not be able." That seems a contradiction, does it not?

Mrs. B.-No, my love, not if you consider it properly; the Bible says, indeed, 66 many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able ;" but it does not say how they will seek; it does not say that they will pray and seek for God's assistance, without which all their endeavours will be nothing worth. "It is not meant that any Christian will ever sincerely do his best to enter into life eternal, and fail in it; but that many imagine that God has marked out other ways to happiness than obeying His laws; and many too, who are fully sensible there is no other way, use so little diligence in following this, that their progress is insufficient to make them arrive at eternal felicity." Do you understand this, Mary?

Mary. Yes, Mamma, I believe I do now but it is surely a dreadful thought

* Archbishop Secker. Notes to Mant's Bible. Matt. vii. 24.

that so many persons will be miserable for
ever!

Mrs. B.-It is a dreadful thought, my
dear child; but the certainty that such
will be the case;
"that wide is the gate,
and broad is the way that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be that go in
thereat;"* should have at least this effect
upon us, to make us doubly careful of our
own conduct, doubly watchful over our
own hearts, and doubly earnest in our
prayers to that blessed Saviour, who is
"the way, and the truth, and the life;"+
and who Himself hath told us, "Without
me ye can do nothing." May that God,
who has called us all to the feast of His
blessed Son, in mercy grant that when
the King cometh in to see the guests,
we may be found clothed with the wed-
ding garment of Christian faith; or, in
the words of the Revelation which we
quoted once before, "with robes washed
and made white in the blood of the

* Matt. vii. 13. John xiv. 6. John xv. 5.

Lamb." Then shall we be among those, of whom (according to the Prophet Isaiah, speaking by the Spirit of God) "it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord, we have waited for Him we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."* Then shall the multitude of His redeemed "not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath mercy on them, shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them."+ "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it."

* Is. xxv. 9. + Is. xlix. 10.

Is. xxv. 8.

ELEVENTH DAY.

Parable of the Ten Virgins.

Matt. xxv. 1.

Mary.-AND this is really to be our last day of parables, Mamma! I am so sorry for it, for I like reading them in this way very much.

Mrs. B.-You will, I hope, my love, like reading them more and more, the oftener you read them, and the more you study them. When you read the Bible itself, you will find several more of these parables, containing lessons which you may well reason upon and consider; many which will not strike you at first sight, but in which you will find,

at each fresh reading, more hidden truths, and more valuable instruction; but I have selected now most of those which I think are best suited to our present purpose, and I hope our conversations upon them will not soon be forgotten.

Mary.-Oh! no, Mamma, I am sure they will not and I am quite sure we shall both understand these parables very much better than we should have done, without talking about them in this way; but only I am sorry that there are no more of them.

Mrs. B.-Endeavour, my dear loves, to remember well, not only the parables which we have read, but the lessons which they are intended to convey; and not only to remember, but as far as you have opportunities, to practise those holy thoughts, and those Christian virtues which are taught in them. "Remember now thy Creator," says the wisest of men, "in the days of thy youth."* And who,

* Eccles. xii. 1.