“My friends,” said he, “these words were spoken by Jesus one day when the chief priests and elders, who were the types of the clergymen and formal religious people of our day, questioned Him about His works and His authority.  They had a mass of tradition and doctrine by which they were justified in their own eyes, and the presence, the works, the teachings and the daily life of Jesus were a thorn in their flesh.  It annoyed them so that they crucified Him in order to be rid of His purer influence.  We, who know more of Him than they, have been continually crucifying our Lord afresh by paying too much attention to the letter and ignoring the spirit.  ’These things should ye have done, and not left the others undone.’  I say these words not by way of blame, but of warning.  Heaven forbid that I ever shall need to repeat them!”

As the congregation looked about at one and another whom the cap might fit, everybody chanced to see Deacon Quickset arise.

“My friends,” said the deacon, “I’m one of the very kind of people Jesus meant when He said the words that our pastor took for his text to-night; and, for fear that some one mayn’t know it, I arise to own up to it myself.  Nobody’s stood up for the letter of the law and the plan of salvation stronger than I, and nobody has taken more pains to dodge the spirit of it.  The scales have fallen from my eyes lately, but I suppose all of you have been seeing me as I am for a long, long time, and you’ve known me for the hypocrite that I now can see I’ve always been.  I’ve done a good many things that I oughtn’t to have done.  I’ve told half-truths that were worse than lies.  I’ve ‘devoured widows’ houses, and for a pretence made long prayers,’ as the gospel says.  But the worst thing I’ve done, and the thing I feel most sinful about, is that when an unfortunate fellow-citizen of ours came back to this town and tried to live a right life I did all I could to discourage him and make him just like myself.  I want right here, encompassed about by a mighty cloud of witnesses, to confess that I’ve done that man an awful wrong, and I’m sorry for it.  I’ve prayed to God to forgive me; but I’m not going to stop at that.  Right here before you all I want to ask that man himself to forgive me, as I’ve asked him in private.  I’m not going to stop at that, either.  That man’s life has opened my eyes, in spite of myself, to all the faults of my own; and I want to show my sincerity by promising, before you all, that I am that man’s brother from this time forth until I die, and that whatever is mine is his whenever and however he wants it.”

The deacon sat down.  There was an instant of silence, and then a sensation, as every one began to look about for the ex-convict.

“If Brother Kimper feels inclined to make any remarks,” said Dr. Guide, “I am sure every one present would be glad to listen to him.”