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indulge it, but go to your secret chamber, and confess that you have had a selfish and sinful thought, and ask God to wash it away in the blood of Jesus, and to give you His Holy Spirit to enable you to

overcome it.

A missionary once asked a little girl in South Africa what there was in her heart. She looked very serious and said, "Bad things." The missionary asked her what the bad things were, and she answered, "Obstinacy, envy, and many more, which I do not like to speak of." If you were asked what are the bad things in your hearts, could you tell what they are? Do you think that selfishness and self-importance is one of them? The missionary then asked what she meant to do with such a heart, and she replied, "I bring it to Jesus every day." And what, said the missionary, can He do with it? With a bright and cheerful look, she exclaimed, "He can wash it. He can put good things in it. Then I shall fret no more." My dear

young friend, follow the example of this little child. Try to find out what "bad things" are in your heart. See whether selfishness or self-importance is one of them. Then bring your heart to Jesus every day. Whenever a selfish or self-important wish rises up in your mind, bring your heart to Jesus. Then God will make you humble and meek, and then you will be satisfied to have the lowest place, and then you will be always happy; you will be like Jesus, and He will be with you on earth, and will take you to be with Him in heaven.

HEZEKIAH:

Or, the wish to make a display.

IN the last chapter, dear reader, I spoke to you about Jonah, or the wish to be thought important. In this chapter, I am going to speak to you about a good king of Judah, though you will be sorry to hear, that he did not always think and feel what was right. Who was this king? It was Hezekiah. Now the word Hezekiah means something. Do you know what it means? It signifies "strength of Jehovah." You may divide it into two parts: the first part "Hezek," means "strength;" the last part "iah," means Jehovah;" so the two parts together signify "the strength of Jehovah." There is

another name in the Bible, which means nearly the same, "Ezekiel." It signifies "God shall strengthen." Which part of the word, do you suppose, means "God?" The last syllable "el." If you search the Bible, you will find many more words, which end in "iah," so Zechariah, which means "the memorial of Jehovah ;" and you will also find many words, which end in "el:" so Bethel, which signifies "the house of God." There are three different parts of the Bible, which tell us the history of Hezekiah. The first is (2 Kings, xviii.-xx.); the next is (2 Chron. xxix.-xxxii.,) and the last is the prophet (Isaiah xxxvi.-xxxix.) You will find it useful to read and to compare them, and then you will know the history of Hezekiah very well. A person was once asked what two chapters in the Bible are exactly alike, word for word; she did not know what to answer. If you will compare the chapters I have mentioned, you will be able to answer this question.

Hezekiah was a good man, his heart was right with God, and he did many things that pleased God. If you turn to (2 Kings xviii. 4,) you will find one thing which he did that pleased God. "He brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made, for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it." If you turn to (2 Chron. xxix. 3,) you will find another thing that he did, which pleased God: "He opened the doors of the house of the Lord," and in (v. 10) of the same chapter, you will find another thing which he did, that also pleased God: "It is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel." If you refer to (chap. xxx. 2) you will find another thing that he did according to God's will: "He took counsel to keep the passover." But though Hezekiah lived to God with all his heart, it pleased God to send him many trials. Does this seem strange to you? If you look at (Heb. xii. 6,) you will see the reason: "For whom the Lord loveth He chasten

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