"Are you happy, my child ? "

"Oh! yes, teacher."

look well to the "Lambs of the flock." It is largely true, that the sooner you

'Teacher, I believe that JESUS died upon the cross; " and shortly afterwards expired. Here we have the simplicity of a child; but I believe it to have been also the sincere and saving faith of a Christian.

I do not ask my fellow-labourers to adopt my suggestions in all their details; but I do most strongly, and in all Christian affection, urge them to

you are likely to retain him; and the biography of the Christian Church abundantly shews, that religious truth imbibed in early youth, is that which exercises the greatest influence in after life.

SIR,

In answer to your request for results where the plan of "Separate Services has been tried," I am happy to send you the experience of two Sunday schools on this matter.

In the first instance, about 100 children were compelled to remain at the school every Sunday morning, from the absence of accommodation in the Parish Church; and in the other (the school in which I am now engaged), about forty children remain, because they disturb the congregation by their noise, and appeared totally uninterested in the public service, and incapable of understanding it. These children attend the school at nine o'clock, and when the elder ones go to Church, remain in the school room till twelve o'clock. The service consists of a few prayers, selected from the Liturgy, all of which are repeated simultaneously by the children after the teacher; several hymns, and a short catechetical address, follow. It has already been said, that these children were restless

and uninterested in Church; in fact, it was found impossible to prevent the little things from being anything else; now, they are very quiet; appear much interested, and behave, in all respects, well. A sufficient tine has not yet elapsed to show whether the Separate Service has had any effect upon their love for the usual services of the Church; nor is it likely that any grounds for a conclusion upon this point will be obtained in the schools referred to, as the infant children only are kept from the Church; and these, in course of time, rise into those classes who do attend the usual service. The only evil that has come under my own notice, as arising from the Separate Service is, the habit which some of the children contract of not going direct home; but these instances have been rare, and certainly have not, in any degree, lessened my conviction of the desirableness of "Separate Services."

I am, Sir, &c.
W. H. G.

U

GENTLEMEN,

HAVING had some experience as regards Special Services for the children of our Sunday schools, I must give it as my decided opinion that they are certainly objectionable. What is it we wish the children to become? Members of the Established Church. The constant habit of meeting in a school room, for a shortened service, however attractive it may be made, will never fit them for the enjoyment of our full Church services; but the place where the service is the shortest will be the place most liked; and you cannot blame, for you have brought them up thus. Again, you let these lads out, say at half-past eleven, or a quarter to twelve, their parents most likely at Church, where they will be for the next hour. Let me ask, How do these lads employ the intervening time? Is it not generally spent in such pursuits as tend to eradicate every good impression that may previously have been made?

What I would recommend is just this let every child above seven years of age be taken regularly to Church; let the Clergyman and Churchwardens see to it that they are placed in such a position as to see and hear all that is going on; and after the sermon has been applied to the adult portion of the congregation, let a simple but impressive application be made to the children. Such an application, made once by a celebrated London Clergyman, when I was very young, I have never forgotten to this day. The inducements to wander abroad, and to other places of meeting than our Church, are so great in the present day, that the utmost exertion should be used to keep these lambs within the fold; and, if the attractions within are such as they ought to be, they will not desire to stray.

THE following address, which has been lately printed and circulated amongst my own parishioners, might perhaps be found equally useful in other localities, and is at your service, in case you may deem it worthy of insertion in your Magazine:

66 PUBLIC WORSHIP."

"An habitually late attendance upon Public Worship intimates something wrong in the person's own mind, and is the occasion of much annoyance to others. It necessarily interrupts the Minister, whose mind should be composed, and steadily fixed upon the solemn work in which he is engaged. And it is an interruption to the congregation at large, whose eyes and ears cannot but exert an influence upon their

hearts. Under such circumstances it is scarcely practicable, it is at least very difficult, for even the most zealous worshipper to pursue his devotions without distraction.

"Let each worshipper, then, seriously ask himself-Was I present before the commencement of the Service, with my thoughts prepared for the solemn duty, to discharge which I went to Church? and have I thereby proved my sense of what is due to the honour of God, and to myself? Or, by a late attendance, have I dishonoured God, disturbed my fellow-worshippers, and voluntarily deprived myself of a portion of my religious advantages?

"The arrangement of our Liturgy is admirable; and yet many persons in almost every congregation, by an habi

tually late attendance, seem to say, that prayer, and praise, and reading of God's Word, are not matters of very great importance. Let us bear in mind that God not only commands us to worship

Him in the assembly of his saints, but that He most closely inspects the manner in which our duty is discharged." Abhba.

Dublin.

I WAS in hopes you were going to say something in your last Number, as to the qualifications for rightly receiving this ordinance. I am fully persuaded, that no one ought to be confirmed, unless he is born again of the Spirit. I cannot see how this position can be controverted by any member of our Church. The confirmant pledges himself to that which his sponsors did for him when an infant; namely, that he possesses the two requisites for baptism-repentance and faith. Surely this cannot be a mere dead faith!

Moreover, the Confirmation office proceeds on this supposition; and, in the first prayer, the Bishop, in his address to God, assumes that He has " given unto them forgiveness of all their sins." Can this be said of any who are not born again of the Spirit? Are we on any charitable hypothesis, willingly to allow it to be said over any one concerning whom we have not any hope, that he is a new creature in Christ? Is this view of the ordinance pressed on candidates with earnest sincerity ?

I have pursued this course for many years. Still, however, some of the candidates, of whom we have doubts,

will occasionally desire to be confirmed. I then say to them, "Of course you purpose joining the Lord's people, and going regularly to the Lord's table ?" This sometimes startles them. They say, "No;" they are not quite prepared for that. I tell them, that if fit for confirmation, it can only be as believers; and that every believer is fit to go to the table of the Lord. They say they are afraid of not maintaining a sufficiently consistent walk. Then comes

the question, Shall we advise them to defer confirmation till they have boldness to make a decided stand for Christ ? I say, yes; that is, as a last resort, and after solemnly urging on them the duty of immediate decision, and the sin and danger of delay. I have often done so, and found that the next year they were ready; nor do I remember an instance when the candidate, under such circumstances, drew back altogether; though I do know cases, where, contrary to advice, they have been confirmed, and have soon shewn by their conduct, that the root of the matter was not in them.

Yours faithfully,

3. M.

GENTLEMEN,

As this is the last Number of your Magazine that will appear before Christmas, I think an account of a Christmas Tree, given last year to a Sunday school

in connexion with the Institute, may afford an useful hint for providing a variety in similar school fêtes, at the approaching season of old-established enjoyment.

The scheme of exhibiting a Christmas Tree to the school children, and dividing its ornaments among them having been proposed to, and sanctioned by the Minister, the execution of it was committed to the care of the lady teachers, and other kind friends in the town, who undertook it with the utmost heartiness and zeal. The contributions amounted in number to between 500 and 600, of which some were bought; but the larger part worked by the ladies themselves. There were 120 markers, seventy dolls, forty muffatees, two dozen of knives, two of scissors, one of combs, one of tops; needle-cases, pincushions, balls, kaleidoscopes, comforters, crackers, whistles, and bon-bon boxes in great abundance. The Tree procured was a handsome fir-top (a real tree is more expensive), ten feet high, illuminated by some 150 tapers. It was concealed from the children by a curtain, which was not drawn till every taper was lighted. Perhaps the pleasantest part of the evening was the applause and amazement of the children at seeing this marvellous novelty in such a blaze of light. After a sufficient time had been allowed for their vociferous expressions of delight, and the Minister had given a short address, the presents were taken down and distributed. The plan proposed had been, that each child

should be provided with a ticket with a number on it, from one to 290 (the number of the school); and that each article should have a corresponding number affixed. Then, on taking it down and calling out the number, the Ichild who bore that number on his ticket, should answer, and receive the present. But through the noise and stupidity of the children, this totally failed; so they were brought up class by class; received their presents and a bun each, (a sufficiency of which had been munificently provided by a lady) and then sent home, for the most part extremely delighted, to dream of the Tree for nights.

The whole cost would be difficult to calculate, probably from eight to ten pounds; but divided as it was, it fell heavily on no one. I should mention, that one given afterwards to a ragged school was much less expensive; while the cost of one given to a school of eighty, in a country parish, did not exceed one pound.

I know no sight of the kind so pretty as a Tree tastily arranged; the preparation of it need be neither expensive nor laborious; while, as a variety in the course of games, magic lanterns, &c., it must give great pleasure to a school. Yours faithfully,

A. E.

Shrewsbury, 16th Sept., 1853.

To the Corresponding Secretary,

DEAR SIR,

I COMPLETED, about ten days since, a series of visits for the Church of England Sunday School Institute, of which you will expect me to give you a short

account.

The first place I visited was Beverley, in Yorkshire, at which place I was kindly received, as your representative, by the Rev. J. BIRTWHISTLE, the Incumbent of the Minster Church. The attendance at my lecture was considered a fair one for Beverley, where I was informed that there was not among

the laity a large amount of zeal in the cause I was advocating, or in kindred causes; and that the average attendance at public meetings was thin. The sixty or seventy persons present listened to me with apparent interest, and I trust may have been profited. A custom prevails there of taking the scholars to Church twice a day on Sundays, which I greatly deprecate. On a Sunday afternoon, children, if taken to Church, go to sleep, or play; and the result is too often a dislike of the Church services when they grow older; connected in their minds, as they often are, with feelings of wearisomeness. If the afternoon be devoted to teaching, and if that teaching be brisk and attractive, there is no disposition either to go to sleep or behave badly, and the afternoon is passed profitably and pleasantly. A lady suggested to me, that the habit of going to Church twice on the Sunday was valuable. I reply, that the habit of attending services which are listened to with listless vacuity of mind, may certainly induce the like habit in future life, but if so, the habit will be acquired with its corresponding feelings; and I need scarcely say, that this state of things is already too prevalent. I am a great advocate for adaptiveness. When a scholar can bear two full services, and understand the meaning of the average style of sermons which are preached, let him avail himself of what will then be considered a privilege; but until that, it will produce no profit to himself in early life, and will issue in mischief to him in later life.

It was intended that I should have given a lecture at Hull, which, as you are aware, is close to Beverley, and where, in addition to its high state of efficiency in the clerical staff of the town, there is a feeling of lively interest in school matters; but the season of the year was so uncongenial to a public meeting, that my visit was postponed to October, when the local secretary of the association seems to promise a good attendance.

The next place I visited was Lynn, where I took up my abode with the Rev. E. HANKINSON, and met at his house one or two warm friends of Sunday schools. While, however, I met with the most friendly feeling towards myself, and the greatest desire to receive any hints I might be enabled to give, I also found that the knowledge of the organization, and the working of Sunday schools, was most limited. There does not seem to be (at all events in the Church of England) a good Sunday school in the town. It seemed to me to arise from the fact, that Lynn contains no one man, lay or clerical, who has given himself to this one work. At the present day, we need a more concentration of energy. "This one thing

I do." If, among the estimable gen. tlemen whom it was my happiness to meet there, any one would take up, as his peculiar sphere, the Sunday schoolif he would make himself conversant with its limited range of literature, and would distribute its magazines, and establish weekly meetings of teachersthe aspect of Christian education would soon become improved, and the interest of the teachers in their work would be redoubled. If I might, in one word, stereotype the present state of Lynn, as regards its schools, it would be by the word "languor." Let the teachers and Clergy there get, and read, Todd's Sunday School Manual;" Dunn's

'

Principles of Normal School Training; "Stow's "Training System;" and Inglis' "Sabbath School;" and let them take the six or eight "Sunday School Magazines," published by your own and other kindred Societies; and there will (for there is all the material for it) be a speedy getting up of the steam, and a progressing, as in an express train.

My next point of destination was Boston, where the Vicar kindly gave me "bed and board." We met in a large room at the Town Hall, curtained and carpeted, and altogether bearing