And so it will ever be with the heirs of salvation, while they remain in a world of sin and temptation.  They are daily and hourly working out their salvation with fear and with trembling, while God is working in them to will and to do of his good pleasure.  The improvement which is made of afflictions has a great deal to do in this process.

And thus, too, will it be with those who wilfully, or even thoughtlessly neglect the great salvation—­those who reject the overtures of pardoning mercy and salvation by Christ.  They will hereafter know and acknowledge that “they knew their duty but they did it not.”  It is said that “Judas went to his own place”—­and that “Dives made his bed in hell.”  And herein will these words of the poet be strikingly fulfilled in every human soul—­

  “’Tis not the whole of life to live,
  Nor all of death to die.”

* * * * *

Original.

CHILDREN’S APPREHENSION OF THE POWER OF PRAYER.

While visiting in the family of Rev. Mr. F——­, one morning as we were quietly seated at the breakfast table, his two little boys, Willie and Georgie were seated between their father and mother.  All at once Georgie, the youngest, a child of five years, reached his head forward, and in a half-whisper said to his brother, “Willie, Willie, if you were going a journey, which would you give up, your breakfast or your prayers?”

Willie replied, “I should want both.”

“But,” said the little fellow, still more earnestly, “What if you couldn’t have both, then which would you give up?”

“I would give up my breakfast,” said Willie.

The little urchin said in an undertone, “I think mother would take something along in her bag.”  There was certainly a good “look out” for two worlds.

A mother who resides near me, and has a large family of small children, related to me the following circumstance of her eldest boy, when quite young.  From the time her children began to talk, she accustomed them, each in their turn, to kneel by her side, on rising and retiring each morning and evening, and repeat to her their little prayers.

One day when her eldest boy, as she thought, was old enough to comprehend her, she said to him rather seriously, “My son, there is one kind of prayer to God to which I have not directed your attention.  It is called ‘secret prayer.’  The direction and encouragement for this kind of prayer is found in the passage, ’Enter into thy closet and shut to thy door, and pray to thy Father which is in heaven, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.’  Now do you not desire to obtain this open reward.  If you would like a closet of your own, there is a little retired place near my bed-room—­you can go there each day by yourself, and shut your door as directed.”

One day, not long after, the child was gone some time; his mother did not like to accuse him of having trifled on so serious an occasion, for he was a remarkably conscientious and honest boy—­and she said to him, “Frank, you have been gone so long I fear you may have been using ’vain repetitions.’”