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success, and such a friendship or acquaintanceship would have been cemented between the philanthropists and their pensioners that would have offered every facility for ameliorating their moral condition, and winning them to the better influences of the gospel of peace. Here the main objection to the application of the local system to the American state of society suggests itself" that it seems to organize an inquisitorial inspection of the poor which they will deem obtrusive," and this is not only presumptive; but it may be reasonably inferred from the unsuccessful issue of the attempts made by the pauperism society, and the yet stronger instance above narrated; to which additional confidence is given, by the unvaried success that has attended every effort of the kind made by the Sunday School committees, who have as a preliminary step gained the good will and confidence of the parents through their benevolent exertions in behalf of their children, than which there is no surer avenue even to the most insensible and depraved hearts.

S.

VARIETY.

[From the Port Folio of a S. School Teacher.]

THOUGHTS, ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.

There is not an object or an occurrence which passes under notice, but while it furnishes the child with matter of inquiry, will also supply the parent with a subject of instruction.

Children receive impressions much earlier in the house of God than we are aware of; and therefore it is criminal not to give them all the advantage of God's instituted worship.

men.

It is the duty of every Christian to endeavour to the utmost to spread the knowledge of the salvation of Christ among his fellowThe employment is of the most honourable and delightful nature they work for eternity. On this subject a heathen convert lately expressed himself thus: "Can any thing be greater any thing more delightful!"

Where the instruction of youth in the principles of religion does not prove the means of salvation, let it not be said

its influence is lost; scarcely one divine truth falls upon the youthful mind in vain, though it is overborn by the tide of passion; it checks him in his career of iniquity; it restrains his evil passions, and makes him at least afraid and ashamed of outward vices. The value of these efforts to society is not small.

Sunday scholars should be taught to venerate the word of God as the fountain of knowledge, to love it as the best of books, and to meditate on it all the days of their life; to be their constant instructor, their counsellor, and their guide to eternal life and glory.

A SOLILOQUY.

Altered from Wesley's Preface to his Sermons.

I am a creature of a day; passing through life as an arrow passes through the air.

I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God ;—just hovering over the great gulph of eternity, 'till I drop into that unchangeable state, and am no more seen!

I want to know one thing;-the way to heaven;-how to land safely on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way for this very end Christ came from heaven; and hath had it written down in a book :-O give me that book: At any price give me the book of God!—I have it ;—I find in it knowledge enough for me :-Let me from henceforth be homo unius libri; (a man of one book.)

Here then I am; far from the busy ways of men: I sit down. by myself; God only is here! In his presence I open, I read his book, and for this end-to find the way to heaven. If there is any doubt concerning the meaning of what I read; if any thing appears dark or intricate, I lift up my heart to the "Father of light:" His book tells me--" If any lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."*

I then search after, and consider parallel passages of Scripture, "comparing spiritual things with spiritual :"-I meditate thereon with all the attention and earnestness of which my mind is capable; and in the ardour of my research I exclaim-O my * James, 1. 5.

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Father, is it not said in this book If any man will do thy will he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God?"* I am desirous to do it; let me know, O my Father.

SUNDAY SCHOOL FACTS AND ANECDOTES

66 Valiant for the Truth."

A Sunday School teacher, long employed in his pious cares, being asked if he expected to continue his efforts of that kind during life: "Certainly," he replied. " unless Satan's kingdom is destroyed, for I have enlisted during the war. '—(Boston Recorder.)

Of the same character are the following facts, as stated by a superintendent: "In a late conversation with some of my teachers, in consulting relative to some arrangements of the school, they said, whatever we do, let it be with a view to permanency; for as this is a business for our lives, we should regulate our concerns accordingly."

Some time since the superintendent and a teacher of our Sunday Schools, were walking to the school house one sabbath morning, and advising about some truant scholars, whose attendance they had taken unusual pains to secure. The teacher thought it best to visit them no longer, as it seemed to have no good effect; the superintendent replied to him, let us go alwayslet us go now. They visited the boys before the school hour, and had the satisfaction not only to see them attend that day, but they have continued regular since that time.

The superintendent of a school in the same neighbourhood, on hearing the parents of some of the scholars say that they understood he was about to give up the school, he replied, "when you hear that report again believe it not, for I intend to teach till I die."

In giving the above facts, we are reminded of a pleasing circumstance that occurred some years since, at a religious conference meeting, in this city. It was recommended that chris tians should be faithful to warn and counsel their worldly minded

* John, 7. 17.

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friends, and to manifest a solemn and feeling interest for them always. A minister was asked, "If I had often been to a friend, often admonished—and as often been repulsed, what is my duty?” The answer was, "It is your duty to go till you die!"

REVIEW AND NOTICE OF SUNDAY SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS.

"New Series of Tracts for Children." [New-York Religious Tract Society, at their Depository, Wilder and Campbell's, No. 142 Broadway.]-These neat and useful little pages, issued from the press of the New-York Religious Tract Society, have just come to our hands, and we regret the want of time and room to notice them as they should be; for we cannot but deem them a sufficient pledge of the accomplishment of their excellent intentions, of preparing 66 an extensive collection of children's books on interesting subjects, so embellished with cuts as to attract their attention, mingling amusement with wholesome religious instruction." We have already expressed our approbation of such a plan at pages 265 and 298 of this work. Our hopes are more than realised in the appearance of the first of the series now published. We doubt not but that they will "attract the attention of children," and instructive they must prove; for the selection is judicious and pure, being also well calculated for general distribution. We are pleased to notice the precise adaptation of the cuts to the subjects, as well as their variety and neatness-matters of greater importance with the juvenile mind (as we think,) than parents and instructors are usually aware of. The expressive cut in the little story of the "Passionate Boy" in this series, and another in that of Little Susan and her Lamb," revives some of the earliest serious and tender impressions of our younger days; and we are confident that such pictures in children's books will not only tend to illustrate the subjects, but must forcibly convey the moral and the precept to the heart. We congratulate the religious community, Christian parents, and especially Sunday School instructors, on the successful progress of this plan of pious utility, by which, we trust, that the rising generation will have opened to them a new and well guarded source

of useful and religious reading--thus pleasingly extending the variety already extant, which is truly desirable as well for the instruction as the gratification of young minds; for which reason we earnestly pray that all publishing committees, at least of religious societies, might have a mutual understanding of good fellowship in promoting one common cause of goodonly publishing duplicates where the peculiar excellence of a tract, or local circumstances, require an unusual supply. We hope the New-York Religious Tract Society" will be as successful in what they are preparing, as in those already published. As far as we have read them, we are satisfied with them, and heartily recommend them to all parents and instructors, and to Sunday Schools. For entire list see cover.

66

"The May Bee”—“ The Wishing Cap."-By Mrs. Sherwood.-J. P. Haven, New-York, 128 Broadway.

These two short, but very interesting stories, are included under one cover, 18 mo. size. We delight to find (as we have always anticipated from the pen of Mrs. Sherwood,) that they are drawn up with that simplicity and tenderness, and written in that pious and scriptural strain, that will ever be sure to check the unbridled passions of childhood, and preserve in them a tenderness of conscience on the side of truth and virtue, which, if it should not promote their immediate religious advancement, may happily render them, by the farther blessings of divine providence, more susceptible to the pure precepts of the gospel. In the first of these little histories, the writer inculcates the moral, that cruelty to animals, and sabbath breaking, not only harden the heart and sear the conscience, but lead to merited punishment; while attention to pious instructions and a regard to the sabbath, advance to peace, contentment and prosperity, to the love of God, and the obtaining his heavenly rewards In The Wishing Cap," the precept of a humble submission to the guidance of the Divine Hand is more happily and sweetly characterised than we ever recollect to have seen it in such publications; and it cannot be read by any one, alive to the interests of youth, without intense feeling, while it enforces the reflection that books of such a charactermust prove a powerful agency in purging the young mind from those gross contaminations poured into it by the unavoidable intercourse with the vain and ungodly in school boy days. These two little stories are moral and religious to the fullest extent, and wholly so. We should desire to see a million of them distributed among the children of America. "Questions on the historical parts of the New Testament."-By Truman Parmele, superintendent. Merrill & Hastings, Utica.

We have now the gratification to see this useful help to teachers complete. We have already expressed our cordial approbation of the first numbers, at page 263, and we are pleased to notice, that its judicious and correct character is preserved throughout, it will, no doubt, facilitate the instruction of Sunday School classes, which is its particular design.

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