guide the dispensation to its ultimate triumphs, and to give efficiency to its operations.

These deductions harmonize with the teachings of the Scriptures.

First, They expressly teach, that without the agency of God, no perfect result is accomplished.

Secondly, They everywhere represent that the Divine agency is exerted through the truth upon the soul, or exerted to awaken the soul to apprehend and receive the truth.

Thirdly, The Spirit was not fully communicated until the whole economy of the gospel dispensation was completed. The apostles were instructed to assemble at Jerusalem after the ascension, and wait till they were endued with power from on high. On the day of Pentecost, the promised Spirit descended. The apostles at once perceived the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. They spoke in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power. Men were convicted of sin in their hearts. Sinners were converted to Christ, by repentance and faith; and under the guidance of that Divine Spirit, the plan of salvation moves on to its high and glorious consummation, when "the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ." "Amen: even so, come, Lord Jesus."

CHAPTER XIX.

CONCERNING THE PRACTICAL EFFECTS OF THE
SYSTEM

THE evidence which the Lord Jesus Christ proposed as proof of the Divinity of the gospel system, was its practical effect upon individuals who receive and obey the truth. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." If a sick man calls a physician, who prescribes a certain medicine, which, by his receiving it according to the directions, cures him, he then knows both the efficacy of the medicine, and the skill of the physician. Experience is evidence to the saints of the Divinity of the system. And its effects, in restoring the soul to moral health, is evidence to the world of the Divine efficacy and power of its doctrines. "By their fruits ye shall know them." In closing our volume, therefore, we have now only briefly to inquire what are the ascertained practical effects of faith in Christ?

We shall not refer to the moral condition of man in countries under the influence of the gospel, compared with his condition in pagan lands. We will not dwell upon the fact which, of itself, is sufficient to establish at once and for ever the Divine origin of evangelical religion, and the truth of the distinctive views developed in the preceding chapters— that the most holy men and women that have ever lived, have been those who exercised most constant

and implicit faith in Christ. Passing these facts, important in themselves, we will close our volume by a statement of facts concerning the present influence of faith in Christ upon individuals now living, and subject to the examination of any one who might be sceptical upon the subject.

The following is a true statement of the influence of the religion of Jesus upon several individual members of a village church in one of the United States. It is composed of members of common intelligence, and those in the common walks of life. Other churches might have been selected in which, perhaps, a greater number of interesting cases might have been found. And there are other individuals in this church that would furnish as good an illustration of the power of the gospel as some of those which are noticed below. This church has been selected, because the writer had a better opportunity of visiting it in order to obtain the facts, than any other in which he knew the power of the religion of Christ was experienced.

With the individuals spoken of I am well acquainted, having frequently conversed with them all, on the subjects of which I shall speak. Their words in all cases may not have been remembered, but the sense is truly given.

His

CASE 1.-An old man, who has been a professor of religion from early life. He was once a deacon, or elder, of the church. Twenty years ago he was struck with paralysis, by which he has been ever since confined almost entirely to his room. situation is one that, to a mind which had no inward consolation, would be irksome in the extreme. His books are the Bible and one or two volumes of the old divines. He is patient and happy; and speaking of the love of Christ almost invariably suffuses his eyes with tears. He delights to dwell

on religious subjects; and to talk with a pious friend of the topics which his heart loves, gives him evident delight. Recently, his aged companion, who had trodden the path of life with him, from youth to old age, died in his presence. She died, what is called by Christians, a triumphant death; her last words were addressed to her children who stood around-"I see the cross"'—a gleam of pleasure passed over her features, her eyes lighted up with peculiar brightness, she said, "Blessed Jesus, the last hour is come: I am ready!" and thus she departed. At her death, the old man wept freely, and wept aloud; but his sorrow, he said, was mingled with a sweet joy. How desolate would have been the condition of this poor cripple for the last twenty years without the consolations of faith in Christ! And when his aged companion died, who had for years sat by his side, how appalling would have been the gloom that would have settled upon his soul, had not his mind been sustained by heavenly hope! His case shows that the religion of Christ will keep the affections warm and tender even to the latest periods of old age, and give happiness to the soul under circumstances of the most severe temporal bereavement.

CASE 2.-A converted atheist. I knew that there were those in the world who professed to doubt the existence of a God; but I had met with no one in all my intercourse with mankind, who seemed so sincerely and so entirely an atheist, as the individual whose case is now introduced. The first time that I met him was at the house of his son-in-law, a gentleman of piety and intelligence. His appearance was that of a decrepid, disconsolate old man. In the course of conversation he unhesitatingly expressed his unbelief of the existence of a God, and his suspicion of the motives of most

of those who professed religion. I learned from others that he had ceased in some measure to have intercourse with men-had become misanthropic in his feelings, regarding mankind in the light of a family of sharks, preying upon each other; and his own duty in such a state of things, he supposed to be, to make all honest endeavours to wrest from the grasp of others as much as he could. He used profane language, opposed the temperance reformation, and looked with the deepest hatred upon the ministers of religion. His social affections seemed to be withered, and his body, sympathizing, was distorted and diseased by rheumatic pains.

1. This old man had for years been the subject of special prayer on the part of his pious daughter and his son-in-law; and he was finally persuaded by them to attend a season of religious worship in the church of which they were members. During these services, which lasted several days, he passed from a state of atheism to a state of faith. The change seemed to surprise every one, and himself as much as any other. From being an atheist, he became the most simple and implicit believer. He seemed like a being who had waked up in another world, the sensations of which were all new to him; and although a man of sound sense in business affairs, when he began to express his religious ideas, his language seemed strange and incongruous, from the fact that, while his soul was now filled with new thoughts and feelings, he had no knowledge of the language by which such thoughts are usually expressed. The effects produced by his conversion were as follows-stated at one time to myself, and upon another occasion to one of the most eminent medical practitioners in this country :-One of the first things which he did after his conversion, was to love, in a practical manner, his worst enemy.