offend, I will not eat flesh, siç Tov aιwva, for ever," during the whole course of my life.

To these the following passages may be added, 1 Sam. iii. 13, Micah iv. 7, Matt. xxiv. 3, John xiii. 8, Ephes. ii. 7, Heb. vi. 5.

That this term must be understood in a limited sense, is likewise evident from the fact, that the writers of the New Testament continually speak of different æons, and represent one æon as succeeding another. This mode of expression occurs in several passages which have already been quoted and it is used upwards of twenty times in the New Testament, in all which places the phrase, this æon, necessarily stands opposed to some other æon.

For example, Ephes. i. 21: "Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only," E TW αιωνι τοτῳ, in this con or age, αλλα και εν τῳ μελα ZoYTI, but also in that which is to come. Matt. xii. 32: "And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him,” ετε εν τέτῳ τῳ αιωνι, neither in this con or age, ετε εν τῳ μελλοντι, nor in that which is to come: surely this cannot mean, neither in this eternity nor in the eternity to

come.

We also read of the end of the æon. Matt. xxviii. 20: "Lo I am with you always to the

end," Te alwvos, of the aon or age; not surely to the end of eternity. We even read of the end of the æons, and a period of time is spoken of prior to their commencement. Thus this word admits of the existence of time previous to the commencement of the age which it describes, and of an end to the periods which it speaks of as yet to come.

But what is absolutely decisive of its limited signification, is the addition of εti and texɛivO to it in the following places.

Exod. xv. 18: "The Lord shall reign," Tov αιώνα, και επ' αιώνα, και ετι, from con to con,

AND FARTHER.

Dan. xii. 3: "And they that turn many to righteousness as the stars,” εις τες αιώνας, και ETI, through the cons, AND FARTHER.

Micah iv. 5: "And we walk in the name of Jehovah our God,” εις τον αιώνα, και επεκεινα, through the con, AND BEYOND it.

A patient inquirer into the genuine meaning of the phraseology of Scripture, and very accurate critic, the late Mr. Simpson, makes the following observations on this term.* « Αιων occurs about a hundred times in the New Testament, in seventy of which, at least, it is clearly used for a

* Essay on the Duration of a Future State of Punishments and Rewards, p. 17.

limited duration. In the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament also it is even repeated, and several times it is repeated twice, without meaning eternity, and in two instances signifies no longer a period than the life of one man only."

Αιωνιος.

Gen. ix. 16: "And I will look upon the bow that I may remember, διαθηκην αιωνιον, the everlasting covenant between God and all flesh upon the earth;" yet the world itself will have an end, and therefore, though this bow is said to be the testimonial of an everlasting covenant, yet it can possess only a limited duration.

Gen. xvii. 8, 13, 19: "And I will give unto thee and unto thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, εις κατασχεσιν αιώνιον, for an everlasting possession. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh, εις διαθηκην αιωνιον, for an everlasting covenant."

In this passage the land of Canaan is called an everlasting possession, and the covenant of circumcision an everlasting covenant; yet the land of Canaan will not exist through endless ages, and the covenant of circumcision is declared in the New Testament to be already annulled.

Numb. xxv. 13:"He shall have it and his

seed after him, even an everlasting covenant of priesthood," diabηn aiva, yet the genealogy of Phinehas and Aaron cannot now be traced.

Philem. 15: "He therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him, alwviov, for ever," that is, for his whole life only.

Exod. xl. 15: "And thou shalt anoint them as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office; for their anointing shall SURELY be an EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD." Compare this with Heb. vii. 12: "FOR THE PRIESTHOOD BEING CHANGED, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." Ver. 18:"For there is verily A DISANNULLING of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness of it."

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In the first of these passages it is affirmed that Aaron's sons shall be established in an everlasting priesthood, and that the covenant made with them shall be without end; in the second it is declared, that this everlasting priesthood is changed, and this everlasting ordinance is now no more. Here then we have the express authority of Scripture for saying, that an everlasting priesthood has come to an end, and that an everlasting covenant is disannulled.

Had the words which are here applied to the duration of Aaron's priesthood, been annexed to that of future punishment, how impossible would it have been deemed, by many persons, to answer

the argument it would have furnished in support of its endless duration! What stress would have been laid upon the word surely, and how often should we have heard it repeated in reply to every thing which might be advanced on the subject; yet we have the authority of the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews for affirming that the argument would have been totally fallacious!

Since then we read of the everlasting or æonian circumcision, and of the everlasting or æonian priesthood, it is evident that the term must have a limited signification; for we cannot possibly suppose these things to be endless, merely because they are said to be of æonian duration. The æon or age to which they related is gone; the æonian covenants and statutes are waxed old, and have disappeared, and Jesus Christ has introduced a new æon; but if we render the word permanent, continual, or lasting, we shall be able to attach a scriptural and consistent meaning to it in every passage in which it occurs. Thus we shall have a just conception of the continual covenants of circumcision and priesthood, which continued during the Jewish æon or age; of the continual hills, which will continue during the æon or age of the world of the continual gospel, which will be preached during the æons or ages in which the Mediator is subjecting all things to himself, and reconciling them to the Father; and of continual pun