Notices of Books Received.

The Monograph Gospel. By G. WASHINGTON MOON. London: Hatchards, Piccadilly. 1878. Pp. 273.

This neatly-printed little book contains, as its title-page states, "the four Gospels arranged in one continuous narrative in the words of Scripture, without omission of fact or repetition of statement." In the modestly-worded preface the author informs us that the work is not so much intended for the analytical student of New Testament history as for the devotional reader, to whom its chief value will be that it presents the scattered records of the life and teachings of Christ, gathered up into a continuous narrative, suited for family or private reading. In order not to encumber the pages with references, there is a well-arranged index at the end, showing where the subject of every verse in each of the four Gospels may be found in the book. This has involved much labour, and we congratulate the author on the perspicuity which results from this arrangement. It has also an excellent small map containing the principal places mentioned in the Gospels, which is a great addition to this arrangement of the text. We hope the book may find its way amongst Sunday-school teachers especially, to whom it cannot fail in being useful as well as instructive.

On the Application of Christianity to Politics. By HENRY RICHARD, M.P. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

This valuable contribution to the solution of the proper duties of the Christian citizen has probably been brought before many of our readers at the time the Address was given at the Congregational Union, held last autumn at Leicester. As might be expected, it contains no halting sentences upon the wickedness of war; and enforces, with words as trenchant as the arguments are sound, that it is inexcusable for Christian men to hand over the concerns of the nation to those who, neither in principle nor in practice, are seeking to rule in accordance with the teachings of Christ. How, indeed, can we hope for reform, if those who by position and by moral

example are the most fitted to lead, refrain from filling up the ranks of righteous workers, and ignore one of the main duties for which citizenship has been conferred upon them in the providence of God? We commend the pamphlet to our own members especially, as their religious teaching has perhaps, in the past, partaken too much of the laisser faire or passive line of conduct, It is assuredly the duty of all, not only to hold fast, but to hold forth, those principles and convictions which are dear to themselves; and as this is done in humility and the fear of the Lord, a rich national blessing will rest upon their labours in checking that which is evil and advancing the good. We are glad to see the Address published in its present shape, and hope it may thereby obtain a "second reading" from many who hastily scanned through the extracts when first printed in the columns of the newspapers.

Our Opium Trade with China. By SAMUEL S. MAUNDER. London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co. 1877.

The gravity of this subject is far more than commensurate with the attention it has yet received in this country. In a series of well-reasoned letters the author of this pamphlet contrives in less than seventy pages to give an exhaustive view of the whole bearings of this enormous and growing evil; firstly, upon the Chinese, and secondly, upon India and England also. The chapter concerning its effects upon our boasted missionary efforts in China is especially deserving the serious thought of all those who take an interest in the spread of the religion of Christ amongst heathen nations. The writer gives information gathered from "unimpeachable sources," which only needs to be generally read in order to stir up the hearts of our countrymen against this revolting and soul-destroying evil, perpetuated through our instrumentality.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.

ALL Communications and Subscriptions should be sent to the Publishers, BARRETT, SONS & Co., 21, Seething Lane, London, E.C.; and all MSS. for insertion, and Books for Review, should be forwarded to the Honorary Editor, W. C. WESTLAKE, Southampton, at least one month before the day of publication.

THE

FRIENDS' QUARTERLY EXAMINER.

A

Religious, Social, & Miscellaneous Review.

No. XLVI.-FOURTH MONTH, 1878.

N.B.-The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the opinions expressed in any article bearing the signature of the writer.

THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD.

SINCE the days of the Apostles, and doubtless also in the previous ages of the Jewish people, there has ever been a strong disposition in religious persons to interpret, if not actually to define the meaning of, the Judgments of the Almighty upon this earth. This propensity was very forcibly testified against by our Lord, in His memorable words: "Those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you nay-but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish"; and yet the injunction, "Judge not that ye be not judged," is especially needful in times like those through which we are now passing. Notwithstanding man's perverted vision, and the exceeding narrow horizon which is open before him, he is too often ready to judge others from his own special standpoint, and thus it may be to break this law, and to condemn where the Lord condemns not. It needs a very

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watchful care to eschew that unholy spirit which would desire to call down fire from heaven to consume those who differ from us either in nationality, creed, or political aspirations. "When the judgments of God are abroad in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness," but this wisdom is not to be acquired by endeavouring to define with precision for what reasons certain inexplicable events have been permitted to happen, or by supposing that by such searching we can find out God." It behoves us often humbly and submissively to breathe the words: "How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out."

And yet in a national sense may it not be said that these judgments are both sure and unerring, and the watchful disciple may, to a large degree, predicate where, if not when, these righteous retributions must fall. It was not simply because the cry of Sodom went up to heaven that therefore the judgment of God fell upon the city, but because her sins were grievous, and corruption and wickedness had so eaten. out her heart's best life, that not even ten righteous men could be found within her walls; and the very day that the one remaining righteous man walked forth from her midst, the place, now wholly abandoned to iniquity, was ripe for destruction. Deserted by all that was pure and good, and in hopeless decay, no sooner was the sun risen upon the earth than the doomed city was destroyed, and the smoke of its burning ascended up unto heaven. "Wheresoever the carcase is, thither will the vultures be gathered together;" and when spiritual and moral death have so seized upon everything that is vital and sound in a nation's life the righteous judgments of God are assuredly nigh.

To those who are earnestly engaged in working righteousness, to whom our Lord's words apply, "Ye are the salt of the earth," it is, we believe, still given to

save the city-not indeed from the external fire and brimstone, but from that inward corruption which leads inevitably to decay and death in its darkest and most hopeless sense; concerning such a condition it is prophetically true that "after death the judgment." Life becomes extinct and nothing is left save the corpses of a dead faith, dead Churches and dead civilisation, inviting the coming Judge. Bearing naught but thorns and briars, it is rejected, and is "nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned." Whilst, therefore, with our finite knowledge we dare not here apply these general remarks to individual cases, it behoves us to see well to it that the causes of coming judgment lurk not in our own land beneath an outside civilisation and hollow professions.

These thoughts have been afresh forcibly brought before us in the powerful sermon lately preached by the Bishop of Peterborough in St. Paul's Cathedral (from Luke xvii. 37). The whole discourse expresses in such eloquent and stirring language the ideas which we wish to impress, that we prefer borrowing largely from its contents to offering words of our own. Speaking of the truth embodied in the proverb, he says: "In those climates no sooner does the body of some creature lie dead upon the sand of the desert than, far off in the clear sky, are to be seen tiny specks that, rapidly drawing near, reveal the forms of the keen-sighted vultures swooping down upon their feast of carrion; and so surely, so certainly always seen, that the fact had become a proverb to express men's sense of how temptation brings crime, or how crime brings punishment, necessarily and swiftly.

Our Lord's answer in effect is this, My judgment shall come upon the earth as come the vultures upon the dead. My judgments shall come necessarily, inevitably, by, as it were, an unerring and a terrible instinct. My judgments shall come wheresoever and