"The Twentieth Century New Testament." A Translation into Modern English. Made from the original Greek (Westcott & Hort's Text), by a company of about twenty scholars, representing the various sections of the Christian Church. Revised Edition. New York, Chicago, Toronto Fleming H. Revell Company. Pp. xxx-523. Price, $1.00 net.

We confess to having had a prejudice against the translation of the august, time-honored words of the New Testament, invested with so many sacred and tender associations, into the language of every day life, but that prejudice is quite removed. The time-honored version of nearly three hundred years ago has by its sometimes archaic expression obscured rather than revealed its meaning. Other parts are like a coin worn smooth. This book is like one fresh from the mint, and brings home the meaning of the sacred text with a new power. The translation is made directly from the original Greek text, not into newspaper English, but into a dignified and literary style. It is said that young people have listened with eagerness to the reading of this version, to whom the authorized one had by its very aloofness possessed slight interest. The work has been twelve years in progress. Of the tentative edition two hundred thousand copies were sold in three years. We have employed this for daily readings ever since it came into our possession, and can testify to the quickened interest which it creates, and the new light which it often throws upon well-worn passages.

"History Unveiling Prophecy; or, Time as an Interpreter." By H. Grattan Guinness, D.D. Author of "The Approaching End of the Age." New York, Chicago, Toronto: Fleming H. Revell. Pp. xxi-494. Price, $2.00

net.

The difficulty about the interpreters of prophecy is that they become prophets themselves. In this book Dr. Guinness largely avoids this peril. He goes upon the principle, "God is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain." He makes history, which is but the voice of God in the great movements of the ages, the explanation of the spirit of prophecy. The book of Revelation especially, it seems to us, was not so much designed to give a forecast of the future as to be a perpetual witness of the providence of God throughout the ages. The fixing of the times and the seasons for the end

of the world has caused many misinterpretations and mistakes which would be Dr. ludicrous were they not so pitiful. Guinness tells us that he found in Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, an unintended key to the Apocalypse. He follows the stately movement of that history in the overthrow of the great Babylon of the west, and of Byzantium, the eastern capital. He finds in the Reformation of Luther, and that of the English Puritans, in the English and French Revolutions, and in the fall of the papal secular power in 1867, fulfilments of the solemn imagery and predictions of the Revelation.

"The International Critical Commentary." A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Amos and Hosea. By William Rainey Harper. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark. Toronto William Briggs. Pp. clxxxi-424.

This great work marks an era in the history of biblical scholarship. That it is edited by Dr. Harper is a guarantee of its broad and comprehensive character. It has been in preparation for fourteen years, and all the recent and copious literature on the Minor Prophets has been laid under tribute, as well as Dr. Harper's original investigation. It is a book specially for preachers and scholars. It goes to the root of the matter, and gives a critical investigation of almost every clause and phrase. Two more volumes will complete the Minor Prophets, which Dr. Harper expects to publish within the next two years. Let us hope that his health will be spared to complete this crowning work of his life.

"Inter-Communion with God." An Ex

ploration of Spiritual Power as Manifested in Intercourse and Co-operation Between God and Man. By the Rev. Marshall P. Talling, B.A., Ph.D. Author of " Extempore Prayer." New York, Chicago, Toronto: Fleming H. Revell Company. Pp. 206. Price, $1.00 net.

The previous work of Dr. Talling on 'Extempore Prayer" treated very fully the art and meaning of public devotion; the present work is the complement and sequel of that book. It examines the many ways in which a soul may come in contact with its Maker. Its range is far wider than a treatise on private devotion, as it seeks to include every avenue of approach to God. Instead of treating communion in the ordinary language of religion, he speaks of all influences,

spiritual, mental, or physical, as "forces." The conception of communion here given is fresh, intensely suggestive, and convincing.

"The Eternal Life." By Hugo Munsterberg. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Toronto: William Briggs.

This is a well written and well stated argument, which would be an excellent course in intellectual gymnastics for any young man who would like to try his power in detecting the fallacy which aims at giving consolation to a mourner, supposed to be stricken with grief, but sustained by Christian hope, over the burial of a mutual friend. The author finds the eternal life in the continuation of the results of the present life, as the contribution of the dead towards the progress of the race. "A personality which has found complete satisfaction of its aims has no possible further intention, and it would be meaningless to attach to it externally a supplement of individual existence." But what about the personality that feels that this life has only given the training of an apprenticeship for real service? The author has not apprehended the Pauline idea that Christ

"An Introduction to the Study of Christian Ethics." By A. Ernest Balch, M.A. London: Charles H. Kelly. Toronto William Briggs.

This is the twenty-ninth volume of a most. excellent set of "Books for Bible Students," written from the Methodist standpoint, mostly up-to-date in modern scholarship in Biblical criticism, and published by the Wesleyan Methodist Book Room in England. They are published at the uniform price of 2s. 6d., and, as they can be had through our own Book Room, they should be in the hands of all our young preachers and educated lay workers. This volume is a most excellent treatment of Christian Ethics, in so far as it takes the usual material of ethical subjects from the ordinary Christian point of view, as centred in Christ, and then extended into the realms covered by modern Methodist thought. The author starts with the fundamental idea of the Kingdom of God on earth as the arena for the ethical development of man and keeps true to the conceptions of Methodist theology.

"The Harvest of the Sea." A Tale of
Both Sides of the Atlantic. By
Wilfrid T.
Grenfell. Illustrated.

New York, Chicago, Toronto: Flem-
ing H. Revell Company. Pp. 162.
Price, $1.00 net.

It

In this book Dr. Grenfell himself presents in a vivid story, or rather two of them, an account of the adventures and perils of the deep-sea fishermen's life in the North Sea and on the Labrador. was these North Sea fishermen whom the valiant Russian admiral assailed with his colossal fleet, sinking some of their boats and killing and maiming some of the men. So great was popular sympathy for these brave men that in a few weeks more money was contributed to the deep-sea mission than in years before. These two books give a very vivid idea of the perils in reaping the harvest of the sea and the efforts made to provide for the physical and moral succor of these brave fishermen.

"The Times of Christ." By Lewis A. Muirhead, B.D. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. Toronto William Briggs. Pp. 179.

Such a book as this cannot fail to give a clearer conception of the conditions of our Lord's ministry and of its special message to the age in which He lived, and to all the ages. Part First is devoted to the Herods and the Romans in Palestine, Part Second to the social conditions, daily life, the government and language of the people, Part Third to the religious life of the Jews in the time of our Lord, the Sadducees, Scribes, Pharisees, Synagogue, the Messianiac Hope-a book of very great value to the Bible student.

New

"The Divine Opportunity." Sermons preached by F. B. Stockdale. York Eaton & Mains. Toronto: William Briggs. Pp. 136. Price, 50 cents net.

This is another of the series of sermons for the times, issued by the Methodist Book Concern. While books of devotion may have a smaller sale than formerly, yet books of exposition and Bible study have a much larger sale. We think this speaks well for the growing intelligence and piety of the church. The book rings with the old message of salvation from sin. The author is described as a seer, a herald, a messenger. Some of the sermons were preached before the preachers at Conference, and have a message of power to their readers.