Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Honesty -- Juvenile fiction; Sin -- Juvenile fiction
DEAN’s
Illustrated Farthing Books.
THE
TWO KINDS OF FEAR.
[Illustration]
LONDON: DEAN & SON,
11, Ludgate Hill. 44
THE TWO KINDS OF FEAR.
[Illustration]
What keeps back some wicked people from many evil things they would wish
to do? They are afraid of _being punished_.
What keeps good children, the children of God, from doing what they know
is sinful? They are afraid of _sin_.
There is a great difference, my dear children, between these two kinds
of fear--the fear of punishment, and the fear of sin. The first will
only keep a child from some sins, at some times; and if he often escapes
being found out, he will lose it almost altogether. But the fear of sin
itself, because God forbids it, will keep a child from any sin, and will
be felt more powerfully as he grows up in grace.
I will tell you a little story on this subject, which happened a good
many years ago, and may help you to understand what I mean.
Robert Wright was the son of a rich gentleman. He was a clever boy,
quick at his lessons, had been well taught, and knew well what was right
and wrong; but he had not learned to love and fear God. One morning, his
mother said, “Robert, to-morrow will be the first Sunday of the month.
Here is a shilling for you to put into the missionary box.” Robert put
it into his pocket, and often looked at it through the day and felt if
it were safe. On his way home to dinner, he passed a
[Illustration]
shop where a variety of tarts and cakes were in the window. He stopped
to look, and then thought how he would like to have some. He felt if he
had a penny to buy one tart. No; but there was the shilling, and the
thought came into his mind, how much that would buy! “But would it be
right to use it? No; and if papa found it out, I should be severely
punished?” He was just going to turn away, when he thought again, “Why
be afraid of being punished? How can papa and mamma ever know?” He
stayed and looked a little longer, then ran into the shop, filled his
pockets with good things, gave the shilling, and went away.
I cannot say that he had much pleasure in eating them, after all; for
his conscience told him that he had done a great sin; and next day, when
he saw the missionary-box, he felt unhappy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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