and though it is not possible (and it is not desirable that she should) make their regular lessons a pastime, yet she adapts them well to the abilities of her scholars, accommodates them well to times and circumstances, and divests them of whatever is oppressive and revolting. To mix the pleasant with the useful is at least as important in education, as in poetry; but good mothers far exceed good poets in that art. Surely, then, a mother should be jealous of every thing, which keeps her from the bosom of her family, a sphere in which she is so gifted to shine, and to be a blessing to those most dear to her. How sad it is, when she throws away this pure gold, for mere dross, by giving up those hours to an excess of visiting and company, or even of reading, which ought to be spent among her children! And how sad, too, where such high powers to train her young charge for Christ and glory, are not under the guidance of an enlightened judgment, or receive a wrong direction.

BABINGTON.

ON DEDICATING A CHILD TO GOD.

He held him as an offering up to heaven,

A living sacrifice unto the God

Whom he invoked; "Oh thou who art," he cried,

"Let this my son, mine only son,

Whom I thus dedicate to thee;-let him,

Let him, be taught thy will, and choose
Obedience to it; may he fear thy power,
Walk in thy light-

And oh! my last, last prayer-to him reveal
The unutterable secret of thy name."

MONTGOMERY.

CAPTAIN of our salvation, take

The souls we here present to thee;
And fit for thy great service make,
These heirs of immortality!
And let them in thine image rise,
And then transplant to Paradise.

Unspotted from the world, and pure,

Preserve them for thy glorious cause;

Accustomed daily to endure,

The welcome burden of thy cross: Innured to toil, and patient pain, Till all thy perfect mind they gain.

Our sons, henceforth, be wholly thine,
And serve and love thee all their days;
Infuse the principle divine,

In all who here expect thy grace:
Let each improve the grace bestow'd,
Rise every man, a child of God!

Train up thy hardy soldiers, Lord,
In all their Captain's steps to tread,
Oh send them to proclaim thy word,
Thy gospel through the world to spread,
Freely as they receive, to give,

And preach the death by which we live.

WESLEY.

ON INTERCESSION FOR CHILDREN.

To prevail in intercessions for others, we are to take care, that as our piety, so also must our offices be extraordinary. He that prays to recover a family from an hereditary curse, or to reverse a

sentence of God, to cancel a sentence of heaven, gone out against his friend-he that would heal the sick with his prayer-or, with his devotion, prevail against an army, must not expect such great effects, upon a morning or evening collect, or an honest wish, put into the recollections of a prayer, or a period put in on purpose.

JEREMY TAYLOR.

FATHER of lights! thy needful aid
To us that ask, impart;
Mistrustful of ourselves, afraid
Of our own treacherous heart.

O'erwhelmed with justest fear, again
To thee, for help we call,
Where many mightier have been slain,
By thee unsaved, we fall.

Ah! what avails superior light,
Without superior love?

We see the truth, we judge aright,
And wisdom's ways approve.

We mark the idolizing throng,
Their cruel fondness blame,

Their children's souls we know they wrong,
And we shall do the same.

In spite of our resolves, we fear
Our own infirmity,

And tremble at the trial near,

And cry, oh God, to thee!

We soon shall do, what we condemn,
And, down the torrent borne,

With shame confess our nature's stream,
Too strong for us to turn.

Our only help in danger's hour,
Our only strength thou art,
Above the world, and Satan's power,

And greater than our heart.

Us, from ourselves, thou canst secure,
In nature's slippery ways,

And make our feeble footsteps sure,
By thy sufficient grace.

If, on this promised grace alone,
We faithfully depend,

Thou surely wilt preserve thine own,
And keep them to the end.

Wilt make us tenderly discreet,
To guard what thou hast given,
And bring our child with us to meet
At thy right hand in heaven.

WESLEY.