of hills, or floats a bubble on the water with equally little effort. When we contemplate these things as they deserve, what may we not hope for our own being? Though much is told us, more is hidden. The entire truth would be too stupendous, and is therefore wrapped up in the prophetic nature of emblems such as these. In this, as well as in all other matters where, as Euripidesa finely observes, darkness shrouds what the soul vainly aspires to know,' or where the kindly providence of God seems suspended for a while, let us console ourselves by looking on those mysterious rivers which, like the Guadalquiver, after flowing for some distance in majesty and beauty, suddenly lose themselves in the ground, and are wholly untraceable by human view, yet eventually burst out again, as pure, and bright, and grand as ever. Thus, too, let us always strive to unite moral with natural philosophy, accomplishing thereby the most useful, and therefore the most essentially delightful union that the mind of man can possibly effect,-recognizing, in fact, that ancient marriage of Religion with Poetry instituted at the foundation of the world. For by effecting such union, the mind flows in a mighty stream of cause and effect, fertilizing the society around it, embellishing its own aspect, and ennobling its aspirations. Every object then has its beauty, and every beauty adorns itself with the colouring of moral eloquence. Moral science, social science, and natural science, like the Graces, should always go hand in hand, and ever recognize the poetic faculty as belonging to their sisterhood. All should be simultaneously enlisted in our pursuit of truth, so that at the same time may the heart be affected and the mind purified. Nature is not to be regarded as a vast theatre, whose objects are provided simply to gratify our senses for a passing hour, but as a museum of emblems and symbols the most eloquent and recondite, and to be read by

'The interlinear version of the light

Which is the spirit's, and given within ourselves.'

Festus''Proem."

The investigating of these, and the adapting them to human use, and the extension of human happiness, rank among the most inspiring and animating of duties; and ever meet, in their own concomitant delight, the most brilliant and bountiful of rewards.

a Hippolytus.

LEO.

10,3

REMARKS ON SUNDAY SCHOOL AND ON HOME

EDUCATION.

(An Address to the Committee of the Church in Argyle Square.)

As one of the sub-committee appointed to confer with the conductors of the Sunday school, with the view of making it more efficient and identical with the society, I feel the subject of great importance both as respects the benefit of the children, the use it may be to the church, and the good it is and may be to our young members, male and female teachers, in calling forth their sympathy for the children under their care, and their love and talent of being useful.

Not being able orally to express my views and sentiments as fully as I could wish, I have taken the opportunity of addressing you by letter, not, however, as one of the sub-committee in my official capacity, but as an humble individual of the church.

The committee appear to be divided between three projects now before them in reference to Sunday school instruction, or rather in respect to the class of children who shall be the subjects of Sunday school instruction. First, whether the present school, consisting as it does of children from the neighbourhood (subject to a close examination as to their fitness of remaining in the school), together with the children of members and friends of the society, shall constitute in future the Sunday school, over which is to be appointed by the church one superintendent. Secondly, whether the school, consisting of the present children, shall go on as it is, comparatively unconnected with the society; and consequently and thirdly, to have a second school opened for the reception of the children of members and friends only. To these points I beg to offer some remarks.

In the first place I would notice the objection which has been urged against a Sunday school composed of a promiscuous class of children from the neighbourhood. It is stated that much of the good which the children receive on the Sunday is dissipated in the course of the week by their going to other schools, and also from the circumstance that the parents of the children generally do not second the instruction given at the school. This may be true to a great degree, but it is so also with every school of a religious character, where the parents, by their language, habits, and conduct, set their children an example quite opposite to the instruction they receive. Were this argument carried out, it

would leave the children of all irreligious and disorderly parents totally neglected. The common sense and the common morality of the age, are too advanced to countenance such a perverted sense of duty from any body of Christians, and it is to be hoped that the New Church will never merit such a stain upon its character. We are enjoined to cast our bread upon the waters, and it shall be found after many days.

Children living in the vicinity of a church, whose parents are either unable, unwilling, or incompetent to instruct them, claim, by the course and opportunity of Providence, the benefits of instruction from such a church; they are ground which the church should endeavour to cultivate, and they are the waters upon which the mental bread should be cast. We must leave the good results thereof to the divine Providence, satisfied with having done our best for the general good; too earnestly looking after beneficial effects to our church, is very much like seeking for reward of our own good deeds.

Cases have been known where children, under such circumstances, have been instrumental in awakening their parents to a sense of religion, and ultimately to their becoming reformed. I think, therefore, that the children composing the present Sunday school should be retained under such improved arrangements and instruction as are possible to be made.

With respect to Sunday school instruction to the children of members and friends, whether mingled with the ordinary children of the locality, or forming a school by themselves, I have some very strong opinions. I think in almost all cases the children of members would be much better instructed at home, if their parents would but try to discharge that delightful duty. It has been urged in favour of Sunday schools for the children of members, that they induce early habits of intimacy and friendship with one another, that are not usually broken in after life, and therefore they grow up in the church and rarely depart from it. But if the parents, as members of the church, are social, free, and friendly with one another, living in Christian charity as they ought to do, their children would often have opportunities of forming acquaintance and congenial friendships with each other, especially if such children were accustomed to be assembled together occasionally by the minister for religious purposes, as most assuredly ought to be the case. Whatever advantages such children may gain from Sunday schools, they certainly lose much from being absent from the social sphere of a well regulated family at home. Men of business, whether masters or men, merchants or clerks, are generally pretty fully employed, or are from home from morning till evening throughout the week; but Sunday is

a day of rest, and with religious people it is, or ought to be, a day of social, friendly, yet withal serious instruction and improvement in spiritual and heavenly things. With such families, and it is hoped that the New Church is mainly composed of such, the father and mother act in unity with each other, in regard to the mental interest, benefit, and religious instruction of their children; the intelligence of the father joined with the affection of the mother, may be aptly compared to the union of heat and light in the time of spring, when every seed takes root downwards and shoots upwards, and every young plant grows day by day under the genial temperature; so, under the influence of parental intelligence and maternal love, will the minds of children grow and become developed, and day by day may be seen new forms of affection and thought, the hundred-fold reward of all the care and labour of love bestowed upon them, and thus will children grow up like olive plants round about the table, and thus shall the man be blest that feareth the Lord.

Many parents seem entirely to overlook their position in respect to their influence with and upon their children; I mean their moral, spiritual, and intellectual influence. This influence becomes a power, though not exercised or felt as such by either parents or children, yet is nevertheless tenfold more effectual than absolute power and sheer authority, which some parents are too apt to try to exercise over their children. The influence of parental affection, intelligence, and morality, is such as children delight to live under; it makes a happy home, it is more effectual and lasting than any other human power, and upon which children, when grown up, will look back with pleasure all the days of their life. A family under such influence is comparatively a church in itself on a Sunday,- -a little heaven upon earth, where the children will be more properly, religiously, and beneficially educated, because both the feelings and the thoughts will be acted upon, than they can possibly be at any Sunday school, however ably conducted.

Sunday is a day when all the branches of the family are generally at home, and form a happy circle around the table or fireside. It is at this time especially that parental intelligence and love meet with filial and fraternal affection, and produce a kind of spiritual atmosphere preeminently contributing to the growth of the young mind,-powerfully calling forth all the better thoughts and feelings of the soul, both of the parents and children; loosening the tongue of the younger into an innocent prattle as they climb the knees or chair back of their parents; brightening the eyes of the more advanced children, while they occasionally put questions in such new, and sometimes odd forms, as to be equally puzzling to the parents to answer as they are important to the

children to know. Who would send their children away at such times and from such scenes as these, alike uniting, instructive, and pleasing, and producing among parents and children, esteem, confidence, and love? I know of no family in the New Church who could not make such a home; it requires neither wealth nor learning, but order, intelligence, and affection,-qualities to some degree within the reach of all.

Sunday schools are excellent institutions for destitute children, and for those whose parents are either incompetent, irreligious, disorderly, or disinclined to make their house an instructive and happy home.

It will be perceived from these observations that I disapprove of Sunday schools for the children of members and friends of the church, either as distinct from, or mixed up with other children; I can see no benefit, but a decided disadvantage.

There can be but little doubt that home education altogether would be much more efficient than that of school, if the parents had time, ability, and aptitude for the purpose, especially where the mother sustained her proper character-that of a presiding genius over the family.. Hence it is that many of our greatest and best men, both of the present and past ages, have not been always such as shewed symptoms of genius at school; but, on the contrary, sometimes more dull than others, but who nevertheless, under the nurture of an affectionate and intelligent mother, have had their minds prepared for the greatness to which they afterwards arrived.

I hope that New Church parents will keep the best and happiest hours of their children in their own possession, employing those hours compatibly with the Sabbath-day, at once free, social, and orderly. Various are the ways of doing this, such as inquiring of the children what they have been learning in the course of the week? What books they have been reading? How they understood them? How they liked them, with the reasons thereof? Inquiry about the subject of the sermon-also about the lesson-the history and circumstances contained therein, with occasional reading of suitable, interesting, and good books, &c. &c. In such a way of spending the time usually allotted to a Sunday school, home becomes to all a little paradise below, a faint yet certain foretaste of the paradise above.

These observations are offered as the result of my own experience, but with much respect for the opinions and sentiments of others.

London.

J. B.