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him use the means of grace, and God will bless him.

Thirdly. But, there is a third sort of children to whom I must speak; and that is, those who have never thought at all about Christ. A little boy or girl may come to church every Sunday in a year, and yet never think about religion; a child may have very good parents, and been very well taught by them, and yet may never have had one serious thought about Christ. Like all children by nature, he may be only fond of play and not fond of his Bible, never thinking about his soul, or of that dreadful hell into which all wicked people will fall when they die. Alas! I know too well what children are. I have seen something of them, and know in my own case that the Bible says truly, We go astray from the womb and speak lies. I will tell you a story which I read many years ago. A flock of sheep were going over a narrow bridge, on each side of which there was only a very low wall to keep persons from falling into the water. A foolish sheep jumped upon the top of this wall, and the top being slippery, it fell over into the water and was carried down the stream; and then all the rest of the sheep, as soon as they got upon the bridge, jumped up upon the low wall, after the example of those who went before, and not knowing what had become of them; and thus one after another they fell in,

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and the whole flock would have been drowned, had not the shepherd, come up and stopped them. Now, this is the way of sinners: they follow one after another in a course of sin and folly, without hearing the voice of conscience, or thinking of what is become of those who went before them; and thus they are carried away, and perish. My dear children, I entreat you not to be like these silly sheep. Remember, that a wicked child will grow up to be a wicked man, and a wicked man will make a hardened man, and a hardened man, if he does not repent, will go to hell when he dies. Begin then to-day to remember that you have souls as well as others, and now, while it is called to-day, harden not your hearts. Remember, that a time is coming when our glorious shepherd shall appear sitting upon his throne of judgment; then all nations shall be gathered before him, and he shall separate them, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats; and he shall put the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left. Remember, children, that if you would be placed on Christ's right hand then, you must begin to seek him now.

If you

would be a sheep then, you must be a lamb now. O that all children who hear me (particularly those who usually attend this Chapel) might be of the number of those who shall stand at the right hand of Christ on that day!

And now I have done. I hope every child will try to recollect what I have said; but remember, you must not only recollect what you hear, but must feel it in your hearts, if it is to do any good. To remember the sermon is a good thing, to be able to give some account of the sermon is a good thing; but you must pray to God, that you may not only carry away the sermon in your heads, but feel it in your hearts by his grace, and thus you may all become indeed the lambs of Christ, the great shepherd, here, and be numbered with his sheep hereafter.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF CHILDREN'S

HEARKENING TO JESUS CHRIST.

A

SERMON,

ADDRESSED TO THE CHILDREN

OF THE

Schools for Religious Instruction,

AT

ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, BEDFORD ROW,

On Easter Tuesday, April 4, 1820.

FOURTH EDITION.

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