plain to another will oftentimes make it far plainer than ever to ourselves. In illustrating a doctrine of Scripture, in endeavouring to bring it down to the level of a weak or undisciplined understanding, you will find that doctrine presenting itself to your own mind with a new power, and unimagined beauty, and though you may have read the standard writers on theology, and mastered the essays of the most learned divines, yet shall such fresh and vigorous apprehensions of truth be derived often from the effort to press it home on the intellect and conscience of the ignorant, that you shall pronounce the cottage of the untaught your best school-house, and the questions even of a child your most searching catechisings on the majestic and mysterious things of our faith.

And as you tell over to the poor cottager the story of the incarnation and crucifixion, and inform him of the nature and effects of Adam's apostacy, or even find yourself required to adduce more elementary truths, pressing on the neglected man the being of God and the immortality of the soul, oh! it shall constantly occur that you will feel a keener sense than ever of the preciousness of Christ, or a greater awe at the majesty of Jehovah, or a loftier bounding of spirit at the thought of your own deathlessness; and if you feel tempted to count it strange that in teaching another you teach also yourself, and that you carry away from your intercourse with the mechanic, or the child, such an accession to your own knowledge, or your own love, as shall seem to make you the indebted party and not the obliging, then you have only to remember, and the remembrance will sweep away surprise, that it is a fixed appointment of the Almighty that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

HINTS FOR TEACHERS.

1. Take pains to make the children understand what they are taught.

2. Require nothing of the scholars but what they can and should do, and see that all is done that is required. With this view, let their lessons be adapted to their respective capacities as far as these can be discovered.

3. Keep in view the religious ends of the Institution, and constantly bear in mind that Sunday Schools are designed-To check and reform vicious habits, and all tendencies towards them in the rising generation-To impress their minds with a becoming regard to the Word and Worship of Almighty God-To teach them to keep holy the Sabbath-day-To explain, in a manner suited to their understandings, the grand doctrines and duties of Christianity; particularly their lost and undone state by nature, (Eph. ii. 3.) their total depravity, (Jer. xvii. 9.) their entire helplessness in themselves, (John xv. 5.) their absolute need of a thorough change of heart, (John iii. 3.) and the only possible way of salvation, by faith in a crucified Saviour, (Acts iv. 12.)

4. Before you come to the School, pray fervently that a Divine blessing may attend all your labours, ever remem bering that the whole work of conversion is of God.

5. Rest not satisfied till you see in the children entrusted in your care, evidences of a real change of heart.

6. Be careful to maintain a consistent walk and conversation yourself; endeavour to have your own heart suitably impressed with these all-important truths, and seek earnestly the salvation of your own soul.

QUESTIONS FOR THE SELF-EXAMINATION OF A SUNDAYSCHOOL TEACHER AT THE CLOSE OF THE SCHOOL.

I. Have I this day particularly prayed for a blessing on my labours in the School?

II. Have I done my utmost this day to shew an example of early and punctual attendance?

III. Have the hours I have been in the School this day been fully occupied in my duties as a Teacher?

IV. Have I this day spoken pointedly and individually to the scholars of my class respecting the salvation of their souls, and in hearing Scripture lessons, was my prayer like that of David? (Ps. cxix. 18.)

V. If I never again enter these walls, am I clear, in the sight of Him who knoweth all things, from the blood of any child in my class who may perish in its sins.

VI. Do I leave the School in peace with all my fellowlabourers?

THE HOUR OF MEDITATION.

THIS world is a scene of ceaseless action, but I do not allow its cares to reach me here while the door is shut.

It is pleasant to know that for an hour I am alone with my Maker, and no one can pass that threshold: there is something solemn in the very thought, and the spirit that loves communion with God delights in it.

It is not all of life we are to spend in the thronged thoroughfares of men, not even in Christian labour. It is not thus we gain all our strength; indeed we should do very little there without the preparation of the closet. There alone I am free from the restraints which the presence of others imposes, and know that no disguise can serve to hide my thoughts from my Maker. Therefore I will try to be honest with myself, and seek earnestly to know my character in his sight.

I have been in doubt and perplexity about my worldly affairs, and have vexed myself not a little; but I strangely forgot, at the outset and all along, to come here and seek the guidance which I cannot say I ever sought in vain.

Almost in despair, I have mourned over the absence of God's Spirit in his churches; but I find a need of his holy influence in my own soul, which I had well nigh overlooked. Alas! when I attempt to enumerate the errors of life, my only resort is here in my closet, to ask pardon for my sins, and strength for a better life in future.

The tree here at my window, loaded with fruit, teaches me a lesson. In its season, it has drawn nourishment from the earth; its roots, its bark, its leaves, all its organs have performed their part, as its flourishing condition and tempting harvest testify.

I, too, have enjoyed all the blessings the good Master of the vineyard ever grants; but what is my spiritual condition, and where is the fruit? I can only confess and forsake my careless life, and bless God that the revolving year brings no season in which grace may not flourish in the soul.

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

The Young Instructed in the Gospel Narrative, being an explanation of the principal events in the life of Christ, continuously arranged. By the Author of Bible Stories for very little children. Dublin: Robertson. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 496. 12mo.

Questions and Practical Remarks on the Portions of Scripture selected as the Gospel for each Sunday in the Year. By the Author of Bible Stories. Questions on the Epistles, &c. Hatchard: London. pp. 242. 24mo.

We always hail with pleasure any helps to the elucidation and enforcement of the Scriptures, and we can confidently recommend these two little books as valuable acquisitions for school purposes, as well as for private families.

Glimpses of the Dark Ages, or Sketches of the Social Condition of Europe from the 5th to the 12th Centuries. London: Religious Tract Society. pp. 192. 24mo.

A very seasonable and useful work, worthy of a place in every School. It gives promise of much advantage from the Monthly Series now publishing by the Religious Tract Society.

The Last Day. London: Nisbet.

This is a beautiful specimen of Art. The Frontispiece consists of an Illuminated Cross, and the matter of each page is put into a framework of chaste and elegant design.

Now the matter of this elegant work is sound and very striking, and it is easy to see what the authors design is in thus conveying it to his readers. He hopes to catch the Tractarians on their own ground. "Being crafty, I caught them with guile." And possibly many a reader may be entrapped by this imposing ornament and brought into contact with the most important truths. But we very much doubt the propriety of such a project. We confess that we were very much struck with the inconsistency of putting the most awful and soul-stirring truths into the midst of so much meretricious adorning. Such adjuncts are wholly out of place with the awful consider

ations of Death, and Judgment, and Eternity. These should stand alone in their own simple, uninterrupted importance. We do hope that the taste for illuminated religious books will not advance. The days require that we should be jealous of all approximations to Rome even in trifles. We decidedly object to the ornamental use of crosses. Nearly half the pages introduce two crosses in the frame one third the length of the whole page, giving a Popish character to the work which we wonder Mr. Nisbet should suffer to pass through his hands.

The Minister's Letters. By D. BARCLAY BEVAN, M. A., Rector of Burton Latimer. London: Seeleys.

There is a simplicity, and point, and heart in these Penny Tracts seldom met with. Moreover, the type and paper are superior, which is a great help to bad readers. We can fully recommend this series to the distributors of Tracts, as it respects both style and matter. We give a specimen from No. X., entitled, be saved?"

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Will you

Dear reader, then, if you will be saved, let me ask you, how you are living? Are you living in gross and open sin? The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death," eternal death in hell. Are you carrying on a profession, which leads you to cheat and defraud your neighbour? Then you are a thief, and no thief can enter the kingdom of heaven. Are you occupied in a business, in which you think it necessary to your well doing, to lie? Then upon you will rest those fearful words, "and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Are you a swearer and blasphemer? Are you a filthy-talker? Are you leading an impure life? Are you a Sabbath breaker? Oh! if you are such, there must be a great change. You cannot expect to take your sins into heaven. You cannot suppose that God would bear with the presence of the ungodly and unholy there, and you cannot think that at the moment of death, you would be changed from an ungodly into a godly man, from a lover of sin into a saint. Then, an ungodly life must be forsaken, ungodly habits must be given up, else you cannot be saved, even if you would; for without a preparation for heaven, you can never enter heaven. You must be saved in God's way. He knows what you are by nature. He knows what a corrupt, sinful creature you were when you were born into the world. And He knows that in this state you could never dwell with Him in a holy place. See His love! Hear what He did for you! Let it melt you into tears. God sent his dear Son into the world. His name is Jesus Christ. God sent Him down here to die for guilty sinners— to save them from that eternal death, which otherwise they must have suffered in neli. This is the Saviour I want you to flee to.