shall such make claim of independence? Shall such forget their helplessness? Shall such leave God out of their thoughts? Never be tempted, my dear children, to lose sight of your entire dependence, for life, and health, and all things, upon God; but cast your care on Him, Who careth for you. ii. The spirit of little children is a spirit of confi dence. They have not yet wandered off from God. They have not yet lost the sense of His benignant smile, as it beamed on them from a parent's face. They have not yet learned life's saddest lesson, to distrust. Better, a thousand times, its worst experience, than an untrusting and suspicious temper. Better to die of injuries, than live, a victim to their fear. Be not afraid to trust. Follow the charity which never thinketh evil. Have faith in God. It will protect you from the treachery of men. Fearing no evil, you will find none. There is no stonger panoply against a wicked world, than unsuspecting innocence. It disarms design. It foils attempt. It overcomes attack. It triumphs, through its very helplessness. A maddened elephant has been observed to take an infant in his trunk, and lay it softly in the grass, that it might rush to the destruction of its perse cutors. iii. The spirit of little children is a spirit of humil ity. They think but little of themselves, till fools and flatterers have spoiled them. They blush at compli ments. They shrink from notice. They retire from observation. They avoid attention. They do not think you can mean them. They had rather you meant any other. They have no greediness of gain. They have no thirst for honour. The simplest joys content them, and the most retired and shaded paths. Oh, what a loss of comfort, when the child's humility is lost! Oh, what a waste of life, is the pursuit of artificial and unnatural interests! Oh, what a weariness, and fretfulness, and restlessness, in the vain strife of fashion and of folly. "It is but lost labour, that ye haste to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness; for so, He giveth His beloved sleep." ness. iv. The spirit of little children is a spirit of hopeful Their trusting nature, and their few and simple wants, prepare them well for this. They meet no storm, before it comes. They see no cloud, before it rises. They find all seasons, Spring; and live in sunshine every day. "Gay hope is theirs, by fancy fed, Less pleasing when possest, The sunshine of the breast: And lively cheer, of vigour born; That fly the approach of morn." How poor, compared with this, the overclouded sky, of, what the world calls, life. Its anxious days, and sleepless nights. Its struggle for a place, and then, its carefulness to keep it. The distant, dim with doubts; the present, with dissatisfaction. "In the evening, would God it were morning! And, in the morning, would God it were evening!" v. The spirit of little children is a spirit of thankful ness. How easy a thing it is to please a little child! How prompt, in the expression of its pleasures! How beautiful, in the utterance of its thanks! How unlike men, in their indifference, ingratitude, and disregard of God! And, what a loss, in this unlikeness, of what gives the highest zest to our enjoyment! "Ten thousand, thousand precious gifts My daily thanks employ; Nor is the least a cheerful heart, That tastes those gifts with joy." vi. The spirit of little children is a loving spirit. Observe their little ways. Take notice of their natural caresses. Mark the abandon of their loving natures. Love seems their very life. They wake to greet it, and they fall asleep upon its memory. And their love is "without dissimulation;" the most like Eden's, ere it yet had felt the Fall. vii. The spirit of little children is an obedient spirit. Implicit confidence brings this about. They think not for themselves. They do as they are bid. They are content to do it. And, how much the happiest so! Soon will you find it, my dear daughters. Soon will you regret that the responsibilities of life are laid upon your hearts. Lighten them, as you Be as dear children before God. Be as dear children of the Church. Say, with the infant Samuel, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." "My good child, know this, as you best may. that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the commandments of God, and to serve Him, without His special grace; which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer." viii. The spirit of little children is a devout spirit. They look up, through their mother, to their God. Their primal altar is her knees. What an instinctive attitude. of supplication! How artless in its ways! How perfect and undoubting its repose! A lovelier, more affecting, sight is never seen, than a young child at prayer. Who does not long to pray, as he prayed then? My daughters, may you be, through life, as little children; as dependent, as confiding, as humble, as hopeful, as thankful, as loving, as obedient, as devout. So shall those blessed words of Jesus Christ be yours, in time, and through eternity: "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not; for oF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." IV. THE FOURTH ADDRESS *TO THE GRADUATING CLASS AT ST. MARY'S HALL. NOTHING LOST. BELOVED children, the painful parting moment comes, at last! The daily task, the daily pleasure, and the daily prayer, are done and gone! No more, the thronged and busy school-room, with its beaming galaxy of cheerful faces, and bright eyes. No more, the long-drawn corridors, through which the ready feet hastened, at every summons of the faithful bell. No more, the pa tient and devoted teacher, waiting your approach; the quiet lecture-room; the books, the maps, the apparatus, the black-board, and the slate. No more, the evening stroll, with loving arms clasped close to loving hearts, along the sweet, sky-tinctured Delaware, upon the ver dant carpet of its loveliest bank. No more, the morning bell, the still, sequestered, sacred, "noons," the evening prayer, and hymn; with the fond parting, where heart went with hand. No more, the peaceful dormitory, March, A. D. 1849. |