when you ought to learn them, and to be peevish and fretful and passionate; tell me, are you always trying to be good? Ch. Almost always, mother.

M. But it appears to me that if you always loved that which is good, you would always be good-tell me, what do you think about this?

Ch. I do not know how it is, mother; but if I try ever so, I cannot always be goodI know I am naughty sometimes.

M. Are you happy when you are naughty?

Ch. No, indeed, never.

M. I thought so-wicked people are never happy, only good people are happy-what makes the difference between a good man and a bad man?

Ch. A good man loves God, and does as God bids him, and tries to please God.

M. And a wicked man does not love God-he does not do what God bids him, and only tries to please himself and yet you see he is not happy-now, think a little; when you do wrong who are you trying to please, God or yourself?

Ch. Why, not God certainly.

M. If then you are trying to please yourself by doing wrong, it seems to me you cannot always love what is good-what do you think about it?

Ch. Perhaps, mother, you may be right. M. It appears to me, that if I really and truly love what is good, I shall follow after that which is good and not after evil: if I please myself by doing evil, does it not appear as if I loved evil rather than good?

Ch. Then, mother, do you think I am wicked?

M. Your heart is the same as all hearts are by nature, that is, inclined to do wrong; and if you were left to yourself to take your own way and only do what pleased you, you would be no better than many, many other people, who live in this world without ever caring about God or good things; and such people are as foolish as they are wicked; for as nobody is happy who is not good, they are the wisest people as well as the best, who always try to please God instead of themselves-besides they who love God and try to please him, please God and themselves too; whereas they who only try to please themselves, please nobody, for they are not happy after all-come and read this sentence out of the Bible: "THERE IS NO PEACE, SAITH MY GOD, TO THE WICKED." Is. lvii. 21.

Ch. Then, mother, I shall never be happy till I am good-what shall I do, mother, to be good always and to please God?

M. I perceive my traveller is yet in the dark.

Ch. What do you mean mother?

M. Have you forgot all our conversation the other day? (see page 65, 66.)

Ch. I remember now, mother, you said, I am travelling through this world.

M. And what did I say is given you to direct you on your way?

Ch. The Bible.

M. Yes, my dear child, it is the Bible that directs us on our way to heaven, or in other words it is to the Bible we must go in order to know how to become good and to please God; but bear this in mind, we want not only teaching but also help--you said to me, "if I try ever so, mother, I cannot be

always good"-it is right for you to try to be good, and to try always and to try with all your heart, but we must pray to God to help us, as well as use our own efforts: it is He and He only who can incline our hearts to love what is good, and enable us to follow after it; therefore if you wish to be wise and good and happy, you must pray to God for his Holy Spirit.

Ch. 1 remember, mother, you said Jesus Christ teaches us by his wORD and by his SPIRIT.

M. Yes, the WORD, or the Bible in which the word of God is written down, is given us as a "light to our feet"-and the Holy Spirit is that great and good friend who holds the light out before us and guides us and upholds us and keeps us in the way. Ch. How does he hold out this light, mother?

M. I will try and explain to you what I mean, my dear child. In the Holy Scriptures, good people are called the children of lightand wicked people children of darkness-they who keep God's commands are said to walk in the light-and they who break God's commands are said to walk in the darkness --and wicked works are called works of darkness-and a man who takes God's name in vain, or swears, is walking in darkness, he is doing wrong; and if he goes on in this wicked way he will be lost, he will never find the way to heaven, he will never be happy but if those words out of the Bible should come to his mind with power, "thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," or, 66 swear not at all"-this would be like a light shining before him, to shew him he was doing wrong and going in

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a wrong way; and then again if those words out of the Bible come into his heart, 156 pray without ceasing," or, "praise ye the Lord," it would be like a light shining on his darkness; shewing to him the use he should make of his speech; and that his tongue was given him, not that he should take God's name in vain with it, but that he should pray to God and praise God, and speak good of his holy name; and if the man should attend to these words and follow these precepts, it would be following the light and walking in the light, that blessed light which is called the light of life, because it directs us on our way to God. So again, if a man or woman or little child had never turned to God with all their heart, if they did not know Him, nor love Him, nor try to please Him, they would be in darkness, they would have no light, nothing to guide them in their way and make their hearts glad; but if they should read in the Bible "seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon Him while he is near, &c. Is. lv. 6. or "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart," &c. Deut. vi. 5. or that word of our Saviour's "follow me" Matt. ix. 9.-this would be like a bright light shining on their darkness, teaching them how to seek God so as to find Him and love Him and please Him, and if they observe these words, and pray to God, and love Him, and follow the teaching and walk in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus-that would be walking in the light which the Holy Spirit holds out before us in his holy word.

Ch. Thank you, dear mother, for explaining these things to me; then I must read in the Bible to learn how to be good and to

please God, and that will be coming to the light that shines to guide me on my way.

M. Yes, my dear child, you must also pray to God to give you his Holy Spirit, to incline your heart to love the light and follow after it and to keep you in the way: without his help you can do nothing.

Ch. But, mother, want to ask you some more questions about God's Holy Spirit, if you will give me leave?

M. Another day I will hear all you have to say; we have talked enough about good things now for you to go and think what you have heard. We will leave off for the present with two or three short sentences out of the best of books-commit them to memory-- "THOU ART GOOD, AND DO

EST GOOD: TEACH ME THY STATUTES. Ps. cxix. 68. "TEACH ME TO DO THY WILL, FOR THOU ART MY GOD, THY SPIRIT IS GOOD, LEAD ME INTO THE LAND OF UPRIGHTHESS." Ps. cxliii. 10. "YE THAT LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL." Ps. xcvii. 10. IOTA.

YOUTHFUL COURAGE.

An Italian Monk, who was preaching one day in the open air in a small town in the North of Italy, told the people that they must purchase heaven by the merit of their good works. A boy aged thirteen, who was present, exclaimed, "that is blasphemy, for the Bible tells us, that Christ purchased heaven by his sufferings and death, and bestows it on us freely by his mercy.' A dispute of considerable length ensued between the youth and the preacher, who provoked at the replies of the boy, cried out