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ing that restless and that anxious gift, the gift of thought and reflection. Nor is it necessary to do much. The infant is capable of feeling but not of reasoning. The only lesson to be taught is love and reliance; and that lesson is taught by removing everything that can disturb or alarm. It is an interesting and an affecting fact that the first truths which man has to learn are the last which it is necessary for him to retain. All that we wish to see in the infant man is love and reliance. All that we wish to find in the second infancy of man is love and reliance likewise. The scene no doubt is altered then. The object is changed. We no longer look on man as we beheld him in infancy, when he lay before us like a work fresh from his Maker's hands, soft, gentle, and yielding. In old age we see him as he has made himself; worne out by labour, or excess, or care; deprived of all that softness which made his infancy so lovely; but we also find that love and reliance are the qualities which he must depend on. In this way he ends where he began; and the man who has known much and done much in the busy paths of life, must rejoice to conclude his course even as a little child; and to find every feeling of his heart absorbed in love for God, and in reliance on his Saviour's merits.

Such then is the only Education of early infancy. It would be well if the system thus begun could be continued; and if all we had to do were to cherish love, and to encourage reliance. But we are soon compelled to feel that the nature of the being to be educated requires a modification of the system according as the season changes.

Self will betrays itself, and instead of yielding to the love which cherishes reliance and creates affection, the mind shews symptoms of rebellion, and substitutes self for every other object of regard. It is painful, but at the same time, it is instructive to remark the way in which the nature of man developes itself. There are truths revealed upon the subject, which are contested in the world, and denied; and which it is not easy to prove to demonstration. But these same truths force themselves on every one who sits by a child's cradle; and are not denied and doubted where man is seen without disguise, and when his nature has not learnt concealment or evasion. The parent who watches, with such anxiety as Christian parents feel, for the disclosure of character, is soon overwhelmed by conviction of this sad reality. Love, the tenderest love, cannot satisfy the restless wishes even of an infant's mind. A will at variance with its own is exhibitedkindness cannot soothe-gratitude cannot bind: and the rebel heart of the parent is shocked by discovering its own image in the little rebel it embraces, and endeavours in vain to soften by caresses.

If it seems impracticable to inform, inexpedient to correct,

if we feel that it is idle to appeal to reason before reason can understand the language that is addressed to it; it is equally evident that something must be done to check the evil which begins to shew itself. The creature must be soothed if it cannot be persuaded. It must be calmed by kindness if it cannot be convinced; and the child must be made to feel, what it cannot be made to know, that every natural want will be immediately supplied, and every wayward fancy invariably denied. Evil must be overcome with good. Habitual satisfaction of natural wants, and habitual refusal of other indulgences, must promote the development of one, and hinder the development of the other; and this must be continued, till the growth of one shall overpower the growth of the other, and a healthy tone shall be given to the character of the feelings. But every day that passes, witnesses some further development. The feelings become stronger, they become intelligent. There is recognition, discernment, discrimination in the child. The Education must go forward and keep pace with these disclosures. It still is an Education of feeling the heart and not the mind are to be addressed; but the feelings are now those of a creature who can shew preference and retain impressions, and they must be treated accordingly.

Let nothing then occur at this period which can shake the instinctive feeling of love, for the being from whom existence was originally drawn. The seed of love has been seen germinating; let it be cherished and protected. We know that if the radicle of a seed be broken, its vegetative power is lost; and we cannot but feel that if the love which a child bears for its mother is forfeited, or even weakened by temper and by harshness, a bond is lost by which that child might have been most beneficially influenced; the organ which might have been developed in all kind, and benevolent, and holy affections, is irreparably injured, or destroyed.

I do not hesitate to say that love is the perfection of our nature. I do not hesitate to say, that it is the only motive by which a free intellectual being desires to be led, or can be led effectually. I do not hesitate to say, that as it is the very temper and spirit of heavenly beings, it is the only principle by which the being who is a native of earth can be assimilated to them, or prepared for communion with them; and I therefore say, that love ought to be encouraged as the ground on which every good and holy affection is to be formed; as the only principle which befits a Christian character; and that the interruption of this blessed sanctifying tie is an injury inflicted on our moral nature, which nothing but a power more than human can retrieve. The great object of infant Education therefore should be to cherish love in the child's mind; to make love grow in proportion as the child grows; to make it discriminating,

reflective, reasoning, in proportion as the child gains the powers which are so described, and rises in the scale of being.

When love has been thus nursed into existence, and has become the character of the child, the first great step in Education has been taken. A change has been commenced, which in its stated increase and its final development is to fix the happiness of the life that now is, and also of that which is to come. The advance will be subject to many opposing circumstances, and will varyaccordingly; but the teacher's object must be to watch over the growth, and to remove every thing that may materially affect it. Nor can any one suppose that the nature of this principle is over rated, if its nature and quality be considered. Love, we are told is the fulfilment of the law. Unless this spirit exists and rules within us, every momentary temptation will lead to transgression, and life will be nothing but a struggle between duty and inclination.

But love has another claim upon our notice. It is the feeling which is specially due to God, and without which it is impossible to serve Him, or even to know Him. But the feeling must be formed, before it can be exercised. It must be possessed before it can be used. And unless a spirit of love be formed within us by some preliminary process, we actually shall not have the feeling to produce which God requires, and which we are conscious is his due. Hence then comes that necessity which we are labouring to prove, of making love the spirit of a child; and because an infant is a sentient, not a reasoning being; a creature of instincts rather than of ideas; and because the feelings which first rise above the surface, will maintain their superiority, and gradually occupy the ground over which they spread; we desire that love should be so spread over the character of the child in infancy, that it should be easy to attach it to God by the ties of religious affection, and to use the instinct which draws it to an earthly parent for the purpose of attaching it to a heavenly father. For if we bear in mind that our feelings are the same in kind, and only differ according to the object to which they are directed; we shall see that love for a mother is the same feeling which under other circumstances is love for God; and thus we can easily understand how a loving Christian parent can cherish in a child affections towards herself, which it shall be afterwards her delightful office to transfer to Him who is alone worthy of receiving them. On the other hand, we can see how it may happen, that the poor neglected child, the yearnings of whose little heart for fondness have been rejected and checked, may bring into life a heart stinted of its due proportions, and be found incapable of exercising that affection, which becomes brotherly kindness, charity, or piety, according to the objects, on which it rests.

R.

THE LATE DAVID NASMITH.

This eminent Servant of Christ was born in the City of Glasgow, on the 21st of March 1799, of pious parents, whose object was, so soon as he was capable of understanding, to instruct him in the things belonging to his everlasting peace When about six years

of age, he was sent to a Sabbath Evening School, where he continued until he was sixteen. About six months after having commenced his attendance there, he was placed at the public Grammar School in Glasgow, where he remained four years, after which he remained one year in the practice of writing, arithmetic and geography.

He was then for the period of five years, placed out for the purpose of learning a manufacturing trade. During that period he was exposed to many temptations from his necessary association with the workmen in the same employ with himself. His mind was frequently and deeply exercised on account of sin, and when alone his conscience condemned him. When about the age of fifteen, he appeared more than ever to feel his sinfulness in the sight of Gol, and his need of pardoning mercy, then he was enabled to look to the blood of Christ for pardon and salvation fro in sin; and no sooner did he experience the preciousness of Christ to his own soul, than he felt anxious to proclaim the "glad tidings" of the gospel to others.

About this time he was chosen Secretary to a Youth's Bible Society, which, in a few years, raised £600, to put the word of God into the hands of the poor. He acted as a collector in a Youth's Auxiliary Missionary Society, which was enabled to distribute about £200 annually, amongst the great Missionary Societies.He also associated with his companions in carrying on a Youth's Tract Society, which issued hundreds of thousands of Tracts. In the 18th year of his age he was very desirous to go and preach the gospel to his fellow-creatures in Africa. With this view he applied through his Pastor, to the Theological Academy at Glasgow; the result of which application is given in his own words; "But the Lord did not see meet to call me forth at that time, and therefore directed the minds of his servants not to receive me; this was to me a very severe trial. I had my eye fixed upon that period which I thought not far distant, when I would unfurl the banners of the Cross before the heathen, but I had to learn the important lesson of submisson, the honour being too great to be conferred upon me." He then followed his worldly occupation for a time, and on Sabbath Evenings regularly addressed about 200 children, telling them (to use his own words) "the unfathomable love of the dear Redeemer." His attention was directed for some time after this, to the opening of the Religious and Charitable Institution House in Glasgow, in which he was Secretary. At this time he conducted the business of 23 religious and benevolent societies.

In the year 1825, Mr. Nasmith's mind was impressed with the importance of City Missions, and on the 1st of January 1826, the

Glasgow City Mission was formed by him, from amongst the members of the Church under the Pastoral care of the Rev. Greville Ewing. Owing to the great labour connected with his duties as Secretary to the various Societies connected with the Christian and Charitable Institution House, his bodily health suffered greatly, and his best friends were reluctantly induced to advise him to resign his Secretaryship, in order to the recruiting of his health and strength.

Mr. Nasmith's zeal, prudence, piety, urbanity of manners, and masterly despatch of business, rendered him a most valuable person in this highly important situation. IIis knowledge of religious associations was minute and extensive: For several years he transacted the business of upwards of twenty different societies in the most irreproachable manner; faithfully devoting himself to their success without partiality, and maintaining the strictest confidential secresy, in regard to the affairs of each. His principles were decidedly evangelical; his moral character was unspotted; obliging in his deportment, and he knew how to become all things to all men, without sacrificing his duty to God, his Church, or his conscience.

In the year 1828, Mr. Nasmith applied to one of the Secretaries of the London Missionary Society, expressing his desire to go and preach the Gospel to the Islanders of the South Seas, but it being considered necessary that he should spend two years at the Missionary College previously to that, he considered he could spend the time more advantageously by giving himself to the formation of City Missions, the first of these having been established by him in January, 1826, in his native city.

In the summer of 1828, he repaired to Dublin, where his labours, after surmounting many difficulties, were crowned with remarkable success; and I have the testimony of a gentleman, (a friend of the deceased, now a resident in this city), of the untiring zeal that characterised all his movements in forming, overlooking, and guiding the operations of various societies. From Ireland he visited America, where he spent nearly two years devoting himself to the promotion of similar societies. He was likewise permitted to establish and promote in that country the formation and interest of Prison Discipline Societies, Magdalen Asylums, Benevolent Societies, Juvenile Associations, and other Societies of a similar character. He visited the sick, the destitute, and the prisoner; set in motion plans to benefit the coloured inhabitants of the United States; visited and addressed congregations and schools of coloured persons, and extended his attention, as far as he could to the Indian. In 1835, he returned to London, for the purpose of executing certain plans which he had been contemplating for some years.

The first of these was the formation of a City Mission, after the model of those he had previously formed in Scotland, Ireland, France, and America. He spent several weeks in hearing the opinions of clergymen, ministers, and Christians of various denominations: he was told that these were not times in which it was possible for Christians to unite. (I feel thankful that Christians can and do unite in Chester). Other

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