; and lost like the leaves!" sighed Miss Carmichael.

"Why do you say they are lost? They must fulfil the end for which they
were made, and if so, they cannot be lost."

"For what end were they made?"

"I do not know. If they all grew up, they would be a good deal in the
way."

"Then you say there are more seeds than are required?"

"How could I, when I do not know what they are required for? How can I
tell that it is not necessary for the life of the tree that it should
produce them all, and necessary too for the ground to receive so much
life-rent from the tree!"

"But you must admit that some things are lost!"

"Yes, surely!" answered Donal. "Why else should he come and look till
he find?"

No such answer had the theologian expected; she was not immediate with
her rejoinder.

"But some of them are lost after all!" she said.

"Doubtless; there are sheep that will keep running away. But he goes
after them again."

"He will not do that for ever!"

"He will."

"I do not believe it."

"Then you do not believe that God is infinite!"

"I do."

"How can you? Is he not the Lord God merciful and gracious?"

"I am glad you know that."

"But if his mercy and his graciousness are not infinite, then he is not
infinite!"

"There are other attributes in which he is infinite."

"But he is not infinite in all his attributes? He is partly infinite,
and partly finite!--infinite in knowledge and power, but in love, in
forgiveness, in all those things which are the most beautiful, the most
divine, the most Christ-like, he is finite, measurable, bounded, small!"

"I care nothing for such finite reasoning. I take the word of
inspiration, and go by that!"

"Let me hear then," said Donal, with an uplifting of his heart in
prayer; for it seemed no light thing for Arctura which of them should
show the better reason.

Now it had so fallen that the ladies were talking about the doctrine
called Adoption when first they saw Donal; whence this doctrine was the
first to occur to the champion of orthodoxy as a weapon wherewith to
foil the enemy.

"The most precious doctrine, if one may say so, in the whole Bible, is
that of Adoption. God by the mouth of his apostle Paul tells us that
God adopts some for his children, and leaves the rest. If because of
this you say he is not infinite in mercy, when the Bible says he is,
you are guilty of blasphemy."

In a tone calm to solemnity, Donal answered--

"God's mercy is inf