There was a nervous insistence about his person, and a peculiar emphasizing swing of his right arm from the shoulder, which no one who has ever heard him is likely to forget. It seemed as if with this gesture he swung himself into his subject, and would fain carry others along with him. His sermons were always written out in full and read; never extemporized, never memorized. For the latter method and its results he had no liking. For the former not sufficient coufidence; though that came to him later, when driven to extempore work by illhealth. His early manner betrayed this want of confidence, and was at times a little constrained and labored. The same was true of his prayers, which lacked ease and flow, such as came to him with fuller inspiration. The whole effect of his services, was, however, always pointed and practical. Prayers, hymns, Scripture reading, text, sermon, all converged on the same central theme, and went to heighten the impression of the leading thought."

We have lingered longer on this earlier and formative period of his life than perhaps our limits will justify, that the influences which helped to shape his character and genius, especially the divine moulding of it, might be more clearly seen. As no one can understand thoroughly the genius and poetry of Wordsworth without reading his autobiographical poem, "the Prelude," in which he unfolds the growth of a poet's mind, so Horace Bushnell can only be understood through the prelude of his youth and early manhood. We shall now proceed more rapidly, although the book thickens and deepens in interest as we advance.

[To be continued.]

ARTICLE VI.-NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

THE SAVIOUR'S CONVERTS.*-This volume is designed to call the attention of ministers and churches to the importance of the training and spiritual edification of converts, and to make sugges tions as to the best methods of accomplishing it. The subject is of immense importance and the author is doing a good work in bringing it to the attention of Christian people. We cannot help thinking, however, that the book would have still greater value if he had taken a broader view of Christian character and work. He says of the convert, "he should he taught to magnify preaching and prayer meetings," and to labor assiduously to persuade the impenitent to turn to Christ. This is well; but it requires much more than this to develop a comprehensive, strong, consistent Christian character in which the convert shall "stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." The convert should be taught, both by the words and example of Christians, that he is to be a Christian not in the church and the prayer meeting only, but also in his home, in his business, in social intercourse with men, and in all places, times, and conditions; that his faith in Christ must lift his whole life with all its commonest affairs into Christ's presence, consecrate it to his service, and sanctify it with love to him; that his Christian character must include Christ-like gentleness, tenderness, and pity, universal good will, every where and always seeking the welfare of all about him; also unswerving truthfulness and integrity; incorruptible fidelity to a trust, whether it be an estate administered as trustee, or the stock of a bank, railroad, factory, or mine committed to his direction, or a railroad train or a ship entrusted to his management, or any piece of work which he has undertaken to do for another; and a Christian public spirit, studying all the interests of society from a Christian point of view, steadfast against oppression and injustice, against dishonesty and swindling, against political bribery and fraud, against all agencies and influences of debauchery and corruption, and striving always in faith in Christ to bring society in

*The Saviour's Converts: What we owe to them, and how we may aid them. By the Rev. WILLIAM SCRIBNER, author of "Pray for the Holy Spirit," "These little Ones," etc. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 743 and 745 Broadway. 1880. 174 pp. New Haven: E. P. Judd.

all its ongoings to be pervaded and controlled by Christian truth and love. It is such a character and work which make the Christian a power for good among men, and give influence to his words when he asks men to accept Christ as their Redeemer and Lord. And so far as Christians demonstrate that the noblest character, the truest benevolence, and the wisest and most effective influence for the good of mankind find the motives which inspire, and the wisdom that guides them in Christ, so far they will convince men that his religion is true and that he is the only Saviour of the world.

Mr. Bright once said of the people of England, "the working classes care as little for the dogma, as the upper classes for the practice of Christianity." At a recent Church Congress in England, as we learn from the Pall-Mall Gazette, Canon Barry reporting on "the religious condition of the nation as represented by the upper classes of society," said that "unlimited scepticism, the positive license of a conscious ungodliness, and a resolute selftrust and self-will are their only rule of life." The Bishop of Bedford, reporting on the industrial classes, said that without much speculative unbelief or hostility to religion, "the feeling of the masses is that of simple indifference." In every Christian country we expect to find the greatest power of religion in the middle class. But in another paper, reporting on this class, it is said that they "display deplorable moral weakness in reference to commercial transactions." If these representations are even partially true of England, or in any degree true of this country, there is call for the earnest consideration of the question whether the religion of the day is setting forth the true ideas or realizing the true spirit and power of Christianity, as Christ presented it in the world. To meet the decay of belief, what is needed is not more vigorous discussion of evolution and argument against scepticism, so much as a more complete demonstration in the character and work of Christians of the spiritual life and energy that are in Christ, and of the power of purification and renovation abiding in the world forever in the Holy Ghost.

CHRIST AND HIS RELIGION.*-Mr. Reid became known as an author some years ago in the publication of the Voices of the Soul, which awakened much interest in thoughtful readers as a By Rev. JOHN REID, author of "Voices of the New York: Robert Carter & Bros., 530 Broadway. E. P. Judd.

* Christ and his Religion. Soul answered in God," etc. 1880. 331 pp. New Haven:

work of originality and power. The present volume bears the characteristics of the author. The thought is fresh and interesting, evidently the outgrowth of the writer's own intellectual and spiritual life; it is concrete rather than abstract, centering on the living and historical Christ. The style is remarkable for short sentences and simple words. It consists of fourteen chapters on the following subjects: Christ is Christianity; Christ is either a Divine Saviour or a daring impostor; Supernatural beginning of the religion of Christ in the Soul; Morality and the Religion of Christ distinguished; Ethics of Christ as they characterized his religion; Worship in the religion of Christ; Decay of religion and its causes; Means to arrest decay; Laws of Progress; The demand for Effort; Discipline best effected by thoroughness in one or two things; Non-voluntary influence; Concealed greatness; Blessedness flowing from the religion of Christ.

PRESIDENT EDWARDS ON THE TRINITY.*-These "Observations" of Pres. Edwards have never before been published. The immediate occasion of the publication was an article in the International Review for July, 1880, by Dr. O. W. Holmes, in which he said, "The writer is informed on unquestionable authority that there is or was in existence a manuscript of Edwards in which his views appear to have undergone a great change in the direction of Arianism, or of Sabellianism, which is an old-fashioned Unitarianism, or at any rate show a defection from his former standard of orthodoxy, and which its custodians, as wise as serpents in order that they might continue harmless as doves, have considered it their duty to withhold from the public." Prof. Park and Rev. Tryon Edwards, D.D., depositaries of various MSS. of Pres. Edwards each immediately published a declaration to the effect that he neither possessed nor had knowledge of any such manuscript, and in extensive examinations of Edwards's unpublished writings had never discovered any evidence of any change in the direction of Unitarianism in his belief respecting the Trinity. Dr. Bushnell in his "God in Christ" had alluded to an unpublished MS. of Edwards on the Trinity as being in the hands of Rev. Dr. Dwight of Portland. This is now published in the volume before us. We have examined this MS. Though

* Observations concerning the Scripture Economy of the Trinity and Covenant of Redemption. By JONATHAN EDWARDS. With an Introduction and Appendix by Egbert C. Smyth. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 743 & 745 Broadway. 1880. 97 pp. New Haven: E. P. Judd.

not written in the hand-writing of Pres. Edwards, the evidence, is, we think, decisive that he was its author, that it had been copied for the press, and consists of sheets taken from a larger manuscript volume prepared for publication. Its contents give no indication of its author's departure from the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, and its publication ought finally to set at rest all the suspicions on that point which have from time to time found expression in recent years.

The work is of value in itself. Edwards says in his "Personal Narrative:""God has appeared glorious to me on account of the Trinity. It has made me have exalting thoughts of God that he subsists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." "I have many times had a sense of the glory of the Third Person in the Trinity." It is interesting to read these profound intellectual speculations respecting this mystery which in his hours of rapt meditation and devotion had so often and so powerfully moved him. It will be seen that Edwards held that the relation of Father and Son is eternal in the Godhead and not merely a relation pertaining to the official work of the Son as Redeemer. He also uses the idea the "Covenants," familiar in his day, as a frame-work on which to rest his thinking. In reading the volume we are impressed with the fact that since his day theologians have made progress in the consciousness of their ignorance as to this mystery, and would now shrink from attempting to penetrate into the constitution of the Godhead so deeply and to define it with so much precision as Edwards attempts to do.

The Appendixes add to the value of this little volume, and all who are interested in theological thought must acknowledge their indebtedness to Prof. Smyth for publishing it.

BIBLE LANDS.*—During the author's residence abroad he traveled extensively in Palestine both west and east of the Jordan and in Egypt. The story of his travels and investigations is divided into three parts treating respectively of Egypt, the Land of Israel, and Trans-Jordanic Palestine. The volume contains a map of Palestine and a Plan of Jerusalem, each occupying a page,

* Recent Travels and Explorations in Bible Lands: consisting of Sketches from personal observation; giving results of recent researches in the East, and the recovery of many places in sacred history long considered lost. Illustrated with new maps and many original engravings. By FRANK S. DEHASS, D.D., Member of the American Geographical Society, and late U. S. Consul at Jerusalem. New York: Phillips & Hunt. Cincinnati: Hitchcock & Walden. 1880. 455 pp. 8°.

New Haven: E. P. Judd.