then I was in darkness," he said to himself. "I knew nothing of
the love of God I knew not how sinful I was, and how He hates sin,
though He loves the sinner. I knew not that God is so pure and holy
that even the heavens are not clean in His sight; and I had no idea how
sinful sin is, how contrary in every way to God. I had little thought
that God, my loving Father, would hear the prayers of so wicked, wayward
a child as I was, and as I am indeed still, if left to myself in my own
nakedness; but I know now that He does not look at me as I am in myself,
but as I am clothed with Christ's righteousness. Trusting in Him, I am
no longer naked, but dressed in His pure and spotless robe, at which God
will alone look when I offer up my prayers; and that, for the sake of
His son, He listens to all who are thus clothed. Oh how thankful I
ought to be that God has made known these joyous things to me!"

When, some days afterwards, Laurence expressed the same thoughts to Mr
Martin, the missionary replied, "Now these things are yours, can you be
so selfish as not to desire to make them known to others?"

"Oh, indeed, I do wish to make them known," exclaimed Laurence. "I
should like to tell every one I meet of them, and to go forth and find
people to whom to tell them."

"Before you do that, you must prepare yourself, you must be armed for
the battle you will have to fight; for a severe battle it is, and you
will find Satan, the great enemy to the truth, ever ready to oppose you.
The thought of this, however, will stimulate you to make the necessary
preparations, by study and prayer; and I trust, Laurence, that some day
God will employ you as His missionary among the savage Indians of this
long-benighted land."

CHAPTER TEN.

LAURENCE LEARNS WHAT IT IS TO BE A CHRISTIAN--GETS LEAVE TO SET OUT IN
SEARCH OF HIS FATHER--STARTS ON AN EXPEDITION WITH PETER, A CHRISTIAN
CREE--DISCOVERS TWO OF MICHAEL'S TRAPS--A PARTY OF BLACKFEET--BLACKFEET
WOUND OLD MICHAEL--BLACKFEET CAPTURED--LAURENCE GOES TO HIS FATHER'S
ASSISTANCE--PETER PREACHES TO THE BLACKFEET, AND INVITES THEM TO THE
FORT--THE BLACKFEET SET AT LIBERTY--HEARING LAURENCE EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL
TO HIM--LAURENCE CONVEYS THE OLD TRAPPER TO THE FORT--NARRATES TO MR.
MARTIN HIS FORMER LIFE--MR. MARTIN TELLS HIM THAT THE QUEEN HAS PARDONED
HIM--THE OLD TRAPPER AT LENGTH BELIEVES THE TRUTH--RETURNS WITH LAURENCE
TO CANADA--LAURENCE RESTORED TO HIS PARENTS--REVISITS THE FORT AS A