On a hot night after a hard day's work in relaxing leisurely moments, an ice cream may be more inviting than a beef steak, so (without pushing the analogy too far) in this enervating weather, fagged with the persistent inroads of distractions and worries, the readers of the Recorder may pre-for something light to the Rev. M. Schaub's scholarly study of Heathenism, which, with much sound thought, and many Greek quotations opens the August number. His manner of treatment is to take the dark and the bright side subjectively and_ objectively, getting all the light possible from Scripture. As a result of this' study we are recommended in our attitude to heathen systems, whilst not losing sight of the darkness in them, to rejoice in whatever is found in Chinese literature and in the proverbs handed down from ancient times, which can from a Christian standpoint be regarded as truth, We fear that the reference to such as the spirits in ison may stir up those who with forced interpretations and illogical conclusions are apt to quote certain passages to suit their own particular way of thinking. It is hard, impossible even, for any human capacity to see the whole of a thing, or, as was said by an Academician in' reply to Ruskin, when talking of the curvilinear forms in a piece of rock, if you look for curves you will sce curves, if you look for angles you you will see angles."
Mr. George Miller's paper on Localised Work" is very practical; and may be to some readers rather didactical; but. that doubtless is the result of the paper having been prepared for some local conference. By localised work he means work confined to a place or district, and including every form of Christian effort. The leading, methods spoken of are chapel preaching, open air preaching, house to house visita tion, and personal dealing. Mr. Miller packs, many wise suggestions into short sentences, almost concise and pointed enough tobe epigrammatic, With regard to chapel preaching, experience and common sense have evidently taught him that the chapel should be situated in a busy part of the city. Tt should be clean and made attractive and well furnished with Christian literature 5 the missionary's house ought to be near hand. Neat dress; natural politeness simple, logical, conversational, evangelical, earnest, and' expository teaching and preaching, in a humble and conciliatory manner; these, and other important points, are well touched on. The hints on open-air preaching—where to preach, how to gain, retain, and utilise the attention of the people, are likewise very sensible, With regard to house to hause visitation and tract distribution, Mr. Miller shows the need for getting into living contact with the people. In obtaining this, much wisdom is necessary. It requires more tact to fish with a rod than a net, therefore in visiting we need to be wise us serpents and harmless as doves.'" Many other points are also touched upon, such as personal dealing, Church organisation, training of converts, self-support, Sabbath observance, ete.
Dr. Ashmore never wastes mich time in preliminaries, but brings in his "Untempered Mortar" with characteristic pr piration. In pointing out the effect ness, of this sort of building, material which, he says, "has survived the pro-photic age," he protests against the overdone criticisms of the shortcomings and inadequacies of missionary workers. The worthy Dr. makes his trenchant and somewhat satirical protest for the sake of the younger missionaries. Older ones who we been in the thick of the struggle for twenty and twenty-five years do not mind
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.