LECTURES ON THE SCRIPTURE Doctrine of SACRIFICE. By the Rev. WILLIAM SCOTT. Parts III & IV. Glasgow: George Wilson.REDEMPTION THROUGH THE LIFTING UP OF THE SON OF MAN. A Sermon preached in St. John's Chapel. By the Rev. CHARLES PRITCHARD, M.A., F.R.S. London: Bosworth and Harrison. FROM the present discussion of which the vital question of sacrifice is the subject, we anticipate much good. The teaching of the Church thereupon may possibly be purged from much of human leaven, and the simple doctrine of Scripture emerge for the chastened intellect and the devout heart. Without subscribing to all Mr. Scorr's conclusions, we are bound to say, that he appears to us to have left behind much that is objectionable, and to be on the road to much truth.

The second of the above is a very short Sermou on a nearly related topic, and is conceived, we think, in the right spirit both of science and devoutness.

THE BIBLE-READER'S JOURNAL: a Medium of Scripture Exposition, Christian Inter-communication, and Biblical Research. Published Monthly. Numbers 1-6. London: Morgan and Chase. William Yapp. J. F. Shaw, &c.

THIS is a periodical from which we are disposed to augur much good. The idea is excellent, and after some experience in the discharge of his difficult and responsible work, we trust that the Editor will render it instrumental of the service which its general nature adapts it to render, and which is greatly required by the Churches. If the bastard doctrines of the day are ever to be destroyed, it will be by "the sword of the Spirit;" if the Church is ever to be purified and renovated, it must be by bathing in the inexhaustible and ever fresh fountain of the Bible. We beg respectfully and earnestly to counsel the Editor to draw the rein rather more tightly in the department of Answers to Queries. Liberty is a good thing, but it may run to seed, and we really do not see the necessity of printing the fancies of every uninstructed correspondent.

THE FAMILY TREASURY OF SABBATH READING. Edited by the Rev. ANDREW CAMERON. January to June. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons. This is, on the whole, a very excellent Monthly Magazine of Scripture information, of truthful and practical doctrine, and is well adapted for its aim. It were still better if thoroughly freed of Calvinian tendencies, and made carefully to conform to the spirit of the Bible. THE CHRISTIAN GUEST. A Family Magazine for Leisure Hours and Sundays. Parts I.-III. Edinburgh: Strahan and Co. A smaller publication greatly resembling the preceding. Our remarks

will apply here also, and perhaps the last of them more especially.— THE WORDS SHE WROTE; OR, THE BLOOD-STAINED LEAF. By the Rev. B. L. WITTS, M.A. London: Wertheim, Macintosh and Hunt. We cordially commend this beautiful and truly Christian narrative of facts, as fitted for wide circulation, and likely to render noble service. -THE LEGACY OF AN OCTOGENARIAN PASTOR IN THE ANGLICAN CHURCH. By John Riland, M.A. London: Hamilton, Adams and Co. A discourse worthy of respect for the twofold reason of the venerableness of the author, and the spirit of wise charity and liberality which it breathes. We earnestly commend it to the careful attention of all Anglican priests.-OUTLINE OF NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH PRINCIPLES. Compiled by the Rev. ALEXANDER KING. London: Judd and Glass. A successful and useful attempt at the exposition and defence of the peculiar principles of Independents as Scriptural and Catholic. Not only do the author's assertions rely on numerous texts of Scripture, but many important admissions to the like effect are adduced from standard divines of various communions.-Beware of THE MASS! Lectures on the False Doctrines of the Romish Altar. By the Rev. J. ALDWELL J. NICHOLSON, M.A. London: Wertheim, Macintosh and Hunt. England's greatness is owing to her Protestantism, and we can conceive no nation and no individual in these days attaining to greatness without Protestantism. But what is Protestantism? A certain set of dogmas, maintained by a zeal oblivious of courtesy, against another set? An establishment, doing its best to hold its own against aggression? Far be it! Protestantism, as we understood it, corresponds in religion to civil liberty in politics. It is the principle which would remove all oracular popes from between the responsible individual and his God, and leave him free to arrive at and to confess his faith; the principle which would knock from their thrones all popes-old and young, large and petty-over communities and leave them free. Is this the Protestantism meant by our Author? If so, then on his side shall be our warmest heart, and our loudest cry of No Popery! But we fear it is not.-A FEW WORDS ON A NIGHT SCHOOL, by one who has tried it. Oxford: Shrimpton. These few words are practical and will be found well worthy of the consideration of those who are thinking to attempt the kind of service in question. -HANDY BOOK ON THE LAW OF PRIVATE TRADING PARTNERSHIP. By JAMES WALTER SMITH, Esq., LL.D. London: Effingham Wilson. A very valuable exposition of an important and difficult subject, which every one whom it concerns should master. In the present state of English law, we are compelled, as legal laymen, to rely on professional authoritative statement, which we thankfully accept, carefully study, and reduce, when necessary, to practice.

A HOMILY

ON

The Honest Sceptic, and How to Treat Him.

"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me," &c.-John xx., 24-29.

ONDERFUL day

was that on which the Great Mediator

rose from the dead as the conqueror of death and the Captain of human salvation. In it all past and future eras in the annals of redeemed man meet as in a central epoch. It is a bright orb, in the sky of earth's moral history, throwing its radiance on all events, however distant and minute.

On the evening of this ever-memorable day, the disciples, drawn by a common interest in the wonderful facts of Christ's history, assembled together, probably for conference and devotion. "The doors were shut,"-for they were afraid of the Jews.

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They knew that the men who had imbrued their hands in their master's blood, would not hesitate to inflict agony and death on them. Whilst in this room Jesus appears to them. No iron doors, no granite walls, no massive bolts can exclude Him from His people. "He stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." To assure them that He was not a spectre, but the same veritable Jesus that two days before was nailed to the accursed tree, He shows to them the hands through which the rugged nails were driven, and the side into which the heartless soldier plunged the spear. The fear of the disciples departed, their faith was established, and they "were glad when they saw the Lord." Christ repeats His benediction, gives to them their commission, and qualifies them to discharge it by breathing on them the inspiring influences of Heaven.

There were two disciples absent from this remarkable meeting, Judas and Thomas. Poor Judas could not be there; he had gone "to his own place" of retribution, he had done with such meetings for ever-he was somewhere in eternity in the iron grasp of avenging justice. Alas! Judas, no more Christian conferences and godly devotions for thee!

But where was Thomas? Was he unacquainted with the hour or place of meeting? Did he flee too far off at the crucifixion to be able to attend? Or, had he other engagements which precluded the possibility of his joining his brethren on this occasion? It is idle to speculate about the causes; all we know is, that he was not present. Whether his absence was unavoidable or otherwise is not stated.

Sometime in the course of that week, perhaps immediately after the meeting had broken up, the disciples met Thomas and told him that they had "seen the Lord." But he could not believe their statement, and he candidly told them so. 66 Except," said he, "I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." Whilst there is an energy in this man's scepticism rather

startling, there is a manly outspokenness about it which one is disposed to admire.

Eight days roll by, the second "Lord's day" dawns, and the disciples meet again. Thomas is present now. The doors are shut as before; Christ appears; after pronouncing His benediction, He singles out Thomas, and says to him, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." Such is the wonderfully suggestive incident before us.

An interesting religious sceptic, an exemplary religious guide, and a super-eminent religious faith, are the three prominent objects in this narrative. They stand out in bold relief and commanding attitude on the canvass of this fragment of evangelical history. They are not characters foreign to our times and spheres, at which we have to gaze with a little curiosity and then pass on; in them, we, the men of this age, and of this island, have a vital interest; they demand, and will repay our deepest and devoutest study. Let us then bestow some earnest attention separately. We have here:

on each

I. AN INTERESTING RELIGIOUS SCEPTIC. An interesting religious sceptic! What an abuse of language-what a profanity of sentiment! A sceptic! his name should be mentioned with abhorrence, he should be shunned as a leper, denounced as a criminal; at his head the faithful of all Christian sects should hurl their severest fulminations! Such, probably, will be the utterance of those pious dogmatists who have reached a blessed certitude in all departments of theological enquiry. Albeit we cannot but regard doubters like this Thomas, as characters of peculiar interest.

There are certain features in this scepticism of Thomas that mark it off from the conventional and common scepticism of mankind. First The scepticism of Thomas was negative not positive. Thomas did not put himself in antagonism to the fact