_The same subject, concluded._
1. "If some great king, who loved his people, and was continually giving
them some good things, should appoint a day when he would meet his
subjects, rich and poor, young and old, and should declare to them how
they may best please him; and a person should be appointed to read to
them, from a book he had himself written, directions for their conduct;
and that, as a reward for obedience, should promise they should be
admitted to his palace, where nothing that could trouble them should
ever be allowed to enter--"
2. "Why, mother," exclaimed Frank, "I should so admire to see a king,
that I should be willing to do everything he required; and should be
afraid, all the time, of doing something he did not like, while in his
presence. I should keep looking at him all the time, to see if he were
pleased;--but go on, mother."
3. "Well, my son, suppose this great person, who is also good, should
keep a book in which he noted down all your actions, and even looks;
and, on a certain day which he had appointed, and which was known to
himself, should call together a great multitude of people, his friends
and yours, and should read to them all that he had written there,--do
you think you would be careless or indifferent what was written against
your name?"
4. "O no, mother! I should be so anxious that I should want to hide
myself, for fear something should be read that I should be ashamed
of,--something very bad. But, mother, no king ever did this, that you
know of. If he did, pray tell me more about him; and if his subjects
were not all good and obedient."
5. "I have heard of a king, my son, who has done more than this; but not
an earthly king. Earthly kings are limited in their power; for they are
but men. But the king of whom I speak is the Lord of the whole earth."
6. "Do you mean God, mother?"--"I do, my son. You have told me how you
should behave in the presence of an earthly king on the day he should
appoint to meet his people; and would you treat with less reverence and
respect him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords?
7. "Can you, on entering his house, say, 'The Lord is in his holy
temple,' and feel no desire to meet him there; but allow any trifle that
meets your eye to carry your thoughts away? Do you, when his holy book
is read, feel no desire to hear the directions he has given to lead you
to your heavenly home?
8. "And when the petitions are sent up imploring his blessings, and
asking his forgiveness, have you none to offer? Are you so blest as to
have nothing to ask, and so good as to need no forgiveness?
9. "O my son, be careful how you neglect these gracious privileges! And
when his ministers, whom he has appointed to declare his will,--to
instruct you out of his word,--preach to you from the sacred pulpit,
will you turn a deaf ear, and lose their instructions, and at the same
time displease your heavenly Father?
10. "This great and powerful king is also your father and friend. He
loves you more than any earthly friend. He is willing to hear all your
petitions, and is even more ready to give than we are to ask. He has
appointed one day in seven in which to meet us, and this is the Sabbath,
about the keeping of which we are now talking.
11. "And he has also appointed a day in which he will judge the world,
from the book which he has kept of our accounts.
12. "On that day there will be assembled a great multitude, which no man
can number, out of every kindred and tongue; great and small, good and
bad. You and I will be there, my son.
13. "There will be the minister and his people, the Sunday-school
teacher and his scholars, all to receive either the sentence, 'Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world,' or, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting punishment.'"
14. Frank was moved by this representation of the consequences of his
neglect of the duties he owed his heavenly Father, and said, "O, how sad
it would be, how dreadful, if, on that day I should be sent to dwell
forever where God is not, and where you and father are not!"
15. "Dreadful, indeed, my son, would be such a separation; and when you
think of this, let it make you more earnest to serve and please God; for
Jesus Christ, who came upon earth once to die for us all, and will come
again to judge the earth, has gone to prepare mansions in heaven for
those who love him, that they may dwell with him forever in perfect
happiness.
16. "Let us now, my son, pray to our heavenly Father to prepare us for
this blessedness, that where he is, there we may be also." Frank and his
mother knelt together, and offered up the following prayer:--