contrary feel no doubts whatever; and therefore my mind is not painfully disturbed, as yours is."

"I do not exactly comprehend what you say," said her husband. "If you do not feel any doubts whatever, and yet you cannot see any plainer than I can the mercy of God, how do you reconcile these two opposing states of mind? There seems some contradiction in this."

"I will endeavor to explain what I mean," replied Mrs Henderson. "I am deeply convinced that, as a finite being, it is quite impossible for me to comprehend and contain within my mind, the views, purposes, and plans of infinite mind. I reason from analogy. I know that any thing which is seen in part, any circumstance which is but partly understood, any action, the motive of which is hidden, must appear not only imperfect, but often distorted and hideous, when the whole, if seen, would display perfect proportion. The secret intention would show goodness and integrity. In the same way, I think it is owing to our seeing only a part of God's design, that we cannot in every event perceive beauty, consistency, and benevolence. Having satisfied myself by the clearest reasoning that God is infinite mind, and that mind infinitely good; whenever any event or course of events appears to speak a different character, instead of doubts arising as to the mercy of God, I immediately advert to my own small and imperfect powers, which are incapable of ever penetrating into the mysterious arrangement of events, and which, seeing only the odds and ends of things, cannot discern the beauty and propriety of the whole design."

"Perhaps it is so," said Mr Henderson," but I confess there is so much to excite doubt, that it is difficult, at all times, to satisfy the mind that all things are ordered in mercy; and yet, as an abstract truth, I cannot but allow,

But

that God is a merciful being, infinitely merciful. when we see a lovely creature, one calculated to be useful, and to diffuse happiness, as well as to enjoy it; one who has lived a pure life, and who constitutes the chief joy and hope of virtuous parents; when we see such an one snatched away from their arms, and laid in the dismal tomb, cut off from the innocent delights of the world, and its improvements, while the hearts of all around are crushed by the heavy affliction; when we see this, and then turn perhaps to our next door neighbor, and find a beastly, intemperate being, who is a plague to all with whom he lives, and who is incapable of either virtue or happiness himself, or increasing that of others; and this useless, miserable wretch is left, while our lovely child is taken away; who can reconcile these things with that perfect benevolence, that is represented always to will kindness and always to be able to bring to pass what it wills ?"

"I am sorry to hear you use these terms, my dear," said Mrs Henderson. "I do not like the expression 'snatched away;' it seems to imply that anger and not benevolence dictated the dispensation. Without proving anything, such terms operate on the feelings, like argument, and therefore we should avoid them. I do not like 'dismal tomb' for the same reason. The grave is represented as the peaceful asylum of suffering, where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest'; and by those who believe it only the receptacle of the once loved, but now resigned body, while the released spirit has risen to happiness and its Maker, it can only be thought of with pensive and holy pleasure. The delights of life you speak of, and its improvements, what are they, compared with those we believe our darling is now enjoying? Our faith

must be aided by reflection, observation, and experience, or we may not be able, in any case, to reconcile the apparent inconsistences, that catch our attention in the course of events; and we cannot, with all our efforts, often be able to perceive and trace the love and mercy, which yet we may believe guides the superintending hand."

"What I can see, I can believe," said Mr Henderson, "but respecting what I cannot see by any view I can take of a subject, I must still confess, I can never be free from doubts."

'But," said Mrs Henderson, "if those dispensations, which, at the time they occurred, appeared altogether opposed to divine benevolence, have, by the course of subsequent events, evidently displayed that principle, would not such dispensations serve greatly to establish a reliance on God, and faith in his goodness, and prevent the same state of doubt from occurring to you again, when suffering under a painful affliction of the kind you have described ?"

"I do not know that it would," replied Mr Henderson. "I have in the course of my life, several times, been thus situated, and have clearly perceived that a circumstance which I deprecated as a great misfortune at the time it occurred, has proved in the end a blessing, and that which I hailed as auspicious, has turned out a bad business; and yet I have not been so established in the faith you speak of, as always to be able to rely upon it."

"But that is because your early impressions were not in favor of an overruling Providence," said his wife. "I think it of very great importance that children's minds should be early and deeply impressed with the great and fundamental truths of religion; for I have constantly observed, that the fullest convictions of the understanding

in mature life, are feeble instruments in removing strong early impressions. If our infant notions are correct, our rational convictions in mature life will confirm them, and our faith will be solid and satisfactory. If, on the contrary, our first ideas are false and deeply impressed, it is next to impossible that the understanding, however clear in its deductions, and sincere in its purpose, should remove the feeling it opposes, so that it will not recur again and again. You were brought up with the notion that chance or destiny ordered all events; and though you have long been convinced, when you reason on the subject, that there is no sound argument to be urged in favor of this opinion, but everything to confirm that of a particular Providence, yet your early impressions remain for your discomfort, whenever any circumstances of a distressing nature occur.

I wish it were possible," she added in an affectionate tone, "to transfer to you the repose and resignation which I enjoy, from having been early impressed with a belief that God is a kind and watchful guardian, who orders all our affairs from benevolent motives."

"I do not see that I can help it," replied Mr Henderson. "I read the books adapted to convince my mind, and then I feel assured. I have studied the New Testa

ment, and am satisfied of its truth. I have made a profession of religion, and wish to be a christian. What more can I do ?".

"My dear husband," said Mrs Henderson, "I will say more of you than you say of yourself. You not only wish to be a christian, but you manifest, by a life of strict conformity to the precepts of Jesus Christ, that you really are a christian, in spirit and life. But you fail of reap

ing the joys of a christian, from a want of those feelings of faith which I enjoy by the blessing of God on my early instruction."

Mr Henderson was affected by this proof of the tender love and approbation of his wife; and moved by that internal feeling of humility, which every real christian must understand, he said, "do not, my dear, bestow praise like this on a being so utterly useless and worthless as I feel myself to be."

"When we think of ourselves in relation to God and to the character exhibited by our Saviour," replied Mrs Henderson, "it is altogether proper, as it is entirely true, that we should esteem ourselves unworthy, and feel self-abased before our Maker and our master. But we are taught by that master to judge ourselves and to judge others by the actions of our lives, as we judge of trees by their fruit; and in doing this, we must discriminate between our good and bad actions. We may compare ourselves with others, and when thus comparing actions, we must perceive, and it is proper to express candidly, in what we rise above, and in what we sink below others. In this view of ourselves, we may with gratitude to God rejoice that, in some instances, we have been enabled to follow the example of Jesus Christ, and trust, that our endeavors to do so, may be accepted in all cases. At the same time, we ought to search our hearts, and if in anything they are not right before God, preferring their own will to his, we should acknowledge it, and humble ourselves accordingly. But even in the deepest devotion, we should be under the guidance of reason, and not abandon ourselves to emotions, however pious they may be."