i^TTJib r' r'i?C 
 
VIE .^^.J^ 
 
 PRICEOF ASOUL."^;'^*^ 
 
 TuLRE is a buyer in tlic markets of thn vcfrl'; 
 wlioie. rs;jn.ie is iiC^er in tlJe.J:e^^.Bpapc^s, t.w^ 
 \ liose bi'is arc Dcvcr in xho pricO£;-curreiit. — •;, ^ 
 -'cvcitheless, hi^ bv^inces ib yri^leiy extecded,'''" 
 . :]d carried on, y,h]i ctVi^eloFb aelivit^^ . Ho cbai- 
 ■iiYA in tUcA^ipcn street. He v.'alks bo]dly vtpon 
 ' C'ijange.". He p-lidcr* into ilie cJimiiei^s of the 
 t'oiintiri<^-}ionHe. ilc fi'cps into .t}ie workshop. 
 He goes out upon the i":i Ml). He 18 most Bt?e- 
 cossf'ul at iiic theatre, the ti'.vem. i' 
 luiil the r-.lir<5oiu. lie hlx.he bvj . 
 
 He '.as V.J I ious prices lu Ins < 
 H« bo!>gUt one ami hir timiy p 
 I'f. i :,- i-auuht s* me ior U> .s. "kutiui-.t 
 j^;n«4^ — lor heaUvS cK' iiold, to shirrs an^^U 
 nicii's c\ei. or lor i'amo j'.u'i j.;i»;ilty piv.^cuve^, 
 lu)V m;i!iy l;ave bartevod iv,:iy their nirtiiortul. 
 spirits? 
 
 Here is tho. hi-^tcry. ot oi, i oxrhr-n'^e • of tliis 
 kir.(i. S(;rno ycard since. tiie.,\vi ijcr s.it in ihe 
 )nid^^t of a laru-o. coiiore::aM -^n, aaijieied mi a 
 cl\rnch io o.io rf rJ c easteri! (30Mnties ol t'enn- 
 sylvi'.nia. It \Aa> the nr;d<l!e of the week, but 
 
T--/- ^ i :••; itf Ged wd'ri Upon tlic Iienvts of tae 
 ] lii/ 'e. >i\id ihi'.y s;jn;(i willingly to tlie house ot* 
 r.o.J It. was a isolc'im place. Wil.iiout tho walL=? 
 lm' ;':3 cliMieli rho['<;; wMVrd "H anriimt tbrest, 
 
 n;;t|/ - \ :. , ^i;- •'■:-:■ :'" ^'U uJiheis sl.cpt. — 
 '\i'^; ■ . / ^' . • - •■ ■•• ■rkhuj, i:; a l\T;:n- 
 
 '.tV^: ' ■ ' \ ■ :■■ ■: "••t 'oi tlu) 
 
 :,.-.r " . . ' -.• :. - ■ M-hi' i;f tho 
 
 -:,. : ^^.';. :■, :•■.,:• .:-' ^ .:.-.. ^] .:•■] L::s appeal 
 
 ,\i'cv/ years ai^o, there was livjBp; id cne of 
 ;-^■^.i |aru-o clticr, ;i yo a ■»;;•. lady who was tae (Uugii- 
 rer of weuUliy nxA .worldly ptirea'hi. VAm was' 
 towl of the g^j plc-isaru8' of tha oity, ami plu.ng- 
 iil into them Vitfi the- ea^pjcrnoFS of youtli Hor 
 
 r.;> live higbesfe circio.^ of fishion^ and ther;?. bIioI 
 lived aud movtid an 1 triuod as ihoagh tiicr^ 
 were no other W(rii, 
 
 \Yhli(^iiii3 ilviftjx ^^ plc'u-iure &ko was invucil 
 on. 3 evemng, by a h-ien^i, to accusruuy her ta 
 th.3 weekly prayer mcetia^ m a ciiur< h of tiio 
 .miy. There -it pleased God to visit her ■vFJt'a 
 \,h-'. infiaeocc3 of bin Spirit. She was coiivinc- 
 t;d of sin,an'!^ •--='-"•;-;' ^ober home in Ji-i- ^or, 
 row. Her bcavis^e^s of Bpir t. wiis Mocii 
 
THE FLCWei^r. COUKTION 
 
 nation lest thcii- beautifuj tlaiipLtcr should l<-iv« 
 the "world of i"a*>hioD for tV.c sorrico oi' («c<i. — 
 3hey l;c:;iouj;l.t her nvA coiMnjaiided l.c'r u, jr-- 
 turn to l)iC circles n.» vliir-h hhe ha •] iVri;>('riy 
 fchotic, Tlu y >!i?vuurid(id lirr with 'p\\ iric»)rts. 
 Yot. fclie was Hf.sil MrifiLeii in hoavt, aini )x"1hs(;<.i 
 to he eumforted. ' At k^t 1»hcy succccfic] iu 
 l)ribli<!;r her loaftcod i> Inrgf; j>artv of I'lt^^^ine, 
 'by the iril't. of the richest dn^i^ whicli c<mUl ho 
 ]Hir(r]);ved in the ciiy. ISho vehiclantly coriscii- 
 tod to their iccjiKj^t, went, fo the festivj-j, yn<i^ 
 returned without or;e truce of herreiigivxij; cmo- 
 •tiong. . ' . 
 
 Id a few weeks aTfer, that (hiushtcr ^vas ly 
 ing at the point of dcatii. Skillful ])h3.s.riau.s 
 were around h^r, hut tliey couM only tell her 
 lU^fi^ayed parents thyt "tliere was no hope/' — 
 When" this opinio'n was njade known to the dy- 
 ing f^iri, she by i'or a iew nj mutes in perfect 
 silenee, Thcrj ronsinjr lierscli' slie ordered a 
 servant to bring her that dress, and hang it up- 
 on the post of her bed. f^he then sent for her 
 father and niofber. In a few monif^nH tliey 
 stood weepinu by her ,Mide Hhe looked upon 
 each of theja f«v a t"i)te ; then lifting up her 
 hand, and i)o;niir.i2 to the dress, said to each of 
 them di,siinct!y. and with the "teirible cahr-iies;^ 
 
V-^ 
 
 of dcf^pair, '■^ Falh^'r, mof/i.^'r. flif^rr is the price of *■ 
 my souL" In a lew honm she knew the full 
 value of that which she liad lost. There are 
 jle?sons tau<;'ht by this mournful ytory. to whioli 
 we doweil if wo take heed. 
 
 1. It warns us against the terrible sin of (ani- 
 pet'ing with the wul that ^.v under (he inftncncc of 
 the Spirit of God. Some men do this delib- 
 erately, and of purpose. They strive to defeat 
 the merciful pu'-poses of the Holy Ghost. They 
 sneer at the wholesome fears of the sinner, as 
 i,hb imaginary troubles of a coward. Partaking 
 of the malicious craft of tlio devil their master, 
 they,per}>lex the inquirer with sophivms, and 
 thus lill his mind with doubts ; or they hire 
 him back to the world, by cunning temptations 
 to open sin. Like some men of our Saviour's 
 day, they neither go into the kingdom them- 
 se(ves, nor' do they suffer those who are enter- 
 ing-to go in. Surely v»'hen such n;en arc con- 
 demned by God, all others must say Amen^ and 
 acknowledge that t^ieir ''damnation is just." 
 
 It is to be hoped, however, tliat the large 
 majority of the men .who arc educated under 
 the light of the gospel, would not commit this 
 sin intentionally, and of '"malice aforethought." 
 Even when careless concerning their own souls. 
 
and willing to barter Ihcm away for that winch 
 is vanity aud a cheat, they would nob choose to 
 occupy the place of the parents in the ibreizoiog 
 narrative. They do not cyvet, they rather 
 shrink from the agony those parents must ha<^c 
 felt, \vhen they looked upon their dying child. 
 They do not wish to ^o to the judtrment with 
 the stain of another's blood upon their garnQcni.s. 
 They would n»»t v:illingly increaiie tlie difilic'ul- 
 tics of the struggling soul. 
 
 Yet are th-ey, in eflect, upon the side of the 
 avow^id and pious opposers of God's Spirit. If 
 not for Christ, they are against him. If not 
 co-wcwkes with God, they are co-workers with 
 Satan. Their exam})Ie aiid their inftuence cju 
 have but one result. They can lead men only 
 in the way they walk themselves, and th.eir path- 
 way leads directly to the pit. l^et all such hear 
 this warning, and beware how they set thcm- 
 gelves against the Holy Spirit*. 
 
 2. We are warned against th(* sin of ^ivic.v'.D'j 
 the Jlo^i/ Ghosf. This was the sin of the daugli- 
 ter. Her parents tempted, and she yielded - — 
 They offered and she accepted the seducing gift. 
 it is possi}»]c that the father and mother may 
 not have beeh aware of the greatness of their 
 sin. Tiicy may have done it "ignorantly, ia 
 
nubciiefV I^:-^ the ujiiii^htcr La-l a quicliencl 
 citRseionco. iL»he was under the infiucnoe of tlift 
 lioly (JliOHt. * Stie h:j.d evKivictujns of sin, and 
 solc'cm iuipressious of dutj. Tn diyiug what 
 tibo did; h\ui acted in d\rcct oppositicm to the. 
 suggcsfriou8 of coriselonec and of God's Spirit 
 She took the filial byiUe. and wcsk wiierc it wa-^. 
 hoped eoHeci'3nce iiii^ili? a<:^aia he staptdiedj aitvx 
 the Spirit hiinlshei from kcr hfiart 
 
 Can tlie hum m kouI cv^nnmt a. Tnore darlp. •' 
 trji7is:r!*essi0n, after itha^ been eiiiight'^vjed frob: 
 on hi;j-h, than volan?iariij to retijtrxi totbe world 
 and sin? Can there he a more presumptuous 
 oiTsncc, than delibcr.ilely to clo?-c the ojes, and 
 p^ ur; ire in h» fresh .trnih. ? Next to the j^ift of 
 h's Son, The gift of his Holy Spirit is the bfsfc 
 blessiiijLr God has to bestow npoT) .guilty man.-i-- 
 Is it not, the!i, the crowning sjcii of .'ill wicked- 
 ness, ka>wing!y ari:^ vvlli'uily to resist this Spir- 
 it? Arid if in'»n will re.^ist ?uch mercies, who 
 shall sa}^ aught agaiast the jri8tioe of the pun- 
 jahineni, when the desj;)igers ''wonder and per- 
 ish?^' 
 
 o. Ponder now, FoleniFily and deeply, a quos- 
 tioa whi'jli is addressed to yon \u allearnestaess 
 and sincerity: B<n)!> j/on. not /h{t (h^ Hrivings of 
 
Xfave you never eccn a Land vclnvli ''•'^ointcd to 
 ti;o ccioio;::: wruth ? "■ Have yovi Tjovcr hca-d :t 
 voice -ff-blch '*v;3rnciJ you IVum that wruta {•> 
 fl«!3?" Au.i did ycii not forj^et the?^© sMf-.iiu 
 ^^;irniiigs!:' .i'JRQ you ru;t looic Vai^k upoa ii 
 .s".a.:<ni, still v/ell rcn?eii)bcre<J,*tnd yif i.b!o yet (;i 
 I- • w.'u-?oeCi' n:i.s?ipent yca.r3~a. Fc;ibo:i ia whic?; 
 ,,: iiivportarcc of tliL^ worM ninKiibtlly dwin- 
 '!.-.d, vuul yfjur soul vvr.3 brou^fct r.nde? the potsr- 
 - of the world to Cv*Tr:c — when truth s'ood oi:^. 
 ■ 'ore yo'i in no c<(iiivocal light, and duty iay 
 ♦ /'ifore yen as clearly ns if traced by a ::;unbeoin :' 
 I'ia? rsofc tha law ct God di^stiac.My uttered ily> 
 tor.ribl-3 throatniiig? 1' Have not coavictiojis of. 
 sm darkened and disturbed all your thuHghts f 
 In the si!«5cc of the Di;:;ht, or ia the glaro and 
 hii?inc33 of fehe day, and even in tho Jbauntii oi' 
 y -^Qhy a;id crime,* b:;vc yMi not hoard poal af- 
 .'T peal from. Sinai, which made your soul trem- 
 ble and fear? | 
 
 If there has been such a season, what hag 
 been its result? What has been the eiFiCt or 
 that errticai period in your history? Pid it 
 Icc'Ve y;.i; j.exillealand humbie at the footoi tho 
 ^^•' ''' •'^ • ' ' it leave you with ahardor heart, 
 d con.^^ciencc, to awjtit ia indif- 
 
8 
 
 fbyorjcu i^^e judgments of Ali;;;^;^i;j Q^d? jf 
 thism ihc case, ponder one q'i.^s.iori m^-:^: the 
 Lipirifc, "vcu Lave jri'ii^vcU :■ '^ i ,^ 
 
 
 
 pui 
 
 BE-piiBL'^nKi« !'v riK T A. F., N. C. 
 
HoUinger Corp. 
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