He said, " Mama, you know papa spoke in his sermon about a person going on a wrong road ; and when he saw that he was wrong, he would turn about and get into the right one. Now, mama, is it not thus with sinners, who have been in the wrong road to heaven; and they turn and get into the right road ?" He felt peculiar delight in the following chapters in the Bible: Genesis i. ii. iii. Exodus xx." St. John's Gospel i. iii. x. xv. xvi. xvii. Romans viii. Isaiah xl

On observing some people at church, whom he thought were too finely dressed, he said to his mama 'when he returned home, “ I wish papa would preach a sermon on pride in dress; do you think there is a text that would suit it?" On seeing a boy playing one Sunday, though naturally timid and shy, he went up to him, and reproved him, telling him how naughty it was to play on the sabbath. He often spoke on the need of repentance and prayer, to those with whom he could converse freely. After doing so one day, he went to his mama, and said, “I have been talking to about prayer, but she gave me no answer: I am afraid she does not love prayer." He often reproved his little brothers for being naughty; and told them that they ought to pray for a new heart. One day when one of them struck at the other in a passion, John instantly fell down on his knees, and asked God to forgive his brother for being so naughty.

All that is mentioned above took place before his last illness. The complaint of which he died was water in the head. His illness only lasted about ten days. At the beginning of it, he one day asked his mama to pray for him. She asked, what she should pray for? He answer ed, “that I may be made well.” She said to him, “ do you then; my dear, wish rather to be well, than to die?" He answered, “no, but I wish to be made a holy boy, and be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and be a child of God: and then you know, I shall go to heaven if I die; and then if I were made a holy boy, I had rather die."

While he had his senses, he was al. ways asking us to pray for him: and when he was delirious, he was constantly talking about prayer, and often asked God to make him holy. His sufferings were very great during his short illness.; and he shewed a sweet, patient spirit under them. During the three or four last days he was not able to speak. Thus died our dear John aged nearly six years. I may say of him what Mr. Scott says of his child, that we never saw any thing of the same spirit in any of our other children of the same age.

May God grant, that they and all chil. dren, like him may “remember their Creator in the days of their youth.”

A PARENT.

ON THE PROPER USE OF HYMNS. Sweet is the voice of praise, when uttered from the heart of a pious child. Angels rejoice to hear such songs of praise; and the king of angels does not disdain “ to hear an infant sing." But these songs of praise are also meant to teach you holy lessons; and to make you wise unto salvation. They tell of Jesus. They tell of heaven. They speak to the heart. Many will have reaa son to be thankful for ever, that they were early taught to praise the Lord in their little hymns, and “ do his holy will.” The friend who writes these lines for you, received Dr. Watts' hymns for children as a present, when he was a very little boy. It was a beautiful, gilt book, with nice pictures. In one leaf, was the picture of a child upon his knees praying to his heavenly Father; and in another, the picture of angels, spreading their bright wings over the pious child. As this present caine from the hand of a beloved mother, it was the more valued ; and every hymn in the sweet little book was soon lodged in

the memory of the owner. Many and many a time was his heart cheered in the days of his youth, by singing these divine songs. One of them above all gave him great delight; and has been of use to him all through his life. It is the “hymn for the Lord's day morning:”

“This is the day when Christ arose

So early from the dead; • Why should I keep my eyelids clos'd,

And waste my hours in bed?" By repeating this verse, he has been again and again reminded to rise earlier on the Lord's day, than on any other day; and he strongly recommends his young readers, to make the same use of this excellent hymn.

One of the best ministers, that perhaps ever lived, says, that having committed that beautiful hymn, called the all-seeing God” to memory, he often repeated it, and found it very useful to him You too will find it very useful, my dear children, if you ever bear in mind, that “God's all-seeing eye

"Strikes through the shades of night;
And your most secret actions lie

All open to his sight." A little girl, who took great delight in going to her Sunday-school, and was never absent at the proper hour, being asked, why she was so constant to her school ? answered,

“I have been there, and still wonld go

Tis like a little heaven below.” Here then is the use, which you should make of the hymns, which you get by heart. You should regard them as rules of holy living; and pray that the Holy Spirit would apply them to you hearts, and make you wiser and better by every hymn which you learn.

« Let the sweet work of prayer and praise

Employ Four youngest breath;
Thus you're prepar'd for longer days

Or fit for early death."
Isle of Man, August, 1894. BECTOS.

TRACTS IN AMERICA. “The Tract called 'Sixteen Short Sere mons' was given by an aged Lady in this State (Massachusetts) to a little boy. He read it, 'til he came to the third sermon, which is from this text; *All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. This seemed to be for him. He felt that he had sinned, and in a thousand ways come short of the glory of God. He became deeply distressed; began from that time to search the Scriptures daily, and to seek the