But when you were in these unhappy circumstances, your Heavenly Father, who is equally the Maker of the rich and the poor, and with whom there is no respect of persons, was pleased to pity you, and to shew you mercy. Having the hearts of all men in his hands, he inclined the hearts of those who were able to help you, to view your case with the feelings of a tender compassion, and to build for you, and such as you are, this spacious and excellent house, where, during the most helpless years of your life, you are provided with comfortable lodging, food and clothing, and are committed to the direction of well qualified governors and teachers. Under their care you are kept out of the way of many sins and temptations, which might, in other circumstances, have ruined you in body and soul, and made you miserable in time and through eternity; and by their instructions you may obtain such an education, as will prepare you for learning and pursuing, in due time, some honest trade or business, by which you may hereafter live reputably and comfortably in the world. But what you should reckon among the greatest advantages of your present situation, is, that you are here particularly taught to read the Bible, the best book in the world, it having been written by wise and good men, in obedience to the command of God, and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. By reading and understanding this book, you may learn to know the God who made you; and the Saviour who died to redeem you from sin and from everlasting misery; and what you must do to please and honor your Maker and Redeemer in this world, and to obtain eternal life and blessedness with him in the world to come.

Think of these things, and consider how thankful you ought to be to the good friends who have generously taken so much care, and been at so great an expense, for your present and eternal welfare; and how thankful especially you ought to be, to the great and blessed God, who disposes and enables these friends to shew you so much kindness, and whose mercies to you are so many and so great.

Are your youthful hearts tenderly affected, when you think how much better and more desirable your situation is here, than that of thousands of other poor children in the world? And are you ready to say, How shall we shew our gratitude, to our kind benefactors, who have done, and who are still doing so much for our comfort and benefit?

Let me tell you; that the most pleasing return which you can make to them, will be, to give them the satisfaction of seeing you concerned and endeavouring to do well for yourselves. Greatly indeed would they be disappointed and grieved, if they should see you turn out thoughtless, wicked, and useless creatures, determined to go on in the broad road of vice and folly, which leads down to everlasting death and destruction, But how great will be the pleasure and joy of their hearts, if they see you, by your general good behaviour, and especially by a serious attention to the duties of religion and morality, promising fair to act your part well in the stations in which Providence may place you in this world, and to secure your interest in a better and more enduring inheritance in heaven, than the richest can possess on earth.

Would you also know what you shall render to the Lord, the God of your mercies, for delivering you from

the many evils to which you were lately exposed, and favouring you with the many and great advantages, which you here enjoy?

Let me then remind you, that you ought to feel your hearts engaged, by all his goodness and mercy which you have experienced; to remember your Creator and Redeemer in the days of your youth; to remember him, so as to fear and love him, to devote yourselves to his service, and to seek your happiness in his favour, even now in the morning of your days. This is certainly your most reasonable duty, which you owe to your Heavenly Father, and blessed Saviour. you desire thus to fear and love him, and begin thus early to seek and serve him, you may well hope that he will love you; that you will find him your best friend, and that he will delight to bless you, and rejoice over you in doing you good.

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Seek him then with all your hearts, while he may be found. Pray earnestly, every day, to your Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus your Redeemer, for his Holy Spirit, which he is most ready to give to them who ask him, that you may be taught by Him to know the Lord as your God, and enabled to believe in Christ the Son of God as your Saviour; and that you may be led and kept in the peaceful, pleasant ways of his holy religion, to his heavenly kingdom.

If you thus pray, the Lord will hear you, and grant you the mercy and grace which you seek, and bless you exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think.

The great Lord of heaven and earth, will then be your Father, and will be unspeakably better to you, than the richest and best parents on earth can be to

their beloved children. And then also, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is particularly pleased to see little children coming to him, who takes them with the greatest tenderness into the arms of his mercy, and into the bosom of his love, and delights to bless them and make them happy forever; who, for the sake of making poor sinners rich in the inheritance of his heavenly kingdom, once condescended to become so poor on earth, that he had not a place of comfortable lodging where he might lay his head to rest; this great and gracious and blessed Redeemer, will be your Saviour and your friend, will provide in the best manner for all your wants, guide you in the right way, make all things work for your good, while you live in this world, and at last when you die, will receive you to behold his glory in heaven, and to enjoy with him all the rich and precious blessings of his grace and love, through all the ages of eternity.

Would you, in short, desire to enjoy the favour of God and men ; and that it may be well with you both now and forever. Let it then be your constant care and endeavour, to behave yourselves in all respects suitably to the station in which you are here placed, and as worthy of the priviledges which you here enjoy.

Observe carefully the rules and orders made for the government of your conduct while you remain inhabitants of this house.

Respect, honor, and pray for, all who have the care of you, and are studying to make your situation comfortable, and to promote your present and everlasting welfare.

Attend to the good instructions of your teachers, and especially to what you may learn by reading the

word of God, concerning your duty to Him, to yourselves, and to all around you.

Never let the language of profane cursing and swearing, of lying or rudeness, or any other wicked and shameful words, be heard from your lips.

Live in peace, love, and friendship with each other, as it becomes the children of one family, sharing together in the same goodness and mercy of the Lord, and in the same favour and bounty of the public, by which you have been kindly adopted.

And let your humble, modest, orderly conduct, at all times and in every place, shew that you are evidently improved in your dispositions and manners, by the advantages which you enjoy in this happy habitation of charity, this desirable Asylum of the orphan, and of the children of want and affliction.

Remember and do these things; And may that gracious God, who is the Father of the fatherless, and who delivereth the poor, and setteth them on high from affliction, be pleased to bless you, and to keep you, and to make you truly good, useful and happy in this life ; and to grant, that though you should continue among the poor of this world, you may become rich in faith, and heirs of the heavenly kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him.