down on the little bench, and bade John and James stand before him. I shall now repeat what Marten said to them. Marten. Do you remember, John, what I told you last Sunday about God! us. John. Yes: you told us, that God made Marten. And what else did I tell you, James? James. You told us, sir, that God lives above the sky, in a beautiful place called heaven; and that God is very good; and that we must love him very much. Marten. You have remembered very well. Now you can answer the questions which I asked you last Sunday, I have got some new ones to ask you. Is it day or night when the sun shines? John. Day. Marten. And what is it when the sun does not shine? James. Night, sir. Marten. Can you see when it is night? John. No. Marten. When the pleasant sun is set, and the dark night comes, and you lie down to sleep, God watches over you just as your mother used to watch over you when you were little babies, and slept in a cradle. If God did not take care of you when you are asleep, you could not live till morning. Do you think you can take care of yourselves when you are asleep? James. No, sir. Marten. Then all good little children should kneel down and ask God to take care of them before they go to sleep. Do you say your prayers every night? John and James. Yes, sir. Marten. But do you say your prayers in a morning too? James. Yes, sir. Marten. And do you say yours, John? Marten. It is very naughty not to say our prayers in a morning. Who did I tell you it is that takes care of us in the night? John. God takes care of us. Marten. And should not you thank God for watching over you all night, when you are asleep? John. Yes. Marten. You know that you cannot take care of yourselves in the night, because it is dark, and you cannot see; but it is quite as true, that you cannot take care of yourselves in the day, though it is light, and the sun shines. If God was not to take care of you in the day, you could not live any more than you could live in the night without his care. Besides, God sends us all the good things we have; he is always doing us good: he sends us our breakfast, and dinner, and our supper, and our houses, and our warm clothes, and our beds, and our kind parents. So every morning, as soon as we wake, we ought to kneel down and thank God for having taken care of us all night, and then we ought to ask him to take care of us, and give us every thing that is good for us all day. Now, can you tell me why we should say our prayers in the morning? John. I don't know. James. Because God has taken care of us. all night. Marten. Yes, we should thank God for having taken care of us all night. And what should we ask God to do for us all day? James. We should ask God to take care of us still. Marten. Why should we ask God to take care of us? James. Because we cannot take care of ourselves. Marten. And what should we ask God to give us all day? James. Our breakfast, and dinner, and supper. Marten. Yes, we should ask God to give us every thing we want. Marten then commended James for answering so well, and he tried to make John answer the questions again; and afterwards he made them both repeat the eighth verse of the fourth Psalm five times after him: and when they had finished repeating it, it was time for them to go home. B 2 CHAPTER III "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus."-2 Tim. iii. 15. THE next Sunday morning, when James Dainty was dressed, and was sitting at the door of his parents' clean house eating his breakfast, his father, who was dressed ready for church in his Sunday coat and clean blue woollen stockings, drew his chair beside the child; and he reached down a large Bible, which had been given him by his mother, and in which all his children's ages and names were written, and laying the book slowly upon his knees, "My little lad," said he, "what book is this?" "Why, father,” answered the child, "is it not your great Bible, which grandmother gave you?" |