Teacher. Yes, and perhaps nearly asleep; the warm curtains are drawn closely around, and his weary limbs are enjoying sweet repose, when a galloping is heard, and the next minute such a violent ringing at the street door bell, that he starts from his pillow, and rushes to the window. How the December sleet cuts his face. The father says, 'Why, doctor, my boy's dying-he's dying! You must come—you can take my horse, and then you'll get there quicker; but make all haste, ten minutes' delay may prove fatal.'

Second scholar-And does he go?

Teacher.-Yes. When he gets into the open air he just pauses a minute, in order that the effect of the candlelight may wear off his eyes, that he may see clearly, and then he is off. Do you think he has gained anything by not going at first?

Fourth scholar.-No, I think he has lost.

Teacher. Yes, you see he must go at last. They meant that he should go; they would not receive a denial; the father had determined to bring him back; and the broken bone is set, and the gentle slumber into which the patient is sinking revives the drooping hopes of his afflicted relatives. Now, read the 5th verse of the chapter we have selected, and let us see how what we have been

saying bears upon our lesson.

First scholar." Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;"

Second scholar, ver. 6.-" For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him."

Third scholar, ver. 7.-" And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee."

Teacher.-Now, wherein is the case mentioned here like the doctor's?

Fourth Scholar.-He would'nt give him at first.

Teacher.-But—

Fourth scholar.-Afterwards he does; for it says, verse 8,

"I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth."

Teacher. You see the father and his suffering son, and the man whose friend was famishing with hunger, got their request because of their— Fifth scholar.-Importunity.

Teacher. Now, tell me what is a worse evil than a broken limb or a starving body? First scholar.-Sin.

Teacher.-Read the 51st Psalm, verse 8.

Fifth scholar." Make me to hear joy and glad

ness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice."

Teacher.-Now, what think you David meant by having his bones broken?

Sixth scholar.—I think God let him meet with an accident because he had been doing wickedly.

Second scholar.-I think his conscience troubled him, and made him feel as much pain as if his bones were broken.

Teacher. And yet there is a very remarkable name by which David is called, which shows that he was a righteous man. What is it?

First scholar.-The man after God's own heart.

Teacher.-Yes; and yet we find that a sense of his guilt, on account of sin, so pressed upon his mind, that he could compare the suffering he experienced to nothing less than that of a man with broken bones. Now, though we have not all sinned in the particular manner in which David sinned, yet we have all sinned frequently, wilfully, and grievously; and we learn from David's example, that a sense of our sin against God, a knowledge of the guilt of our rebellion against his holy laws, will afflict our souls with anguish and sorrow. And it is well to know the guilt of our sin; it is better to find out the dreadful truth of our depravity here, than to go blindly

on with a deceived heart, and only awake to a sense of our lost condition when it is for ever too late. Can you tell me why it is better to know our guilt here?

Second Scholar.—Because if we don't feel the weight of our sins we shall never pray to God to take them off from us.

Teacher. But, now, if we do feel the weight of guilt-if we have an earnest desire to be healed-if we really feel that we are starving, and know what it is to hunger after Christ, the bread of life-what then?

First scholar.-We must pray to God to give

us it.

Teacher.-You remember the doctor, and also the friend in the parable; when they were earnest in asking, they obtained their request: and the one great truth for us to learn from this is, that if we seek pardon through the merits of Jesus Christ, and are honest and persevering in calling upon God to blot out our sins, and to give us his Spirit, he will answer our prayer. It is written in Romans, 10th chap. ver. 13, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved;" and the same gracious truth is taught here. Read on.

Second scholar. -" And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Teacher.-Yes, mark, "Ask, and it shall be given you." How is it, do you think, that so few boys do ask?

No answer.

Teacher. Suppose there was a mountain in England to which, if people repaired on a certain night in the year, they would see a gap open in the sky, and a brilliant shower of gold and gems stream forth. Do you think that many would climb the mountain top on that eventful evening? Second scholar.-Yes, I think everybody would go.

Teacher. You are right. I think everybody would go: and when the first streak appeared in the sky, doubtless a thousand hands would be stretched out to receive the sparkling jewels and the golden treasure. And how is it then, that people will let the better blessings of pardon, and peace with God through Jesus, go unsought?

First scholar.-Because they love their sins, and know that if they seek pardon from God they must give up sin.

Teacher.-Read Romans 8th chap. and the beginning of ver. 7.

First scholar." The carnal mind is enmity against God."

Teacher.-Yes, mark, we do not care to be pardoned; we do not care about God's peace, so