also good; as in their apprehension, it appears, that God and good were correlative terms; and when they thought or spoke of him, they were ever led, from the word itself, to consider him as the GOOD BEING, a fountain of infinite benevolence and beneficence towards his creatures." But, however expressive this term may be, it by no means conveys the meaning of the original word Elohim. Much has been said and written upon this subject, but nothing appears to us more correct and satisfactory than the definition given by Dr. A. Clarke, in his elaborate Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. We therefore gladly avail ourselves of his learned labours, and present our readers with the substance of his dissertation.

El, (

“The original word '778 (Elohim,) God, is certainly the plural form of Eloah) and has long been supposed, by the most eminently learned and pious men, to imply a plurality of persons in the Divine Nature. As this plurality appears in so many parts of the sacred writings to be confined to three persons, hence the doctrine of the TRINITY, which has formed a part of the creed of all those who have been deemed sound in the faith from the earliest ages of Christianity. Nor are the Christians singular in receiving this doctrine, and in deriving it from the first words of Divine Revelation. An eminent Jewish Rabbin, Simeon ben Joachi, in his comment on the sixth section of Leviticus+, has these remarkable words; Come and see the mystery of the word Elohim: there are three degrees, and each degree by itself alone, and yet notwithstanding they are all one, and joined together in one, and are not divided from each other.' He must be strangely prejudiced, indeed, who cannot see that the doctrine of a Trinity, and of a Trinity in Unity, is clearly expressed in the above words. The verb

(Bara,) he created, being joined in the singular number with this plural noun, has been considered as pointing out, and not obscurely, the Unity of the Divine Persons in this work of creation, In the ever-blessed Trinity, from the infinite and

* Dr. A. Clarke, in loco.

+ Lev, xvi. 1, to xviii. 30.

indivisible unity of the persons there can be but one will, one purpose, and one infinite and uncontrollable energy. "Let those who have any doubt, whether D' (Elohim,) when meaning the true God, Jehovah, be plural or not, consult the following passages, where they will find it joined with adjectives, verbs, and pronouns plural.

“Gen. i. 26. iii. 22. xi. 7. xx. 13. xxxi. 53. xxxv. 7. Deut. iv. 7. v. 23. or 26. Josh. xxiv. 19. 1 Sam. iv. 8. 2 Sam. vii. 23. Psa. lviii. 12. Isa. vi. 8. Jer. x. 10. xxiii. 36. So the Chald. 18 Elahin, the correspondent term, Dan. iv. 5. 6. 15. or 8. 9. 18. See also Prov. ix. 10. xxx. 3. Psa. cxlix. 1. Eccles. V. 7. xii. 1. Job, v. 1. Isa. vi. 3. liv. 5. Hos. xi. 12. or xii. 1. Mal... N i, 6. Dan. vii. 18. 22. 25."-Parkhurst.

"We have traced our term, God, to its source and seen its signification. We should now trace the original to its root; but this does not appear in the Hebrew Bible. Were the Hebrew a complete language, a pious reason might be given for this omission: viz. As God is without beginning and without cause, as his being is infinite and underived, the Hebrew language consults strict propriety in giving no root whence his name can be deduced.' Mr. Parkhurst, to whose pious and learned labours in Hebrew literature most biblical students are indebted, thinks he has found the root in 8 (Alah,) he swore, bound himself by oath; and hence he calls D (Elohim,) the eyerblessed Trinity, as being bound by a conditional oath to redeem man, &c. &c. Most pious minds will revolt from such a definition, and will be glad, with me, to find both noun and root preserved in Arabic.* ALLAH + is the common name for GOD in the Arabic tongue, and often D is used, the very same letters as those in D (Elohim,) the yood being

It is highly probable, that the Hebrew root had formerly the same signification as its correspondent Arabic word, though now only bearing the sense given by Parkhurst. Dr. Clarke would seem to imply this by using the word preserved.

+ Dr. Clarke gives the words in the Arabic characters. We have given them ia the Hebrew, because they are better known and their correspondency will be more manifest.

events have been exhibited, which connect themselves so intimately with our best interests, and make such irresistible impressions on our mind and heart. It was in Asia that the Almighty planted the Garden of Eden, in which he gave being to the first human pair, from whom the race of mankind was to spring. It was Asia that became the nursery of the world after the universal deluge,—whence the descendants of Noah dispersed their various colonies into the other parts of the globe. It was here that Jehovah revealed his will to man, and placed his chosen people, the Israelites, " to whom were committed the oracles of God." Above all, it was in Asia that the Son of God was "manifest in the flesh," and accomplished the stupendous work of human redemption; and hence that light shone out which has irradiated the dark places of the earth, and caused the wilderness and solitary place to be glad, and the desert to rejoice and blossom as the rose. On these, and many other accounts, this quarter of the globe possesses an interest, and claims a superiority, over the rest.

The continent of Asia is situated between 27 and 190 degrees of east, or 170 of west longitude, and between the equator and 78 degrees of north latitude. Its length from west to east may be estimated at 7,000 miles, and its breadth, from the southern part of Malacca to the most northern cape of Asiatic Russia, at 5,250 miles. Asia is bounded by the frozen or Arctic ocean on the north; on the west it is separated from Africa by the Red Sea, and from Europe by the Levant or Mediterranean, the Archipelago, the Hellespont, the Sea of Marmora, the Black Sea, the Caucasian chain of mountains, the Uralian chain, and the river Oley, which falls into the Arctic or northern ocean. On the east, it is bounded by the Pacific, which separates it from America; and, on the south, by the Indian ocean; so that it is almost surrounded by the sea. The central regions of the Asiatic continent rise into a vast and highly elevated plain, extending some thousands of miles in every direction; and standing aloft like an immense table, supported on all sides by high and precipitous mountains, which overlook the surrounding countries. From this vast elevation the rivers of Asia flow as from

a common centre, in every direction, to all the surrounding seas; and the numerous kingdoms stretch themselves around in gradual descent. The climate of Asia admits of every variety from the scorching heats of the torrid zone to the piercing colds of the polar circle. In no part of Asia, however, is the climate so intolerably hot as in the tropical desert of the African continent.

The principal places in Asia mentioned in the scriptures are the following:

In giving the length and breadth of the different countries we have taken

the utmost of each.

Name.-Assyria had its name from Ashur, the second son of Shem, and grandson of Noah. Offended, probably, with the tyrannic usurpation of Nimrod at Babel, he removed to the north-east, and took possession of this region, and thus laid the foundation of a vast empire. It was afterwards called Adiabene, and is now called Courdistan.

Boundaries.-The boundaries of this country it is difficult to assign. It appears to have been bounded on the north by Armenia; on the east by Media and Persia; on the south by Chaldea; and on the west by the river Tigris, or Hiddikel.

Face of the Country.-Whatever appearance the face of this country may have worn during the time that the Assyrian empire flourished, it is now greatly and beautifully diversified. Immense plains, lofty and almost inaccessible mountains, with numerous rivers and lakes, spread themselves over this region. In many parts the soil is very rich and fruitful, but in consequence of the despotic power exercised by the chiefs of the different tribes inhabiting the country-a power which renders all property insecure,-it is too generally suffered to lie uncultivated, and in many parts has the appearance of a desolate wilderness.

Rivers. The principal rivers of Assyria, besides the Tigris, or Hiddikel, which divided it from Babylonia and Mesopotamia, are, the Lycus, or Little Zab; the Capros, or Great Zab; and the Gorgus, or Golden River; all of which swell the Tigris with their tributary streams.

Climate. From the situation of this country, the climate must evidently have been delightful in the utmost degree, and naturally salubrious to the human constitution. But the whole of Asiatic Turkey, in which it is situate, is often visited with the plague; a dreadful scourge to mankind wherever it takes place, but here