so did the present clergyman; so I, of course, felt rather offended
with the clergyman for speaking with zeal and feeling. However,
long before the sermon was over I forgot the offence which I had
taken, and listened to the sermon with much admiration, for the
eloquence and powerful reasoning with which it abounded.

Oh, how eloquent he was, when he talked of the inestimable value of
a man's soul, which he said endured for ever, whilst his body, as
every one knew, lasted at most for a very contemptible period of
time; and how forcibly he reasoned on the folly of a man, who, for
the sake of gaining the whole world--a thing, he said, which
provided he gained he could only possess for a part of the time,
during which his perishable body existed--should lose his soul,
that is, cause that precious deathless portion of him to suffer
indescribable misery time without end.

There was one part of his sermon which struck me in a very
particular manner: he said, "That there were some people who
gained something in return for their souls; if they did not get the
whole world, they got a part of it--lands, wealth, honour, or
renown; mere trifles, he allowed, in comparison with the value of a
man's soul, which is destined either to enjoy delight, or suffer
tribulation time without end; but which, in the eyes of the
worldly, had a certain value, and which afforded a certain pleasure
and satisfaction. But there were also others who lost their souls,
and got nothing for them--neither lands, wealth, renown, nor
consideration, who were poor outcasts, and despised by everybody.
My friends," he added, "if the man is a fool who barters his soul
for the whole world, what a fool he must be who barters his soul
for nothing."