struction to him that doeth it."* You told me that we must only consider ourselves as stewards of our possessions: have we no notice given of our required account?

Yes. Every disease that afflicts us, every day that closes over our heads, every instance of mortality that passes before our eyes, says to each, "Give an account of thy stewardship."Luke xvi. 2.

That last quotation leads me to ask you a few questions upon that parable, which seems connected with our present subject. When the dismissal was sent to the steward, what did he do?

Being unable to dig, and ashamed to beg, he tried to make friends of his lord's creditors, by remitting to each a large portion of his debt, and thus, by making them a considerable present, engaging them by ties of gratitude to relieve him afterwards, and to contribute to his support. How was this conduct viewed by his injured master?

He commended, not his dishonesty certainly, but his prudent forethought and policy in securing his own interest.

It is in this respect only that this man is held up for our imitation, and as an example for our attention to spiritual things. The man would neither dig nor beg; but must this be our case with regard to heavenly things?

No. We must dig and labour for hid treasures, Matt. xiii. 44, and beg incessantly for mercy at the throne of grace.

* Hale.

What is our Saviour's remark upon this parable? "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light."

Who are the children of this world?

Those "who mind earthly things, Phil. iii. 19, and with skill, diligence, and courage, steadily pursue them, disregarding religion, and forgetful of eternity.

Describe the children of light?

Those who live and act as under God's eye, and acknowledge that future (not present) happiness is the great end of man, and obedience to God's commands the only way to obtain it, only through the perfect merits of Christ Jesus their Saviour.

Their aim being so widely different (the one desiring to insure prosperity, or honour, for a few years, and the other through eternal ages), in what respect is wisdom shewn in the conduct of worldly men?

In their persevering activity, which is so often wanting in the children of light, who, while the other class "rise up early, to sit up late," Ps. cxxvii. 2, are not so eager in "labouring for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life," John vi. 27, and are liable to coldness, frailties, and omissions, so that repentance is a perpetual duty, and "forgive us our trespasses is a daily

prayer.

Yes, indeed, the choice of worldly pleasures and honours proves us to be sadly wanting in sense. "The highest learning is to be wise; and

the greatest wisdom is to be good." You seem to understand the design of this parable; but I should wish to know how you comprehend our Lord's injunction "to make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness?"

I think it means, that we are so to use our riches, and every other talent, as to evidence our attachment to our heavenly master, and then we may hope, “when our heart and our flesh (and every earthly comfort) fail," we shall be received into "an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."-2 Cor. v. 1.

We are frequently reminded in Scripture, that there are degrees of happiness in heaven, which will be conferred according to our respective fitness and capability for enjoyment. You may comprehend me better by a simple comparison. We will suppose several cups of different sizes on a table, all filled with water—would they hold the same quantity?

No. The larger ones would contain the most.

So will it be in heaven;-though all will be perfectly happy, some will, by their acquired capacity, become capable of higher degrees of felicity.

We have now come to the end of the parables, and I hope you may have been taught by them to adore the wisdom and kindness of Christ in teaching us in such a manner, that the works of nature, and everything around us, may remind us of Him. He is the way to God; the city of refuge; the house of defence; the tree of

* Marcus Antonius.

life; the plant of renown; the rock of salvation; the wall of fire; the gate of life: indeed there are "Tongues in trees-books in the running brooksSermons in stones-and good in everything."

"We may learn constancy from the sun, moon and stars, which keep their appointed courses: honesty and gratitude from the earth, which faithfully preserves what is committed to her care, and repays with interest the labour bestowed upon her industry from the animals, who provide against hunger, bad weather, and the assaults of their enemies: obedience and a sense of obligation from the domestic creatures, who love their masters, and serve them as well as they can. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard," says Solomon-" And thou Israel," says the Prophet, "who regardest not thy great Benefactor, learn thy duty from the ox and the ass, who know the hand that feeds them." As instruction may be learned from the brutes, so may it be gathered from worldly and wicked men, whose skill and dexterity is worthy of our imitation, though they employ it to mean and even bad purposes." It is my earnest prayer, that the heavenly knowledge and information you may have gained from this course of reading, though it be but as a grain, still, that it may sink down into your hearts, and, in due season, may spring, bud, and bring forth fruit "to the praise of the glory of His grace," Eph. i. 6, so shall you be as a "beautiful garden," and "as trees planted by the rivers of waters that bring forth their fruit in due * Shakspeare.

season your leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever ye do, it shall prosper."-Ps. i.

Will you now repeat a hymn?

HYMN 219.

In every object, Lord, I see
Something that leads my soul to Thee:
Firm as a rock Thy promise stands,
Thy mercies countless as the sands,
Thy love a sea immensely wide,
Thy grace an overflowing tide.

NEWTON.

We cannot conclude better than by asking God's blessing in the lines by the same poet.

HYMN 134.

May the grace of Christ our Saviour,
And the Father's boundless love,
With the Holy Spirit's favour,

Rest upon us from above.

Thus may we abide in union,

With each other and the Lord;
And possess, in sweet communion,
Joys which earth cannot afford,

POSTSCRIPT.

Perhaps it may be useful to state, for the encouragement of those who are hesitating whether they shall become Sunday School teachers, that the writer of these Conversations on the Parables considers, that of all the time given her for improvement in this life, that which has been passed in her class has been the least misspent, and the most satisfactory to herself.

O God! pardon my negligences and ignorances!

CLARKE, PRINTER, CHURCH-STREET, PRESTON.