actuated by any other than such as on a dying bed I could recognize with pleasure. I have prayed, and still do most earnestly pray, that I, the deacons, the trustees, the aged members, and the whole church, may be directed aright in this affair. I have, therefore, set apart this day for reading, reflection, and prayer.

The subject lies with great weight upon my mind, lest I should take a wrong step. The interest of religion in the town may be affected by it. Read the 28th and 29th chapters of the 2nd book of Chronicles. Felt I could enter into the spirit of David, and felt willing to relinquish the object, if the Lord would be pleased to show me, by concurring events, that it would be right to do so. But while in prayer for direction, I felt strongly the force of this consideration, that the necessity, and the probable usefulness of more room, are obvious; and this renders it duty for me to make use of prudent means to accomplish it. Rose from my knees with some anxieties on my mind. Read the 2nd book of Samuel 7th chapter. Reflected that the place had been twice enlarged before; that my heavenly Father might not approve of my being the instrument of making another enlargement. Then I resigned to his will; and I feel desirous to prepare the way for the work by another, so that the cause may flourish."

These deliberations resulted in the determination to erect a new and more spacious chapel, as soon as the fitting opportunity presented itself. Preliminary measures were adopted, and an organization was arranged for procuring the necessary means. But it was not till seven years had elapsed, that the building was begun. In the eighth year it was completed and opened for the worship of God.

The editors have attempted a vindication of their father's decision respecting the new chapel; we regret we cannot say, so far as it respects ourselves, with complete success. If the only question that could have arisen had been that of enlargement, or a new building on nearly the same spot, then the decision was probably the best that could be made. But it strikes us, that there was another question which could have been considered, and which might have induced a different determination; namely, the question of encouraging the formation of another church in the adjacent town of Portsmouth. Some apology may be made for Mr. Griffin, inasmuch as the subject of church colonization had not been long mooted at that period, and experience had scarcely taught the practicability or safety of the scheme. But looking at the whole question at this distance of time, and in the light of modern experience, we cannot but express our regret, that our venerable and lamented friend did not boldly venture on recommending the erection of a commodious edifice in Portsmouth; to which he might have drafted off some fifty or hundred of his friends, to form the nucleus of another and flourishing society.

There is great force in the remarks of the editors, that "large assemblies give attraction and solemnity to religious services, often attract strangers, excite and diffuse feeling, and keep the preacher up to a lively, vigorous, popular tone of address, eminently calculated for general usefulness," but numbers are comparative, and large assemblies must have their limits. The great practical question is not, what numbers can a man preach to, but what numbers can a minister professing to be a 4 F

N. S. VOL. V.

pastor, watch over, and superintend, as well as teach and exhort? Should there be, in any locality, a growing demand for accommodation, as there was happily at Portsea, it may be surely taken as an intimation to "arise and build," in some other convenient spot, that the needed room may be furnished, and the attractive influence of another and a rising interest may be felt. We lament that this course was not adopted in the present instance, and that Portsmouth was not selected as the favoured spot.

Over a new and rising church in that important town Mr. G. might have watched with paternal solicitude, till it was sufficiently strong and numerous to have a pastor of its own. Thus might the two interests have exerted a much more considerable moral influence over the popu lation of the two towns, than the one cause in Portsea, however large and numerous, could possibly do. It was a bold and hazardous enterprise to erect a chapel of such dimensions as that in King Street, where he continued to labour to the end of his days. There could have been no doubt respecting the place being filled, and the cause prosperous, while Mr. Griffin should continue to live and to labour as he had done; but it was a fearful step in reference to a successor, who might not have the attractions, and could not have, for a while, the veneration and respect which Mr. Griffin enjoyed. Happily, however, under his esteemed successor the cause is still prosperous, and the place not too commodious for its congregation.

There can be little doubt that the additional labour thrown on Mr. Griffin, by this larger edifice and his increasing congregation, tended to enfeeble his physical powers, and to shorten his days. As a wise man, conscious of approaching age, and its accompanying weakness, he resolved, when in his sixtieth year, to seek a co-pastor, who might share with him the toils and pleasures connected with his important work, and to whom, on his departure, he might surrender his charge, in the gratifying hope of his maintaining the peace and harmony of the church unbroken and undisturbed.

His wishes in this matter were realized. In answer to the fervent, united, and importunate prayers of himself and his friends, the Great Head of the church was pleased to send to his help the present able and much loved pastor, the Rev. T. Cousins, whom may God preserve and prosper!

In this latter affair we cannot but highly applaud the discretion and prudence of Mr. Griffin, and very strongly recommend his example for the imitation of some of our venerable and beloved fathers in the Christian ministry.

The two questions of church colonization and co-pastorship are of great and growing importance. The preservation of our denominational interests, as well as of evangelical religion in some directions, and the extension of independency in others, depend on their timely consider

ation. We shall be delighted to learn that the publication of these memoirs has had the effect of drawing the attention of some of our influential popular ministers to these topics.

Scarcely had the co-pastorship of Mr. Cousins been finally settled and entered on, before Mr. Griffin's strength began to fail. Slight attacks of paralysis were subsequently felt, and within three years he was numbered with the dead. During his affliction, his mind was tranquil and happy. He was sustained amidst his weakness by the promises and grace of that Saviour, whose word he had so long, so faithfully, and so zealously proclaimed. The records of his experience at this affecting season are encouraging and delightful. A quotation or two will serve as a specimen.

Writing to a friend he observes

"I am not over anxious about living, nor terrified at the thought of dying. The subject is certainly affecting and solemn; but it is not overwhelming. Since I had the slight paralysis which I experienced in the spring, I feel as though I am walking on the banks of the river which separates the wilderness of this world from the Canaan of rest; but though I would not boast, I would express it with gratitude, that I am not terrified with the expectation of being commanded to pass it. I shrink from the passage, and would be glad if I could, like the prophet, to pass over the river in a flying chariot, rather than pass through it; but I have no tormenting fears of the consequences. I hope that the sting of death is taken away, and, in this sense, the bitterness of death is passed."

To a member of his family-he one morning observed, "My dear child, how great are our mercies-my mercies! It is a great mercy that I am not in distress of mind. I have no distress in looking back, though I have much to humble me. No distress in looking forward, for I am trusting to that grace, resting on that foundation, where every Christian who enters heaven must rest, whether he be in some respects an ignorant man, or a minister, who may be supposed to know more."

On the 16th of April, 1834, he fell asleep in Jesus, being in the sixty-fifth year or his age, and the forty-first of his ministry.

"The

We cannot more appropriately close our remarks, than by quoting his own simple, characteristic and touching description of himself, as given to his children in the course of domestic conversation. grace of God, my children, has done every thing for your father; he was a poor hard-working boy, but his religious principles kept him from sin, and brought him into connexion with good people, enabled him to improve his capacities, and has made him one of the happiest of ministers and fathers. And woe to any of us, if we forsake God and his people." His favourite theme alike in life and in death was, "By the grace of God I am what I am."

The Holy Bible, containing the authorised version of the Old and New Testaments, with nearly Twenty Thousand Emendations. London: Longman & Co. 1841. 12mo. Morocco gilt, with Maps and

Tables.

It is not our present intention to add any thing to what has been so often and ably said and written respecting the necessity of a new translation of the Scriptures into our mother tongue, or, at least, of a critical revision of the authorised version now in common use. It seems pretty generally agreed that our English translation is very good, though susceptible of much improvement; that its language and style are become partially obsolete, though not to the same degree with other books of the same period; and that the improvements effected since its execution in the sciences of sacred criticism and interpretation might both amend the original text and ameliorate the method of its representation in an English dress, yet not to such an extent as to effect an essential alteration in its import.

On the announcement, therefore, of the revised recension at the head of this article, we anticipated its appearance with no ordinary degree of interest, and especially under the circumstances in which it had been undertaken and accomplished. A very high meed of praise is justly due to the pious and benevolent editor, (who, though his name does not appear on the title page, is, we believe, generally known to be Dr. Conquest,) for having devoted to this laborious task, during thirty years of patient perseverance, the intervals of leisure afforded in the midst of the numerous demands made by a toilsome and anxious profession, and for having, at the expense of a large sacrifice of money as well as of time, accomplished an undertaking to which hitherto only the exertions of an episcopal bench and the expenditure of national funds have been deemed adequate. As the "labour of love" too of a Christian layman, it possessed in our estimation a peculiar claim on the regard of those who might have imagined that, if executed by a minister, it was intended to subserve some theological purpose, or was, at least, only connected with his professional pursuits.

That our readers may understand the objects of the industrious editor, and the changes which he has made in the form, arrangement, and language of this revised edition, we cannot do better than quote those paragraphs of his preface which relate thereto :

"In this version of the Bible every consideration has been subordinated to that of elucidating and illustrating the sacred text, and the object unceasingly kept in view has been to give the sense of the inspired penman, without being paraphrastic; and although most of the proposed emendations are more literal renderings than those for which they are substituted, some few are more free, where the obscurity of the original language required it; yet not even to secure clearness of expression has fidelity of meaning in any instance been compromised. Neither has any merely con

jectural rendering been admitted; and the adoption and rejection of every change, whether of punctuation, or of a single word, of an entire sentence, has been the result of much patient and reiterated consideration. Some biblical students may condemn the omission of emendations suggested by translators of erudition and piety, but almost all that have appeared in several hundreds of publications during the last two centuries have been carefully and impartially examined, and those only rejected which were deemed conjectural, useless, or unsupported by sufficient authority. Nearly treble the number might have been introduced, but several of those suggested, even by men of high standing in literature, have been most unwarrantably framed to sanction some disputed sentiment or heterodox doctrine, and could not be adopted without violating the commandment of Him who has said of his word, 'Thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it;''If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life.' Before adopting any emendation, all the known authorities relating to it have been consulted, and no suggestion has been received unless it was well sustained by internal evidence, and deemed to be in accordance with the mind and Spirit of God. Nothing has been altered to gratify the taste of the fastidious: the regions of uncertainty have been avoided, and debateable ground has been but seldom trodden. In every instance where men of equal research and talent have differed, and where there has appeared no preponderance of evidence on either side, it has been considered most prudent to allow the passage to remain as in the authorised version.

"Some words used by our translators have necessarily been altered, having no sanction from the Hebrew or Greek languages, such as Easter, candle, candlestick, &c., which were unknown until centuries after the sacred Scriptures were written; and other expressions are so unwarrantable and unsupported by the originals, as 'God save the king,' 'God forbid,'' Would to God,' 'God speed,' &c., that although in some measure hallowed by familiar use, yet could not be allowed to remain, being direct violations of the commandment, 'Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.' Connected with this subject is the alteration which scholars and divines of the highest eminence have proposed to make in reference to the terms JEHOVAH and ADONAI, which, in our version, are indiscriminately translated Lord, a title equally given in the English Bible to Him who is the only uncreated, self-existent, unchangeable, and almighty Being, whose name alone is Jehovah,' and to mere men in authority, the lords of the heathen,' and others. Although by many persons it may be deemed desirable to adopt the distinctive title of JEHOVAH, as belonging exclusively to Him who bears a name inapplicable to any created being, still, as it does not involve any compromise with error, or sacrifice of truth, it has been thought best, after the most mature consideration, to retain the word LORD, because it is inseparably associated by Christians with their earliest and most sacred feelings, and with their ordinary devotional engagements and language. There are a few words, such as Gehenna, (Matt. v. 22,) which cannot be translated into English, and therefore remain as in the original, but are fully explained in the general index, at the end of this Bible. "Numerous grammatical errors, occasioned by the carelessness of transcribers, have been rectified. The punctuation has been carefully examined and corrected, but always with a strict and conscientious regard to the meaning of the sacred writers. Uniformity in translating the same original words has been observed, wherever it was practicable; but there are many words, such as life, soul, hell, &c., which could not be always rendered the same without obscuring the sense and impairing the meaning of the inspired penman: and this is one of the many proofs of wisdom displayed by our translators, who have employed, with judicious variety, different words expressive of the same meaning.