Loveg. But merely saying your prayers is not doing your duty; for many people say their prayers, and never mind their meaning; and instead of doing our duty we commit a very great sin in saying our prayers in a thoughtless and negligent manner.But, in order that I may shew you that your heart is not altogether so good as you think, I must ask you a few more questions.-Are you never angry ?

Jacky. Not very often, sir.

Loveg. I did not ask you how often you are angry: the Bible says all causeless anger is murder; for God judges the secrets of the heart, so that whenever you are angry, you commit an act of murder in your heart before him; and how is it that a child, with such wickedness in his nature, can have a good heart?

Jacky. I hope I shall make myself better by and by.

Loveg, I am sorry you should talk of making yourself better; for when I teach children the catechism, I tell them they can do nothing without "God's special grace;" but if you can do it by and by, you can as well do it now; and I am sure you must be a bad child if you don't wish to be better till by and by. But did you never tell a lie?

Jacky. Why I told one the other day, when I said I was not proud of my new clothes.

Loveg. Why then, it seems you can not only tell a lie, but be guilty of the sin of pride. I am afraid, my poor child, your heart is much worse than you

suppose.

Jacky Sir, there are many children much wickeder than I am, for I never say no bad words.

Loveg. Do you never, in a careless manner, say, O Lord! O God! O Christ!

Jacky. Yes, sir; but they are not bad words. Loveg. No; the words are good; but are not you

a very bad-hearted child for "taking the Lord's name in vain," when you are told in the third commandment, the "Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain ?" No wonder, while you say your prayers, you forget what they mean; for I fear that even then you " take the Lord's name in vain." [The child is silent. Mr. Lovegood adds,] I hope you will soon know more of the wickedness of your own heart; but I must now talk to Timothy Simple.

[He was the son of an industrious widow, left with four children, who by washing, weeding in the garden, and running of errands, collected by the hand of industry every penny in her power for her indigent children; now and then receiving some occasional relief from the money given at the sacrament, which was very largely attended at Mr. Lovegood's church, together with some further support, ever flowing to all known subjects of human woe, who come within the knowledge of the honourable possessors of Brookfield Hall.]

Loveg. Well, Timothy, my child, what do you think of your heart? Is it as good as Jacky. Proud's?"

Tim. I am afraid I am not so good as I should be; but I hope God will make me better.

Loveg. Then you believe in what I have frequently taught you, that we can do nothing "without God's special grace?"

Tim. Oh yes, sir, for I am afraid my heart is very wicked.

Loveg. Why do you think so?

Tim. I am ashamed to tell, sir.

Loveg. Well, my good child, I am very glad to hear you say you are ashamed of your sins; for when that is the case, our most merciful Saviour will

not only pardon your sins, but by his grace will change your heart.

Tim. I hope he will, sir, for sure I am it is very hard; for when you told that story, though other children cried much, I could hardly cry at all; and yet I should be very glad if the Lord would make me as good a child as he was.

Loveg. So he will, my child, if you will call upon him in humble prayer.

Tim. Sir, I always says the prayers out of the little book you gave me, but I am very forgetful while I say them. I wish I was as good as sister Sally, and as my mother wishes me to be.

Loveg. Is it not a great blessing from the Lord that you have such a good mother and sister?

Tim. Yes, sir, I thank the Lord for it! for you often tell us, that if it were not for the grace of God we should be all very wicked.

Loveg. And should you not be very grateful and obedient to your mother, for working so hard, that you may have a little bread, and some decent clothes?

Tim. O yes, sir, and she thanks God Almighty every day for sending you into our parish; for she says she was not a good woman till you came.

Loveg. But you know, my child, there are many bad people still living in the parish since I have been your minister. How came your mother to be better, while they continue in the same bad state ?

Tim. Why, Sir, you often tell us about regeneration and a new heart; and that makes my mother a good woman, because she has a new heart.

Loveg. Then you believe that all people who have new hearts will be good people.

Tim. Yes, Sir; for it is the Holy Spirit of God who gives us these new hearts, that we may, by his grace, love God and keep his commandments. And

the reason why people are so wicked is, because they have not God's Holy Spirit in their hearts.

Loveg. Can you prove this by some text of scripture?

Tim. My memory is very bad, but I remember

one.

Loveg. What is that, my child?

Tim. Sir, it is the text you preached from two Sundays ago: "Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his."

[The rest of Timothy's answers were in the same style; he was a simple-hearted affectionate child, and his good natural disposition was well cultivated and improved by Mr. Lovegood's diligent attention to the poor children of the parish. Immediately after his examination, the Esquire thought proper that he should be rewarded with a Bible, which he most gratefully and thankfully received.

Richard Heedless's child was next examined.

Loveg. Well, Mr. Attentive, how does this child come on? Tho' he comes to the Sunday school, I never see his father at church.

Attent. I am afraid, sir, his church is at the Nag's Head in Mapleton.

Loveg. Well, but if the father acts improperly, that is no reason why the child may not receive good.

Attent. Oh, Sir, I cannot get him on at any rate : for all that he receives on the Sunday he forgets on the week days, and I am afraid it is only for the sake of the feast that we see him now.

Mr. Lovegood to Ned Heedless. Why, my child, how is it that I hear all this of you? but let us see if you understand any thing. Who made you?

Ned. God Almighty.

Loveg. What did he make you for? Ned. To do my duty, and mind my religion. Loveg. But do you do your duty, and mind religion as you ought?

Ned. I do it as well as my father.

Loveg. I am afraid if you do no better, your duty is miserably done; but tell me who redeemed you? Ned. Mr. Littleworth redeemed us last Monday. Loveg. to Mr. Littleworth. What can this poor child mean, by saying you redeemed them?

Littlew. Truly, Sir, I cannot tell, unless it is that I stopped his father's wages to redeem his clothes out of pawn; for after he had been two days drunk at Mapleton revel, he pledged every bit of decent clothes he had to pay his alehouse debts: and when I saw him such a dirty ragged fellow, I told him he should work for me no more till he had taken his clothes from the pawn broker's.

Loveg. to Heedless. I fear, master Heedless, your son's ignorance is to be laid to the charge of your wickedness.

Heedl. Your honour, it can't be expected that I should be able to instruct my children, for I was never bred to no larning.

Loveg. Why thousands and tens of thousands who were never bred to learning have yet been blessed with grace; and you can't suppose you need to be a bad man, because you are a poor man: nor need you be the poor man you now are, if it were not for the wickedness of your heart. Do you ever pray?

Heedl. Why, Sir, more's the pity, I cannot read. Loveg. I did not ask you if you could read, but can you pray?

Heedl. I can say the Lord's prayer from top to bottom.

Loveg. And is this all your religion? I fear you VOL. I.

K