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ment recollect, was that of Hannah

This girl was some years older than little Sarah; she was in our school for about five years. Her mother was a poor pious widow, who had to struggle with many and great trials. Some of her children were very unruly, and some of them very inattentive to the admonitions and instructions they received. Hannah, however, who was the eldest daughter, was fond of her school, and exhibited many symptoms of an awakened and inquiring mind. She, like little Sarah, often repeated to her mother what she had heard, and assisted her in finding the texts and passages, and in learning to read them. Calling at the widow's cottage one morning, I found it at the time clear of all its inhabitants: some I afterwards learnt were at work in the fields, and some occupied in little matters in the village. Being a good deal fatigued I sat down, and seeing some tracts, and one or two of the girls' writing-books on a little shelf within reach, I took down a copy-book, and found it to be the one in which Hannah had written several copies during the preceding winter. As I turned over its pages, I saw she had now and then written out some few passages of Scripture; but the contents of the last page pleased me most; and considering the poverty of the family, and the natural and strong desires of young girls to possess finery, and to indulge in light and trifling amusements and giddy company, I could not but rejoice in the hope, that what I then read in Hannah's book was an index of the state of her heart. The page contained two verses of a hymn which she had at some time learnt or read, and then followed a prayer, or part of a prayer, of her own: all of which I then copied out, and which I will now transcribe from the very scrap of paper I then copied them on.

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plication was broken off, seemingly Here the simple strain of supby the interruption of some one coming in when she was thus expressing the desires of her soul on paper. There was, however, enough written to induce me to exclaim, "Yes, Hannah, thou art rich, far richer with these sentiments in thine

heart, than all the treasures of the earth could make thee if destitute of such principles." At that time, there was but one cottage in the village more forlorn than the one in which I found myself sitting, and hardly a girl of fifteen years of age more destitute of earthly comforts within our parish than was Hannah.

The reader will rejoice to hear, that Hannah went on very steadily after this. The things of the world did not gain on her affections. She conducted herself with much propriety as a single woman, and is now married; and has not only taught her husband to read his Bible, but has been very instrumental in bringing him forward in the ways of the Lord. Their cot*Olney Hymus, ii. 63.

tage is remarkably clean, and they are a very happy young couple, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort and peace of his ways. Little does she think, and as little is she likely to know, that her humble history has thus far come before the world.

I will now mention one instance more which occurred in my present parish. Maria was the eldest girl, and the oldest but one of a family of ten children living, when the father and his household quitted our common to occupy a little land and a blacksmith's shop in another parish. Maria had been from the commencement of our Sunday school a member of the senior class, and as such had attended a little exposition on Sunday evenings. Her conduct was quite satisfactory, but there was nothing in it that excited any particular notice. She was very attentive, but could neither read so well nor learn off so much of Scripture in a given time as several of the same class. Yet, as it afterwards appeared, she was one who pondered in her heart what she heard, and often on returning home related to her mother what she could recollect of the address. She would then look out the hymns we had sung and read there, and sometimes make a few remarks of her own, or relate what observations I had made on them. To all this the mother would give a very attentive ear; but she never made any remarks of her own, either in a way of approbation or disapprobation. On one or two occasions, when I called at the house and had an opportunity of conversing with the mother, I had good reason to hope that her mind was in an inquiring and advancing state, but her numerous family confined her much at home. After a while, it pleased the Lord that the premature birth of, I think, her twelfth child, threw the earthly frame at once on the verge of destruction, and but

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a few days remained before the spirit must inevitably appear before God. She was partly aware of her situation, and endeavoured to meet her hastening summons in the principle and hope of the Christian. And now it was that much came to my knowledge, both as it respected Maria and as it concerned her mother, which I did not expect to learn. Maria saw her mother's end approaching quite as soon as the latter saw it for herself; and feeling very much anxiety for the state of her soul, at length broke through all reserve, and one day asked,

"Mother, do you endeavour to commit your soul into the hands of Christ?"

"Yes," was the reply, "I do; and I hope he will save me.” "Shall I read to you, mother?" "Yes, do; I have often wished it," said the "but sufferer; poor you seemed ashamed. O Maria! you don't know what a comfort it often has been to me, when you came home, and told and read to me what you had heard in the evening. I always wished you to say more, but you seemed ashamed."

"No, mother," replied Maria, "I was not ashamed; but you know you never made any reply, and I didn't know whether you liked it or not. If I had known you liked it, I should have said much more, but sometimes I thought you didn't like it."

"Ah, my girl! you little know how great a comfort it was to me."

In short, it now appeared that the Lord had made use of this kind of preaching, if it may be so called, of the daughter, greatly to the awakening, instructing, and comforting the soul of the parent. And in her last hours, this girl acted in the double capacity of a nurse and spiritual guide.

The mother died, I trust, in the Lord; and Maria, though very young, had to take the charge and

management of this numerous family of small children on her hand; and in that part of duty she is now most laudably exerting every effort of body and mind, to the great relief of her afflicted father and the comfort and satisfaction of all the children, and, I may add, to the joy of her pastor. May the Lord preserve her in her present simplicity and modesty of manner and spirit, and never permit a guilty and ensnaring generation to turn her heart from that Saviour whom I believe she now loves and desires to serve !

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sons and admonitions they may have listened to at school or at church. Satan prevents much good being done in this way by fostering a spirit of timidity, of reserve, of fear, among the members of the same family. And to such length does he carry these impressions at times, that, as in the case of the woman before us, the parent is constrained to be silent eveu before her own child, and that at a time when the heart is full, and she is longing to converse freely on the things concerning their mutual and everlasting peace.

At some future day I may perhaps, with the divine permission, give another anecdote or two of similar benefits arising to parents through the medium of Sunday schools.

ALIQUIS.

HEBREW CHORUS,

FROM AN UNPUBLISHED POEM.

SHOUT ye the Lord JEHOVAH's name!
To everlasting years the same

He lives! he rules! he reigns!
His wondrous works our fathers saw
Beneath the yoke of Pharaoh's law,
In bondage and in chains.

When, with a high and mighty hand,
He brought them out from Egypt's land,
His presence led the way

Through desert waste and wilderness
Secure, to Canaan's realm of bliss,
Nor suffer'd them to stray.

But when they disobey'd his will,
He scourg'd them in his anger. Still,
When they their sins bewail'd,

He their iniquities forgave;

And when they cried, he deign'd to save

His faithfulness ne'er fail'd.

He, through the feeblest instrument,
Has caus'd th' oppressor to relent,

And giv'n us to rejoice.

Daughters of Judah! shout his name,
Through everlasting years the same,
With one accordant voice.

ON WANT OF SUCCESS IN THE MINISTRY.

"THE Comfort of the present day," said an amiable divine, " is, that the rage for hypercritical speculation is gone by, and that every one seems to be taken up with considering how he may best contrive to do good to his ungodly neigh bour. The disposition that prevails to give instruction, wherever that instruction is wanted, and will be received, is a very striking feature of the times we live in." Cheering and delightful to the mind, however, as this reflection is, whether we take into view the giver or the receiver of the blessing, it has one alloy; namely, that the real good done, the number of conversions produced, is very disproportionate to the time consumed and the labour bestowed on the object. Hardly any complaint is more common, even amongst the most laborious clergymen, than want of success in the exercise of the ministerial functions; an inquiry, therefore, into the probable causes of failure becomes a question of no common interest.

Most undoubtedly, the increase, the opening the mind to receive instruction, and sealing it on the heart, is from God: yet in the moral as well as in the natural world, there must be an adaptation of means to the end: each successive day's experience and observation concurs in strengthening my conviction, that there is a "so speaking as that men may believe." I am persuaded, that many fail in producing the desired result, from attempting to impress rather than to instruct, to excite the feelings rather than to inform the understanding. The language of Scripture, when speaking of the addresses of the early Christian teachers, reasoning, expounding, opening and alleging, disputing, and persuading, showing by the Scriptures, &c. conveys the idea that their preaching consisted much in explanation and di

rect instruction. And I scruple not to say, that for one case in which an address of the nature of those alluded to may be useful, there are at least a hundred where the degree of ignorance respecting the most simple truths of Scripturewhat sin is-what its penalty-why themselves are obnoxious to ithow they may escape the danger, &c. is so great, that although a moving appeal to have pity upon themselves, to turn to God, to think of the things that concern their peace ere it be too late, &c. may for the present produce emo→ tion; the want of any distinct idea left on the mind of the cause of their misery, or of the means of escape, will prevent permanent good from being done.

Perspicuity in speech, and what is even still more essential, perspicuity of idea (for the poor will often comprehend à difficult word, when a complex or ill-defined idea will completely baffle them, and yet one is often mistaken for the other), are, together with minuteness of explanation by means of comparison and example, never taking it for granted that a thing must be understood because familiar to ourselves, absolutely necessary in the instruction of the poor. How are they, whose idea of God is, that he is like a man-of heaven, that it is not hell, that it is a place of rest from pain and suffering-of prayer, that it is the repetition of perhaps some Catholic legends-how are such persons qualified to understand the instruction com

monly given from the pulpit*, however excellent and applicable to themselves it may substantially be?

* See Foster's Essay on the Evils of popular Ignorance; to the correctness of which, as it respects the interior of the mind uncultivated by education or religion, a close intercourse of some years with the lower classes may allow me to bear testimony.

sake "

Alas! may some of my younger brethren say, burning with zeal and longing to make known the unsearchable riches of Christ, but conscious of the immense difference between a mind trained to nice discrimination, enriched with various lore, and an intellect so little raised above that of the brute creation; how can I descend to the level of minds like these? What common ground is there between us? It is, I will acknowledge, a difficult task; but turn not away in disgust. Strengthen yourself for the combat by a deep view of their moral, and which must terminate in their everlasting misery, and recollect that the instrument of raising them from this state, at once wretched and degraded, is in your hands. Look at the love of Him who for your came out from the Father," and became "a servant of servants," and "condescend to men of low estate." And recollect, an argument which in moments of discouragement and sloth never fails to rouse me ;-their destruction, remaining as they are, is no less certain than your safety: the same unfailing truth which is your security is their condemnation. Endeavour to throw yourself into their minds; converse with them; and by ques-tions attempt to make them think, and to draw out their ideas. This will be a great assistance to you in the composition of your sermons; it will enable you to enter into their inaptitude, difficulties, and errors; will show you what they want, and the most probable means of reaching them. Explain words to them the greater part of every congregation are deplorably ignorant of the meaning of some of the words most frequently occurring in Scripture, and upon the correct understanding of which, much of the profit with which they read and hear must depend. Such are prayer, grace, repentance, justify, sanctify.

But plainness of speech, after

JANUARY 1823.

all, is but as means to an end; it is the opening a channel to supply a want: but the value of facility of communication depends upon the value of that which is communicated. Different circumstances have for some years called my attention to this subject, and have strongly confirmed me in the opinion, that the fundamental cause of failure lies in the want of a clear statement of the way of salvation. The prominent error I conceive to be, the representing the procuring cause of the pardon of sin as a present instead of a past act on the part of God. The disease and its fatal termination are portrayed with the hand of a master; but when the remedy comes to be described, the clearness which had accompanied the preceding statement I have looked for in vain. Instead of the sinner being directed back to that which intervenes between the soul and condemnation, the death of Christ; and invited to believe in the truth, and rest his hope of forgiveness on this foundation; and then having received the atonement, his conscience being purged from dead works, exhorted to bring forth fruit unto holiness-to abide in Christ as his living head, and follow him as his Shepherd-do we not too often find this order inverted? Are not the offices which Christ sustains for his believing people blended and confused with that which is the only ground of approach to the ungodly? And the figurative expressions of Scripture, coming, looking, washing, &c. occasionally so applied as to become a source of error, leading the mind to conceive the pardon of sin to depend upon an operation now to take place, instead of its being led to revert to the cross of Christ as the Redeemer from the curse of the law.

Connected with this system is another error of more importance than on the first view we should

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