poor feeble man cannot justify himself before the eye of God." The law, whether written upon the conscience, or engraved upon tables, may teach man to know what sin is; but it cannot teach him to hate it, nor inspire the love of what is holy. Hence it aggravates his sinfulness, by showing him on all hands what things he ought to do, and what to leave undone.

In the 6th volume of the Cabinet, we have a translation by Mr. Menzies of about half of Tholuck's Exposition of Christ's Sermon on the Mount. It was the author's aim in this work to show in a small section of the Bible, the riches of their contents, hoping thereby to encourage others to a more conscientious, comprehensive, and profound scrutiny of them. Combined with this, it was also his design to demonstrate, that in order to arrive at fixed and certain results, in the exposition of Scripture, nothing more is generally required than a careful and complete investigation of its statements. His main endeavor has been to explain Scripture out of itself, and one text by another; and hence much pains has been bestowed in the collection of parallel passages, the import of which may not at once, perhaps, meet the eye, but, upon a deeper study, will scarcely be mistaken. The terms, kingdom of God, Son of God, marriage, love of enemies, seeing God, God the Father of men, etc., have received a full elucidation, thus rendering the work appropriate to the student of doctrinal theology and ethics. The subjects which the Sermon on the Mount gives occasion to handle, are, for the most part, just those that possess the greatest and most direct importance for the practical clergyman. On no disputed points have former opinions been adduced unexamined, but have uniformly been subjected to new investigation, which has sometimes also led to new results. The critical researches handle only the most important passages; elsewhere the text of Griesbach is supposed.

From a long introductory examination, the author comes to the result that the Sermon on the Mount, as it lies before us, is, in all its parts, original, at least that nothing decisive can be argued against the supposition of its originality. It is not meant, indeed, that Matthew has preserved to us all that Christ delivered on the occasion. It may resemble in this respect other discourses of the Saviour, for instance the conference with Nicodemus, which are, for the most part, to be received merely as extracts. The following general arrangement of the course of thought in the Sermon is proposed:

1st, Character of the disciples of the new kingdom of God, their fate and position in the world. 5: 1—16.

2d, Relation of the new to the old covenant. The law expounded according to the Spirit, in contrast with the pharisaical mode of interpreting it according to the letter; showing also what it is to fulfil the law of God in all its extent and strictness. 5: 17-48.

3d, The one sole motive of truly right action, i. e. a regard to God, exemplified in the three species of what, in pharisaical piety, are, by way of eminence, denominated good works, viz. alms-giving, fasting, and prayer. 6:1-18.

4th, Warning against serving God with a heart divided betwixt earthly and heavenly things; That which is divine must predomi nate. 6: 19-34.

5th, Detached exhortations to self-examination, wise behavior towards one's neighbor, and prayer, with an inference in the 12th verse, comprising in a single rule our whole duty to our brethren. 7: 1–12.

6th, Admonition to be strenuous in the way of salvation, and warning against hypocrisy : exhortation to evince by deeds what we have heard and believed. 7: 13-27.

The connection is particularly demonstrable in the introitus, and in the peroratio, where we are able, for the most part, without any violence, to trace from clause to clause the progress of the thought.

Jesus designed in this discourse to exhibit the ideal of a citizen of the kingdom of God; with such a subject he could not address himself to the mixed crowd of people, who, for the most part, had only gathered around him for the sake of the sick; even among the uantai, there were doubtless many who had yet too little susceptibility for the doctrine. The twelve, whom he meant some time after to send forth, were the most teachable. Just as on other occasions, he speaks to his disciples, though still designing also what he says for the multitude, Luke 12: 41. 16: 14, the same is the case here. He now, for the first time, selects the twelve from the larger number, places them nearest in a semicircle around him, and allows the other disciples, with the people, to take their station further distant.

The doctrinal import of the Sermon on the Mount, Tholuck determines by calling it a "Delineation of the Moral Law of Christianity in its general Outlines." After the Saviour has

declared that he came to impart to the law of the Old Testament its completion, and to call forth a righteousness superior to what the strictest attained under that dispensation, 5: 17-20, he proceeds to unfold the import of the law in all its depth, and VOL. IX. No. 26.

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thus shows of what nature, when considered in the lofty New Testament point of view, the righteousness is. So far as the Saviour unfolds the archetypal morality of man, which was neither embodied in any special precepts of the Old Testament code, nor was yet in point of fact deduced from those parts of that code in which it was virtually involved, he certainly may be called a new Lawgiver.

For a specimen of the merits of this commentary our readers are referred to Prof. Torrey's translation of the exposition of the Lord's Prayer, inserted in Bib. Repos. V. p. 190, and VI. p.

187.

The 7th volume comprises Prof. Henry Planck's Introduction to Sacred Philology and Criticism, translated by Prof. Turner of New York.

The 8th volume of the Cabinet embraces the first part of Pareau's Principles of the Interpretation of the Old Testament, translated by Prof. Patrick Forbes of King's College, Aberdeen. "When teaching the oriental languages in the university of Harderwick," says the author, "I formed the opinion that I should consult the advantage of the young men who were studying theology there, if I should briefly explain to them what things seemed to me principally to be attended to and accomplished by the interpreter of the Old Testament, particularly in reference to the present age. After I was transferred to the university of Utrecht, I occasionally gave lectures on this subject, before attending lectures on sacred hermeneutics was imposed as a duty on the students of theology. But though always decidedly of opinion that I ought to complete the whole elementary instruction in the science in one academical course, the disagreeable occurrence frequently happened to me that I was not able to treat certain parts so fully as I wished, nor to give that time to the highly useful exercise of examination which I desired. I had therefore long ago determined to publish a work on the Principles of the Interpretation of the Old Testament, such as I could follow in my academical lectures, and which would answer my object sufficiently of serving the purposes of the students, and at the same time might be of some advantage to others."

"This Introduction to the Old Testament," remarks the translator," seems well adapted for the use of those entering on

the study of that sacred volume, from its containing a succinct account of the principles of the knowledge and acquirements which are requisite and indispensable to the successful pursuit of that study, and from being written in a plain style, without a superfluity of technical terms, or any parade of learning. The translator is of opinion that on the whole the work, by all candid judges, will be acknowledged to be the production of a man of good principles and good sense, as well as of sound and competent learning."

The first volume of the translation contains some introductory historical matters; of those studies inseparably connected with the right interpretation of the Old Testament; of the principal endowments of mind and virtues of soul, to be desired and cultivated in an accomplished interpreter of the Old Testament; of the subsidiary studies which are an ornament and aid to an interpreter; and remarks on the true manner of interpreting the Old Testament, including the understanding and explanation of words and things.

In the 9th volume we find, 1st, Storr's Dissertation on the meaning of "The Kingdom of Heaven," translated by Rev. Manton Eastburn of New York; 2d, Storr's Dissertation on the Parables of Christ, translated by Rev. William R. Whittingham of New York; 3d, Storr on the word IIAHPQMA; 4th, Hengstenberg on the Interpretation of Isa. liii, translated by James F. Warner. The first three of these essays were first printed in the "Essays and Dissertations in Biblical Literature," and the last was published in the Bib. Repository.

The 10th volume of the Cabinet contains that portion of professor Stuart's grammar of the New Testament Dialect, which embraces the Syntax, together with a separate treatise on the Greek Article, the latter first inserted in the Bib. Repository.

The 11th volume, and the last which we have received, contains the Biblical Geography of Rosenmüller on Central Asia, translated and accompanied with notes, by the Rev. N. Morren, of Greenock, Scotland. That Rosenmüller's Bib. Geography is now the classical and standard work among the Germans, may be seen from Fuhrmann's Handbuch der Neuesten Theologischen Literatur, a bibliographical guide brought down to the end of 1835. A review of the first part of Rosenmüller's Geography by Gesenius appeared in the Allgem. Lit. Zeitung of Halle, in 1825. The quantity of supplemental matter furnished by

the translator is considerable, and gives evidence of research and good judgment. These contributions are all inserted in the appendix, or in the foot-notes, with the signature of M.

We have thus given a brief account of the first eleven volumes in this valuable series. We trust that the publisher will find sufficient encouragement to proceed with his most praiseworthy undertaking. The volumes already before the public, though of various merit, both in respect to the value of the matter, and the mode in which it is presented to the English reader, will take their place among the most useful works of the day. The facts and views which they contain are equally important to all denominations of Christians. If the learning, the critical ability, the talent for profound research which characterize the Germans, can be united to the sterling common sense and the practical and enlightened piety of the Englishman and the Scotchman, all parties will have occasion for congratulation and hope.

ARTICLE V.

ON THE ORIGIN AND COMMENCEMENT OF THE REFORMATION; FROM PLANCK'S PROTESTANT THEOLOGY.

Translated from the German, by R. Emerson, Prof. of Ecclesiastical History, Andover Theol. Seminary.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS BY THE TRANSLATOR.

[NEXT in importance to a knowledge of the Bible itself, both to the theologian and the Christian, may be placed a knowledge of the reception and the influence of the Bible among those to whom God has given it. Here is not the place for any extended proof or illustration of this position, if indeed the reflecting reader would need either proof or illustration. I may, however, just remark, that at no period has genuine Christianity flourished, when her history has been neglected; and no where can the devout heart be found that is not delighted and benefitted by a knowledge of the progressive work of redemption. To the general welfare of the church, such knowledge is alike