THE ORIGIN OF EVIL. 333 



and awaken this sense, and that the latter was given me 

 that I might be conscious of possessing the former ? 

 And how do these principles bear on that great, I may 

 add, inexplicable problem, the existence of evil, misery, 

 folly, imperfection, in the works of an infinitely good, 

 benevolent, wise, perfect God? May not evil be the 

 shade with which good is contrasted, that it may be 

 known as good, the sickness to which it is opposed as 

 health, the deformity beside which it is shown forth as 

 beauty ? Nay, may it not be affirmed on these princi- 

 ples, that the plan of the Deity would not have been a 

 perfect one, if it did not include imperfection, nor a 

 wise one, if it admitted not of folly, nor a good one, if 

 evil did not form a part of it ? Is there not something 

 like this implied in the remarkable text which informs 

 us that the weakness of God is mightier than the 

 strength of men, and His foolishness more admirable 

 than their wisdom ? Such was the train of thought 

 which passed through my mind, and the conclusion at 

 which I arrived ; and though, regarded as merely an in- 

 tellectual process, it may, perhaps, be neither very strik- 

 ing nor of much value, as a matter which engaged my 

 better sentiments, awakened my more pleasing feelings, 

 and afforded me for the time "much happiness, I found 



it to be valuable and truly good 



' I had the happiness a few evenings since of falling 

 in, in my usual walk, with our common friend, Miss 

 Smith, accompanied by another young lady (by far the 

 most intellectual of her companions), and had a long 

 and very amusing conversation with them ; so long, 

 indeed, that at length the stars began to peep out at us, 

 as if wondering what we were about. We differed and 

 disputed and agreed, and then differed and disputed and 

 agreed again. We, of the rougher sex, arrogate to our- 



