she asked timidly, "if it was wrong for her to consider herself an invited guest of her heavenly Father's, every Sabbath? I love to think every Sunday morning that I am going to spend the holy day in God's immediate presence; that I am his invited guest, and that I must improve the time by making all my spiritual wants known to him. I love to imagine myself sitting, like Mary, at his feet. There is some fancy in these thoughts, papa; is it wrong to indulge them?" "No, my child," said the tender father, "I rejoice to hear that you have these Sabbath thoughts and feelings. If we could all spend the day in such a profitable manner, we should have no reason to complain of spiritual declension. This is indeed "coming to Christ that you may have life;' and those who so come may be assured of a favourable acceptance. The Sabbath was intended to convey to man the most valuable privilege that he could possess, but alas! he has marred the goodness of his Maker, and made it either a day of painful restraints, or sinful indulgences. By allotting every seventh day to spiritual exercises, the Christian secures to himself the peace which passeth understanding during the rest of the week. Faith becomes so bright by frequent exercises, that it proves amply sufficient to guide the pilgrim even through the dreary wilderness of human life. Those who spend their Sabbaths as you do, my child, deserve to be likened to the wise virgins, who had laid up a good supply of oil for their lamps; but I forget myself, in praising you so much to your face, my dear." "Oh, papa! do not fear that your praise will in jure me. I was just thinking that I must be a stock or a stone, not to learn something good from such a teacher." "Hush, hush! my child," said he solemnly, "I was afraid of spoiling you by praises, and you are turning the dangerous weapon against me. These things must not be. All praise and glory are His, who has condescended

to visit our bosom with his Holy Spirit of grace! We cannot do too much for such a God! and none of us, I fear, are really doing any thing important in his cause! Let us turn to the dark places in our hearts, and meditate on our faults, whenever we feel a little disposed to exalt ourselves. It is a good practice, to think over every defect in our characters and dispositions, when we come before the Lord on his own appointed day. We certainly have the privilege of approaching him more nearly on that day, than on any other; let us improve that privilege to the utmost; and oh, when we are enjoying such pre-eminent advantages, let us think with deep compassion of those who are without God in the world. What now is the state of thousands and tens of thousands, who bear the image of their Creator? Estranged from him by unbelief-banished from his presence by their sins—an impassable barrier raised between the helpless creature of earth and the God of Omnipotence! Oh! who can bear the thought? Let us then pray for the wretched beings who are far from this God, whose presence is dearer to us at this moment, than a combination of every created joy!"

I was listening to the devout old man so attentively, that I had neglected to attend to the tale of Joseph, when we were all interrupted by a cry of distress. Upon inquiry, it was discovered to proceed from the little girl, who could not stand the pathos of her mother's narrative. After many efforts to suppress her feelings, they at length broke forth with boisterous energy. It was some time before she could be pacified, and after a brief space spent in explaining the circumstances of God's apparent desertion of his favourite, to her satisfaction, the hour of evening worship put a stop to the employments of the day. Never did I spend a Sabbath more profitably, or more pleasantly. I observed, while I continued in

this family, that every theme of instruction was medicated, so as to speak with holy things,-the balm of Gilead was an ingredient in every moral draught administered to these sin-sick souls. Even the youngest child was convinced of the necessity of being "born again." There was no exhibition of pride in the children when they were told of their faults. On the contrary, the knowledge that they were sinners, seemed to be incorporated with their very perceptions of existence. They were accustomed to talk over their besetting sins with their parents, who had helped them to find them out. This was done with perfect simplicity, and by means of an obvious analogy.

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"If you were in pain," said the fond mother, "I could not rest until I had discovered the seat of your disease; afterwards I would prepare medicines, and administer them whether you were willing to take them or not." "Yes," said the little one, "you would make me take physic the other day when my head ached. I cried about it, but you would pour it down my throat. Now I feel so much better, that I never will refuse to take bitter physic again." That is a wise resolution my child, if you can keep it," said the mother, " "and no doubt you remember being punished for your besetting sin not long ago; have you not been better and happier since." "Oh yes, mamma," said the little girl, hiding her face in her mother's bosom, "I am better and happier, but then I am very naughty still. Sister Anne can tell you what a passion I got into yesterday." "But you were sorry for it Agnes, said her sister Anne, and I did not intend to complain of you to mamma. "Ah! that I was sorry, sister Anne, I got out of bed in the night, and prayed to God to forgive me, and then I derermined to tell mamma all about it; hear now mamma, "said she, still burying her face to hide both tears and blushes, "I got so angry,

that I called sister a name I called her stingy, because

she refused me a piece of riband for my doll. But sister told me how many commandments I had broken, and I was terrified almost out of my wits. First, I coveted what was not my own; next, I broke the commandment that tells me to honour my parents, for I disobeyed them, and that was breaking the command; then I broke the commandment that bids me love the Lord with all my heart, and with all my strength, and with all my soul, and my neighbour as myself. Ah! if I had done this, I never could have misbehaved so sadly: and next, by calling sister Anne stingy, I bore false witness against her. Oh, mamma, I am still a very bad child. Pray for me, that God may make me better!"

I hope, dear Mary, you will be pleased with my little sketches. If you ever become the head of a family, they may be useful to you. When I see the weak, frivolous women of my acquaintance, elevated to that station of responsibility, I feel alarmed for them, particularly when I see them taking consequence upon themselves, and acting as if they were perfectly competent to perform their duties. Indeed, they appear much more self-sufficient than those who are more competent, for they are entirely blind to their own deficiencies. This is the era of relaxation in discipline. Children are indulged until they grow up actually to tyrannize over the parents who them birth. This is an awful error, but I hope gave mankind are beginning to perceive that it is an error, and to retract it in time. It is really shocking to hear grown children assuming a tone of superior wisdom bfore their parents, and overruling better judgments than their own, by violence or declamation. The last age sanctioned too great an exercise of parental authority, and the present has fallen into the opposite extreme. Both are extremely pernicious, and the sooner we establish a medium the better, for ourselves and for the rising generation.

Nothing certainly is more delightful, than to see children honouring their parents in deed, by a reverential des meanour, and habitual respect for their opinions. The free flippant air, so common in the present day, in the manners of children towards their parents, is disgusting to every well-regulated mind. Well do I remember your behaviour to your departed mother, dear Mary. May your children, if you should ever be a parent, return the same grateful obedience to you, that you rendered to her through life. I remain,

LETTER XXIV.

Ever yours.

MY DEAR MARY,

It is one thing to know the will of God, and another thing to do that will. The essential spirit of Christianity is included in this one sentence-"Thy will be done." As the natural man owns no rule of action but his own will, so does the Christian acknowledge none but the will of his Maker. And yet true resignation is the hardest duty to perform that has ever fallen to the lot of man. He is always labouring at absolute submission, but when he has attained it in one instance, he finds the difficulty as great on the next occasion. Other lessons, when once learnt, remain with us; but this must be learnt anew whenever it is to be practised. And here, Mary, it gratifies me to be able to give honest, well-merited praise to the female sex. Though their sensibilities are more tender than those of men, they certainly resign themselves to the will of God with truer and more heartfelt submission. Religion, the