Chap. XIV. 
DEPEAVITY—ITS TREATMENT. 
259 
welkin rings with the singing of birds, wliich is not so delightfal 
as the notes of birds at home, because I have not been familiar 
with them from infancy. The notes here, however, strike the 
mind by their loudness and variety, as the wellings forth from 
joyous hearts, of praise to Him who fills them with overflowing 
gladness. All of us rise early to enjoy the luscious balmy air of 
the morning. We then have worship; but amidst all the beauty 
and loveliness with Avhich we are smTounded, there is still a 
feeling of want in the soul in viewing one’s poor companions, 
and hearing bitter impure words jarring on the ear in the per¬ 
fection of the scenes of nature, and a longing that both their 
hearts and ours might be brought into harmony with the Great 
Father of Spirits. I pointed out, in, as usual, the simplest 
words I could employ, the remedy which God has presented to 
us, in the inexpressibly precious gift of His own Son, on whom 
the Lord laid the iniquity of us all.” The gveat difficulty in 
dealing with these people is to make the subject plain. The 
minds of the auditors cannot be understood by one who has not 
mingled much with them. They readily pray for the forgive¬ 
ness of sins, and then sin again; confess the evil of it, and there 
the matter ends. 
I shall not often advert to their depravity. My practice has 
always been to apply the remedy with all possible earnestness, 
but never allow my own mind to dwell on the dark shades of 
men’s characters. I have never been able to draw pictures of 
guilt, as if that could awaken Cluistian sympathy. The evil is 
there. But all around in this fair creation are scenes of beauty, 
and to turn from these to ponder on deeds of sin, cannot promote 
a healthy state of the faculties. I attribute much of the bodily 
health I enjoy to following the plan, adopted by most physicians, 
who, wliile engaged in active, laborious eflbrts to assist the 
needy, at the same time follow the delightful studies of some 
department of natm^al history. The human misery and sin 
we endeavour to alleviate and cure, may be likened to the sick¬ 
ness and impmdty of some of the back slums of great cities. 
One, contents himself by ministering to the sick and trying 
to remove the causes, without remaining longer in the filth than 
is necessary for his work ; another, equally anxious for the 
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