BROWN, JOHN, D.D., born at Burnhead, in the parish of Whitbum and county of Linlithgow, in 1784, was the grandson of John Brown of Haddington, through his eldest son of the same name, many years minister of the Burgher Secession Church in Whitburn. He received his education at the University of Edinburgh ; after which he studied divinity under Dr. Lawson of Selkirk. He was settled in 18o6 at Biggar, Lanarkshire, where he laid the foundation of his theological eminence, by profound and accurate exegetical studies, which were then much neglected. In 1822 he was trans lated to Edinburgh, and was appointed professor of exegetical theology to the United Secession Church in 1834. His expository works had been slowly matured during forty years, and repeatedly in sub stance delivered from the pulpit and the theologi cal chair. They display a very wide range of her meneutical reading, combined with strong native sagacity and independent judgment, and a clear and vigorous style. Some of them are more prac tical, others more didactic and argumentative, but all bear the stamp of solid and thorough investi gation. The most original and important are an Exposition of the Epistle to the Galatians, pub lished in 1853, and an Analytical Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans, which appeared in 1857. The first of these works contains the learned ap paratus necessary to scientific interpretation ; the second is merely an outline of the course of thought,—Dr. Brown having found it impossible to satisfy his own idea of what was demanded by a fully equipped commentary on that great epistle, and having, in consequence, sacrificed most of his preparations. These two works take rank with the highest in recent expository literature, English or Continental ; and for the union of grammatical, logical, and practical commentary stand almost alone. A somewhat lower place is occupied by his Exposition of the Discourses and Sayings of our Lord, published in 185o, which is especially valuable for its analysis of the valedictory dis course ; and which was followed, in iSso, by his Exposition of our Lord's Intercessory Prayer. Of
the same order is his Resurrection of Life, an ex position of 1 Corinthians xv., issued in 1851. More practical and hortatory, though constructed on the same rigid principle of exegetical analysis, are his Expository Discourses on First Peter, and on Second Peter, chapter I., the former of which, given to the world in 1848, first disclosed the rich stores of his biblical knowledge. A volume entitled Sufferings and Glories of the Messiah, consisting of exposi tions of the text of Psalm xviii. and Isaiah liii., con tains his views of Messianic prediction, and of the double sense of prophecy. In preparing these works, Dr. Brown consulted every available autho rity ; and his learning, especially in Scottish, Eng lish, and Latin commentary, was in some depart ments almost exhaustive. His exposition of the Galatians contains a list of not less than one hun dred and fourteen critical and hermeneutical treatises employed in his preparations. His rigorous method as an exegete, coupled with his distinction as a preacher, his energy as a church leader, and his sanctity as a man, gave a great impulse to exposi tory studies, not only in his own denomination, but in other churches, and re-acted upon the style of the pulpit, so as to lay the ground-work both of preaching and lecturing in a clearer understanding of the Word of God. Besides preparing a com mentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, left almost ready for the press, he issued at various times other more fugitive publications. He died at Arthur Lodge, Edinburgh, in 185S, leaving behind him the reputation of being in his own department the greatest biblical expositor in Scotland.—J. C.