employed, if it is only in exhaling oxygen and removing the poisonous carbonic acid from the atmosphere. Each plant has, doubtless, its useful position assigned it, in connexion with the other parts of nature, and its work allotted by the Creator. They are not the less interesting as objects of study, because we know so little about them. The chemistry which forms from earth and air green leaf and coloured petal, will it ever be thoroughly understood? At present, our best naturalists are obliged to express themselves in the most general terms on such subjects. A flower folded up to slumber for the night, or awakening under the influences of the morning sunbeam, is a study not only for the naturalist, but an object well calculated to awaken the devout feelings of the Christian. God watches over slumbering flowers, wherever situated. When He hides from them the light of His sun, they sleep securely until "He commands the morning, and causes the day-spring to know his place." All this teaches us a lesson : "As flowers their op'ning leaves display, And glad drink in the solar fire, So may we catch Thy every ray, So may Thy influence us inspire; Thou Beam of the eternal Beam, Thou purging Fire, Thou quick'ning Flame." Druip. DR. HODGE'S COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.* SOME thirty years ago Dr. Hodge published a learned and elaborate Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, which was well received in the United States, especially by men who approved of the author's creed. An abridgment of it soon after appeared, designed for popular use, and therefore omitting the more recondite parts of the original work. This abridgment has often been reprinted, both in this country and in America. The original Commentary, thoroughly revised, and to a considerable extent re-written, is that which now lies before us. It is a work of great labour, and manifests throughout a laudable desire to ascertain the exact meaning of the Apostle's phraseology, and will afford valuable aid in the critical study of this most important book of Holy Scripture. On the vital subject of our Saviour's divinity and atonement, on original sin, and justification by faith, the author's views are in accordance with those of orthodox Christians in general; but in respect of predestination, and other points connected with it, he agrees with Calvin and the Westminster Assembly of Divines, though he does not always appear to be consistent with himself; and his reasoning on these subjects is sometimes singularly * Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans. By Charles Hodge, D.D., Professor in the Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey. New Edition, revised, and in a great measure re-written. Edinburgh: Andrew Elliott, 1864. weak and inconclusive. He maintains, for instance, and that justly, that Christian election is an election, not merely to church privileges, but to the personal enjoyment of spiritual blessings in this world, and endless happiness in the world to come; and because it is said to be "of grace," and "not of works," he contends that it is absolute and unconditional: a conclusion which certainly is not warranted by the premises. He might have remembered that the justification of sinners is "of grace," and "not of works;" yet it is not unconditional; for sinners are justified by faith: so that without faith they can never realize that all-important blessing. He says, indeed, that this makes no difference, because faith is "the gift of God." But here again we think his logic is at fault. Faith is indeed "the gift of God;" but it is something more. It is an act as well as a gift; and the act of faith is the act of the sinner himself; for it is the party believ ing that is justified. In the same manner, God's election of men to be holy in this world, and happy in eternity, may be "of grace," and yet be suspended upon the condition of personal faith in Christ, especially as they are said to be "chosen in Him," and faith is the well-known bond of union between them. And such, it would appear, is really the case; for the Apostle, addressing a man belonging to "the election of grace," says, "Thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches," the tribes of Israel, "take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again." (Rom. xi. 20-23.) According to St. Paul, then, "the election of grace" is obtained by faith, and is forfeited by unbelief, as well as by highmindedness. The election and reprobation concerning which the Apostle discourses in the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans is clearly the reprobation of the great body of the Jewish people, because of their unbelief, in the rejection of Christ; and the election of the Gentiles, considered as believers in Him, including also a "small remnant" of the Hebrew race, who also received Christ Jesus the Lord. This is manifest from the concluding verses of the chapter, where the Apostle sums up the argument. Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, are not adduced as examples of absolute and personal election to eternal life, and of absolute reprobation to eternal misery, but as types of two classes of people, believers and unbelievers, spiritual and carnal men; and are intended to prove that God will accept mankind upon His own terms, and not upon terms which they may choose and prefer. The case of Pharaoh shows the fearful consequences of s presumptuous opposition to the Almighty's will, and is an impressive warning to the unbelieving Jews. The men who do this are abandoned to their own perverseness and folly, and plunge themselves into irretrievable misery. Dr. Hodge acknowledges that such is the Apostle's general design; yet he expounds the chapter upon the principles of absolute and unconditional election and reprobation, as they are laid down in Calvin's Institutes. He maintains that no injustice is done to the reprobates. They are merely passed over in the great scheme of redemption, and punished for their sins. In this manner one half of the Bible is ignored, which declares in the strongest terms the universality of God's love to fallen men, and the fact of their redemption by the death of Christ: and no account is made of the oath of God, who swears by Himself that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked should turn, repent, believe, and live. It is worthy of special observation, that the advocates of Calvinian reprobation, somehow or other, always persuade themselves that they belong to the elect class; and are therefore fluent in their attempts to silence the complaints of the reprobate, who, according to this theory, is, through the entire course of his being, placed in such circumstances that his salvation is impossible, and endless misery his inevitable doom. He is born only to sin and perish; for the corruption of his nature is an evil which he could not by possibility avoid; and to divest himself of that nature, and to attain to a state of pardon and holiness, by any means that he can either devise or command, is equally beyond his power. As well might he attempt to stop the course of the sun, or to arrest the progress of time. Were Dr. Hodge to regard himself as one of Calvin's reprobates, we think his tone would be very different from what it is; and that he would be ready to address the advocates of Calvin's merciless theory in the terms which Job applied to his loquacious friends, when he appealed in vain to their compassion: "I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all." "I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you." 66 Our author's views of personal sanctification, we think, are far short of the teaching of Holy Scripture, and are as objectionable as his views concerning the extent of God's mercy, and of Christ's redemption. The latter part of the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, in which an affecting description is given of the power of sin in the human heart, he applies to St. Paul himself, and to all Christian believers to the very end of life; so that every regenerated child of God is "carnal, sold under sin;" is compelled to do what he hates, cannot do what he would, and can only groan, in the bitterness of his soul, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" St. Paul adds, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord ;" and Dr. Hodge acknowledges that the grace of Christ is the only means of deliverance. But when that grace will be vouchsafed, so that the deliverance will be complete, he does not say. He holds out no hope of entire freedom from sin while the soul and body remain united. We are thus indirectly taught that the unregenerate sin willingly, and the regenerate unwillingly; so that both are actual sinners, and as such remain till the end of life. Yet this state of hard bondage to sin, according to the Princeton Professor, is the state of spiritual liberty and salvation which is so highly extolled in the New Testament, wherewith Christ makes His people free, and in which they are exhorted to "stand fast." Those who cannot receive this doctrine are honoured with the name of "Pelagians" and "Arminians." Be it so; they will still look to Christ in the hope of present salvation from all sin; believing that when He "makes them free, they shall be free indeed." Such is the character of Dr. Hodge's "Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans," the whole of which we have carefully read. It contains much valuable criticism, and much sound divinity, with an admixture of doctrines, however, which we cannot but regard as erroneous, and injarious in their tendency; doctrines which we are persuaded St. Paul neither believed, nor intended to teach, either in his Epistle to the Romans, or in any other production of his pen. T. J. SELECT LITERARY NOTICES. [The insertion of any article in this list is not to be considered as pledging us to the approbati u of its contents, unless it be accompanied by some express notice of our favourable opinion. Noris the omission of any such notice to be regarded as indicating a contrary opinion; as our limits, and other reasons, impose on us the necessity of selection and brevity.] An explanation is due to several authors and publishers, on account of the delay which has occurred in noticing publications, some of them important, which have been for warded to us during the last twelve or fifteen months. The unusual duties, abroad and at home, which devolved on the late Editor during the last year of his life, forbade his giving such attention to this department as he was wont to give; while his sudden death will still further account for the irregularity which has taken place. We purpose, however, to devote a little extra space, for the next two or three months, to "Literary Notices;" so as to be able to give proper attention to the works which have accumulated on our Library Table. The Divine Plan of Revelation: an Argument from Internal Evi dence in Support of the Structural Unity of the Bible. Being the Boyle Lectures for MDCCCLXIII. By the Rev. Edward Garbett, M.A., Incumbent of Christ Church, Surbi ton; Author of "The Bible and its In opposition to these allegations, the accomplished author of these Lectures maintains that a strict unity of design pervades the whole of the sacred books, notwithstanding their diversified authorship, and the remoteness of the periods at which they were written: and as the indubitable marks of adaptation and design, which are seen in all the objects of nature, demonstrate the existence and agency of an almighty and wise Designer; so the unity of purpose which pervades the books of Scripture, from the writings of Moses to the Revelation of St. John, no less demonstrates their emanation from the blessed God, who is "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," and whose truth and mercy endure through all generations. The several books of Holy Scripture prepare the way for those which follow; and few of them can be understood but by a reference to those which precede them. The books of the Old Testament declare the manner in which sin was introduced into the world, to the ruin of mankind; and contain the promise of a Saviour, often repeated; together with the preparation that was made for the fulfilment of the promise, by the election of the Hebrew race, their separation from all other people, the institution among them of a typical form of worship, and the delivery of a series of predictions by their Prophets, announcing, with increasing clearness and precision, the incarnation of a Divine Person, who should put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, rise from the dead, and introduce a new dispensation of religion, fraught with the richest blessings; in which Jews and Gentiles should equally participate. The New Testament declares the fulfilment of these predictions by the manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh, His death upon the cross, His resurrection and ascension, the descent of the Holy Spirit, the abolition of the Mosaic ceremonial, the spread of the Gospel among all nations, and the institution of the church upon the principle of faith in Christ, instead of lineal descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. in These facts Mr. Garbett has traced with the hand of a master, to the confusion and utter routing of the modern Rationalists, as the sceptics of the age affect to be called. His reasoning is triumphant, and his theology thoroughly orthodox. In addition to his general argument, he has thrown a beautiful and interesting light upon several periods of Old-Testament history. It is gratifying to find that while sceptical and Romanizing clergymen nestle in the Established Church, there are in her pale upright and able men who earnestly and manfully "contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." We cannot but wish them "good luck" in the name of the Lord; but we fear the day is gone by when all her sons may be expected to stand forth as faithful witnesses for the truth. The floodgates of evil have been opened by some recent decisions of the civil authorities; and it is not likely that they can be closed again by any earthly power. All that can now be hoped for is, that the destructive errors propagated by faithless clergymen may be neutralized by the dissemination of a sound literature, of which the author of these Lectures has furnished an admirable specimen. Outlines of Theology. Outlines of Philosophy and Literature. By Alexander Vinet. London: Strahan.-The writings of M. Vinet need, to many of our readers, no introduction. The volumes before us are "composed of extracts from his various works." Compositions thus strung together may well present, as the publisher intimates in a note, some discrepancy between passages brought from different works into an "unintended proximity" with each other; and the more when the disjecta membra, thus collected, are made to assume the shape of regular treatises on such important subjects as 6 Theology" and "Philosophy." Yet we are bound to say, the task under |