The Representative Men of the Bible. By George Matheson. (Hodder
and Stoughton. 6s.)—Dr. Matheson here gives us a second but independent volume of popular psychological studies of Old Testament characters. These studies have evidently been sermons, and a non-liturgical or so-called "extemporary prayer" follows each of them. They are vivid and interesting portrayals of people whom any of Dr. Matheson's hearers may be supposed to have met. Some are less convincing than others. At least from the scholar's point of view it is rather impossible to accept the "popular preacher Balaam,",and to suppose that his counsel as to injuring Israel was akin to a benevolent Edgeworthian parent's device for exhibiting the virtue of the child. But the non-critical Bible-reader will find much to interest him or her in these well-realised studies of human types for religious minds.
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