of turning them to good account. As a full cup can hold no more, so the fuller your hearts are of good feelings, the less room will there be therein for evil passions. The feeling of love, both towards God and our fellowcreatures, is one of the most delightful of all feelings: we will, therefore, make it the subject of conversation at our next meeting."

William, Mary, George, and Susan, all seemed to think that their papa's remarks had been sadly too short; but as he had mentioned the subject of the next meeting, they had something to think of, and they were all more determined than ever to learn to feel aright.

EARLY on the morning of the next Wednesday, Mr. Railton took his children out into the fields. They had a delightful walk, during which the rising sun, the lark singing in the air, the green trees, the opening flowers, claimed and received their admiration.

"Do you love me, Mary," said Mr. Railton, the moment he took his seat among his happy family, in the afternoon of the same day. "Do you love me, Mary?" said he,

taking the hand of his daughter Mary, and looking at her affectionately.

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Yes, papa, you know I do;" was the ready reply, as Mary pressed the hand of her father.

"And your mother? Are you sure that you love her "

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"Quite sure! we all love her very dearly," said Mary, jumping up, and throwing her arms round the neck of her mother. Yes, that we do," cried Susan. "Yes, that we do, echoed little Fanny, as each of them hastened to kiss their mother's cheek.

"And why do you love her? and why do you love me?" asked Mr. Railton.

"Because you are both of you so kind to us: we cannot help loving you," rejoined Mary.

"But do we not sometimes reprove you, and now and then punish you?" asked her father.

"Yes; but never unless we deserve it. We do really love you," replied Mary.

"Yes, that we do," once more cried out Susan and little Fanny.

"Then it seems," said Mr. Railton, "that the feeling of love is called forth by kindness. How striking are the words of the apostle John on the subject of love to God: 'We love him, because he first loved us,' 1 John iv. 19. If you love your parents because they have been kind to you, what abundant cause have

you to love God, whose kindness and goodness can never be fully told! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,' John iii. 16. Now, the way to learn to feel love for God, is to call to mind continually his kindness and goodness; and of this you know that you have many proofs."

Here Mrs. Railton called little Fanny to her, and asked her to repeat the first verse of "Gentle Jesus;" which she did in a very pretty way for her years.

"If you were constantly to think of the reproofs and punishments you receive at my hands," continued Mr. Railton, "you would fear me more than you would love me; and it is the same with regard to your heavenly Father. Some people brood over his righteous judgments, till they have little or no comfort from his tender mercy and compassion: they fear him much, and love him little. This is not the way to learn to love God."

As Mr. Railton proceeded, every eye was fixed upon him.

"The little verse that Fanny has repeated, is well adapted to call forth the love of a little child; for it speaks of the gentleness, the meekness, and the mildness of the Saviour. Think of the difference between gloomily and despondingly dwelling on the most fearful subjects, and gratefully and trustfully

exulting, as the psalmist, in those verses, 'O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms,' Psa. xcv. 1, 2. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever! Psa. cxviii. 1.

"It is true, that we cannot always be rejoicing, and that at times we are sure to be cast down; but if we pray in the Saviour's name, that the Holy Spirit may help our infirmities, we may rely on that Divine assistance which we require. Think of the difference between one man moping along the road, with his eyes fixed on the ground, discontented, fretful, and repining; and another walking abroad gazing on the rising sun, the green trees, and the beautiful flowers, listening to the song of the lark, and bursting, in the fulness of his heart, into the words,

'When all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view, I'm lost
In wonder, love, and praise.'

"The way, my dear children, to learn to feel love towards God is, whether at your books or at play, within doors or without, when reading his holy word, or walking abroad in the fields, to keep up a lively remembrance of his goodness. So long as we all do this, the language of our hearts will be, 'Bless the