CRITICAL NOTICES.

The Man Christ Jesus. By the Rev. ROBERT CRAIG, A.M., Rothesay. Edinburgh: Thomas Constable & Co.; Hamilton, Adams, & Co., London.

1855.

We have read this work of Mr Craig with great pleasure, and shall rejoice to hear of it obtaining, as it deserves to obtain, an extensive circulation. We were first attracted to it by its title. We felt strongly that, if it proved true to its name, the "Man Christ Jesus" would supply an important desideratum in the literature of our practical theology; nor has a perusal of the work disappointed, but rather confirmed, our expectations.

There is a strange tendency in human nature to rush in its opinions from one extreme to another, a tendency which we perceive not only in individual men, but in sects and parties of men. An instance of it is noticed by Robert Hall, in his review of Gisborne's Sermons on Christian Morality. When the peculiar doctrines of the gospel have been long neglected, and a system of semi-pagan ethics has reigned triumphant in the ministrations of the pulpit, the danger is, that on the revival of a more evangelical strain of preaching, the recoil will be so great as to create an aversion to the inculcation of duty and virtue. The preacher becomes afraid even to mention the term virtue; and we have heard the exclusion of it from pulpit discourses seriously defended. On the rise of the Evangelical party in the Church of England, a tendency of this sort was observable, a tendency which Mr Gisborne's Sermons were calculated, and indeed designed, to counteract and amend. In the Church of Scotland, the same current, at least to some extent, set in when Moderatism gave way before the labours of Dr Andrew Thomson and Dr Chalmers, together with their coadjutors and successors. Some clergymen began to shrink from the task of enforcing the duties of morality, lest they should lay themselves open to the charge and reproach of legalism.

We suspect the existence of a similar tendency in many minds with regard to the person of the blessed Saviour. It is right and proper that Christians should cherish a salutary horror of Socinianism,-a cold and lifeless creed, a system of barren negations, the general prevalence of which would infallibly and speedily banish religion from the world. But there is some, nay, imminent risk, that this dread of Socinianism should lead to a too exclusive contemplation of the divine nature of Christ. We fear, indeed, that in some measure this has actually taken place. In our anxiety to hold by the divinity, we are apt to lose sight of the humanity of the Saviour. We think

of him as God until we forget that he was a man, a man of like passions with ourselves, who was afflicted in all our afflictions; and who, in his character and life, has left us an example that we should follow his steps. The evil influence which such a state of mind and feeling is fitted to exert, is of no ordinary magnitude. It makes us lose, to a great extent, the benefit of Christ's holy example, and the consolation of his fraternal sympathy. Hence every effort to correct one-sidedness in our habit of thought concerning the Lord is to be encouraged and applauded; and a book which should have this end in view, a book on Christ's humanity, written by a believer in his divinity, we have long considered to be one of the wants of the present day. That want is at length supplied. Such a book we have now the satisfaction of bringing our readers acquainted with. Mr Craig is no Socinian, but a true and faithful minister of Christ; and the design of his present performance, so opportunely conceived, and so well executed, is to set the "Man Christ Jesus" before us as the pattern we ought to copy, the example we ought to follow,-the "model man," to be imitated as well as admired. Our author's aim cannot be better expressed than in his own words, as contained in the preface of his book : "The author," says he, "was induced to take up this subject, by observing a manifest difficulty in the minds of many sincere Christians, when urged to follow the example of Christ; arising, as he conceived, from looking on him too exclusively as a divine person, and, therefore, above all attempts at imitation by them. He has endeavoured to consider him in his holy human nature, and to analyse his character as perfect man, even though he was also the second person of the glorious Trinity."

In the execution of this design he sets out with the general proposition, that Christ is the "Model Man," the great exemplar, which his disciples are bound to copy and imitate. In this, the opening prelection of the book, we find the important thought, that "each indi

grace (of Christ), standing out, as it were, distinctly in bold relief from all the rest, was meant to be the perfect revelation of this particular grace to every one of his followers." This just and striking reflection, or an idea akin to it, is thrown out in several parts of the volume.

The author proceeds to illustrate, apply, and enforce his doctrine, that Christ is the "Model Man;" which he does, often in a masterly, and always in a highly creditable, and very interesting and edifying manner, in the discourses that follow out the chief and most prominent features and lineaments that distinguished and adorned the character of the Saviour. He never loses sight of the practical end at which he aims. With this end steadily kept in view throughout, he handles and discusses the following attributes of Christ's character:-his innocence, his spirit, his humility, his piety or godliness, his love, his long-suffering and patience, his compassion, his readiness to forgive, his righteousness and justice, his courage, his diligence and activity, his heavenly-mindedness, his self-denial, his wisdom, his unselfishness, his friendship, his incorruptibleness, his sympathy and sorrow, his habit of prayer, and his perfection and glory.

In handling these numerous and varied topics, Mr Craig makes no pretences to originality. Originality on such a subject is out of the question. Here, an author to be original must be paradoxical; and

Mr Craig has too much love for truth to allow of his being guilty of the stale artifice of paradox. His desire and aim is to do good by the exhibition of sound doctrine,-to impart wholesome nourishment to Christians through the sincere milk of the Word. At the same time, though originality was not to be expected, yet there is often a freshness, now in the thought, and now in the turn of expression, which wears an air of novelty, and awakens a feeling of agreeable surprise. A few instances will best bring out our meaning: "We cannot doubt that his kindness, and wisdom, and dutifulness to all, must have made him much beloved, especially by the best of the people in his little village; nor can we doubt that he was often praised by them for his temper and virtues: yet he never was spoiled by this, never lifted out of his place, never made arrogant, or overbearing, or exacting. He never thought he should be exalted to a higher situation in the world; but in the very age in which other youths are most aspiring, and long most to distinguish themselves, he was as meek and lowly in heart as when he was an infant, as well satisfied with his lowly condition as if he were not aware there was any other awaiting him, as humble, when in obscurity he was ruminating the most glorious things, and indulging the most glorious prospects, as if he had not had the smallest conception of greatness." (P. 52.) "That is a hollow and heartless morality, or conduct, which is prosecuted without devotion, without fellowship with the Father of our spirits. It is a dead body, without the living soul. It is in reality as if it were an obedience to God, without God. There is a hypocrisy of piety; this is the hypocrisy of obedience."-(P. 61.) "It is well to remember, that it was because evil was brought to Eve under the disguise of generous love, that she did not shudder at the first proposal of sin made by the tempter. On the other hand, it was because Christ could not be deceived, and because he knew all things, that Satan's temptations, disguised as before, did not, and could not, prevail with with him." (P. 74.) "He loved, and this very love delighted to be ruled.”—(P. 75.) "It (patience) is a perpetual contest between hope and despondency or despair."-(P. 91.) "To forgive a wrong, is to overcome it."-(P. 136.) "He was no magistrate, or ruler, or official judge in Israel; and, therefore, he refused to judge in those causes which God in providence, and by his institutions, had committed to others. This confinement of himself appeared very strikingly, when he was once applied to by an individual to interfere with the regular course of the administration of law, and to judge between him and his brother about the division of an inheritance. 'Speak,' said this man to him, 'speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.' He answered him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you ?' He had not been appointed to this office, and he would not accept the honour which this man intended to do him." (P. 141.) "He had neither leisure nor heart for useless amusements. Indeed, he had no amusements, and felt no need of any. His work was all his delight.”—(P. 173.)

These passages lose much of their beauty and force by being taken out of the connection in which they occur. Yet even in their isolated state, it will be allowed by every reader of taste, that they are at once striking and suggestive.

Were we asked to name the discourses of this volume in which the

writer is most felicitous and successful, we should have little hesitation in pointing to the sixth, on the Love of Christ,-the eighth, on his Compassion,-the tenth, on his Righteousness and Justice, -the eleventh, on his Courage, the twelfth, on his Diligence and Activity, the eighteenth, on his Incorruptibleness,-the nineteenth, on his Sympathy with Sorrow, and the twenty-first, on his Perfection and Glory. These, in our judgment, are the best lectures in the volume. Were we desired to mention the least happy of our author's efforts in this performance, we should be disposed to refer to No. III., on the Spirit of Christ. There is an occasional obscurity in this discourse, arising from a want of precision in the use of the term Spirit. We are sometimes at a loss to know whether the writer by that word denotes the Holy Ghost, or the temper and disposition of the Saviour. He has not stopped to define his terms; and in his desire to be brief, he has become obscure.

As a specimen of Mr Craig's style and manner, we subjoin a passage from his Meditation on our Lord's Courage: "We need not dwell on this theme (the Saviour's fortitude), nor further illustrate the glory of this grace of Christ. It transcended all of the kind that ever appeared in the world. It was in him a perfection, which can be said of it in no other man. It was a glory in his character which shone brightly from first to last, though it had nothing in or around it to set it off. It was not laid on a ground of insensibility, or pride, or regardlessness of God's anger, or man's hatred. It depended not on the prowess, courage, or obedience of others whom it inspired to contend and suffer with him and for him, that he might have the glory of the victory without working all the work himself. He had no aid from men. He was alone, and of the people there was none with him. Meek as a lamb, he was yet bold as a lion. His courage was never a rage or a fury; it was always an intelligent, calm, collected virtue. It never waxed and waned. It was ever the same, as all his other graces were. It was as steadfast as was his purpose to obey his Father, and to save his people from their sins. That language of Ps. cxviii. 11, well became him to utter, 'All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.' The nations of men, the hosts of fallen angels, compassed the man Christ Jesus; but the name of the Lord was in him. And in that name he destroyed them. He quenched their power like the fire of thorns,―trode on the ashes, and ascended triumphant to the right hand of God, expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, and till he receive the full reward of all his victories over sin, and Satan, and death, and hell.”— (Pp. 165, 166.)

But for our limited space, we should gladly have given a more full and copious analysis of this book, and reviewed it at greater length and in greater detail. Enough, however, has been said, it is hoped, to convince the reader that the " Man Christ Jesus" is a performance of no common excellence and no small merit. We warmly recommend it to the Christian public. Its sentiments are just and noble; its style terse and forcible; and often, both in sentiment and style, it is characterised by a beautiful and touching simplicity, every way good.

A Commentary, Expository and Practical, on the Epistle to the Hebrews. By the Rev. ALEXANDER S. PATTERSON, Minister of Hutcheson Free Church, Glasgow. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. 1856. Pp. 564.

MR PATTERSON is already favourably known to the Christian public by his short Commentary on "First John," and other select portions of the New Testament Epistles.

In other departments, also, of sacred literature he has done good service to the interests of practical godliness, and has fully shown his fitness for the successful treatment of such questions as come more peculiarly within the scope of expository writing, by the gravity and chastened temper of his theology.

In his work on 66 Hebrews," to which we now more especially refer, and which, though of greater extent and amplitude in its range of reflection than his previous expositions, is evidently, in its whole method and style, produced from the same mould, and exhibits the same unmistakable individuality of mental action, there is much valuable matter. If our space allowed, we would willingly extract several passages from various parts of it, in proof of the calm and discriminating manner in which Mr Patterson has handled several questions of acknowledged practical difficulty, as well as of the illustration which, by the aid of his fine exegetical talent, he has afforded to passages which, as read in the authorised version, come but imperfectly before the mind of the ordinary reader.

We heartily recommend Mr Patterson's work, as a safe and interesting guide to the practical use of this most precious portion of New Testament Scripture.

A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen. Originally edited by ROBERT CHAMBERS. Supplement, continuing the Biographies to the present time. By the Rev. THOMAS THOMSON. Blackie and Son: Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London. 1855. Pp. 643. Nor having read this volume as a whole, we are not prepared to express a complete judgment on its merits. Having, however, selected one or two memoirs which have a more than common interest, by reason of their subjects, to our own mind, we can venture, we believe, on the strength of their great excellence, to recommend with no little earnestness Mr Thomson's work to the careful perusal of our readers. As a repository of facts which, being recorded within the fresh memory of most readers, are not beyond prompt and easy correction, where there is any inaccuracy in their statement, a work of this kind is almost invaluable. For not only are the substantial materials of general history thus preserved, but the hooks and eyes of events,—the precise forms of their relations to each other,—are transmitted to the authors of a succeeding age.

We may refer, as indicative of the superior manner in which Mr Thomson handles his materials, to his sketch of the late Dr Robert Gordon of the High Church, Edinburgh. In giving, with so great fidelity and impressiveness, a likeness of that most noble man, who, even in his most serene times, was one of the finest examples of calm,