day's excitement, and waiting to be renewed by "the cup which cheers but not inebriates," while he was, to appearance, as fresh and heart-full as though just risen from a plunge into the river of life.

His attention soon wandered to the group of faces upon the preachers' stand. Only two or three of as many score were known to him. He read them as he would a page in Hebrew, from right to left, directly the reverse of the vernacular.

Not more than one in fifteen had received a college diploma, and all but two or three of these were bestowed by a university of medium rank. Very few, and these among the younger portion, had studied in a theological seminary. Half of them referred only to an academy of their denomination, which they proudly called EVERSHAM.

All except two, or at the most four of these preachers, had the look which speaks of hidden power to survive all kinds of transformation. This was the result of the cultivation of their peculiar system of itineracy. They were used to being changed about into shapes in which they would not have recognized themselves, had it not been for their surnames, occasionally pronounced in strong tones by their bishops, at the beck of the presiding elders.

Spallanzani has proved that the snail has the power of reproducing a new head when decapitated; but it should be noticed that the brain of the snail does not reside in its head.

Hopeful, cheerful, satisfied with their sect, looked they all; and how could it be otherwise when Methodism was progressing in its victorious march over this

continent, at the rate of five hundred souls a minute, or better yet, of five hundred thousand dollars an hour of lunar time!

Not that Israel Knight thought this, as he gazed at that formidable array of preachers. Far from it. He thought of them only as the most faithful, the most humble, apostolical servants of the true church of Christ; and, as he thought, he sighed that he could not be there, one in their midst.

"I understand that the elders here have asked God to give us at least one hundred conversions for the harvest of this camp-meeting, and how are they going to get them all if they do not bestir themselves more than they have?" cried Cyprian Cutting.

(He had before said, in Israel's hearing, that he had laid out to be the means of converting fifty thousand souls before he left this world).

In a similar strain he went on till the bell rung announcing the time to close.

After supper, and before the time for the evening sermon, Israel was in one of the tents, whither he had been invited by some friends of slight acquaintance who belonged to the society which occupied it.

A class meeting was in progress there. After singing and prayer, a young minister spoke a few words explanatory of his own feelings at that particular time, and invited all present to do likewise. The purport of what he said was that religion never had appeared better to him than it did at that moment. He loved the work in which he was engaged;`he loved all his brethren and sisters, and hoped he should meet them all at last in heaven. This was good; but as

nearly every one present, in regular succession, gave in a not very dissimilar testimony, Israel began to think that a change, even for the worse, would be a relief. He was about to dismiss this thought as a temptation, when he was asked to speak. The nature of his own private feelings seemed to him too sacred to parade there before all that tent's company. He was not accustomed to such an exhibition of himself, and respectfully asked to be excused.

Speak, brother," said a friend who sat next him, "speak a word for the Master." He was silent, and looked down heavily upon the straw. Forty-six eyes were fastened on him, and for that moment, Napoleon at St. Helena did not feel more painfully than he did. "Tell us, young friend," spoke the minister, "just how you feel. Christ is a present Saviour, and he gives a full and free salvation just now, if we ask it. Are you willing to be saved from all your sins?"

Still he answered nothing. If he told them "just how." he felt then, he would have said that their exercise had begun to seem tiresome to him. To tell them of his present views and purposes, he did not deem meet for the time or place. His present sins he reserved for his closet, and not for human conany fessional, private or public.

He was then addressed as though he were not one of them, or in other words, not a Christian. They hoped he would soon be made willing to testify for the Master.

This was all in keeping with Methodist estates, or orders of spiritual government. With these estates, the article of speech has prime value. Without it,

religious character is a paradox, something to be doubted, and to be disciplined. A multitude of sins are covered by Methodist "testimony."

mon sense.

Israel being new to this economy, he did not comprehend it. He began to consider from left to right, no longer in Hebrew style, but in that of Saxon comHe asked himself if these people were right in their judgments, based on premises so slight and insufficient? If they condemned upon such grounds, they might also "save" in like manner. seemed to him that they put themselves in the place of Christ, hardly less than did the "Vicegerent of Rome."

It

The singing of one of the beautiful hymns, which these people sing in an almost unequalled style, for the time restored his equanimity, and with it came his confidence, though its wings were no longer plumed.

The evening sermon was upon holiness. Many passages of Scripture were ingeniously quoted to prove the doctrine. The theory was adapted to the comfort of all who were hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Israel listened with reverent attention. Some of it was in this wise:

*"Christian Perfection or Holiness is that state of grace which excludes all sin from the heart. 'Blessed are the pure in heart.' 'Create in me a

clean heart, O God!' The blood his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.'

of Jesus Christ,

'Being made

free from sin, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.'

*These words on Christian Perfection are taken from a work entitled "Perfect Love."

"The difference between regeneration and sanctification is The man who is merely regenerated is but partially saved from sin, while the sanctified is wholly saved. The regenerated soul does not commit sin, though he is conscious of remaining inbred sin. The sanctified soul neither commits sin nor feels any consciousness of remaining inbred sin. In justification, the strong man is bound; in sanctification, he is

cast out.

"The graces of the spirit exist in the entirely sanctified without alloy. The graces in the sanctified are perfect in kind, but limited in degree. Regeneration affords victory over sin subdued; sanctification gives victory over sin exterminated and cast out, so that all the graces of the spirit exist perfect in kind—that is, to the exclusion of their opposites.

"Sanctification does not add any new virtues to the soul. It simply cleanses the soul from all in-dwelling sin, so as to allow the graces implanted in the soul at regeneration to exist without alloy, or without their opposites in the heart.

"The cause of so much prejudice and opposition to the doctrine of holiness among professors of religion is that the doctrine has been misunderstood. It has generally been taken to mean more than was intended, and more than was taught by the standards of the Church.

"We teach absolute perfection in none but God. The brightest, the highest, the sweetest, and the most lovely angel in paradise is not absolutely perfect. In this sense, there is none good but one, that is God.'

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