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few between ten and fifteen years of age, who will not do it with perfect ease.-But though the work was principally intended for children of the ages here specified, yet the writer hopes that many youth will read it, and that they will, by the blessing of God, derive everlasting benefit from its pages.

CHAPTER I.

Object of the Book-Explanation of Faith.

MY YOUNG READER:

This little book is about faith. It is made for young persons, for children and youth who attend Sabbath schools; and therefore it is written in very plain and simple language, so that you may easily understand it. The writer of it wants you to read it very carefully, and think about what is said as you read along. Do not hurry it over, just so that you can say you have looked it through. A habit of careless reading is a bad habit. Read with close attention, and understand what you read.

You know that there is much said in the

Bible about faith. You know that every person must have faith, or he cannot be good and happy. The Bible says-Without faith it is impossible to please God. If then you

hope to please God, and to have his blessing, and to dwell in his presence when you leave this world, you must have faith. So you see it is of the utmost importance that you should know what faith is. It is the object of this little book to show you what it is, and to urge you to have it, that you may please God and be happy.

You know that the Holy Bible is the word of God. You know that in the Bible God speaks to us, and tells us about many things which we should never have known, if they had not been told to us in that holy book. You know that God speaks to us in the Bible about himself-he tells us who he is, where he dwells, what he has done, and what he will do. God tells us, also, what we are ourselves, what we have done, and what we must do, if we would please him. He tells us, too, about another world, a state of being beyond the grave-a place of happiness for the righteous, and a place of misery for the wicked. God tells us, further, about Jesus Christ, who came into the world and died to save sinners; and that they who believe in

Christ will be saved, and that they who believe not will be damned. All this, and very much more, God makes known to us in the Bible.

Now I am ready to tell you what faith is -it is so believing what God has said, as to do what he has commanded. Do you understand this? I want you should understand it, and will, therefore, express it in a little different language.-Faith is believing what God has said, in such a manner as will lead you to do what he has bidden. It is not enough to say that you believe the Bible, or to think that you believe it, if you do not obey it. It is not faith, to have a kind of general belief that the Bible is the word of God, and that it is all true. Many have this kind of belief, who have no true faith. If a man has true faith, he will not only believe what God has said in the Bible, but he will act as if he believed it.

What I have now said will show my young reader what true faith is, as clearly as I can do it in a few words. But I hope to make the subject very much plainer, before I close

this book. And I shall try to do it by pointing you to the example of many good men who had faith, and who showed what their faith was by what they did.

But before I proceed to notice these examples, I have several things to say. The great object of the Christian's faith is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only Saviour. And the only way in which we can be saved, is by faith in him. The Bible says-Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. And it says also" He that believeth not shall be damned." It is plain, therefore, that our salvation depends on our having true faith in the Saviour.

Now, you know what God has told us in the holy scriptures about his Son. You remember what the Bible says about the birth, life and death of Jesus. Though he dwelt in heaven, and was with God, and was God, yet he came into this world, and became a man. He was born of the virgin Mary. He grew up like other children. "He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." When he was thirty years