ting his plan into practice; but not so John Hart, for he was too hearty in the cause of poor Bridget to let the affair go to sleep in that manner. Succour the poor, and then, with money free, In thy distress the Lord will succour thee. Martin Slade, though he could read and write, never would go to a place of worship, but spent the sabbath in idleness, till old John Hart took him in hand. Martin was for putting it off a little, but honest John told him that the beauty of doing a good thing was in doing it at once. Martin complained of his coat, for it was out at the elbows; but John said luckily he had two coats, and Martin should take his choice which he would go in on Sunday morning. Martin said he should not know where to sit, but John told him there would be quite room enough on the bench that he sat on himself in the middle aisle. Martin said he had no prayer-book, but John told him that he should look over his. Martin thought that he had rather go in just before the sermon began, but John would not hear of it, for that would be setting a bad example. John was with Martin betimes on the Sunday morning, and so heartily helped him, urged him, and encouraged him, that he took him off to church, where, some time after, to John's great delight, he became a singer in the choir. "O come let us sing unto the Lord," said John, "let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation," Psa. xcv. My days of praise shall ne'er be past, John Hart had to speak to some young people on the subject of the Holy Scriptures, and very plain but very hearty were his remarks. Every one understood them, and very few forgot them. Some of his observations were these—" If you would really profit by God's holy word, you must use it as a poor man, who is prudent, uses what is bestowed on him, that is, you must make the most of it. Make the most, then, of God's holy word. Read it, think upon it, pray over it, love it, reverence it, and obey it. Use it yourselves, and recommend it to others. Regard it as a treasure! Bind it to your hearts, hold it fast in health, cling to it in sickness, make it your trust in life and your confidence in death. In short, regard it as your best earthly friend, putting up this prayer with your hearts and souls. Blessed Lord, who hast 6 caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.' The word of man is feeble, and will fail; The word of God is strong, and shall prevail. As I said at first, in hand-work and heart-work honest John is ever in earnest. He relieves the poor, he helps the weak, he visits the sick, and comforts the afflicted, never forgetting to point them all to the Lamb of God, who alone taketh away the sins of the world. Well may such a man be highly prized as a friend and neighbour; and well may John Hart be known by the name of Old Hearty. M. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. WHEN the daughter of Pharaoh rescued the infant Moses from the waters of the Nile, she committed him to his own mother to be nursed as her adopted son, with this injunction, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages," Exod. ii. 9. The Lord Jesus descended from his throne of glory above, entered this world of sin and sorrow, and rescued from the deepest waters of destruction souls cast forth to the death. Children shared his compassion, he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them and blessed them. He has returned to his throne again, but ere he departed hence, he left the charge behind, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not." Change of place makes no change in his affection for them. He folds around them the everlasting arms of his mercy. And when he commits them unto the guardian care of a human protector, a voice from heaven seems to accompany each little deposit, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages." Christian education is a matter of vast importance to all classes and all ages, and with parents and guardians in general, rests the main responsibility of giving children such an education. But what is Christian education? Every day's experience must convince reflecting minds that instruction and education are very distinct things. In struction relates to the informing of the understanding; education, to the formation of character. Instruction imparts knowledge to the understanding; Christian education "trains up a child in the way in which he should go," and so moulds and forms and strengthens his character, that "when he is old he will not depart from it." That education is faulty which does not aim at influencing the heart, as well as improving the mind. Man is a creature destined to exist through eternity, and the character which he is to bear through eternity, is to be formed in the present life. Hence the importance of such an education as may affect and influence the soul, not only because the soul will live for ever, but because character centres in it. Nothing is done till the soul is educated. The soul regulates the whole man. Consequently those truths which are the best adapted to affect the soul, should be most prominent in Christian education. Christian education, therefore, should be full of eternity. So soon as children can understand that they are immortal creatures, they should be taught that this world will be to them either a stepping-stone, or a stumbling-stone-a stepping-stone to a higher and better, or a stumbling-stone to a lower and worse. With what solemn feelings would parents impart, and their children receive instruction, if eternity were a familiar subject! Let parents remember, that that little body which nestles itself in its mother's bosom, or that stout frame which gambols in the bloom of youth, enshrines a soul which has begun the course of a never-ending existence. That form upon which the eye delights to gaze may soon be food for worms; but the jewel within will survive the wreck of time. It is not love to their child which leads parents to allow its soul to hold a secondary place in their affections. Would they but read "immortal," engraven by the finger of GOD upon its brow, with what solemnized anxiety would they enter upon its education! Alas! that parents or guardians, who profess the name of Christ, who know their children are immortal, should train them up in the practical forgetfulness of the future, and thus teach them to live, as if Mammon were their god, and earth their home! Jehovah has Christian education should lead to Christ. united Christ and a blissful eternity together. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder in education. Christ is the hope of the future. The tendency, therefore, of all education should be to lead the soul to Christ. The doctrine of the atonement, as well as the example of Christ, so simply unfolded in the Scriptures of truth, though above the wisdom of "the wise and prudent," is not beyond the mind' of babes.* Christ commands that children should be suffered to come unto him; but how can they believe in him, or come unto him, if they are suffered to remain in ignorance of him? His suitability to all their wants should be exhibited to them in language which they can understand. They have consciences, sins are a burden to them, they have their own little sorrows and cares, they need a friend to sympathize with them, and support them. They should be taken to Christ, and every endeavour be made to quicken their consciousness of sin, both original and actual, and to teach them habitually to look upon the atonement. At the foot of the cross they must be educated for eternity, and be instructed to use Christ as their best friend. There are secret workings in children's hearts, which they shrink from disclosing to any earthly parent. They should be habituated to unbosom their thoughts to Christ, taught that he loves them, and brought into the practical belief that as God he can read their thoughts, and as Man he can sympathize with them, having been a child himself. Christian education should be based upon the Bible.-The Bible, and the Bible alone, is the foundation of all sound *"Children are very early capable of impression. I imprinted on my daughter the idea of faith, at a very early age. She was playing one day with a few beads, which seemed to delight her wonderfully. Her whole soul was absorbed in her beads. I said, 'My dear, you have some pretty beads there. Yes, papa!' 'And you seem to be vastly pleased with them.'-'Yes, papa.' "Well now, throw them behind the fire.' The tears started into her eyes. She looked earnestly at me. as though she ought to have a reason for such a cruel sacrifice. 'Well, my dear, do as you please: but you know I never told you to do anything which I did not think would be good for you.' She looked at me a few moments longer, and then-summoning up all her fortitude-her breast heaving with the effort-she dashed them into the fire. 'Well,' said I, 'there let them lie: you shall hear more about them another time; but say no more about them now.' Some days after, I bought her a box full of larger beads, and toys of the same kind. When I returned home I opened the treasure and set it before her: she burst into tears with ecstasy. These, my child,' said I, 'are yours; because you believed me when I told you it would be better for you to throw those two or three paltry beads behind the fire. Now that has brought you this treasure. But now, my dear, remember, as long as you live, what FAITH is. I did all this to teach you the meaning of faith. You threw your beads away when I bid you, because you had faith in me that I never advised you but for your good. Put the same confidence in God. Believe everything that he says in his word. Whether you understand it or not, have faith in him that he means your good.'"-Cecil's Remains. education. This blessed book should be presented to the youthful mind, as the book of all others the most delightful. Its sweet and precious truths should not be soured to the tastes of children by making it a task-book. It should be the child's best book. That education is not Christian, which does not tend to fix the child's best affection upon it. It contains mysteries beyond the grasp of all human intellect, but it is rich with truths brought down to the level of the infant mind. Its doctrines are plain in proportion to their importance. It has milk for babes, as well as strong meat for men. Every effort should be made to impart to children a taste for the Bible, to educate them in a holy familiarity with its doctrines, and to teach them to form their characters by its truths, and it should be made the appeal upon all occasions. God has given its doctrines, precepts, and promises, wherewith to train their hearts, and bind their unruly wills and passions. It should be made the mould of all instructions, and thus, by it, should be formed their character for eternity. But another point too generally overlooked, is, that Christian education should be sweetened with sympathy.-Sympathy with children is essential to their right education. It is the secret of all true confidence. As the child cannot rise to the feeling and experience of the teacher, the teacher should descend to the feeling and experience of the child. Christ brings down his sympathy to us. We should follow his example, and bring down our sympathy to children. We sympathize with them in their bodily sufferings, and they can appreciate our sympathy. Why not sympathize with them in their spiritual trials? Would they not as fully appreciate such sympathy? Their souls require nursing, tenderness, and care, no less than their bodies. They need spiritual advice, as soon as they become capable of exercising their spiritual functions. Every child has its spiritual enemies, and consequently its spiritual troubles, and needs, therefore, spiritual counsel and advice. It has its own little temptations, great to it, though small to us; it moves in a little world of its own, full of crosses and vexations. What golden seasons of improvement are lost, when the tender and heavyhearted child would gladly turn to some confidential sympathizer, and pour into his ear its little tale of grief; yet it knows of no heart in which it can confide! Children should be taught, by experience, that they will always find in their parents ready sympathy. They should learn to confide in |