn to the acre; and other grain it produces in proportion, as wheat, tobacco, cotton, hemp, flax, potatoes, beans, mellons, &c. &c.

in

For the rearing of stock of almost all descriptions, this country is particularly calculated. Fewer diseases attend them here than any of the other new countries at their first settlement, that I have been acquainted with. The sheep thrive finely. The browsing of a large herd of cattle in those large and beautiful prairies, (of which those in other places are but a faint resemblance, being here mostly on high lands, and the timbered land in the valleys,) never fail in reminding me of the pathetic story of Joseph and his brethren, and have frequently imagined that I could almost see the pious and virtuous youth approaching his wicked and wretched brothers, unsuspicious of their treachery, whilst they were conspiring against him, and "saw him afar off!”

The procuring of good water is the greatest difficulty attending the settlement of this country. Near the great water courses springs and good wells are very abundant; but in the interior it is scarce: yet it was so in the first settlement of Kentucky after the country became settled. Such is the mystery of nature or of providence. "For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert."

The diseases that attend this climate, are of the billious type. Fevers are the prevailing diseases of the climate, more debilitating but less inflammatory than further to the north, and less fatal. Consumptions are rare and very seldom known, and but few cases of rheumatic affections. Full habited persons, particularly those from the north, are very apt to fall victims to the fevers of this country; but persons from the seaboard appear to enjoy excellent health, and none that have been predisposed to consumptions that have migrated but have been benefited as to health, in consequence of a removal to this climate.

The facts as stated, have forcibly occurred to the mind of the writer after several years residence in the country. It is natural to man, after viewing with deep interest so extensive and beautiful a domain, to feel an anxiety to rise within his breast to see it populated. I cannot suppress my feelings on this score; but the statements that I have briefly given, it is believed contain the truth; others may profit by them. My feelings on this score I cannot illustrate better than by the relation of a singular occurrence. About the first of June, 1819, whilst travelling in the great bottoms of the Mississippi, (called the American bottoms) my fellow traveller who had accompanied me through the country, and possessed a general knowledge of it, and of its history for forty years, whilst passing up the bottoms which extend from sixty to one hundred miles, called my attention to a natural pyramid or very high peak on the elevated and towering rocks forming the boundary of the American bottom. "Do you see, do

you see," said my fellow traveller, "a small paling or enclosure on the top of that peak?" "Yes Sir, I replied, and what is it?" "It is," replied he, "a Mr. Hull's grave! He was an early settler in this country from the eastward, and agreeably to his direction he was buried in an erect or standing position, with his face toward the Mississippi; and that paling you see encircles his head!" I was truly astonished! It gave rise to many conjectures to think of a man disposing of his remains in so singular a manner. Surely, thought I, this man wished to live to see the time, when these vast bottoms should be handsomely improved, finely cultivated, and richly populated; and this great father of waters (the Mississippi) navigated; (as it now is by steam boats) and has thus manifested his desire by giving direction as to the manner in which he wished to be buried. It was no doubt the anxious wish of Boone and Kenton, and they greatly exulted to find Kentucky and Ohio so rapidly settling by so enterprising a population!

But to return from our country ramble to our own settlement. Our worthy friend, the Rev. William Beauchamp, became an agent for us, and after encountering numberless difficulties, is called, it appears providentially, by his brethren, to take an important station, (St. Louis) and he is now attached to the travelling connexion. Three other preachers have already been taken from our young nursery to join that connexion, and we are left bare. We want preachers much in this country. It would be well for some who wish to be useful, to find their way to this part of the world. Some young physicians who wish to find a home among the people, would find encouragement in this country.* Our worthy friend and partner, Dr. Wm. M'Dowell, from age and infirmities, is prevented from bearing with us a part of the burdens of the settlement. It therefore falls, and that heavily too, on shoulders already loaded with the cares of life. You may, therefore, judge what time a person has to write essays for a periodical work, who has a city to build! I should like to give you a full detail of the whole progress of our infant settlement; but presume, that at this time, it would not be necessary. All that I can say on this score is, that after encountering every difficulty that usually attends new settlements, and waded through the persecutions of pretended friends and malevolent foes, we have succeeded in the establishment of a very pleasant settlement, in one of the most delightful regions of the west, where its moral and religious influence, is in a greater or less degree felt for fifteen or twenty miles around!

We now wish to build a handsome church, and a male and female academy. We had designed employing a Missionary to

*Shipping merchants might meet with success. Mechanics in most branches of business might find employ. Prudent farmers are here in the road to wealth. Too many lawyers and quack doctors are a nuisance to any country.

make an excursion through the Atlantic states, to raise à fund to aid us in the accomplishment of our object; but we expect that the people's patience is worn thread bare on that score, and as we love independence, we rely upon our own resources for the purpose, However, we should have no objection to dispose of a part of church funds, (donations of lots and lands) and I presume this might be done to some advantage in the cities, or should be, where all the capital of the west goes, and only leaves us property to build our houses with.

I am, very affectionately, yours.

THOMAS S. HINDE.

For the Methodist Magazine.

IMPORTANCE OF STUDY TO A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL." (Continued from page 220.)

In the former number were made some observations on the expediency and usefulness of acquiring a knowledge of the learned languages. On that subject, the writer has freely given his own views, without any reference to the practicability of entering into such a close study as shall give to the student an ascendancy in the scale of literature. To this pre-eminence few only can hope to attain. To be a "master workmen" is not essential to every labourer.

To what has been there said, we would add a few remarks upon VERBAL CRITICISM; by which we understand a critical knowledge of words, the radical meaning of which determines, very often, the primary sense of the passage with which they stand connected; and especially such words as are emphatical in that particular connexion. We would premise, however, that although it may be important, in rescuing an obscure or controverted passage from objectionable interpretation, to be competent to ascertain the radical meaning of words, by tracing them to their respective roots, yet it is thought that too much dependence has frequently been placed upon this sort of criticism, in settling theological questions. There are certain veins of truth running through the field of Christian Theology, to which the Needle of revelation directs the mind of the conscientious theo logian, and to which, by carefully digging, he will infallibly arrive. These are discovered, not merely by a solitary glimmering of light of uncertain origin; but by the collected rays of Truth which beam forth through the medium of revelation. There are, indeed, in this divine Book, a leading design, a prevailing truth, a predominant doctrine, and a paramount duty, which shew themselves throughout the whole volume, and which forcibly strike the reader's attention, in almost every page. This being the case, we do not depend upon a word of dubious import, nor upon any in

sulated passage, for the establishment of any particular doctrine, or for the authority of any particular duty; but they are to be ascertained from a careful collation of the several parts of the inspired writings, and by the harmonious testimony of the whole. These remarks are intended to guard ourselves against attaching too much importance to sentiments derived merely from the etymological meaning of words, and from indulging too freely in verbal criticism for the establishment of a favourite doctrine.

But while we would scrupulously guard ourselves against the abuse of this sort of knowledge, we would recommend its use to all those who are capable of turning it to the advantage of truth and righteousness. Since there are those who press this kind of learning into the service of heterodoxy, and make it subserve the promulgation of error, it is well to be able to wrest the javelin from their hands, and then to vanquish them with those very weapons with which they thought to have assailed and conquered you. While they speak "great swelling words of vanity," and boast of their dexterity in wielding the original words of scripture to support their cause, meet them with meekness of wisdom, and evince the superiority of truth, by the manner in which you are able to "take the spoil from the mighty."

The Unitarians or Socinians, as well as the Universalists, are perpetually resorting to their quibbling criticisms upon the import of particular phrases, and especially the original words of Scripture, in order to support the peculiarities of their respective systems. Why is this? Is it because they gain any thing by such conduct? No surely. But they hope thereby to dazzle the minds of the ignorant by a pompous parade of learning, and to impose upon the credulous by an ostentatious shew of industry in searching into the writings of the ancients. Now, to undeceive the deceived, and to establish the wavering in the truth, follow such fantastic quibblers into their lurking places, strip them of their armour, and bind them with the cords of truth, that they may no longer ensnare the unsuspecting with the splendid trappings of a false learning.

How often have we been told that Aiwv, does not signify eternity, but only a definite term of time, and that it ought to be rendered ages ? But let any man open his Bible with a candid desire to ascertain the truth, and collate the several places where this and its correlative terms are found, and he will soon be convinced of the frivolity of all such criticisms. And equally weak is the argument founded upon the ideal meaning of by, which literally signifies to hide or to conceal in the dark; for all who will impartially consult the several places where it occurs, will perceive that it is most appropriately used to represent, as far as human language can represent, eternity, which, indeed, is hidden or concealed from mortal sight. If you wish to see how completely nugatory the Socinian argument is, which professes to derive VOL. VI.

34

strength from a critical examination of those passages in the original Scriptures, which speak of the personality of Christ, you may consult Wardlow on the Socinian Controversy, and Middleton on the force of the Greek Article.

In the application of this sort of criticism for the illustration of Scripture, or the vindication of any special doctrine, it should be recollected that many terms, particularly in the Greek of the NewTestament, are used in a sense quite different from what they were by the heathen Greeks. Is it to be supposed, for instance, that the words, Πιις, Θεος, Αγιος, Ουρανος, Αδης or Γεεννα, conveyed the same ideas to a heathen Greek, as they did to a Christian ? Was the Faith of a Grecian moralist, in God, in holiness, in heaven, in hell, the same as the Faith either of a Christian or a Jew? While the former apprehended by his faith a plurality of deities, or, as the apostle expresses it, "Gods many and Lords many, to the faith of the latter there was "but one God." " While his heaven was filled with angry deities who once had their abodes on earth, the heaven of the holy Christian becomes refulgent with the smiles of the God of love, and its society enlivened with those who had "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." The inspired apostles took up words as they found them in the current language in which they spoke and wrote; but as they taught a system of doctrines and duties which was entirely new to the generality of their hearers, they used such like terms as we have enumerated, in a sense far more noble and sublime, than what the heathen philosophers did. And though they were sanctioned by the authority of the Septuagint or Greek translation of the Old Testament, in applying most of the terms in the manner they did, yet in treating on the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ, his vicarious sacrifice, of the efficacy of His blood, and the glorious fruits of His resurrection and ascension, and intercession, they were under the necessity of either inventing new terms, or of employing old ones in a new sense. The latter method was generally adopted. By this means the meaning of emphatical words was transferred to the explanation and support of a new system of Theology, far surpassing in the grandeur of its object, in the depth of its counsels, the sublimity of its truths, and in the obligation of its precepts and duties, any system of religion the world ever saw. This observation should be kept in mind, especially when explaining and applying those words which have been incautiously selected from the inspired writings to defend the doctrine of necessity, or of fate.

One more thought upon this subject. As words are used by the inspired, as well as by all other writers, in a variety of senses, we can ascertain the sense in which they should be understood only by tracing them to their ideal meaning, and thereby carefully collating the several passages in which they occur. Having arrived at their primitive meaning by descending to their respec