"The hours are viewless angels, that still go gliding by,
And bear each moment's record up to Him that sits on high."
A mother wrote a story about her daughter in which she represented her
as making some unkind and rude remarks to her sister. Julia was a
reader of the newspapers, and it did not escape her notice. The
incident was a true one, but it was one she did not care to remember,
much less did she like to see it in print.
"Oh! mother, mother," she exclaimed, "I do not think you are kind to
write such stories about me. I do not like to have you publish it when
I say anything wrong."
"How do you know it is you? It is not your name." Julia then read the
story aloud.
"It is I. I know it is I, mother. I shall be afraid of you if you
write such stories about me, I shall not dare to speak before you."
"Remember, my child, that God requireth the past, and nothing which
you say, or do, or think, is lost to him."
Poor Julia was quite grieved that her mother should record the
unpleasant and unsisterly words which fell from her lips. She did not
like to have any memorial of her ill-nature preserved. Perhaps she
would never have thought of those words again in this life; but had
she never read this passage of fearful import, the language of Jesus
Christ: "But I say unto you that for every idle word that men shall
speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment"? Julia
thought that the careless words which had passed her lips would be
forgotten, but she should have known that every word and act of our
lives is to be recorded and brought to our remembrance.
I have known children to be very much interested, and to be influenced
to make a great effort to do right, by an account-book which was kept
by their mothers. When such a book is kept at school, and every act is
recorded, the pupils are much more likely to make an effort to perform
the duties required of them. So it is in Sabbath-schools. I recently
heard a Sabbath-school superintendent remark that the school could not
be well sustained unless accounts were kept of the attendance, etc.,
of the pupils.
Many years ago a man, brought before a tribunal, was told to relate
his story freely without fear, as it should not be used against him.
He commenced to do so, but had not proceeded far before he heard the
scratching of a pen behind a curtain. In an instant he was on his
guard, for by that sound he knew that, notwithstanding their promise,
a record was being taken of what he said.
Silently and unseen by us the angel secretaries are taking a faithful
record of our words and actions, and even of our thoughts. Do we
realize this? and a more solemn question is, What is the record they
are making?
Not long ago I read of a strange list. It was an exact catalogue of
the crimes committed by a man who was at last executed in Norfolk
Island, with the various punishments he had received for his different
offenses. It was written out in small hand by the chaplain, and was
nearly three yards long.
What a sickening catalogue to be crowded into one brief life. Yet this
man was once an innocent child. A mother no doubt bent lovingly over
him, a father perhaps looked upon him in pride and joy, and
imagination saw him rise to manhood honored and trusted by his
fellow-men. But the boy chose the path of evil and wrong-doing
regardless of the record he was making, and finally committed an act,
the penalty for which was death, and he perished miserably upon the
scaffold.
Dear readers, most of you are young, and your record is but just
commenced. Oh, be warned in time, and seek to have a list of which you
will not be ashamed when scanned by Jehovah, angels, and men. Speak
none but kind, loving words, have your thoughts and aspirations pure
and noble, crowd into your life all the _good_ deeds you can, and thus
crowd out _evil_ ones.
We should not forget that an account-book is kept by God, in which all
the events of our lives are recorded, and that even every thought will
be brought before us at the day of judgment. In that day God will
judge the secrets of men: he will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart.
There is another book spoken of in the Bible. The book of life, and it
is said that no one can enter heaven whose name is not written in the
Lamb's book of life.
Angels are now weighing moral worth. The record will soon close,
either by death or the decree, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust
still, and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is
righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be
holy still." We have but one short, preparing hour in which to redeem
the past and get ready for the future. Our life record will soon be
examined. What shall it be!