explain to them things which must appear very unaccountable to persons who are not aware of the diversities of manners and customs, and of natural productions and phenomena, existing in different countries; such, for instance, as the eastern mode of sitting, not on chairs, with the feet on the floor, as the English do, but on a sort of couches, with the legs and feet stretched out, (Luke vii. 38;) the mode of building houses with flat roofs, which form a continued terrace on which the foot-passengers walked from one end of the city to the other, (Matt. xxiv. 16, 17;) the use of skins for bottles, (Matt. ix. 17;) the custom of offering apparel to the guests at an entertainment, (as explaining the parable in which the wedding garment is noticed ;) the habits and duties of the shepherd; the nature of the wolf, and the lion, and the locust; the culture of the vine, and the olive, and fig, with many similar things.

Being desirous, however, that our readings should be conducted with a degree of seriousness which would sometimes be interrupted by the childish expressions of wonder or of curiosity which the explanation of these things produced, we have since availed ourselves of a very useful little book, published by the Religious Tract Society, and entitled, "Manners and Customs of the Jews," &c. This book is exceedingly attractive to children, and is illustrated by numerous wood cuts, representing the object described. This is read by the more advanced scholars as a class-book; and they are thus prepared to give an intelligent explanation of the custom referred to in the text, when called upon so to do.

It has been imagined, by some pious persons, and the inquiry deserves attention, that the exercise of the intellectual faculties, in regard to the Scriptures, might injure their usefulness in a devotional point of view. I cannot say that this has appeared to be the effect in my school; on the contrary, I have reason to believe that none of the girls have pursued the reading of the Scriptures more diligently after they left school, or have shown more plainly by their conduct that their doctrines had reached their hearts, than those whose minds had been the most employed in the study of the Bible, and most interested in our questions. But then it has been my desire never to lose sight of the great end of the Gospel; whilst, therefore, I would endeavour to explain the reason of our Lord's calling himself the "good Shepherd," and would dwell on the security of those lambs whom he carries in his bosom and brings into the fold, I would not omit to point out the consequence which will ever follow an acquaintance with this blessed Saviour: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and

they follow me," (John x. 27;) that to follow him is to keep his commands. Then, showing what is meant by his "giving his life for the sheep," (ver. 11,) the love and compassion thus evinced towards us who “like sheep have gone astray," (Isa. liii. 6,) is further pointed out; and the invitation may be extended "to return unto the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, (1 Pet. ii. 25.)

In connexion with this subject, the character of Satan, as one who as a roaring lion walketh about, "seeking whom he may devour,” is admirably calculated still further to awaken the attention, and direct the inquiry to the breast of every child, "Am I yet in the fold?" and to excite the desire, "O that Jesus would make me one of his lambs, that I might be saved!" How welcome, then, will be the invitations to prayer, so oft repeated in our Lord's discourses! How will the exercise of it, under the gentle drawings of his Spirit, become delightful and encouraging!

In pursuing the Gospel narrative, ample opportunities are afforded to direct the attention of our pupils to the purity of heart and life inculcated by our Lord, and exhibited in his daily actions; and to the numerous and affecting proofs of his unbounded love towards an ungrateful people, his compassion for their miseries, his patience with their ignorance, his meekness under their insults; and his zeal for the glory of God, and his submission to his will. We may show them, in legible characters, what holiness is, what are the fruits of love to God and man; and exhort them to examine their own lives, and see whether they bear the same impress,-whether they forgive their enemies, and do good to them that hate them; whether they are honest, and truthful, and just, and kind, and meek; and whether they love to think of God, and to pray to him. We know, indeed, that to the carnal heart there is no beauty in this picture,—there is nothing in the example of the holy Jesus that it should desire him; yet we experience that, through the mercy of God, there is, very frequently, a perceptible effect produced upon the minds of children whilst undergoing such a course of instruction,-an effect which we must attribute to the Holy Spirit, who alone can remove the veil from the heart, and produce there some perception of the beauty of holiness, and some hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

Where there is but little capacity for receiving instruction, or but little opportunity for conveying it, much more than what has been described above may not be deemed practicable. Without, however, undervaluing such a beginning, or being too much discouraged if even this be found laborious at the commencement, we may carry our views

of what may be done, and what has been done by perseverance, under favourable circumstances, a little further. And there is another point which will be brought into view, in tracing the life of Jesus and his ministry on earth. It may be pointed out to the learner, that, in the message brought to the shepherds by the angels, in the announcement to Joseph, and in various other places, he is spoken of as the Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; that he was proclaimed, by a voice from heaven, twice, to be the Son of God; that he was introduced to public notice, at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist, as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world;" that, in numerous places, he declared that he came from heaven; and in one, that he was before Abraham; that his miracles, and, above all, his resurrection and ascension, evinced his Divine power.

The circumstances of his death, so plainly declared to be a voluntary offering, in obedience to the will of his heavenly Father, for the sins of the whole world, will then afford an opportunity for unfolding the doctrine of salvation by his blood,—a doctrine more fully declared in the preaching of the apostles, "when endued with power from on high," as related in the Acts, and strongly enforced in the Epistles and the book of Revelation.

But, in the course of school instruction, after reading a few chapters in the Acts, I have been obliged, in consideration of the yet tender capacities of some of the children, to forbear entering on a regular perusal of the remaining books of the New Testament; though particular passages have been selected for the purpose of showing the office of the risen and glorified Jesus, who now sitteth at the right hand of God, and maketh intercession for the saints; and of whom, also, the angels predicted to the disciples, at the time of his ascension," This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

It is obvious that these doctrines, when brought before the young in Scripture language, accompanied with those sweet encouragements on the one hand, and those awful warnings on the other, which appear in immediate connexion with them in the writings of the apostles, must have a very awakening tendency.

Thus far I have pursued the subject of the history of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But, in connexion with this, there ought to be due attention paid to his promises of the Comforter, or Spirit of Truth; his direction to his immediate followers to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high, before they attempted the great work to which he appointed them, of going to all nations to

preach the Gospel; the fulfilment of this promise on the day of Pentecost; the formation of the first Christian church; the fruits of the Spirit, as exhibited in that church, (Acts ii. 41-47;) and as enumerated, also, in Gal. v. 22; and the gifts conferred on many of the first believers, (1 Cor. xii. 4-11,) some of which have now ceased; whilst the fruits of the Spirit are still found, at the present day, universally to distinguish the church from the world.

In the reading of the Old Testament, I have endeavoured to exercise the minds of my pupils (some of whom, I should have said, continued under occasional instruction till the age of fifteen or sixteen years) in reflections on the moral conduct of the various persons whose actions are recorded in the course of the narrative, comparing them with those precepts of our Saviour which were already stored in their minds, and showing wherein we may derive instruction, by way of example or warning, from what they did and said.

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It may be well to prevent young persons from imbibing a too common notion, of the histories of the patriarchs and prophets being recorded for our imitation. It is true that the apostle, referring to them, says, "whose faith follow;" but we are no where, that I recollect, recommended to imitate them in their moral conduct, which was marked with the imperfections of our nature in many recorded instances. Their dependence on God, their belief in his promises, was, indeed admirable. "By faith," as the apostle says, "they obtained a good report;" and, reading their histories with this view, we may rive great instruction from observing the fruits of their faith in producing obedience to the will of God in such instances as it was revealed to them, and in preserving them from the influence of surrounding idolaters. But the design of the inspired penmen, or rather, “ the mind of the Spirit," in directing the preservation of these facts, and their transmission to posterity, appears to have been, principally, to exhibit the steps by which it pleased infinite Wisdom to prepare the way, by a long train of promises, types, and prophecies, for the appearance of the Messiah, the seed of the woman who should bruise the head of the serpent,-the seed of Abraham in whom should all the nations of the earth be blessed,-the seed of David, whose kingdom should be established for ever.

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Prophecy, and its fulfilment-I speak of such prophecies as are already fulfilled-will prove an interesting subject to young persons possess some intelligence; and may be made the means of inculcating very weighty lessons on the foreknowledge, the mercy, the power, and the faithfulness of God.

I can hardly forbear here to mention a work which has been uncommonly acceptable in this country; it is "Keith on the Evidence of prophecy,"—not as adapted for children, but as illustrating this very important subject, the evidence of the truth of Scripture deducible from the wonderfully exact fulfilment of prophecies relating to the Jews and the surrounding nations, and the countries they inhabited.

I would beg leave to add a few remarks on the use of texts, or very small portions, consisting of a single verse or so, separated from the context, in proving particular doctrines. In doing so, which sometimes seems desirable, it appears greatly to assist the learner in his apprehension of the subject, to lead him habitually to take notice of the context, so much so, at least, as to be able to answer such questions as these, "Who wrote this text?" "Who was it that spoke those words?" "Of whom was he speaking?" "To what description of persons was it addressed?" The strangest misconceptions will sometimes be discovered by their answers to such questions; but, in the end, much solid information will thus be acquired with little labour. Some of our scholars learn about a verse a day. Very many have committed to memory the whole of a collection of texts, amounting, I believe, to between 300 and 400 verses. If a child has been learning a portion of the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, when he has been saying, "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;" on being asked, " Who was it that acknowledged that he was one of those that had gone astray?" a careless child will perhaps reply, "The Lord," or, "Our Saviour;" but the teacher, after showing that it is the prophet Isaiah, the writer of the book, who there speaks, the child will at once perceive that the prophet is speaking of himself; and this may give a good opportunity to remark, that even a prophet was obliged to come to this confession, and that, as the Scripture elsewhere says, "all have sinned."

Secondly, the question must follow, "Of whom is the prophet speaking, when he says, 'The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all?'" The child will probably be unable to answer; but if of an age to comprehend it, the most interesting and impressive mode of explaining it would be to turn to the tenth chapter in the Acts, thirtysecond verse, in which Philip expounded it to the Ethiopian.

Take another instance. The learner is set to commit to memory this text,-"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens." "Who was it that knew that they had this