Mir . :i-Itticrrict ?' - rv.,:i plain
N e w Series, Vol. VI, No. 17.
Strictly in Advance OM, Otherwise $3. 1
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gt mait gruktittian.
THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1869.
THE PEOPLE'S COMMENTATOR.*
The appearance Of:the closing volumes of Al
bert Barnes' last commentary seems a fittting oc
casion for more than the curt notice with which
the issues of the press are generally announced.
The occasion is suggestive of many thoughts.
The most widely accepted commentator on the ,
Christian Scriptures of any age in the Church's
history, who has spoken in many tongues, and to
millions of hearers, has just laid down his . pen,
with his task as yet incomplete. The people's
commentator on the people'•s book, after survey
ing the field of New Testament exegesis, and
commenting on Job, Isaiah and Daniel in the
Old, closes his labot•of love with an exposition of
that central book of the Word which combines
so marvellously the old dispensation with the new.
Fuller of years than of strength, he desists from
the work of his life with the satisfaction of duty
done, and great results accomplished.
The place which Albert Barnes occupies as a
commentator, can we think, be best appreciated
after a glance at the history of Scripture exposi
tion. It began after the return 'from the Baby
lonish captivity, when the sews needed to have
their sacred records rendered into Chaldee, and
explained by running paraphrastic comments, if
they were to understand them as read in the
Synagogue, and the Temple. Hence in course of
time grew up those curious and often valuable
Chaldee paraphrases of the Old Testament called
the Targums. In New Testament times, we find
our Lord and His apostles and disciples engaged
in the same work of expounding the'Scriptures to
the people. The primitive Church continued the
great work. The homilies of Origen, of Theo
doret, of Ephraem the Syrian, of Gregory, of
Chrysostom, and of Augustine, were all -exposi
tory preachings, commentaries published by Word
be 41. Tutftfill, when' c ent Vat the e fli
ed of reaching the greater number. Ia the
Middle Ages, the literature of the Church is less
rich in this respect. Systematic treatises on the ,
ology taxed the strength of the great writers;
the pulpit was less engaged in exposition Of the
word, as the language of the Church's worship
fell away from the memory of the people, and
the commentaries written presuppose a theologi
cal interest and a scholastic training which are
the privilege of a few. Bernard's Sermons on the
Canticles, Wiclif's Postils, Savonarola's on the
Hebrew Prophets, and perhaps the works of
Nicholas de Lyra, might be claimed as excep
tions, but only Wiclif and Savonarola spoke in a
vernacular tongue.
When the Reformation made the. Bible the
Look of the people, its exposition rose in import
ance as it sank in mere authority as compared
with the Word itself. The invention of printing
extended the commentator's range indefinitely.
Erasmus's Notes on the . New Testament, the first
Commentary for the people ever printed, was
" done into English," and placed by 'royal order
in every English church for the use of the peo
ple. Luther's Lectures on Galatians and Pos
tils on the Gospels and Epistles of the Church
Year, after thrilling his listeners at Wittemberg,
were carried over Germany and beyond her
boundaries, as powerful preachers of the Gospel
of faith in Christ. Calvin's expositions of the
whole Bible (with the author's cautious excep
tion of the Revelation) contributed immensely to
the advance of the Reformation, and have in
many respects never been superseded. But in
later ages, a sort of. Middle Age of Protestant
Scholasticism intervened, and the Word was
searched and expounded, not for the' edification
of the people and the knowledge of' the mind of
the Spirit, but for the confirmation of theological
systems. The exegete threw his whole, strength
into the exposition of the great proof texts'of this
and that doctrine. Formal sermons banished
Scripture exposition from the pulpit and the ver
nacular tongues into the Praelectiones and Theses
of the schools and seminaries.
We have enjoyed a revival of better things
through that slow progress of popular education,
'which is one of the, best and most assured results
of Protestantism, and which is every day making
more possible the Protestant ideal—an open Bible
as the guide of an intelligent community. We
are learning also to subsidize the labors of the
learned in the edification of the people. A new
interest in the Word of God has beehawakened
by the very impugnment of divitte authenti
city and authority. In whatever other respects
* NOTES CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY ON TIM BOO&
OF PSALMS. By Albert Barnes, Author of " Notes,
Critical and Explanatory on the Ndice 'Testament,"
"Lectures on the Evidences 'of Christiinity;" &c.
In three volumes, ltinio. Pp. xlvi, 874; , 888; 843.
New York, Harper .& Bros., Publishers. • -
J obnA.Weir 15july
we have fallen away from the spirit of the Re
formation, in this at least we are coming back to
it. The wide and mild extension of the Sabbath
School as a trainer of youth in the word' of God
has united with these other causes, in making
popular commentaries a necessity of the times.
Whatever may be urged of the merits of the
various works which have appeared to meet this
demand, we hold this fact to be patent,-4hat .
none have been-so wi4ely acceptable to, the gen-'
eral Christian public as those of Albert Barnes.
His "Note's, Critical and Explanatorj! on the
various books of the New Testament, and his more
extensive works on several of the Old;have been
circulated not by thonsands but by million's. They
have'been used as helps, alike by those who re
garded the author's personal views in theelogy as
dangerously lax, and those who looked on him
as unreasonably rigid and conservative. They
have, more than any other books, kept Calvinism
in its most acceptable' aspect before the public
mind, yet they have not excited suspicion or
alarm as the weapons of proselytism. The pre
sent writer remembers having learnt to honor the
name of Albert Barnes among the bluest of Old
World sededers; he has seen the same terms 'of
respect from the pens of American " Liberals"
so called. In- places where his theological trea
tises would be shunned as lax, or despised as
fogeyish, his Notes have gone with freedom,
carrying an exegesis freed from the trammels of
dogma, yet in bonds to Christ.
The eminently judicial character of Mr-Barnes'
mind has had much to do with this. There is a
manifest fairness and desire to get at just the
truth of the matter, which wins on even those
who reject, while they respect, his conclusions.
Every reader of his " Letters to Gerritt Smith,"
which appeared in our columns a year ago, must
have been struck with his evident dislike of tak
ing any unfair advantage of an adversary. His
method smgests the attitude of a judge weighing;
complicated evidence; and whatever modification
the progress of exegesis may, nggest as to L his
coricinsionsTlli - meiroCiiilralways approve it
self to conscientious men as the only honest.one..
This may seem strange,praise to some, but not to
those who know how rare this judicial spirit is.
The theologians of_the.dogmatic age of Protest
antism evince very little of it; and if we may
judge from Dr. Chas. lodge's elaborate attempt
to explain the theories of Oocceius into Rom. v.
12-19, it is still very rire among those who claim
o have inherited the mantle of the dogmatists
It requires a mental effort, of which many learned
men are evidently incapable, to view the Scrip
tures otherwise than through the spectacles of , a
system. An exegesis which is not the handmaid
but the equal of Dogma, which can pass a text
whioh seems to impugn some favorite tradition
of the fatherS without trying to torture it into
orthodox form in the name of "the analogy of
faith"—this is not to be found in every writer.
Mr. Barnes has combined it with ; a reverent COX
mon sense, to a degree which fully justifies the
approval with which his works have been re
ceived.
We believe, also, that Mr. Barnes' denomina
tional connections have been fortunate in this re
spect. The New School Presbyterian Church
might be called the Church of logical inconsisten
cy, or rather the Church of a consistency that is
above logic. She sprang ouf of an honest effort
to do justice to both sides of the truth,,however
unable to apprehend. them in any intellectual
unity. She holds none the less to a divine love
that seeks men in its saving power before they,
seek it, because she holds to the truth of natural
freedom and perfect responsibility of - the will.
She holds with equal certainty that God will
have all men to be saved and come to a know
ledge of the truth, and that His will is the ground
of salvation and of, righteousneis every ; : one
who does come to the light. She grasps with
firm and reverential hand the great Catholic and
Reformed verities of the past, and yet looks with
confident hope to the future for a deeper and
broader knowledge of the things of God. As
against the false. Liberal, she holds that no man
can be certain of progress in the future, who by
rejection of all fixed articles of faith, denies that
it has been attained to in the past. As against
false Conservatives, she . holds that only they walk
in the footsteps of the prophets of old who are,
under the guidance of the same Spirit, advancing
onward in the same path of doCtrinal progress.
Like a wise scribe, instructed unto, the kingdom
of heaven, she brings forth out of her storehouse
things new and old.
On this account we think that Mr. Barnes''
ecclesiastical position is especially favorable to
;that freedom from undue' theological bias which
has.characteriXed his expositions.
These volumes on the Psalms possess , more,
thaa the excellencies, which belong to his Notes
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1869.
on other books. To a long experie&ie in the ex-
position of God's word, he has added a long ex
perie'nce in that life of service to God, which
itself is the key to unlock the book of Psalms.
While tinder rising to ecstacy or thrusting his
own personality into the foreground, he has yet
drawn on the stores' of this best wisdom in the
performance of his work. The e xternal'and his
torical side of the PsalmS is fully andpatisfactori
ly discussed. The latex Works of traltel are free
ly,
drawn on for' illnstration, and ae range of
translators and expositors is subsi xelf in the
i s
critical discussion. Patient study, p yerful, in
sight, and a calm judgment, show th# results on
every page.
As an expositor, Mr. Barnes is of tit., conserve=
tive school. The titles of the Psalm he regards
as part of the inspired word, th essmnic
Psalms he regards simply in . their o expl ana
tion ; the quotations made in'the Nevi Testament
are accepted as the - higllea authority i n n sting the
general scope; in the 'case of Psalms whoSe au
thorship is not specified, he inclineit i3 O ascribe
them, with old writers; to' an earlier l'athe'r than,
with modern, to a later . epoch,:. He rejects the
th eory that Psalms CXX to CXXXIV fcirm a
" Pilgihn-book,"' W and re'ga'rds their 'title as' a
musical term. The imprecatory Psalms are jus
tified on grounds of principle.
`We shall rejoice if 'his work will :lead tb ' the
introduction of the Book of Psalms as a snbject
of study into the 'higher classes of our Sandaf
Schools. We believe, that a Careful'aii intelli
gent study of these - inSiired lyrics would not only
give our children, a iirofciunde'r insight into the
meaning of the Old Testament Scriptures, but
also do much to develop a sounder and manlier
type of Christian piety in our chtirches. To this
end—in spite of the great merits of Prof. Alex-.
tinder's work—some such
,commentary as the
present was needed, 'arid it, is not an unfitting, close
to Mr._Barnes' labors to have supplied' that need
B. t.
"- 1111AiGWING.
It, is quite time for the Te Dem. 'The great
things which our ascended Lord by His Holy
Spirit las been doing for the churches, call for
joyful acknowledgment from His people. Last
fall, amid the whirl of almost unparalleled, politi
cal excitement, the prospect, to many minds, be
fore the churches was dark. And, in fact, the
whole winter had alragst gone hefore any, decided
signs of reviving appeared. It was in the balmy
halcyon days of the middle of February, that we
seemed to catch the first notes of the spiritual
spring-time. And even then we'felt constrained
to speak guardedly, as between hope and fear.
But from that hoar, the indications have contin
ually and rapidly improved until 'we can fairly
reckon the present among the Revival Seasons.
Prayer, has been heard. The Holy- Spirit has.
been given.. Preaching has been rendered effec
tive. The churches have been roused to cOnse
oration and personal activity. And the ingather
ings have been large and encouraging. Doubtless'
there has been joy in heaven over repenting sin
ners and the advances of the Redeemer's king
dom. Let not'our anthems be unsung.
For we have not only beheld, but as a church,
and as a city we have largely shared' in, these'
great blessings. Not a feW of our city churches have
witnessed the largest accessions in their history.
The ancient and seemingly decaying have renew
ed their youth. Thee weak grid perishing have
felt a 'thrill of new life. Those which had already
become familiar with displays of divine grace,
have been led to a joyful` enlargement of •thelr
' ideas and their capacity in this year's experience.
At ten recent communion seasoni,held: in as many
different churches 'of our city, an aggregate of
three hundred and thirty persons were received
on profession. And there' has been less of what
May properly be called excitement than we have
ever witnessed in movements of equal poWer. Our
pastors have not laid themselves out , for`great
preaching efforts, summoning help from far and
near. They have not exhausted themselves by
overwork. In atleast one case; where the additions
were very numerous, •the number might have been
easily increased; but caution took the place of ur
gency with the church officers, and the Whole series
of preparatory services had as 'much the character
of discrimination as of encouragement.
The good work has been going on in almost
every part of our church. Regular and special
efforts; preaching; Sabbath-school teaching, and
the work of Evangelists have all alike - been re
warded with no ordinary results. The labors 'of
Mr. Hammond at Rochester and. Lockport 'have
created at least as great interest as ever before
attended his preaChing. They, have differed from
previous efforts, in beingconfined almost entirely
to grown persons; and if any,one acquainted only,
with those efforts, has been inclined , to disparage
Mr.. Hammond, as showing:no special gifts iagd
as accomplishing nothing more than blight be ex
pected with the tender and susceptible minds of
children, he may learn from the power and suc
cess of these labors at Rochester and Lockport,
to put a truer estimate upon his abilities. The
very great service done hy,the secular press of
these regions in the revival must not be over
looked as a proof of its power, and as a most en
couraging instance - of the ready subserviency of
worldly agencies to the cause of Christ.
Since the first of the year, considerably over
one hundred churches of, our branch have been
reported in our columns as enjoying the, special
influences of the Spirit. These churches are dis
tributed pearly evenly over the field occupied by
our ,body, ; ;; Fifty-four are found in New York
State,,principally in,the,centre and west, includ
ing 'three each, in the cities of Buffalo, Rochester,
ancl•New York, and one in Brooklyn. In Penn
sylvania,,there:are sixteen of these churches,
,in
cluding eight in this, city; in Ohio twelve; in
Indiana.ten • in 'lllinois five including one in
Chicago; ia,New ,Jersey, Delaware and Iowa;
each. two;' is ? South, Carolina (Charleston) one,
in California, (San Francisco) one, and in Mis
souri,,Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nevada; each
one; one hundred_and eighteen in all.
Comparing this summary with our tabular
statement of a year ago, we find that we then re
..
ported a.total of. one hundred and. fifty seven
churches;. we think our figures for this year are
more carefully, made up, and except in Indiana,
Illinoisiand Michigan, the results will be found
far ; more substantial than in the reports of a year
ago, 'ln those three Western States we have re
ported this year an aggregate of but twenty-five,
revivals ;, last year there were forty-five, includ
ing some extraordinary, instances of spiritual re
freshing„as,at Fort Wayne,• Ind., where 242 were
received on examination; and the little church of
Marquette,. where 78 were thus received. On the
other hand;,,eight churches , in our city last year
reported 265 accessions on profession, ten this
year,report.3B,o such accessions. Last. year but,
forty instances of - revival - 'Were reported in the
Empire. State; this year we are•privileged to, re
port fifty-four, of much greater average strength.
Last year the gracious movement began much
earlier; this year we aro still waiting definite
news from some of the points of greatest interest.
During the last two months we have rejoiced to
chronicle just'about twenty-three hundred addi
tions—pearly all expressly described as such—on
examination to our churches. And we are equally
thankful to say, tbat our own ,prosperity is but a
type of what is being' enjoyed by every Other
Evangelical body in the country, at.least iin the
northern part. We b,elleVe that,the numerical
strength of the Evangelical churches, of America
is from.fiev,enty-five to one hundred thousand
greater than it was at the beginning of the year..
Thus for four successive years, in fact ever
since the close of the war, the Holy Spirit has
dwelt with special influences, and with unusual
steadiness among the churches of our country.
Do we not begin to see the days when, according
to the , prophet, " the, ploughman shall overtake
the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that
soweth seed; when the mountains. shall drop
sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt '1
PRAYER FOR, THE ASSEMBLIES.
There has been a world of discussion and a
use of every human means to get and give, light
on the subjects to come before the coming As
semblies. , We earnestly trust that appeals for
higher wisdom have not been wanting, and that
the spirit of prayer itself 'has mingled with dis
cussion. Let us make these bodies, whose com
ing in sessions will be among the most important of
their history, a eubject of daily public, private,
and domestic prayer. Let us pray that they
may have grace to act, or to refuse to act, as the
interests of Christ's kingdom may require. Let
us pray that they may have wisdom to do not
merely what is good, but what is best; that they
may show that Christian good sense and sagacity
which prefers a greater good in the future .to
lesser one in the present; and that whether a
re-union is reached or pot, mutual love may be
promoted, Evangelidal truth and Christian lib
erty may be alike, honored, and the practical
livinc , union of God's people . be advanced.
=The melancholy scenes witnessed last week;
in the U. R. Senate must go far' to lower that
body in the eyes of all.who esteem courtesy, de,.
ceney and - order 'as among the first of parlia=
mentaxY virtues. The worst of it is, that the
two members were 'allowed to. abuse each other
most vilely without any interference from the
chair. Mr. Anthony, Mr. Abbott and Mr:
Sprague have, all done their best to, bring. con
tempt upon, the honored name of American -
Senator..
Genesee Evangelist, No. 1197.
J Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00.
Address :-1334 Chestnut Street
—The Spanish Cortes, by a large majority,
have carried the articles of the new Constitution
which provide for liberty of the press, freedom
of meeting and association, and the right of
petition. The articles on Church and State
have not been voted en, at this writing.
—The Osservatore Romano says that Pius
IX. is now engaged in negotiations with General
Grant, with a view to' sending a Nuncio to
Washington. The prelate would not only repre
sent the Court' of Rome . in the capital of the
United States, but Would also ' exercise an influ
ence-Upon Catholicism in this country, which,
in the opinion of the Osservatore, is destined
to supersede all other religions, and to con
trol the conscience of nine-tenths of the
American people. Perhaps the Osservatore re
fers to the political conscience of our people
when it uses such a magnificent fraction, and
peihaps in that, sense it does tell a truth of the
past. As to the future—well, it does not cost
anything to get up an opinion or utter a
prophecy, but the rapid decline of Roman Catho
lic emigration justifies some skepticism at least
in the matter.
--In one of his discourses in Lockport Mr.
Hammond said: " Were the angel Gabriel to
stand before you to night he could not speak as
ministers can. To illustrate the point: An Italian
stood before an Aviary, a place where birds are
kept; going to the proprietor he asked the price
of a bird and paid for it with a piece of gold;
opening the cage he allowed it to soar away; he
went to another cage and bought another bird;
in-the same way he freed it also. He bought
them all and in turn set them free. The people
gathered around arid thought he was crazy. He
told them, 'I too was once a prisoner.' So a
minister can stand before you and say, too was
a prisoner, and point the way to freedom.' Thus
ministers have more power than Gabriel."
—Amid not a little that is discouraging and ,
,
indicative of actual retrogression in regard to
the, public observance of the Sabbath, it is most
cheering to find, in' the highest public position
in the land, an example of reverence for the day,
such as almost never before has been given. It
is' publicly announced, in connection with the
schedule of business hours at the White House,
that all business and visitors are to be "pro•
scribed" on the Sabbath, " something which,"
the correspondent informs us, " has not been
done for many years, if ever before." It is said
that quite a number of less scrupulous Senators,
on calling at the White House last Sunday
morning were disappointed at not finding the
President. He had made " a flank movement,"
and was spending the day quietly with a brother
in-law at Laurel, Md. What a relief to the
whole nation will be a, Sabbath-keeping Presi
dent! What a relief to preachers and editors
of religions papers, if the President will take off
their hands the duty of reproving Sabbath-break
ing politicians!
MATERNAL ASSOCIATION OF PHILADEL-
This is composed of Christian ladies connect
ed with the various Evangelical churches of our
city. 'For several years they have sustained a
monthly concert of. prayer, so-called because
in concert with other meetings in New York and
elsewhere. These meetings are held on the first
Wednesday of each menth at 3 o'clock, P. M.,
in the , Lecture-room of the North Broad street
Presbyterian church (Rev. Dr. Stryker's). Al
though not largely attended, these gatherings are
full of interest. The association supports a
,
Bible Reader and the reports presented by her
and the statements of other working Christian
ladies are full of thrilling interest.
An important feature 'of these meetings is the
requests ' for prayer which are presented, the
same requests oftentimes being carried over
from month to month,, and earnestly remembered
until the pleasing intelligence is received, that
the prayers offered up have been answered.
These meetings are exclusively for ladies and
their'children. But occasionally some pastor is
invited to preside, and cold must be his heart if
not touched with , the earnest prayer and exhor
tations of these devoted Christian Sisters.
The next meeting 'will be held next Wednes
day afternoon.' We hope it will be largely at
tended by our 'pioui ladies, and that they will
not forget to take their children with them. Let
the plane be crowded with worshippers; and
every heart will be overflowing with grace. P.S,
The Christian Register` (Unitarian) says : " A
new-effort will be 'mad& to start another Unita
rian society' in Philadelphia. The Rev. Kr.
Thorne, .who; has lately come out from the Pres
byterian church, has been selected as the minis
ter. ..A church edifice has been hired for a year,
antl' the American Unitarian Association have
appropriated one thousand dollars towards this
object. We learri that the movement promises
to be,successful."
CURRENT TOPICS.