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thus, O Almighty God, now, even now at this present time, make us more than victorious over all worldly passions and earthly desires; so that, while present in the body, we may yet be present with the Lord, living by faith and not by sight, and ever ready to depart with joy. when our appointed hour may come.

"And now to Thee, O everlasting Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all praise, honour, and glory, from this time forth for evermore. Amen."

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CHAPTER XXVII.

CATECHIST. My good Child, know this, that thou art not able to do these Things of thyself, nor to walk in the Commandments of God, and to serve him, without his special Grace, which thou must learn at all Times to call for by diligent Prayer. Let me hear, therefore, if thou canst say the Lord's Prayer.

A. Our Father, which art in Heaven, kallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this Day our daily Bread. 、 And forgive us our Trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us

from Evil. Amen.

Q. What desirest thou of God in this Prayer? A. I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father, who is the Giver of all Goodness, to send his Grace unto me, and to all People, that we may worship him, serve him, and obey him, as we ought to do. And I pray unto God, that he will send us all Things that be needful both for our Souls and Bodies; and that he will be merciful unto us, and forgive us our Sins; and that it will please him to save and defend us in all Dangers ghostly and bodily; and that he will keep us from all Sin and Wickedness, and from our ghostly Enemy, and from everlasting Death. And this I trust he will do of his Mercy and Goodness, through our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore I say, Amen, So be it.

MANY and happy had been the meetings between the lady of the manor and her young people; and the young party began to look forward with apprehension to the time when the cause for these frequent and delightful interviews should cease to operate. The bishop was expected to pay

his visit early in the autumn, and the lady of the manor also expected her sons and their tutor to return about the same time: but while the affectionate mother anticipated with delight a reunion with her beloved children, she felt some regret at the idea that she should not then be able to give so much of her attention as she had lately done to the beloved young people who had for some months past occupied so much of her time and so many of her thoughts. But the recollection that her labours with respect to them were now approaching towards their termination only animated her zeal, and rendered her the more anxious to perform her task effectually.

The part of the Catechism to which the lady of the manor had brought her young people was that which treats on prayer; and accordingly, when the party assembled again, she caused one of the young ladies to repeat the following questions and answers.

"Catechist. My good child, know this, that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the commandments of God, and to serve him, without his special grace, which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer. Let me hear, therefore, if thou canst say the Lord's Prayer."

"A. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be, thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver Amen."

us from evil.

"Q. What desirest thou of God in this prayer?"

"A. I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father, who is the giver of all goodness, to send his grace unto me, and to all people, that we may worship him, serve him, and obey him, as we ought to do. And I pray unto God, that he will send us all things that be needful both for our souls and bodies; and that he will be merciful unto us, and forgive us our sins; and that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily; aud that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness, and from our ghostly enemy, and from everlasting death. And this

I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness, through our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore I say, Amen, So be it."

"My dear young people," said the lady, after having hearkened to this repetition, "I trust that it is not now necessary to use many arguments to prove to you that you are utterly helpless and dependent on God, and that you are of yourselves incapable of doing any thing well, or even so much as desiring to do well, without divine help."

All present replied, that they at least understood the helplessness of fallen man was a doctrine not to be controverted, though they were by no means so sufficiently impressed by a sense of this truth as they ought to be: "for we all, at times, feel proud and self-confident," they added, "and are always very ready to take to ourselves any kind of praise or flattery which those who do not know us will bestow upon us."

The lady of the manor smiled, and advised them to remember good Mr. Eliot, and shun the voice of human praise; "which," added she," is far more dangerous than that of the syrens of ancient fable." She then proceeded to the consideration of prayer in general, with its nature and obligations.

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Prayer," said the lady of the manor, "has always been misunderstood, not only by the heathens, of whom our Lord said, They think that they shall be heard for their much speaking, (Matt. vi. 7,) and by those who only bear the name of Christians, but, also by many really excellent persons among the children of God, who load the duty of prayer with so many formalities, and so many painful circumstances, that they frighten some entirely from it, and drive others to it in a spirit of superstitious terror, which is very far from the temper of the child who feels he is addressing a wise, a holy, and a tender parent.

"In speaking of prayer, and recommending the duty, many things ought to be considered; and one of these is, that all persons are not capable of a long and deep attention to any one subject, which those who insist on very protracted attention to this duty seem to require. The human mind, in different individuals, varies also in the quickness of its conceptions, and the most active minds are perhaps the least disposed of all others to dwell on any single object for a length of time. The mind of youth, in general, is exceedingly rapid and vague in its motions: hence, those persons who, contrary to the advice of our

blessed Saviour, would weary young people by very long prayers, betray their ignorance of the human mind, and either excite a rebellious spirit in them on the subject of their religious duties, or accustom them (which is perhaps still worse) to a hypocritical habit of praying with the lips while the heart is otherwise engaged."

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"O, Madam!" said one of the young ladies, "how much, by these remarks, you have relieved my mind! There is nothing which I have lately been so troubled about as upon the aversion I felt to long prayers. to think, that, when I began to love our Saviour, think I do begin to love him, though not as he deserves to be loved, I should never think any prayers long, that I should never be tired of hearing sermons, and that my thoughts would never wander during divine service as they now do."

"Your mistake," said the lady of the manor, 66 my dear child, was a natural one, and arose from that confusion which exists in the minds of most persons, respecting the difference between regeneration and sanctification. Granting, for argument's sake, that you are regenerate, still your sanctification, though begun, is not complete; too many sinful infirmities, not only of the spirit, but of the flesh, still remain with you, connected with bodily and mental weakness, which render it impossible for the soul to take long and continued flights amid the regions of spiritual things.

"This incapability of a continued enjoyment of high devotional duties, is one of the circumstances most to be deplored by the saints on earth; and this evil can only be relieved by an endeavour (with the divine help) to keep the mind in that pious frame, that it may be ever prepared to raise itself to God, in short ejaculations, or in holy meditation. In the same Scriptures where we are told not to make long prayers, we are also admonished to pray without ceasing: hence, we should be prepared to direct our hearts to God as a little child turns its eyes to its mother ere yet the tongue has learned to frame the first word of recognition. This is the disposition which our Saviour loves, the childlike simple spirit so precious in his sight. He loves a heart that glows with gratitude to him on an occasion of joy however small, and confesses

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