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himself out to detect and exhibit the finest shades and fibres of thought in the text, he never allows himself to sink the great pregnant ideas and salient points of the Epistle in mere verbal criticism, but, like Calvin, makes it his chief object to bring out the general scope and character of each successive section of the Epistle. We think it a decided recommendation of the work, that it makes no attempt to combine the critical with the practical, the exegetical with the hortatory. We are convinced that this cannot be done without injury to one or other of the two departments. But while the critical exposition itself necessarily brings out a great deal of rich doctrinal, practical, and experimental truth, requiring little more than naked statement and occasional vindication as the genuine sense of the text, the author very properly allows himself an occasional digression, where the truths brought out in his Commentary have been matter of vexed controversy, sketching the points and arguments in the case, and giving his own judgment, which he does in such cases with comprehensive brevity, neatness, and point.

The work, however, might have possessed all these properties, and yet neither in doctrinal soundness nor in general tone have been one that we could cordially recommend. But it is just here that we are prepared to speak of it with the greatest satisfaction. In both these respects, so vital, and in a work designed for ministers and students so essential, it is every thing we could desire. We cannot, indeed, but congratulate the United Presbyterian Church on having such teaching for its students, whether we look upon the truths thus drawn fresh from the wells of salvation, or to the searching scholarship brought to bear upon them. It is to the credit of Scotland that it has produced such a work, whose author, though master of all that has been either directly written on his subject or remotely bearing upon it, and freely availing himself of the latest philological and critical researches of German and English scholars, invariably exercises his own independent judgment. And we cannot too strongly recommend all our ministers, preachers, and students to possess themselves of it, and try to catch its mingled Christian and scholarly impulses.

In a few cases we have reached a different conclusion from the author, and in a few others we feel disposed to query his decisions. But in none of them is any thing vital in question between us.

The external appearance and typographical accuracy of the volume does great credit to the publishers.

The Necessity for an Intermediate System of Education between the National Schools and Colleges of Ireland; in Letters Addressed to His Excellency the Earl of St Germans, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. By the Rev. JAMES M'COSH, LL.D., Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in Queen's College, Belfast.

Belfast: John Shepherd.

DR M'COSH has, in these Letters, directed public attention to a subject of paramount importance, not only to Ireland, but to Britain. The Letters themselves are brief, clear, forcible, and business-like state

ments of the subject-short enough to admit of being read by any man, however much engaged with other duties, and yet containing so much well-condensed meaning as to enable the reader to apprehend distinctly the real nature and bearing of the whole matter.

There are in Ireland two branches of a national system of education, the National Schools, instituted about twenty years ago, under the auspices of the Earl of Derby, then Lord Stanley; and the Queen's Colleges, instituted under the auspices of Sir Robert Peel. But in the National Schools no classical instruction is given; and into the Colleges there is no admission without considerable proficiency in classical studies. How, then, are the youth of Ireland to ascend from the Schools to the Colleges? 66 Every one," says Dr M'Cosh, "has heard of the person who built a fine house of two storeys, each very large and commodious, but neglected to put a stair between. It appears to me that if the Government goes no further than it has done, it may be represented as guilty of a similar blunder. We need a set of intermediate schools to enable the more promising youth, belonging to the middle and lower classes of Ireland, to take advantage of the education provided in the Colleges."

The view thus given requires no proof; its mere statement is enough. But the extent of the deficiency is next shown, by a rapid survey of the country, glancing at the Diocesan and Royal Schools, the pupils in which, who advance so far as to qualify themselves for college, generally attend Trinity College, Dublin, and thus do not form the needed stair to the Queen's Colleges, besides being far too few to meet the demands of the community. It appears from an outline drawn out by the Dean of Dromore, in 1845, that there are in Ireland 80 towns of a population exceeding 3000 each, in which there are no academies, or endowed schools of the higher grade, such as would be required to prepare young men for the Colleges.

On this proved destitution of the means of obtaining even the commencement of classical education, Dr M'Cosh founds his plea for a system of Intermediate Schools, call them Academies, or Gymnasia, or what you please, between the National Schools and the Colleges. For our own part, we do not see how the plea can be for a moment disputed. It would prove at once a very powerful and a very speedy method of rescuing Ireland from the ignorance, degradation, and misery under which she has so long groaned. It would give to Britain the benefit of Irish wit and genius, cultivated, refined, and free, capable of imparting an impulse to the somewhat more prudential and matter-of-fact mind of the sister kingdoms. And it would tend very greatly to secure to the British Isles a thorough union of light and truth, enabling this great empire to lead on, more steadily than ever, the progress of the world in all that promotes the welfare of man. We trust, therefore, that Dr M'Cosh will strenuously prosecute the task which he has so well begun, and will thereby acquire the right to be regarded as one of Ireland's greatest benefactors.

Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew v.-vii. In which it is attempted to Unfold and Present our Lord's delineation and enforcement of Personal Righteousness in that Discourse. By the Rev. WILLIAM M'INTYRE, A.M., Maitland, New South Wales.

Edinburgh: Johnstone & Hunter. 1854.

HAVING it in view to give, ere long, a comprehensive survey of the various works which have been produced relative to this important passage of Scripture, we refrain from even attempting such an investigation of the volume now before us as it deserves, and will then obtain. We feel, however, that we should not be discharging our duty, either to Mr McIntyre, or the public, if we did not, without delay, direct the attention of our readers to it, however briefly.

The work is one of very decided merit in every point of view. It proceeds on a calm inquiry into the design of the Sermon on the Mount as a "comprehensive and profound view of personal righteousness, setting forth its distinctive character, the necessity of it, and the blessedness attached to it." That this was our Lord's design in this divine discourse Mr M'Intyre has, we think, clearly proved; and thereby shown the special value of it, not merely as a full outline of our Lord's method of teaching, but of special teaching on a topic a right understanding of which must "shut men up to the faith." With such a view of personal righteousnes man must ever despair of obtaining admission into the "kingdom of heaven," except through the imputed righteousness of Christ. In prosecuting his investigation of the Sermon on the Mount, Mr M'Intyre displays very unostentatiously, if not unconsciously, some of the most valuable of the qualities of a sound and trustworthy expositor. There is no parade of verbal criticism, yet there are ample proofs of sound and accurate scholarship; no displays of sentimental declamation, yet clear indications of deep and correct piety; no attempt at high-wrought eloquence of style, yet the very simplicity and truthfulness of many a passage render them singularly impressive. As we peruse the work, we feel that we are obtaining the matured results of a thoroughly learned, able, and pious minister of the gospel's thoughtful labours, in which all confidence may be placed. Neither our limits nor our present design permit us to do more than state these general expressions of the real merit of the work before us, without any specimens of the work itself. Nor can we do more than state, that Mr M'Intyre makes considerable use of the theory of structural parallelism-often with good effect in bringing out the meaning with great clearness. A further investigation of this and other topics may hereafter appear; meanwhile we feel that we are fully warranted in giving to the work our decided and strong approbation.

The Repentance of Nineveh: a Metrical Homily on the Mission of
Jonah. By EPHRAEM SYRUS. Also, an Exhortation to Repentance,
&c. Translated from the Original Syriac, with an Introduction and
Notes, by the Rev. HENRY BURGESS, Ph. D.
London: R. Blackader.
IN the production of this volume publisher and translator have alike

done their parts well. It is beautifully printed and tastefully done up-looking more like a volume for the drawing-room than for the student's desk; and both in the translation, and in the explanatory remarks at the beginning and throughout the volume, Dr Burgess has given ample proof of his sound scholarship, and equally sound discretion. We have observed nothing that seems liable to objection. The work itself is chiefly valuable for its antiquarian interest-as a specimen of the old Syriac Christian literature of which Ephraem was the most distinguished ornament. Dr Burgess says of his writings generally, "They were originally composed ad populum, and have those qualities which fit them to be read with pleasure by Christian people of every age and condition. They are mostly poems, possessing great variety of outward form, much spirit and fancy in their style, and of general interest in the topics they treat of. They come to the heart by their recognition of the events of every-day life, and by their constant reference to the joys and sorrows which are identified with our humanity."

The Repentance of Nineveh has been selected for translation by Dr Burgess, as one of the better specimens of Ephraem's manner of treating practical subjects metrically. It is a homily of some length, written in verses of seven syllables, and, if actually delivered, would certainly be in danger, as the translator states, of becoming monotonous. We are not so confident, as he seems to be, of this danger having been avoided, by the great variety of the matter introduced, and the diversified forms into which it is thrown. If we may judge from the effect produced by reading the translation, we are somewhat afraid we should have been caught occasionally taking a nap, had we been present on the occasion of its original delivery. As a whole, and in its homiletic use, we are not disposed to say much for it. But as a specimen of the Syrian taste in the fourth century, and an evidence of the manner in which an important portion of Scripture might be treated by a divine of that age and country, we look upon the volume with interest, and feel indebted to Dr Burgess for the care and fidelity with which he has executed his task. We need scarcely add, that for those who may be engaged in the study of Syriac, the volume possesses an additional and quite peculiar interest.

RECENT GERMAN PUBLICATIONS.

AN elegant edition of the Gospel of John in Syriac, in the Harclensian version, has been published by Prof. G. Bernstein. It is reprinted from a MS. formerly in the possession of Joseph Asseman, and now in the Vatican Library at Rome, numbered 279, and dating from A.D. 1483. Its text agrees throughout with that in White's edition of the Philoxenian version of the Gospels, Oxford, 1778, though it is in many passages more correct. It possesses a peculiar value from being provided throughout not merely with the vowels, but with the points Kushoè and Rucoch (corresponding to Dagesh and Raphe in Hebrew), the employment of which is still involved in some obscurity. Bernstein has compared throughout two older MSS. in the Estrangelo character, the Florentine, A.D. 757, and the Vatican, 268, thought by Stephen Asseman to be the original MS. of Thomas of Harclea, A.D. 616, but regarded by Bernstein as less ancient than the preceding. He also compared in the first five chapters the Codex Angelicus, preserved in the Augustinian convent at Rome, written probably in the eleventh century, and which he supposes to represent the text of the Philoxenian version, prior to the emendations of Thomas of Harclea. The result of these comparisons is given in the critical remarks. The typography is of rare beauty. The work is from the press of Teubner, Leipsic.

F. Delitzsch, "New Investigations into the Origin and Plan of the Canonical Gospels." Part I. The Gospel of Matthew. 8vo, pp. 112. The first half of this treatise consists of an article which appeared in Guerike's Zeitschrift for 1850, with some modifications; the rest is taken up with an exhibition of his peculiar views as to the form of Matthew, which he supposes to have been modelled after the Pentateuch. Its Genesis extends from i. 1-ii. 15; its Exodus from ii. 16vii. 29; Leviticus viii. 1-ix. 38; Numbers x. 1-xviii. 35; Deuteronomy from xix. 1-xxviii. 20.

Jul. Müller, "The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians." With a preface by Dr Nitzsch. 12mo, pp. 392.

C. E. Luthardt, "The Gospel of John in its peculiarity Represented and Explained." Part II. 8vo, pp. 491.

J. G. Reich, "Critical Commentary to the New Testament, in which the most important and difficult passages of doubtful reading are accurately reviewed and explained." Vol I. contains Paul's Epistles to the Romans and Corinthians. 4to, pp. 409. This work, as its name implies, is an elaborate examination of the critical authorities for the determination of the true text. It is written in Latin.

A second edition of Delitzsch on Genesis is announced, which appears from its title to be revised and enlarged.

"The God-man, the Fundamental Idea of Revelation in its Unity and

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