even to him, to seek him in the depths of his disgrace; who, from the gloom and sorrow in which his conscience kept him plunged, has seen himself transported into a region of light and happiness; who, in respect to himself, has seen verified that amazing language of the prophet, 'In all their afflictions he was afflicted;' who has seen-oh mystery! oh miracle!—his God travelling by his side in the rugged path of life,-nay, voluntarily assuming the burden which was crushing him, -a God humbled,-a God weeping,-a God anguished, a God dying!"

"But we must bring our conversation to a close, though the subject is by no means exhausted. I had intended to refer to the argument from experience, under this head, as I did under the last; but we must postpone it."

"What will be our next subject, mother?" asked James. "I believe we have gone through the plan you read to us."

"Yes, but there are still some points to be considered, which we will take up in our next conversation."

CHAPTER XIV.

THE EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL ON THE HEARTS OF MEN PROVE IT TO BE FROM GOD.

"WHAT did you mean, mother, by the argument from experience, which you spoke of just at the close of our last conversation?" asked Fanny.

"I told you that man, as a fallen being, had two wants,-the want of pardon, and the want of regeneration,—that is, of a change of heartof being made holy. We saw that the Gospel provides a mode of pardon; and that this mode was found, experimentally, to answer the purpose for which it was contrived, -that is, persons who tried it found a sense of pardon imparted to them, and the fear of punishment taken away. Now, is the same thing true in relation to the other particular? Do those persons who make trial of the Gospel actually find the love of sin taken away, and a new principle of holiness imparted? Do they find that the efforts against sinful habits, which, when made in their own strength, had proved so unavailable, are successful when made in reliance on the promised aid of the Holy Spirit?"

"I suppose they do," replied Fanny.

"This is an argument which, to the heart of the Christian, is so convincing, that it supersedes every other. When a man feels that he daily receives strength to overcome temptation and to bear trial; when he finds himself daily drawn nearer to God, in the use of the means pointed out by the Bible; when he receives answers to prayer, and experiences the truth of the promises, he has a kind of evidence for the truth of the Gospel, superior to every other."

"But a person might perhaps be deceived," said James; "he might imagine that he had felt such and such things, when he had not."

"It is true that persons sometimes delude themselves with imagining that they have experienced what they have not; but it is also true that a man may have experiences of such a nature, and so often and distinctly repeated, that he cannot doubt in relation to them, any more than he can doubt of his own existence. It is the case with many Christians, that at first, and, perhaps, for some time after their hearts are renewed, they have many doubts of the genuineness of their own feelings, they fear they may have mistaken their own fancies

for true religious experiences; but as they go on, day after day, receiving fuller manifestations of God's love, and richer supplies of his grace, and more marked answers to prayer, their confidence strengthens, and, at last, reaches the point of absolute conviction."

“But," said Fanny, hesitatingly, “if they doubt, it seems to me that it is against religion if they doubt at all."

"I do not mean that they doubt the truth of religion, but they doubt whether they really possess it and this is nothing against the truth of religion; for, suppose a man labouring under a severe disease has taken a medicine for the first time, which professes to be, and which really is, a specific for that disease. But the medicine does not profess to effect a complete cure at once,-it requires repeated applications to do this. Now, the individual in question, from taking too small a portion of the medicine, or from the extreme virulence of his disease, may begin to experience its salutary effects very slowly, so much so, that he may doubt for a time whether he is receiving any benefit or not. Yet, as day by day elasticity, receives

he gains new vigour and

new strength and comfort, finds one painful

symptom after another disappearing, and one mark of health after another returning, his confidence in the remedy may, nay, must increase, till it becomes entire and absolute. Is not this plain?"

"Yes, mother, very plain," replied Fanny.

"But then, mother," said James, "this may be very good kind of proof for the man himself, but it could not be for other people."

"Not so good for other people, I admit,'"' replied his mother; "but, certainly, other people, who witnessed these effects, and had the man's own testimony that they were attributable to the medicine and nothing else, would be obliged to believe him, unless they had some valid objections against his testimony; and, in the case supposed, they naturally would believe him. Much more would they do so if, instead of one case of cure effected by the medicine in question, they had witnessed hundreds and thousands, nay, had seen whole communities and nations of sick people restored to health by its means."

"But, mother," said Fanny, "it does not seem-we have never seen such wonderful effects produced by religion as you describe."

66 No, you have not seen its effects on nations,