HALDANE, ROBERT, ESq., a Scottish gentle man of fortune, who devoted himself to the service of religion, and to Biblical and theological studies. He was born in London 2Stli Feb. 1764, and died at Edinburgh 12th Dec. 1842. Having resolved to establish a mission for preaching the Gospel in Bengal, he sold his paternal ehtate of Airthrey, near Stirling, intending to employ the proceeds in furthering this scheme; but obstacles having been put in his way by the Government of the day, he relinquished the attempt, and resolved to employ his efforts and resources in evangelistic labours at home. These he carried on to a large extent in Scotland, aided by his brother, Mr. J. A. Haldane, and a band of devoted men of like mind, some of whom had been clerg-ymen of the national Church. He afterwards devoted himself in the same way in the south of France and Switzerland, and to him instrumentally the revival of religion in these parts is primarily and chiefly clue. When at Geneva he delivered lectures on the Epistle to the Romans in French, and these he subsequently published (2 vols. Paris, ISI9). This vvas the commencement of a work which occupied much of his time and thought in his later years, and which lie at length issued, in its completed form, in 1842, under the title Exposition ef the Epistle to the Romans, 3 vols., 3d edit. He published also Evidences and Autho rity of Divine Revelation, 2 VOIS. SVO, 1834; 3d edition, 3 vols. 12M0, 1843; besides many contro versial pamphlets and books. He was a man of a
vigorous intellect, with great clearness of percep tion, power of reasoning, and force of expression. His exposition of the Romans is a masterly work. It is to be viewed rather as a theological than as a philolog,ical or strictly exegetical commentary ; but so viewed, it may be pronounced a work of the highest order. The author's stringent Calvinism is somewhat too forcibly enunciated, and an occa sional air of dog-rnatism pervades the work ; but most competent readers will, we feel persuaded, confess that after perusing it they understand, as they never did before, the train of the Apostle's thought and reasoning in that epistle. The work has been translated into French and German. His brother, Mr. J. A. Haldane, also published an Exposition of the Epistle to the Galatians, iS4S ; and since his death, which took place in Feb. 1851, an Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, from his pen, has appeared. Neither of these works approach in ability the Exposition of the Romans by the older brother. The two brothers were somewhat differently endowed ; but no two men have left a deeper mark on the religious character of their age, both at borne and on the Continent, than have they. (Memoirs of the Lives of R. Haldane of Airthrey and his brother, y. Hardane, by Alexander Hal dane, Esq., IS52).—W. L. A.