very gentle and even caressing, and that, if well fed, they would neither disturb the poultry nor any other animals; but that, after eighteen months, or two years, it was necessary to chain them, in order to prevent them from running off, and doing mischief. One wolf, till it was eighteen or nineteen months old, he brought up in a courtyard along with fowls, none of which it ever attacked; but it at length shewed its savage nature, and killed them all in one night. And this was mere wanton cruelty, for it did not eat one of them.

Whilst we may learn good lessons of instruction from some animals, and shall do well to imitate their example, the wolf, on the contrary, shews us a character that we should particularly endeavour to avoid. He is cunning, cowardly, thievish, and cruel.

EXTRACT FROM BISHOP
BEVERIDGE,

IF the principles of the Christian religion were well rooted in the hearts of all mankind, what excellent fruit it

would produce! The earth would put on another face, bearing some resemblance of heaven itself. All sorts of wickedness and vice would be every where discouraged and suppressed. Then piety, and justice, and charity, would revive and flourish again all the world over. As all sorts of people would regularly worship God in His own house, so, wheresoever they are, they would do all they could to serve and honour Him; whether they eat or drink, or whatever they do, they would do all to His glory. And, as for their fellow-servants, they would all love as brethren, and every one seek another's good, as well as their "Whatever they would that men should do to them, they would do the same to all other men." In short, all would then " deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" and so walk hand in hand together in the narrow way that leads to everlasting life. This would be the happy state of all mankind, if they were but well grounded in that religion which the eternal Son of God hath planted in the world.

own.

EXTRACT FROM ARCHDEACON PALEY.

THE gratitude of children will shew itself in compliances with the will of their parents, however contrary to the child's own taste and judgment, provided it be neither criminal, nor totally inconsistent with its happiness, in a constant endeavour to promote their enjoyments, prevent their wishes, and soften their anxieties in small matters as well as great, in assisting them in their business, in contributing to their support, ease, or better accommodation when their circumstances require it; in affording them our company in preference to more amusing engagements; in waiting upon their sickness or decrepitude; in bearing with the infirmities of their health or temper, with the peevishness and complaints and habits which often attend upon advanced years. For where must old age find indulgence if it do not meet with it in the piety and partiality of children?

CHRIST AN EXAMPLE TO CHILDREN TO OBEY THEIR PARENTS.

THE Bible gives us an account of the manner of our blessed Saviour's birth, and shews us that though, in his divine nature, he had lived from all eternity in heaven, yet that, in his human nature, he came as man upon the earth, and, as to outward appearance, was born upon earth, like other mortal creatures. The account then of our Lord's birth should teach us all to admire this great act of mercy which brought Him from all the glories, and greatness, and happiness of heaven, to suffer all the miseries and torments to which he was exposed in this world; and this should indeed make us anxiously desirous to forsake those sins which were the cause of all the sufferings of our Lord, and should teach us to grow in all those graces and virtues of which our blessed Lord has set us so bright an example.

Our Lord did not begin his public teaching till he was about thirty years of age, and as it was his public life

that the inspired writers of Scripture intended to acquaint us with, very little is said of the early part of our Saviour's life. The inspired writer does not, however, leave out so important a part of the character of our Lord, in his childhood, as his obedience to those who stood in the character of parents to Him upon earth. "He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them *."

"What a pattern has our Saviour thus set to all children, of humility, and submission, and reverence to their parents! How strongly does this shew us that children ought to obey their parents! How powerfully does it point out the dreadful crime of stubborness and disobedience, when he who was God, as well as man, thought that it became him to submit to parental government, and in all his behaviour was full of respect to them whose son he was in one capacity, whilst, in another he was their Father, their Lord, their King, their Creator! How sa

* Luke ii. 51.