14 MAY 1904, Page 24

which, as many of our readers will remember, was begun

by the volume entitled "Clue." Unwearied industry and remarkable ingenuity, a word which we use honoris cause, distinguish this as they distinguish all Dr. Abbott's work. We must own that these discoveries made in books which have been subjected to scrutiny for many centuries are a little surprising. And yet it was not till a few years ago that we found out that Mark was the earliest Gospel. We must be content with stating the hypothesis which Dr. Abbott seeks to establish, and with giving a single illustration of it. "When Jesus predicted His Passion, He mentioned `deliver- ing up' as the act, not of a traitor, but of God. He referred to that delivering up of the soul' which was a Jewish term for `martyrdom,' and which was implied by the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Suffering Servant. The Institution of the Eucharist implied, if it did not actually express, a delivering up of the soul of Christ to, and for, men—a doctrine prophesied by Isaiah, theorised on by Philo, and practised as well as inculcated by our Lord, and the words ` This do in remembrance of me' 'im- plied a repetition of Isaiah's precept, to draw out our souls to our neighbour' as He delivered up His soul for us, thus ` making intercession for transgressors.' " And the illustration is this. " In Luke, the hand of him that delivereth me up is with me,' according to the usage of `hand . . . with' in 0. T., and in Luke's own writings should mean, `the hand of Him that delivereth me up [for men] is with me, strengthening me for the sacrifice.' "