Vice, and promoting the Knowledge we think, could hardly, under the and Practice of the Christian Reli- impressive circumstances of its deligion; in St. Peter's Church, on very, have been heard without efThursday, 27th January, 1803. By fect. the Reverend JOHN JEBB, A. M. Dublin, 1803. pp. 124, 8vo. AN account of this association, drawn from the appendix subjoined to the sermon now before us, may be found in our second volume, pp. 634-636. The text of the sermon is Ps. i. 2, 3. The object of the preacher is to answer the question, which sinful and miserable man has ever anxiously been asking, and will continue anxiously to ask, as long as he abides in this world -Where is true happiness to be found? The answer is obvious; and it is the privilege of well instructed christians, that that answer suggests itself with the utmost facility, and with the utmost evidence. The subject, however, is of large extent, and may call into discussion almost any topic of moral, and (we had nearly said) of human, science. Having represented, in a striking manner and very impressive language, the utter insufficiency of philosophy, with all its presumptuous pretensions, to lead men to happiness, Mr. Jebb observes: "But, thanks be to God! we possess the sacred scriptures. Here, and here only, we obtain full resolution of all our doubts, and full accomplishment of all our desires. From the mine of primæval revelation, a few scattered particles had been conveyed to the sages of the antient world, through the rivulets of tradition; but in the exhaustless treasury of scripture, we meet not only all that was solid or sterling in their system, but all the invaluable riches of moral truth, fitted for general circulation, and stamped with the image and superscription of consummate wisdom." (p. 9.) The harmony of divine revelation with physical and moral nature in its gradual progress, and the happy as well as sanctifying effects of the same revelation, when cordially embraced, occupy the attention of the preacher, and are described both with proprie ty and energy, from p. 13 to p. 19. After some just observations upon the excellence of the word of God, an appropriate address is made, first to the members of the association in general, and then (which closes the discourse) to the clerical part of the audience. This portion is distinguished both by animation and fidelity; and, Mr. Jebb has followed the example of several eminent writers of the present age, in annexing a considerable number of notes to his sermon, and to these the reader will naturally look for information. Nor will he be disappointed. The first two are short criticisms. The third contains a detail of evidence, from antient writers, of the misery of human life, and the inefficacy of philosophy to remedy it. The fourth is a reply to the objection from the confined communication of revealed light, and the late completion of the sacred volume. Some important observations upon the character of the Jews, and their influence upon the various nations, among which the divine providence dispersed them, are to be found in this note. The fifth is a quotation from Ely Bates, concerning the peaceful and happy efficacy of scriptural religion. In the sixth is quoted a description of the character of Newton by Voltaire, which, as coming from such a man, cannot be read without astonishment. The seventh notices the pernicious publications of a deistical Quaker, named John Hancock. The authenticity of the pentateuch, and the curious concession of Rousseau concerning the gospel, occupy the eighth. The ninth consists of two quotations; the first from the Spectator, and the other from Bishop Porteus, on the benign influence of the religion of the scriptures on the occupations and enjoyments of life. The tenth produces many celebrated names, who have afforded eminent examples of piety. and Haller are principally dwelt upcn. The eleventh and last note is intended to enforce, by the high authorities of the present Bishop of Lon don, Bishop Burnett, and the Archbishops Secker and Hort, the prac tice, recommended in the sermon, of occasionally lecturing or preaching expository sermons. This hint, we think, deserves peculiar attention. Euler We cannot conclude without expressing the pleasure which we feel at the flourishing state of the association, the cause of which is so ably pleaded in this sermon; and, we trust, that the divine blessing will give it a still more powerful and more extended effect. CXLVI. Improvements in Education, as it respects the industrious Classes of the Community; containing, a short Account of its present State, Hints towards its Improvement, and a Detail of some practical Experiments conducive to that end. By JOSEPH LANCASTER. Second Edition, with Additions. 8vo. pp. 80. London 1803, Darton. THE subject of this essay is of considerable national importance. The author has brought forward a scheme pregnant with many advantages, both to the public and to individuals; and his pamphlet furnishes so many useful hints relative to the execution of what he recommends, that we hope it will engage general attention. It is impossible, indeed, not to be offended with the mixture of vanity and selfconfidence which the author occasionally discovers: but we are bound, nevertheless, cordially to commend the evident benevolence of his intentions, and the utility of the design which he zealously and, for the most part, judiciously labours to promote. Much as this country deserves to be commended on account of the number of its charitable institutions for the education of the poor, there still remains much to be done to preserve the numerous offspring of the inferior orders, from ignorance, vice, and misery. Many of them receive no edution whatever. Some of them, it is true, are sent to the inferior schools, but the state of these is in general so wretched, as to be a disgrace to this enlightened and opulent country. The design of this pamphlet is to point out to the benevolent, the means of improving this numerous class of schools; for this purpose, he begins with a representation of their present condition, which, though very unfavourable, we believe is not exaggerated. How much the health and the morals of the children of the poor must be injured by attending these schools, will be evident to any person who will be at the pains of informing himself on the subject. In the second part of this tract, Mr. Lancaster recommends the consideration of this momentous case to the public-spirited, and advises that a society should be formed for the express purpose of facilitating the means of education among the labouring poor: and surely there is scarcely any sug gestion which can have a more pererful claim to the attention of the friends of religion, order, and humanity. Our author's hints respecting the formation of such a society, will be found of use by those who may be disposed to set on foot so beneficial a scheme. Mr. Lancaster has noticed a difficulty which is likely to occur to the institution recommended by him, but which he appears to us to have treated in far too superficial a manner. The difficulty is that of inducing the various classes of Protestants to concur in the proposed undertaking. His plan for surmounting it is that the society "should be established on general christian principles." There is something very plausible in this proposal, but who shall fix what are those general principles of christianity which, as essential verities, must be made the basis of a system of instruction? By general christian principles Mr. Lancaster has left room to conjecture, that he may have meant something which might coalesce as well with deism as with christianity. He may, indeed, have meant more than he has expressed: but it must be allowed, that his words convey an idea analogous to what is contained in the well known lines of Mr. Pope; who, because he was a poet, conceived probably that he could easily settle a point in theology. "For modes of faith let graceless zealots right." The passage to which we refer in Mr. Lancaster's tract is this, "Let the friends of youth, among every denomination of christians, exalt the standard of education, and rally round it for their preservation, laying aside all religious differences of opinion; and pursue two grand objects-the promotion of good morals, and the instruction of youth in situations." (p. 25.) useful learning, adapted to their respective Thus a question of the very first importance, in a plan for the education of youth, is settled in a few lines. Surely Mr. L. should either have attempted a fuller discussion of the point, or he should have submitted his ideas to the consideration of the public with some degree of diffidence and reserve. Something more than our author proposes may, we apprehend, be admitted among the topics of instruction, without alarming any christian parent, of whatever denomination he be, with a fear that his child may be led to forsake the society to which his father belongs. The authority of God, a future state of rewards and punishments, love to God and man, the evil of sin, the necessity of repentance, the duty of prayer, the obligation of attending public worship, are subjects of indispensable necessity, by the acknowledgment not only of christians of all denominations, but we believe of many deists. But what right those have to be considered as christians, who deem it unnecessary to introduce into their plans of education any reference to the salvation purchased for us by Christ, we are at a loss to imagine. By the exclusion of every topic of christian instruction from our schools, and imparting such moral lessons merely as a Socrates or a Seneca would have thought themselves bound to give, religious bigotry, indeed, may be avoided; but there is another evil against which this procedure does not guard, and that the greatest which can befal a nation, irreligion-ignorance of the true God, and of Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. Having noticed this very objectionable proposition, we proceed with pleasure to consider the third part of this tract, which contains an account of a school raised by the author, and still superintended by him, on what we conceive to be, in many respects, an excellent plan, for the purpose of educating the children of the lower classes. In this school three hundred children are educated at a small expence, in reading, writing, and the first four rules of arithmetic; and such is the advantage of Mr. Lancaster's method of instruction, that the proficiency of the scholars is commonly greater than what is acquired in double the period at the generality of those schools, to which such children are usually sent. Nor is this to be attributed to any extraordinary severity of discipline; on the contrary, Mr. Lancaster is decidedly against the system of corporal punishment, and he endeavours to accomplish the purpose for which it is employed, by another method, which he conceives would supersede its necessity; and which experience has convinced him to be at least equally CHRIST. OBSERY, No. 27. efficacious. In supplying his pupils with an adequate stimulus, Mr. Lancaster is guided by the known effect of commendation, making that one of the rewards of the deserving, and the want of it the punishment of of fenders. Besides commendation, which is signified by the scholar wearing some badge of honour, there are like wise certain prizes to be obtained by those who have been repeatedly commended. The facility with which so great a number of scholars are brought forward in much less time than is usual, and the smallness of the expence incurred by their education, are to be attributed to the peculiar organization of the school, which is constructed on a plan suggested to the public by the Reverend Dr. Bell, in a pamphlet which he published in 1797, entitled, "An Experiment in Education made at the Male Asylum of Madras." Dr. Bell's plan was to constitute the boys who had made some progress in learning, teachers of those whose at tainments were inferior. By this ar rangement, a school consisting of two hundred boys was not only taught at a very small expence, but with a great saving of time; an object peculiarly attended to by him, as well as by Mr. Lancaster. Dr. Bell's pamphlet is well worth a perusal, not only as giving an account of an institution admirably contrived and conducted; but likewise as containing some substantial reasons, why boys are more eligible than men for under-instructors. With these juvenile assistants Mr. Lancaster is able to educate three hundred boys, and he thinks that he could, by means of this arrangement, take a still greater number of children under his care, with little more additional trouble to himself, and equal advantage to the pupils. "The whole system of tuition is almost entirely," as he informs us in his pamphlet, "conducted by boys. The school is divided into classes, to each of these a lad is appointed as monitor; he is responsible for the morals, improvement, good order, and cleanliness of the whole class. It is his duty to make a daily, weekly, and monthly report of progress, specifying the number of lessons performed, boys present, absent, &c. &c." Mr. Lancaster's method of teaching the art of spelling, seems well calculated to forward the pupil and to Y save time. In short, the whole system is so formed as to render the hours spent at school pleasant as well as useful: and we would advise our readers to be at the pains of visiting the seminary, (situated in St. George's Fields, between the Obelisk and the King's Bench prison;) as that will fully shew the fidelity of Mr. Lancaster's representation, as well as the great usefulness which must attend the general adoption of his improved plan of education. We ourselves have visited the institution, and were highly gratified with the sight. We have never seen a school in which so much business is dispatched in so short a time. It had the appearance of a large machine, consisting of many parts, not one of which stood still. Yet with all this motion it is surprising how little noise there is in the school, and what is heard, is not the gabble of idleness, but the language of business. L When it is considered how many thousand children in this country are suffered to grow up in idleness and profligacy, for want of proper education, we cannot but feel an ardent desire, that the endeavours of our author may excite a more general attention than they have yet been honoured with. We shall be glad if, through the circulation of our miscellany, we should be the means of making his system more generally known; for we are persuaded that its adoption, not only in different parts of our populous metropolis, but in all the great towns of the kingdom, would be attended with beneficial effects. We have only to observe, that Mr. Lancaster proposes at present to add three hundred and fifty free scholars to his seminary, at the small additional expence of £.90. per annum, to defray the pay of monitors, and the charge of prizes, medals, books, &c.; to which must be added, for the first year, the sum of £.80, the estimated cost of enlarging the present school room, in order to hold the three hundred and fifty additional children. We hope that the proposal will meet with the liberal patronage which it de ⚫serves. CXLVII. The Christian Minister's affectionate Advice to a new married Couple. By JAMES BEAN, Curate of THE excellence of this little work has "Evander and Theodosia were both the offspring of pious parents. Their union was a natural one: it had all the qualities that accompany an attachment founded not merely on similarity of religious views. It was such an affection as they could neither suppress, nor direct to another object. But though their attachment was not produced by their religion, it was nourished by it. Whatever they saw in each other's person or temper to unite their hearts, was heightened by the satisfaction they had in each other's piety, and the consequent prospects of spending an har monious life, and a blessed eternity toge ther. "Their hands were joined; and the delicate reserves that religion taught them hitherto to observe in each other's company now being unnecessary, they entered on a state blessed with all the enjoyments that an unshackled affection could yield to minds seasoned with the benevolence and purity of christianity. Their equal regard to God diminished not one enjoyment in which a fond couple could share, but was, on the contrary, an additional source of pleasure. They delighted in God,' and they delighted in the society of each other. "Their unanimity, their visible, though unstudied interchanges of kindness, their peace, and unaffected abstinence from whatever was immoral, had an assimilating influence on their family; and served to give considerable effect to that religious order they had established. The invisible world being in a great measure habitually before them, they both in their respective departments attended to those who were under them (whether children or servants) as having the charge of immortals. "Such was their behaviour towards their children, that it seemed as if the training them for an eternal state was, in their views, the principal purpose for which Divine Providence gave them an offspring; and to this business they applied themselves with pleasure. They began early with the infusion of religious ideas into the minds of their children, wisely limiting themselves, at first, to those few great principles which are the foundation of all religion. On these points, simple as they are, they did not expect to produce conviction in the infant mind. Yet they conceived, that one way to prevent the introduction of evil, was to pre-occupy the mind with that which is good. And it never came once into their thoughts, that they should be blamed for enforcing a truth on children, because the disciples were too young to see that truth in as clear a light as their instructors did. They had none of the quirks and refinements of sceptics in their method of education. They went to work in a straight forward way: what they had learned, they taught: they trusted they knew the way of salvation,' and they endeavoured to lead their children in the same path. "Impressed with the infinite importance of this part of a parent's duty, they took pains in it. To conduct a business of such consequence, in a desultory way, was, in their opinion, but a smaller degree of that criminality which neglects it entirely. It therefore did not content them, to inculcate religious ideas; they aimed, in dependance on God, to induce moral habits. The genuine christian as distinguished, not more from the children of this world,' than from those equivocal religionists, who seem to belong neither to the church nor to the world, was the model they kept in their eye. To see this simple character in their children, to see them avowedly on the Lord's side,' yet free from all affectation; evidently desirous of living a useful life, yet neither vain nor obtrusive; was a hope they expected not to realise, without great pains taken on their part. They counted the cost and determined to pay it; hoping thereby to obtain that Divine blessing on their endeavours, for which they constantly prayed; as fearing, from what they knew of the depravity of human nature, that, without it, their labours would ail of success*. "But this pious care was not confined to their children; it extended to every member of their family."-"They had the reward of seeing the most blessed effects follow their ruling over their house in the fear of God. It was subject, like other houses, to mortality; but this event was softened by the manner in which it was met, both by those who departed and those who were called to give them up: the former being enabled to die rejoicing in the truths of that gospel which had been inculcated in the family; and the latter, to find a relief under the painful stroke that separated one friend from the other, in the well-grounded hope of meeting again a better world. "Among other events of this sort that interrupted the enjoyments of the family, was the death of Theodosia. I will not detail to you every particular of her last illness, but just present you with the concluding circumstances. "Her disease was of the lingering kind; a circumstance of peculiar advantage, for manifesting the influence of religion in death. Evander approached her bed-side one morning as usual, to enquire how she had passed the night; to whom she replied in the following terms:- Thank you, dear Evander. I should be glad for your sake to be able to say, I had a better night than usual. I know how such a report would gladden your heart, but I am not able to give such an account of myself. Indeed, I find myself going apace, and I had determined before I had the pleasure of seeing you this morning, to endeavour, before my illness renders me any weaker, to gratify a wish I have almost through life indulged. I have never felt much solicitude about the kind of death with which I might finish my course. One thing only I have been desirous of; it was, that I might not leave the world without being able to make such a declaration of the mercies of God, as might encourage those who are walking in his ways, and admonish those who are not.' She was going to tell her husband what was the wish she desired to gratify, but was interrupted by seeing the tide of grief suddenly rising in his breast. They grasped each other's hand, and some minutes were spent by them both in the silent indulgence of tears. "When this effusion had in some measure subsided, she began: We have thought of this before; and I trust we shall both be sustained in this last conflict. To you, indeed, the hardest part of the trial is allotted. You love me; and therefore unworthy as I am of such a regard, you will feel a loss. I have, indeed, something here, for which I could think it worth while to live. It is you. It is my children. But there is One above, for whom I can willingly leave you all, dear as you are to me. I hope to be with him. * The two preceding paragraphs have Unworthy as I am of the least of his inerbeen added in the present edition. cies, I trust I may warrantably rejoice in |