Produced by Charlene Taylor, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
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
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.