LITERARY NOTICES | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 4, 1903

LITERARY NOTICES.

“A QUIVER OF ARROWS.” Sermons of David James Burrell, D.D., LL.D., selected and epitomized by Thomas Douglas, Ph.D. Cloth, 5½ x 8 inches, 380 pp., $1.20, net; by mail, $1.34. New York and London. Funk & Wagnalls Company.

It is the epitome of seventy sermons by one who believes the Bible, who speaks with feeling, who has a facile pen and clear expression. They have been delivered in a period of years in the marble collegiate church of New York City. We do not see how it could be otherwise than helpful to young Gospel workers. As a reference book it is greatly helped by a topical index wherein every subject treated is entered under the threefold division of theme, proposition, and illustration. One may not agree with all of its doctrines, of which there is but little said, but he will admire the practical application to righteous living and the loyalty to the Word of God. The arrows are well and strongly directed.

“LETTERS FROM A SELF-MADE MERCHANT TO HIS SON.” Twenty letters, 312 pages, neatly bound in cloth with back-and-side-stamp. Illustrated with character drawings. By George Horace Lorimer. Boston. Small, Maynard & Co.

The title page bears the following: “Being the letters written by John Graham, head of the house of Graham & Company, Pork-Packers in Chicago, familiarly known as ‘Change as Old Gorgon Graham, to his son, Pierrepont, facetiously known to his intimates as ‘Piggy.’” These letters are sparkling with bright, common-sense advice. The book is not in anywise religious, does not touch upon the higher life, but sets forth some excellent business principles which are good to apply in the religious life.

“THE NEXT STEP IN EVOLUTION, THE PRESENT STEP.” By I. R. Funk, D.D., LL.D. 12 mo., neatly bound in cloth. 50 cents, net. New York and London. Funk & Wagnalls Company.

This little book is an expansion of the introduction to Croly’s “Salathiel,” renamed “Tarry Thou Till I Come.” The book is as truly a perversion of the Bible by evolution as Mrs. Eddy perverts it by “Christian Science.” It is, in fact, a book on evolution throughout. The second coming of Christ is thus stated: “Christ came the first time into men’s visions by coming on the plane of their senses; He comes the second time into men’s vision by lifting them up to His plane of spiritual comprehension.” Christ Himself is only a step in development from the mineral up through the vegetable, the animal, the man. It is prettily printed and bound; it says many good things; but it uses the livery of heaven to better serve the cause of error, and make of none effect the Bible. All the things which Dr. Funk predicates of Christ’s second coming are wrought between His comings by His Spirit. His second coming is as truly personal and visible as His first coming, tho infinitely more glorious.

“THE FALSE AND THE TRUE; A Psychic Phantasmagoria of the Resurrection in Epic Verse, with Sub-headings, Illustrations, and Comments.” By John Ulrick Öberg, M.D., author and publisher, Berkeley, Cal.

This book is written in the form of poetry, but it is not poetry. It is neither decent verse nor decent prose, but a conglomeration of silly, grotesque, bad English. Its theology is as bad. It makes of God “the chemical intelligence.” We feel sorry for Berkeley.

“LIFE OF CHARLES G. FINNEY.” By A. M. Hills. Paper covers; 240 pages. Price 20 cents. Office of God’s Revivalist, Mount of Blessings, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a brief story of this remarkable man from the “holiness” view point. Some of the same power he possessed is needed now.

“LA VERITÉ SUR LA LOI DU DIMANCHE” (The Truth of the Law of the Sunday). By John Vuilleumier. 80 pages. Price 15 cents. Librairie Polyglotte, Bâle, Suisse. It discusses in lucid, forcible style, in good French, one of the great problems facing the world at the present time, especially from the European point of view. It shows the true origin of Sabbath law, how the Sunday laws came in, their relation to civil and religious liberty, their character, and their inevitable consequences in various ways. It should be read by French-speaking people everywhere.

Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly for February contains an interesting article on the “Donkhobor Crusade,” by John Ridington, illustrated from photographs taken for the purpose. It shows to what extent mistaken credulity will carry people. Another article of interest is the “Chinaman in the United States.” Price 10 cents.

Home and Flowers (Floral Publishing Company, Springfield, Ohio), has been constantly improving for years. The January issue is a fine number, full of suggestions to the home builder and floriculturist. Price 10 cents.