The Pentateuch and the Gospels: A Statement of our Lord's Testimony to the Mosaic Authorship, Historic Truth, and Divine Authority of the Pentateuch. By the Rev. J. L. Porter, A.M., Professor of Biblical Criticism, Belfast. London: T. Nelson and Sons. THE title of this volume fully explains its object. Do the New Testament writers adopt the Pentateuch as an authentic history? Does our Lord, as repre sented by the Evangelists, or does He not ascribe the Pentateuch to Moses as author? Does He, or does He not, quote and refer to its words as of Divine authority? These are the questions to which Mr. Porter calls his readers' attention. If they must be answered in the affirmative, as he thinks they must, then a regard to truth and logical consistency will compel us to abide by the statements of, the New Testament respecting the Old, or else to cast away the New Testament altogether as unworthy of credit. This may appear to some too bold and dangerous an issue to which to bring the controversy respecting the books of Moses. But it is the true and only issue which can be intelligently accepted. Mr. Porter's discussion of the subject is thorough and satisfactory. Money: A Popular Exposition in Rough Notes, with Remarks on Stewardship and Systematic Beneficence. By T. BINNEY. London: Jackson, Walford, and Hodder. We have not discovered the "roughness" of these notes. Had the state of Mr. Binney's health permitted him to re-write his notes, and cast his sermons into the mould of essays or chapters, as he intended, we should no doubt have had more elaboration, and, perhaps, more systematic completeness, but we might not have had a more readable or useful book. The volume consists of fourteen sermons, six of them under the general head, "Money may be a bad thing;" six under the head, "Money may be put to a very good use;" and two on Steward ship and Systematic Beneficence." Most readers will be surprised to find how much there is in the Bible on the use and abuse of money, and how many Bible characters are associated with the subject of money, especially as the victims of its love. Mr. Binney's sketches of these characters (of which we give a specimen on another page) are admirable, and cannot be read, or at least, ought not, with out profit. Books are sometimes said to be worth their weight in gold. This book, we hope, is destined to bring to the service of God its own weight in gold many times over, and, what is still better, we trust it will lead to solemn heartsearchings on the part of both ministers and people. It bears the well-known impress of its Author's mind from beginning to end, and is appropriately dedicated "to Samuel Morley, Esq., in testimony of a long friendship, and as a small token of respect for one who practically illustrates its principles." Daily Prayer and Praise. Daily Promise and Precept. Daily Bible Questions. London: Knight and Son. THESE are three tiny square books for the pocket or toilette table-all useful in their way. Melbourne House. By the Author of "The Wide, Wide World," &c. London: Nisbet & Co. 66 "DAISY is too perfect," says one child. "But she is very natural," says another. "The story is too exciting," says one. "Not at all," says another, except when you have to leave it." But with their little critical differences they all devour it. The religious and enlightened tone and spirit of the Author are well known, and will be found in this as in all her writings. The Brook in the Way: original Hymns and Poems. By ANNA SHIPTON. London: Morgan and Chase. THIS is a beautiful little book, and contains many pieces which cannot be read without a satisfaction higher and purer than that which mere poetry imparts. We have transferred one of them to our pages, which will give a better idea of the general character of the book, than any descrip. tion. The Sunday School Teachers' Commentary on the New Testament. By E. R. CONDER. London: Elliot Stock. WE can at present only name this impor tant work, and hope to find another opportunity of considering its merits. CONGREGATIONAL REGISTER. From November 1 to December 10, 1864. CHAPELS OPENED. Nov. 8. Pownall Road, Dalston; Preacher, Rev. G. Smith, D.D. Nov. 13.-Pole Elm, near Worcester; Preacher, Rev. J. Bartlett. Nov. 13.-Openshaw, near Manchester; Preachers, Rev. J. Parker, D.D., and Rev. R. A. Bertram. Nov. 23.-Nayland, Suffolk; Preachers, Rev. J. Stoughton and Rev. J. Fleming. Nov. 28.-Mereside, Hunts; Preacher, Rev. W. Robinson. CHAPELS RE-OPENED. Nov. 10.-Stourbridge; Preacher, Rev. W. F. Callaway. Nov. 16.- Greville Place, Kilburn; Preacher, Rev. G. Smith, D.D. Nov. 22. New Court, Carey-street; Preacher, Rev. S. Martin. CHAPELS-FOUNDATIONS LAID. Dec. 3.-Royton, near Oldham, by Henry Lee, Esq., Salford. CHAPEL DEBTS CLEARED. Nov. 8.-Hertford. Nov. 26.-Lichfield. Dec. 6.-Caistor. NEW CHURCHES FORMED. Nov. 6.-Abersychan, near Pontypool. Nov. 6. Luton, Bedfordshire. CALLS ACCEPTED. F. Smith, of Airedale College; Hindley, Lancashire. J. E. Jones, of New College; Park Chapel, Manchester. J, R. J. Binns, of Airedale College; West Burton, York. A. C. Todd, of Rotherham College; Tattenhall, Cheshire. ORDINATIONS. Nov. 2.-A. Wilson, B.A., of Springhill, at Hanover Chapel, Stockport; Professors Barker and Newth, Dr. George Smith, and others, took part in the service. Nov. 8.-T. Beard, of Cheshunt College, at Vicar-lane, Coventry; the Revs. E. H. Delf, G. B. Johnson, Dr. Spence, and others, engaged in the service. Nov. 8.-D. B. Morris, of Glasgow University, at Lower Rotherhithe; the Revs. R. W. Betts, J. Pulling, J. Guthrie, M.A., and G. Rogers, took the leading parts of the service. Nov. 10.-F. Sweet, of New College, at Romford, Essex; the Revs. S. Newth, M.A., T. W. Davids, Dr. Halley, with others, were severally engaged in the solemnities of the day. Nov. 16.-W. J. Burman, of Cheshunt College, at Long Ashton, Bristol; the various parts of the service were taken by Revs. I. Glendenning, H. I. Roper, E. J. Hartland, and J. Morris, and others. Nov. 17.-W. Alnwick, late Home Missionary at Broad Windsor, at Horsley-onTyne; the several parts of the service were conducted by the Revs. G. Stewart, H. T. Robjohns, B.A., A. Jack, and A. Reid. RECOGNITIONS. Nov. 7.-Joseph Bliss, of Tottington; at Brampton, Cumberland. Nov. 9.-J. D. Riley, of The Quinta Chirk at Newport, Isle of Wight. Nov. 15.-A. A. Ramsey, of Gloucester; at Adelphi Chapel, Hackney-road. Nov. 22.-W. Currie, of Belfast; at Newton Abbott. Nov. 22.--J. Shillito, of Dewsbury; at Norwood Chapel, Liverpool. Nov. 22.-J. Dixon, of Wednesbury; at Dunstable. Nov. 27.-T. B. Knight, of North Petherton; at Penryn, Cornwall. Dec. 6.-G. Hogben, of Camden Town; at Wigston Magna. "MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE." BY THE REV. THOMAS BINNEY. EVERY sentence in the Bible has, I suppose, its distinct individual meaning. The words were intended to express a certain thought, and that only; and it is the work and object of the expositor to discover that thought. But in many cases a passage may be religiously impressive, useful, or consolatory, in two or three acceptations. Still it may be well to fix, if possible, its actual or primary meaning, since in that sense only can it properly be called the Word of God. This I will endeavour to do with the words," Man does not live by bread alone" (Deut. viii. 3); in the first of the following observations, in all of which we apply them illustratively to different aspects of humanity. I. The first sense in which we accept and apply these words of Moses is in relation to bread literally, and to the natural life. This, we think, was the sense in which they were used by him. Looking at them in the light of the context, and at the context in connexion with them, the import of the whole passage would seem to come out pretty clear. It will help us, however, to see this, if we observe that the word word, in the closing member of the text, is put in by the translators, and may, therefore, be left out or have some other term put in its place. It was chosen, I dare say, as sceming to agree with, and was, no doubt, suggested by, the closing phrase, "proceeding out of the mouth of God." But "God speaks, and it is done; He commands, and the thing is." "Let there be light, and there is light." God's words are acts; what proceeds "out of His mouth " may thus not only be a word, but a work. In this sense we have the phrase in other passages, and in this sense the Jewish commentators and modern critics interpret it here. The former saying that the import of the text is this, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by all things created by the word of the Lord is the life of man," or "does man live." This general idea of something done rather than something spoken,—a thing rather than a word,—or a thing as the result of the word-that, I think, is the proper idea intended to be conveyed. The precise and exact idea, however, might, perhaps, be best exhibited in this way:-" Man does not live by bread only, but by everything or anything which God may at any time command or give for that purpose, can man live,"-" or man may live." The whole context falls in with this view. "Hear, O Israel, thou shalt remember all the ways which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments or no. And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know, that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only," but by whatever God may appoint for the purpose. It is true, bread is the proper and natural nutriment for man, it is the staff of life, it is fitted for the end it is to serve, it can be eaten-assimilated, and turned into blood and muscle and bone, and everything else that belongs to the body, but God is not tied to that, He is not confined to this material instrumentality;-if He pleases, if there should be a necessity for it, he can support men's lives by something else besides bread, by some new agent altogether,-by water, or air, or perfume,-by nothing at all, if need be, or by something which the dew, after falling on the earth, shall leave behind it,-a small white thing,-slight, unsubstantial, new, which shall prompt the inquiry, "What is this?"-by such a thing as that may man live, if God wills it—one man, two men, ten men, 600,000 men, besides women and children, may thus live, if God commands it to be so, and the word proceeds out of His mouth. They may thus live for a day, a week, a month, a year, forty years, on nothing else-on manna and water,from the air, and the stream from the rock; and they may be healthy, and strong, and robust, and look as fat and flourishing as the young Hebrews who had faith in this very truth, and put it to the test before the heathen, whether they should not do as well on bare pulse and a little water as on the king's dainties, and flesh-meat, and flagons of wine. manna This, then, is the real meaning of the text. It is to be taken as thus literally applying to ordinary bread and to the life of the body. With respect to these, the Hebrews were to be taught to trust,—the great lesson of life, the lesson of faith, was to be learnt;-God brought the people out of Egypt; they carried their bread with them,-what they had,-they took their dough and their kneading-troughs, and their mills, and whatever was necessary to turn corn into bread, for they had no idea of being able to live without that. But they were led into circumstances in which it could not be got; there was no bread to be had; without it they must die, as they thought; but it was God's design to teach them that they need not die; that He had resources at His command to meet the emergency; that He could "keep them alive in famine," without bread altogether,-on nothing at all, if He so willed, but certainly on something else in the place of bread, as they should see. And so, at the time of peril, when on the brink of despair, the manna came, and day |