AVERAGING THINGS WITH THE LORD.
A MAN who prided himself on his morality, and expected to be saved by it, was constantly saying, "I am doing pretty well on the whole. I sometimes get mad, and swear, but then I am perfectly honest. I work on the Sabbath when I am particularly busy; but I give a good deal to the poor, and I never was drunk in my life." This man hired a canny Scotchman to build a fence around his pasture lot. He gave him particular directions. In the evening, when the Scotchman came home from his work, the man said:— "Well, Jock, is the fence built, and is it tight and strong?" "I canna say it is all tight and strong, but it is a good average fence, anyhow. If some parts are a little weak, other parts are extra strong. I don't know but I left a little gap here and there a yard or so wide; but then I made up for it by doubling the rails on each side of the gap. I dare say the cattle will find it a good fence on the whole, and will like it, though I canna just say it is perfect in every part." "What!" cried the man, not seeing the point, "do you tell me that you built a fence around my lot with weak places and gaps in it? Why, you might as well have built no fence at all! If there is one opening, or a weak place where an opening can be made, the cattle will be sure to find it, and will go through. Don't you know, man, that a fence must be perfect or it is worthless?" "I used to think so," replied the Scotchman, "but I hear you talk so much about averaging matters with the Lord it seemed to me we might try it with the cattle. If an average fence will not do for them, I am afraid an average character will not do in the day of Judgment.— N. Y. Evangelist"