who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.' 'The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.' But now, my dear Susan, it is growing late. We will sing a little hymn, and pray to God; and then we will lie down and sleep."

"But tell me first, my dear mother, what I should ask God to give me his Holy Spirit for."

"You have a wicked heart. You love to do wrong, and hate to do right. This is the disposition of every one that has not been born again."

"I do not know what that means, mother."

"To be born again is to have your heart so changed, that you will love to do right, and hate to do wrong. You want God's Holy Spirit to make you willing to obey and love him; because you are, by nature, so wicked that you will not obey and love God, till he has changed your heart.”

"What is my heart, mother?" "It is that part of you that chooses, and loves, and hates. Now, you sometimes choose and love what is wrong, and refuse and hate what is right. But if God's Holy Spirit changes your heart, then you will choose and love what is right, and refuse and hate what is wrong."

"And then shall I want the Holy Spirit, after my heart is changed?"

"Yes, my dear; every right feeling that we have, and every good thing in us, comes from God's Holy Spirit. And, after your heart is changed, you will need the Spirit of God to keep you in the right way, to help you to overcome the bad dispositions of your heart, and to make you know more and more of God, and be more and more like Christ."

"Then, mother, am I to blame for not obeying God, before he gives me his Holy Spirit?"

"Yes; you ought to obey God

now, and you are to blame for not obeying him. You ought to love Jesus, and trust in him, and give him your heart now. And the reason why you need God's Holy Spirit is, that your heart is so bad you will not obey him."

HYMN.

It is my father's chief delight,
My mother's greatest joy,

To have me do the thing that's right,
Nor once their peace destroy.

Then they delight good things to give,

That I may happy be;
And always will, while so I live,

Be kind and good to me.

But more, my heavenly Father, God,

Is pleased when I obey;
Nor loves to use his dreadful rod,

To keep me in his way.

And yet more willing still is he,

If I but ask, to give

His Holy Spirit, full and free,

Within my heart to live.

Then I will early learn to pray,

And ever love to ask,

And always mean the things I say,

Nor think my prayers a task.

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CHAPTER II.

WE MAY ASK AMISS.

MOTHER, if God is so willing to give us good things, when we ask for, them, what is the reason that people do not always get what they pray for? I have heard a great many prayers that I think have never been answered; and I have prayed a great many times for things that I have never received."

"My dear, it is not because God does not mind his promises. It is because people do not always ask aright. The apostle James says: "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

1

"I do not know what lusts means, mother."

"The word lust, my dear, may be

understood differently, according to the connexion in which it is used. Here, I suppose it means selfish desires. You may desire good things for no other reason than to gratify yourself, without any regard to the glory of God, the good of others, or even your own eternal good. You may ask for the Holy Spirit, for the sake of the comfort which you think He will give you; you may ask God to forgive your sins, because you are afraid he will punish you, and not because you hate sin, or desire His favour and love; or you may pray for the Holy Spirit, because you wish to have the name of being very religious. All this would be asking amiss, to consume it upon your lusts. But that you may understand my meaning, I will suppose a few cases. Suppose you come to me, and say, "Mother, I want something.". "What do you want, my dear?" "I do not know, mother. You told me