Adventures and adventurers > Voyages and travels of a Bible

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iLord cometh as a thief in the night.’ Then I turned to the
young people, and said, ‘ Remember your Creator in the days
of your youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years
draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.’
One morning, when the family were contriving new schemes
for acquiring wealth, 1 was hastily taken into the midst of
ithem by their youngest child, which afforded me an opportu¬
nity of saying one word, which was this:—‘ What shall it
iprotit a man though he gain the whole world, if he lose his
iown soul V The saying was seasonable, and caused great
silence for a few minutes ; after which, the lady observed, that
imy question was very important, and that she had often heard
her old grandmother converse on such things when she was a
child ; but after she was introduced into the gay circles, she
i had forgotten the many good things which she had been told
;by her worthy grandmother. ‘ Then,’ said I, ‘ hearken to me
mow, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Search me
i lor wisdom as for hidden treasures ; for he that findeth this,
ulindeth life.’ ‘ Well,’ said she, ‘ I will ; but I have not lei¬
sure at present; however, at some future period I will send
ifor thee.’ ‘ But now,’ said I, ‘ is the appointed time, now is
the day of salvation ; and we know not what a change a
single day or an hour may produce respecting us.’
•She now drew me nearer to her, and requested me to re¬
late the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus the ruler
IS of the Jews ; with which request I readily complied. When
I repeated the objection which the ruler started against the
doctrine of regeneration, she said, ‘ That is very remarkable,
i for the same ob> otion occurred to me.’ She could not con-
ti ceivc what the Lord meant by calling regeneration an earthly
|» doctrine, till an old Christian sailor happened to touch at
(the island, and having heard of his piety, she sent for him,
and proposed the question : 1 In what sense is this an earthly
fl doctrine ?’ ‘ 0 ! madam,’ said he, ‘ the necessity of having
!our natures changed before we can relish the things of Cod,
or In; tit for the heavenly world, quite accords with things
with which we are familiar on earth. For example; before a
lion could lie down peaceably on your dining-room carpet,
its ferocity must be removed, and a milder temper communi¬
cated to it; before a fish could live out of water, and a beast
in it, their natures must be changed.’ 1 Oh !’ said she,
‘ tliauk you, 1 understand now.’
But to proceed with iny narration of our first interview.
I mentioned all that Jesus stated to the Jewish ruler. 1 then
related the history of the hrasam serpent, to which the Lord *
referred his discourse. What 1 said seemed like a nail fas-
tenod in a sure place by the great Master of assembles. Bhe