intensified on account of his slander. The law of ill-feeling seems to be this-the more we injure a man, the more we dislike him. In order to justify our injury, we create reasons to justify our dislike. Secondly: It injures by its flatteries. "The flattering mouth worketh ruin." One of the first acts performed by George III., after his accession to the throne, was to issue an order, prohibiting any of the clergy who should be called to preach before him, from paying him any compliment in their discourses. His Majesty was led to this by the fulsome adulation which Dr. Thomas Wilson, Prebendary of West 66 minster, thought proper to deliver in the Chapel Royal; and for which, instead of thanks, he received from his Royal auditor a pointed reprimand, his Majesty observing, "that he came to chapel to hear the praises of God, and not his own." This act, whilst it reflected credit on the king, reflected disgrace on the sycophancy of the clergy. Flattery is a social curse. "A man I knew, who lived upon a smile, And well it fed him: he look'd plump and fair, While rankest venom foamed in every vein; Living, he fawn'd on every fool alive; And dying, cursed the friend on whom he lived."--Young. Literary Notices. [We hold it to be the duty of an Editor either to give an early notice of the books sent to him for remark, or to return them at once to the Publisher. It is unjust to praise worthless books; it is robbery to retain unnoticed ones.] THE REVIEWER'S CANON. In every work regard the author's end, Since none can compass more than they intend. A SUGGESTIVE COMMENTARY ON ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS, WITH CRITICAL AND HOMILETICAL NOTES. By REV. THOMAS ROBINSON. Vols. I. and II. London: R. D. Dickinson, 73 Farringdon Street. THIS suggestive commentary on the Romans proceeds on the same principle as that adopted by the Rev. Dr. Van Doren, of America: that principle is the same as that which the “Homilist" has pursued since its commencement, viz., condensation. What Tholuck said of Bengel's Gnomon, every modern expositor should endeavour to realize “Every pointing of the finger a sunbeam, and each hint a gleam of lightning." Few men are disposed to read either elaborate Biblical expositions or long sermons, and fewer still have the time to do so; nor is it necessary. The man who has the genius and the culture of an expositor can light up a dark passage with a few words, if the passage is to be illuminated at all. As a rule, the greatest thought requires the fewest words to represent it. For our own part, all wordy volumes on Biblical subjects we allow to sleep undisturbed upon our shelves. The volumes before us not only proceed on a principle of which we most heartily approve, but are written with a rare combination of sacred scholarship and homiletic suggestiveHad Dr. Robinson been less technically theological, and brought out the ideas of the text in relation to souls rather than systems, we should have liked his truly valuable volumes all the better. Here, however, we may be singular, and perhaps not wise. The two volumes have our hearty recommendation. As a whole, for homiletic use, they are ness. amongst the best productions extant on this Epistle." FAMILY READINGS FROM THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. By REV. FRANCIS BOURDILLON, M.A. London: The Religious Tract THE author's preface describes the nature and character of this book. He says that "it has been written for the purpose expressed in the title, and for that alone. It is not meant as a book of reference, for the expla nation of difficult passages: nor is it specially intended for private reading it is a book for daily use in the family. The author has tried to write what he would have said, had he been expounding the Scripture in his own household, in the hope of furnishing help to other heads of families in that most important work. Bearing in mind that servants and children so often form part of the household, he has aimed at great plainness of style and simplicity of language. He has not thought it necessary to notice every difficulty, or to attempt to clear up every disputed point, believing this to be rather the office of an ordinary commentary than of a book for family reading. He has rather aimed at drawing attention to, and enforcing, the plain lessons of the sacred story: not indeed without such occasional explanation and elucidation as the passage seemed to require, but with the main design of personal and practical edification." The work is faithful to its purpose. The thoughts drawn from the various texts are few, natural, and practical. They are expressed in very plain language, and with great pith and point. THE FOOL'S GOSPEL. London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row. THE author of this book is undoubtedly a man of force. He is vigorous in thought, vigorous in passion, vigorous in specch. He is one of that ever increasing class of religious thinkers, who has not only lost faith in the popular creeds of the sects, but regards them as formidable obstacles to the true appreciation of the Gospel. To him Christianity is so simple that a fool may understand it. Though we are far enough from endorsing all his statements, we think his work well worth perusal, for it abounds with noble thoughts, and has in it the ring of a religious reformer. HYMNS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. BY HUBERT BOWER. Macintosh, 24 Paternoster Row. London: William THE author of this little volume possesses undoubtedly the poetic fire and faculty. Some of the hymns here reach the highest hymnal standard. They are worthy of a place in the best hymn books of the day. If the new Congregational Hymn Book would strike out 500 of its compositions, and put in their place hymns like some found in this book, there need be no supplement. THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, TRANSLATED FROM THE HEBREW TEXT. By WE are very pleased to receive this new translation of the Proverbs. We [NOTE. In the article in our last number, under "Biblical Criticism," there are the following misprints in the extracts it gives from the Talmud. These misprints have been kindly pointed out to us by an able and wellknown scholar, whose letter we subjoin]: LEEDS, 15 PORTLAND STREET, DEAR SIR, I was sorry to find that the interesting article headed "Biblical Criticism" contains, in the extract from the Talmud, several misprints. Thinking to save you a little trouble in referring to the passage in "Berachoth," I send the necessary alter ations. And remain, Yours sincerely, THOMAS W. Cox. The edition from which these corrections are made was published at Warsaw by Joel Lebensohn, 1863. should be two words, instead לושלום and המתין read חמין Line 2. For לו שלום ,of one ,ought to be two worls לישלום and החזרת read החזרה Line 5. For לי שלום מי היה,should be two words מיהיה and הובע read חובע Line 6. For המתן read חמתן Line 7. For Line 8. Between and insert the words ;ובא חברך ונתן לז שלום היית .and also in line 9 the same word ;מחזיר read מחויר And for עושים should be עושים .9 Line ומחר should be ימחר .11 Line ונפטר should be ונפשר .Iast line "As I live, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of Hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come."-Jeremiah xlvi. 18. HAT is, the King of Babylon shall come, and "smite the land of Egypt." The certainty that the predictions concerning that event which are recorded in this and the previous chapter would be fulfilled is hereby confirmed by the solemn oath of the King whose name is the Lord of Hosts. The King of Babylon had already invaded the land of Judah, and brought many of the inhabitants into captivity. The remnant left in the land, being alarmed on account of their weak and helpless condition, and being anxious to escape the fate of their brethren who had been made captives, were desirous-in fact, had determined-to place themselves under the protection of the King of Egypt. Judging from the past history of the Jews, we might have supposed that Egypt would have been the last country they would have chosen for an asylum, and a Pharaoh the last man in whom they would have confided. Their fathers had been cruelly oppressed there under a former Pharaoh. Egypt and its Pharaohs had VOL. XXIX. I always proved "a staff of reed unto the house of Israel." Yet, such was the infatuation of these people, that we find them always, in their distress, imploring succour from Egypt, and "strengthening themselves in the strength of Pharaoh." Their blind confidence had invariably ended in disappointment and confusion, but all this had no good effect upon them; all the faithful warnings of the prophet of God were alike unheeded. These people, in order to make a show of submission to the Most High, requested Jeremiah to inquire of Him whether it was His will and pleasure they should emigrate into Egypt. The will of God on that point had already been declared unto them; they had been expressly forbidden, again and again, to go to Egypt, and had been assured of God's protection and favour if they should remain in their own country. They seemed to indulge the vain hope that God would have relented, and change His mind in order to gratify their fond wishes. They were anxious to obtain permission from God Himself to disobey His express commands. The prophet, however, laid the case before God, and received an answer to this effect: that, should they remain in the land of Judah, God would surely protect them; but should they persist in their determination to emigrate into Egypt, nothing less than utter destruction awaited them there; that the sword, the famine, and the pestilence should follow after them and consume them, so that not one of them would escape. All this appeared unto them so improbable, being so contrary to their notions and wishes, that they became exasperated against the prophet, and accused him of falsehood, saying "Thou speakest falsely; the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not down into Egypt to sojourn there." The predictions concerning the approaching invasion of Egypt by the King of Babylon, which Jeremiah proclaimed in their hearing, appeared to them as the ravings of a disordered |