puny man! To what length will his ignorant vanity not carry him? If there be a pervading and actuating Spirit, or different orders of Spirits, may they not have natural laws, and mutual relations with other spirits? What proof have we of any one fact in science except experience? And in this one case, contrary to every other, is all experience to be set aside, and every man called an enthusiast who dares to name his experience? Can it be urged that we have no competent witnesses? Have not men of sound and philosophic spirit borne testimony to the reality of spiritual influences, not merely as the dictum of revelation, but as their own experience, and their own observation? Do infidels object that they have no experience of this kind? Is it to be expected that the natural influence can operate where the natural relation is broken? For God dispenses his Holy Spirit, like all the other gifts of his goodness, by general laws. The Almighty is no respecter of persons: nor in the distribution of his grace is he guided by caprice, but by general rules, as in every other department of Providence. Scripture teaches us that it is so. We are there instructed that prayer is the medium through which God dispenses his spiritual blessings.

Ask," says our Saviour, "and "and ye shall receive ; for every one that asketh receiveth." "If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly

Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." The experience of Christians in every age has confirmed this declaration of scripture. And if any unbeliever will be only persuaded to try, if he will cast himself in repentance and humility before the throne of grace, and on his bended knees implore the mercy and forgiveness of God, and submit himself to his teaching, and intreat his guidance and direction, if he do not affront the Divine Majesty by the mockery of an affected and unreal state of mind, if his prayer be sincere and persevering, and with a sense of his own utter unworthiness, and with faith in the free goodness of God,-he shall not ask in vain, but in time add his testimony to the truth of the gracious promise.

Now this law of spiritual influence is the most natural that can be conceived. What condition can we imagine so proper for perfecting the relation between the human mind and a superior pervading Spirit, as the devout aspiration of the mind towards him, and the abstraction of the thoughts from every disturbing cause? Thus the efficacy of prayer does not depend on any influence which it has in altering the counsels of God: it were impious to suppose that the desires of a weak mortal should change the eternal purposes of the Supreme Being: but the aspiration of the soul in prayer is the general law of perfect spiritual relation, according to which all good in

fluences are dispensed; and thus it forms part of the law of nature, part of the eternal counsel of God, that he should be the hearer and the answerer of prayer. In the system of Revelation we are permitted and encouraged to pray for temporal blessings also, and to repose our confidence in the gracious providence of God. But we may ask no special temporal blessing without the reservation, "Not our will, O Heavenly Father, but Thine be done." Now prayer of this kind reminds us strikingly of our entire dependance upon God for every thing, and disposes us to humility and resignation. These are indirect effects, but at the same time, the pouring out of every good desire, the unbosoming of every sorrow, the opening of the whole heart to God, and the humble renunciation of every wish that may be contrary to his will, and the merging of every separate aim into the single desire for the advancement of his kingdom and glory, and the diffusive love that is breathed forth for all that should fall within its sphere, have a direct effect in perfecting the relation of the mind towards the great pervading Spirit of Good, and calling down the free flow of his gracious influences. Prayer, then, and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, are not at all inconsistent with just views of General Providence.

I have illustrated the unreasonableness of the conduct of men in regard to the doctrine of spiritual influence, by showing how the same conduct

would appear if applied to any branch of science, such as electricity. We may pursue this analogy a little farther. The equal and tranquil flow of that fluid is not observed. It is its interrupted flow that produces the phenomena which we see. So is it with spiritual influence. The conflict with interrupting causes produces more violent effects; but when the mind is wholly subdued, and an uninterrupted flow of the influence goes on, then it flows in tranquillity, -the good Spirit manifesting his presence by the health and holiness of the mind, and by the free and unrestrained communion with God in prayer. Although then irreligious men are not conscious of any spiritual influence, they may be entirely under the influence of a bad pervading spirit operating smoothly, because unresisted. The existence and power of such a spirit is not more inconsistent with the character of God, than the existence and power of a bad man. It is part of the doctrine of Christianity that there is such an evil spirit, and his influence is felt by Christians in its partial and interrupted flow prior to its subversion, the effects being then, by analogy, more violent and perceptible. Christians ascribe to this cause the severe conflict which is generally experienced in the mind, for some time after the first serious impressions of religion on the believer,--a conflict which diminishes as he becomes more advanced and established, and which may ultimately give place

to the complete ascendancy, and peaceful communion, of the Spirit of Holiness. On the other hand, the man who at first has some compunctions and a conflict in his mind before yielding to sin, becomes, through indulgence, by very rapid degrees, easily subject to the evil influence, and soon loses all conflict whatsoever, in the complete dominion of him, who holds his wicked empire in this lower world.

We shall resume in another place the consideration of the doctrine of spiritual influences. I have noticed the subject here only to show that it is not inconsistent with the doctrine of General Providence.