drin, as recorded in Acts iv. 8-22. It seems to me that upon Peter's immoveable firmness in that day rested the very existence of the infant Church. Peter's daring accusation that his judges, who were the most powerful of the Jews, had murdered the one Hope of Israel, his confident assertion that the murdered One had risen from the dead, and the powerlessness of the threats of his enemies to extract from him a promise of silence, were probably the most potent means of the early and rapid spread of Christianity in Jerusalem. And, assuredly, had Peter's faith failed in that tremendous trial, no other voice would have dared openly to proclaim the good news of a Saviour risen from the dead. In other words, there would have been no Gospel, no Church, no Christianity. The existence of the Church in all future ages rested upon the courage of a single man. But the prayer of Christ, who foresaw the storm, for that one man was answered. Like a broad rock he stood unmoved by the fury of the raging ocean. the place of unique honour given to him by Christ in that day, Peter still holds, and will for ever hold in the memory of the Church triumphant. And That Peter denied Christ does not lessen this honour. It only proves how thorough was his repentance, and how complete the change wrought in him by the Spirit under whose influence1 he spoke before the Sanhedrin. We admit that in later years Paul took a more conspicuous place. But had Peter yielded to the pressure of his foes, probably Paul had never been converted. Looking back now in the light of subsequent history upon Christ's solemn words near Cæsarea Philippi, we cannot doubt that they refer to this unique place and work destined by God for Peter; and that Christ intended by his words to direct the apostles to Peter as their recognized leader, thus giving to them a unity which otherwise might have 1 Acts iv. 8. been wanting, and to prepare Peter himself for his great and difficult task as leader of the Twelve. We all feel that In seasons of great peril, "Tis good that one bear sway. The And our Lord, in order that his disciples in the day of their peril might not need to question among themselves who should take the lead, spoke to Peter in the presence of the other apostles the astounding words now before us. grandeur of the work and honour thus given to Peter justify the words; and are, in my view, the only conceivable explanation of them. Doubtless our Lord's choice of Peter as a leader was in harmony with a natural fitness. And the readiness with which, in contrast to the unbelieving or doubting1 world, he at once confessed the true dignity of Christ, was the quality most needed by one whose chief work was to bear witness about Christ. To say, as on p. 434, that " Peter did not understand the Téρа as applying to himself," and to call this a "fact," is simply assertion unproved and incapable of proof. He may, like the Virgin Mother, have "kept all these things in" his "heart." To say "that presumptions and assumptions would naturally have shewn themselves had Peter attributed to himself the strange metaphor of the Lord," assumes that the Holy Spirit given to Peter was not a spirit of humility. It is quite true that the explanation here suggested does not remove all difficulties. Christ used words which, in the sense expounded above, we should never have chosen. Even in the sense indicated, Peter is not, to our Western thought, a rock on which the Church is built. But the very strangeness of the words would rivet the attention of the apostles to Peter, and of Peter to himself, as the divinely appointed leader of the band, and thus prepare 1 Matthew xvi. 14. him to lead and them to follow. Moreover, whatever difficulties surround this explanation seem to me immeasurably less than the insuperable obstacles in the way of the other solutions. JOSEPH AGAR BEET. BRIEF NOTICE. THE last addition to the Pulpit Commentary is Archdeacon Farrar's exposition of 1 CORINTHIANS (London: Kegan Paul and Co.). On this Epistle so many admirable commentaries had already been published-e.g. Mr. Beet's, Dean Stanley's, and, above all, Canon Evans's in the Speaker's Commentary-that Dr. Farrar has wisely contented himself with an exposition of the most moderate dimensions, while all that he gives in the way of Introduction is compressed into four or five pages. Brief as it is, however, no point of importance is left unnoticed; and his solution of the many difficult problems started by this familiar Scripture is, as a rule, the best that can yet be attained. His slender rill of exegesis is swollen and well-nigh lost in a flood of baser matter. No less than eight homilists have been let loose on this single Epistle, and for one page that will prove useful to the student there are at least ten in this ponderous volume that he will turn over with a sigh. The value of some of these homiletical effusions will at once reveal itself to any Greek scholar who observes that the moral drawn from St. Paul's injunction on the debitum tori in chapter vii. verse 3, is that marriage involves "mutual benevolence," and that this benevolence is defined as a hearty well-wishing, each wishing the well-being of the other"; while the corresponding phrase in verse 5, Defraud ye not one the other, is amplified into "Deception is inimical to the true union of souls. Nothing cuts united hearts asunder so easily and effectively as artfulness and deception." 66 It is to be hoped that Dr. Farrar will let us have his exposition in a detached and separate form. AND TO EVERY MARRIAGEABLE YOUNG LADY. On your cutting out this Coupon and forwarding the same, along with your address and one penny postage stamp (to cover postage) to GOODALL, BACKHOUSE & CO., LEEDS, you will at once have forwarded to you a beautiful little volume. of 104 pages, handsomely bound in cloth, gilt lettered, and beautifully illustrated, entitled GOOD THINGS, MADE, SAID, AND FOR EVERY HOUSE AND HOUSEHOLD. Applicants will oblige us by writing "GOOD THINGS" on [EXPOSITOR. B IRKBECK BANK.-Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane. Current Accounts opened according to the usual practice of other Bankers, and Interest allowed on the minimum monthly balances when not drawn below £25. No commission charged for keeping Accounts. The Bank also receives money on Deposit at Three per cent. 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