Repentance Pays No Debts

A Lady in the vicinity of R, being visited with a violent disorder, was under the necessity of calling medical assistance. Her physician was very latitndinarian in his notions, and endeavoured to persuade his patient to adopt his creed as well as take his medicine. He insisted with much dogmatism that repentance and reformation were all that either God or man could justly demand, and denied the life or necessity of an atonement by the sufferings of the Son of God. The lady had not so learned Christ; she adopted his prescriptions, but rejected his creed.

On her recovery she invited the doctor to tea, and requested him to make out his bill. The tea-table being removed, she observed, "My long illness has occasioned you many journeys, and I suppose you have procured my medicines at considerable expense."

The doctor replied that "good drugs were expensive."

Upon this she observed, "I am extremely sorry that I have put you to so much trouble and expense, and also promise that on any future illness I will never trouble you again. So you see I both repent and reform, and that is all you require."

The doctor shrugged his shoulders, and remarked, "That will not do for me!" "Repentance pays no debts."— Family Visitor.