persecution; for you have the example of Christ, who suffered on the cross, a just One for unjust, yea also who to the lost spirits went and preached formerly, when they were disobedient, in the days of Noah. Admitting our explanation of the adverb oré, making it qualify the verb "preached," the apostle will be seen to have sufficiently guarded his readers against any false inference from the title "spirits in prison." We have shown that our view of the passage before us (1) agrees with the context, (2) agrees with the correct explanation of the relative clause "in which," (3) agrees with a reasonable interpretation of the participle àmetoast, and (4) agrees with a probable account of the choice of the phrase "spirits in prison," to denote the persons to whom Christ went and preached in the days of Noah. Let us then proceed to mention a few considerations more positively favorable to this view.

1. It accounts for the mention of Noah's contemporaries alone of all the spirits in prison; for the preaching was addressed to them exclusively. But if the preaching referred to by Peter was accomplished in Hades, it was doubtless addressed to others besides the contemporaries of Noah, and it is not obvious why these alone are mentioned.

2. It accounts for the article before лveópaσt, "spirits," and for the omission of it before ànetoast, "they being disobedient." For if the apostle had in mind the contemporaries of Noah, not as some of the impenitent dead to whom the gospel was preached in Hades, but as the spirits in Hades to whom, and not to others, it was preached by the Spirit of Christ in the days of Noah, we perceive at once the naturalness of the article before the noun; for Peter was thinking of these persons, all of them, and of no others. Moreover, the unemphatic, parenthetic character which we assign to the participle forbids the use of the article with it. But if Peter had been thinking of Christ's descent into Hades, and of his preaching there to some of the impenitent dead, would he not have omitted the article before the noun, and inserted it before the participle? Would he not have said: "In which also to spirits in prison he went and preached, namely, to those who were disobedient once"? or "in which also to the spirits in prison he went and preached, even to those who were disobedient once"? etc. This, we are confident, would be the natural way of expressing the idea which is found by many in the words of Peter, while the actual use and omission of the article strongly favor our interpretation.

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3. It makes the apostle speak of an event noticed in other passages of Scripture, viz., in 2 Peter ii. 4, where Noah is called "a preacher of righteousness; and in Hebrews xi. 7, where he is said to have condemned the world" by preparing the ark. The building of the ark was a constant sermon, from month to month, and from year to year, by which the Spirit of Christ appealed to a sinful generation. But the other view makes Peter speak in this passage of an event not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, or, if noticed at all, only in obscure language which may be easily referred to some other event.

4. It makes the apostle speak of a preaching the substance of which was well known; for the import of Noah's message to his contemporaries,

whether conveyed by word or by act, was doubtless known to the readers of this epistle. The story of the deluge, the ark, the preservation. of Noah, and the destruction of the rest of mankind, must have been familiar to the early Christians, and the nature of that patriarch's testimony to the people of his own day would need no explanation. To say that he preached to them,-expuse, was enough. But if we take the other view, Peter gives no hint of the particular message delivered by Christ; for the word "preach," or "proclaim," is not limited to declaring the gospel; it may be used of any message. Only the word evayyeli Copai is specific.

5. It makes the apostle state the way in which the preaching was received, namely, with unbelief and disobedience; for the participle anjaast and the Old Testament narrative both show this. But the other view leaves us without any intimation, however feeble, of the spirit and temper with which the preaching of Christ was received, without any hint of its effect, whether salutary or damnatory. If this be not a weighty argument in favor of our view, it deserves at least a moment's thought, and may turn the scales with a person who is still in doubt.

It seems to us, then, after a careful reëxamination of this difficult passage, that it affords no satisfactory evidence of the offer of pardon to ungodly men in the middle state. A. H.

"Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.-1 JOHN iii. 9.

("Whoever has been begotten of God does not commit sin; because his seed abides in him; and he cannot sin because he has been begotten of God."-VERSION OF AM. BIBLE UNION.)

If this plain, emphatic assertion were the only divine deliverance on the subject, the doctrine that every Christian is necessarily, absolutely sinless, would be taught by it. Just interpretation, however, requires attention to the analogy of truth, and the scope of Scripture. This writer, John, by no means stultifies himself by asserting here the direct opposite of his statement in a preceding chapter. The sense of the verse an be properly understood only by a proper understanding of the context, and discernment of the apostle's point of view.

It is plain that the "begotten of God" means the regenerate, and the "whoever" comprehends all the regenerate; yet in ch. i. 8, 10, John says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Also ch. ii. 1, 2. The proposition of this quotation is clearly substantiated both in the Old and New Testaments, and is fully attested by the whole Christian consciousness.

not in us.

John must have some special phase of the subject in mind. A careful reading of the whole letter shows that he is contemplating the interior relations of the believer and his God; and just in this connection, he is expressing himself upon the wonderful union of Christ and his people not only in our relation to him in law, but in nature, which involves our

complete transformation into his likeness, so that at his manifestation "we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." Vs. 2.

From this point of view, we see the fact of the first clause accounted for by the reason given in the last clause, and in the next verse. Vs. 10. "For his seed remaineth in him." In 1 Peter i. 23, we are said to be "born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." Also John i. 13,—“ born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD." I understand this seed to be the divine procreative principle, which, once in the human heart, remains, modifies, completely changes, and finally pervades the whole man. Before the entrance of this divine "seed," the whole nature,-the entire man,-is sinful. Vs. 8. He that committeth sin, is of the devil." Every moral act is tainted, for “whatsoever is not of faith, is sin," and the natural man is without faith. Moral deterioration is ever working. But "for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil," v. 8. Then the verse under consideration. The "seed" introduces a holy, opposing principle, which checks, weakens, neutralizes, and at length overcomes and uproots the evil. 1 John iv. 4.

In ch. v., verses 16, 17, 18, there is a proper parallel to this passage. It is evident that there John is looking at sin in its full fruitage,-the "sin unto death." He there speaks of a sin not unto death. In verse 17 he uses words almost identical in sense with what is now being explained.

This sin unto death, or a course of sinning which certainly leads to it, the Christian cannot commit. (The word cannot used in its moral signification.) The teachings of Paul apply here. "Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey the lusts therof." "For sin shall not have dominion over you." "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." "So with the mind I myself serve the law of God."

The soul of a man in whom grace is working, is a field where fierce battles are fought. The fight is fitly described in the 7th of Romans. Paul there says, "Now it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." The Canaanites would dwell in the land, but they were not Israelites. The product of the divine seed sins not. Though it may possibly be at some time in a position where its struggles are not recognized, yet its protests will be heard, the abiding efficiency of the divine seed certainly settles the supremacy of holiness.

H. F. S.

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Notes on the Gospel of Matthew, Explanatory and Practical. By Rev. Geo. W. Clark, author of a New Harmony of the Gospels. A popular commentary upon a critical basis, especially designed for Pastors and Sunday-schools. With illustrations. New York, Sheldon & Co.; Philadelphia, Smith, English & Co.; Chicago, H. A. Sumner; Boston, A. F. Graves. 1870. One vol. 12mo. pp. xvii.-420.

We can speak without reserve of the merits of this excellent commentary. It is the fruit of many years' study, by one whose personal relations as a pastor have given him a practical knowledge of the wants of those for whom he writes. His accurate scholarship, and judicious use of all available helps, have admirably fitted him to supply these wants, and he never loses sight of them by wandering into mere critical discussion.

Mr. Clark has the true idea of the work he has undertaken. His aim has been, to write a "popular commentary on a critical basis." A merely critical commentary can interest and profit but few readers. A popular commentary, without a critical basis, is an imposture, of which we have had too many. It is a handling of the word of God ignorantly and unskilfully, which is but one remove from handling it deceitfully.

The pages of Mr. Clark's work bear witness to his conscientious use of every means for the illustration of the text. It represents the most advanced stage of critical and philological learning. While drawing

freely from others, as occasion may require, the author expresses himself with the freshness and vigor of one who writes from his own mind, as one who is uttering his own well-considered and matured opinions. His views, therefore, are always interesting and inspiring, and are entitled to respectful consideration, even where the critical reader may think that he sees ground to differ from him.

Mr. Clark does not needlessly obtrude his denominational views. On controverted passages, where we differ with other denominations, he expresses himself courteously and respectfully, but with a freedom and decision to be expected of one who has his own well-grounded opinions. We see in this no just cause for the caution suggested in certain periodicals, when noticing such a work as this, that it is written "from the Baptist point of view," or, that "it presents the peculiar views of the denomination to which the writer belongs." Do they think it necessary thus to put the reader on his guard against purchasing the book? The commentaries of Barnes, of Alexander, of Jacobus, and the like, are noticed and commended without reserve or warning in Baptist periodicals, though these writers use every opportunity, and often make one, to press upon the reader's attention their own denominational views where they differ from us. We are willing that our people should hear both sides. How is it with them?

This is the first volume of Mr. Clark's commentary on the gospels. The title-page informs us that notes on the other gospels are in preparation.

An English-Greek Lexicon. By C. D. YONGE; with many new articles, an Appendix of proper names, and Pillon's Greek Synonyms. To which is prefixed an essay on the order of words in Attic Greek prose, by CHARLES SHORT, LL. D., Professor of Latin in Columbia College, New York. Edited by HENRY DRISLER, LL. D., Professor of Greek in Columbia College, Editor of Liddell and Scotts Greek-English Lexicon, etc., etc. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870. One vol. large 8vo. 893 pp.

The practice of double translation, from Greek into English, and from English into Greek, is now very generally adopted in our higher seminaries of learning, and is regarded as necessary for acquiring a knowledge of the Greek language. No one thoroughly understands a language, or fully appreciates and enjoys its use by native writers, till his own thoughts spontaneously take form and expression in its words and idioms.

But short of this perfect command of a foreign language, which few expect to attain, very much is gained by the practical use of its grammatical structure and idioms, with the aid of a vocabulary. In no other way can the learner acquire perfect familiarity with the peculiarities of its structure and its idiomatic forms, as well as with the more refined and subtle felicities of speech, with which every cultivated language abounds. This the teachers in our higher seminaries have found by experience, and of late years the practice has come into very general use.