so, let me advise you to learn these verses by heart immediately for it will be a great help to you in understanding their meaning, to have them always fresh in your mind.

In addressing you, I shall take it for granted that you know the name of your Creator, your Saviour, and your Sanctifier; that you have learned the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer; and that you know that you have three great enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, who are always striving to hinder your progress towards heaven. Most children have learned these things at home from their parents, or at school from their teachers, or on a Sunday from their spiritual pastors; but those who watch for your souls are very anxious that you should know more and more of the true meaning and spirit of religion, and that, like Samuel and our Blessed Saviour, you should increase in wisdom and knowledge as you daily increase in stature. You must not suppose that the study of religion is too serious for your years: this thought comes from Satan, and is one of his great deceits. He was a liar from the beginning, and is still a

liar. He often says to you, "It will be time enough to think of religion when you are old; play and amusement only are suited to your age; you may perhaps live many years; when sickness and death draw near, you can then prepare for eternity."

The world and the flesh give you also the same lesson. But you must pay no regard to what they say. You must stop your ears to their false suggestions: for they would lead you into utter destruction.

But what does the Word of God teach you? A lesson which I hope you will mark, learn, and inwardly digest. Our Saviour says,

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. (Mark x. 14.) And on many

accounts none are so well fitted to come to him as children and young people. Hearken to me diligently while I explain to you how this is. You are fresh out of your Creator's hands, and it is common for people to be most thankful for blessings they have just received.

Life and health and rosy childhood, cheerfulness and gaiety, have been just bestowed

upon you. A thousand new delights are daily opening upon you. The sunshine, the green fields, the violet-bank, the butterfly with silken wings, all these please you, and are all the gifts of God. These and a thousand other pleasures have only lately opened upon you, as you gradually sprung from your nurses' arms into the freedom and activity of childhood. Every thing you want also for the support of your bodies is abundantly provided for you

"All without your care and payment,

All your wants are well supplied."

Who then should praise God, if not those who are so highly blessed?

My young ones, will you, who are the latest works of God-who are rejoicing daily in the abundance of his gifts-will you be the last to bless the Giver. Suppose I were to offer to any child among you, a basket of very choice fruit, and that child were to take the fruit, and in taking it say, "I will accept your fruit and enjoy it, but I will not thank you for giving it:" would you not all cry shame upon such a child for his ingratitude? But you are doing the very same thing, if you

accept the blessings of childhood, and refuse to thank your God. A pious child is lovely in the eyes of angels and men; but an unthankful, worldly-minded child is disgusting and unnatural. If you have been hitherto unthankful, humble yourselves before God for your great sin.

I hope, my dear young ones, I have made it appear that it is particularly fitting that you should love and delight in your God. And I hope, then, that I shall have not much trouble in persuading you to try to understand those remarkable and beautiful verses with which our Saviour began his discourse, and which, by little and little, I mean to explain to you.

And seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. v. 1-3.)

Before I begin my promised explanation, we will unite in praying that you may be of the number of his disciples who will come to him, to hear the words of eternal life ex

plained to you. Remember, that if you sit at his feet as hearers in this life, the day will come when you shall sit on his throne to reign with him for ever.

In what I am now going to say, I shall first try to explain to you, who are meant by the poor in spirit; secondly, what is meant by the kingdom of heaven; I shall then shew you why our Saviour begins his discourse. with this beatitude; and, in the last place, I shall beg my beloved children to ask themselves some questions which will be suitable to the subject we shall have been considering.

First: It is necessary that babes should be fed with milk; and therefore a very plain and simple explanation of this subject must be given you now. Hereafter, if you grow in grace and wisdom while you are young, you will be able to understand the commentaries of the wise and learned.

By the poor in spirit are meant those men and women, and those children, who think meanly of themselves. I might perhaps bet ter say, they are those persons who think truly of themselves. A child who is poor in