false modesty and humility also prevailed, which seemed to make it a virtue to shun the ministerial office. Superstitious notions of the sacredness of the office also prevailed, which made humble men shrink from it. Thus Ambrose tried to avoid the office of bishop.*

Elizabeth. How could people, with the example of Christ and the Apostles before them, shut themselves up in solitude? The Lord Jesus "went about doing good;" and the Apostles traveled all their lives, preaching the Gospel.

Mother. Yes, my dear; these men acted from mistaken views of duty. The piety of our Lord and his Apostles, was an active piety. The blessed Jesus labored so constantly for the salvation of sinners, that sometimes he could not find time to eat; and he was obliged to take the time for prayer which others spent in sleep. We read of his rising a great while before day,' and going out into a solitary place to pray; and sometimes, after preaching all day, he would go out into the mountains and spend a whole night in prayer. The Bible says, if we have not the spirit of Christ, we are none of his;

*See Stories of the Church in the fourth Century, p. 127.

and the whole life of Christ exhibits a life of active benevolence. That selfish spirit, which makes people contented with the cultivation of their own piety, is not the spirit of Christ; and if we have no love for the souls of others, and make no efforts for their salvation, we have reason to think we are the followers of Christ. Caroline. Well, mother, did Cæsarius make a good bishop when they found him?

no

Mother. Yes, my dear. He gave himself up to study and preaching. His style was plain, and suited to the common people. He preached to the consciences of his hearers, and severely reproved idolatry and superstition. When he first became bishop, the people were in the habit of going out of church before public worship was over. One day, as a number of persons were going out, he cried with a loud voice, "What are you about, my children? Where are you going? Stay, stay, for the good of your souls. At the day of judgment it will be too late to exhort you." After much exertion, he broke up this indecent practice.

Caroline. Why, mother, I saw James Slack start up, last Sabbath, and run out of church,

in the middle of the sermon; and it seemed to me that he made all the noise he could with

his clumsy feet.

Mother. I know it, my dear. and some grown people, who

Many children,

are alike desti

of staying in And, some

tute of good breeding, never think church till the service is ended. times I think they make as much noise as possible, as if they intended to disturb those who desire to worship God. Such conduct shows a great lack of good manners. It is treating both ministers and people with great disrespect. Yes; it not only shows a want of good breeding; but a want of piety. God is present, in a peculiar manner in his own house. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him."*

Cæsarius urged upon his people the necessity of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. He exhorted them to sing with their hearts, as well as with their voices, and to put away all wandering thoughts in prayer.

* Ps. 89: 7.

Caroline. How can I sing with my heart, mother? Can my heart speak?

Mother. No, my dear; your heart cannot speak, but it can feel; and if you sing solemn words with your lips, and do not feel them in your heart, you mock God.

Caroline. O, mother, I shall be afraid to sing, then, for how can I help thinking about so many fine things as I see in the church?

Mother. You must not be gazing about, in church, to see fiue things. Remember, you go there to worship God, and not to gratify an idle curiosity. And when you first go in, you should pray to God in your mind, that he would keep your eyes and heart from wandering, and fix your thoughts on serious and heavenly things. When you sing, you should keep your mind off from every thing else, and try to feel in your heart the words you sing. And in time of prayer you should close your eyes, shut out all wandering thoughts, and try to make the words of the speaker your own, and pray with him. If you think about other things, while praying, you worship them instead of God.

But, I was going to tell you more about the

church. Arianism was now gradually declining. The Franks, or French, who were Trinitarians, were growing more powerful; and Sigismund, the king Burgundy, had been brought over to the general church, by Avitus, bishop of Vienne.

Caroline. What is a Trinitarian, mother?

Mother. A Trinitarian is one who believes in the doctrine of the Trinity. Can you tell me, my dear, from what you have learned in the catechism, what this doctrine is?

Caroline. It is, that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that these three persons are one God, thes a me in substance, and equal in power and glory. But I cannot understand much what it means.

Mother. The manner of God's existence, is a great mystery, which we shall never perfectly understand, in this world. But it is enough for us to know just what he has revealed of himself; and he has most clearly taught us in his holy word, that he exists in three distinct persons, and yet is but one God. reason, but not contrary to it.

This is above our

We should nev