LESSON XIII. GOD IS OUR FATHER. Dr. Channing's Sermon on "Christian Worship," vol. iv., p. 305. ONE morning Walter and his mother were sitting at breakfast the window was wide open, and the sun shone slanting into the room. A little robin in a laburnum tree, close by the window, was singing sweetly to his mate, who sat upon her nest amongst the roses that grew against the house and all round the window. Sweet scents came wafted in at the window with the fresh dewy morning air, and made it a pleasant room to sit in. They had drawn the table near to the window, and were sitting talking together, when they heard quick steps at the other side of the hedge, which separated their garden from the road; and the next minute they saw a boy open the garden gate with a letter in his hand: he came up to the window, and gave the note to Walter's mother, and stood waiting for an answer. When she had read it, she said to the boy, "Tell your master I will be with him before noon, and will stay as long as I am wanted. Your aunt is ill, my child,” she added, turning to Walter, "and I am going to nurse her. I must get ready directly, for I must go in half an hour; and you shall walk with me over the fields, to meet the coach." Now Walter had never yet in all his life been separated from his mother for a single night; and he was very sorrowful-and his mother felt sorrowful, too, to leave him; and as they walked over the fields, and sat on the dusty bank waiting for the coach to come up, the tears kept coming into Walter's eyes, at the thought that he would not have his mother to put him into bed, and kiss him before he went to sleep that night. His mother put her arm fondly round him, and drew him closer to her: "My little child," she said, “you must remember now what we were saying the other night, how dearly God loves you, and how much better He knows how to take care of you than even I can. Ah! my child, you will feel now that He loves and takes care of you as well as of me,—that He is your Father as well as mine. When Martha has bid you good night, and you lay your head down on your pillow, remember that He is with you, and will stay beside you all night; and that He, who has put such strong love for you into your mother's heart, has only given to her a part of the love that He himself has for you then say to Him, 'Father, keep with me this night,' and you will feel as if His arms were indeed about you, to protect you; and you will shut your eyes, and think that He is with me also; and you will feel full of love and thankfulness to Him as you drop asleep." In this way she comforted her little boy, till the coach came in sight;-then she kissed him fondly, and told him that he would find the hymn that he was to learn in her work-basket-a book-mark was in the place, and she had marked the part he was to learn with a pencil. Then she got into the coach ; and as the coachman drove off, she nodded to Walter once again, and told him he would have a letter from her soon, and she was gone. Walter stood watching the coach for a little while, and then got over the stile to go home again, and he soon met Martha coming with a cheerful smile to meet him. This was the part of the hymn that his mother had marked : PART OF MRS. BARBAULD'S FIFTH HYMN. Darkness is spread over the skies, and darkness is upon the ground; every eye is shut, and every hand is still. Who taketh care of all people when they are sunk in sleep-when they cannot defend themselves, nor see if danger approacheth? There is an eye that never sleepeth; there is an eye that seeth in the dark night as well as in the bright sunshine. When there is no light of the sun, nor of the moon; when there is no lamp in the house, nor any little star twinkling through the thick clouds, that eye seeth everywhere, in all places, and watcheth continually over all the families of the earth. The eye that sleepeth not is God's; His hand is always stretched out over us. He made sleep to refresh us when we are weary : He made night, that we might sleep in quiet. As the mother moveth about the house with her finger on her lips, and stilleth every little noise, that her infant be not disturbed; as she draweth the curtains around its bed, and shutteth out the light from its tender eyes; so God draweth the curtains of darkness around us; so He maketh all things to be hushed and still, that His large family may sleep in peace. Labourers spent with toil, and young children, and every little humming insect, sleep quietly, for God watcheth over you. You may sleep, for He never sleeps; you may close your eyes in safety, for His eye is always open to protect you. When the darkness is passed away, and the beams of the morning sun strike through your eyelids, begin the day with praising God, who hath taken care of you through the night. Let His praise be in our hearts, when we lie down ; let His praise be on our lips, when we awake. Psalm iv. 8.-I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for Thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety. 4 Isaiah xli. 10.-Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 2 Corinthians vi. 18.-I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Psalm ciii. 13.-Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. (See also Isaiah xlix. 15.) (HYMN, "My Heavenly Father," in Lesson xvi.) Trust Him, my soul! the same kind hand |