culation, or observation, in conciliating the mind of man to the close of present exist ence. But, every informed Christian knows where to find "confirmation strong," and sure of all the hopes, the animating sentiments, and the reasonings, more or less acute, of men in most times and nations, upon the momentous subject on which we have thus slightly touched. Such an one sees clearly and decidedly, in the sacred colume, that his expectation of an existence, succeeding to the termination of the present one, is grounded on such authority of assurance, as, perhaps, the mind most devoted to, most in love with scepticism, if the counsels of the heart were indeed made manifest, never has, perfectly and satisfactorily, resisted. My reason for such conclusion is sim ply this: because, first, supposing our sceptic, however peculiar, to possess a compe tent intellect, and to have enquired fairly and fully into the external or historical testimony, by which the truth of revelation is supported-supposing this, then, I remark, that he cannot reject it, without concluding against the stronger, and settling in the belief of the weaker evidence; and I hold it impossible for the human mind to accom plish this difficulty; and, in its sound and healthy condition, to be, in reality, capable of so gross and so palpable an absurdity. And yet, this is not all-nay, it is not a fair half of the difficulty, with which a sceptic has to quarrel and to combat. The truth of the Christian revelation is not only vouched and upheld by a stronger historical evidence than any other fact of ancient date; but it is supported, and confirmed, by another species and character of testimony peculiar to itself; and this the sceptic well knows to be its internal, moral evidence, which, notwithstanding all his throes and efforts to resist it, he still feels to hold an invincible sway over his heart and mind, and to be, in fact, an evidence which he cannot browbeat and confound. The reason is obvious; it is, because an appeal to the response of moral feeling and of conscience, is more powerful, more searching, and more solemn, than a proposition submitted to the understanding and the judgment. CONVENIENT ROOMS IN HOUSES. WHAT are these?-such as are hardly ever to be found: (e. g.) first, a room to receive the articles which are not in present, daily use, but which are frequently called for, and should be carefully preserved. To enumerate these is unnecessary, and almost impracticable; but the depôt, to which these occasional requisites are committed, is commonly denominated a lumber room. Who would expect, unless deep indeed in the magic of contrivance, to find such receptacle towering "in pride of place," and almost overtopping the attic!! One might imagine that this disposition of a lumber room had been made, as some enigmas and charades are, to set human search at defiance; or, in its least operative mischief, to ensure as much difficulty and inconvenience as architecture can create. |