us signal examples as well of the most childlike trust as of subtile thought and profound erudition. To those already honored in the past the saintly name of Beatè Paulus is now fitly added, and we would have this book everywhere read "for a memorial of her."

ENIGMAS OF LIFE.* This book contains seven chapters entitled respectively "Realizable Ideals;" "Malthus notwithstanding;" "Nonsurvival of the fittest;" "Limits and directions of human development;" "The Significance of Life;" "De profundis;" "Elsewhere." These titles of the chapters give some hint of the contents of the book. The author has, evidently, thought intensely upon what he calls the "enigmas of life,” and sadness has been in his soul as he has thought of them. He attempts a solution of some of the problems that present themselves to his mind as he looks upon man and society, but reaches no conclusions that are very definite or satisfactory even to himself.

He believes in the perfectibility of the race, but sees almost insuperable obstacles in the progress to perfection. He accepts the Darwinian theory of "natural selection," and thinks that in accordance with that law the strongest and best would survive, and the weakest and worst die out, and thus society gradually advance. But civilization itself counteracts and suspends the operation of this law. Civilization calls upon the strong not to trample out the weak, but to help them. It builds hospitals to keep the diseased alive, and so, keeping the infirm in society, checks its progress toward perfection. Thus some of the very elements of progress come in to make the problem of progress more difficult and complex. Still the author hopes "the strongest and the fittest will prevail, multiply, and spread."

With respect to the development of the individual, he finds an obstacle in the composite nature of man. "Man," he says, "is made up of three elements, body, mind, and spirit," and no one of these elements can reach the fullest development except at the expense of the others. The perfection of physical power in man, he maintains, is not compatible with the perfection of mental power. The highest development of the intellect is not compatible with the highest devolopment of the moral nature. The ideal of humanity on earth, therefore, is not the very highest

* Enigmas of Life. By W. R. GREG. Boston: James R. Osgood and Co. 1873. pp. 322, 12mo.

development of each of the faculties, but the harmonious development of all, and for the perfection of the individual we must look "elsewhere" than on earth.

The author assumes the existence of a Creator, and of a continual life beyond the grave. He says, however, that he does not hold these points on the ordinary Christian grounds, and thinks the difficulties in the way of believing them are "absolutely stupendous." Still his belief in God is "almost a certainty," and he has a "solemn hope" in immortality. But his views on these points, not resting on Christian grounds, are vague and shadowy, and afford no real help in the solution of the problems he is considering.

There is much in this book of deep interest to any thoughtful reader. The style of the writer is generally clear and often beautiful. A reverential, pathetic, solemn tone pervades the chapter relating to the world to come. There is as much candor toward Christian theologians and preachers as could, perhaps, be expected from one who has written against the "Creed of Christendom."

But his reasoning is illogical, and the grounds on which he rests his hope of the perfection of society and of man wholly delusive. We feel, as we lay down the book, if this is all the light we have upon the "enigmas of life," life is an enigma indeed; and we thank God that we have " a more sure word of prophesy; whereunto we do well that we take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place."

"DAILY MEDITATIONS," AND "LOVE REVEALED," by GEORGE BOWEN. While daily devotional reading, out of the Bible as well as in it, has always been recommended among intelligent Christian people, it was never more needful than now when the newspapers so easily absorb spare time. To provide the right matter in the right form has been no easy task, for it should be more than a text and a stanza for a day, and yet it must be brief; it must be scriptural in the letter not only but in the life; must have both thought and feling; must furnish, for the mind and heart, food,

*Daily Meditations. By the Rev. GEORGE BOWEN, American Missionary, Bombay, India. Second Edition, with an Index to the Texts. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Publication Committee. New York: A. D. F. Randolph. 12mo, pp. 440. + Love Revealed. Meditations on the Parting Words of Jesus with his Disciples, in chapters 13-17 of the Gospel by John. By the Rev. GEORGE BOWEN, of Bombay, Author of "Daily Meditations." Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication. 12mo, pp. 392.

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stimulus, and sometimes medicine. Jay's "Morning and Evening Exercises" were deservedly esteemed in their time. We have met with nothing of later date so admirable for this use as Bowen's Daily Meditations. The author "has now labored for twenty five years in Bombay, a missionary of apostolic consecration and zeal," and, it should be added, for a long time has been unconnected with any Board, and living by faith." The meditations, of unequal length but averaging little more than a page, each flowing from a brief text, or flowering from it, are arranged for every day in the year, and are devout, earnest, thoughtful, and suggestive. Unlike most sermons, yet exemplifying what sermons might be, they present distinctive Christian truths in scriptural forms without technicalities, in a terse and lively style, boldly or tenderly as may befit the subject, and with unusual directness of manner, healthy cheerfulness of temper, and conversational ease, at the same time shunning every thing like conceit or affectation. They are the less likely to weary and are the more effective in their intended use, from often only outlining or suggesting, instead of expanding the thought; and this feature makes us think they may have been sketches or memoranda of the writer's longer oral discourses,-a form of preparing or of preserving materials for preaching, as we have thought, better suited both for the pulpit and the press than fully writing out all that may be properly spoken. We second our own estimate of the work by the commendation of Dr. William R. Williams of New York, who calls it "a book of rare merit, marked by deep piety, insight into the scriptures, original genius, and uncompromising directness," adding, "I know of no book of its class equal to it ;" and the late Dr. Skinner is cited as concurring with his judgment.

The other work here mentioned, from the same pen, "Love Revealed," is marked by the like directness, vivacity, and fulness of evangelic sentiment. But while the others take up a detached text for every day in the year, these meditations, numbering less than a hundred and averaging nearly four pages, are confined to five of the latest chapters of John's gospel, or our Lord's discourses to his disciples. They are more complete or less fragmentary in their structure, and still short enough for daily reading. Giving the results rather than the processes of exegetical study, they keep close to their themes, whether one or more verses, as expositions and applications of the sentiment, yet avoiding the technical forms and dry details of most of the modern commentaries. Hence they

are the better fitted for their intended use in the hands of Christian readers generally, and may also help ministers to just notions of expository preaching which is now so much and so deservedly commended, and yet, when most thoroughly prepared is too often found more appropriate to the study or the "ministers' meeting" than to the pulpit. The readers of Mr. Bowen's Daily Meditations will need no further inducement to taking up this volume. To all who are as yet unacquainted with either we most cordially recommend both, for comfort and for profit. The author's primitive faith and zeal thus bless his own land as well as India.

PHILOSOPHICAL.

DR. ADOLF WUTTKE'S TREATISE on CHRISTIAN ETHICS* has been before the learned world since 1865. In these two volumes we have a translation of a part of it, and we welcome this translation as an addition to our theological literature in a department in which the English language is singularly deficient. Our systems of theology treat of Christian ethics very fully in its practical aspects, but we have scarcely any works which in form correspond to the theological ethics of the German schools. One single exception occurs to us, and that is a portion of the treatise by Whewell. But this is a meagre outline in comparison with the fully developed systems that are common in the German language. We are not entirely convinced that the German systematization of this topic is altogether an advantage. The Dogmatik must necessarily overlap the Theologische Ethik, the difference being ordinarily that in the one the objective and in the other the subjective side preponderates. The student who attends a course in either will find that he is in a certain sense duplicating his studies.

We are not disposed to quarrel with the method which the Germans adopt, nor would we deny that the division which they follow is attended with certain advantages. The English student who masters a treatise like this cannot fail to see familiar truths in new aspects.

The relations of theological truth to the principles of natural ethics will be seen in novel lights. Especially will the pagan sys

*Christian Ethics. By Dr. ADOLF WUTTKE, late Professor of Theology at Halle. With a special preface. By Dr. Riehm, editor of the "The Studien und Kritiken." Translated by John P. Lacroix. Volume I. History of Ethics. Vol. II. With an Introduction by Dr. W. F. Warren of the Boston University. Pure Ethics. New York: Nelson & Philips. 1873.

tems be more sharply contrasted with the nobler and richer conceptions of duty which Christianity has introduced. The higher and richer spiritual life which Christ has introduced into humanity will be more distinctly conceived and more thankfully and lovingly appreciated.

The history of ethics, in the first of the volumes before us, is very complete and able. For comprehensiveness and compactness it is the best general treatise which is accessible. While it can by no means take the place of some of our special and more limited historical criticisms it occupies a place that is peculiar to itself.

The pure ethics, in the second volume, treats of man's moral constitution, and of man's obligations, irrespective of the fact of sin. To an English reader it will seem novel, yet to the preacher and theologian it opens many rich trains of thought.

The translation seems to have been executed with conscientious care. Many of the sentences are hopelessly German in terminology and construction. We give the following: "This direct and not morally-acquired love is, however, a not unfreely-operating, compelling instinctive impulse, but receives the character of moral freedom through the simultaneously awaking consciousness of personal independence, and of the therein contained love of the person to himself so that in virtue of this twofold primitive love, which offers the possibility of an antagonism as well as of a harmony, man is invited to a free self-determination."

DR. D. H. HAMILTON'S AUTOLOGY* will attract attention from students of metaphysical science and will command sympathy from those who are interested in the bearing of psychology and philosophy upon the important truths referred to in his title. We cannot give an analysis of its contents within any reasonable limits. This cannot be expected by any one who considers that the publishers' announcement of its peculiarities covers nearly four pages, and specifies thirty-five peculiarities of excellence. The explanatory introduction of the author covers fourteen pages. The work is written by an able and patient thinker who has given many years to speculation as his favorite employment, and who shows no little familiarity with the subject matter of which he

* Autology: An Inductive System of Mental Science; whose center is the will and whose completion is the personality. A vindication of the manhood of man, the godhood of God, and the divine authorship of nature. By Rev. D. H. HAMILTON, D.D. Boston: Lee & Shepard. 8vo, 1873.