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after, who does so favour us here! If they miscarry, let us yield to the will of Heaven, and learn, by our crosses in this world, to love the other. Whatever happens to us, this ought to be our constant rule, to provide for the other life, and to be contented with the present.

MEDITATION II.

"Tis not in this poor world thou must expect thy happiness it is not here we can hope to enjoy a perfect rest. Order thy whole affairs with the utmost skill; and (which is seldom seen) let all thy designs succeed; still thou shalt find something to trouble thee; and even thy pleasures will be tedious to thee. Wheresoever thou goest, still crosses will follow thee; because wheresoever thou goest, thou carriest thyself. Who, then, O my God, is truly happy in this world? Or rather, I should ask, who comes nearest to happiness? He that with patience resolves to suffer whatever his honest endeavours are not able to avoid.

MEDITATION III.

Many of those we envy, as thinking them far less sufferers than ourselves, look with envious eyes on us, and do but dissemble their grievances more handsomely than we, not find them more easy than ours. Shall we not patiently accept a little affliction from him, that hath given us so much good? Shall the being without some one thing that we need not, more sensibly affect us than the having all we need? Ungrateful wretches! The common benefits that we all enjoy, deserve the thanksgivings of a whole life: the air we breathe in, the bright sun that shines upon us, the waters of the bounteous earth, that do so faithfully serve us the exercise of our senses, and the use of our reason, if not in excellency, at least in some good degree. All these things, O Lord, thou generally affordest both to the good and to the bad; and for the least of these none can praise thee enough. What shall we say,

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then? Can we yet with any justice complain, because some few, perhaps, are more prosperous than we? Should we not rather look down on the many below us, and be thankful to see ourselves more favoured than they?

MEDITATION IV.

Had we some desperate canker breeding on our face, or some noisome leprosy spreading over our skin, (these we must all confess are incident to our nature, and much more than these is due to our sins,) what would we then give to be as we now are? How gladly would we exchange them for a moderate affliction? Did we consider the good we undeservedly enjoy, and the evil we suffer not, but deserve, and others groan under, we should reckon all the evils we are free from as so many favours! Did we diligently employ ourselves in reflecting upon God's mercies and our own guilt, we should find little leisure, and less reason, to repine at our afflictions, but should divert our complaints upon ourselves, and be astonished at God's goodness in continuing his blessings in despite of all our provocations, and at our own baseness in continuing our provocations in despite of those blessings.

MEDITATION V.

Say not in thine heart, had I that fair estate, or were I entrusted with so high a place, I should know how to contrive things better, and never commit such gross mistakes. Tell me how dost thou manage thine own employments, and fit the little room thou fillest in the world? Do thy riches make thee more wise, and disposed generously to assist the honest poor? Does thy poverty make thee humble, and faithfully labour for thy family? Dost thou in every state give thanks to Heaven, and contentedly submit to its severest decrees? Canst thou rejoicingly say to God, O my adored Creator, I am glad my lot is in thy hands: thou art all wisdom, and seest my wants; thou art all goodness,

and delightest to relieve me; under thy providence I know I am safe; whatever befalls me thou guidest to my advantage: if thou wilt have me obscure and low, thy will be done; if thou wilt load my back with crosses, and embitter my days with grief or sickness, still may thy blessed will, O Lord, be done: what thou willest is always best. If, therefore, it be thy will that I should be in darkness, be thou blessed; and if it be thy will that I should be in light, be thou again blessed! If thou vouchsafest to comfort me, be thou blessed; and if thou wilt afflict me, be thou ever equally blessed. Still govern thy creature in thine own blest way! Place wherever thou pleasest thy other favours; but secure to my soul a portion of thy love: take from me what thou pleasest of the things thou hast lent me, but leave, I beseech thee, in my heart, the possession of thyself! Let others be preferred, and me neglected; let their affairs succeed, and mine, if thou pleasest, miscarry; I am willing to endure whatever thou art pleased to lay upon me: and desire to receive the good and evil, the comforts and the crosses of this life, with the same equal state of mind.

MEDITATION VI.

All that I beg is the establishing my heart in the way of thy commandments; and, so long as I swerve not from truth and righteousness, secure my soul; and for the rest do thy pleasure; for thou art wise, and just, and good; and such, I am sure, are all the methods of thy providence.

PRAYER.

O most blessed God, the supreme governor of the world, who art unsearchable in thy wisdom, unspotted in thy justice, and irresistible in thy power, and whose goodness hath no bounds, but what thy wise and holy will gives unto it; I praise and adore thee for thine infinite bounty to all the world; and for all thy favours vouchsafed to me, thy sinful creature, who am not

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worthy of the least regard from thee, whom I have so much neglected, and whose love and clemency I have too often abused.

Pardon, I beseech thee, all my neglects of thee, and unthankfulness to thee, and offences against thee; and settle in me an immoveable faith in thine infinite mercies, a constant love and cheerful affection to my duty, and a readiness of heart to obey thee, and to submit to thine appointments in every condition! Preserve in my mind such an esteem of thy wisdom and goodness, that I may be perfectly satisfied under all the events and issues of thy providence and whatsoever thou art pleased to order for my portion, Lord, help me to be perfectly contented and well pleased with it; believing it to be the result of thy gracious dispensations.

Assist me, I beseech thee, with such a measure of thy grace, that religion may become my temper and constitution, and thy holy will my joy and pleasure, my full content and just satisfaction; that I may always take upon me, and bear the cross of Christ with a pliable, submissive frame and temper of spirit, a free, sincere, entire obedience to his laws; and learn of him to be meek and lowly of heart, that I may find rest unto my soul! Unto thee, O Lord Jesus, I commend myself; I trust thee with my health, my estate, friends, and all that I have: allot what thou pleasest for me; let it be unto me according to thy will? Not my will, but thy will, O Lord, be done! Amen.

(Sent by J. S.)

INFANT SCHOOLS.

(Extract from the North Wales Chronicle of April the 8th, 1830.)

THE very life of our Infant Schools is a variation of mental employment and perpetual change of bodily exercises; the mind is at once improved and amused;

the cleanliness of person, and the health of the body, are the perpetual objects of attention. One or two rooms of considerable dimensions, and a spacious play ground are provided. A female of a proper age is selected, of a pious and patient mind, of a mild and affectionate disposition, of cleanly and active habits, who shall devote herself entirely (having an assistant) to the care of the infant children, from about nine in the morning until four in the evening, with an interval only for dinner. She begins her labours by teaching the children to repeat after her the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments; they are then perhaps invited to march in procession round the room, varying continually their line of march; now perhaps they will sit down for five minutes, placed round the room, or on an elevated platform. But here, though their legs are no longer in action, the tongue and arms are in motion. They will now repeat or sing some arithmetical table put into rhyme, of which, (if my readers will promise not to laugh at my simplicity), I can perhaps give them a specimen-as,

Twenty pence are one and eightpence,

That we can't afford to lose;
Thirty pence are two and sixpence,
That will buy a pair of shoes.

Forty pence are three and fourpence,
That is paid for certain fees;
Fifty pence are four and twopence,
That will buy five pounds of cheese.

Sixty pence will make five shillings,
Which we learn is just a crown;
Seventy pence are five and tenpence,
This is known throughout the town.

Eighty pence are six and eightpence,
That sum once my father spent ;
Ninety pence are seven and sixpence,

That for a quarter's schooling went.

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