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with some sin of infirmity, and which retards his step towards the land of promise. Let him not be weary in well doing, but continue instant in prayer and in all the means of grace; and that same power who, in one day, conquered the objections, subdued the prejudices, softened the passions and converted the hearts of three thousand souls, shall make his way plain before him and enable him to triumph over every thing that would oppose his salvation."

J. S. Z.

To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. SIR,

As the time is approaching when Friendly Societies usually hold their annual meetings, if you think the following hymn worthy of their acceptance, it is much at their service.

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4.

Let such as in abundance are,
With gratitude thy love declare:
Let such as in affliction sigh,
On thy protecting hand rely.

5.

While here before thy throne we bend,
To aid our pray'r thy spirit send :
And when from this thy house we go,
Still thy protecting grace bestow.

PRAYERS FOR VERY LITTLE CHILDREN.

Ir a child is properly taught, it will very soon be able to understand the beginnings of religion; and it should then be instructed, by its parents, in the duty of offering its prayers to its Maker. It is easy to teach a child to repeat almost any thing, by dictating to it a little at a time; and the memory is thus practised and strengthened; but this is not the object of prayer; and to teach a child to repeat a long prayer which it cannot understand, is doing no good; and is very likely to lead to a habit of saying prayers out of mere form, instead of considering properly what is the intention of prayer. It is therefore better to begin with a very short prayer, such as a child may repeat and understand almost as soon as it can speak. Something like the following words would be sufficient perhaps just at first.

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O God bless me and make me a good child, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Then, after a very little time, a rather longer prayer might be used. These which follow are copied from a card which has been distributed by many clergymen among their parishioners; and many parents have been thus supplied with prayers for their children, and enabled to begin a practice which may be a blessing to them during the rest of their lives; and a preparation for life eternal.

MORNING PRAYER FOR A CHILD.

BLESSED be God, for keeping me the night past from harm! O God, bless me, and teach me to love Thee, and keep me from sin and danger this day, and make me, by Thy grace, a good child, dutiful to my parents and teachers, and kind to every body. And, when I die, take me to Thy kingdom in heaven, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen.

EVENING PRAYER FOR A CHILD.

BLESSED be God, for keeping me, the day past, in health and safety. O God, forgive my sins, and give me grace to be sorry for them, and to sin no more. Bless me, and all my friends, this night, and for ever, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

V

SHORT LECTURES ON THE CATECHISM.

The Duty towards God, and our Neighbour. THE Ten Commandments were written on two tables of stone: the first table containing the four first commandments; and the second table containing the six last. On the first table, we read what is, for distinction's sake, called our duty to GOD, sometimes expressed by the word piety,-or religion. On the second table, we have what is called our duty to our neighbour, sometimes expressed by the word morality. Now, both these belong to the character of a true Christian, and both of these are most beautifully described and explained in the Catechism of our Church. To be strict in the observance of religious exercises, and to be negligent of our duty

to our Fellow Christians, is quite contrary to the spirit of the religion we profess; for "he that loveth God" is commanded "to love his brother also." And, on the other hand, to labour after those duties which we owe to our neighbour, and to forget those which we owe to our GOD, is leaving out the "first and great commandment" of the law, is depriving ourselves of that help and strength, by which alone we are enabled to do any thing really acceptable and good, and is indeed a melancholy proof that we consider ourselves as mere citizens of this world, instead of understanding that we are seeking an eternal city in heaven. That part of the Catechism called our duty towards God, is an explanation of the four first Commandments; the duty of our neighbour is an explanation of the six last; and these are here explained, in a Christian sense, according to the method used by our Lord in his divine Sermon on the Mount. Let every Christian then study these attentively, and pray for divine grace to teach him to serve God, and consequently to do good to his fellow creatures. Our Church supplies a prayer well suited to every one who desires to live according to the spirit of those commands "Lord have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws in our hearts we beseech thee." Knowing how we have sinned against God, and how much we stand in need of pardon, well may we say, after every command, "Lord have mercy upon us :" feeling the need of future obedience, well may we at the same time say, “incline our hearts to keep this law."

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The more we study the law of God, the more shall we see its purity and its perfect excellence, and the more we shall see how very far short we have come of obeying it. How thankful then should we be, as Christians, that we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins, and, through whom, we may apply for mercy. And, the more also we study the

law, the more shall we see the need of obeying it, for the sake of our happiness on earth, and our preparation for heaven. As Christians then we shall seek for the aid of the Holy Spirit to help our infirmi ties," to incline us to live according to these holy rules. V.

A LITTLE STORY TO BE READ AT HOME BY SCHOOL CHILDREN..

SARAH WILLIAMS and Ann Kent, both went to a National School when they were very little children. They were about the same age, and the parents of both were sensible people, and were very anxious that their children should take pains and learn a great deal. These children staid at the school for several years; and left it about the same time; and, when they did leave, Sarah Williams knew a great deal, and proved to be a very sensible well-judging, clever girl; but Ann Kent knew hardly any thing at all, and was a very foolish, trifling, and silly girl. Now how could this be? Some people might think that Sarah Williams was naturally the quickest and cleverest child. No, that was not the case. They were both pretty much alike in this respect. Perhaps you may think that Sarah Williams was a favourite with the school-mistress, and that more pains were therefore taken with her. No, it was not so; for Mrs. Freeman, the school mistress, knew better than to have favourites, and was desirous alike of the good of all her scholars. What then could be the reason? Just this; that Sarah Williams was very attentive, and took great pains to improve; whilst Ann Kent was just the contrary, and took no pains at all. The plan of the National Schools is the very best of all, for fixing the attention of children; but yet, after all, if a child is determined

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