says, "Forewarned, forearmed: " and so try that it may be with you.

I should very much have wished to have myself given you your First Communion, but, after all, that matters very little. It is the same LAMB of GOD Who is sacrificed everywhere; it is the very same Body that you, and I, and all good people throughout the Church, east, west, north, and south, receive this day. And afterwards, what was said by the Chief Priests as regards the Apostles, that I should like to be said by others as concerning you; and it may be so, children though you are, no less than if you were grown up: "They took knowledge of them, that they had been with JESUS." "Had been with JESUS" in that Feast which He first made for His Apostles in the same night when He was betrayed, and then for every one of His faithful people from that time to this. "Took knowledge:" that is, that even others might see that you were trying to be so obedient, so true, so kind to each other, so pure, so unselfish, as they should be who have received Him, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:" "Who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him That judgeth righteously."

And now, my children, GOD bless you: and may the pure Angels who will go with you into the Church, and worship with you the Body of Him

Who is their LORD as well as yours, have the joy this day, and on all other days, of seeing that you are getting more and more fit to live with all the Angels, and with the LORD of the Angels, for ever. And now, &c.

READING XX.1

"And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of GOD went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of GOD was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now, Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth." I SAM. iii. 1-10.

You all know this story, my dear children, I am sure; but I will just read it over to you, because I

1 Preached on Low Sunday, 1857.

am going to show you that it has as much to do with you as it had with Samuel. And we must see how that can be. But first listen to the story.

GOD was to speak to Samuel, and to tell him His will. Now GOD very often speaks to all of you, in a great many different ways, at a great many different times; let us see what some of them are. Whenever you hear His Word, He is speaking to you, is He not? For it was GOD the HOLY GHOST Who wrote that Word, and Who wrote it for you, as much as for any other of His people; He knew what you would want to be told, He knew what you would want to be warned against; and all this that Blessed Spirit then put down, and put down for your sakes. Then again, whenever your conscience says to you, This thing is very disagreeable, but still you ought to do it, and you must do it; or when your conscience says to you, Such another thing is very pleasant, looks very bright, seems to promise a great deal of happiness: but it is sin; and how can you do this great wickedness, and offend against GOD? That is GOD speaking to you, and it is very, very sad if you do not attend. Then again, when any one who is set over you speaks to you; when the Mother, for example, tells you to do this, or not to do that: still it is GOD speaking to you, and you are bound to hear.

But now about Samuel. GOD spoke to him, but not at all at the time when you might have expected. Samuel was not saying his prayers;

Samuel was not in any of the services of the temple; he was not doing any especial good act; he was only in bed. And that may teach you that you never know how and where GOD may speak to you. Have you never had a good thought put into your minds, you could not tell why, you could not tell how? it just came in of its own accord ? Very likely your guardian Angel put it there, but it was GOD's voice nevertheless; and you never can tell how or when it may come; the thing is, always to be prepared to hear it.

Now see something else. GOD called, and Samuel heard; but Samuel did not know that it was GOD. He thought it was Eli. "He ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me." I wonder, by the bye, my children, how many of you, if you were woke out of your first sleep, as Samuel was then, would run, as he did, to the person that called you? It is just these little things that make true obedience; we are none of us likely to have any great things set us to do for CHRIST'S sake; the great matter is, to do little things at once. This is the example which our dear Lord set us. as ever GOD the FATHER sent Him to redeem the world, then, without any delay, then, without any hesitation, then, that very moment, He said, "Lo I come, to do Thy will, O GOD." And depend upon it, when He went down and lived in that poor cottage in Nazareth, and was subject to S. Mary and to S. Joseph, He did readily and will

As soon