sentence. He has no books to refer to, and his contortions are violent and odd, as those of the Pythian priestess on the tripod. Yet names, dates, facts, and even long quotations from the Fathers, come ever trippingly from his tongue; and after one lecture in such sort, the wonder is how either professor or student can go on for two mortal hours in immediate succession; yet such was his practice even to the last."

The personal piety of Neander shines forth in all his writings, as it did in the daily tenor of his simple and blameless life. In his own religious convictions the fundamental doctrines of the sinfulness and corruption of human nature, and of justification by faith in Christ, were ever held fast; and through his faith in Christ, he enjoyed an humble, yet radiant and rejoicing spirit of godliness. He even considered the religion of the heart to be as essential to theological insight as to Christian life. Pectus est, quod theologum facit, was his motto. The theologian needs," says he, "a spiritual mind, a deep acquaintance with divine things; and he must study the Scriptures with his heart as well as with his head, unless he wishes his theology to be robbed of its salt by his criticism." A beautiful illustration of the feeling that was ever uppermost with him was afforded by his spontaneous expression, when, on his birth day, a few years ago, the students got up a sort of celebration in his honour. "They met in procession, and marched through the city by torchlight. The procession pausing opposite the windows of his house, he was addressed in a figurative, complimentary allusion to the greatness of the occasion. This incident affected him in a manner illustrative of the simplicity of his character. Stepping forward, he declared himself to be only a poor sinner,' exclaiming, in a voice trembling with emotion, and the tears trickling down his cheeks-as one of the fathers had done before him-' O, Divine Love, I have not loved thee strongly, deeply, warmly enough!""

For some years before his death, Neander was almost blind. His historical studies, however, were pursued by the aid of students who read and wrote for him: and his fifteen lectures a-week were still, amid his increasing infirmities, delivered at the University. A beautiful fruit of his labours in this period is to be found in the Practical Exposition of the Philippians, and of the Epistle of James, dictated in 1849, and soon to be translated and printed in this country. When we visited him at Berlin, in June, he was attending to all his University duties as usual; and he even spoke with confidence of the state of his health. But his frail and wasted frame gave sure indications of decay; and early in July the signs of approaching and serious illness were manifest. Licentiate Rauh, of

the University of Berlin, has written an account* of his last illness, from which we obtain the following facts. The weather was trying and uncertain, and Neander had upon him the premonitory symptoms of approaching disease, but, hoping to overcome it, as he had often before, by the influence of his energetic will, he could not be persuaded to interrupt his lectures. On Monday, the 8th of July, however, his voice failed him at times, a thing which had never happened before. "He, however, forced himself to persevere to the end of the lecture; but could scarcely manage, even with the help of some of his students, to come down the steps of his chair, and went home completely worn out. A listener to his last lecture was so terror-struck with these sad signs, that he whispered to the person sitting next him, 'That is our Neander's last lecture.'

In the afternoon, spite of increasing weakness, he dictated his Church History for three consecutive hours. At last, with reluctance, he yielded, and allowed his amanuensis to withdraw. The days following were full of weariness and pain; yet his only complaint was that he "could not work." His mind now began to wander. On the Saturday he imperatively commanded his servant to bring his clothes that he might rise. A student tried in vain to dissuade him, but his purpose was only altered by his sister saying to him, in an imploring tone, "Dear Augustus, remember what you said to me should I oppose the doctor's orders, 'It comes from God, and so we must cheerfully bow to it."""That is true," he said, his voice suddenly calmed, "it does come from God-all-and we are bound to thank him for it." A few hours after, a bath of wine enabled him to rise, and he was carried from the bedroom into his study. Here his dying hours were spent. Amid the fantasies which now veiled his clear and strong mind, he was busy with passages of Scripture expressing the goodness of God; and, imagining the amanuensis at his side, he dictated a few clear and connected passages in continuation of his Church History. Once he murmured, dreamingly, "I am weary-let us make ready to go home." After another dictation, he said, “I am weary; I will sleep now :" and as his friends laid him carefully on the bed, he said, in more than his usual tone of gentleness, "Good night." He slept for four hours, and then slept in Jesus. When the news of his death was announced in the University, many of the students were affected to tears. A conference of clergyman, sitting in the neighbourhood, at once took steps to found a house of refuge for neglected children, to be called after his name. Many a preacher has already contributed what for him has the worth of the widow's mite, to this truly apt memorial of Neander.

Neander's Heimgang.

ART. VII-LEXICOGRAPHY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

A Greek and English Lexicon of the New Testament. By EDWARD ROBINSON, D. D., LL. D., Professor, &c. A new edition, revised, and in great part rewritten. Large 8vo., pp. 804. New-York: Harper & Brothers. 1850.

THE history of New-Testament lexicography in this country is soon told, and is mostly covered by Dr. Robinson's brief account of his own labours given in the preface to this volume. Germany itself, rife as it is with Biblical philology, has produced only two works of this kind worthy of fame beyond the continent, namely, the lexicons of Wahl and Brettschneider. On this subject, Dr. Tholuck, in 1843, gave his class the following summary in his lectures, (translated in the "Bibliotheca Sacra" for May, 1844, p. 345 :) -"Wahl's smaller Clavis of the New Testament accomplishes very well the object for which it was intended. His larger 'Clavis' [of which Dr. Robinson's first effort was a translation, and which furnished the basis for the former edition of this his original work] is faulty in respect of its definitions, which are altogether too minutely subdivided. Wilke has published a small 'Clavis,' which is very convenient for common use, but not sufficiently fundamental for a student who wishes to make a thorough examination of a word. The new edition of Brettschneider's Dictionary, published in 1839, is superior to Wahl's in one particular; it makes more extensive use of the Hellenistic literature. It is inferior, however, in all other respects. Its explanations of words are often very unnatural. The various meanings which it gives to words are not arranged with precision, as they are by Wahl. The definitions, too, are more deficient than Wahl's, in the statement of the true religious import of words. Schleusner's Lexicon, fourth edition, 1819, is still worthy of reference as a depository of philological citations and of antiquarian notices. Winer is at present engaged in preparing a new German Lexicon of the New Testament."

Since that time, improved editions of some of the above works have been published; but the Lexicon of Winer has not yet appeared. In England, Parkhurst had long held sway in this department; but his defects have become so apparent, in spite of amended editions, that the republications of Robinson's first edition of his own Lexicon have now greatly encroached on this antiquated dominion. It thus appears that, in the hands of a single author, American lexicography of the New Testament already compares to decided advantage with that of Europe; and it is a matter of just national pride that the same publishers who have furnished our public, in the standard form of Liddell and Scott, with the best general Greek Lexicon extant, have, in this edition of a native work, supplied the best Lexicon hitherto written for the New Testament.

Dr. Robinson has come to this task with peculiar qualifications, not only from his clearness and sobriety of mind, his habits of close and patient application, and his varied and extensive acquirements in Biblical philology, but also from his special acquaintance with this department of it. The light

elicited by all his literary labours readily converges to this focus, and there is not a page of his Lexicon but attests this illumination. In his edition of Hahn's New Testament, his Greek Harmony of the Gospels, his translation of Buttman's Grammar, and this Lexicon, besides other kindred works, he has furnished the Biblical student with the means for carrying out his own excellent suggestion in the preface, (p. ix, 5,) namely, "first to study the New Testament for himself, with only the help of his Grammar and Lexicon, giving close attention to the context and the logical connexion." It ought to be remembered, however, that Commentaries are very valuable helps in tracing this "logical connexion," and herein perhaps consists their only appropriate sphere; while incidental explanations properly belong to the Bible Dictionary. Our only regret in surveying this field of study is, that the Methodist community is so poorly furnished from its own resources with these lexical, grammatical, and critical helps to an understanding of the New Testament, that we are obliged to depend almost entirely upon the productions of other denominations for our text-books in this department. This ought not so to be, nor need it continue. The materials for such books are abundant, and free for all; there are scholars among our preachers competent to mould them into the requisite form; we have a publishing house possessed of ample facilities for issuing them, and the present actual wants of our ministry and membership would justify the enterprise even in a pecuniary way. We make these remarks not invidiously, as if jealous of the books of other denominations, even when they are professedly such; but because every community and circle needs its own literature, and our identity can only be maintained by this means. Least of all are we suspicious of theological influences in Dr. Robinson's works adverse to our own peculiarities of sentiment as a church. He is too genuinely catholic for that, and knows too well the distinction between the scholar, even in sacred criticism and exegesis, and the sectarian; and his Lexicon offends our prejudices in this respect so little that, but for the principle of home dependence, we should not have alluded to this point at all. Besides, it is hardly less than literary sponging to be always drawing from the general stock of learning amassed by the research of others, without ever contributing to its advancement or dissemination ourselves. Still, if we must be borrowers, it is consoling to be allowed to have recourse to such generous sources as this Lexicon. Dependant we certainly are for the present, and therefore the author deserves our most cordial thanks for supplying so well the desideratum.

The true elements of any good Lexicon of whatever language, it seems to us, are (1) the etymology of the words, that is, their derivation and affinities, and (2) the tracing of the definitions, as required by the variety of senses in actual use, from the radical idea thus obtained; (3) appropriate passages being quoted or referred to for their justification. From these arise—in a "dead language "-certain secondary features, such as (4) the peculiarities of inflection and construction; (5) the explanation of terms in their historical and archæological relations, and (6) the interpretation of difficult texts. These latter strictly belong to the departments of grammar, antiquities, and hermeneutics, and should, therefore, be sought in treatises expressly on those

subjects; but they are so convenient and serviceable in a Lexicon that it is perhaps best to introduce them there, even at the expense somewhat of scientific method. Besides these, in a Lexicon of a peculiar dialect or class of writers, such as in the New Testament, (7) a constant reference is needed to the usage of earlier and more general writers, e. g., to the Homeric diction, the Hebraism of the Septuagint, and the uses of the кowǹ diáλektos, in order to exhibit properly the agreement or deviation in import or application. These principles are, in substance, all recognised by Dr. Robinson in his Preface, (pp. viii, ix ;) a careful reference to them in the examination of a few examples from his Lexicon will briefly determine its value. As the merits of the older edition have now become well understood, we may, at the same time, discover the improvements in this edition by comparing it with the former. Let us take a specimen of convenient length from a chance opening of the volume:—

EDITION OF 1836.

Διατίθημι, f. διαθήσω, to place apart, i. e., to set out in order, to arrange, to dispose in a certain order, etc. Sept. for

1 Sam. 11: 11. Xen. Mem. 2, 1. 27.-In N. T. only Mid. diariveμai, f. διαθήσομαι, to arrange in one's own be half, to make a disposition of, trans.

a) gen. to appoint, to make over, to commit to, etc., e. g., Thy ẞaoihɛíav, seq. dat. Luke 22: 29 bis.-Xen. Cyr. 5. 2, 7, τὴν θυγατέρα. So of a testamentary disposition, to devise, to bequeath, sc. by will; hence ó diavéμɛvos, a testator, Heb. 9: 16, 17.-Jos. Ant. 13. 6. 1. Pol. 20. 6. 5. Dem. 1029. 27.

b) spoken of a covenant, to make an arrangement with another party; and διατίθεμαι διαθήκην, to institute or make a covenant with, seq. dat. Heb. 8: 10, coll. v. 9. seq. πрóг c. accus. Acts 3: 25. Heb. 10: 16. So Sept. for

seq. dat. Deut. 5: 3. Josh. 9: 6, 7. seq. рóç Ex. 24: 8, Deut. 5: 2, 2 Sam. 3: 13. -Aristoph. Av. 439 îv più diáðwvrai y' οἶδε διαθήκην ἐμοί.

EDITION OF 1850.

διατίθημι, f. διαθήσω, (τίθημι,) τo set, put, place apart, in a certain order, to arrange, to dispose, e. g. troops, Sept. for Bin 1 Sam. 11, 11. Thục. 1. 126; events, Xen. Mem. 2. 1. 27.-In N. T. only Mid. διατίθεμαι, f. ήσομαι, το arrange or dispose for oneself, in one's own behalf; e. g.

1. Of what belongs to oneself, a) genr. i. q. to appoint, to assign, c. acc. et dat. Luke 22, 29 bis, καὶ διατίθεμαι ὑμῖν . . . Baoiλeíav. Comp. Xen. Cyr. 5, 2, 7, thu δὲ θυγατέρα ταύτην (σοι) ἐπιτρέπω δια θέσθαι, ὅπως ἂν σὺ βούλῃ. b) Spec. by will or testament, to devise, to bequeath; hence ó dia é μevos, a testator, Heb. 9, 16. 17. So Jos. Ant. 13. 16. 1. Dem. 1067. 1. Plato Legg. 924. a, b, c, e.

2. Of a covenant, to arrange mutually, to covenant with another party; hence διατίθεμαι διαθήκην τινί ν. πρός τινα, το make a covenant with any one, Acts 3, 25. Heb. 8, 10 and 10, 16, quoted from Jer. 31, 33 where Sept. c. dat. for ; also c. πρός τινα, Εx. 24, Aristoph. Αν. 439 ἢν μὴ διάθωνταί γ' οἵδε διαθήκην ἐμοί.

8.

Here it will be perceived that in the later edition the derivation is indicated from the simple rionu, and a more natural arrangement of the primary senses is given in the first sentence. Then the citations that follow are distinguished by the two examples of "troops" and "events," a passage from Thucyd. being added to illustrate the former. Thus far the general signification has been settled and illustrated from the Hellenistic and Kový dialects. Next is given the New-Testament usage, stated to be limited to the Mid. voice, to a better conformity with whose import the phraseology is amended, and the first paragraph rightly connects with the ensuing development by an