which his own fastidious taste would have desiderated before he adventured on sending them forth to the world.

The volume contains a series of twelve discourses upon The Temptation of Christ, another series of eight discourses upon The Lord's Prayer, and a selection of twelve discourses upon miscellaneous topics. The first series is particularly chargeable with that fragmentary character to which we have alluded above; and yet it abounds with glorious passages-subtle doctrinal distinctions mingling with practical appeals, sometimes of awful power. We have to thank the publishers for what they have already done, and trust that they will do yet more, in the way of perpetuating the influence of Mr Macnab's ministrations. The pulpit of Scotland will never become powerless so long as it possesses preachers like the author of these sermons. Christ's Presence in the Gospel History (second edition); with additional chapter on the Dogmatic Element in Ullmann's "Sinlessness of Jesus." Reprinted from the British and Foreign Evangelical Review. By the Rev. HUGH MARTIN, A.M., Edinburgh. John Maclaren, Edinburgh.

In announcing the second edition of this work, we consider it quite superfluous to add a word to the following high commendation from the pen of the Rev. John Duncan, D.D., LL.D., Free Church College, Edinburgh, 22d February 1865

"I am charmed with your work Christ's Presence in the Gospel History. I have perused it with intense delight, and I trust not without profit, which I hope will be increased by a new and oft-repeated perusal. In a treatise so suggestive, there are of course some thoughts which would require to be more thoroughly pondered before they be either received or rejected.

"I think its republication peculiarly appropriate at the present time, as leading the reader at once to the centre of questions which at present engage the eager, and in some cases the anxious thoughts of many minds. The attention is immediately directed to, and steadily fastened on, Emmanuel— the only-begotten Son of the Father who hath declared him-teaching 'by his Word and Spirit the will of God for our salvation.' From this centre, light and life are seen and felt to radiate in every direction. The Word given by inspiration of the Spirit harmonizing with the life communicated by the Spirit in conversion, sanctification, and consolation, which he, the Spirit, applying the Word, communicates, maintains, and perfects;-the continued presence of Christ himself with his Church by the Word and Spirit ;-the indwelling of Christ in believers and their indwelling in him, by his Word and Spirit, and their consequent conformation and conformity to him ;-the baseless rationalism or fanaticism of all claims to spirituality not accordant with and founded on the testimony of the Spirit of Christ (of Christ by his Spirit) authoritatively speaking in holy scripture;-the utter incredibility to any one who knows by experience what it is 'to believe on the name of the only-begotten Son of God, and believing to have life by his name,' that this blissful communion could be enjoyed through a medium less sure and perfect than the Word, all given by inspiration of God: these and similar trains of thought are beautifully brought out, and presented in a way fitted to promote soundness in the faith, i.e. both the doctrine which is according to godliness, and the godliness which is according to doctrine."

The Bible Manual: an Expository and Practical Commentary on the Books of Scripture, arranged in Chronological order, forming a Hand-Book of Biblical Education for the use of Families, Schools, and Students of the Word of God. Translated from the German Work edited by the late Rev. Dr T. C. BARTH of Calw, Wurtemburg. London: James Nisbet & Co. 1865.

Here is a marvellous book; marvellous for comprehensiveness, marvellous for condensation, and marvellous for cheapness. One thousand pages of close

print for twelve shillings. Among the many attempts at producing a popular commentary on the Scriptures, we know none in all respects equal to this It is sound and evangelical, without being sectional or controversial; it is learnedly-critical, without pretence; it is devout, without degenerating into mawkish moralising. We have admired the simple and happy way in which some of the most difficult portions of Scripture have been elucidated, without perplexing the reader with a multitude of conflicting interpretations; and not less have we been struck with the practical strain of the whole commentary, in which history, prophecy, psalm, and doctrine are allowed to teach their own lessons, these springing naturally out of the text, instead of being obtrusively tagged to it in the shape of "reflections," or "practical observations." We strongly recommend it to all the parties for whom it is speciall designed.

An Enlarged and Illustrated Edition of Dr Webster's Complete Dictionary of the English Language. Thoroughly revised and improved by CHAUNCEY A. GOODRICH, D.D., LL.D., late Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory in Yale College, and NOAH PORTER, D.D., Professor of Moral Philosophy and Metaphysics in Yale College. Parts I. and II. London. Bell and Daldy, Fleet Street. 1865.

Dr Webster's Dictionary will always hold a high place as a standard work; and in the present edition we have every assurance of its improvement and adaptation to the present day in the editorship of Drs Goodrich and Porter. It is in many respects worthy of public reception. Besides the numerous illustrations which embellish it, we cannot refrain from marking one important advantage which it possesses over most, if not all, the dictionaries in common use; we refer to the synonymes which it supplies. What we want in consulting an English dictionary is not so much to ascertain the meaning of the words, but all the analogous expressions which are generally

in use.

Take the word cheerful, for example. If we turn up Johnson, Walker Craig, or any of our ordinary dictionaries, we are informed it signifies "gay, full of animation, lively, full of pleasant and tranquil delight." Of course, we knew all this before; but we wish to vary the expression, or to find one more suitable to our purpose, and none of these will answer. Crabbe will give you synonymes, but, mark you, those only which vary in their significations; he disdains to mention those which are identical in meaning, or to give you a choice of vocables. Roget is excellent help in his own way; but it may take you ten minutes, with the aid of an index, to discover the exact word you want. But turn up cheerful in this work, and you obtain first a full exposition, and then you have a choice selection of synonymous terms:Lively, animated, gay, joyful, lightsome, cheerful, blithe, airy, sprightly, jocund, jolly." Again, if you wish to vary the term cold, it will go hard if you cannot fit yourself out of this boxful of synonymes:-"Gelid, bleak, frigid, chill, indifferent, unconcerned, spiritless, reserved, coy." Further, if you desire to know the nicer shades of meaning in synonymous words, such as "compunction, remorse, contrition," here it is ready to hand. " Remorse is anguish of soul under a sense of guilt and dread of punishment. Compunction is the pain occasioned by a wounded and awakened conscience. Neither of them implies true contrition, which denotes the protracted and severe sorrow appropriate to one who has been in a state of peculiar sinfulness. We speak of the gnawings of remorse, of compunction at the remembrance of some act of transgression, of deep contrition in view of our past lives." Which is not only good etymology, but good theology to boot.

The following works are too important to be dismissed with a passing notice; we must reserve them for more elaborate treatment:

Memoirs of the Life and Ministry of the Rev. Thomas Raffles, D.D., LL.D, &c. By THOMAS STAMFORD RAFFLES, Esq., B.A., &c. Second Edition. London: Jackson, Walford, & Hodder. 1865.

A work of rare attraction and absorbing interest.

The Works of Michael Bruce. Edited, with Memoir and Notes, by the Rev. ALEXANDER B. GROSART, Kinross. Edinburgh: W. Oliphant & Co. 1865.

One of the most interesting and successful efforts made by Mr Grosart, the Puritan Paladin of our day, to vindicate the fame and redress the wrongs of departed worth.

Nichol's Series of Commentaries. Airay on the Epistle to the Philippians ; Cartwright on the Epistle to the Colossians; King on Jonah; and Rainolds on Obadiah and Haggai.

Nichol's Series of Standard Divines-Puritan Period. Works of THOMAS CLARKSON, B.D. Two vols.

A twofold issue of Puritan works, rich in matter, valuable to every minister, and fitted not only to preserve the dying letter, but to propagate the undying spirit of Puritan theology.

Cathedra Petri. A Political History of the Great Latin Patriarchate. Books xii. and xiii. By THOMAS GREENWOOD, Barrister-at-Law. London: William Macintosh. 1865.

One of the most learned, thorough, and impartial histories of Romanism, in its political relations, that has been presented to the public. We are glad to see that the author proposes, during the present year, to bring down the history to the period of the Reformation.

A Year at the Shore. By PHILIP HENRY GOSSE, F.R.S. A. Strahan. 1865.

We must take this beautiful volume down with us to the shore, where alone it can be estimated and enjoyed.

Personal Names in the Bible Interpreted and Illustrated. By W. F. WILKINSON, M.A., Vicar of St Werburgh's, Derby, Joint Editor of Webster and Wilkinson's Greek Testament. London: A. Strahan. 1865.

Lectures on Great Men. By the late FREDERICK MYERS, M.A, Incumbent of St John's, Keswick. Fifth Edition. London: James Nisbet & Co. 1865.

Sermons. By the late Rev. JOHN DUNLOP PAXTON, Free Church, Musselburgh. With a Memoir of the Author, by the Rev. THOMAS M'CRIE, D.D., LL.D. Edinburgh: Andrew Elliot. 1865.

A judicious selection from the remains of "a workman that needed not

to be ashamed," whose brief but brilliant and active career, here sketched, will doubtless induce many to procure the volume.

The Scripture Testimony to the Holy Spirit. By JAMES MORGAN, D.D., Belfast. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.

1865.

A valuable contribution to the stores of our practical divinity, which has come into our hands just as we are going to press.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN EVANGELICAL REVIEW.

JULY 1865.

ART. I.-Anschar, the Apostle of the North.

1. Scriptores rerum Danicarum medii ævi. Hafniæ. 1772-1834. 2. Kirchengeschichte von Dänemark und Norwegen (Church History of Den mark and Norway). By F. MUNTER.

Leipzig. 1823-33.

3. Svenska Kyrkans Historia (History of the Swedish Church). By H. REUTERDAHL. Lund. 1838-50.

4. St Anschar. By E. C. KRUSE. Altona. 1823.

5. Historische Forschungen und Darstellungen: Lebensbeschreibung des Erzbischofs Ansgar, kritisch bearbeidet (Historical Researches and Delineations: Biography of Archbishop Ansgar, critically treated). By G. H. KLIPPEL. Bremen. 1865.

ON

N the 3d of February last, a thousand years had passed away since the demise of one of the noblest men and greatest missionaries of the middle ages. That day in 865 witnessed, at Bremen, the departing moments of Anschar, the illustrious apostle of Scandinavia, who then terminated a life of heroic Christian labour by a happy and triumphant Christian death. Throughout northern Germany, and the kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden, the event has been, we are told, recently, in various appropriate forms, commemorated; and it is gratifying to be able to report the fact, for the world is too seldom prone to pay becoming reverence to the memories of the truly great and noble, and its heroworship is very frequently of a degrading instead of an elevating kind. Anschar, no doubt, has been rather an exception to the general rule. Loved and admired during his life by his Christian compeers, his name has been treasured like a household word, through ten successive centuries, in