does not often occur in the New Testament; but when it does, the original is never 'baptize' or 'baptized.'"

1. The book is put forth as a practical and devotional one on the work of the Holy Spirit, and hence, to say nothing of its logic, the foregoing seems sadly, painfully out of place. You are invited to sit down to a communion of pious thoughts, on one of the most sacred themes of the Christian faith, one concerning which all evangelical Christians are agreed, and in the midst of it, this parenthetical and partisan fling at the tenets and reasoning of a large portion of the church, is unceremoniously hurled at your head. We do not know but this is Christian etiquette, brotherly kindness of the highest degree. But, somehow, it strikes us as somewhat questionable. Our Methodist friends might perhaps complain, if we should invite them to unite with us in Sabbath school services, in the midst of which we should introduce a tirade against Episcopacy. Perhaps they wouldn't. We don't think of trying it, however. 2. But, if it were ever so much in place, the reasoning is strangely fallacious. It takes it for granted, and its whole force depends upon the assumption, that baptize, baptism, &c., are never used in a figurative or secondary sense. For to say that the figurative or secondary meaning of the word is just like the primary and ordinary, is obviously equivalent to saying it has no figurative or secondary meaning, since things precisely alike clearly cannot be different. But things different—as are the primary and figurative meaning of wordsjust as obviously cannot be alike. Therefore, if baptize, and baptized, &c., may be used in a secondary sense, that secondary is not precisely like, but only similar to, the literal meaning; and if, too, in the instances quoted, these terms are used in a figurative sense, then Mr. A.'s argument is pointless.

That these terms are used figuratively, and not literally, in those texts, even the Rev. Mr. Arthur himself cannot seriously question; and if he does not, why does he reason as if he did? Does he deceive himself, or does he mean to deceive others? They do not mean that there was a literal baptism in the cloud, or in the sea, or even on the day of Pentecost; but only that these events, each in many important particulars unlike the others, alike bore a striking resemblance to the idea of baptism. And, though Mr. Arthur may not have noticed it, it is from their resemblance to the idea of immersion, that their striking beauty comes. Take this idea of being surrounded, overwhelmed, swallowed up, by the cloud, the sea, and the Spirit, and reduce it to a mere sprinkling, and how almost infinitely these subjects are belittled! Their very soul is abstracted—there is hardly anything left of them. They are brought down from the heights of a divine sublimity, to a point scarcely above the ridiculous. Associate them with the fulness, the quantity, the pervadingness, the all aboutness of immersion, and then the description of Israel's walking safely through the sea means something, the cloud becomes the mysterious bearer of the divine presence, and the presence or baptism of the Holy Ghost is all round about and a glory in the midst. Query. How did Mr. Arthur ascertain that the Israelites were literally " sprinkled" by the Red Sea, as they passed through it? We don't remember any such statement in the sacred record. Pray, where did he get it? Of course such a literalist didn't mean figuratively sprinkled."

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It is difficult to see what relevancy the assertion that Santigo is "never rendere "dip" or "dipped" in the New Testament,-but Bantw,—if true, has to the argument he is so unsuccessfully endeavoring to use.

Mr. Arthur is a better rhetorician than logician, and succeeds better in devout exegesis than in critical controversy. He would, in our judgment, do well to stick to his forte. With the exception we have noted, this book of his-published by the Harpers-is a valuable work, written with an excellent spirit. Hence the more glaring the exception.

THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES EXPLAINED by James M. Macdonald, D. D. New York. 1856. M. W. Dodd.

The author gives a new translation of Ecclesiastes and places it in parellel columns with the old for the convenience of comparing. The translation differs very little from the received version, in some points being made simpler and more modern in style. We have noticed one verse in which the old version is changed for the worse, no doubt: 3 12, is made to read "enjoy good," instead of, “do good," though the latter is strictly literal and communicates an additional idea. Otherwise, so far as we have noticed, the changes aid the common reader in obtaining a clear view of the Spirit's meaning.

The introductory essay, to show that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is taught in the Old Testament, is able, just, and timely. The author clearly apprehends the design and local circumstances which produced Ecclesiastes, and thus is enabled clearly to illustrate the book. Whoever reads this commentary will feel quite at home with Ecclesiastes afterward, and it is no less adapted to the common reader than the scholar.

A

THE PROPHETS AFTER RESTORATION Or, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. new translation with notes. By the Rev. T. V. Moore, D. D., pastor of the First Presbyterian church, Richmond, Va. Robert Carter & Brothers. 1856.

The new

This volume is one which we love to commend to our readers. translation gives additional interest to this interesting portion of the Bible.The expositions are clear and far removed from that indefiniteness so prevalent among commentators on the prophets. The author happily illustrates the position of these three prophets as the prophets of the restoration, thus giving in a general view the proper point from which to study them.

The new translation is evidently the result of much study, and, what we think will generally strike those painfully who attempt to follow him in the study of the Hebrew, is, that the author shows so little of the process by which he has arrived at his conclusion. It would have been better for ministers generally if the author had dwelt a little more on the grammatical relations of the Hebrew terms, but probably less attractive to the general reader. Most commentators, and this one included, give these readers much more credit for learning than they deserve. In this book, for instance, if the author had lent the helping hand to the student rusty in the Hebrew, he would have induced many more ministers even to follow and appreciate him, who, unaided, will make no attempt.

There are some passages of rare beauty and force for any book, but much more rare in commentaries. We could hardly refer to a passage in any book that has thrilled us more than the author's at the close of the eighth chapter of Zechariah. This is a book of the right kind to aid the minister and comfort the people.

A CRITICAL COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, by Francis S. Sampson, D. D., Professor of Oriental Literature in the Union Theological Seminary, Prince Edward, Va. Edited from the manuscript notes of the author, by Robert L. Daleney, D. D. Robert Carter & Brothers. 1856. New York.

The little time we have been able to give to this book does not prepare us to speak of this work as we desire, but our impressions are of the most favorable kind as to its research and ability. The author was a man blessed with good talents as a commentator and almost every outward advantage, and this is the work to which he devoted his mature years.

THE GOSPEL IN EZEKIEL: Illustrated in a series of Discourses. By the Rev. Thomas Guthrie, D. D., Edinburgh, author of Pleas for Ragged Schools," etc. New York: Robert Carter & Brothers. 1856.

Perhaps the above title might lead some to expect something like an exegetical work on Ezekiel. If so they would be misled. It is rather a series of discourses on the leading themes of the Gospel the texts selected from the 36th chapter of Ezekiel, commencing with the 16th verse. The Messenger, the Defiler, man sinning, man suffering, God's punitive justice, God's motive in salvation, are the themes in their order to the sixth. There are twenty-two discourses in all, as before observed, on the leading doctrines of the Gospel. The peculiar feature of this book, it strikes us, is its power of illustration. Many apprehend these truths as clearly as the author, but few are so happy in expressing them, especially, few have the power of expressing them in a form so adapted to awaken the emotions which the heart ought to experience when the intellect is brought into contact with divine truth.

PERVERSION: Or the Causes and Consequences of Infidelity. A tale for the Times. By Rev. W. J. Conybeare, M. A., Author of "Life and Epistles of St. Paul." New York: Wiley & Halstead.

When an author has gained eminence in one department of literature, he hazards much if he makes an attempt in another and totally different field. Universal genius is seldom realized, and excellence in one direction is often the proof of inability to excel in another. Hence the old classical proverb, Ne sutor ultra crepidam―let each man stick to his trade; he may excel there, but hardly elsewhere.

It was under the influence of some such considerations as these that we took up Conybeare's new work, the title of which is given above. His Life and Epistles of St. Paul was a decided success, and has at once passed to an unchallenged position among the very choicest and most important theological works of any age or country. It were even difficult to name a single one to stand before it. But that was anything rather than a work of imagination.

It required patient investigation, laborious research-days and nights of discriminating, wearisome, plodding teil, to sift out and arrange its multitudinous details; and then the clearest and profoundest philosophical insight, to mould them into the proper, real, and living proportions of the Life and Writings of the great Gentile apostle. When, therefore, the man who had done this, with such wonderful success, proposed to lead us into the walks of fiction, we felt like saying," Beware!"

Nor were our forebodings altogether groundless. Conybeare in "A Tale for the Times," certainly is not equal to Conybeare in the walks of exegetical and historical theology. Especially the first part of his new work flounders dragglingly along, in a way that betrays both a new hand and also one that can scarcely make itself the master here that it is elsewhere. Yet the latter portion of the volume evinces improvement, and throughout the whole the working of principles and systems is vividly and strongly portrayed. He succeeds in making you feel as he feels, and elicits from you a storm of indignation for the principles or the systems that fall under his condemnatory inspection-and his scalpel is unflinching. Though the red blood follow its every incision, there is no relenting, no hesitation. It cuts right on, until the venomous core is exposed and separated. In this is his strength. Artistically, his book would not excite attention. One feature alone, that of two heroes, pursuing quite different courses, would be enough to destroy its value in this respect. Its plot is poor, its management is not dramatic, and its artistic denouement, or rather denouements, insignificant.

Another thing will detract somewhat from the credit its author might otherwise receive. It reminds one of the Eclipse of Faith, so that he can scarcely help feeling all along that the idea of the work was borrowed from Rogers; while it certainly suffers in the comparison with Rogers' work. In so far as such a comparison is made, it is an imitation that, like imitations generally, is inferior to the original; and on that account may not receive the credit it intrinsically deserves.

But after all this, and as we have already intimated, the book has merit, and that, too, of a high order. Upon the whole, it considerably surpasses the impression with which we took it up, and the feeling with which we finished it exceeded the estimate of the first few chapters. It will be read, will create something of a sensation, and will make a mark. It is intended to expose the rottenness of the English boy boarding school system, and does it effectually. It makes one feel that if that is the way English boys are trained, the good Lord deliver us from being an English boy. Upon the University system, it is more sparing, but says enough to evince that there is a reason for a friend to deal tenderly, and that an enemy or reformer would find work to do in earnest. For our own part, strongly and decidedly as we cling to the importance, as essential to a full training, of a classical culture, we are convinced that the English University system is quite as rotten as its boarding school system.

But this is only one point among many. Various features of High Church and Low Church, of Puseyite and Evangelical, and of society in general, come in for a full share of unsparing exposure-as contributing to the infideli

ty of the times. No doubt some points are overwrought-some things painted in too brilliant colors; but we presume the work will awaken attention to real defects, and draw out effort to remedy them; and by a general incitement to seek out the causes of infidelity and evil, do much toward remedying them.

COLTON'S AMERICAN ATLAS, Illustrating Physical and Political Geography, accompanied by Descriptions, Geographical, Statistical, and Historical. New York: J. H. Colton & Co.

The above named work, we do not hesitate to say, combines many more excellencies than any other work of the kind extant. It forms Vol. I. of an Atlas of the World—a second volume being taken up with the Eastern Conti nent, and contains sixty-three different maps, of different portions, and, together, of all of the Western Continent and contiguous islands. The maps are finely engraved, and are exceedingly accurate, both topographically and in having all the latest changes fully noted. And, moreover, to keep pace with these latter, the publisher has arranged so as to furnish at a trifling expense new and altered copies of any map where changes may have been made, and which can be inserted in the Atlas in the place of those they supersede. This seems to us an especially valuable feature. Then the maps are drawn on a large scale, and name even small villages, sometimes where there is scarcely more than a store and a post-office. Another valuable feature is maps of the larger cities, by which any street can be found at a glance, and the localities of public points of interest easily comprehended.

Added to all this, there is a large amount of accompanying letter press description, some of it such as is not elsewhere casily accessible, and yet is extremely valuable, and enough in quantity to fill several ordinary duodecimo volumes. Indeed, the work is a complete encyclopedia of Geography, in which the maps are far beyond anything before attempted. The price, fourteen dollars for the volume, at first seems considerable; but when one comes to consider the number, accuracy, and convenience of the maps, the amount, variety, and importance of the descriptive matter, and then remembers that a single mounted map, with no descriptive matter- and really no better than the corresponding one of the sixty-three maps in this Atlas-costs from five to eight dollars, the price of this dwindles into insignificance, and one only thinks of its exceeding cheapness. It is both by far the best and cheapest work of the kind to be found.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURE: Suggested by a tour through the Holy Land. By Horatio B. Hackett, Professor in Newton Theological Institution. Boston: Heath & Graves.

There are many passages in the Scriptures that are obscure, if not meaningless, without some knowledge of Jewish customs, characteristics, or geography. What idea, for instance, would one gain from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, if he knew nothing of the marriage customs of the Jews. And so of a great number of other passages; some, where the allusion is sustained through a whole passage-as in the case referred to-and