The Church of the First Days. Lectures on the Acta
of the Apostles. By C. T. Vaughan, D.D. (Macmillan.)—This is Volume IIL of the series of Dr. Vaughan's sermons on the early Church, and is dis- tinguished by the title of the "Church of the World," in other words, the Gospel preached by St. Paul to the Gentiles. Dr. Vaughan with a few masterly touches places before us the scenes in which the texts were first delivered; he shows with what admirable tact St. Paul addressed himself to the different races and classes with which he was brought in contact, and deduces thence a lesson for teachers and mis- sionaries of all ages ; he makes a genuine but not a forced use of the characters of the historical personages who are introduced into the Scripture narrative, and finally he proceeds to the practical application. The difficulties of the present day, especially those of a moral nature, are dealt with earnestly and thoughtfully, not met with vague declama- tion or the "tedious common-places that have made a sermon synony- mous with dulness." Dr. Vaughan is thoroughly orthodox in doctrine, and at the same time knows how to clothe with a real human interest what are so often presented to us as mere shadowy figures.
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