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A Practical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to Titus. Rev. WILLIAM GRAHAM, D.D., M.R.I.A., Author of "The Jordan and the Rhine," ," "Spirit of Love." London: James Nisbet & Co. 1860. THIS very readable thin volume is exactly what it professes to be. It breathes a brotherly and genially evangelical spirit. In some places we cannot but think the author is a little offhand; and in some he is dogmatic enough, as chap. iii. 5—“ This refers, without doubt, to baptism," especially as his statements are not clear on this point. The following extract is important and interesting; it occurs in his remarks on chap. ii. 12, 13:

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"What is our position? It is that of waiting for, and looking for the coming of the Lord,-not waiting upon the Lord merely, which is also a duty, but waiting for the Lord from heaven, who shall change our vile bodies, and make them like unto His glorious body. This is the position of the believing Church, and has been so from the beginning of the world. The first promise of a deliverer and serpent-bruiser, was the seed of hope to a fallen world, which continued to expand and brighten during many ages and dispensations, till at last it ripened in the person of the incarnate God, and filled the face of the world with fruit. Thus, the Jews waited for His coming in the flesh, as the Lamb to bear the sins of the world, and the High Priest over the house of God. Their position was hoping, waiting, longing for the Deliverer. We, too, have the promise of the Saviour, that He shall come again; and this is the hope of the Christian Church, so that all the hopes of the Jews and the Christians, from the beginning to the end, are united in the ever-glorious and adorable person of the God-man. He is the centre in which the ages, ceremonies, and dispensations all meet and have their stability—the unity which harmonises time and eternity, creation and Creator,-the living fountain which sends forth the benediction of God over the ages, dispensations, and nations in a thousand streams. As the Jews hoped and waited, so we hope and wait. Our position is the same, and the person whom we wait for is the same; they waited for His coming in the flesh, and we for His coming in glory.

"Is this hope an important doctrine of the New Testament? I answer, Very important, for our text calls it the blessed hope, so that it is full of real blessing to the believer. What can be more blessed to the soul than the person of the adorable Redeemer, whom even unseen we love so ardently? All our hopes are about to be realised in His glorious appearing, when we shall be with Him and like Him for ever.

Lo! He comes in clouds descending,
Once for favour'd sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train.
Lo! He comes on earth to reign.'

“Then, again, I argue the importance of the Advent, from the events that are connected with it, such as the following:-He comes as the Redeemer and Head, to raise and glorify His Church in the first resurrection, (1 Cor. xv. 23; 1 Thess. iv. 15.) He comes to put an end to the system of antichristian delusion, and consume Antichrist himself in flaming fire, (2 Thess. ii. 1-12.) He comes as the Prince of the kings of the earth, to judge the

nations in righteousness, which is generally called the judgment of the quick, (Matt. xxv. 31-45; Ps. xcvi. 10-13, xcviii. 5-9.) He comes to convert and restore the ancient people of God, (Rom. xi. 26.) He comes in visible state and majesty to receive from the Father Almighty the universal and indestructible kingdom of the earth and the whole creation, (Dan. vii. 13, 14.) And I will add, finally, He comes to glorify His saints, and to be glorified in all them that believe, (2 Thess. i. 10.) These and other similar glorious events are the harbingers or accompaniments of His coming again, and hence its exceeding great importance. It is not an isolated event, but the nightly hope of many generations and the great centre of a dispensation of glory. And, lastly, I argue, the importance of the advent, from the place which it occupies in the New Testament. It is often, as in our text, mentioned in connexion with the Atonement; and in the Bible it occupies as conspicuous a place as the cross of Christ itself. Let us actually examine and compare the Atonement and the Advent, that we may see, by the frequency of their occurrence in the Word, the importance which God attaches to them. Thus we have the following results :

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"In Romans, the Atonement, chap. iv. 25, v. 9, vi. 10, viii. 34 (4); and the Advent, chap. xi. 26, xiii. 12 (2.) In 1 Corinthians we have Atonement, chap. i. 13, 18, ii. 2, i. 23, v. 7, xv. 3 (6); and the Advent, chap. i. 7, 8, ii. 13, iv. 5, xi. 26, xv. 23, 51 (7.) In 2 Corinthians, the Atonement, chap. v. 14, viii. 9 (2.); the Advent, chap. i. 14, v. 2 (2.) In Galatians, the Atonement, chap. i. 4, ii. 20, iii. 13, iv. 5, vi. 14 (5); the Advent is not mentioned. Ephesians, the Atonement, chap. i. 7, ii. 13, 16 (3); the Advent, chap. i. 14 (1.) In Philippians, Atonement, chap. ii. 8, iii. 10 (2); Advent, chap. i. 6, 10, iii. 20, iv. 5 (4.) In Colossians, Atonement, chap. i. 14, 20, ii. 14 (3); Advent, chap. iii. 1 (1.) In 1 Thessalonians, Atonement, chap. iv. 14, v. 10 (2); Adyent, chap. i. 10, ii. 19, iii. 13, iv. 13, v. 2, 23 (6.) În 2 Thessalonians, Atonement, not mentioned; the Advent, chap. i. 7, ii. 1, 8, iii. 5 (4.) In 1 Timothy, Atonement, chap. i. 15, ii. 6, iii. 16 (3); Advent, chap. iv. 14 (1.) In 2 Timothy, Atonement, chap. i. 10 (1); Advent, chap. iv. 1, 8, 18 (3.) In Titus, Atonement, chap. i. 14 (1); Advent, chap. i. 13 (1.) In Hebrews, Atonement, chap. i. 3, ii. 9, ix. 14, 26, x. 10, 12, 29, xii. 2 (8); the Advent, chap. i. 6, ix. 28, x. 37, xii. 26 (4.) James, Atonement, not mentioned; Advent, chap. v. 7, 8 (2.) 1 Peter, Atonement, chap. i. 2, 11, ii. 21, 24, iii. 18, iv. 1, 13, v. 1 (9); the Advent, chap. i, 5, 7, 13, iv. 5, 7, 13, v. 1, 4 (8) 2 Peter, the Atonement, chap. ii. 1 (1); the Advent, chap. i. 11, 16, ii. 9, iii. 4, 10, 12 (6.) In 1 John, Atonement, chap. i. 7, ii. 2, iii. 5, 16, iv. 10 (5); the Advent, chap. i. 28, iii. 2 (2.) Jude, Advent, chap. i. 14, 21 (2): and in Revelation, the Atonement, chap. i. 5, 9, vii. 24, xii. 11 (4); the Advent, chap. i. 7, ii. 16, 23, iii. 3, 11, v. 10, vi. 17, x. 15, xii. 10, xvi. 15, xix. 11, xx. 4 (12.) Add these together, and you have the Atonement mentioned in the Epistles fifty-nine times, and the Advent sixty-eight times. Thus, according to this rule, the Advent should be preached as often, at least, as the dying love of Christ; and that this is not the case, I appeal to the conscience both of preachers and hearers in all the churches of God. Surely, however, it can never be held that we should conceal what God has revealed, or that we should say little about that which He says much about. Our best rule is to restrain our own fancy, and be guided by the revealed will of God. He is a better judge of the importance of truth than we are, and we must, therefore, be pleasing God when we give the Advent the importance which it evidently has in the Holy Scripture. Besides, our passage teaches very clearly that it is in looking for the glorious appearing of the Redeemer that we are enabled to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world. If you cease to look for Him, you cease in the same measure to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this evil world. You are, in fact, attempting the bricks without the necessary straw. Is it not manifest that our worldliness must dissolve,

or at least relax, when we are expecting the Lord to come and burn up the world? Be assured, then, that this looking for the Lord is a sweet, holy, sanctifying state of mind, and most pleasing to your Father who is in heaven.”

Earth's Coming Glory and Man's Future Home. A Sermon preached in substance before the University of Cambridge, on June 14, 1859. By Rev. R. G. L. Blenkinsopp, B.D. London: Wertheim, Macintosh, & Hunt. 1860.

THIS is a brief, but practical and most excellent treatise on a subject, the nature of which is sufficiently indicated by the title and by the following extract :

“But let us advance yet one step further, and inquire whether there is in the Bible any intimation or announcement of earth's future destiny. And here I would observe, that although I should be sorry indeed to preach on such a subject in any dogmatical language, yet I do conceive that the Word of God speaks in stronger and plainer terms than we had any reason to expect it would; for in the very same chapter in which we are informed that the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up,' it adds, 'NEVERTHELESS, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new EARTH, wherein dwelleth righteousness.'

"Not only so, but as if to prevent any misapprehension on this most important subject, and to explain that by destruction is not meant annihilation, the apostle draws a comparison, illustrating the future destruction of the world by fire to its past destruction by water, saying, "The world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; but the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire.'

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"This seems to me utterly to sweep away the common idea that the 'perishing' of the world signifies its utter and complete annihilation. The whole course of nature, as I before remarked, is one of reproduction, not entire destruction, so that it should be as though it had not been. Earth will unquestionably be 'burnt,' and pass through the furnace, but it will come out of it purified, cleansed, sanctified; it will be MATERIAL still, but not sinful. Like the BODIES which are to inhabit it, this corruptible must put on incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality.' On this point the Rev. G. Sumner writes as follows:- -The earth now lies under a curse. When God created it it was 'very good.' But sin was brought into the world by man, and the very ground was cursed for man's sake. From that time forward, the whole creation (animate and inanimate) groaneth and travaileth together in pain. It needs to be born again. Our blessed Lord seems to hint at this in a very remarkable passage in Matt. xix. 28. When speak. ing to the apostles, he says, "Verily, I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."' I may remark that the present Archbishop of Canterbury, in his commentary on the passage, considers the regeneration here spoken of to be the renovation or restoration of all things, and connects it with that new heaven and new EARTH which shall be, when the first heaven and the first EARTH have, in their present state, passed away.

"Thus, then, have we seen what EARTH WAS, what it is, and what, we believe, it WILL be. It only remains, before we close, that we inquire whether there are now any signs that this age is drawing to a close.

"On one point all prophetic writers are agreed, viz., that we are without

doubt living in the Saturday of this world's week, and that its 'Sabbath draws on.' For nearly 6000 years the whole creation has groaned and travailed in pain together, WAITING for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body;' but—and is it not a glorious and cheering hope?—its Easter approaches. At present,' says Luther, 'we see the world in its working clothes, hereafter it will be arrayed in its Easter and Whitsuntide robes.' Yes! its six working days are nearly ended,-for we must not forget this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day;" and just as Saturday night is the busiest of all, preparing for the quiet and rest of the Sabbath, so is the world more busy now than ever it was before, and (unconsciously to itself) making all ready for its Millennial rest.

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"I myself have no hesitation in saying I believe that literally 'the night is far spent, and THE DAY is at hand.' I acknowledge myself at once to be one of those who think the day' is not so far off as some suppose, and perhaps wish, it may be. I do not regard it impossible that our Lord Jesus shall so come in like manner as ' the apostles saw Him go up into heaven, in OUR day."

Isaiah's Call to England: being an Exposition of Isaiah the Eighteenth. By WALTER CHAMBERLAIN, M.A. London: Wertheim, Macintosh,

and Hunt. 1860.

THE excellence of Mr Chamberlain's works lies in the carefulness and range of their interpretations. Not that we concur in all of them; but we have read them with interest, and often with satisfaction. His application of the eighteenth of Isaiah to England, in this new volume, is not without its probability. Some of his criticisms are rather too ingenious, and his Napoleonic ideas do not commend themselves to us. We have as yet seen no proof of Napoleon being "the wilful king; thongh doubtless he is, like his brothers of Austria and Naples, a very wilful one indeed. But here is an excellent passage on Isa. xviii 7:

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"The prophet's meaning is clear. At the time of which he is speaking certain people were to be brought themselves as an offering unto the Lord of hosts, to the place of His name, the mount Zion: that is one part of the promise. The second part is, that from such people so offered themselves, offerings shall also be brought to Mount Zion. The two predictions are clear and distinct, and could be fulfilled but by one people. Israel shall be brought to Zion, themselves an accepted offering and Israel, as worshippers, shall bring their offerings also to be accepted. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me,' (Isa. xlix. 22): or again, And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord; as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord,' (Isa. lxvi. 20.)

"I write these words in italics to be particularly remarked, for in the course of our work I shall have occasion to shew that this very passage is an explanation of, and parallel to, Isa. xviii. 7, and that the offering here mentioned

exactly defines the sense in which Isaiah speaks of Israel as an offering brought to Zion at that verse in chapter eighteen.

"For I must observe that the commentators, in treating verse seven, have completely neglected the prophetical imagery. What are our ideas of offerings to the Lord according to Hebrew Scripture? Could the mere conversion of a Gentile people fulfil this prediction, 'an offering shall be brought, a people?' &c., &c. By no means. We must interpret the offering according to Hebrew ideas; it must be either, or, the bloody, or the bloodless; and I shall shew that the latter, the Mincha, is the very type made use of. Again, I ask, what are our scriptural ideas of Hebrew offerings? Are such brought to Jerusalem, to the place of the name of the Lord there, to be taken away again? Surely not; the people that is to be brought, according to Isaiah, will be a hallowed offering to the Lord of hosts; not to be recalled again, but to be left there, and if left there, then only one people could scripturally fulfil this condition of the prophecy, viz., the sons of Israel; and neither Egyptians, nor Ethiopians (even if converted, which, at the time assumed, they were not), nor any other people, could be the means of accomplishing the prophecy.

"The favourite time chosen for imagining the fulfilment of this prophecy is that of Hezekiah's reign, when Sennacherib was overthrown: And many brought gifts (, Mincha, tribute or gifts) unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah, king of Judah; so that he was magnified in the sight of all the nations from thenceforth.' (2 Chron. xxxii. 22.) No doubt Sennacherib's overthrow is the great Scripture historical type of discomfiture to Israel's foes; but I wish it now to be noticed that the homage-offerings to the Lord from Gentile nations at that time are termed Mincha; and the Mincha, or bloodless offering, is, in fact, the type of the offering predicted by Isaiah in chapter eighteen, verse seven. And so he explains himself, They (viz., the Gentiles) shall bring all your brethren for an offering (?, Mincha) unto the Lord' .. as the children of Israel bring an offering (T, THE Mincha) in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord,' (Isa. lxvi. 20.)

"And how did they that? Let us examine the second chapter of Leviticus, ver. 11, for directions as to the Mincha; and one clear impression to be gathered from it will certainly be that of irreversible dedication to the Lord. The very burning of part, and consumption by the priests of the remainder, were significant of the purification of Israel, and their inseparable incorporation into the Church of God. The Mincha was 'a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire,' and is typical of Israel when carried back to Zion

"There can be no honest or rational evasion of the type thus employed, and specifically adopted by Isaiah. Homage-offerings from Gentiles to the Lord are stamped as Mincha; Israelites carried home by Gentiles, are, by Isaiah, stamped as Mincha, with direct allusion to THE Mincha; and when Isaiah predicts a present shall, be brought unto the Lord of hosts, a people,' &c., &c., I maintain the Mincha is the proper type of this present; and shall shew, as we proceed, that the particular phrase employed in chapter eighteen denotes homage-offering from Gentiles.

"Now, of the Mincha, as of other offerings to the Lord of Hosts accepted by Him, the one idea Scripture gives us is that of irreclaimable gift to the Lord; taken to the Lord's place at Zion, and left there to be disposed of as He pleases. The atonement, left there; the peace-offering, left there; the firstfruits, left there; the priests' portions, left there; and (in a sense) the priests and Levites themselves, left there: once dedicated, always dedicated; once given, never recalled again. These people, prophesied of by Isaiah, are

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