Roman yoke: 'Son of David,' thus Christ is often called, Ps. lxxxix. 35-36, Is. xi. 1, Jer. xxxiii. 15. Ver. 10. 'Moved, &c.' some with joy, others envy, others wonder. Ver. 11. This is Jesus, &c.' this description of Jesus was very defective; Luke tells us, chap. xix. 41-44, that amid all this joy, Jesus wept at the judgments coming on his enemies.

QUESTIONS.

1. Why was Christ now going to Jerusalem ?-2. Can you describe the place where Jesus now was? See the Map.-3. How did he know that there was an ass in Bethphage?-4. What pious use should we make of Christ's omniscience? Ps. cxxxix. 7-12.-5. Were the disciples to bring the animals without the consent of the owners ?— 6. How were the owners induced to give up the colt?-7. Does God ever force us to do anything ?-8. If our wills are renewed, is obedience delightful? Phil. ii. 13.-9. Why did Jesus thus act?-10. Did the fulfilment of this prophecy prove anything concerning Jesus? -11. A false Messiah might have sent for an ass, what circumstances here proved that Jesus was divine?-12. Though riding in triumph, what was the state of Christ's mind?-13. Why ought we not to be elated with the pomp of this world?-14. How did the people treat Jesus?-15. In a few days some of these persons cried 'crucify him,' Mark xv. 13, 14, how do you explain their present conduct ?—16. Should example and excitement induce us to praise Jesus, or should knowledge and love induce us?-17. How would the Pharisees be 'moved' at Christ's popularity?—18. How would his friends be affected?-19. Do you love Jesus to be adored?-20. Why ought persons, young and old, to praise him?-21. Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem amid all this joy?-22. Do his tears say anything to us?

MAY 21.-THE NEW BIRTH.-John iii. 1-15.

NOTES.

Ver. 1. Ruler, &c.' one who taught the laws; he came at night to Jesus as a divine teacher through fear; it is probable that much passed between him and Christ, more than what is here given. Ver. 2. The miracles,' which Christ had wrought at the passover, chap. ii. 23. Ver. 3. As this verse does not seem to be an answer to ver. 2, we suppose Christ interrupted Nicodemus, and shewed his knowledge of what was in the mind of Nicodemus, by coming at once to the great object of the interview: 'Cannot see,' cannot understand nor enjoy. Ver. 5. 'Water and the Spirit,' here Jesus represents one thing under a double term, meaning the purifying influence of the Holy Spirit. Ver. 8. The wind, &c.' here Jesus shews that however wonderful is conversion, it is no more impossible than the blowing of the wind, which in many respects is incomprehensible. Ver. 10. 'Knowest not these things,' that proselytes are washed with water, and that prophets have foretold the Spirit's work, Jer. xxxii. 39, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 27. Ver. 12. 'If I have told,' things that God does on earth which man can see and feel, how will you believe me if I tell you the unseen things of heaven? Ver, 13. 'No man, &c.' Moses only went up to God on the Mount, but I came from him and am one with him in heaven, in my divine nature. Ver. 14. As Moses, &c.' here Jesus explains the heavenly things' hinted at in ver. 12, shewing that for purposes purely spiritual and gracious, he had come from heaven, not to establish an earthly kingdom, but to die on the cross and save all who believe in him. This he illustrates by the serpent, see Numbers xxi.

QUESTIONS.

1. What kind of persons were the Pharisees?-2. Nicodemus came by night to Jesus through fear of man, was that right or wrong? Prov. xxix. 25.—3. How did he know that Jesus came from God?-4. Did miracles ever change the heart? Luke xvi. 31.-5. What great doctrine did Jesus teach this man?-6. Why must every one be born twice?-7. By what means does God renew us? James i. 18.-8. Are we regenerated by water baptism?-9. How should we act towards those who teach baptismal regeneration ?-10. The regenerating of a soul is wonderful, are there things in the natural world also wonderful?-11. What is the kingdom of God?--12. Would unconverted persons be happy in Heaven?-13. How do unrenewed persons feel toward religious things on earth?-14. If a person be born again,' how will it be evinced?-15. In what respect is Christ the best teacher?-16. As Jesus came from God, how must we receive his instructions ?-17, Is ignorance on divine things our misfortune or our sin?-18. By what circumstance in Jewish history did Christ illustrate his own work?-19. How does the brazen serpent illustrate Christ's death ?-20. Does any circumstance shew that this conversation was blessed to Nicodemus ? John xix 39.-21. Why is youth the best season for being born again?-22. To what should this portion lead us?

MAY 28.-MUTUAL FORGIVENESS.-Matt. xviii. 21-35.

NOTES.

Ver. 21. Seven times,' meaning very often, 1 Sam. ii. 5, Ps. cxix. 164; the Jewish doctors taught that three times we were to forgive, but not four times; but we are never to cease forgiving. Ver. 23. 'Kingdom of heaven,' the Gospel Dispensation. Ver. 24. Talents,' each was nearly two hundred pounds. Ver. 25. 'To be sold,' this is customary, Ex. xxii. 3, 2 Kings iv. 1, Lev. xxv. 39-46. Ver. 26. Worshipped,' crouched before him as is frequent in the East. Ver. 28. 'Hundred pence,' each about sevenpence. Ver. 34, Tormentors,' jailors, who tortured prisoners by scourging or rack, and keeping them on short allowance.

QUESTIONS.

1. The duty of forgiveness had been taught by Jesus. Matt. vi. 14, 15; why now did Peter come to Christ?-2. Is forgiving injuries easy or hard? Luke xvii. 4, 5.-3. What is our duty in reference to forgiveness?-4. Is there to be any limit to our pardons ?-5. Ought we to forget as well as forgive an injury?-6. Will God forgive us unless we are perfectly reconciled to our enemy?-7. To explain this Christ has constructed a parable: What is it called?-8. Who is the king, named in verse 23, and who are the servants?-9. When will he reckon with us? Rom. xiv. 12, Matt. xii. 36.-10. What is meant by the ten thousand talents?-11. Is every sin a failure in the obedience we owe to God?-12. What do David and Job say about our sins? Ps. xl. 12, Job xxii. 5.-13. This insolvent man was unable to pay, are we able to meet our debt to divine justice? Job ix. 3.-14. What then is our desert ? Matt. xxv. 46.-15. Do sinners often think they can pay God by future good works?-16. When thus indebted to God, what should we do? Job ix. 15, 1 John i. 9.-17. If God forgive us, how should we act toward those who offend us? Eph. 4. 32.-18.-What kind of pardon does. God grant us?—19.

Peacock, the much respected superintendent (who has been honourably connected with the school for forty-four years), after an interesting address, in which he affectionately alluded to the labours of the Rev. Richard Alliott, late in connection with the formation and carrying on of these Sunday Schools, and to the continued exertions of their present pastor in forwarding the good work, presented Dr. Alliott, in the name of the teachers, with a handsome copy of 'Dr. Gill's Commentary,' in nine volumes quarto, bearing the following inscription:

'Presented by the teachers of the Sabbath School connected with the Independent church assembling in the Meeting-house, Castle-gate, Nottingham, to their beloved pastor, the Rev. Richard Alliott, LL.D., as a small testimonial of their Christian affection for him, and of the high esteem in which they hold his ministry; accompanied by their best wishes for his welfare, and their earnest prayer that Almighty God would be pleased abundantly to bless his efforts for the spread of the Redeemer's Kingdom in the new sphere of labour to which in the course of Providence, he has been recently called.-Nottingham, March 28th, 1843.'

At the same time, Mr. S. W. Moore, on behalf of the teachers, presented Mrs. Alliott with an elegantly bound copy of Finden's Landscape Illustrations of the Bible,' as a mark of their esteem for her, and the value which they attached to her services in connection with the schools.

Dr. Alliott, in reply, after expressing his deep interest in the future prosperity of the Church and schools, called upon the teachers to renewed diligence in their labours, and concluded with a strong exhortation to prayer and union.

The meeting was afterwards addressed by the Rev. Thomas Keyworth, and by Messrs. Straw, Taylor, and Mather. The thought of having so soon to part with their beloved pastor, was the only thing to interfere with the otherwise unmingled enjoyment of the evening.

Obituary.

Died at Trowbridge, on the 17th of March, aged 61, Mr. RICHARD WEARING, for many years the superintendent of the Baptist Sunday school, in Back street Chapel.

Died on the 29th of March, in Manchester, aged 79, Mr. JOHN YOUNG, the oldest Sunday school teacher in Manchester. He entered the Church of England Sunday schools, as a teacher, in 1786, and, down to his death, steadily pursued his consistent and useful course. The Sunday before his death he occupied his post as president in the St. Paul's school, and after seeing much fruit from his labours, he departed amid the benedictions of all who knew him.

Died at Wigan, on the night of Sunday, April 2nd, Mr. WILLIAM MCKERROW, Draper, &c., for some years the superintendent of the Princess street Independent Sunday school in that town. He had been at worship twice, appearing unusually well: he united in family worship, and shortly after retiring to rest was seized with apoplexy, and died almost instantaneously.

No country in the world possesses such facilities for internal commerce as China. Availing themselves of the great number of rivers and lakes which intersect the Empire, its industrious inhabitants have almost everywhere opened communications by water, thus securing the advantages of traffic, and at the same time effectually draining many districts, which at one time were marshy and insalubrious. Though China were not of itself so fruitful a country as I have represented it,' wrote Le Compte in 1690, the canals which are cut through it, were alone sufficient to make it so. But besides their great usefulness in that, and the way of trade, they add also much beauty to it. They are generally of a clear, deep, and running water that glides so softly that it can scarce be perceived. There is one usually in every province, which is to it instead of a road, and runs between two banks built up with flat

G

coarse marble stones bound together by others, which are let into them in the same manner as we use to fasten our strong wooden boxes at the corners. This canal runs out into smaller ones on either side, which are again subdivided into small rivulets, that end at some great town or village. Sometimes they discharge themselves into some lake or great pond out of which all the adjacent country is watered. So that these clear and plentiful streams, embellished by so many fine marble bridges, bounded by such neat and convenient banks, equally distributed into such vast plains, covered with a numberless multitude of boats and barges, and crowned (if I may use the expression) with a prodigious number of towns and cities, whose ditches it fills, and whose streets it forms, does at once make that country the most fruitful and the most beautiful in the world.'

The management, repairs, and extension of these canals is a very important department of the internal economy of the Empire, and their history occupies no less than forty volumes. Some of the most extensive of these works have been in operation about 2000 years, having been completed 80 years B. C. And it is narrated that in A. D. 605 there were finished about 5000 miles of canal communication. But nothing in China or in any other part of the world can equal

THE IMPERIAL CANAL,

6

by means of which direct inland intercourse is maintained, with the interruption of a single day's journey, between Pekin and Canton, the capitals of the northern and southern provinces, a distance of no less than 1400 miles! It was dug, by an incredible multitude of men, and at a most prodigious expense, under the reign and by order of Khublai Khan, and his immediate successors of the Yuen race. 'I may safely say,' is the testimony of Mr. Barrow, in his Travels in China, that in point of magnitude, our most extensive inland navigation of England, can no more be compared to this grand trunk that intersects China, than a park or garden fish-pond to the great lake of Winandermere;' and then he proceeds to give a general idea of the principles on which the great undertaking was carried on. All the rivers of China fall from the high lands of Tartary, which lie to the northward of Thibet, crossing the plains of this Empire in their descent to the sea from west to east. The inland navigation being carried from north to south, cuts these rivers at right angles, the smaller streams of which terminating in it afford a constant supply of water;