force is " a direct emanation of Divine Power," he 

 further defines " a natmal lavy to be merely our 

 liuman expression t>f the Divine mode of action in 

 the universe." In the present condition of science, 

 however, and as a matter of convenience in its 

 phraseology, " we are obliged to use language 

 Which implies the existence of separate and distinct 

 forces; but this," continues Prof. C., "is unim- 

 portant so long as we keep the truth in view, and 

 do tot allow ourselves to be led into materialism 

 by the unavoidable imperfections of scientific lan- 

 guage." The danger is, however, that the term 

 law, instead of being regarded merely as a conven- 

 ient expression, from the human stand-point, of 

 certain modes of action by a higher Power, will 

 come itself to be regarded as the Power the caus- 

 ative force, instead of the established sequence. 



Such a conception of natural law is tyrannical 

 and exclusive most of all, dangerous to the re- 

 ligious conception of a personal God. To grasp 

 the thought of a Divine purpose or feeling, wind- 

 ing its way through the coaiplicated net- work of 

 natural laws daring uncounted ages, maintaining 

 the perfect system of things, and yet regarding the 

 w&nts of the individual universal and yet particu- 

 lar is perhaps impossible to the mind of man un- 

 der its present limitations. Who can understand 

 a particular love which is millions of aeons old, or 

 a thought of God which concerns directly some 

 individual man, and yet which is a thread running 

 through the woof of a creation which to us appears 

 like an eternity ? The rnind sinks down confused 

 aud baffled before such conceptions. To meet 

 these very doubts aad speculations, these inevita- 

 ble questionings of the soul, the Divine revelation 

 of Christianity has a marked adaptation. There we 

 find on every page the conception of a personal God, 

 aad this made vivid through his love manifested 

 in Jesus Christ. He who does not see God in 

 Christ, is hardly likely to see him to any purpose in 

 the material universe. Did then Ilumboidc ever 

 gain a true conception of a personal God ? We 

 own that expressions in these familiar leUers to 

 Varahagen sound more like materialism than the- 

 ismbut Humbohlt must be interpreted from his 

 own eta rid-point. To American readers his. allu- 

 sions to religious subjects will generally be quite 

 distasteful ; yet they can be understood only by 



