to worship God: Christ was far from being ashamed of them, he took particular notice of them. God may be honoured by babes and sucklings much more than by those who are grown up to years of maturity. His praise was perfected or finished, completed, by the children; it had a peculiar tendency to glorify God: his tender regard and attention to them when brought to him by their parents and friends. It is said, (Mark x. 13.) that he took them up in his arms, and put his hands upon them, and blessed them. O what a sight! O what highly favored children they were. I think I hear you say, O! if Jesus was hear now, I would go to him that he might bless me, and pardon my sins: O, says another, I should like to be taken up in his arms, and to sit on his knees: O, says another, I would ask him to make me one of his lambs: O, says another, I would ask him to be my friend, and and if he would, then I should not want any other Friend but Jesus. Ah, my dear young friends, is Jesus your Friend, or is he not; have you sought his friendship, do you love him, or do you not? O seek that he may be your best, your kindest, your everlasting Friend. Amen.

"Young children once to Jesus came,
His blessing to intreat;

And I may humbly do the same,

Before his mercy-seat.

"For when their feeble hands were spread, And bent each infant knee, "Forbid them not," the Saviour said; And so he says for me.

"Tho' now he is not here below,

But on his heav'nly hill,
To him may little children go,
And seek a blessing still.

Well pleased those little ones to see,

The dear Redeemer smiled:
Oh, then, he will not frown on me,
A poor unworthy child.

If babes so many years ago
His tender pity drew,

He will not surely let me go,
Without a blessing too.

"Then while, this favor to implore,
My little hands are spread,
Do thou thy sacred blessing pour,
Dear Jesus on my head."

LECT. V.-Christ in the Temple.

LUKE ii. 46.-And it came to pass, that after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

My dear young friends,

THERE are many young people, who, though they are in general dutiful and obedient to their parents, yet are apt sometimes to forget themselves, and commit faults worthy of blame. Kitty Atkins was a child of this disposition; she had frequently been told by her mother, always to hasten home from school, and in general she did so but it happened one afternoon, that a schoolfellow, (a little girl about her own age) invited her to go and drink tea with her, and promised her a variety of amusements in the evening. Kitty was so delighted with the prospect of her pleasures, that she quite forgot what her mother had often told her, and went without even telling her where she was gone. Her mother, finding that she did not return for more than three hours, concluded that she was lost, and actually employed the bell-man to go about the streets, and offer a reward to any person that would bring her home. Just as the bellman had finished his round, Kitty came home; on being asked where she had been, she told the whole truth, (for she never told a falsehood, even to screen herself from punishment) she then begged her mother's pardon, and promis.

ed never to do so again. Her mother told her how wrong it was to do so, and that she should speak to the mother of the little girl, who had enticed her, and also to the teacher of the school, and it was determined that to prevent the ill effects of such an example, that on the very next half holiday, all the young ladies should be assembled in the play ground; that Kitty and her companion should be placed in the middle, and their school-mates around them in a ring, and that a man with a bell should go three times round the yard proclaiming "a lost child!" in the same manner as the bell-man did when Kitty was lost. In vain were the entreaties of the two young ladies, to be excused from the shame of this punishment; they were oblig ed to submit to it, and it had so good an effect upon them, that they have behaved well ever since. I. We find that Jesus was lost; at least his parents did not know where to find him. Jesus was then twelve years old, so that you here find that what is said in one of your little hymns is really true.

"At twelve years old he talk'd with men;

The Jews all wond'ring stand:

Yet he obey'd his mother then,

And came at her command."

Here I wish you to remember three things1. That children are sometimes accidentally lost; this is often the case with children in the country, as well as children in the city; they

frequently wander from home without the knowledge of their parents; and a little child may soon get so far from home, as not to know its way back again. Parents should teach children to tell their names, and the name of the place where they dwell, as soon as they are able to speak. Little children should not go beyond the bounds of their habitation, without there is some person with them, or they are quite sure of finding their way back.

2. That all children are naturally lost. They are lost in sin, they wander in the paths of iniquity, till Christ, the good Shepherd, finds them, and brings them back to the fold of God. Children know not the right way to Heaven, and many have none to teach them the way to eternal happiness. By nature you are all sinners the Bible says that you are all born in sin, and shapen or made in iniquity. These are the words of David, the man after God's own heart. While you continue in sin, like the prodigal son, you are lost to your heavenly Father: though he knows you, and all that you say, think or do, yet you do not know who and what he is, or what he has done for you. You are lost to every thing that is good; but you know how to do evil things fast enough. You have read many books, and know what they contain; but you seldom read your Bibles. Do you know who Jesus Christ is, any of you? Yes sir: he is God's own Son who came down from