have, however, feebler representations in the Greek, such as no direct use of an adverb with verbs, as he dies—no one sees it. (Ex. xxii. 10,) and (Isa. xxx. 14,) crushing-he has no mercy: the omission of words, or ellipsis, in every conceivable form of construction. There are ellipses of the personal pronoun, and its suffix; of the demonstrative and relative pronouns, of weights and measures when joined with numerals, of unrepeated adverbs of negation, and similarly of prepositions which belong to two successive notions; of conjunctions as well; and even the verb necessary to complete the sentence, as in 1 Sam. ii. 16, "If thou wilt give it me; but if not, I will take it by force." Dr. Kalisch well says, "But the syntax cannot exhaust all the irregularities of expression, nor explain all the figures of speech, which, abounding in all poetical diction, are almost endless in Hebrew poetry-soaring and fervent, combining clearness of thought with almost lyrical freedom; hence, not unfrequently, blending the abstract and the visible, and in this process boldly breaking through the fetters of grammatical rule and method. Yet the irregularities are generally so self-evident, the figures of speech so simple and effective, so free from obscurity or idle luxuriance, that they are at once appreciated and justified; they appear as the spontaneous offspring and natural embodiment of the ideas; they betray the youthful intellect in its still undisputed alliance with fancy; and what they contain of mystery reflects the unrevealed working of the human mind." (Vol. i. p. 315.)

This is a very cheerful florid view to take of the syntax of a language, which, from the decay of most of its powers of inflection, has had to do a double work, and in spite of exceptional ways to compass the same effect, which in richer and more highly-developed language is achieved in a more direct and far simpler manner. The poverty and the complexity of the Hebrew syntax is a lasting monument of the decay to which that language was subject ere it ceased to be vernacular. The use that the particles are put to in Hebrew is truly marvellous-the adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions, form the chief difficulties to a student of Hebrew. Noldius' great work upon the Hebrew particles, his Concordance to them, though in part somewhat obsolete, is still of immense importance to the Biblical student. "There is scarcely (writes Dr. Kalisch, vol. i. p. 315,) any part of speech more important for understanding the internal and logical structure of the language than the particles." "To the intelligent and critical student of the Old Testament, the most accurate attention with regard to the application of the particles cannot be too urgently recommended, if he desires to penetrate into the singular character of the Hebrew idiom." It is only by constant reading of Hebrew that the true meaning of these particles can be tolerably learned. In all languages much study of actual works in them is needful; the grammar conveys small knowledge without the dictionary accompany,

and the author; but Hebrew is emphatically a language that must be learned by practice, the most accurate knowledge of the grammar would never make a man anything of a Hebrew scholar. We trust that the few examples which we have given of the Hebrew syntax, will show some how much they lose by being content to read the Old Testament Scriptures in a translation only. One must not forget that in Hebrew, as in other Oriental languages, there are innumerable synonymes with different meanings; innumerable paronomasias, or plays upon words, which no translation however faithful and vigorous can at all preserve. Our paper might have been more interesting had we merely selected the most glaring defects in our authorised translation of the Old Testament, and compared our Version with those of the LXX and the Vulgate; but it seemed to be the better course for us to try to show a little what the Hebrew language is, that others might be stimulated to work with Dr. Kalisch's book, and so to acquire the language for themselves. We are no lovers of the Hebrew language as a language, nor of the Hebrew literature as literature; we have no blind faith in the perfect state of purity of the present Hebrew text; we admire and glory in the old Greek commentaries on the Old Testament, which proceeded from the pens of the great Doctors and Fathers of the Church. Nay, we would rather interpret Genesis by S. Chrysostom, than by any Jewish Targum whatever; but we think that some knowledge of the original language of the chosen typical people is desirable for public expositors of the Sacred Canon, and we cordially recommend Dr. Kalisch's Hebrew Grammar, as being the best book upon the subject as yet written; as honestly and fairly dealing with the matter in hand, and not going out of his way, as Winer often does, to argue upon doctrine, when his business is simply to give the one plain meaning of words and phrases.

AN INQUIRY AFTER THE SECONDARY CAUSES OF SUCCESS IN CHRISTIAN MISSIONS.

S. PAUL AS A MISSIONARY.

THE primary cause of success in any Christian mission is, of course, the working of God's Spirit; but as GOD is pleased in general to cause His spiritual blessings to follow fixed laws, just as His temporal blessings come as the natural effects of their respective causes, we must not think that the means which we pursue in the conduct of missions are indifferent, and that the energy of the HOLY SPIRIT is so likely to be granted to an irregular mission, or one improperly

formed, as to one shaped and regulated, in accordance with the laws which govern the spiritual world. In the spiritual as in the natural harvest the increase is the gift of God; but He wills that it should depend upon the system of agriculture employed, so that it is the business of the husbandmen to adapt their system to those laws which God has constituted.

The question then that is now before us is, What is the system which is most effective in converting heathens to Christianity? What is the most approved scheme for the foundation of a Christian Church? And we have not to inquire what are the ordained means of preserving it, since this is a matter well known, at any rate in its broader features, beyond discussion.

The mode of investigation intended to be here pursued, is to examine what were the methods of working which the most successful missionaries adopted, and to draw up from those what would appear to be the best constituted plan of a Christian mission of the present day.

And, first, we have to examine S, Paul as a missionary, for he was of all the Apostles the most abundant in missionary labour, and the most successful in conversion. And we shall be careful to consider only his missionary labours, and not to embarrass the question by bringing in his acts and ordinances, as the governor of established Churches, or the directions he sent to their Bishops.

1. What was the life of S. Paul, previous to the time of his being ordained a Christian missionary? Before his conversion he lived according to the straitest sect of his religion, being separated from his mother's womb. (Gal. i. 15.) And we must not say that this time was wasted, for it was GOD who separated him, and who, having chosen him to be the instrument for the conversion of the Gentiles, prepared him from his birth for the work. After his conversion he retired into Arabia, evidently betaking himself to solitude, that he might receive from GOD the knowledge necessary for his work. After this we find him in company with a body of prophets and teachers, at Antioch, ministering to the LORD and fasting. (Acts xiii. 2.)

2. The Church at Antioch apparently knew that Barnabas and Saul were called to the work of converting the Gentiles, and were waiting patiently for the time of the commencement of the mission to be signified. When then the HOLY GHOST commanded that the two chosen should be separated for the work, they made special preparation for their ordination in prayer and fasting.

3. And now we come to the circumstances of their actual mission. And the first thing we notice is that they did not separate. Though S. Paul was so full of the grace of GoD, and Barnabas was the son of consolation, they did not venture alone into the temptations and hardships of missionary life. They

remembered that the LORD's disciples were sent forth two and two; so they went together, and took with them Mark as deacon. And we see the same thing on the occasion of the second missionary tour. Though SS. Paul and Barnabas separated, neither of them went alone; and S. Paul, having chosen as his companion Silas, soon after took up Timothy to accompany them as deacon.

4. Though they took care thus to be provided with the solace of Christian companionship, they took no wives with them. These would have been incumbrances; and S. Paul plainly teaches that his state was the best for those who would attend without distraction on the LORD (1 Cor. vii.), and that his abstinence from marriage, though it was not enforced by any law, yet was necessary for the full success of his mission, that his glorying should not be made void. (1 Cor. ix.)

5. In the next place we find that S. Paul did not give up the practice of mortifying the flesh even when engaged in his severe labours. He was necessarily often in hunger and thirst, but he was also voluntarily often in fasting. (2 Cor. xi. 27.) Whilst preaching the resurrection to others, he was striving himself to attain to the resurrection of the dead, and he feared lest he himself might become a castaway. And therefore he was very watchful over himself, keeping under his body and bringing it into subjection. (1 Cor. vi. 12; ix. 27; 2 Cor. vi.; Phil. iii. 11; iv. 11.)

6. And, perhaps, this watchfulness and bruising of the flesh was all the more necessary, because he was careful not to make the non-essentials of religion essentials. These matters of meats and drinks he judged not to be absolutely right in themselves, and invariable as to their ordinances, but only to be right in their ends, and ever to be subjected to the great law of charity. So he became all things to all men, giving only such rules to a new Church as it might be able to bear, yielding to their customs as far as he was personally concerned, but resisting those which he saw to be oppressive to others. (1 Cor. viii., ix., x. 33; Acts xvi. 3; xxi. 20; Gal. ii.)

7. Another source of great strength to S. Paul's mission was his self-maintenance. He evidently set great store upon that in the case of a new Church which did not receive him at once with submission and gratitude. He permitted Churches which were very dear to him to send him support, but his first principle was, apparently, wherever he went to live by his own labours. By this practice, which he maintained to be quite voluntary on his part, and which was apparently peculiar to himself, he effected two objects: 1. He showed his independence and freedom from covetousness-that he did not preach the Gospel from motives of self-interest. 2. He set an example of orderly industry to others. (Acts xx. 33; 1 Cor. ix. 2; 2 Cor. xi. 6; 1 Thess. ii. 3; 2 Thess. iii. 7.)

8. Again, S. Paul laid this down as a rule in his missionary

work-that he would enter upon no ground which had been already enclosed by others. He was careful not to interfere in others' borders. (Rom. xiv. 15.) Notice too that he chose the most populous cities.

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9. As regards his teaching, it was eminently simple, and did not rest for support at all on the wisdom of this world. It was the doctrine of the cross, which, though unpalatable to the natural man, he taught without modification, and he especially dwells the fact that he had used no concealment towards his upon converts, but had declared unto them the whole counsel of GOD. (1 Cor. iii. 1; 2 Cor. iv. 3; 1 Thess. ii. 3; Acts xx. 20—27; 1 Cor. ii. 1; 2 Cor. xi. 6.)

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10. Moreover, it is to be noticed in his preaching to the Gentiles, that he did not rudely set himself against the whole of their religion, but took advantage of the element of truth which it contained to lead them to a knowledge of the revelation in CHRIST JESUS. (Acts xvii. 22–31.) trint febrem

11. Finally, notice what confidence he had in the authority entrusted to him. He hesitated not to declare himself the ambassador of CHRIST, a steward of the mysteries of GOD, with power to bind and loose, so that they who refused his teaching, did so to their own condemnation. (Acts xiii. 46; xviii. 6; 1 Cor. iv. 1; 2 Cor. iv. 7; v. 20; vi.; x. 11; xii. 12.) deo

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These are then the main features of S. Paul's missions, and we shall find them reappear more or less in all succeeding missions in the Christian Church, which have prospered in their work. There is, indeed, one aid which S. Paul had that has not been mentioned, viz. miracles. But it is remarkable that S. Paul seldom refers to their testimony. He seems to prefer the witness of his own and his converts' lives. As, then, the whole question of post-Apostolic miracles is so obscure, we shall not take into consideration their influence in conversion, but leave the question undiscussed, only remarking that the leading characters in missionary work have always had a confidence that God would interfere in their behalf, if not by what is called a miraculous interposition, yet by a special providence.

And now we purpose to review the lives of those saints, who, like S. Paul, worked in the fields of foreign missions, and see if the distinctive marks of his career are not reproduced, more or less conspicuously, in the career of each one, who, like him, reaped an abundant harvest after his labours. Our account will be chiefly taken from Mr. Maclear's History, and Butler's "Lives of the Saints." But, before we begin this task, let us recapitulate briefly the causes of success we have ventured to point out. 1. A long preparation in retirement, with discipline and study; 2. A shorter, and still more devotional preparation, in communion with the heads of the Church, who send the mission, immediately preceding the