THE PLEASING INSTRUCTOR.



SUPPOSE two children go to bed at the same time every night, and one of them rises at six every morning, and the other not till eight. In forty years the difference would exceed twenty-nine thousand hours. How many things might be done or learned in such a number of hours.



Holy Bible, book divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine:

Mine, to chide me when I rove;

Mine, to tell the Saviour's love:

Mine, to tell of joys to come,

And the rebel sinner's doom:

O thou precious book divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine.



"Why do you tie that bough to a stake?" I said to the gardener one day. "I do it," said he, "because I wish it to grow straight; and if I do not keep it bent this way for some time, it will grow crooked." This reminded me of what king Solomon says: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."



THE DANGER OF SINFUL COMPLIANCES

He that once sins, like him that slides on ice,

Goes quickly down the slipp'ry paths of vice:

His conscience pricks him--but those rubs got o'er,

He sins securely, and looks back no more.

Beware of a conscience seared with a hot iron, and rendered hard.



Many little boys and girls have wicked habits and ill tempers, which are very disagreeable; how thankful they should be, if they have kind parents or teachers who try to take away these bad habits.



TOM. That is a fine large kite; I wish I could make such a one.

CHARLES. I have just finished it, and what one boy can do, surely another can do also. Remember to try and try again, and you will succeed at last; but to say, "I can't," never did any thing yet.



By whom was David taught

To aim the dreadful blow,

When he Goliath fought,

And laid the giant low?

'T was Israel's God and King

That sent him to the fight,

Who gave him strength to slay,

And skill to aim aright.

Ye youthful saints, your strength endures

Because young David's God is yours.



See what an evil thing it is to be disobedient to God. The Prophet did that which God had told him not to do, and when he was on his way, riding upon an ass, a lion met him, and slew him; and his carcass was cast by the way, and the ass stood by it: the lion also stood by the carcass. Read 1 Kings, 13:24-30.



Some dogs are always barking and snarling at people. But others are playful and kind, and will even allow little boys to ride upon their backs. How much happier little boys and girls are when they are kind to their playmates, and not peevish and discontented. Bad children, if they are old enough to know the sinfulness of their conduct, are in truth much worse than the dog.



Happy the children who betimes

Have learned to know the Lord;

Who, through his grace, escape the crimes

Forbidden in his word.

Should they be early hence removed,

He will their souls receive;

For those who Jesus here have loved,

With him shall never live.



This little girl is at prayer. I dare say she has good parents, who have taught her to fear and love God. How delightful it is to see children remember their Creator in the days of their youth.

The Lord is good, the Lord is kind;

Great is his grace, his mercy sure;

And the whole race of man shall find

His truth from age to age endure.



Are they not of wisdom void,

Those who saunter unemployed,

Young or old, who, foolish, play

Their important time away?

Sloth is the accursed root

Whence ten thousand evils shoot;

Every vice, and every sin,

May with idleness begin.



We look through a telescope to see distant objects, and they appear near at hand; so the Bible enables us to see and understand about Heaven, and many other things, which we should otherwise remain ignorant of.



See how the little toiling bee

Improves the harvest hours;

While summer lasts, in all her cells

Her winter food she stores.

In youthful days seek grace divine,

For youth of life's the prime;

Best is this season for our work,

And this th' accepted time.



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