CHAPTER XI.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments.”—John xiv. 15.

THAT same evening, as James had stepped in again to look at John, who had had a nice sleep, and was much refreshed, little Marten came quietly into the room. He had a small basket of oranges in one hand, and a little book in the other. He looked at poor Wylde's bed, as he slowly passed it, and then sat down by little John. "Papa," he said, "has been sent for to see a poor man who is very ill, and I have got his leave to come and see you, and talk to you as well as I can."

Little John looked earnestly at James, as if he wished him to tell Master Marten what he had said to him in the morning.

So James said to Marten,

"If you had

not been so kind as to call, Sir, I should

have come up to your house to let your papa know what John says. He says, that God tells him he has got a naughty heart, and that he has been a very bad boy."

"O! how glad I am to hear that! how glad I am!" answered Marten. "I have been praying to God to make him know that; for I have been thinking of him ever since I saw him and his poor father this morning."

"I know something about having been a naughty boy," said John, "but I want to know more. Can you tell me as well as your papa, Sir?"

"No," answered Marten, "but I can tell you something: for papa and mamma teach me a great deal; and every Saturday night sister Lucy and I meet in papa's study, and he makes us sit quite still and think over all the naughty things we have done that week, and then we put them down in a book and say a prayer."

John. Please to tell me something, Master Marten, about it.

Marten. There is a little catechism which

we have learned by heart, which says,- To sin against God is to do any thing that God forbids me, or not to do what God commands me.'

John. I do not know what those words

mean.

Marten. I will tell you what they mean, as well as I can.-You know that God made us, and gave us every thing we have?

John. Yes.

Marten. Well then, ought we not to love him with all our hearts, in return for his goodness?

John. You taught us that under the tree in the master's garden.

Marten. And how should we show our love to God?

John thought a little, but could not tell.
Marten. Why, how should

love to me?

you show

your

John. I think, by being civil and kind to

you if I could.

Marten. Well then, just the same, if you wished to please God, you would try to keep

his commandments, and not to do any thing that he did not like.

James. That is just the same as those words you said just now.

Marten. So, John, sinning against God is, doing any thing that God forbids, or not doing what God commands; because, you see, if we do not try to please God, we can't really love him.

Marten stopped, and John was quite silent; so, after a little time, Marten went on-"Papa has often told me, that the way to know whether I have a naughty heart, is not to ask myself, whether I do any one particular naughty thing, because perhaps the fear of being beaten may keep me from that; but to ask myself, whether I try to please God in all I do. Now, John, ask yourself, just as you lie in bed there—who have you been trying to please all your life, in all your thoughts, in all your words, and all your deeds?"

"Why, myself," cried John, quite loud. "I never thought about pleasing God till today."

Marten looked at James, and James looked at Marten.

"Then," said Marten; "I will tell you what some other answers in the Catechism say. Now know you you have been a naughty boy, you must be sorry for your sins, and pray to God to forgive you what is past, for the sake of Jesus Christ, and you must try to please him and serve him better; and I will let papa know what you say, and I am sure he will come to you, and he will tell you all those sweet things about the love of Jesus Christ to poor little sinful children like us, which I do so love to hear of."

While Marten had been talking to John he had laid his book down on the bed; and James took it up, and seeing there were some prayers in it for little children, he asked Marten to say one.

So James and Marten knelt down, and Marten said a prayer, in a very slow and serious manner, and John joined in it with all his heart, as he lay in his bed.

When they had finished the prayer, John