pleasure to observe the interest you take in these matters; and it is my earnest wish to gratify as as far as possible your laudable desire for information. CONVERSATION SEVENTH. CHARLES. Mamma, I have been thinking of what you said yesterday about people seeming to be religious, attending to the forms of the Church services, and yet not being really righteous in the sight of God; and it partly explains to me what I did not at all understand. When Mrs. M. was with you one day lately, she said, speaking of some person of her acquaintance, that he was a morally good man, but that she doubted whether he had much or indeed any religion. Now I thought no person could be good without being religious; but I suppose what she meant was, that though he sometimes or perhaps often does right, that it is not with the desire of pleasing God. MAMMA. Certainly; and you are in fact right in saying that no one can be good without being religious; for though a man may lead such a course of life as may cause him to be esteemed by his fellow creatures, having perhaps an amiable and benevolent disposition, and no temptation to injure others, we cannot, if we consider calmly, concede to him any merit, if he has no guide for his actions but his desire to please himself, and to live quietly, and his fear of man. CHARLES. But, Mamma, how can we know what are people's real motives? MAMMA. We cannot, nor is it needful that we should. None but the Almighty Searcher of all hearts can read them; and our concern is not with others, unless we can do them any good, but with ourselves. You may remember that Mrs. M. spoke with much regret of what she feared to be the case, and that her inferences were drawn from having heard the person in question speak very slightingly of religion. When we see that the conduct of any with whom we come in contact is manifestly in violation of the divine laws, both our duty and our safety render it necessary that we should as much as possible separate ourselves from them; but we should not presume to judge of their degree of guilt; we know not how great may have been their disadvantages or their temptations, nor what may still be their repentance and desire of amendment. Happily for guilty man, there is One who sees, and will accept, for the sake of the all-sufficient sacrifice of His Son, the first and slightest attempts to return and be reconciled to Him, provided those attempts be really sincere. As for ourselves, our examination cannot be too strict; and now that we are on this subject I will read to you a little list of passages in the Bible where this duty is particularly enforced. "Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”* "I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with my own heart: and my spirit made diligent search:"+ 66 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." + *Psalm IV. 4. † Psalm LXXVII. 6. |