hen walking through the streets of London, have you not sometimes met a party of strangers, and felt sure that they belonged to another land, because they spoke not the English tongue? Had you listened to them, you would not have understood them; they conversed in the language of their own country. My young friend, what language do you speak? If I knew but that, I should soon guess to what country you belong.
Perhaps you answer, “I am English. I know no language but my own.” True, in one sense you are English, and you may[94] thank God for it! You were born in England, and here may spend all the years or days of your mortal life. But your real country is in another world, where you will live for ever! Thousands and millions of years may pass, but you will be still remaining in the country which you have chosen. So, again I ask, What language do you speak? To what country do you belong?
 
FOREIGNERS.
 
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The one is a bright and glorious place, where sorrow and pain are unknown. Its citizens are angels and redeemed saints, who, with shining crowns and harps of gold, rejoice before the throne of God. The language which they speak is truth.
The other country is too terrible to describe. Happiness never enters there, but pain, grief, and remorse abide for ever! Its inhabitants are the tempter and his evil ones—hardened sinners who would not repent, who chose the broad way that leadeth to destruction. And what is the language which its citizens have learned? The language of Satan is falsehood.
O my dear young reader, with anxious love would I once more repeat my question—let your heart answer it—What language do you speak—to what country do you belong?
Yet, mistake me not. There are some whose lips were never stained with falsehood, who yet cannot be counted among the citizens of heaven. The proud, the self-righteous, who trust to their own merits, who love not the Saviour who suffered for[96] all,—these may have learned the language of truth, even as foreigners may learn the tongue of our land; but they belong not to the country of holiness and joy.
And others there are who have fallen into sin, whom the “father of lies” has tempted and deceived; yet God’s mercy may prepare a heavenly home even for them, if, believing and repenting, they turn to the truth. Thus, St. Peter thrice uttered a terrible falsehood, but repented with bitter tears, and, through the atoning blood of his Lord, was received into heaven a glorious martyr.
But oh, dread a falsehood as you would dread a serpent; it leaves a stain and a sting behind. If you have ever been led into this deadly sin, implore for pardon, like St. Peter. Like St. Peter, when next placed in temptation, speak the truth firmly, faithfully, fearlessly; for truth is the language of heaven.
There are four chief causes which lead to the guilt of lying—folly, covetousness, malice, and fear. Examine your own life, and see if any one of these has ever tempted you to utter a falsehood.
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It was folly which made Richard tell a traveller the wrong road when asked the way to the next village. He thought little of the sin of his lie—it seemed to him but an excellent jest; but the jest cost a neighbour his life! The stranger was a doctor, travelling in haste to attend a patient who had been taken with a fit. Richard’s falsehood made the medical man lose half an hour, when every minute was precious. Oh, what anxious hearts awaited his arrival! But he came too late; he found the sufferer at the point of death, with his desolate family weeping around him!
It was covetousness which made Sally declare that her fruit had only been gathered that morning, when she knew it to be the refuse of yesterday’s market. Did she forget that God’s eye was upon her—that her words could not pass unnoticed by him—that she would have to answer for them at the day of ............