though they went into the closet and looked under the sofa. They were by this time much alarmed, and ran out of the parlour faster than they had come in; and when they got into the hall, one took one way, and one another. Thomas ran out into the garden, Mrs. Kitty hurried up stairs, Mr. Dalben descended into the cellar, and Sally ran into the kitchen and brewhouse, where she gave alarm to an old woman, who was busy washing little Henry's frock; and while Sally examined every hole and corner in the offices within door, the old woman ran to the pig-sty, into the barn, into the shoe-hole, and into the coal-hole, calling as loud as she could, "Master Henry! Master Henry! dear little rogue, I hope no harm is come to him!"

Whilst the family were in this confusion, one running one way and one another, every body calling and nobody answering, and every one becoming more and more frightened every minute, little Henry was enjoying a very delightful rest at the bottom of his cupboard; and I know not how long he might have lain there, perhaps till night, if the whole family, having searched in vain in every possible direction, had not returned again to the parlour; and there, whilst they were examining every odd corner, Sally opened the cupboard, and set up such a cry of joy, that

Henry began to stir and rub his eyes, and was not a little surprised to see his uncle, Mrs. Kitty, Thomas, Sally, and the washerwoman, all gathered together round the door of his house, as he afterwards called his cupboard.

"O you little rogue!" said Mrs. Kitty "how you have frightened us all! who would have thought of your being in the cupboard?"

"Why, we might all have thought of it," said Mr. Dalben," if we had thought at all, and not put ourselves into such a fright: however, I am very thankful that our alarm is thus removed. And now, my little man, come out of your hole : you will live, I feel assured, to thank your foolish friends for all the cares, whether wise or simple, which they have had on your account." So the little boy got up and came out, and having thanked every one, for what he could not tell, all departed to their own place, and thus terminated this dreadful alarm.

CHAP. IV.

In this Chapter an Account is given of Henry's fifth Year, and of what he learnt in that Year, with certain other curious Particulars.

SOON after little Henry Milner arrived at Mr. Dalben's, his birthday happened, at which time he became completely four years of age.

At this period he could speak very plainly, and would walk and run as well and as far as most little boys of his age. Through the precautions of his kind uncle and Mrs. Kitty, he knew no naughty words and naughty tricks; notwithstanding which, like all little children, who have not yet received new hearts, he was full of evil inclinations which he showed in many ways. I shall point out presently these ways, in which he showed his evil tempers; but before I do this, I will explain to you what I mean by saying that all little children who have not received new hearts are full of evil inclinations. All little children who have been born in England, and have lived a few years in this Chris

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tian country, must have heard this solemn and important truth; that there is only one God, and that he is holy and just, and never does evil, but hates sin and loves goodness. This great and mighty God made all things; he created the sun and the stars, and all the worlds, to which the light of these heavenly bodies extends throughout the universe. And this we understand from many verses in the Bible, some of which I shall bring forwards in this place. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy works. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. He made the stars also."

It is now nearly five thousand eight hundred years, according to our best reckonings, since the Lord created the world in which we live. You have often undoubtedly heard of the first man and woman made by God. These our first parents were made without sin, pure, and holy, and upright, and blameless in the sight of their God: but that wicked spirit, to wit, the devil or Satan, tempted them to depart from God, by eating of the tree of which God forbade them to taste. And thus they introduced sin and death into the world; the consequence of which was, that from that time every child born of the family of Adam is utterly corrupt from his birth,

and not able in himself to think one single good thought. I could bring forward verses without end from the Bible to prove this doctrine of man's utter depravity. "There is not a just man on earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually. There is no health in us. The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint." These are some of the many verses in the Bible which prove the entire corruption of

our nature.

But one would think we need not go to the Bible to be convinced of this. We can hardly walk out into the streets without meeting with wicked children, or bad men and women, who swear and use dreadful words; and if we look into our own hearts, we shall see even worse things than these; we shall find wicked thoughts, anger, idleness, covetousness, malice, foolishness, with many other abominations which I have not time to tell. This being the case, and man's heart being naturally so, we are told that it is necessary for us to have new hearts and new natures: this new nature, which is the gift of God, is called in Scripture being born again; but as I shall have occasion to speak farther on this subject by and by, I will say no more upon it at this time; but will return to little Henry