The work consists of an arrangement of the numerous topics of Scripture instruction and a collection of pertinent texts under each. It has been prepared, as the compiler informs us, without much aid from the concordance, or any similar work, but from a consecutive reading of the Bible. It does not profess to be a digest of religious truth and duty, but an attempt to present divine truth in its due proportions, by giving to the passages arranged under each leading topic about the comparative space which they occupy in the Scriptures. The student of the Bible, with the help of this Analysis and arrangement, will be surprised at the comparative fulness exhibited in the symmetry in which the several topics come from the mind of the Spirit. We are happy to learn that another edition of this work is contem. plated. It is well adapted to the several classes of readers named in its title page, and needs only to be known to be appreciated. 13.-Fragments from the Study of a Pastor. By Gardiner Spring, Pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church, New York. Vol. I. This little volume is in Dr. Spring's best style, and is adapted at once to please and instruct. The fragments embraced in it are presented in seven Numbers, with the following titles ;-The Church in the wilderness,-Reflections on the new year,-The Inquiring Meeting, Letter to a Young Clergyman,-The Panorama,- Moral Graduation, The Useful Christian. The announcement of this as Vol. I, indicates that the author intends it as the beginning of a series. Those who read the first will be solicitous to see his subsequent volumes. 14.-Introduction to the German Language, comprising a German Grammar, with an Appendix of important Tables and other Fa We have had considerable experience in the use of German grammars, and we have never found any one exactly to our mind. The reason we suppose to be that they were all made by native Germans. The authors did not understand the wants of English students. miliar with the tongue from their infant days, they imagined that foreign students would experience as little difficulty. They expended their principal labor on points important only to the advanced student. Noehden's grammar is the best which we have seen. The author was a sensible man, considerably familiar with teaching the language to Englishmen, and himself pretty well acquainted with the English idioms; yet this grammar is not, in all respects, a proper one for beginners. It discusses too much the less important points such as would be interesting to an experienced reader, or even to such men as Adelung and Grimm. The arrangement, too, is not the most perfect. The prominent points, which are to be committed to memory, are not kept sufficiently distinct from matters of inferior interest. The novice is bewildered. Besides, there are some things wanting which ought to be found in the Appendix-things perfectly familiar to a native, but which a poor English scholar must search volume after volume before he can find. We refer to abbreviations, etc. We have not yet made ourselves particularly acquainted with Mr. Fosdick's grammar named at the head of this article. From an examination, however, of some part of it in manuscript, we have no doubt but that it will meet the wants of the youthful student in German. Mr. Fosdick has been, for many years, engaged in the study of this language in circumstances well adapted to qualify him for his task. If he has not made a better school grammar than either of his predecessors, he will certainly be much in fault, as he had the advantage of all the previous light and darkness on the subject. Those who have read his translations of Hug's Introduction to the New Testament, and of De Sacy's Principles of General Grammar, will have a right to expect in the present undertaking a clear, wellarranged, and accurate manual. We presume they will not be disappointed. One hundred and eight pages are occupied with the grammar. In an Appendix of about fifty pages, there are lists of irregular verbs, compound verbs, different classes of nouns, prepositions, German versification, abbreviations, etc. Then succeed selections from the writings of Lessing, Krumacher, Gessner, Herder, Engel, Richter, Goethe, Novalis, Schiller, Gleim, Willamov, Nicolai, Klopstock, Körner, Bürger, Haller, A. W. Schlegel, etc. The remainder of the volume is occupied with a vocabulary. We may notice the work more at length hereafter. ARTICLE X. LITERARY AND MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. United States. THE VAN ESS LIBRARY.-We announced in the July No. of the Repository that the New York Theological Seminary had purchased the valuable Library of the Rev. Dr. Leander Van Ess of Bavaria in Germany. We since learn by a letter from the agent for the purchase, Mr. Wolf of Erlan gen to the Rev. Dr. McAuley of New York, that the Library contains 14,000 volumes, among which are many rare and precious books. We copy the following from Mr. Wolf's letter in his own words.-" There is a very rare collection of all the Pamphlets of the Reformation. It comes from the Monastery of St. Mary in Westphalia. It was in this Monastery that Dr. Van Ess was in his youth, when the King of Prussia suppressed all the monasteries. Before the edict of suppression was promulgated, the monks, who foresaw the lot of their monasteries, sought each to secure something for himself, considering this suppression as a robbery. Dr. Van Ess, for his share, took many works of the Library. There was, besides, a little retired closet, under double bolts, upon which was the inscription " Libri Prohibiti.” Dr. Van Ess was the only one who had a key to this formidable place, and thence he procured that valuable collection of Pamphlets and writings of the Reformation which the monastery had taken care to complete even in the time of the Reformation." Public notice has already been given of the establishment of a fourth year of study in the Andover Theological Seminary. It has been thought to be desirable by the trustees and friends of the institution, on several accounts, that an experiment of this kind should be made. The library of the institution is of great value, particularly in the departments of German and of the oriental tongues. The existence in Andover of a press with types in eleven languages, the present number of instructors in the institution, and its vicinity to Boston (about one hour's distance,) and to the large libraries in the neighborhood, furnish, it is thought, ample grounds and facilities for a new and more enlarged course of study. A class will be organized on the 24th of the present month (October). It will embrace all such, as may offer themselves, who have completed a regular three years' course of study at any theological seminary, or who have made acquisitions substantially equivalent to a regular theological education. A systematic plan of studies will be pursued, comprising the higher branches in biblical literature, christian theology and ethics, history of the christian doctrines, and sacred rhetoric. Particular attention will be given to the investigation of the original languages of the Scriptures and to kindred subjects. Instruction will be given both by recitations and by lectures. Opportunities will probably be offered for forming private classes for the study of the German, Arabic, etc. as the necessities of the students may require. Valuable opportunities for study will be afforded to such individuals as are expecting to engage in foreign missions or in the translation of the Scriptures. There have been some important alterations proposed in the course of studies at Harvard University. One of these is the substitution of certain studies in the ancient and modern languages for the higher branches of mathematics. At the close of the Freshman year, all the students will have the option of proceeding further with the mathematics, or of taking some one of several specified courses in other branches. The plan may be found to be a good one, but we have our doubts about it. Arabia and Palestine. Remarks of Prof. Robinson. Our readers are aware that Prof. Robinson of the New York Theological Seminary is pursuing his researches in the East preparatory to the publication of a Geography of the Holy Land. High expectations are entertained of the value of these researches to the cause of Biblical Science. The following interesting particulars are furnished by a letter from Dr. Robinson to the Rev. Dr. McAuley, dated Jerusalem, April 30, 1838. "At length," says Dr. R. "my feet stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem! A gracious God has brought us as on eagles' wings through the great and terrible wilderness; and here, in this city, where of old Jehovah dwelt, and where our Redeemer taught and suffered, we are permitted to hold sweet converse with all our brethren of the Syrian mission, and to celebrate with them the Saviour's dying love in the place where he instituted the ordinance in commemoration of his death." Journey across the Desert. "I wrote you on the 2d of March from Cairo, which city I regard as the starting point of my real journey. Mr. Cheever left us there, preferring to go by way of Alexandria and Beirout; but he was taken ill, and was unable to accomplish his object. "Our party, consisting of Rev. Mr. Smith, Mr. Adger and myself, left Cairo March 12th and reached Mt. Sinai on the 23d. There we remained five days; and then set off for Akaba on the 29th, where we arrived April 4th. It had been our intention to go hence to Wady Mousa, with Arabs of the Alouin tribe; but finding they were encamped at a great distance, and that we must be detained six or seven days, we preferred to keep our Towara Arabs and take the road across the great western desert to Gaza or Hebron, as the case might be, the way being for several days the same. This is a route as yet untrodden by modern travellers. We left Akaba on the 5th of April, and reached Hebron and Jerusalem on Saturday the 14th, where we were welcomed to a home in the houses of our missionary brethren, Whiting and Lanneau." American Clergymen assembled at Jerusalem. "Here we had the pleasure of finding all the members of the Syrian mission, (excepting Mr. Pease of Cyprus,) assembled to hold their general meeting. All the family from Beirout was present. We form altogether a band of ten American ministers of the Gospel; Mr. Nicolayson is the eleventh; and within two or three days Mr. Paxton of Beirout has arrived with his family. Probably so large a number of Protestant clergymen never met in the Holy City,-certainly not from the new world." Passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea. "The results of our journey thus far have been much more important and satisfactory than I could have anticipated. At the Red Sea both Mr. Smith and myself were able to satisfy ourselves that the passage of the Israelites must have taken place at or near Suez, it being, of course, impossible, after the lapse of so many ages, to point out the exact spot. We suppose it may have taken place a mile or two below Suez, where even now the shoals from the opposite sides come near together, and where at very low tides the Arabs can wade through, though the water is up to their necks. On the east side of the Sea, we could trace the route of the Israelites through the desert of Shin to Eliud and beyond, where they encamped by the Red Sea.' (Num. 33: 11.) This we have no doubt was at the mouth of the Wady Taybe." Site of Mount Sinai. "To Sinai itself we came with some incredulity, wishing to investigate the point whether there was any probable ground, beyond monkish tradition, for fixing upon the present supposed site. We were both surprised and gratified to find here, in the inmost recesses of these dark and lofty granite mountains, a fine plain spread out before the foot of the so-called Horeb,-a plain capable of containing two or three millions of people;-from the south end of which the mountain rises perpendicularly and overlooks the whole, so that whatever passed upon its top would be visible to all. This part of the mountain is about 1200 feet above the plain;-the summit now called Sinai is about two miles further South, and is not visible from below. With that summit Moses probably had no concern. South West of this is Mount St. Catharine, 2700 feet above the plain, and nearly 1000 feet higher than Gebel Mousa, or Sinai. We made minute and particular inquiries of Arabs and others acquainted with the whole peninsula, and could not learn that there was so much room in any other spot among the mountains, certainly not in the vicinity of any of the loftier peaks." Description of the Desert. "Our journey through the great desert, this side of Akaba, was deeply interesting. Of the nature of the whole region which we traversed you may judge from the fact, that from the borders of the Nile till we arrived on the borders of Palestine, we saw not one drop of running water, nor a single blade of grass, except a few small tufts in two instances. The Wadys or water-courses of the desert and mountains are sprinkled with skirts and tufts of herbs, on which the camel and flocks of sheep and goats brouse; but no horses nor neat cattle are found throughout the whole region. It is true, the present is a year of dearth, scarcely any rain having now fallen for two seasons. When there is rain in plenty, then, comparatively, the desert may be said to bud and blossom, and grass springs up over a great portion of its surface. In such a season the Arabs say they are Kings.'" Ancient Ruins. "On this route we found the ruins of the ancient Roman places, Eboda and Elusa; and also those of Beersheba, 28 miles S. W. of Hebron, |