test, but though the gold of faith, the basis of religion, is fast dwindling away, scarce a single voice is raised in opposition. The lack of currency causes a widespread panic, but a falling off in the currency of good deeds — deeds of mercy and charity — though never more general or more direful, causes no concern to any but the starving poor. Men make wry faces at the files of bills that come in month after month and they strain every nerve to make ends meet, but they never reflect what would happen were God to hand down to each of us a monthly report, showing how much He paid out to us day by day and how little — the nothing — the worse than nothing — we did for Him in return! The debit and credit column of day-book and ledger are carefully told up and squared day by day and month by month and year by year, — but how hopelessly do the same men neglect their spiritual accounts — how recklessly do they rush into spiritual bankruptcy — and what a sorry tangle their accounts will present on the great reckoning day! Again, cholera or smallpox threatens the country and we move heaven and earth to keep it off; our children are sick, we send for the doctor and give medicine; a friend dies, we lift up our voice and weep; but the cholera of sin runs riot among us, and we let it pass quarantine, forgetting an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; we dose our children's souls with the poison of bad example, and when our nearest and dearest dies by mortal sin, we shed never a tear. We take care to have our property and lives safely insured, but when
