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was praiseworthy and useful. Edwin was therefore found, on that day, instructing one of the lowest classes in the Sunday school.

He was expected also to give his father, in their walk on the Monday, some account of the discourses which he had heard. He was especially encouraged to mark any sentiments which were peculiarly weighty or important. Mr. H. always rewarded him for these. Eight or ten, or more, of these, he would record in his pocketbook every sabbath day.

"Well, Edwin," said Mr. H. "what have you in your memoranda of yesterday, to mention to me?"

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"Let us have them, my dear, one after the other."

"You said, papa, That no one ever gained any thing by breaking God's commandments."

"I did, and this is very true. Sin, indeed, ought to be productive of something valuable, for it costs much. It costs a man his time, his health, his property, his reputation, the favour of God, and the joys of heaven. Our first parents lost paradise, their holiness, their happiness, and the image of God, by sin. No, Edwin, no: may God write the truth by his Spirit on your heart. I hope, indeed, that he has

already done it. There is nothing gained by sin; there is nothing gained by swearing, by sabbath-breaking, by bad company, by lying, by intemperance, by pride, or malice, or revenge; but, on the contrary, every thing that is truly valuable is lost by them."

"You said, papa, That it would cost a man something to be religious; but that it would cost him much more not to be so."

"And so it will. If we do not love and serve God on earth, we shall never see him hereafter with joy. The character which is forming every day, will survive the grave, and endure for ever. But yet we cannot serve God without some pains and care. We must sacrifice our evil passions. We must give up the good opinion of many of our fellow-creatures, who think that it is beneath them to serve the God who formed them, or that any thing more than the service of the lip is enthusiasm."

"You remarked, papa, That a man might attend to all the forms of religion, and yet perish at last."

"Undoubtedly he may. This was the case with the Pharisees in the time of our Lord. They were very exemplary as to the form of godliness. In this respect, I question whether there is any one, of any community, who equals them; and yet the Great Teacher said to them:

'Publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of God before you.' This is still the case. A man may go regularly to his place of worship; may read the Scriptures, and associate with decent sort of people; and yet his heart may be unhumbled for his sins, and his evil passions unsubdued. With all his religion, he may at last perish. This is what our Lord solemnly declared, in his sermon on the mount: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord! Lord! shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord! Lord! have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity!'"

"You said, papa, That sin is the same deadly thing to the spirit, which poison is to the body that a single dose was fatal."

"True: many are every day consigned to different punishments for a single offence. It would be of no service for a person who was condemned for dishonesty, to plead, that he was not a murderer. Such a plea would not avail him. So, a man who lives in any one sin, and evidently loves it, and dies without any

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