8. Against Lying.

O'Tis a lovely thing for youth

To walk betimes in wisdom's way; To fear a lie, to speak the truth, That we may trust to all they say. But liars we can never trust,

Though they should speak the thing
that's true;

And he that does one fault at first,
And lies to hide it, makes it two.

Have we not known, nor heard, nor

read,

How God abhors deceit and wrong? How Ananias was struck dead, Caught with a lie upon his tongue? So did his wife Sapphira die,

When she came in and grew so bold As to confirm that wicked lie

Which just before her husband told.
The Lord delights in them that speak
The words of truth; but ev'ry liar
Must have his portion in the lake
That burns with brimstone and with
fire.

Then let me always watch my lips,
Lest I be struck to death and hell;
Since God a book of reck'ning keeps
For ev'ry lie that children tell.

9. Praise to GOD for learning to read. THE praises of my tongue

I offer to the Lord,

That I was taught and learnt so young To read his holy word:

That I am brought to know
The danger I was in ;
By nature and by practice too
A wretched slave to sin :
That I am led to see

I can do nothing well;
And whither shall a sinner flee
To save himself from hell?

Dear Lord, this book of thine
Informs me where to go:
For grace to pardon all my sin,
And make me holy too.

Here I can read and learn

How Christ, the Son of God,
Did undertake our great concern ;
Our ransom cost his blood.

And, now he reigns above,
He sends his spirit down,
To shew the wonders of his love,
And make his Gospel known.

O may that spirit teach,

And make my heart receive, Those truths which all thy servants preach,

And all thy saints believe!

Then shall I praise the Lord,
In a more cheerful strain,

That I was taught to read his word,
And have not learnt in vain.

LET dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For 'tis their nature, too.

But, children, you should never let
Such angry passions rise;
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other's eyes.

Let love thro' all your actions run,
And all your words be wild;
Live like the blessed virgin's Son,
That sweet and lovely child.

His soul was gentle as a lamb;
And, as his stature grew,
He grew in favor both with man
And God his father too.

Now, Lord of all, he reigns above,
And, from his heav'nly throne,
He sees what children dwell in love,
And marks them for his own.

11. Solemn Thoughts on GOD and Death. THERE is a God that reigns above, Lord of the heav'ns and earth and

seas;

I fear his wrath, I ask his love,
And with my lips I sing his praise.