306 THE JOURNEYMAN. 



saw any of my companions in places of danger, I felt 

 miserable ; I had full confidence in myself, but so little 

 in them, that at every step they took I expected to see 

 them topple down headlong. It has been said, my own 

 Lydia, that a philosopher in petticoats is a loveless thing ; 

 when I converse with you in this fashion, it is in the 

 full conviction that few females' minds have been cast 

 in a more philosophical mould than yours ; but surely 

 there is little truth in the remark, for never yet was 

 there woman more warmly or more tenderly beloved/ 



' You and I, my Lydia, must converse some time or 

 other on the unlucky subject of Friday night ; not for 

 the sake of argument there are many subjects for us to 

 exercise our wits upon without meddling with religion 

 but that we may arrive at the truth. I was sorry to 

 perceive that you were seriously displeased ; and that in 

 consequence of a rather unskilful statement of doctrine 

 on your part, which was I dare say occasioned by the use of 

 language rather bold than correct on mine, Mrs - 

 was led to deem your opinion heretical. I am con- 

 fident that in reality we are at one on this subject. 



Neither Mrs nor I ever doubted for a moment that 



we ought to make Christ our pattern and example ; for 

 who can doubt that His whole life was just the entire law 

 of His Father reduced to practice ; and who does not 

 know that the law is the rule which God has revealed 

 for our obedience ? On the other, neither Mrs - - nor 

 you nor I can doubt that the injunction " Do this and 

 live," whether applied to the law as embodied in written 

 commands or as exemplified in the life of Christ, is the 

 now impossible condition of the old covenant, not the 

 glorious watchword of the new ; and that under this 

 better covenant the ability of imitating Christ is a grace 



