If we truly love a parent, a teacher, a friend or a playmate, we wish to do everything in our power to please him; and love not only makes it easy for us to engage in very difficult tasks, and to make many sacrifices, for his sake, but it even renders them delightful. So, if we love God, -our Father in heaven, our Friend above all others, our Greatest Benefactor, we shall only need to know what is right in His sightwhat is our duty to Him-in order to make it easy and pleasant for us to perform it.

It is our duty to love excellence wherever we find it, and to love the objects in which it is found just in proportion to the degree in which they possess it; no matter whether they have ever done us good or not-no matter if we are not even known to them-our duty to love their excellence remains the same. If God were not, as He is, making us happy in a thousand ways, during our whole life long, it would be our duty to think with delight of the surpassing beauty and glory of His character, and to love Him most heartily, because He is so good, and great, and lovely, in Himself. But while this is our duty, it is our interest too, and the discharge of it brings its reward into our own bosom. We were made for love more than for anything else. It is the harmony of our nature.

How does love to our parents, teachers, &c., affect the performance of our duties to them? How is this applied to our love to God? What is said of our duty in regard to excellence? How is this applied to our relation to God? What is said of the discharge of the duty of love to God?

The exercise of hatred makes us miserable; that of love fills us with delight; and the more worthy we consider the objects of our love, the happier we are. If we love God, the purest, noblest, most excellent of all beings, best of all, we shall be happier than we can express, and "the peace of God which passeth all understanding will fill our hearts." We shall be in harmony with all the works of God, and can mingle our songs, in sweet concert, with the wild notes of the woodbird, and the soft, gurgling music of rivulets and streams.

Our own character is formed by what we think about most, and what we most delight in. Love to God will lead us to think of Him, to learn increasingly of the greatness and beauty of His perfections, and by so doing, the beauty and loveliness of His character will be reflected upon us, and we shall be enabled to grow more and more into his image.

CHAPTER II.

GRATITUDE TO GOD.

It has been said, that it would be our duty to love God, because He is perfectly good, even

What is said of the exercise of love? What if we give God our first and best love? What effect will love to God have upon our own character? Subject of Chapter II.? What causes for gratitude to God are given?

But He is

if he bestowed no favors upon us. continually doing us good. He is the author of all that makes us happy. He holds the place to us of a kind and indulgent Father. From Him we have received all that we are, or can be. Life, health, friends, our minds, and the means of improving them, and all the sources of happiness which we enjoy, are His kind gifts. But, above all, we are indebted to His unmerited goodness for the gift of His Son, our Saviour and Redeemer, whose divine, revelations and blessed example are capable of making us wise unto eternal life. And it would seem to be most natural that we should seek, in every way, to make Him some return for these blessings. "What shall we render to the Lord for all his benefits," would seem to be the natural question of our hearts. But what return can we make? We possess nothing that would enrich Him. The only thing that we can do is deeply to feel our obligations to Him, and earnestly desire to do something which shall please Him. This feeling and desire is called Gratiude, and it is a duty that we cannot neglect, without being guilty of great sin. He who does not exercise this feeling must be destitute of every kind and generous impulse, and cannot but be viewed, even by his fellow-beings, with great disapprobation.

What more than all these? What would seem natural? What the question of our hearts? What return can we make? What is this called? What is said of neglecting this duty? Of not exercising this feeling?

Here is a child, who is blest with the kindest and best of parents. During his babyhood they spared no pains nor expense in getting him toys and picture-books for his amusement. As soon as he was able to walk abroad, they furnished him with light, delicate clothes, for summer, and provided him with warm downy caps, tippets, mittens, and other comforts, for winter. All his wishes for amusements were gratified. He had skates, hoops, balls, wooden horses, and the like. He was sent to the best schools, was taught, not only in all the useful and necessary branches of instruction, but was allowed to cultivate a taste for music, sculpture, drawing, and painting. Horses and carriages are placed at his disposal, so that when he pleases he can ride for pleasure. The means of travelling, both in his own and in foreign lands, are granted him. At his home, rooms are fitted up, for his use, with every comfort, and even luxury. The walls are hung with beautiful paintings, and choice specimens of sculpture fill its niches. Shells of rare form and exquisite coloring adorn his shelves, together with books of the most rich and elegant bindings. Singing birds fill his apartments with their music, and the most delicate flowers diffuse their delicious perfume around him. He is the pride and joy of his parents' hearts, and everything which riches or the most fond affection can bestow, is lavished upon him without measure.

What, now, should we naturally expect from

How is this subject illustrated?

this child in return for all this kindness and love of his parents? Suppose he gives himself up to the enjoyment of all the good things which they provide for him, and never has one kindly glow of affection towards them never cheers them with his presence when they are in health, nor seeks to alleviate their sufferings in sickness, nor to entertain their loneliness in old age. Suppose he never desires to talk with them, never wishes to see them, never even thinks of them! What should we think of such baseness? How should we abhor such ingratitude?

But this is only a faint illustration of the bounty with which God, in goodness and love, provides in numberless ways for our happiness. Whatever favors we receive from parents, or other kind friends, come, through them, from God, and, therefore, whatever gratitude we feel towards them is really due to Him. And shall we awake, morning by morning, without one grateful thought of Him who has preserved us to open our eyes upon the beauties of another day? Shall we take our food, from time to time, without remembering that it is His bounteous hand that feeds us? And, amid the thousand enjoyments arising, not only from what we see, and hear, and taste, but also from the means of knowledge, from the love of friends in this world, and from the provision

What is said of this illustration? Of gratitude we may feel towards parents or other kind friends? Why? What questions illustrating our ingratitude to God?