the hours of school is usually found most efficient correction. Yet is it most important never to use restraint until milder means have been tried in vain, and to exhibit our whole system as prominently characterized rather by rewards than by punishments. Children are much more powerfully influenced by encouragement than by repulsion. Where practicable, a Sunday School Library might be connected with the general system of rewards, as a useful stimulous to improvement and enriching the mind with a valuable store of Christian principles.* The various demands upon

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the Minister's time and strength do not always admit of his conducting personally the superintendance of the Sunday School. It is however desirable that he should open or close the school, or both with some short exercise, and singing, and prayer. It is then that he appears in one of his most difficult, yet most interesting characters, as a teacher of babes," child-like in the treatment of children. Upon the whole, it is expedient to diversify the details of instruction, so far as is consistent with the unity of the system to drop the truth into narrow-mouthed understandings, and thereupon to graft exhortations, which may draw the catechumens into declared resolutions of piety;' which is one of the things, where an abundance of wisdom and prudence may be demonstrated.'†

But if the mechanism of a Sunday School-however admirably regulated by Ministerial control, and however amply provided with the means of religious

*This library might be readily furnished from the Publications of the Religious Tract Society, and from the Youth's and Nursery Library in Bickersteth's Christian Student, a work which needs not the Writer's recommendation, as of the highest value and adaptation for ministerial and general usefulness.

† Mather's Student and Pastor, pp. 197, 198.

instruction-forms the quantum of supply for the spiritual wants of the young, it will only furnish confirmatory evidence of the comparative inefficacy of a mere Sabbath ministration. For can we forget, how

much that is learned at school is unlearned at homeeither from the habits of " childhood and youth," which, by an infallible judgment, are pronounced to be "vanity;"* or as weakened by the neglect, or contradicted by the example, of those who ought to be their instructors? Can we suppose, humanly speaking, that one day's struggle against the stream will be able to overcome the bad habits of the other six, falling in, as they do, with the natural bias of the heart? Sabbath instruction must therefore as far as possible be carried into the parochial Ministry. If local circumstances do not admit of an organized system, the children must be followed home with inquiries concerning the influence of the school upon their general conduct upon their habits of subjection, seriousness, industry and truth; inculcating an affectionate and judicious application of Christian discipline, as the basis of the domestic economy. Nothing however is of higher moment, than to aim at drawing the children into connexion with us during the week. Wherever it can be accomplished, the teachers should be urged to assemble their classes in the week; or the Minister or his wife should endeavour to collect them. Habits of daily intercourse with them, familiar instruction in private, combined with a general readiness to unbend towards them, so that they might look upon us in the light of parents or friends, all this will materially assist to open the avenues of confidence that most successful medium of ap

* Eccles. xi. 10.

proach to the heart. Encouragement to persevere in these exercises will not be wanted, though their energy, and effectiveness, is liable to much interruption from parochial hindrances.

The elder children also, who either have left, or are about to leave, the school, furnish a most anxious Ministration. Their age is usually the most important and critical in their lives.* If no power of restraint or conviction has been produced, it is too frequently the era of their complete declension in conduct. The restrictions of the school are removed-they become disencumbered of an irksome yoke-they join light and trifling companions-and we have the grief of finding, that their course of instruction, instead of becoming a blessing, has proved the awful means of hardening them in sin. Two remedies suggest themselves to prevent this melancholy issue. First-that our plan of instruction in the school should be calculated to interest their minds, and our treatment of them such as will engage their confidence. The catechetical and explanatory mode seems most suited to produce the first of these effects-the other must depend upon the character, feelings, and conduct of the teachers, who, if they love the children, will generally be more or less successful in engaging their love for them. Next-

* It has been found important to fix the period of the children's leaving the school; at the same time giving full permission to remain after that time. This operates as a restraint and encouragement upon the better children, and secures a decent dismissal to those who would shortly, by breaking the yoke, separate themselves wholly from all kindly communication with us. The friends of education at Glasgow a few years since formed an association, called The Glasgow young men's society for religious improvement' the grand object of which was to keep up the remembrance of the religious truths which had been inculcated upon them, by meeting at stated seasons for mutual encouragement and support.

that we provide some means of continuing our connexion, after they have left the school. In some instances they might be engaged as teachers under our vigilant superintendance. This need not however prevent their continuing with us as learners, if we can prevail upon them to attend upon our instructions. Some separate time might be devoted to them, either on the Sunday evening, or some convenient weekly opportunity. The lesson system should of course be relinquished, except the wish of the young people should suggest it. Nothing compulsory should be attempted. They might be led to consider portions of Scripture, and required to find parallel proofs or illustrations. Sometimes the principal events in a book of Scripture might form an exercise or the doctrines, precepts, and promises contained within a certain compass of Scripture, comparing prophecy with its fulfilment, or proving the Catechism, Articles, or other formularies of our church, by Scripture; always taking care, that the exercises are such as set their own minds to work, their own modes of thinking. should be encouraged in every ploying them at our houses, interesting ourselves about their temporal concerns, lending them interesting and useful books, endeavouring to place them in respectable and serious families, making inquiries respecting them of their masters, inviting them to come to us in their periodical visits to their friends from service, and in every way maintaining affectionate sympathy and communication with them. Some of these ways may appear almost too minute and trifling for suggestion; but in practical experience they are found to be influential in the accomplishment of the most important ends.

and habituate them to Intercourse with them possible way, by em

SECTION II.

INFANT'S SCHOOLS.

THE Infant School system under the regulation of Christian discipline and instruction, may be considered as one of the most valuable and successful experiments on the theory of Education. The endeavour to bend the twig some years sooner than it was used to be bent, has gained a considerable advantage over the dominion of darkness and error; an advantage however, which will turn against us, except the early excitement of intelligence is controled and directed to the only right and Christian end-The first seven years,' as has been accurately observed, are the seed-time of life ;'* only the two or three last years of which had hitherto been cultivated, while the earlier years had been lost to the child and to the world.

The importance of the Infant School system is beginning to be universally acknowledged. Yet it may be well to enumerate some of its specific advantages, and to glance at some general principles on which it should be conducted. The advantage of an Infant School as a part of the Parochial Ministry is considerable. It is a nursery for the Sunday and Weekly Schools. Children taken from their own families cost much time and pains to restrain their undisciplined habits. But when the Infant School training is their door of entrance, some habits of order and attention have commenced. The drudgery of the alphabet also is in some degree passed through, which (in the Sunday

* Manual for instruction of Infant Schools, by the Rev. W. Wilson, Walthamstow, p. 149.