not be the case; for children may be taught from their infancy the evil of it ; and if it is not given way to, the difficulty is not great to prevent it; at least we never found it so ; but kept our children so engaged, that the Sunday instead of being a task, was their pleasure. John bad the measles about twelve months before his death; which so hurt his memory, and weakened his consti. tion, that he was not able to do much the last year of his life. We thought it prudent to send him often out of the school to his aunt's; who lived at a little distance, and whom he much loved. He would take a little book or a tract in his pocket, and would say, “ come, aunt, if you have time to sit down, I have got a nice tract; I will read it to you ;" or perhaps some of his favourite hymns, of which he was very fond, and had committed numbers to memory. At first he had a penny for every one he got off, but he got them off so fast, that he said, "he should beggar his father ;" so he would have no more money ; for that they afforded him sufficient pleasure, without being paid for them. - We had been talking one sabbath evening about different characters ; they were asked what they understood by the wicked. John answered, “ sinners." He was asked if ha was a sinner? He answered," no." He was told sin is the transgression of the law; and they that do transgress the law are sinners. He was asked, “Have you always loved God with all your heart? Have you never taken God's name in vain? Ilave you always kept holy the sabbath day? Have you always honoured your father and mother? Have you never told an untruth?” He wept and said, “Oh! I am a sinner;" and was much distressed at the thought of it. We found it needful, and it was the greatest pleasure we had ever had on his account, to speak of Jesus in his endearing character as a “Saviour, and to bring forth the promises of the Gospel for his encouragement. He knew the way of salvation; but before then, had never made it a matter of self-application. The Lord in mercy soon comforted him ; but he seemed ever after, to have humble views of himself as a sinner, and to be convinced of the need of repentance. Even in the midst of their amusements, he has called the attention of his sister to it, saying: “Betsy, there is no repentance in the grave." “The Pilgrim's Progress was one of his favourite books; and the last time he took pen in hand, was to write something that had struck him, respecting the righteousness of Christ. His last illness was short; a little less than a fortnight. It was water on the brain : he

suffered greatly; and was scarcely ever able to speak to be understood the whole time. Convulsions were continual the three last days of his life. We then could pray as earnestly that it might please the Lord to dismiss him from his severe suffering; as we had prayed before for his life. He was called to his rest on the 15th of September, 1816, aged 8 years, and nearly two months.

Elizabeth, our only surviving child, claim. ed much of our anxious çare. Her health was but tender, and she felt her loss severé. ly. She had not only lost a brother, whom she dearly loved; but a friend and a guide. His memory was always dear to her ; she looked upon his books as her greatest trea. Bure; she would often look them over, and read his favourite chapters in the Bible, which she used to call “ John's chapters.” She also loved his hymns and tracts. “John Wise" was her great favourite, even in her last illness ; " because (she said) John Wise was so much like her brother.”.

She was naturally timid and reserved ; and we found it hard to prevail upon her to tell us what was the state of her mind : and 1 we made her salvation' a matter of muchas* prayer. We feared that she did not feel herself a lost sinner; but our fears on this head were groundless. The Lord was pleas. od to show her, what she was by nature

and practice; and blessed her, I have good reason to believe, with that repentance which is unto life. The visits of Miss F. E. and Miss S. (both now with the Lord) were made very useful to her. She opened her mind freely to them; she said " she loved them ;" “ they did her good every time they came.”

A few weeks before her death, one evening being rather worse than usual, she was prevailed on to go to bed before her usual time; and the night following we wished her to do the same. “No (she said,) she would not be served as she had been the night before.” We were at a loss to know what she meant; and wished her to tell : af. ter she had been much pressed, she said, "we sent her to bed before family prayer, which she did not like.” To discover in such a way her love for prayer, was no little comfort to her parents. We assured her she should not again be deprived of that comfort; for if she was not able to come down, we would always go up to her ; which we did ever after, morning and evening. She was always glad when any praying friends came to see her; such she delighted in; and would often say, "send for my aunt; I want her.”

She had for some time given up all. thoughts of getting better and knew she

was in a dying state ; which did not distress her; for she had found Jesus Christ to be precious to her. She was so troubled with a couglı, and shortness of breathing the latter part of her illness, that it was painful to her to talk much; but she loved to be talked and read to. A short time before her death, she heard some friends say that they were collecting a little money for a person that was going out as a Missionary, and likewise that there was another subscription on foot, to promote the spread of religion at home. She said, “I have a shilling left of my pocket money; I will give sixpence to each of these.” I am fully persuaded she did it out of love to her Lord; having herself tasted the value of the Gospel, she wished others to partake of this precious gift. She died April 13th, 1821, aged 15 years.

LITTLE CHILDREN AND THE MARTYR.

Having lately read to some children in a Sunday school, the account in the Children's Friend of one of the martyrs, for whom some little children prayed in these words : : “O Lord, strengthen thy servant, and keep thy promise;" I asked them what was the meaning of the prayer. One said, that the words, “strengthen thy servant," meant, *enable thy servant to endure the fire."