still less to enlarge, as it deserves, upon the importance of discerning a double sense in almost all the Old Testament Scriptures. Without it the prophecies themselves lose half their value, and all their value to us: it would leave them applicable to the Jews alone, and to them only before or after the present dispensation, and would render the whole Christian dispensation one vast blank.

We do not mean to say that the signs given in Joel are such as we have stated above, or that it is any part of the duty of interpreting Joel to draw spiritual meanings from the text; but we do say that the New Testament is full of such deductions of spiritual meaning from the letter of the Old Testament; and that we are in danger of rendering ourselves so cramped by a dry literal interpretation, as to make a large portion of the Old Testament as useless to us as though it had never been written.

We must, however, very shortly notice another passage from the minor prophets, which has been applied to Christian times on another memorable occasion-namely, in the council at Jerusalem, in the fifteenth of the Acts, because we think that the correct view is not generally taken. The question before the council related to the Gentiles, whom God had many years before visited, as Simon Peter had just declared, in order to take out of them a people for his name, and to this agree the words of the prophets (v. 15). The prophets are referred to as showing that, while the tabernacle of David was fallen down (not falling in the Greek), the name of the Lord should be called upon by a people who were not Jews, and who had nothing to do with the law of Moses; therefore, why put a yoke upon them which even the Jews were unable to bear? It is after this that God shall return, and build again the tabernacle of David, which was then fallen down, that all upon whom his name is called may rejoice together in his goodness to all. This seems the plain meaning of St. James, and we think it equally apparent in Amos, and it is precisely what St. Paul declares in the eleventh of the Romans: "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. Foras ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy."

We have stated, however, these broad and comprehensive principles of interpretation rather as the grounds of what we desiderate in such a translation as we think might be made, than as grounds of objection to Dr. Henderson's, or of prefe

rence for any other we are acquainted with. Such a view of prophecy as we have indicated would lead a competent scholar to a far more full, and rich, and spiritual version of the minor prophets than any that has yet appeared; but on Dr. Henderson's view of prophecy his version seems to be very careful and accurate. He is evidently well acquainted both with the text and with all the subsidiary helps to be derived from the labours of other learned men; and his notes are all to the point, and leave no difficulty unexplained-the explanation being, in most cases, quite satisfactory.

We naturally turned to some of the texts which have most exercised the ingenuity of critics-such as (Haggai ii. 7.), "the desire of all nations;" this Dr. Henderson properly translates "the things desired by all the nations;" but he fails in convincing us that the desirable things are not the silver and the gold spoken of in the context, because he only argues from the fact that the temple then building was never equal in richness to that of Solomon. We take a different view of the whole passage we observe it to be called one house throughout, in Solomon's day, in Haggai's day, and on the yet future restoration of the Jews. It is this house in her first glory" (v. 3.)—it is this house "as nothing"-in the days of Haggai, it shall be this house surpassing its first glory in the latter day: and therefore, we understand (v. 9) as promising that the glory of the house which should succeed to that then building should be greater than that of the house which preceded it. Dr. Henderson well knows that the verse will bear such a construction. It might be rendered "greater shall be the last than the first glory of this house" referring the reader back to verse 3.

On the memorable passage in Hosea iii, concerning the long destitution of the children of Israel, and their return to the Lord, and his mercy to them in the latter day, we are quite in agreement with Dr. Henderson. Such passages as these it is impossible to find at all adequately fulfilled in the past history of the Jews; and every one who holds them to be a part of Divine revelation must, therefore, expect the fulfilment of the numerous similar predictions in their future history, and "when they shall repent of their sins and turn to the Lord."

And we beg to assure Dr. Henderson, in conclusion, that we do not think our differences so wide as they might at first sight appear; and that we should not have written so much on the subject, if we had not thought his work an important and influential one from its learning and general ability, and that we part with him under the influence of friendship and respect, so far as such feelings are allowable towards one of whom we have no other knowledge than by his writings.

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Notices of Books.

A Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature. Edited by JOHN KITTO, D,D., F.S.A. Illustrated by numerous Engravings. Two volumes 8vo. Edinburgh: A. and C. Black. 1845.

WE Congratulate the subscribers to this work on the very satisfactory manner in which it has been brought to a conclusion; and, as it is a remarkable publication, and supplies a desideratum which we believe has been felt by a large number of our readers, since we have heard many express their want of such a book of reference, we have no doubt that they will be glad to be informed how far its contents are likely to meet their wishes, and satisfy their wants.

This cyclopædia is not a collection of annotations, like the "Critici Sacri," nor a digest of such comments and discussions ; it is not a compilation like that of Calmet; is not like the prolegomena of Walton, and so many other editors of different versions or forms of the sacred Scriptures, each of which required its own critical apparatus. It is in toto an original work, consisting of articles written expressly to give the best explanation which could be obtained of the history of the Scripture itself, and of the countries and nations and individuals mentioned therein, and of all the facts and circumstances concerning which any reader of Scripture would be likely to require information.

The writers employed were the ablest men, in the several departments, whose services could be obtained for such a work; and each has put his initials to the articles which he has written, a full list of their names being also given: so that we know all the contributors, and know what weight of authority each carries with him. By knowing the writers we are put upon our guard against the party bias which may unconsciously infuse itself into their writings, and which would be more especially to be regretted in a work treating on that volume which forms the ground work of our faith and we believe that the very best corrective of party spirit would be the universal adoption of this honest practice of affixing the name to the writing-a practice which has succeeded in the present instance, since, although the writers belong to various denominations of Christians; with one exception, we discern only consistency and orthodoxy in their contributions.

We have said that the ablest men whose services could be obtained have been employed; for it is to be borne in mind that

the services of the most eminent men are not always to be obtained. Money may be no inducement to some; others may be already so deeply occupied in their several departments of research, or preparing those researches for publication, in con nection with the Church or society to which they belong, that they cannot spare time for a work like the present; and not a few, and some of them the most eminent in their provinces of literature, would not allow their writings to appear except in connection with those of their own party-all which circumstances tend to contract the sphere within which contributions to a work like the present are to be expected; and it is creditable to Mr. Kitto that he has obtained such able assistance.

Many of the contributors are professors in the German and American universities, where literature is so much a business that they are expected to know every thing important which has been published in those branches of learning which belong to their profession: and all the writers seem to be well read men on the subjects which they severally take in hand; so that the work, as a whole, is a very fair representation of the amount of biblical knowledge of the present day; and is also an indication of the bent and direction in which the minds of studious men are moving onward: while, by the vigour of thought and manly research which are evinced, it may serve as a counterpoise to the follies of those who are doting and drivelling over the toys or the idols of barbarous times, as though it were a commendable thing to recede and to forget.

The present age is remarkable for both the extent and the accuracy of its information-many have run to and fro, and knowledge has been increased-and it is as remarkable for the practical application which men make of all the knowledge which is acquired: men collect information, not in order to store it up, or waste it in profitless discussions, but for present use, and for the immediate benefit of mankind. And this publication is a good illustration of what we mean, condensing into two volumes, and thus placing within the reach of all, a mass of information collected from various quarters, on subjects equally interesting to all Christians, since the object is to explain and illustrate that volume which all look to as teaching the ways of God in truth, and all desire to understand as they prize their soul's salvation-a volume which from its antiquity, and its oriental forms of speech, allusions, and customs, greatly requires explanation.

In past ages, and less inquisitive generations, the Bible, and many other books less entitled to the same confidence, were

But most

received as authentic, and without any enquiry. persons are, in the present day, desirous of knowing something of the grounds of their confidence, in a matter where above all others mistake is to be deprecated. We require to know something of the history of the book itself; when and by whom its several portions were collected into one volume; in what particulars it was in danger of mutilation, corruption, or accidental injury; and how any such casualties have been averted or repaired by collation of manuscripts, and able scholars having directed all their critical acumen towards the single object of perfecting the text of Holy Scripture.

Another very important collateral enquiry concerns the relative importance of the different versions of the Bible, from the venerable septuagint version of the Old Testament which was in general use in the primitive Church, and continues to be the standard in the East at the present day, to the vulgate of Jerome which has superseded the septuagint in the Roman Church, and the vernacular translations which have been made for the use of different national Churches. Where manuscripts fail in clearing up doubts concerning a reading; and where critics differ as to the meaning of a particular passage, consulting the versions will sometimes turn the scale; but then we must first know something of the relative value of these versions.

There is a great deal of very valuable information on such points as these in this cyclopædia, some of which is to be met with no where else, and all of which is given in a very clear and satisfactory manner; and it is gratifying to find, from all such enquiries as these, how rightly our confidence in the Bible has been placed, and that all the main bulwarks of our faith only prove the more secure in proportion as they are more searchingly scrutinized. This work does not enter into theological or doctrinal questions, in the dogmatic sense, or as at all arbitrating between different creeds of Christians; but in the information given it puts every reader in possession of means for coming to a right understanding of the facts on which the judgment must be formed: sound knowledge, and sound criticism must after all be the foundation of sound theology, as distinguished from the blind credulity of the fanatical and the superstitious.

The question of language itself, in reference to its distinct branches, and the several dialects of these, is handled at considerable length, and with great ability, both under the several heads of alphabet, confusion of tongues, and such general and comprehensive titles; and under the separate heads of