you to love any so well as the great God himself. Having now shewn you what religion is, and what it is to be religious, we will now try to explain to you WHO THAT GREAT GOD IS, WHOM YOU ARE TO Love and worSHIP, AND OBEY. FIRST-He is the Creator of the World! Look around, my dear children, upon the green fields, on a fine summer's day. See how beautiful all the trees look! How tall and stately they are! Look at their strong stems, and large branches, and beautiful green leaves! Who do you think made them? Look at the grass, beneath your feet,-how soft it is! It is pleasant to walk upon it; and then it is such a bright colour, and is so delightful to the eye! It also serves for food-the young lambs eat it; and when they have done frolicking about the fields, they lie down upon it. The sheep also eat it; and so do cows, and horses. Who made this grass-so soft for us to walk upon-so pleasant to our eyes-and so good for food, to the sheep and cattle? Look, again, upon the corn-fields! See the corn, all yellow, and bending in the breeze, with its own weight. Soon, it will all be cut down, taken to the mill, and ground into flour, and then made ready for us to eat. Who made the corn? Listen to the birds-how sweetly they sing in the bushes! They seem so full of joy, that it makes us all joyful to hear them. Who taught them to sing? To whom do they raise their sweet songs? Look at the See how he supplies us with light, and heat. Without his light, we could not see; and, without his sun! 110 SIMPLE LECTURES ON THEOLOGY. heat, we could not live. Who made the sun? Go out of doors, on a summer's night, and look towards the sky. See what beautiful stars are scattered all around: they look like so many diamonds, or like sparks of glory from heaven. See the moon- -how beautiful she looks! so dear, so placid, and, withal, so bright! Who made the moon, and the stars? LASTLY, Look upon man-what a noble creature he is! How tall and stately he stands ! and then he can think, and talk, and sing, and make himself and his fellow creatures happy! Who made man? Who, my dear children, made all the beautiful things you see around you? We are sure you will at once say that they could not make themselves. No! none but GOD himself, who existed from all eternity, could make this beautiful world, and all that inhabit it. And, if we did not know anything of him, by any other means, yet we should be compelled to own, when we looked upon ourselves and this beautiful world, that there must be some great being, so powerful, that he could make all that we see, even man himself, out of nothing,-so wise, that he could make them all in the best manner,—and, so good, that he made everything in that very order which would be best for the happiness of the beings which he created. Oh! my dear young friends, let us all unite to "Praise Him, for all His goodness, and His wonderful works to the children of men." HAMILTON. What A. B. C. have done. (SOMETHING FOR OUR YOUNGEST READERS.) GRANDFATHER AND JANE. "Did you ever think, my dear Jane, what A. B. C. have done, and what they can do?" "No, Grandfather; only I know that it makes me very tired, to say them over so much at school." "But they are very useful little things, my dear; I am sorry you should ever get tired of them." "It takes so long to learn them, grandfather! Besides, I do not see what good they will ever do me. Pray, grandfather, did you ever learn them?" "Certainly, I did. Have I not told you a great many stories? Do you not remember what I have said to you about Adam and Eve, and the beautiful garden, called Eden, in which they lived; and about Abel, and Abraham; and Joseph and his brethren; and the two friends, David and Jonathan? Now, I learned all those stories, and a thousand more, which I have so often told to you and Caroline, in this great book, that I hold in my hand. And this great book, my dear, in which are so many good stories, is all made up of the letters which you call A. B. C.—I mean the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Yes, Jane, I had to learn the twentysix letters of the alphabet-every one of them—before I could read the stories in this book." "But, grandfather, are there only twenty-six letters in that large book?" "No, my dear; and there are no more in my whole library-and in your father's library too! You have to learn but these twenty-six letters, to enable you to read not only these stories, in this book,—but all the stories, in all the books, in mine and your father's library put together!". "O, how I do wish, grandfather, that I knew them all! I will try more to-morrow, I am sure. I like the story of David and Goliath. I love to have you tell it to me, but, O, how I should like to read it myself!" "I hope, my dear, you will soon be able to do so. Let us talk about it again, when you come home, tomorrow evening. You may bring home the book then, if Miss P. will allow you. And then come and sit on my knee, and show me how much you know." "I will, grandfather. May I go to bed, now?" P. |