The  first  has  law  and  history,  with  providence  and  prophecy;
the  second  has  grace  and  a  power  of  life,  with  fulfilment  and
truth.  The  second  is  implied  in  the  first,  and  the  first  unveiled
in  the  second.  Nor  is  it  easy  to  see  how  Almighty  God  Him-
self could  more  strongly  persuade  us  to  embrace  a  religion,  than
by  thus  giving  proof  to  all  readers  of  history,  that  it  has  come
of  the  Grovemor  of  the  world,  and  by  making  its  experience
satisfy  the  best  conscience  of  every  one  who  tries  it.  Surely  the
human  shortcomings  of  men  who  have  taught  or  professed  it,
are  no  sound  argument  against  the  divinity  of  the  truth  itself.
For  how  much  worse  would  they  have  been  without  it?  Earthly
acts  never  fully  bring  out  the  heavenly  thoughts ;  and  the  very
fact  of  a  divine  healing  presupposes  that  human  souls  are
diseased.  The  question  of  experience  turns  on  whether  the
fruits  of  Christianity  have  been  good,  according  to  the  soil  it
was  planted  in,  or  the  materials  it  worked  with.  It  finds  igno-
rance, passion,  sin,  sufiering,  and  strife.  It  brings  enlighten-
ment, peace,  and  with  holiness  either  comfort  or  patience ;  and
all  these  strangely  combined  in  the  power  of  the  one  cross  of
Christ,  whose  figure  gleams  through  the  world,  standing  above
our  highest  pomp,  and  going  down  into  the  depth  of  sorrow.
