sanctioned the principle that political institutions and laws are to be modified on account of the hardness of men's hearts.

Hence it is the Christian, in sympathy with God's truth, who sees the kingdom of God, and understands the epochs of its growth when they come. In the quiet times before the epoch comes, the Christian may be at fault. Intent on his moral ideals, and impatient of the seeming slowness of God's movements, he may unwisely insist on the immediate expression of all truth in institutions and laws, putting new wine into old bottles, and sewing a new patch on an old garment. But when the epoch has come, possessing the hearts of men with its new ideas, and demanding a new policy, then it is the Christian who sees clearly; while the man accustomed to the statesman's habit of thought is confounded, and, unable to see the significance of the new as it penetrates the old, babbles.

VII. The Progress of the Kingdom is Cumulative.

So our Saviour predicted: "He will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel." Christianity has always undeveloped resources; its progress is a perpetual surprisal. Examples in our own day are the inception and growth of foreign missions, the results of home missionary work at the West, the termination of American slavery, and of the temporal power of the Pope. Every great advance of Christian truth is a surprisal even to those who had labored for it. It reveals undeveloped resources. Men marvel at the presence and energy of a power whose existence had been unknown or forgotten. The same is true of local revivals. Men acknowledge the presence and work of God; they marvel at the divine power in the Christian life.

The divine grace which advances Christ's kingdom is an inexhaustible fulness of power, which while old is always new, and every manifestation appears in the freshness of its divine nature. And the energy of faith and love which it calls forth in men is an energy which has never been put

fully to the test, and continually surprises by its character and results. Thus Christianity never grows old. It is like fire, always the same, if it exists at all. It comes to every generation as fresh and young as at the beginning, as the sun and the stars go up the sky as bright and glorious as in the day of their creation. It is this undecaying freshness of divine grace and human faith and love which gives to Christianity in every generation the power of astonishing the world by its new developments. And there is to-day a power in faith and love which Christians as yet imperfectly appreciate, which, if fully exercised, would do greater things in advancing Christ's kingdom than the world has ever witnessed. The greatest earthly power is the power of a human being thoroughly in earnest. And when that earnestness is sustained by faith and love, its power is immeasurable. The work accomplished by every Christian thoroughly in earnest, from Paul's day until now, has been a perpetual surprisal; before him and his achievements all men marvel.

This power is therefore cumulative; it is always able to produce greater and better effects.

The progress of the kingdom is cumulative, also, from the increase of numbers. Every convert becomes a new spiritual power for the world's conversion.

It is cumulative, also, from the Christian growth of individuals. The power of each one grows in intensity, is freed from conflicting elements, and reaches out in new directions, and finds wider scope for itself in resisting evil and bringing men to Christ.

Christian ideas, also, become incorporated into society, form public sentiment, determine customs, laws, and institutions, and thus create for themselves an organic force. Then the customary ongoings of life and civilization help the progress of Christ's kingdom. The currents of popular thought, political agitations, inventions, manufactures, commerce, contribute to its advance. Influences are incorporated into society which work with the Christian while he works, and work for him while he sleeps.

By this cumulative progress Christianity is working out in human history a demonstration of its divine origin and power. And when it shall have prevailed through the world, the demonstration will be complete. Humanity itself will have become a living epistle, known and read of all men a word of God, declaring Christ the living Word -a second incarnation of the divine in humanity, demonstrating the reality of the incarnation in Jesus Christ.

Precisely here is the great want of this age-a demonstration of Christianity by its life-giving power. The Tartars worshipped their own scimetars- the mightiest and best helpers they knew. Civilized men will worship the steamengine, if it prove itself mightiest and best. They must see a power, proving itself divine by its superior beneficence, using the steam-engine itself for high and beneficent ends.

Infidelity itself now unwittingly testifies to the power and truth of Christianity. It has become pious and philanthropic, and claims acceptance on the ground that it does more Christian work than Christianity itself. "The magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments." When the apostles cast out devils, Simon Magus insists on doing the same. The gospel must silence modern infidelity, not merely by proving that the philanthropy which characterizes modern civilization is the gift of Christianity, but also by showing a benevolence purer, more self-sacrificing, and universal; motives to beneficence more energizing and persistent; philanthropy more wise, comprehensive, and efficient; a character. more complete, and a power more divine in the renovation of men. It stands before modern infidelity, as Paul did before the seven sons of Sceva, and must prove its power to cast out devils by doing it, leaving to the pretenders the shame of hearing the devils answer: "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" Its challenge must always be, like that of Jesus himself: "The works that I do bear witness of me; though ye believe not me, believe the works." The world accepts the challenge: "What dost thou work? Show us the desert blooming beneath thy tread, the dead in

sin living at thy touch, the powers of hell fleeing before thy voice." Faithful Christian workers, mighty in faith and love, are the best evidences of Christianity. We are not to prove that it is from God merely by its great works in the past. We are not to be obliged to point to the primitive church as the most beautiful exhibition and the sufficient proof of the power of the gospel, but to create now an age of Christian purity and power. "The fathers did eat manna in the wilderness"; we thank God for that. "But they are dead"; God now is giving us the living bread, that we may eat thereof, and not die.

ARTICLE V.

LYELL'S STUDENT'S ELEMENTS OF GEOLOGY.

BY JOHN B. PERRY, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

ANOTHER Volume by Sir Charles Lyell1 appeared a few months ago in England, and is now republished in this country. It is partly a new book, in part a recast and revision of the last edition of the "Elements."2 As its title indicates, it is designed for students. It has been the aim of the author to present the matter in such a light as, without sacrificing substance, to adapt the publication to beginners. By the omission of portions of the earlier work, room has been secured for large additions; while effort has been made to exhibit the subject in fullest consonance with the existing state of knowledge.

Of course, on the appearance of any such work, it is all1 The Student's Elements of Geology, by Sir Charles Lyell, Bart. F.R.S. London. 1871. New York: Harper and Brothers. 1871.

The latter work which was originally prepared as a "Supplement" to the Principles of Geology, was published as a separate duodecimo volume in 1838, and passing through successive forms reached the sixth and last edition in 1857. There was thus abundant occasion for a recension, and an ample opportunity for improvement, so great has been the progress made in geology during the last decennium.

important to know whether the task, gratefully assumed by the author, have been well executed; whether the subject, as profoundly grasped, have been genially and thoroughly elaborated; and whether the work be adapted to its end. One of the most prominent educators in the country having asked my opinion of the volume, I have read it with care, that my judgment might rest, not simply on familiar acquaintance with previous writings of the author, but especially on the merits of the book in question. In thus examining the work, I have had primary reference to its fitness for its proposed end, namely, to serve as a manual for students in elementary geology. Thinking that the results reached might be of benefit to many teachers, and perhaps of interest to others enlisted in studies of this kind, I will transcribe some of the points noted.

It may be said, at the outset, that the volume, while in no sense exhaustive, is a repository of important facts. Being familiar with nearly, if not quite, all the previous editions of the "Elements," from the first impression down to the latest, I wish also to premise that each recension has been, as might have been reasonably expected, in some respects, an improvement on what has preceded, and that the volume now under consideration has some features deserving of praise, for which one will vainly look in any of the earlier forms of the work. While Sir Charles has seldom been in advance, he has labored hard to keep fully up with the march of science.

1 Another point which stands specially prominent is not directly mentioned. It will be readily understood when it is added that the present Article is furnished as introductory to a series of papers on the Relations of Natural Science to Theology. As such, it is perhaps well suited to suggest, that while the great principles of geology rest on a substantial basis, there is not a little current in geological literature, and even in the writings of so-called standard authorities, that is by no means trustworthy. In a second introductory Article -- which will appear in due time and be devoted to a critical review of Mr. Darwin — the question will be tacitly raised whether, while zoology as a science has a valid foundation, there be not much zoological speculation that is utterly untenable in the light of sound logic, and wholly unsupported by facts. These preliminary Articles will, it is thought, prepare the way for a thorough and impartial consideration of some of the relations of science to religion.