ou are allowed to be, I can not, sir, think without pain
of your losing the reward of such valuable qualities, by your placing
your hope of eternal happiness in the exercise of them. Believe me, Mr.
Flam, it is easier for a compassionate man, if he be not religious, to
'give all his goods to the poor,' than to bring every thought, 'nay than
to bring _any_ thought' into captivity to the obedience of Christ! But
be assured, if we give ever so much with our hands, while we withhold
our hearts from God, though we may do much good to others, we do none to
ourselves."

"Why surely," said Mr. Flam, "you don't mean to insinuate that I should
be in a safer state if I never did a kind thing?"

"Quite the contrary," replied Dr. Barlow, "but I could wish to see your
good actions exalted, by springing from a higher principle, I mean the
love of God; ennobled by being practiced to a higher end, and purified
by your renouncing all self-complacency in the performance."

"But is there not less danger, sir," said Mr. Flam, "in being somewhat
proud of what one really _does_, than in doing nothing? And is it not
more excusable to be a little satisfied with what one really _is_, than
in hypocritically pretending to be what one is _not_?"

"I must repeat," returned Dr. Barlow, "that I can not exactly decide on
the question of relative enormity between two opposite sins. I can not
pronounce which is the best of two states so very bad."

"Why now, Doctor," said Mr. Flam, "what particular sin can you charge me
with?"

"I erect not myself into an accuser," replied Dr. Barlow; "but permit me
to ask you, sir, from what motive is it that you avoid any wrong
practice? Is there any one sin from which you abstain through the fear
of offending your Maker?"

"As to that," replied Mr. Flam, "I can't say I ever considered about the
motive of the thing. I thought it was quite enough not to do it. Well
but, Doctor, since we are gone so far in the catechism, what duty to my
neighbor can you convict me of omitting?"

"It will be well, sir," said the Doctor, "if you can indeed stand so
close a scrutiny, as that to which you challenge me, even on your own
principles. But tell me, with that frank honesty which marks your
character, does your kindness to your neighbor spring from the true
fountain, the love of God? That you do many right things I am most
willing to allow. But do you perform them from a sense of obedience to
the law of your Maker? Do you