Spirit of God dwells, knows himself to be a poor and miserable sinner, and does not despise any one."

Mrs. Goodriche then gave Lucy a very pretty prayer, the purport of which was, to ask of God an humble spirit, which might lead us to honour all men above ourselves.

A Prayer for Christian Courtesy.

O Lord God Almighty! thou who sentest thine only Son to take upon him the body of a man, and to live among the poorest and lowest among men, for my sake; hear the prayers of a child, in whom by nature there is no good. My friends often tell me that it is my duty to be civil and good mannered; and I know, also, that thou hast commanded us to be courteous one towards another; and yet I am so conceited, and full of myself, that I forget to practise good manners, and instead of striving to oblige my companions, and all such as come in my way, I think of nothing but pleasing and serving myself. O holy Father, I pray for the Holy Spirit: for what can I do without help from on high? I cannot even behave myself with common propriety in company. O Holy Spirit, come into my heart, and guide me and rule me in all I do, and in all I say. I do not dare to ask this in my own name, for I am altogether unworthy of the least favour; but I ask this in the name of him who died for me, of that dear Saviour, who was so humble as to wash his disciples' feet, and who was so kind as to take little children in his arms, put his hands upon them, and bless them. In his dear name, therefore, I ask thee, O Holy Spirit, to be with me when next I go into company, and give me grace to behave myself there, and at all times, in a modest, decent, and courteous manner, such as becometh a child.

And now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be all glory and honour, for ever and ever. Amen.

"Our Father." &c. &c.

HYMN XVI.

SHOULD bounteous Nature kindly pour
Her richest gifts on me,

Still, O my God! I should be poor

If void of love to thee.

На

Not shining wit, or manly sense,
Could make me truly good;
Nor zeal itself could recompense
The want of love to God.

Did I possess the gift of tongues,
And were denied thy grace,

My loudest words, my loftiest songs,
Would be but tinkling brass.

Though thou shouldst give me heavenly skit,
Each mystery to explain,
Had I no heart to do thy will
My knowledge would be vain.
Had I so strong a faith, my God,
As mountains to remove,
No faith would do me real good
That did not work my love. -
What though, to gratify my pride
And make my heaven secure,
All my possessions I divide
Among the hungry poor;

What though my body I consign
To the devouring flame,
In hope the glorious deed will shine
In rolls of endless fame :

These splendid acts of vanity,
Though all the world applaud,
If destitute of charity

Can never please my God.

Oh! grant me, then, this one request,
And I'll be satisfied;

That love Divine may rule my breast,
And all my actions guide.

ON DEATH.

WHEN Mr. Fairchild came in from his walk, "Mrs. Goodriche," said he, “have you heard that old John Roberts the gardener died yesterday morning?"

"Indeed!" said Mrs. Goodriche, "I did not hear that his death had really taken place, though we have looked for it every day for this last month: he was quite worn out with old age."

"I have seen the old woman, Betty Roberts," said Mr. Fairchild: "she seems to be in a very happy state

of mind, and says she trusts that her poor man died in Christ. She would have me up stairs to see the corpse."

"If you please, Mrs. Goodriche," said Mrs. Fairchild, "we will walk over to the old gardener's house after dinner I should like to see poor Mrs. Roberts before I go home."

"With all my heart," said Mrs. Goodriche.

"And may we go too?" said Lucy, looking at her

mamma.

"What does your papa say?" answered Mrs. Fairchild.

"I tell you beforehand, my dear children, that death is very terrible. A corpse is an awful sight."

"I know that, papa," said Lucy;" but we should like to go."

Mr. Fairchild. Well, my dears, you shall go; and you shall, if you please, see the corpse. You must see these things one time or other, and attend dying people: it is therefore better in early life to become acquainted with such things. And now," said he, "you, Lucy and Emily, come and take a turn with me on the grass-walk before dinner, and we will have a little discourse on the subject of death.

So saying, Mr. Fairchild put on his hat, and taking Emily in one hand and Lucy in the other, they walked out together in the garden; and thus they talked together.

Mr. Fairchild. Where is death first spoken of in the Bible?

Lucy. I think, papa, it is in the second chapter of Genesis: And the Lord said to Adam, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Mr. Fairchild. True, my dear. You learn from this, that before Adam sinned he was not subject to death: therefore death is the punishment of sin.

Emily. Yes, papa; there is a verse about that: 'Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' Rom. v. 12.

Mr. Fairchild. As death is sent as a punishment for sin, my dear children, it cannot but be very terrible; L and indeed it is very terrible: nothing can be more horrible than what we see of it: but we are unacquainted

with the most awful part of death; that is, the death of the soul, or eternal death.

Then Mr. Fairchild put several questions to the chil dren; and first he asked them if they knew what the word death signified. Lucy answered," When the soul goes out of the body, and leaves the body to corruption, that is death."-"That is what is called temporal death," said Mr. Fairchild: "now tell me what eternal death is."-"Oh," said Emily, "eternal death is going to hell, and staying there for ever."

·

Mr. Fairchild. At the day of judgment, the bodies of the wicked will be raised from the dust, and their souls will enter into them again; then soul and body will be cast into hell: then they will be eternally separated from God, and be tormented for ever and ever with the devil and his angels. This is eternal death: and may God, for his dear Son's sake, preserve us all from this second and inexpressibly horrible death! Then Mr. Fairchild told his children, that it was to save us from the second death that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to die for us; as it is written: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive: but every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.' 1 Cor. xv. 22, 23. "But before we can be saved from the power of eternal death," added Mr. Fairchild, "our corrupt nature must be altogether changed and made holy; as the Lord Tesus Christ said to Nicodemus: 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.' John iii. 3. And this blessed change must be brought to pass in this life: our hearts must be renewed, and our vile natures changed, before our bodies go down into the dust; for after the death of the body we are taught that there is no saving chance, but 'he that is unjust must be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. xxii. 11.

"Then," said Lucy, "if our souls are renewed and changed by the power of the Spirit before we die, we shall never know eternal death?"

When we are

"No, assuredly, my dear child. changed, we become children of God; and would God, do you think, cast his children into hell? But though the soul may be changed by the power of the Spirit of

God before death, yet we learn that the corrupt body must pass through the grave, and see corruption; so it is the pleasure of God that it should be till the end of time, and until the last trumpet shall sound; and then, we are told that the saints who are found on earth shall be suddenly changed; as it is written: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound; and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption; and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."" 1 Cor. xv. 50-58.

While Mr. Fairchild was talking to his little girls, Sukey had got dinner ready, and little Henry came running into the garden to call his papa and sisters.

After dinner, Mrs. Goodriche and Mrs. Fairchild got ready; and they all set off to go to see Mrs. Roberts. John Roberts's cottage and garden were not a quarter of a mile from Mrs. Goodriche's. Poor John, when living, had maintained himself and his wife in a decent way by selling vegetables; and he used to pride himself on his pinks and tulips, and other pretty flowers, with which his garden abounded. The children set off jumping and skipping before their papa and mamma; but when they came near the house where death was, they walked more slowly, and at length they fell behind.

When Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild and Mrs. Goodriche came into the garden, Mrs. Roberts's son and daughter-in-law came out to meet them, and invited them up stairs to see the corpse. They accordingly went into the cottage, and up stairs. "And will you please to go too, master and