God. By Christianity I intend that universal habit of grace which is
wrought in a soul by the regenerating Spirit of God, whereby the whole
creature is resigned up into the divine will and love, and all its
actions directed to the obedience and glory of its Maker."--MEMOIRS OF
COL. HUTCHINSON, BY HIS WIDOW.

* * * * *

The weakness and helplessness of humanity, in relation to the fortunes
of this life, have been a favorite theme with philosophers and teachers
ever since the world began; and every term expressive of all that is
uncertain, insubstantial, and unstable has been exhausted in describing
the feebleness of man's power to retain in possession the good things of
this life, or even life itself. However firmly the hand of man may seem
to grasp power, reputation, or wealth; however numerous may be the band
of children or friends that surrounds him, he has no certainty that he
may not die friendless and a pauper. In fact, the most brilliant success
in life seems sometimes to be permitted only that it may make the
darkness of succeeding reverses the more profound.

Weak and helpless as we may be in the affairs of this life, there is,
however, one thing over which we have entire control. Riches may take
to themselves wings, though honest industry exert its best efforts to
acquire and retain them; power is taken away from hands that seek to
use it only for the good of those they govern; reputation may become
tarnished, though virtue be without spot; health may vanish, though its
laws, so far as we understand them, be strictly obeyed; but there is one
thing left which misfortune cannot touch, which God is ever seeking to
aid us in building up, and over which he permits us to hold absolute
control; and this is Character. For this, and for this alone, we are