The books that are not true at all are those wild romances which were written for the purpose of exciting wonder. You had better not read them at all, for they will only disturb your mind and fill it with horrid thoughts of things that never did come to pass and never will. You would not listen to lies: why should you read them.

The books called novels are but little better. Some of these are founded on facts, but they are so mixed with fiction that you cannot tell when you are reading truth or when you are reading falsehood.

And your books of history, such as

at school, are not altogether true.

you read

The men

who wrote them have been known sometimes

to falsify facts.

Now when you read a book you expect that it is telling you truth. But if, after reading it, you were told-All that, or a great part

of that, which you have now been reading, is not true, you would feel disappointed and dissatisfied.

But no such feelings will be in your mind after reading the bible. You can rise up from the perusal of its interesting lives and wonderful narratives, saying-All these are true. Indeed you feel in your heart that they are true as you go on reading them, and you are satisfied. And more than this, the truths you have been reading find an abiding place in your heart, and do not vanish away like the visions of fancy and fable.

If then, beloved boys, you wish your thoughts to be true thoughts, your words to be true words, your actions to be true actions, and your lives to be true lives, read much the Word of Truth. For thus will your minds be run into the mould of truth, and be fashioned after a perfect pattern. God, even the God of truth, will then delight over you to do you good, and

all good men will honour you. The bible is the book to make every boy a good man and a

true man.

IT IS THE MOST PURE.

Many of the books against which I have cautioned you are not only not true-they are impure-full of thoughts you would never wish to think, and of deeds you would never wish to do. They are like pitch; you cannot touch them without being defiled.

Keep yourselves pure. You can hardly tell yet what I mean when I say so; neither must I tell you more than this, that the world is full of corruption, and as you grow up you will find it in your own hearts and all around you. You will see many things you had better never have seen, and hear many things you had better never have heard.

Nothing, my dear young friends, is more lovely in the sight of God and good men than a

wise and pious youth avoiding the pollutions of the world, and, when tempted to do wrong, saying with Joseph the son of Jacob—How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

And nothing can be more dreadful on earth than to see any young person taking pleasure in impurity. It makes one shudder to think what a nest of venomous serpents he is cherishing in his own bosom, which will not only torture him in this life, but may be as the worm that dieth not to sting his soul for ever!

How, then, shall any boy keep his way clean? By reading the words which are pure words. Pure words breed pure thoughts. The Word of God is pure—purity itself. There is nothing but purity in the pages of the bible. If impurity be mentioned there, it is that it may be seen how ugly and hateful it is.

Indeed one great proof-it might be almost said the great proof-that the bible came from

God is, that its words are pure words. For had they not been pure we could not have believed that it came from the Holy God.

If then, beloved children, you have any desire, and surely you have, to grow up into life—not like a blighted and withering shrub, whose end is to be burned-but like a healthy and vigorous plant, bearing fruit even unto old age, take care and hide the pure Word of God deep in your heart that you may not sin against Him; and have it there ready for use when the world tempts you, when satan, the foul adversary, prompts you, or when your own evil heart, which is never to be trusted, would fain give way to evil. Plainly have texts of scripture well treasured up in your memory as heavenly armour ever ready for use. And go again and again to the Holy Word for more; and thus will you be armed at all times for the conflict, in which, if you live, you will have to engage with the corruptions of the world.

The