reward for the righteous; therefore there must be a future state. A mother would lay down her own life, to preserve that of her children; and will God leave His children to relapse into that nonentity from whence He first called them? You would gladly obtain endless happiness for your friends, and do you suppose that your heart is larger than that of God? By death one generation makes way for another; now since the manifest object of the Creator is to multiply existences, shall His secret purpose be to annihilate them ? Our Saviour rose from the dead the third day, and thereby says to us, “I am alive after death; and so shall you be also," &c.

The Idea of another Life as given in the Gospel.

"Death is to us the entrance into another world, as birth is the entrance into this. This life is the seed-time; the next will be the harvest. Our covering of clay keeps us captives all the days of our mortal life; but when released from it by death, we shall be free. When once we have laid aside our earthly tabernacle, we shall no longer be liable to wants, infirmities and pain. Go, look at the bright butterfly, who once crawled the earth as a caterpillar, for it is an emblem to you of our second life! In that future life we shall be like the angels in heaven. The wicked will no longer grieve the righteous in another world, for there the tares will be separated from the wheat. My child, you will one day lose your good mother; but walk in her footsteps, and you will meet her again where there will be no more parting. Man, if he has spent his time aright here on earth, will enjoy the immortality which his soul craves, the Heaven which gleams upon his sight, the God to whom he prays."

A proper Pride, grounded on our high Destiny.

Thy condition may be mean in the eyes of the world; but take comfort, for thou art an heir of immortality. The ephemera lives but for a day, but thou shalt live for Man is great in his origin, and also in his high destiny. Degrade not thyself as a brute beast, for thou mayest live for ever with the angels of God. Truth and

ever.

righteousness endure for ever; therefore they alone are the fit objects of an immortal being like thyself. What are all the pleasures or pains of this life, compared with the everlasting riches of heaven? The blessed saints in heaven behold us with interest, and wait for us to share their happiness. We are pilgrims for a few short years here on earth, and we must strive to advance towards our heavenly home, where we shall dwell for ever. Respect the dignity of thy being, since thou mayest become an heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ.

Pride.

The natural inclination which leads us to value ourselves is liable to many irregularities, and these show themselves even in early childhood. They spring from delusions which are borrowed from other men, before the judgment, which is still very backward, is capable of weighing them. The heart takes a wrong bias, and then the influence of example adds to the mischief. It is therefore the duty of education to correct these irregularities where it finds them, and to prevent them where they do not yet exist. They are numerous; but we shall class them all under four heads, which we shall consider successively, and point out the remedies adapted to the evil. True it is that in giving the right direction to the tendency now under consideration, as we have endeavoured to do in the preceding articles, we have laboured generally against its errors; but the object is so important that it will be well to individualize them also.

The error which appears most general, is to value ourselves, not on our real selves, but on some adventitious circumstances which may belong to us and not to others; —such as name, connexion, fortune, dwelling-house, and other distinctions, some of the most absurd kind. Our course of language cannot follow out all these details; but it will notice the principal points, and leave it to teachers to enlarge upon them according to circumstances. The following then are some of the thoughts we would suggest: "Our value depends not on what surrounds us, but on what we are in ourselves. What will soon be the end of all earthly distinctions? Death breathes upon them,

and they vanish away. The origin of all men is noble, since all are the children of the Most Highest.' The poor man may raise his eyes to the starry skies, and say, I also inhabit a palace, even that of our common Father. Better is the honest and industrious poor man than the monarch whose conduct brings disgrace on his kingly dignity. It is not riches, but the right use which we make of them, that will bring peace to our souls. How barbarous is that heroism which lays waste the earth that God has fertilized, and slays the man to whom He has given life! Man only exalts himself in measure as he adapts himself to the will of God, and regulates his heart and life in obedience to it,” &c.

It is natural for man, who lives amidst his fellows, and is so dependent upon them, to desire their good opinion, because this good opinion propitiates them, and benevolence and confidence generally follow in its train. Here then is a sordid calculation. But this is not always the case, for the good opinion of others is often sought merely for its own sake, and it is pleasing to a man to think, "my acquaintances esteem me." That he who knows himself to be estimable, should think and feel thus, is very conceivable, because the opinion of others is but a corroboration of his own; but it is not always so. Too often those whose consciences bring heavy charges against them, will seek to indemnify themselves by the esteem of others, for the loss of their own; they will strive to appear what they are not, and in time adulation may so blind them, that they will perhaps imagine they really possess the virtues which are imputed to them in defiance of truth and justice. Thus some seek honours, because they think themselves honourable; others, though by their own confession they do not deserve it. Our course of language will have, therefore, two duties to perform of which the first is to prevent its pupils from deceiving themselves, by trying merely to appear estimable, without endeavouring really to be so, and to become so, more and more. It will therefore say to them:

"That false appearances deceive but for a time, and that truth will sooner or later come to light; that public opinion takes revenge on those who have imposed upon it, and

then esteem is turned into contempt and disgust; that it is grievous to have to say to oneself, Though I may be treated with respect, I know that I deserve shame;' that the esteem of man, if unaccompanied by the favour of God, is useless as regards that eternity towards which we are hastening; that so long as we rest satisfied with the semblance of virtue, we forfeit all claim to the reality and to its blessings; that vice, though hidden under the mask of virtue, fails not to bring bitterness into the soul, and to awaken the stings of conscience; that the day will come when the secrets of all hearts will be known, and we shall all appear in our true colours," &c.

The second duty of our course of language in regard to honour, which is naturally dear to the heart of man, and which he often loves extravagantly and hurtfully, will be to point out its just value, and thus prevent this blind and ardent passion for it. We shall beware, however, of trying to make children careless of the opinion of others, particularly of that of their parents, or of those whose age, or character, or station, gives value to their praise; for in so doing we should act in opposition to nature and to Providence; and if we succeeded, we should deprive them of a guide and a curb which they greatly need; but we shall say to them :

"When ye give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth. If you do good to be praised of men, you have had your reward already, therefore you must expect none from above. What avails the approbation of man, if our conscience condemns us? Though the esteem of others is sweet to the heart, yet it is good for nothing if it is not merited. We may take comfort when overlooked or condemned by men, if we can appeal to Him who sees the secrets of our hearts. Men often blame what

is right, and praise what is wrong. Our blessed Lord was the victim of calumny, and yet the whole human race ought to have fallen down and worshipped at his feet. If you love praise, seek first that which cometh from above, for your eternal happiness depends upon it," &c.

Losing sight of virtue, which alone can give merit, men attach too much importance to personal qualities, which have no value in themselves; as, for instance,

beauty of form, elegance of manner and dress, skill or strength, the tone of the voice, or the choice of language. Or again, they prize themselves on account of the talents of the mind, and the extent of their acquirements, forgetting that virtue, which is within reach of all, is alone worthy of respect. In order to combat this delusion, our course of language will say :

"There is but one kind of beauty, which does not pass away like the flower of the field, and that is an honest and good heart. What avails the frail beauty of the body, if the soul which it incloses is polluted by vice? Bodily strength may be useful to us, but many animals far excel us in this respect. To overcome evil with good, that is the courage which raises man above the brute beast, and is pleasing in the sight of heaven. However brilliant may be our natural talents, we have nothing whereof to glory, for they are the free-gift of the Giver of all good things. Politeness is but a deceitful show, if it does not proceed from a mild and benevolent heart. What avails it to speak eloquently, if there is error in the mind, or vice in the heart and conduct? The first of sciences is to know how to live as a man and as a Christian; and without it all other knowledge is useless for that eternity which awaits us. Though I should speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not charity,' says the Apostle, 'I am as sounding brass, and as a tinkling cymbal,'" &c.

Sometimes the inclination of which we are speaking attaches itself indeed to moral merit, but without regard to those weightier matters of the law which our blessed Lord has declared to be all important, "judgment, mercy, and faith*;" it places merit in outward observances which leave the heart in all its native deformity, and only produce an arrogant spirit of contempt for those who do not adopt the same forms. Such was the Pharisaical spirit which our Lord offended, because He exposed it for the benefit of His disciples. The Pharisees, indeed, are dead, but their spirit still lives, and shows itself in the Christian Church; for the nature of man is ever the same. Our course of

**Matt. xxiii. 23.