It is our firm conviction, that, without some act of recognition of God, as witness and judge of all hearts, like the service in question, our homes will soon lose the very aroma of heaven. They will become mere restingplaces for the night, or scenes for embellishment and outward display, or at best the abodes of creatures of mere impulse and sentiment. If we want our children established in the full truth of Jesus, in Christian principles as well as feelings; if we would see them dedicate themselves each, personally, to God, and live a life of earnest, practical religion, we must take them in their early and their later years, by fervent and blended prayer, to Him who seeth the heart and will try its issues.

We have little confidence in mere exhortations on the topic before us, and have endeavored to present its claims on the calm judgment of the intellect, on the regard of the philosopher and the philanthropist, no less than the Christian. We do not forget, either, the practical difficulties which prevent some who would fain per form this sacred function from doing it. There is a distrust of ability, a consciousness of imperfect education, the fear of strictures from the cultivated, or of the charge of inconsistency between the prayer and the character. Yet these, and all other similar impediments, have often given way, when the service has been approached with a tender conscientiousness, a sincere faith, and in humble reliance on the great Heaven above. If he who has lain long infirm and disabled will, under the pressing sense of his needs, try almost any remedy rather than lie as he is, why should not the father try this holy experiment? So anxious to do well by his children, so confident that in other respects he has only to exert himself and he can help and bless them, how long shall he keep silence at the family altar?

There is something that touches us so deeply when we read a description like that of the Cotter's Saturday Night, where "the parent pair"

"Proffer up to Heaven the warm request,
That He who stills the raven's clamorous nest,
And decks the lily fair in flowery pride.
Would, in the way his wisdom sees the best,

For them and for their little ones provide;

But, chiefly, in their hearts with grace divine preside,"

that we cannot sympathize with that parent's mind or

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heart who, either determinately or thoughtlessly, neglects this tribute to the Father of all families. We do not believe the day school, however excellent, can ever supply its want; nor yet the Sunday school. And we question whether good domestic instructions, or even an otherwise exemplary life, can supersede its claims. The least we can do, in return for the inappreciable service done by the Gospel to the fireside, is to acknowledge its blessings by united thanksgivings. These children are soon to go forth and wrestle with the hard world, tempted, crossed, whelmed sometimes in a thick moral darkness. Happy for them if, as their thoughts revert to "the play-place of their early days," they can bring up the form of a loved and honored parent, with the open Bible before him, its words read in lowly reverence, giving utterance to some fervent appeal prepared for him by another spirit, or more touching still with a solemn and tremulous voice commending them in his own language to their God and Guardian on high. When such holy scenes are all past, saintly forms may still speak to us through memories and associations that are a pillar-cloud to us through life. Their places are left vacant below; but soon will they meet us again, parent and child, brother and sister, to renew the eternal ascription that goes up from the one great family in Christ on earth and in heaven.

A. B. M.

ART. III. RECENT GERMAN LITERATURE.

Or making many books there is no end, and much study of a large number of those now published upon theology is indeed a weariness to the flesh. It is a remark of Lichtenberg, that there are no articles in the world so singular as books; - printed by people who do not understand them; bound, read, and criticized by people who do not understand them; and now-a-days even written by people who do not understand them. As we have no need of such importations, the present

notice will be confined to those publications that are really deserving of attention.

Upon the Old Testament, besides the new edition of Ewald's Hebrew Grammar,-a work of immense learning, compared with which that of Gesenius is a mere primer, the first volume of Hupfeld's Commentary on the Psalms merits special consideration, since it supersedes the classic commentary of De Wette (who availed himself of the Professor's manuscript notes in preparing his last edition), which it surpasses both in completeness and in precision. The earliest ancient versions, the interpretations of the Fathers and the Rabbis, have been carefully consulted, as well as the principal modern critics, among whom Calvin holds deservedly so high rank. Abstaining from all moral reflections which have no connection with the text, the author has aimed to give a sound philological interpretation, being equally opposed to the uncritical method which makes no distinction between the several books of the Old Covenant, and to the rationalistic exegesis which resolves the concrete thoughts of the writers into abstract general formulas. Whilst fully recognizing the merits of Hengstenberg, he has most conclusively refuted his unwarrantable assertions, and rebuked his attempts to vindicate the narrow views and revengeful language of the Jews by charging them upon the Deity, and to justify the conduct of the Old Testament saints as though they were exempted from the common laws of morality. Twenty-one Psalms are explained in the present book, the Introduction being reserved for the end. The entire work will probably embrace three volumes, and be finished in four years, as the Professor intends in the mean time to republish his Hebrew Grammar.

Upon the New Testament are to be noticed the first numbers of Tischendorf's elegant edition, which embody the results furnished by the valuable manuscripts recently acquired by him in the East, some of which it had been hoped might be secured for the library of Harvard or Yale. As among the books of the New Testament the writings of Paul and John have been more critically studied than the rest, and among the former the Epistle to the Romans, so now we have to mention two new works upon this Epistle. The first is the Com

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mentary of Umbreit, which, dedicated to the memory of Lücke, interprets the book in its connection with the Old Testament. The second is that of Tholuck, the first edition of which (published when the author was twentyfour years of age) marked an era in the exegesis of this book, and which now appears, thirty-one years later, in a fifth edition, altogether rewritten and vastly improved. It is most interesting to compare this last with that first production of the esteemed Professor; and, as the earlier edition was translated at Andover, we trust that the present one will also appear in English, since it has been so greatly modified and enriched. The author thus defines his position: "Although I will not allow myself to be bound by the authority of any doctrinal or exegetical tradition, I nevertheless rejoice, in the interpretation of this Epistle, to be able to go hand in hand with the elder expounders and doctrinal writers of the Lutheran Church." Thorough and impartial consideration has been given to the views of the new Tübingen school; but, while refuting the one-sided views of Baur, the author has not hesitated to adopt his opinions whenever they appeared to be substantiated. Thus, on page 17 he says: "Have we to deny, then, every polemical tendency of this Epistle? Was it the design of the Apostle simply to deliver his gospel connectedly, previous to his arrival in Rome? This opinion, once defended by me, I can no longer consider to be correct, even in the more plausible form which Philippi_has given to it. It appears to me to be true, what Baur remarks in Paulus,' page 338," etc. So, likewise, on page 25 we read: "Since the time of Melancthon, this Epistle has been regarded as a compendium of biblical dogmatics, under which point of view Olshausen also recommends that theological studies should be begun with it. When, however, we follow the course of thought from Chapter I. to XI., we are rather disposed to find laid down in it a Christian Philosophy of the World's History. Compare Baur's Paulus,' p. 657." With reference to the other commentators, the following judgment is pronounced: For philological and critical interpretation, the most important results have been furnished by Fritzsche, whose logical power and acuteness Meyer shares in his second edition, which

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contains valuable independent expositions; for theological explanations, Olshausen and Philippi are to be referred to; for the history of the exegesis, Fritzsche and Rückert; among the compends, that of De Wette occupies the first place by its spirit, good taste, and sound exegetical tact." The fifth volume of Herzog's Real-Encyklopädie contains interesting articles from the Professor on Johann Gerhard and Otto von Gerlach. A new edition of his Commentary upon the Sermon on the Mount is just leaving the press, and is to be followed by an improved one of his Commentary on John.Lünemann has also published, as a part of Meyer's Handbook, a Commentary on the Hebrews, and Meissner has newly edited De Wette's Commentary on the Corinthians.

In the department of Ecclesiastical History have appeared the fifth volume of Gieseler's standard work, which embraces the Church history of the most recent times, from the year 1814 to the present day, and the sixth volume, which contains the History of Doctrines. In the Preface to the former, Redepenning says, that, as throughout this History events have been interpreted simply as they occurred, "there is scarcely any work of his which has more claims to the consideration of contemporaries and to a lasting regard than this," since it was designed to form the conclusion of the entire work. A Biography then follows, in which the judgment of Dorner is confirmed, that Gieseler can by no means be called a rationalist. No volume of the History will more interest our readers than this, since it describes the struggles of the last forty years, and includes the history of rationalism. In the last chapter, which records the latest Church history in our own country, it is remarked (pp. 374, 378): "Unitarianism was not transplanted to America, but sprang up there of itself. In the year 1787 the Episcopal congregation in Boston, with their pastor, James Freeman, separated themselves from the Episcopal Church, and became the first Unitarian congregation in North America; and since that time very many others have been formed. Among the uneducated classes in America, Methodism is increasing with very great rapidity; among the educated, however, Unitarianism makes great progress, and seems likely to be