CHAPTER XXIII.

AND YOU SHALL TEACH THEM YOUR CHILDREN, SPEAKING OF THEM WHEN THOU SITTEST IN THINE HOUSE, AND WHEN THOU WALKEST BY THE WAY; WHEN THOU LIEST DOWN, AND WHEN THOU RISEST UP.'-Deut. xi. 19.

"Now," said Mrs. Gray, smiling affectionately upon her children, "we will see what became of Daniel, whom we left in the lion's den." They all looked much interested. "Did the cruel lions eat him up?" asked the little boy of five years of age. "My little boy must not speak till his sisters have done reading, and then we will tell him all about it." The child crossed his arms on the table in an attitude of attention, and the reading commenced at the sixth chapter and 18th verse. When they had finished the chapter, Mrs. Gray asked them many questions, and made several remarks herself; then addressing the little boy, she repeated the substance of the story in words suited to his comprehension. "What a pretty story, mamma!

tell it to me again." His mamma said she must attend to his sisters, but that she would tell it him in the evening, and, kissing the child, sent him away to fly his kite in the garden. "What did Daniel mean by his innocency, mamma? I thought no one was innocent," said the eldest girl. "No one is really innocent, my dear, but Daniel's heart had been changed by the Spirit of God; and then he had a new will which enabled him to choose what was pleasing to God, and so by God's grace he avoided what he knew would be displeasing to Him; therefore he said he was innocent, because he had a sincere desire to do what was right, and had not been deterred from his duty by the wicked men who sought his ruin, but prayed as before three times a day, and gave God thanks. And do you not see, in the twentythird verse, that no hurt befel him, because he believed in his God.' He trusted his heavenly Father, and feared Him more than man, and, as we read, 'gave God thanks,' even when he knew he should be cast into the den of lions." "Oh, I am afraid, mamma, that I should have been in such a fright, that I could not have prayed at all." "Oh," said another, in a good-humoured manner, "don't you know that if you had been Daniel, you would have

had God to comfort you; for don't you remember what we learnt in our catechism, 'if I love God and seek to please Him, I shall have God for my Father and friend for ever."" "Very true, Ellen, for He promises to help every one who trusts Him: cannot you tell me a text on the point?" "Yes, mamma, 'Call upon me in this day of trouble, and I will hear thee; "And I remember," said another, "that when the wicked king Manasseh was afflicted and prayed to God, He heard him." "But," said a third, "Manasseh was a very wicked man, a very bad cruel king, and I don't care for him.” "My dear child, we should not talk so, for if God forgives a wicked man, so must we; besides, we don't know if we were placed in his situation, what we might do; he had every thing he desired at his command, and plenty of people who flattered him, and perhaps no one to tell him of his faults as you have, and so he thought he might do just as he pleased, and mind no one." "Ah, but," replied the child, who was naturally inclined to cavil, "he was such a very very wicked man! and he made the people do as naughty things as himself, and so I don't like him." Her mamma looked at her stedfastly, and said, "I know a little girl who not many days back did some very very naughty

thing that her mamma had told her not to do; and she not only disobeyed her orders, but tried to make her sisters as naughty as herself." The child blushed deeply, and the tears stood in her eyes. Mrs. Gray saw that her remark had produced the right effect, and she changed the subject; asking who could tell her what important end had been served by Daniel's trial. They all answered that Darius saw that Daniel's God was the living God and stedfast for ever,' and therefore he commanded that He should be worshipped. "Do we learn any other lesson?" "To trust to God always and not to fear." "Any thing else?" The eldest girl reflected a moment, and then added, "Is it to give God thanks at all times?" "Yes, my dear, and a most important lesson it is; we should always try to keep in mind what a good and kind God He is, and how mercifully he has provided for the salvation of His people; besides having bestowed upon us every thing that is best in this world." "Mamma," said the youngest girl, "are all people God's people?" "No, my dear, every one is His child who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and loves Him, and reads His word, and tries to please Him; but those who do not believe in that good and gracious Saviour, and do not love Him, nor read His word, nor try to please

Him, are not His children.'

if they repent and love Jesus Christ, and grow good, will not they be His children?" "What do you mean by good,' my dear?" "Oh, I mean if they love God, and read the Bible, and try to do what the good men spoken of there, did." "The good men prayed to God to make them do what was right; for God had put His Spirit into their hearts, and taught them to wish to love Him, and try to please Him; and God heard them, and helped them; and so He will help you to try and please Him, if you ask Him to do so, and then I shall think that you are one of His children; and that will make your papa and me very happy." "But, mamma, might I not grow naughty; like Eli's wicked sons that you told us about; and never fear God any more? "Yes, my dear, you might be just like them; but I hope God will enable your papa and me to restrain you when you do wrong :do wrong:-Eli's sons you know were never restrained; but God promises that if we train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it.' And if God blesses the means we use to bring up our children in the fear of God, He will put His Spirit into your hearts; and then He will never forsake you, for He never teaches