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seems to be inscribed with the touching record of Job, "Man cometh up like a flower." We have been led into this train of reflections by considering that the Sunday Schools are under the conduct of the young, and youth is the object of their regard, and teacher and taught may more emphatically than ever say at this season, "We know not what a day may bring forth;" they meet at their delightful house of prayer, "rejoicing as a giant to run his course;" but ere another sabbath "the grave has swallowed them up quick"--to one or other of them the sudden lightning--the raging fever-or the deceitful stream has been the unexpected messenger to summon them to render an account to their Lord of his talents. That time is short, is not only the heavenly estimate that an inspired apostle has given, but a good and wise Providence has imprinted the lesson faithfully through the book of nature, where every day we may turn the page to read it. All nature seems to cry aloud that "TIME IS SHORT." Has not the Almighty thus designed that we should constantly reflect on the uncertainty of our day in this present evil life, so that we may learn" to apply our hearts to wisdom," else wherefore has he opened the mouths of his prophets since the world began--declaring the solemn truth at we are "Pilgrims and sojourners here," "accomplishing an hireling our day." "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou Lalt return," was the sublime and fearful terms of His first revelation of this appalling truth from His own reproving voice, which was soon after followed by the actual accomplishment of his purpose, in the gradual curtailment of the days of men, they were left bounded at their longest terms by three score and ten. And this solemn truth occupies so much of the Divine records, that vain man is without excuse if he obeys not the eventful precept, "remember thy God ere the evil days draw nigh." In the whole range of symbolical language of Scripture, there is, perhaps, none more touching, simple and expressive, than the words from Isaiah on this subject, 66 WE ALL DO FADE AS A LEAF."-How great the transition of all Nature's foliage, even at the most springing and luxuriant season-the tempest rends it, and it is gone! the frost early nips it, and it perishes away! the worm blights it, and it is destroyed!--the fiery

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drought withers it--steals its beauties--it crumbles into dustand the wind scatters it abroad! "We all do fade as a leaf." It remaineth true, then, that he that pursueth no certain good in the current of his uncertain day, in the words of the Psalmist, "He walketh in a vain shadow." His short hour of life. passes on as a "tale that is told," or a vision of the night; and he is at last aroused to the solemn reality of that sublime symbol by which the Eternal One closes his revelation of this momentous subject, by the record of His servant John, "The angel lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him that liveth and reigneth forever, there should be time no longer."Then cometh "the time of the end," the "crush of matter and the wreck of worlds," and mortal man becomes immortal, and his works, the pride and glory of an admiring world, perish too; but these follow him, the memorial of which have gone up before God, as the alms and prayers of Cornelius. Such are blessed, and their works follow them to become the joyful theme of never-ending praise to Him who has "both worked in them to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Let the pious teacher constantly review this touching subject. And it is recommended that a record similar to the one subjoined be written in the Teacher's Class Book for his constant perusal, and it cannot fail to urge him to improve the precious opportunity that God has given him to profit his own and the souls of others. Such are the hints we offer to Teachers of Sunday School Children, and, in connexion with the subject, we have added an essay on the topic from the " British Journal of Education"-trusting that the perusal might produce salutary effects on the minds of the conductors of our Sunday Schools; and the following extract from Langhorne so faithfully delineates the subject that we cannot refrain from transcribing it here, although our polite readers may have before perused it.

EXTRACT

From Langhorne's Theodosius and Constantia.

Man though born with faculties to reach through the depths of time, and powers to flourish through the ages of eternity, seldom looks beyond the present hour, or is affected but by

present objects. The immortal soul, confined to this mansion of earth, becomes enamoured of her habitation; and in time persuades herself that "here she has a delight to dwell;" hence she is solicitous how she may repair the tottering wall, and support the frail fabric. Yet, surely this attachment is strange, Constantia, since, notwithstanding her solicitude for its preservation, this frame will soon fall, and very soon moulder into its native earth. Yet a little while, and every breast that is now warm with hope, and busy with design, shall drop into the cold and senseless grave. The eye that is reading this page shall be closed in darkness, and the hand that writes it shall crumble into dust.-Correspondence between Theodosius and Constantia.

MONITORY RECORD.

For Sunday School Teachers.--Designed to be inserted on the first pages of the Teacher's Class Book.

LORD MAKE ME TO KNOW MINE END, AND THE measure of MY DAYS WHAT IT IS THAT I MAY KNOW HOW FRAIL I AM."

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"Dost thou inquire, O my soul, of the measure of thine uncertain days? Dost thou ask, Is there not an appointed time for man? are not his days like the days of an hireling? With David dost thou inquire of the Lord, and with his servant Job, dost thou say," are not his days determined--the number of his months is with thee-thou hast appointed the bounds that he cannot pass?" Behold the Almighty answereth thee, speaking by the mouth of his servants of old."

"What is your life, even a vapour."

"Every man at his best estate is but vanity

"When a few days are come, then shall I go the way whence I shall not return." "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle-swifter than a post they flee away-they are passed away like a swift ship--as the eagle that hasteth to his preywe spend our days as a tale that is told-they pass as a dream in the night."

"Man cometh forth as a flower and is cut down-he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not.

They are like grass which groweth up-in the morning it flourisheth, in the evening it is cut down and withered.

My days are like a shadow. As for man his day is as the grass or flower of the field-it flourisheth, but the wind passeth over it and it is gone-and the place thereof shall know it no more-- "Man is like vanity-WE DO ALL FADE AS A LEAF."

"All flesh is grass-and as the flower of the field-the grass withereth-the flower fadeth-BUT THE WORD of our god enDURETH FOREVER! Behold thou hast made my days as an hand's breadth and mine age as nothing before thee"- "there is no cunning or device in the grave whither thou goest”—“ What thy hand findeth to do, do quickly-for the night cometh

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Lord so teach me to number my days," that I may apply my heart unto wisdom." Then may I say with thy servant Paul 66 FOR ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, TO DIE IS CAIN." Amen.

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THE FRAILTY OF CHILDREN A MOTIVE TO DILIGENCE.

[From the London S. S. T. Magazine.]

Various are the arguments employed to excite Sunday School Teachers to an active, persevering, and faithful discharge of the duties of their office; of these, none appear to me more powerful than those derived from the consideration, of the great liability of children to the stroke of mortality. This impression is strongly felt by the writer, while the intelligence of the death of one, whose youthful, healthful, cheerful countenance he has been in the habit of seeing every returning Sabbath, still sounds in his ears. She is gone, for ever gone!—the spirit is fled, the tabernacle is taken down. We shall see her here no more; we shall instruct her no more. The stroke was indeed unexpected. Had we anticipated it; had we known the time of her departure to be so near at hand, with how much greater earnestness should we have inculcated our instructions? But ah! it is too late,

The Sabbath returns, and numbers flock to our as

sembly, but Harriet does not appear. We read the Holy Scriptures, but Harriet hears not. We sing, but Harriet's tongue, once employed in this delightful exercise, is now silent in death. We pray, but she cannot unite with us in supplication! Surely such events are calculated to teach us to consider our youthful charge as mortal-as passing away; and to lead us with increasing diligence to

"Point them to a Saviour's blood,

"And say, Behold the way to God."

The consideration that children are peculiarly liable to be removed by death, is calculated, I conceive, to promote punctuality and regularity in our attendance, assiduity in the performance of our duty, spirituality in our instructions, holy and dignified evenness of temper, and warm affection for the children of our charge.

If, on the return of the period for engaging in our labours, we seriously consider, that possibly in a short time, perhaps ere another sacred day of rest arrive, some of our youthful charge may be removed for ever, far beyond the reach of our sympathies and our care; how will it serve to chide our sluggish souls, and to urge our lingering feet to speed their way to the juvenile assembly and the same thought will have its use, when we get within the doors of our Sabbath-day seminaries. We shall consider that time is rapidly flying, and that the moments we have to spend with the children of our care are few. Industry will mark our proceedings, and we shall be anxious to be instrumental to impart some benefit to their young and tender minds.

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Perhaps, there is too great reason to lament a deficiency, generally, in regard to the communication of religious instruction, among teachers of Sunday Schools; and, alas! in how many instances do we attend to it, as a child attends to his taskcold, formal, a sort of usual routine which we are in the habit of performing. But surely if we were to view the children we have to teach, as standing on the threshold of eternity, only a step between them and death, a solemnity would pervade our instructions, of which, perhaps, they do not often partake. We

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