as may arise in the course of their teaching. Sincerely we hope that the author's pleasantly painful labour may meet, as a reward, with a large amount of favour and acknowledgment. This would be a capital book for some of our men who have well-filled pockets, to lay out five, ten, or twenty pounds upon in distributing among village ministers and evangelists.

By the side of the work we have just commended, we may place THE DOCTRINE of Christ Developed by THE APOSTLES. A TREATISE ON THE OFFICES OF THE REDEEMER AND THE DOXOLOGY OF the RedeemeD. By EDWARD STEANE, D.D. (Edmonston & Douglass). In the times in which we live, this seems exactly what we need: the development of the doctrine of Christ from the New Testament, that is from the Apostles. What is called Christology, or the doctrine of Christ, has passed through a remarkable variety of developments. What an astonishing index of opinion is furnished by Dorner! Neander's Church History, and indeed all his various pieces, are little more than another index. Then we have the doctrine of Christ developed by the Church, which is the favourite method of development, and always has been, alike in our own and other times; so that by a marvellous and altogether unaccountable process, we have the whole structure of sacramentalism, and all its cognate ideas; and then we have the doctrine of Christ as developed by the rationalists, by Hegel, Strauss, Renan, Schenkel, and a crowd beside; so that we may be well grateful to any one who can competently turn the thoughtful mind right round, insisting that it shall derive its impressions of Christ from Christ and His apostles alone. The venerable Dr. Steane has occupied in this task the hours of his retreat from the activities of public and pastorate life. The style is pervaded by a quiet grace. The human mould of opinion deduced from the apostolic writings is that which is so well known as Andrew Fuller's. Those who know Dr. Steane at all, either personally or publicly, will expect to find great neatness and clearness of organic arrangement; and the first glance at the extended table of contents shows this. The book does not profess to deal with the suggestions of more recent thought and criticism. Dr. Steane received his training in, and has derived his rest and happiness from, another school of thinkers. What rested and satisfied Howe, Owen, Charnock, and Flavel rests and satisfies him; perhaps it will be said his mind and his system are characterised rather by clearness than profundity. A quiet glow of feeling is prevalent throughout the volume, and a young

751 student might most profitably take this book, and, going carefully through it, discover by his annotations what are the gains from other sources of reading and thought. But assuredly the gain will be very great, if this very instructive and thoughtful volume shall bear the mind of this distempered age to the conclusion that it is in Christ Himself we are to look for Christianity, and that it is from the expositions of His apostles we are to seek the elucidation and interpretation of it.

A sweet little meditative pocket companion is, LIGHT FROM BEYOND, TO CHEER THE CHRISTIAN PILGRIM. BY CUNNIGHAM GEIKE, D.D. (Strahan & Co.). Having said so much, we can say little more; here are thirty-one meditations, brief and beautiful. Dr. Geike shows in this little volume a spirit as pious and reposing as, in his eminently admirable volume entitled, "Life a Book for Young Men," he exhibited a mind powerful, richly furnished, and equally brilliant and instructive. How rich Congregationalism must be in great men, that such a man as Dr. Geike can be permitted to remain unnoticed and comparatively obscure! Certainly here seems to be one of the natures most capable of imparting both devotional and intellectual animation to any who come beneath its influence.

Young students interested in such studies will do well to procure THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. By JAMES MARTIN, B.A. (Hodder & Stoughton). glad to perceive this most compendious little volume has We are reached its second edition; at the same time its price is considerably reduced. Among the many important Essays and works upon this subject, we believe there is not one written by a really capable man and thorough scholar, at once so small and yet so sufficient, so low in price, and so comprehensive, -considering its size,-in the information it conveys.

It is with very much pleasure we call attention to ALONE TO THE ALONE PRAYERS FOR THEISTS. By several Contributors, edited, with a Preface, by FRANCES POWER COBBE (Williams & Norgate). The spirit of the volume is truly good, pious, and devotional; but it is utterly perplexing and amazing to us, that Miss Cobbe and the writers of the various exercises can stop short with Theism. Miss Cobbe believes it, she says, "to be a most imperative duty, when divine things grow rare and dim, when holy ardour sinks and carelessness and sin come creeping in upon each other's footsteps, for the soul to lift

itself up to its God, and cry, Lord, save me or I perish! and so to replenish the lamp of spiritual life." And she says, "No man can pray, believing prayer to be self-acting; and although God in His mercy does often seek us when we wander from Him, He does not force us into His arms, as He forces the planets round the sun;" and she continues, "It is needful to believe that we can move another will than our own by our supplications, before it is possible to put forth the earnest appeal of real prayer." Surely something far more and higher and deeper than mere Theism or Deism is involved in such expressions as these. This is no place to dispute the doctrine of the book; but there is such a visitation of the free spirit, holy, elevating, and resting, that we are well persuaded those to whom it is often a painful matter that they have had public devotions when their own devotions are dim and cold, and are in danger of becoming hackneyed and merely verbal, will derive much benefit from this truly tender-spirited and beautiful volume.