Fath. No, child; a great many wicked children, and wicked people, don't love him.

Child. And has he given them souls too, father, and made them better than the beasts, as he has done for me? Fath. Yes, child.

Child. But sure they do not know it then?

Fath. They do not think of it as thou dost, my dear. Child. It may be their fathers and mothers never told them of it, father, as you do me now.

Fath. They don't so much as they should, nor so soon as they should.

Child. I wish you had told me of it sooner, father.

Fath. I hope 'tis not too late now,

child.

Child. But, father, if these wicked children do not love God, nor thank God, for giving them souls, and making them better creatures than the horses and cows, is not God angry with them for it?

Fath. Yes, my dear, God is very angry with them.

Child. But why does he not take away their souls again, and turn them into horses and cows, or take away the use of their reason, and leave them worse than the beasts, as you said he could do, father? Sure God is not angry with them at all.

Fath. Yes, my dear, God is angry with them for all that; he lets them go on; sometimes till they amend and repent, and turn to God again, and then he forgives them; other times he lets them go on, and grow worse, and punishes them for all together at last.

Child. That's a sad thing, father; sure God is very angry when he lets them go on, and takes no care of them, father, isn't he?

Fath. Yes, indeed, it is a sign of his severest ange when he lets them go on, and does not punish them till the last; for it is a signal that he has no thought of mercy in store for them.

Child. And when God leaves them so, are they not sorry for it, father?

Fath. No, no; they always grow worse and worse, till they grow mere reprobates, and hardened against him that made them.

Child. They are sad folks indeed. But, father, does not God destroy them at last?

Fath. He does worse, child; he punishes them everlastingly in hell.

Child. Dear father, don't let me make God angry with me, as they do; won't you tell me what I must do to save me from God's being angry?

Fath. Yes, I will, child.

Child. But you never did yet, father? I am afraid he is angry with me already: for I am almost six years old, and never thanked him, nor loved him, nor feared him, nor nothing, father: he has let me alone, and has let me go on, just as you say he does the wicked folks; I am sure he must be angry with me, and he will punish me everlastingly in hell, as you said, father. O what must I do?

[Here conviction works in the child, the child weeps.] Fath. Why, child, did you not do all this?

Child. Dear father, I never knew what God was, or what he had done for me; you never told me a word of him in all my life till now! I never heard you pray to him in all my life! I know nothing of him! How should I, father?

Fath. But, child, your nurse and your mother taught you that God made you.

Child. Yes; but they never told me what God was, and what he had done for me, and what I was to do again. I thought nothing, not I, father; I lived just as I saw you live, father; I never prayed to God in all my life, father.

Fath. Why, child, did not your mother teach you to say your prayers every night and morning?

Child. Yes, father, I said the prayers over, but I never thought a word what they meant; I only said them by rote. Sure God does not take notice of that; does he, father? If he does, our parrot can pray as well as I.

Fath. True, child, God requires the heart, and regards no prayers but what the heart joins in.

Child. You say, I may pray to God for what I want, and I may thank him for making me, and for making me better than the horses and cows.

Fath. Yes, I do say so.

Child. But, father, am I to do nothing else? Did God make me for nothing? Have I no other business now I am made? What do other folks do that are made as I am? Fath. Yes, child, you are made to serve him. You know your catechism.

Child. What's that, the questions and answers my nurse taught me?

Fath. Yes, the questions and answers.

told, your business here is to serve God.

There you are

Child. Dear father, did God make me to serve him?
Fath. Yes, child, he made you to serve him.

Child. And do you serve him, father? What is it to serve him? how must I do it? I would fain serve him; because he has made me, and made me better than the horses and cows.

[Here the father weeps, and, speaking to himself with a sigh, says, Lord, how this child is made to sting my soul to the quick! God knows, I have neither served him, nor taught this dear little creature to do it, as I should have done.]

[The father was so struck with the child's question, viz. Do you serve him, father? that he gives no present answer; and the little inquisitive creature goes on again.]

Child. Dear father, may not I be taught how to serve God?

Fath. Yes, my dear.

Child. Will you teach me, father?

Fath. Yes, child.

Child. Why, you never did it yet, father: may be, I ben't big enough yet; when shall I be big enough, father? when I am a man?

Fath. You may learn to serve God, though you are a

child.

Child. Does my brother know how to serve God, father? He is a great boy, and I never saw you teach him. Can you teach me, father?

Fath. God will teach you himself, child.
Child. God teach me himself!

How can that be?

Fath. He has many ways of teaching, child, viz. by his word, his ministers, and his Spirit.

Child. What are they, father? you said just now, you would teach me..

Fath. I may teach you too, child; but the word of God is given to teach you; ministers are sent to instruct by that word; and parents are ministers of God to instruct their families and children; and the Spirit of God is given to seal the instruction, and make it effectual.

Child. Do the fathers teach their children?

Fath. It is their duty to do so.

Child. And be they ministers to their families?

Fath. So far as to instruct and teach their children, they are, my dear.

Child. And when will you be a minister, father, that I may be instructed how to serve God?

Fath. My dear, I am so much a minister at any time.
Child. I wonder.

Fath. What do you wonder at, my

dear?

Child. Dear father, you say the fathers are to teach their children, and are ministers to their families, and you are a minister, and yet I was never taught. I wonder what all this is; for I have never been taught any thing, but to play, and sing the songs my nurse teaches me, and read in my sister's song book.

Fath. Well, my dear, you shall not want teaching.
Child. Will you teach me to serve God, father?

Fath. Yes, my dear.

Child. I am glad of it; I would fain serve God, father; for I love him already dearly.

Fath. True, child, God requires the heart, and no prayers but what the heart joins in.

Child. You say, I may pray to God for wha I may thank him for making me, and for ma than the horses and cows.

Fath. Yes, I do say so.

Child. But, father, am I to do noth make me for nothing? Have I ne am made? What do other folks & Fath. Yes, child, you are know your catechism.

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And that is the reason you never said any thing to me, father; is it not? Must not I know who God till I am a man, father?

Fath. Yes, child; the scripture says, "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth."

Child. But, dear father, how shall I remember him? I never heard any thing of him, you never told me a word of him yet; may be I an't a youth yet; I long to be a youth, father; then you'll tell me who God is, that I may remember him, father, won't you?

Fath. Dear child! you ought to have been told who God is before now; indeed I have neglected to instruct thee as I ought to have done; but I'll tell thee now, my dear.