have better motives for endurance under trial than heathens have.

"We should all endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ; for though no trial and 'no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby,' Heb. xii. 11. Job was not only patient, but firm, when he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,' Job xii. 15. Think of the trials and bodily pains of God's people of old, of whom the world was not worthy; and more than all, of the sufferings of the Redeemer, whose visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men,' Isa. lii. 14.

"It is clear, my dear children, that in learning to feel firmness under trial and suffering, you must bear in mind three things: 1. What others have endured. 2. What the Saviour of sinners has endured for you. 3. That however weak you may be, God can give you strength according to your trial.

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Oh, I should feel ashamed if a child of mine were overcome by a trifling trial, and could not endure a little pain when it was necessary. You all of you have your faults; but I hope there are none among my elder children who would play the coward, shrinking back from such troubles as it pleased God should befall them. Look to him in

all

6

your trials, and you will be sure to be strengthened. If you are weak, he is strong: call, then, on him; for the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him,' Psa. cxlv. 18, and he will sustain them."

No sooner had Mr. Railton concluded his remarks, than William came forward, to confess that, about an hour before his papa returned home, he had run a thorn into his finger, which gave him pain. He had not spoken of it before, being foolishly afraid of the pain of having it taken out; but, after what his papa had said, he thought he could bear to have his finger cut off.

In two minutes, or less, Mr. Railton had extracted the thorn, which was a large one, without William once crying out "Oh!" and this had such a good effect on his sister Mary that she consented to have her tooth drawn; under which trial she behaved herself very creditably. Here were evident proofs that the lecture on firmness had not been given in vain, and that the young people were really profiting by their father's remarks.

THERE is hardly any quality that confers more real enjoyment and pleasure in domestic life than that of Cheerfulness. It is a sunbeam that not only lights up the eye and the heart, but the whole house also. By cheerfulness, I do not mean the bad habit which some have of laughing and joking at every thing and every body. Life is too serious and important an affair to be turned into a jest. There is "a time to weep," as well as

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a time to dance;" but the general habit of cheerfulness enables many to bear up under troubles which otherwise would overwhelm them with affliction, and thus proves a great blessing.

It has been said, with some truth, that pious people, of all others, have the greatest reason to be cheerful, seeing that their prospect is a bright one, not only in the present world, in having God for their Friend, but, also, in the world to come. There is often

heaviness in the song of the drunkard, and the silly joke of the foolish jester; but the cheerfulness of the heart and spirit of a true disciple of the Redeemer, sheds light and satisfaction on all around.

Mr. Railton was a great advocate for cheerfulness, and set an example to his children, which he much wished them to follow. "Cheerfulness and thankfulness," he often said, "are companions; whereas melancholy is always seen in the company of discontent." When the family group et together, it might have been suspected, from the bright eyes and cheerful smiles of the young people, that they knew something about the subject on which their father was about to converse with them. William was full of good-humour, and his brother and sisters seemed as lively and as happy as if they had a holiday before them.

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Now, children," said Mr. Railton, taking his seat, "I will give you twenty good reasons why we should be cheerful, if any of of you will give me ten good reasons why we should be melancholy."

There was laughing on this announcement

being made, but not one single reason was advanced in favour of melancholy. Mr. Railton finding that if he waited until his proposal was accepted, there would be but little prospect of turning their meeting to any good account, proceeded thus:—

"Well, then, as you seem to have so little to say in favour of melancholy, I must try what I can advance in behalf of cheerfulness; and when I say cheerfulness, I do not mean buffoonery and folly, but the liveliness of a happy and guileless heart, that delights in making others as happy as itself. Though I am fond of a lively sally, and sparkling wit, now and then, some experience of the world has told me, that they who are always jesting are no better than simpletons. I have a pious friend who is almost always cheerful, and the consequence is, that he is welcome every where; his presence is like a sunbeam, which not only falls on the head, but influences the heart." William. That is what I like.

Mr. Railton. Sometimes we are led to prize cheerfulness more, when we see how much is lost by people who seem to encourage a feeling of melancholy and repining. I will read you a paragraph from a little book that I have here, on the subject of cheerfulness. "We have all something to endure: if we had not, we should be so proud and selfwilled as scarcely to be endured ourselves; but when things are at the worst, when they