desolation. There is a seeming wisdom that is foolishness; and there is
a childlike, artless simplicity of faith, which, while it is regarded as
foolishness by many, is in truth the perfection of wisdom. There are
things which are hid from the wise and prudent, that are revealed to
babes. And Jesus was right, when, addressing the self-conceited
skeptical critics of His day, He said: 'Except ye be converted and
become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.' My
dear departed friend, when trusting in God as his Father, and in Christ
as his Saviour, and living a godly life, was right, while I, in
distrusting the promptings of my religious instincts and affections, and
committing myself to the reasonings of a cold and heartless logic, was
wrong. The new-born babe, that rests untroubled in its mother's arms,
and, without misgiving, sucks from her breast the milk so wonderfully
provided for it, does the best and wisest thing conceivable. In obeying
its instincts, it obeys the great good Author of its being, and lives.
If--to suppose what is happily an impossibility--if the child should
discard its instincts, and refuse to trust its mother, till it had
logical proof of her trustworthiness; and, distrusting its natural
cravings, should refuse to take the nutriment provided for it, till it
could ascertain by chemical analysis and physiological investigation,
that it was just the kind of food which it required, it would die. My
departed friend was the happy, confiding child, and saved his soul
alive; while I was the analytical and logical doubter, and all but
starved my miserable soul to death. Thank God, I have lived to see my
error. The loving, trusting Christian is right. The religion of Jesus is
substantially true and divine; and, thus far, I declare myself a
Christian."

It was a beautiful, summer-like day. The sun shone brightly, and the
winds were low, and the vast congregation was orderly and attentive, and
many were much affected. The report that I had declared myself a
Christian, without any qualification annexed, got into the papers, and
ran through the country. To many it gave the greatest satisfaction.
Good, kind Christians came round me wherever I went, testifying their
delight and gratitude. Some wept for joy. Unbelievers were greatly
annoyed at the tidings of my conversion, and some of them came and
entreated me to give the report a public contradiction. This I refused
to do. True, the papers s