THE Lady of the Manor. BEING A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF CONFIRMATION. Intended for the Use of the Middle and Higher Ranks of YOUNG FEMALES. BY MRS. SHERWOOD, WITH 740 303 Author of "LITTLE HENRY AND HIS BEARER," VOLUME IV. Wellington, Salop: PRINTED BY AND FOR F. HOULSTON AND SON. And sold at their Warehouse, 65, Paternoster-Row, London. THE LADY OF THE MANOR, &c. CHAPTER XVIII. Sixth Commandment.-Thou shalt do no Murder. THE lady of the manor, finding herself again surrounded by her young people, asked one of them to repeat the sixth commandment, viz. "Thou shalt do no murder," which was to furnish the subject for conversation during the evening. "I remember the time, and indeed it is not a very distant one," remarked one of the young ladies, "when I should have said, 'Here at least I am guiltless; here at least I am safe: I never committed murder, that is very certain." "And would you not venture to assert as much now, my dear Miss Emmeline?" said the lady of the manor, smiling. The young lady shook her head, and replied, "No, no; I have already been brought in guilty in every conversation, and now I dare not plead innocence on any occasion." "Until we are made sensible of the spirituality and extent of the law of God, my dear young people," remarked their excellent instructress, 66 we may possibly buoy ourselves up with the idea that we have duly observed some parts of it; but those persons who have enlarged views on this subject cannot possibly deceive themselves in this manner. Hence the importance of studying the law, and regarding it as our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ: for when any individual is convinced that he is condemned on every side by the law, he sees himself compelled to fly for safety to the Gospel. "But, to leave the law in general, and to recur to that particular part of it now chosen for our consideration, let us meditate upon these words, viz. 'Thou shalt do no murder; and endeavour thoroughly to comprehend the nature of that thing from which we are here commanded to abstain. "Thou shalt do no murder:' that is, Thou shalt not cause or countenance the death of any fellow-creature. The question then is, What is this death which we are forbidden to inflict? "In reply, I remark, that, as man partakes of a twofold nature, so that by which alone he can be wholly destroyed must also be of a two-fold nature. The first death is, therefore, two-fold, namely, temporal and spiritual; besides which there is a second death, that takes place when the first death is completed." The lady then proceeded to describe the several parts and natures of the first and second death, and spoke to this effect "Temporal Death is the separation of the soul from the body. "Spiritual Death is the separation of soul and body from God's favour in this life, which is the natural state of all unregenerate persons, who are all destitute of the quickening powers of grace. "Eternal Death (called the second death) consists in the everlasting separation of the whole man from God. "And as the first death is two-fold," continued the lady of the manor, "and is followed by a second death; so also is the first life two-fold, consisting of the natural and spiritual life, and these are succeeded by that which is eternal. Adam, by his disobedience, made his children liable to death in all its forms; and Christ, by his obedience, abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light. (2 Tim. i. 10.) All living creatures on earth are subject to temporal death; all unregenerate persons are under the dominion of spiritual death; and all men who die un |