Mrs. B. Do you know Mr.

here the other day?

who called

Henry. What, that fretful, ill-tempered man, who always looks so discontented with every thing, and ready to quarrel with every body?

Mrs. B. That very fretful, discontented looking man was at school with your father, and I have heard him say, that there never was a boy who naturally had a finer temper; but from being always humoured and indulged, he became gradually selfish, impatient of contradiction, and certainly has now a temper which renders him disagreeable, not only to other people, but to himself.

Mary. But if he was always so spoilt, that was not his fault, Mamma.

Mrs. B. He is certainly very much to be pitied for having been treated so foolishly when he was a child. But I only mentioned him as an instance how the best dispositions, unless carefully watched, will, like the piece of silver, be "lost" to their owners. It is the same with the powers of the mind, memory

or instance, as it is with the moral virtues ; and these also, remember, it is our duty to keep up and to attend to, if we mean to be as useful in the world, as our Creator intended we should; but we are at present considering rather virtues than talents.

Mary. Well, but Mamma, if our good dispositions are so lost, what can we do to recover them?

Mrs. B. What is it said in the parable that the woman did, when she discovered that she had lost the piece of silver?

Mary. She swept the house diligently till she found it.

Mrs. B. Well, Henry, and what did your friend the shepherd do, when he discovered the loss of his sheep?

Henry. He went after it, and left all the rest till he had found it.

Mrs. B. Well, my loves; and so should a good Christian do, and so would a good Christian do, when he perceived that he had "lost" any good disposition which he formerly possessed; that he was more easily provoked, more selfish, less generous, less charitable to

his neighbours, less sensible of the mercies, less careful of the approbation, of his God, than he used to be. He would "6 sweep the house diligently," he would pray earnestly to God, that by His assistance he might be enabled to "cleanse the thoughts of his heart" from all impurity, from all that might hide and smother his good qualities. He would, like the shepherd, leave for the time in great measure every other care, he would apply his whole attention to remedy the evil, to "find" again that which he had lost —nor would he cease from his exertions, till, by the mercy and grace of God, following his prayers and good resolutions, he had succeeded in finding it.

Henry. O Mamma! I see quite now what your second explanation means, and I think I understand it better than I did the first. And then how happy it would be to call all one's friends, and tell them that one was become so good!

Mrs. B. There would be but little of a Christian spirit, my dear boy, in such boasting to our friends; for the very best of us

2

must feel that they have many sins to answer for. "There is none good," says our Lord, "but One, that is God;" and our religion teaches us always to think rather of our many sins than of our few approaches to goodness. "Let nothing be done," says St. Paul," through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves." I do not say, however, that you might not feel in your own conscience that happiness which always accompanies a successful attempt to conquer a bad inclination, or to encourage a good one. Our best endeavours to serve God are but very imperfect, and cannot, of themselves, be satisfactory to Him; but for the sake of our Saviour Jesus Christ He will accept of them, if we make them honestly: and though we must not call together our earthly friends, we may remember, with joy and gratitude, that we have heavenly friends rejoicing over every successful attempt that we make to become more virtuous, and less unworthy of the goodness of God. And this we have on

1 Luke xviii. 19.

2 Phil. ii. 3.

G

the authority of the Bible itself; for each of these two parables ends thus, and the verse is repeated at the close of each: "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

Henry. Then do you mean, Mamma, that whenever I am inclined to be naughty, and fight against my inclination, I may think that the angels are really glad that I am trying to be good?

Mrs. B. You may not only think, but be sure, my dear little boy, that not only the angels, but the great God Himself, sees you, and rejoices, and loves you with a love far greater even than your earthly father or I feel for you. The best actions of the best persons on earth are unworthy to be considered by the great Governor and Father of all the universe; but the least good actions. of the least among us, are not lost upon Him, who knoweth whereof we are made, who measures our capacities, and accepts our poorest endeavours in His service. Upon this subject, however, we will go more at