curtain. In an instant he was on his
guard, for by that sound he knew that, notwithstanding their promise,
a record was being taken of what he said.

Silently and unseen by us the angel secretaries are taking a faithful
record of our words and actions, and even of our thoughts. Do we
realize this? and a more solemn question is, What is the record they
are making?

Not long ago I read of a strange list. It was an exact catalogue of
the crimes committed by a man who was at last executed in Norfolk
Island, with the various punishments he had received for his different
offenses. It was written out in small hand by the chaplain, and was
nearly three yards long.

What a sickening catalogue to be crowded into one brief life. Yet this
man was once an innocent child. A mother no doubt bent lovingly over
him, a father perhaps looked upon him in pride and joy, and
imagination saw him rise to manhood honored and trusted by his
fellow-men. But the boy chose the path of evil and wrong-doing
regardless of the record he was making, and finally committed an act,
the penalty for which was death, and he perished miserably upon the
scaffold.

Dear readers, most of you are young, and your record is but just
commenced. Oh, be warned in time, and seek to have a list of which you
will not be ashamed when scanned by Jehovah, angels, and men. Speak
none but kind, loving words, have your thoughts and aspirations pure
and noble, crowd into your life all the _good_ deeds you can, and thus
crowd out _evil_ ones.

We should not forget that an account-book is kept by God, in which all
the events of our lives are recorded, and that even every thought will
be brought before us at the day of judgment. In that day God will
judge the secrets of men: he will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart.

There is another book spoken of in the Bible. The book of life, and it
is said that no one can enter heaven whose name is not written in the
Lamb's book of life.

Angels are now weighing moral worth. The record will soon close,
either by death or the decree, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust
still, and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is
righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be
holy still." We have but one short, preparing hour in which to redeem
the past and get ready for the future. Our life record will soon be
examined. What shall it be!