The only persons that are real sure that their calling and election is
sure, and that they are going to heaven across lots, are the men who are
hung for murder. They always announce that they have got a dead thing on
it, just before the drop falls. How encouraging it must be to children to
listen to the prayers of our ministers in churches, who admit that they
are miserable sinners, living on God's charity, and doubtful if they would
be allowed to sit at His right hand, and as they tell the story of their
own unworthiness the tears trickle down their cheeks. Then let the
children read an account of a hanging bee, and see how happy the condemned
man is, how he shouts glory hallelujah, and confesses that, though he
killed his man, he is going to heaven. A child will naturally ask, why
don't the ministers murder somebody, and make a dead sure thing of it?