Religion,' and 'The Philosophy of a Future State,' it was gratifying to find that he had enforced my own conviction, that religion and science were friendly to each other.
Great pains had been taken by my parents to instil the doctrines of Christianity into my mind, and I had no difificiilty in understanding the theory of free salvation by the atonement of our Saviour, but it was only about this time that I began to feel the necessity of a personal application of the doctrine to my own case. The change was like what it may be sup- posed would take place were it possible to cure a case of "colour blindness." The fullness with which the pardon of all our guilt is offered in God's book drew forth feelings of affectionate love to Him who bought us with His blood, which in some small measure has influenced my conduct ever since. But I shall not again refer to the inner spiritual life which I believe then began, nor do I intend to specify with any prominence the evangelistic labours to which the love of Christ has since impelled me: this book will speak not so much of what has been done, as of what still remains to be performed before the gospel can be said to be preached to all nations.
In the glow of love which Christianity inspires, I soon resolved to devote my life to the alleviation of human misery. I felt that to be a pioneer of Christianity in China might lead to the material benefit of some portions of that immense empire ; and therefore set myself to obtain a medical education, in order to be qualified for that enterprise.
In identifying the herbs mentioned in my first medical treatise, that extraordinary old work on astrological medicine, Culpeper's 'Herbal,' I had the guidance of a book on the plants of Lanarkshire, by Patrick. Limited as my time was, I managed to scour the whole countiy-side, "collecting simples." Deep and anxious were my studies on the still more pei-plexing profundities of astrology, and I got as far into that abyss of fantasies as my author said he dared to lead me. It seemed perilous ground to tread on farther, for the dark hint appeared to my youthful mind to loom towards "selling soul and body to the devil." These excursions, often in company with brothers, one now in Canada, and the other a clergyman in the United States, gratified my intense love of nature; and though we generally returned so hungry and fatigued that the
