did, when they were ready to sink in a storm. Q. How was Noah saved from the waters? A. In an ark. Q. And what is the ark in which we are to be saved? A. The church of Christ. THE TEXTS. Psal. cvii. 26. They mount up to heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. sea. Isa. lvii. 20. The wicked are like the troubled Jude 13. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. James i. 6. He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. Matt. viii. 26. Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 1 Pet. iii. 20. Eight souls were saved by water: the like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us. LES LESSON IV. : THE BUTTERFLY. THE butterfly spreads its wings, and the sun shines upon its plumes! See how the wisdom of the Creator hath adorned it with beautiful lines, and painted it with glorious colours. It flies about, and finds the plant which is proper to feed its brood of caterpillars and there it lays its eggs to be hatched by the sun. In their infant state they crawl about as helpless worms, and feed upon green leaves. Then they fold themselves up in a case like a coffin, where they lie, as it were asleep, till the time of their change; when they break this covering, and come forth with wings and feathers, like painted birds, to fly about the air, and sip the dew of the fields and meadows, and visit every sweet and pleasant flower. So am I now like the poor infant worms crawling about upon this earth. But if I go on in the ways of God, I shall at length be changed from a worm into an angel. But first I must be shut up in the grave, and hide myself myself in the state of death, till my change shall come. Then I shall be raised to life and liberty, and put on a spiritual body, and be able to visit and enjoy all the wonders of God's works, such as poor helpless mortals cannot now see nor understand. O let me not forfeit this expectation, for the sake of such low enjoyments as caterpillars are pable of! are ca THE QUESTIONS. Q. How are the eggs of the butterfly hatched? A. The sun raises them to life. Q. What are they at first? A. Poor helpless worms that crawl about. A. They are hid in a shell like a coffin, where they sleep as if they were dead. Q. And what do they come to at last? A. They come to life with wings and feathers of many glorious colours. Q. And what are we in this present world? A. We are as worms creeping upon the earth. Q. And what do we hope to come to at last? A. We shall be raised from the chambers of death, and become like angels. THE TEXTS. Job xxv. 6. Man that is a worm. Isa. xxvi. 19, 20. Come my people, enter into thy chambers-hide thyself as it were for a little moment. Psal. lxxviii. 13. Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove, that is covered with silver wings, and her feathers like gold. LESSON V. THE FADING FLOWER. TO day the flower bloweth, and spreadeth forth its leaves, and we admire its beauty, but its glory is short; for it soon fadeth, and falleth away to the ground. I am like this flower, frail and mortal; and I must not value myself for any thing I am, or any thing I have in this life: for if I were never so great and noble, I must fade as a flower, and be withered as the grass. Where are they now, who were once the great and the honourable of the earth? as the scythe cutteth down the grass, grass, so hath death swept them away. But short-lived as the flower is, God provideth for it, and covereth it with a raiment, such as Solomon in all his glory did not wear. Therefore, if God so clothe a fading flower, which is made but for a day, he will never neglect me, who am made for eternity. He will provide for all my bodily wants; and which is much more, he will cover my naked and sinful soul, that it may be fit to appear in his sight. He hath given to me in my baptism that best robe, the robe of righte ousness, which shall never change, but keep its glory like the sun which fadeth not. Lord grant that I may keep unspotted the garment thou hast put upon my soul; that, when I have put off my body, I may still wear this best robe, and at length put on immortality both in body and soul, at the resurrection of the just. Blessed are the poor whom God hath clothed: but woe to the rich, if he hath sent them naked and empty away. THE QUESTIONS. Q. What is all the glory of man in this life? A. It is a flower that fadeth. Q. But |