ling all duties, and with that help there is not any among you, who cannot refrain from telling every sort of untruth;-from taking that which is not your own ;-from immodesty of all kinds :-from envy, revenge, and all other works of the Devil. By renouncing these, as you have promised to do by your sureties at Baptism, you will secure to yourselves a full reward whenever the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his Steward, Call the labourers and give them according to their hire. Whatsoever is right, that ye shall receive."

.6

Sexagesima, or the Second Sunday before Lent.

ST. LUKE, viii. 4.

"When much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable; A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up and bare fruit an hundred-fold."

Teacher.

By this parable our Lord shews, that all people do not receive the word of God after the same You need not be told, that the seed

manner.

here spoken of, means religious knowledge, and that the Sower is the Clergyman, or your Parents, or Master, or Mistress, or whoever gives themselves the trouble of instructing you in your duties.

Questions.

What does our Lord shew by this parable? That all people do not receive the word of God in the same manner. What is meant by the seed here spoken of? Religious knowledge. And who are the Sowers? Our Clergymen, or Parents, &c., or any one who gives themselves the trouble of teaching us our duties,

Teacher.

Your obligations to those who give themselves this trouble are greater than perhaps you will ever be able to perceive, or know in this world. But if the good seed take root in your hearts, it will spring up into everlasting life, and be the source of joy and gratitude to you throughout eternity.

Questions.

Is it not too likely that your obligations to those who give themselves the trouble of instructing you, will not be thoroughly known by you, while you live in this world? Yes. But if the good seed take root in your hearts, and spring up

into everlasting life, what will it then be the cause of your feeling through all eternity? Joy and gratitude.

Teacher.

Our Saviour was accustomed to draw his parables and instructions, from scenes in nature; from the objects that surrounded him, and the common occurrences of life. Thus, the sowing of seed is an employment, which at different parts of the year, may be seen and noticed by every one. The seed may be seen scattered and trodden down where a path way goes through a field, and the fowls of the air devour it. Any one may know, that if seed be sown upon a rock, it will, after a few showers begin to spring; but when dry weather sets in, it must die for want of moisture.

Questions.

What did our Saviour draw his parables and instructions from? The scenes of nature, and the common occurrences of life. What may be seen and noticed at different parts of the year by every one? The sowing of seed. Where may it be seen scattered and trodden down? In a field through which a path-way goes. What becomes of seed sown upon a rock? After a few showers it begins to spring, but for want of moisture withers away.

Teacher.

Seed sown among thorns and weeds, we all know can never come to perfection; nor can religious knowledge ever thrive and grow up into good works in the minds of those who think only of this world, and pay no attention to religion, except when they have nothing else to do. I should be very much concerned to think, that the seed sown on the rock, or that scattered in the field, trodden. down, or devoured by the fowls of the air, can be descriptions at all agreeing with the state of those I am now speaking to;—but such must be the lamentable case, if you take no pains to remember what is now endeavoured to be taught you.

Questions.

What can never come to perfection? Seeds sown among thorns and weeds. Where can religious knowledge never thrive or grow up into good works? In minds who think ouly of this world. When do such minds pay attention to religion? When they have nothing else to do. If you take no pains to remember what is now endeavoured to be taught you, will it not be like sowing seed upon a rock, or in a field where it will be trodden down, or devoured by the fowls of the air? Yes.

Who will feel great concern,

if such should prove

the lamentable case with any of those to whom I am now speaking? You.

Teacher.

I will hope better things of you. I trust that when you leave school you will continue to attend church and to spend a part of your Sunday evenings in keeping up your reading and writing. That you will never fail to ask God's blessing night and morning, and that in all your dealings you will observe truth, and practise honesty, by which I mean, that you will be true in your words, and just in all your actions.-Then, the seed I shall have had the happiness of sowing in your hearts, will have fallen on good ground. Be assured it will give you a harvest of comfort and respectability in this life, and, what is of infinitely more consequence, it will grow and increase throughout eternity.

Qinquagesima Sunday.

ST. LUKE xviii. 31.

Then Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished, For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again.