very remarkable petitions, both for themselves and others, is a very pleasing and delightful truth. A few of those I will

relate, for the encouragement of my young friends who may hear or read this Lecture.

Susan's Prayer. So they all kneeled down and were very attentive to hear the little girl pray for her father in this way: "O God, my heavenly Father, I love thee, because thou art always good; and I hope my other father will be good too, and then my heavenly Father will love him, and make him well and happy. Oh! make him good, and we shall all be happy." This prayer had such an effect upon her father, who was a great drunkard, that he left off his evil courses, heard his children and his wife read the Scriptures, -was often found praying to God himself,-forsook his wicked companions, set them an example of sobriety and industry, and from that time his family became happy.

Joseph's Prayer. "Now, O Lord, save me, a sinful child, a vile sinner; I know I have sinned against thee. I would not have sinned against thee. I could have helped it. Lord, I wish I had not: do hear me, O Lord, and save me, a poor sinful child. Christ was crucified; dear Lord, save me for his sake. O this soul of mine that must live in heaven or hell for ever, keep me this day and month and year. And if I should live twenty or forty years, help me to live to thy glory.'

John's Prayer. This little boy was bitten by a mad dog. When he was told that the doctor was sent for, he closed his eyes, and clasped his hands, and said, "Oh! my God, thou canst do more for me than the doctors can. Thou hast washed me in the blood of the Lamb, take me to thyself. shall not stay long now, I must die, and go to the bosom of my Jesus.".

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A gentleman was not long since called to visit a dying woman. On entering the humble cottage where she dwelt, he heard in an adjoining room an infant voice! He listened, and found that it was the child of the poor dying woman engaged in prayer thus: "O Lord, bless my poor mother, and prepare her to die? O God, I thank thee that I have been sent to a Sunday School, and there have been taught to read my Bible; and there I learnt, that when my father and mother forsake me, thou wilt take me up. This comforts me, now my poor woman is going to leave me; may it com

Sunday School Tracts, vol. i. see Drunkard's Conversion, No. 22. + See Memoirs of John Boltwood.

fort her, and may she go to heaven, and may I go there too. Oh! Jesus, pity a poor child, and pity my poor dear mother, and help me to say, thy will be done."" He said no more. The visitor opened the door, and approached the bed-side of the poor woman. "Your child has been praying with you," said he, "I have listened to his prayer.' "Yes," said she, making an effort to rise," he is a dear child; thank God, he has been sent to a Sunday School. I cannot read myself, but he can; and he has read the Bible to me, and I hope I have reason to bless 'God for it. Yes, I have learned from him that I am a sinner. I have heard from him of Jesus Christ; and I do, yes, I do, as a poor sinner, put my trust in him. I hope he will preserve me, I hope he has forgiven me. I am going to die, but I am not afraid; my dear child has been the means of saving my soul."*

I have heard a little boy pray that he might not swear or tell lies, and that God would keep him from going to a tavern to get drunk like the wicked sailors, that God would give him a new heart, and make him a good boy.

A little girl said to her teacher a little before she died, "Farewell, my friend, my ever dear teacher, the last prayer I make to God shall be for you. And whenever your Saviour calls you home, I will, if he permits me, with pleasure come out of the golden gates to meet you, when your soul leaves the body, and will join the angels in conducting you to our Immanuel,"

Let me recommend to you all the prayer of Jabez, for which he was accounted more honourable than his brethren. "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh! that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me? And God granted him that which he requested."†

"O that the Lord, indeed,

Would me his servant bless
From ev'ry evil shield my head,

And crown my paths with peace."-Doddridge.

Go, my dear children, and imitate the example of the chil.. dren I have mentioned. Go and pray as they did, and the Lord will hear and answer you.

But what shall I say to those who never pray at all: are there not some children of that description now before me?

* Sunday School Repository, No. 4, for October 1813, page 23 +1 Chron. iv. 10.

Why do you not pray to this good and gracious God? Perhaps you say, "I do not know how to pray. My parents never told me that I should pray. They never told me who I should pray to, or what I should say when I pray."

Is it so, my dear children? Then I pity you, and I will pray for you. You have now been told who to pray towhat you are to pray for-and that God will help you by his Spirit if you pray to him. Now, I hope you will pray this evening, if you never prayed before, it is high time to begin. Oh! that I could hear you say, " So I will as soon as I get to my room. I will pray that God would give me a new heart, that he would be merciful to me a sinner,' and make me a good child." Let those children who do pray to God, pray for those who never prayed for themselves. O! pray earnestly this night. Pray all of you. Let not one child go to sleep this night without praying to God. Say from your hearts, in sincerity and truth," Lord teach us to pray.

May the Lord the Spirit teach you how to pray, and what to pray for. May you all be made wiser and better by what you have heard at this time. And may God give you his blessing, for Christ's sake. Amen.

A HYMN ON PRAYER.

Our Father, who art in heaven.

Great God, and wilt thou condescend
To be my Father, and my friend?
I. a poor child, and thou so high,
The Lord of earth, and air, and sky.
Art thou my Father? canst thou bear
To hear my poor imperfect pray'r?
Or wilt thou listen to the praise
That such a little one can raise.

Art thou my Father? let me be
A meek obedient child to thee;

And try in word, and deed, and thought,
To serve and please thee as I ought.
Art thou my Father? I'll depend
Upon the care of such a friend;
And only wish to do, and be,
Whatever seemeth good to thee.
Art thou my Father? Then, at last,
When all my days on earth are past,
Send down, and take me in thy love,
To be thy better child above.

See Hymns for Infant Minds.

LECTURE VI.

THE WAY TO BE WISE.

John v. 39.-Search the Scriptures.

YOU have heard Moses, the man of God. You have heard David, the king of Israel. You have heard Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles. You have heard a disciple saying to his divine master," Lord teach us to pray." All these have spoken in your hearing. You know what they have said, and therefore it is unnecessary for me to repeat their words. But who is it that now speaks to you? Who is it that you now hear? It is he "who spake as never man spake." The words I have read are the words of Christ himself. What does he say?" Search the Scriptures."

The reason which our Lord immediately assigns for this duty deserves attention. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me.' That is, they direct you how to obtain eternal life, by testifying that Jesus is the true Messiah, that Christ is the only Saviour, that he, the Mediator, is the only way by which we can approach to God the Father.

The Bible is the best of all books. There is no book in the world so good, or so valuable, as the Bible. It is the only book that can make us wise unto salvation. How precious, then, is this divine book! How valuable are the sacred Scriptures! "They have God for their author, salvation for their end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for their contents. 19

"The Scriptures teach us the best way of living,-the noblest way of suffering,—and the most comfortable way of dying." This sacred volume contains saving knowledge,

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spiritual life, sacred joy, and heavenly delight. The late Sir William Jones wrote, on the last leaf of his Bible, the following words: "I have regularly and attentively read these Holy Scriptures, and am of opinion, that this volume, independent of its divine origin, contains more sublimity and beauty, more pure morality and important history, finer poetry and eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever age or language they may have been written."

You have many wants, and the Bible informs you where they may all be supplied. Here you may satisfy your hunger with that "bread which cometh down from heaven, of which if a man eat thereof he shall live for ever. In this world you are only as pilgrims and strangers, you wander on without a guide to direct your path. The Bible tells you that God will be the guide of your youth. This blessed book directs you to heaven as your final and eternal home. may be poor and destitute, but the Bible speaks of eternal riches, which shall be yours, if you embrace it with all your heart. The Bible promises you an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and which cannot fade away, reserved in heaven for you. A crown of righteousness, and a kingdom of glory, which can never fade away.

You

A martyr, who was to suffer death, and to be burnt to ashes, because he loved the Bible, took his final leave of all earthly scenes, with these remarkable words: "Farewell sun and moon! Farewell all the beauties of the creation, and all the comforts of life! Farewell my dear friends and beloved relations, and farewell thou precious book of God."

But though he was leaving the Bible, he was going to dwell with its divine author, to receive wisdom and happiness more immediately from hiin.

How happy are those children that can read the Bible. There are many who cannot read this holy book: and there are many who can read it, who do not love it. But you, I hope, my dear children, not only can read, but delight to read it at every opportunity. You, I hope, can sincerely say, when you see a Bible,

"Holy Bible! book divine,

Precious treasure thou art mine."

"Well, but I thought you were going to tell us the way to be wise. This is the subject of the Lecture. So I am. Read your Bible, "Search the Scriptures," this is the way to be wise. If you constantly read, if you diligently search the Scriptures, you will soon be able to say as David did,