every enjoyment, even down to the most ordinary comfort and convenience of life, more as the gift of his Creator, than because of the personal gratification which he derived from it.

"But still my dumb boy was only an amiable Deist, in his comprehension of the divine nature; and I was well aware he might thus live and die, and perish everlastingly, for lack of saving knowledge. He had, hitherto, no conviction of his own sinfulness; to the need, the offices, and the name of a Saviour, he was a stranger; and before he had acquired sufficient skill in language to express or to comprehend the shortest sentence, I was alarmed by seeing in him symptoms of severe illness, at a time when typhus fever was raging around us.

"I now saw that not a day was to be lost in giving him the gospel-the message of reconciliation through the atoning blood of our crucified Redeemer. In stating the manner in which I did this, I am actuated less by the expectation of its being found generally practicable, than by an anxious desire to give glory to God for so extraordinary an instance of his divine power, and to show what encouragements await the weakest, who may betake themselves to such a task, carrying along with them, through every stage of their progress, an abiding conviction that they are but instruments in a far mightier hand-that the work is not theirs, but God's.

"The way to this memorable conversion was opened, while I was secretly praying that the Lord would point it out, by John expressing some curiosity as to what became of people whom he had

seen carried to their burial. He signified that their eyes were shut very close; and wished to know if they would ever open them again. Upon this I threw down my needle-work, and bespeaking by a sign his most serious attention, I sketched upon a paper a crowd of persons of all ages, and near them a large pit, with flames issuing from it. I told him that the crowd contained him, myself, and every body; that all were bad; that God was angry, and that all must be cast into that fiery gulf. He exhibited great dismay, and anxiously looked for further explanation. I then drew a single figure, who came, I told him, from heaven, being God's Son; that he besought his Father not to throw those people that should embrace him, into the fire; that to secure this, he consented to be nailed to a cross; and that when his head dropped in death, the pit was shut up, and his believing people were saved. It may well be supposed that I greatly doubted the possibility that such a representation, explained only by signs, should convey any clear idea to the boy's mind; but it is God's will by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe; and I had immediate proof of His assisting power; for John, after a pause of wonder, started an objection most delightful to me, inasmuch as it proved that he had laid hold on the true idea of substitution. He observed that the sufferer on the cross was but one; that the ransomed crowd were many, very many; and he signified he was in doubt whether God would be satisfied with the exchange. The Lord still helped me. I took off my ring, laying it by itself on the table, and then breaking the leaves and stalks

of some decayed flowers into many pieces, I heaped them near it, asking with a smile which he would have; the one piece of gold, or the many withered fragments? Never shall I forget his look, the beautiful, the brilliant look of sudden apprehension, the laugh of delight, the repeated clapping of his hands; while he declared, by animated signs, that the single piece of gold was better than a room full of old flowers ; that the former was like him on the cross; the latter like men, women, and children; and he spelled most exultingly, 'ONE! ONE! Then, with his countenance softening into the loveliest expression of grateful reverence, he looked up, saying, Good, Good, One ;' and ran for the letters to spell his name. That adorable name, which is above every name, that name at which every knee shall bow, I taught him to spell; and then told him how JESUS was laid in the grave; how on the third morning he burst its bars; how he rose to the Father; and that he would raise us from the dead in like manner; I also assured him that Jesus Christ could see and hear us always; that we might talk with him constantly, and be with him hereafter in heaven. I should have remarked, that when showing John the pit of flames, I paused to convince him that he for one had made God angry, which he freely confessed by means of sorrowful looks and gestures, and not the slightest objection did he make to the justice of the dreadful sentence. This struck me the more, because he was exceedingly jealous of his own rights and reputation, never resting for a moment under any supposed invasion of either; yet he had nothing to reply against God; he tacitly ac

knowledged his guiltiness; and it was a glorious proof of the efficacy of divine teaching, that he never once appeared to question the love of God in delivering up his Son to a cruel death. I saw with unutterable joy that my poor boy received Jesus Christ as his Saviour; and never, from that happy hour to the moment of his death, did he seem to doubt his interest in the Atonement.

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LECTURE X.

ON THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." "That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father."-John i. 1, 14, and v. 23.

If we would form correct views of the character of Christ, we must be guided by the unerring word of God. For as the world by wisdom knew not God, and as by searching we cannot find out the Almighty to perfection, so it is impossible to decide in this important controversy, (respecting the character of Christ,) without having recourse to this infallible guide. If we appeal to human opinions respecting Christ, we shall find them to be as erroneous as they are discordant. Some men have denied his existence; others have deemed him an imposter; others have been struck with admiration of his character as a man; others have considered him a super-human being, and others super-angelic, but no farther.