stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."

Mary. And mine-" I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God..... And I will write upon him my new name." (Rev. iii. 12.)

Lily. And mine-" And they shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads." (Rev. xxii. 4.)

Mamma. Lily's text speaks of the name in heaven. There is a beautiful verse (Eph. iii. 14, 15), "Our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." You see the family is scattered now-part in heaven, part on earth-but still it is a united family-your dear little brother is still one of us-and it has one family name: all are named after our Lord Jesus Christ. Though I think other texts show each will have their own name besides, as it is said of the good shepherd, "He called his own sheep by name." (John x. 3.)

Papa. But now that the child is born into the family of grace, and named, there is another figure used in Scripture which may help us-Adoption, I mean.

Arthur. Is not adoption, Papa, to bring up another person's child as if it was your own?

Papa. Yes it is; and who remembers any adopted child in the Bible?

Mary. Moses, who "became the son of Pharaoh's daughter." (Exod. ii. 10.)

Mamma. And what is said of God's children being adopted? Lily, read Romans viii. 15. Lily reads. "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Arthur. And I find a reference in the margin there, Mamma, to Galatians iv. 6. "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

Mary. Mamma, how is it that in one verse it is said the Holy Spirit cries Abba, Father, and, in the other, that we cry ?

Mamma. Do you remember my teaching your little sister to call us by our name-how she looked to our lips, and listened to our voice, till she learnt to lisp it herself? And so the Holy Spirit seems to cry within us, “Abba, Father," till we get courage, and we repeat his words ourselves. Oh! that my children may always go to God as their Father, with every sorrow, and with every joy.

Papa. But there is also a family likeness. You know how often people have said Mary was like Arthur, and Arthur like Lily, and

all of

you

like us.

Now, there is one likeness, one image derived from Jesus running through the family of God. Who can find a text to prove it?

Arthur. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. iii. 18.)

Mary. And "Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestimate to be conformed to the image of his Son." (Rom. viii. 29.)

Papa. Very nice texts, my children. Man was created in the image of God—sin marred the image, and made it earthly-grace renews it. "And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we must also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Cor. xv. 49.) And which of you can prove that this likeness is not discovered by the world, but is known by Jesus?

Mary. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not." (1 John iii. 1.)

Lily. Yet Jesus knows them, for he says, "I know my sheep, and I am known of mine." (John x. 14.)

Mamma. But they have also family habits

and pursuits. Where is there a description of the sons of God?

Arthur. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life." (Phil. ii. 15.)

Lily. And in the beatitudes which I learnt for you, it is said, "Peacemakers shall be called the children of God." (Matt. v. 8.)

Mamma. Yes, even Christians may sometimes mistake about the likeness, and think they see it where it is not, and may not see it where it is; but sooner or later the deeds will show, for we are told, "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil, whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." (1 John iii. 10.) May my children cherish these family habits. I will tell you one of them,private communion with their Heavenly Father. Now, do they enjoy this?

Arthur. By prayer, Mamma, " But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." (Matt. vi. 6.)

Papa. Yes, this is their family hidingplace; but they may walk with God, like

Enoch, all the day long, their hand in his; 'for, as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Rom. viii. 14.) And in this family there are those of all ages: "babes in Christ (1 Cor. iii. 1); "little children" (1 John ii. 13); "those of full age (Heb. v. 14). Can you show me how God their father tends and trains them all?

Lily. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth those that fear Him." (Ps. ciii. 13.)

Mary. "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isa. liv. 13.)

Arthur. "Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?" (Jer. iii. 4.)

Mamma. And has not our Father sometimes to chasten us?

Arthur. Oh, yes, Mamma, we found so much about this. "Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee." (Deut. viii. 5.)

;

Mary. "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Prov. iii. 11, 12.)

Mamma. And Lily may read St. Paul's ex