Log. But fhould you not rather believe what God's word says, "Behold, I was hapen in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive Jacky. Sir, I do my duty as well as I can. Loveg. What do you mean by doing your duty, my child? Jacky I always come to church, and fay my prayers night and morning. Loveg. But merely faying your prayers is not doing your duty; for many people fay their prayers and never mind their meaning, and instead of doing our duty, we commit a very great finin faying our prayers in a thoughtless and negligent manner: but, in order that I may fhew that your heart is not altogether fo good as you think, I must ask you few more questions.-Are you never angry 5 ym dow Jacky. very often, fir. you Loveg. I did not afk you how often you are angry; but the Bible fays! all anger is murder; for our holy God judges the fecrets of the heart, fo that whenever you are angry, you commit an act of murder in your heart before Him; and how is it that a child, with fuch wickedness in his nature, can have a good heart? 66 Jacky. I hope I fhall make myself better by and by. Loveg. I am forry you should talk of making yourself better; for when I teach children the catechifin, I tell them they can do nothing without God's fpecial 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 faid I was not proud of my new clothes. Loveg. Why then it feems you cannot only tell a lie, but be guilty of the fin of pride. I am afraid, my poor child, your heart is much worse than you fuppofe. སྙན ་*། །ས Facky. Sir, there are many children much wickeder than I am, for I never fay no bad words. Loveg. Do you never, in a careless manner, fay, O Lord! O God! O Chrift! Jacky. Yes, fir; 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 fay your prayers, you forget what they mean; for I fear that, even then, you " take the Lord's name in vain." The child' is filent. Mr. Lovegood adds, I hope you will foon know more of the wickedness of your own heart; but I must now talk to Timothy Simple. He was the fon of an induftrious 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 fome occafional relief from the money given at the facrament, which was very largely attended at Mr. Lovegood's church; together with fome further jupport, ever flowing to all known fubjects of human woe, who come within the knowledge of the honour able poffefors of Brookfield-hall. Loveg. Well, Timothy, my child, what do you think of your heart? Is it as good as Jacky Proud's? Timothy. I am afraid I am not fo good as I fhould 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." Timothy. Oh no, fir, for I am afraid my heart is very wicked. Timothy. I am afhamed to tell, fir. Loveg. Well, my good child, I am very glad to hear you lay you are afhamed of your fins; and when that is the cafe, our moft merciful Saviour will not only pardon your fins, but give you his grace to change your heart. Timothy. I hope he will, fir, for fure I am it is very hard; for when you told that ftory, though other children cried much, I could hardly cry at all; and yet I fhould be very glad if the Lord would make me as good child as he was: Loveg. So he will, my child, if you will call upon him in humble prayer. Timothy. Sir, I always fay the prayers out of the little book you gave me, but I am very forgetful while I fay them. I with I was as good as fifter Sally, and as my mother withes me to be. Loveğ. Is it not a great bleffing from the Lord that you have such a good mother and fifter.?. Tim. Yes, fir, I thank the Lord for it; for you often tell us, that if It was not for the grace of God we fhould be all very wicked. Loveg. And thould you not be very grateful and obedient to your mother for working fo hard, that you may have a little bread, and fome decent clothes? ; Tim. O yes, fir, and the thanks God Almighty every day for fending you into our parish; for the fays the was not a good woman till you came. The reft of Timolly's anfvers were in the fame fiyle; he was a fimples hearted affectionate child, and his good natural difpofition was well cultivated and improved by Mr, Lovegood's diligent attention to the poor children of the parish.-Richard Heedlefs's child was next examined. Loveg. Well, Mr. Attentive, how does this child come on? Tho' he comes to the Sunday fchool, I never fee his father at church. Attentive. I am afraid, fir, his church is at the Nag's Head in Mapleton. Loveg. Well, but if the father acts improperly, that is no reafon why the child may not receive good. Attentive. Oh, Sir, I cannot get him on at any rate; for all that hé receives on the Sunday he forgets on the week days; and I am afraid it is only for the fake of the feaft that we fee him now. Mr. Lovegood to Ned Heedlefs. Why, my child, how is it hear all this of you? But let us fee if you understand any thing? made you? Ned. God Almighty. Loveg. What did he make you for? Ned. To do my duty and mind my religion. that I Whe 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 it no better, your duty is miferably done. But tell me who redeemed you? Ned. Mr. Littleworth redeemed us laft Monday. Loveg. to Mr. Littleworth. What can this poor child mean by faying you redeemed them? Littlew. Truly, fir, I cannot tell, unless it is that I stopped his faë thor's wages to redeem his clothes out of pawn; for after he had been two days days drunk at Mapleton revel, he pledged every bit of decent clothes he had, to pay his alehoufe debts; and when I faw him fuch a dirty ragged fellow, I told him he fhould work for me no more till he had taken his clothes from the pawnbroker's, Littlew. to Heedlefs. I fear, mafter Heedlefs, your fon's ignorance is to be laid to your wickedness. Heedlefs. Sir, it can't be expected that I should be able to inftruct my children, for I was never bred to no learning. Loveg. Why thousands and tens of thousands who were never bred to learning, have yet been bleffed with grace; and you can't fuppofe 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? Heedlefs. Why, Sir, more's the pity, I cannot read. Loueg. I did not ask you if you could read, but can you pray? Loveg. And is this all your religion? I fear you are in a dreadful state. Here, Richard, is a book for you, "A compaffionate Addrefs ;" and Thomas Newman, who is almoft your next neighbour, can read very well, and I dare fay he will be fo kind as to read it to you. Thomas. Why, Richard knows I would be glad to read to him for his good, whenever I can fpare time. Loveg. Well, Thomas, we will next hear what improvement your boy has made.(To young Thomas.) By whom were all things created, and by whom were they upheld and preferved ? Thomas. By the Almighty God. Loveg. And who is the Almighty God ? Loveg. And how should you ferve him? Thomas. "In fpirit and in truth." Loveg. And do you think you do your duty as God demands ? for you know at all times he fees and hears all you fay and do. Thomas. Sir, I know I often forget God, though he knows me much better than I know myself. Loveg. What do you mean by faying God is Almighty? Thomas. I believe he is Almighty, becaufe he can do every thing, and that he fees and knows the ways and hearts of all. Loveg. What do you mean by faying he is holy? Thomas. Why, he is holy, because he loves nothing but that which is good like himself. All holy men and holy angels are his delight. Loveg. But, my good boy, what do you mean by holiness? Thomas. It is loving God with all our hearts, with all our minds, and fouls, and strength, and our neighbours as ourselves. Loveg. What is fin, then, my child? Thomas. Why, whenever we forget to love, and fear, and truft in God, and pray to him, and ferve him, we fin against him and whenever we are angry, unjuft, and neglectful in our duty towards our parents, our governors, and our neighbours, we do wrong, because we fin against his holy and juft commands. Loveg. But if God be fo very holy, are not we all very miferable finpers before him? Thomas. Yes: the Bible fays, "there is none righteous, no not one;" but I think my father and mother are very good, and fo are you and Squire Worthy. Lovey. Well, but you know we must all fay, "by the grace of God I am what I am." Thomas Thomas. Yes, fir; and my father always fays fuck, fort of words whens he prays with us. Loveg. What do you mean by the grace of God? Thomas. Why, my father has taught me this text," You know the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift; tho' he was rich, yet, for our fakes, he became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich." Loveg. What do you mean by the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift? Thomas. That he died for us, poor finners; on the cross. Loveg. What then, are all poor finners to be faved, because Christ died on the cross? Thomas. O no, fir, for you tell us from the pulpit, that if we reject Chrift, Chrift will reject us; and that all finners who come to Christ will have their hearts changed and purified by his Spirit: and that without holiness no man shall fee the Lord. You have been just now laying to us that every child must know the way of fin to be the high road to hell; but I pray the Lord to convert me by his grace, that I may live to his glory. Loveg. The Lord bless you, my good boy. I am very glad you have been able to attend fo well to the inftruction of your father, and that you get fo much good in attending on the Sunday fchool; and as our worthy Squire has given me fome Bibles to diftribute among the children who know how to make a good use of them, I fhall give you one of the best of them. [Gives him a Bible] Remember now that this is your own book, and the book of God's own writing, to make us wife unto falvation. Now turn round, and thank the 'Squire for his prefent. Thomas (With a bow to the ground. I thank your Honour a thousand times. The reader is to take this as a brief fample, among many, how Mr. Love good examined the children; and as an illuftration of what he conceived to be the wifeft way to impress the truths of religion on their young minds: he was well convinced that a mere catechism, enforced upon a child's memory by painful exertions, however good in its place, was likely to produce but a fender effect, without a more familiar method of inftruction adminiftered according to the ability and difpofitions of each child. After a confiderable time longer being taken up in examining several of the girls, as well as the boys, they were all Led through the park to Brookfield Hall, where they found a bountiful but plain feaft provided for them, with plenty of pies and puddings for the children-After this, young Mr. Merryman, by Mr. Lovegood's defire, concluded the feftivity with a tender and affectionate prayer, while his heart was much impressed by the recollection of what a different courfe he once pursued, before, by Mr. Lovegood's miniftry, he was brought to know the grace of God in truth. Mr. Littleworth's flitch was next produced, and after fome fuch apologies as might be expected from the Farmer to his Honour and Madam Worthy, it was catered among the children, according to the fize of the families; though, when carving for young Thomas, it evidently appeared that the farmer's knife very favourably flipped afide, through a little partiality on his be kalf. The farmer and his family were next ushered into the parlour to tea. Mifs Polly and Mifs Patty continued to expose themselves, by pretending to talk about fashions, and by making use of fine words, which they ill understood, while Mr. Lovegood ever aimed at giving a more profitable turn to the converfation, which was eafly done, between the farmer and Mifs Nancy. Henry's converfion, and the fears and hopes concerning his return, fill engroffed the fubftance of all they had 福 o fay, the anxiety of his heart for his beloved Henry being now the irft fubject on every occafion. On their return home, Miss Polly and Mifs Patty had enough to do in finding fault with each other respecting manners and dress, and fuch trifling fubjects, while the fimple, yet profitable, converfation between the farmer, Mifs Nancy, and Thomas, proved their hearts were truly fixed on the one thing needful." Thomas alone had abundance of fault to find with himself, being full of tears left the condefcending familiarity of the 'Squire had thrown him off his guard; he being unacquainted with the unaffected fimplicity and courtesy of his own manners, was not fenfible that the best chriftian is the best gentleman all over the world. To the Editor of the Evangelical Magazine. SIR, Not having feen an Answer to the Third Query in the Magazine for March, 1801, p. 117, I prefume.to offer the following: "Exhort a wicked man to pray! God would as foon be "moved by the howlings of the damned!" faid a flaming declaimer in the pulpit fome time fince.-Query, Is it right to exhort a wicked man to pray? THE HE declaimer feems to have had his eye to those paffages of Scripture, which declare the facrifice and way of the wicked to be an abomination to the Lord; and to have concluded from them, that God does not require any facrifice or prayer at their hand. But if fo, Why did Peter exhort the forcerer to pray? And wherefore is the fury of God denounced against the families that call not upon his name? An hypothefis which flies in the face of the exprefs language of Scripture is inadmiffible; and the framer of it, to be confiftent, fhould avow himself an infidel. If he meant only to deny that God requires fuch prayers as wicked men actually offer, the prayer of a hard, impenitent, and unbelieving heart, I have no controverfy with him. God cannot poffibly approve any thing of this kind. But then the fame is true of every other duty. Wicked men do nothing that is good or well-pleafing to God; nothing which is aimed at his glory, or done in obedience to his authority; every thing that is done, is done for selfish ends. If they read the Scriptures, it is not to know the will of God, and do it; or hear the word, it is not with any true defire to profit by it: even their purfuit of the common good things of this life, is that they may confume them upon their lufts; hence the very plowing of the wicked is fin. Yet the declaimer him * Prov. xv. 8, 9. xxi. 27. VOL.IX. + Acts vii, 22, 3 B Prov, xxi. |