THE Lady of the Manor. BEING A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF CONFIRMATION. Intended for the Use of the Middle and Higher Ranks of YOUNG FEMALES. BY MRS. SHERWOOD, Author of "LITTLE HENRY AND HIS BEARER,” VOLUME VII. Wellington, Salop: PRINTED BY AND FOR HOULSTON AND SON. THE LADY OF THE MANOR, &c. CHAPTER XXX. Fourth Conversation on the Lord's Prayer. WHEN the young ladies were again met at the manorhouse, the lady addressed them to the following pur pose. "I do not feel willing, my dear young friends, to leave the subject of prayer, till I have added something more on its nature and efficacy. "There are many promises in Scripture, relative to prayer, which I am anxious to remind you of; for I doubt not that you have already noticed them. "Prayer,' says a venerable divine, 'is an offering up of our desires to the Almighty for things lawful and needful, with an humble confidence that they will be obtained through the mediation of Christ, to the praise of the mercy, truth, and power of God. It is either mental or vocal, ejaculatory or occasional, either private or public, for ourselves or others, for the procuring of good things or the removing or preventing of evil things. The Almighty Lord is the only legitimate object of worship, as we find in Psalm 1. 15. From St. James we also learn that we are to pray for others as well as ourselves. (James v. 16.) We are also to pray fervently, (Col. iv. 12;) and constantly, (Col. iv. 2;) with faith, (James v. 15;) and by the help of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. viii. 26.) "The parts of prayer," continued the lady of the manor, "are invocation, adoration, confession, petition, pleading, dedication, thanksgiving, and blessing. But the composition of any prayer is of infinitely less importance than the spirit in which it is offered up. Hence learning and talents are not required in rendering a prayer acceptable to God, though they may render it more pleasing to the ears of The lady of the manor then requested one of the young people to repeat the answer to this question, "What desirest thou of God in this prayer?" One of the young ladies replied, "I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father, who is the Giver of all goodness, to send his grace unto me, and to all people, that we may worship him, serve him, and obey him, as we ought to do. And I pray unto God, that he will send us all things that be needful both for our souls and bodies; and that he will be merciful unto us, and forgive us our sins; and that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily; and that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness, and from our ghostly enemy, and from everlasting death. And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness, through our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore I say, Amen, So be it." The lady of the manor then proposed to read a story to her young people, containing some remarks on prayer, which she trusted might be pleasing to them. She accordingly unfolded a manuscript, and read as follows. The Shepherdess of the Alps. Ernesthus Müller was born at Geneva, about the middle of the last century. His father was the head of a respectable family, which had long resided in the canton of the same name; and his mother was of English parentage; but how this lady became united with a foreigner is not our present business to enquire. Geneva is a name which must be familiar to every refined ear: the extraordinary beauty of its situation, on the banks of a charming lake surrounded with mountains, |