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human character, there may yet be found, even among schoolboys, such magnanimity and forgiveness, ingenuousness and moral courage, as give promise of future piety and usefulness. May the examples here given, whether of the lights or shades of boyish experience, serve, each in its proper order, to allure or repel,— to lead to the practice of those things that are lovely and of good report, and that tend to happiness; and to the avoidance of those which inevitably injure the character, in many instances, ruin the prospects for life, and, in all, lead to misery. There is no happiness in sin; but the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

"But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof.-It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall

silver be weighed for the price thereof.Whence then cometh wisdom ? and where is the place of understanding ?--God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, BEHOLD, THE FEAR OF THE LORD, THAT IS WISDOM; AND TO DEPART FROM EVIL IS UNDERSTANDING."

It will doubtless be noticed, that in this little book there are a greater number of evil dispositions delineated than good ones. And is it not so, also, in the great book of human experience? Who

does not know that, while evil thoughts spring up spontaneously in the heart, and influence the conduct of every human being, those which are pure and right can only be produced there by the power of Divine grace? The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; and until our hearts be changed, and our souls created entirely anew, wickedness and deceitfulness will be shown, in one way or other, even in early youth. "Wherewithal," then, "shall a young man cleanse his way?" The Bible answers the inquiry, "By taking heed thereto according to THY word " - that word which at the same time condemns sin and points to its remedy and preventive; proclaims our God to be a just God, and yet a Saviour; and tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's dear Son, cleanseth from all sin. By taking the

Bible for our guide, by following its directions, by seeking the influences of the Holy Spirit; and by trusting in the Almighty Saviour, for pardon for past sins, for strength to help in time to come, and for eternal life beyond the grave, even a schoolboy may glorify his Father who is in heaven. But unless this be done-and oh, how often are these important matters entirely neglected !-we cannot expect that the life will be either holy or happy. It is true that education will do much to improve the manners and habits; but education alone will not change the heart; and we might as well expect to gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, as that a bad heart should bring forth good thoughts and actions.

Dear young reader, it is the earnest desire of the writer that you may see, in some character in these schoolboy his

tories, such a picture of your own heart, as to lead you to pray sincerely and earnestly, just as David prayed, and feel as he felt, when he said, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me," Psa. li. 10.

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