tures," was the confident answer. "'How hardly shall
they who have riches enter the kingdom of heaven.'"

"You believe, then, that the mere fact of possessing riches will keep a
man out of heaven?"

"No; I wouldn't just like to say that. But, riches harden the heart, and
make men unfit for heaven."

"I doubt if riches harden the heart more than poverty," was replied.

"How can you say so?" was warmly objected. "Isn't the promise everywhere
to the poor? To whom was the gospel sent?"

"The rich and poor spoken of in the word of God," said the friend, "do
not, it is plain, mean simply those in the world who possess natural
riches, or who are in natural poverty. Remember, that the Bible is a
revelation of heavenly truth, for man's eternal salvation; and that its
teachings must have primary regard to what is spiritual, and refer to
man's internal state rather than to his mere worldly condition.
Remember, that the Lord, while on earth, said, _Blessed are the poor in
spirit_, (not the poor in this world's goods,) _for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven_. And we may, without violence to even the letter of
the word, conclude that when He speaks of its being hard for the rich to
enter the kingdom of heaven, that only the proud in spirit, those who
rested self-confident on the riches of their worldly and natural wisdom,
were meant. That it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of
a needle than for such rich men to enter heaven, is plain from our
Lord's words when he set a child in the midst of his disciples, and told
them that, unless they became as that little child, they could not enter
the kingdom of heaven. Not externally and naturally as that child, for
that was impossible; but poor in spirit, teachable, and innocent as a
child."

The first speaker, whose name was Maxwell, tossed his head, and slightly
curled his lip as he replied--

"I believe just what the Bible says. As for your forced meanings, I
never go to them. A plain matter-of-fact man, I understand what is
written in a plain, matter-of-fact way. The Bible says that they who
have riches shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven. And I can see how
true the saying is. As for Clinton, of whom I spoke just now, I repeat
that I wouldn't give much for his chance. It is well that there is a
just God in heaven, and that there will come a day of retribution. The
Diveses have their good things in this life; but our turn will come
afterwards. We sha'n't be alway