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definite. This corresponds in the spiritual life to 

 what occurs ordinarily in the mental life. The de- 

 velopment of the mind in any large way requires 

 a mental awakening when the mind becomes eager 

 and questioning and hungry; when its eyes are 

 opened and it begins to look out upon the world 

 of things with interest and strong desire for 

 knowledge. To the soul also must come a time 

 when it awakens from vague into distinct con- 

 sciousness of God, when its spiritual cravings take 

 definite direction, when in fact the soul becomes 

 conscious of itself and its moral power. Such an 

 awakening should be expected in the history of 

 every child, but it may have nothing in common 

 with what we know as conversion or regeneration 

 in an adult." (Dr. McFarland: "Preservation 

 versus The Rescue of the Child," 21.) Even to 

 the Christian child the adolescent period is likely 

 to precipitate such a crisis, and its decision is 

 fraught with grave consequences. A quotation 

 from Campbell Morgan will cover this point and 

 much that we have already contended for. " It is 

 a great mistake to think of man as made, and then 

 put in some position, where he may rise or fall, 

 according to the capacity of his own personality. 

 It is rather to be remembered that he was cre- 

 ' ated in the image of God, and then put in the pro- 

 bationary position, through which he has to pass 

 to some larger form of existence, if his life were 

 lived in union with God who created him." 

 ("Crises of the Christ," 28.) 



We are presenting no recent or strange doc- 



