nal death, you should understand is meant that state, which embraces the various troubles and difficulties of this mortal life, that precedes the dissolution of the body. Spiritual death consists in the loss of spiritual life, and in a guilty conscience and an impenitent heart. Eternal death is that awful condition in which the wicked are excluded from the joys of the blessed in heaven, and are made to endure perpetual anguish. To adopt the solemnly-emphatical language of the Saviour, "These shall go away into everlasting punishment-where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Annie. Oh, how dreadful to be cast into a fire that shall never be quenched! I think if people in general, who read the Bible, really believed these and similar declarations contained in that book, they would not be so light and gay as they seem to be.

Mother. Your remark, my dear, is very just. There are but few, who regularly attend God's house, and read his book, who

do so with any substantial benefit to themselves. They act as though they entirely forgot that they were responsible beings,— that they would soon die, and then be called to render an account of all the "deeds done in the body."

Annie. But will not those go to heaven, who never neglect their church, who read the Scriptures every day, pay their debts, and are charitable to the poor ?

Mother. All these duties must be performed, and no Christian will omit them: still, many there are, who are uniformly attentive to such duties, but who, nevertheless, are not right in the sight of God.

Annie. What! is God displeased with those, whom everybody speaks well of. There must be a great difference between such and those profligate characters, who swear, tell lies, cheat, get intoxicated, and are always making disturbances.

Mother. I grant you, my dear, that there is a very great difference between the

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two classes of individuals you have referred to. Those who attend to the welfare of their families, have respect to the services of religion, visit the sick, relieve the destitute, and are upright in their dealings, are worthy members of society; whilst those, who shew a reverse practice are the pests of society the former quit the world with the sincere regrets of many; the latter depart without exciting a sigh, save for their melancholy end. Judging of the two cases, from their external demeanour, we might be led to decide, and without much hesitation, that the one was certainly gone to the bad, and the other to the good, place. But, taking the Bible for our directory, we are taught, that such a conclusion might be altogether wrong; and this error is often fallen into, from our making God's standard of an upright state to be the same as man has set up. They, however, greatly differ. Hear, now, what men have said, and God has written, that you may see the propriety

of that I have stated. In the days of our Lord's stay upon earth, it was the general belief, that, if only two persons were saved, one would be a scribe, and the other a pharisee. But, how opposite was the judgment of Him, who discerned the movements of the heart as plainly as we observe the outward movements of the body! He selected two, whose habits were universally allowed to be of the vilest cast, and, referring to the scribes and pharisees, said, "The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you." A reason is then given for this preference: "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him; and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." The profligates, noticed by the Saviour, were nearer the kingdom of heaven than the seeming rigidly pious scribes and pharisees, because more ready to condemn themselves, on account of

their wicked lives, and, therefore, nearer to repentance, without which none can obtain forgiveness; and those, who are not pardoned before death, will die in their sins; and of such Christ affirms, "Where I am ye cannot come." The pharisees gave alms to the poor, loved "to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets," and often fasted, wearing a sorrowful countenance. But, said Jesus, all this was done that they might "have glory of men ;" and then added, "Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." It is clear, therefore, that, as their object was to be seen, that they might have the praise of men, and men did see and applaud them, they had the reward they sought, and could expect nothing more. Now from all this you learn, how liable we are to be deceived in forming opinions of character; and the cause of such ill judging has been long recorded: "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward