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ard,' replied he, to what kingdom you have hitherto belonged.'

To what kingdom I have belonged!' replied I, utterly at a loss to comprehend his meaning.

Yes, Howard. There are just two kingdoms in the world,—the kingdom of him who is called by Christ the prince of this world,' and the kingdom of God. The one all delusion, and show, and pretension; the other all reality and

truth.'

I am not conscious of having been subject to show and pretension.'

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No, dearest Howard, but you have to delusion. Forgive me, my friend, but can there be a greater delusion than you have just complained of,-an idea that we feel benevolence towards our fellow-creatures, while we really experience no anxiety to be of use to them. Giving money to those in distress, you have yourself acknowledged, is a relief to

your own feelings, the indulgence of which it would be painful to resist.'

• You are right, Travers,' replied I; 'this is complete delusion. But will your patience be exhausted, if I confess, that while I acquiesce in the truth of this, you have said another thing, which places before me a new difficulty in your religious system, The Prince of this world! How strangely great must that spirit be! How unaccountable the continuance of his power and existence, on the supposition that there is One omnipotent.'

'Shall any spirit cease to exist?' asked Travers. Is not the very essence of spirit, immortality? The condemnation on the soul that sins is,- That it shall die,' but does it cease to exist? No, Howard. There is a living death,—an everlasting, felt, desired separation from God, a dread of his holy presence,which is represented to human feelings under the idea of that agony of terror, which would make a human sinner call

on rocks and mountains to fall on him, to hide him from it. Does this imply the destruction of his original powers? No; but it implies their disorder and perversion, and their power to suffer, tremendous in proportion to their extent.'

I was unsatisfied with this answer. Travers perceived that I was, and again asked me to state my difficulties in writing. I did so.

You have, my dear Travers, convinced me that the powers of man cannot trace evil to its origin. You have convinced me, too, by your own example, that it is possible to love God ardently and rationally, without an explanation of that mysterious darkness, by which some of his holiest attributes still appear to me to be clouded. Now, I ask you to account for the existence and continuance of a power, which, if I may use

the expression, seems to contend, and that successfully, with Omnipotence.'

Answer. I attempt not, Howard, to account for any thing which revelation has not accounted for. Why Satan was permitted to seduce our first parents, is not revealed. That he did tempt them, that he succeeded, and that man willingly withdrew himself from the authority of God, and believed Satan rather than his Creator, is revealed. Man chose to admit into his soul that evil which brought on him his threatened doom,-for evil

instantly separates from God, and leads to a desire of separation from him: Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God.' It was by man's own choice that he became subject to Satan; he listened to him in preference to God, and his dominion still consists in seducing the soul to do the same. Satan has and does here, indeed, contend successfully, but it was and is

with man, a creature by nature inferior to himself. Man became, and still is, by choice, his subject; and every soul who is rescued from his power, is so by the substitution of a ransom. This language is used, because subjection to Satan is subjection to evil; and God has declared, that suffering shall be the consequence of evil. Every human being, therefore, who is delivered, and brought back from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God, is so on account of the sufferings of Christ. Here again, Howard, we are at the cross of Christ. There the ransom was completed, a sufficient sacrifice was offered, the sin of every believer was suffered for, and blotted out for ever. There Christ spoiled principalities and powers;' there he divided the spoil with the mighty,'-the mighty enemy of man. It is in this sense, my

dear Howard, that Satan is described as so great in power. We forget this distinction; and if you will recollect from

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