tting of the judge, nor the opening of the
books, nor the crowding of the millions, who stood before him. I
shall pass over the multitudes who were tried and condemned to
dungeons and chains, and eternal fire, and to perpetual banishment
from the presence of the king, which always seemed to be the saddest
part of the sentence. I shall only notice further, a few who brought
some plea of merit, and claimed a right to be rewarded by the king,
and even deceived themselves so far as to think that his own book of
laws would be their justification.

A thoughtless spendthrift advanced without any contrition, and said,
"that he had lived handsomely, and had hated the covetous whom God
abhorreth; that he trusted in the passage of the book which said,
that _covetousness was idolatry_; and that he therefore hoped for a
favorable sentence." Now it proved that this man had not only
avoided covetousness, but that he had even left his wife and
children in want through his excessive prodigality. The judge
therefore immediately pointed to that place in the book where it is
written, _he that provideth not for his household is worse than an
infidel. He that liveth in pleasure is dead while he liveth_;
"thou," said he, "_in thy lifetime, receivedst thy good things, and
now thou must be tormented_." Then a miser, whom hunger and hoarding
had worn to skin and bone, crept forward, and praised the sentence
passed on the extravagant youth, "and surely," said he, "since he is
condemned, I am a man that may make some plea to favor--I was never
idle or drunk, I kept my body in subjection, I have been so
self-denying that I am certainly a saint: I have loved neither
father nor mother, nor wife nor children, to excess, in all this I
have obeyed the book of the law." Then the judge said, "But where
are thy works of mercy and thy labors of love? see that family which
perished in thy sight last hard winter while thy barns were
overflowing; that poor family were my representatives; yet they were
hungry, and thou gavest them no meat. _Go to, now, thou rich man,
weep and howl for the miseries that are come upon you. Your gold and
silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against
you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire._"

Then came up one with a most self-sufficient air. He walked up
boldly, having in one hand the plan of a hospital which he had
built, and in the other the drawing of the statue which was erecting
for him in the c