done all that they were commanded, they have done nothing more than what was their duty to do; and, that no services of ours, however praiseworthy, can be meritorious in the sight of God; that such actions, however, are essentially necessary as evidences of a renewed nature and of our subjection to the authority of God--that they promote our own comfort and the happiness of others-and that they prepare us for the employments and the society of heaven, where all the Christian virtues will be displayed in perfection without any mixture of evil.-Were such instructions and illustrations of moral principle, as now suggested, regularly attended to, and every disposition and action of the young submitted to the test of Christian principle, there can scarcely be a doubt that the most beneficial results would soon appear, and the moral state of society be improved far beyond what we have ever yet experienced. But, if we are remiss in our attention to the best interests of the young, and refuse to bring into full operation a rational system of moral and religious instruction, we have no right to complain of the vicious dispositions of the rising generation, or the licentiousness and depravity of general society. In recommending to the young the study of the Scriptures, every requisite direction and assistance should be afforded to guide them in their researches into the oracles of God. When reading the historical parts either of the Old or the New Testament, maps of Palestine, and of the adjacent countries, should be put into their hands, that they may be enabled to trace the journeyings of the Israelites in the wilderness, the relative positions of the twelve tribes in the land of Canaan, the travels of Jesus Christ and his apostles, and the situations of the principal cities, towns, mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, mentioned in the Bible. To assist their conceptions of the Jewish tabernacle and temple, plans of these buildings should be presented, along with figures of the altar of burnt-offering and of incense, the ark of the covenant, the table of show-bread, the golden candlesticks, the brazen laver, and other sacred utensils. To illustrate the antiquities of the Jews and other eastern nations, their customs, buildings, &c., sketches should be given of their manners and customs, arts, sciences, vegetable productions, and peculiarities of climate, which are frequently alluded to by the sacred writers, and which should be illustrated by engravings in so far as they tend to convey ideas on the subject. They should be taught to acquire clear conceptions about every thing they read, and, when they meet with difficulties or obscurities, never to rest satisfied till they receive the requisite explanations. When they read a de scription of any scene or transaction, such as the Israelites passing through the Red Sea, or assembled around Mount Sinai-our Saviour teaching the multitudes from a ship on the Lake of Gennesaret-or Paul standing on Mars hill, addressing the people of Athensthey should be instructed to represent in their imagination the various objects which compose the scene as delineated by the historian, whether mountains, rivers, seas, corn-fields, buildings, or assembled multitudes, which would tend to connect with sensible objects the moral instructions to be derived from such narratives. In forming such pictures of imagination they might be assisted by the teacher selecting parts of those scenes in their own country with which they are acquainted, and leading them to imagine the objects and transactions recorded in the Bible as passing immediately before them amidst the scenery with which they are familiar; or by presenting before them accurate engravings of the natural and artificial objects connected with Judea and other eastern countries, in so far as they can be procured. In this point of view, it is much to be regretted, that almost all the pictorial illustrations of our "Family Bibles" are absolutely worthless and worse than useless, omitting almost every thing that is instructive and consistent with fact, and introducing silly and fictitious scenes, full of anachronisms, inconsistencies, and violations of costume, which have no other tendency than to convey a degrading and distorted conception of the scenes recorded in sacred history. Above all things, the young should be directed to consider, that every transaction recorded in Scripture is intended to produce an intellectual and a morat effect, either to display the perfections of God, the character of his moral government, the safety and happiness of those who put their trust in him, the evil tendency of disobedience to his laws, or the path of duty in which we ought to walk in the various circumstances in which we may be placed. "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, and for instruction in righteousness;" and therefore the study of no portion of sacred history should be discontinued, till its moral instructions be clearly perceived and applied. Questions and exercises of various kinds, in relation to scriptural facts, doctrines, and duties, should be prescribed, to excite the attention, and direct the judgment of the young in their investigation of divine subjects; but as we have now various little books calculated to direct the juvenile mind in such exercises, it is needless to dwell on the subject. It might not be improper to have a text-book or two, selected from Scripture, and interspersed with occasional remarks, tending to elucidate certain passages and events. have class-books for schools, the greater part neighbour as ourselves, cultivating heavenly of which is selected from plays, novels, farces, desires and affections, &c. Selections addressed and Pagan historians and moralists. And to the taste and imagination-embodying the why should we not have a text-book selected beauties of history, poetry, and eloquence, from the oracles of inspiration, which contain which are profusedly scattered throughout the a greater variety of sublime and important sacred writings. Selections of biography, inmatter than is to be found in any other source cluding the lives of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, of information? Such a text-book might Elijah, Hezekiah, Daniel, John the Baptist, comprise selections on such topics as the the Apostle Paul, &c. These, along with following:-Subjects which tend to expand our selections on various other subjects, might be intellectual views of the Deity, and of the uni- illustrated with critical remarks, extracts from verse he has created-comprising descriptions works on Eastern manners and customs, of the Majesty and Supremacy of Jehovah, descriptions of modern Palestine, and the the eternity of his existence, his universal adjacent countries, the accomplishments of presence and agency, his love, faithfulness, Scripture prophecies, as recorded in history, and immutability, his unbounded goodness, the wisdom and rectitude of his moral government, and the care he exercises over every order of his creatures-the existence of angels, and the offices they perform under the Divine administration-the immortal destiny of man, and the prospects opened to the righteous of eternal felicity in the future world. Selections in reference to the affections and the duties incumbent upon persons in the different relations of life. In this department those duties and affections which are peculiarly christian, should stand prominent, such as humility, lowliness of mind, love to enemies, doing good to those who hate us, striving against sin, loving our anecdotes of young persons, the lives of true Christians, the judgments which have befallen persecutors and apostates, the progress of Christianity through the world, and the benign effects it has produced on the state of society. Such a work, if judiciously arranged and executed, and studied with care, could not but produce a beneficial influence on the taste and affections of the young, and lead them to admire and venerate the oracles of heaven. It is, doubtless, one cause of the low state of Christianity, and of the influence of Pagan maxims in general society, that such text-books have never yet been intro. duced into our seminaries of education. CHAPTER VIII. Or late years these institutions have rapidly increased, both in Great Britain and in the United States of America, and, if properly conducted, are calculated to produce a highly beneficial effect on the religious improvement of the rising generation. In a preceding part of this volume I offered a few strictures on the mode in which some of these institutions were formerly conducted; and, although the evils there complained of still exist to a certain extent, I am happy to say, that in many of these schools a more rational and efficient system is now beginning to be adopted. The teachers, many of whom are men of piety and intelligence, are now convinced of the futility of mere memorial exercises, and are beginning to address the understanding and the affections of their pupils, so that they may be enabled to enter into the spirit and meaning of the truths inculcated. Still, however, I am decidedly of opinion, from all that I have ever witnessed in these institutions, that the system of religious instruction is far from having reached its highest pitch of improvement, and that it is susceptible of being carried to a degree of perfection which it has never yet attained. The evils and defects which adhere to the system as it exists in most of our Sabbath school institutions, are such as the following:-1. The memory is still too much exercised and burdened with the retention of words, while a corresponding degree of attention is not paid to the exercise of the rational faculty. 2. Religious instruction is too much confined as to the range of its objects and illustrations. Instead of confining it chiefly to a few propositions in regard to what are termed the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, it should extend to the whole range of objects comprised within the compass of Divine Revelation, and to all the illustrations of those objects which can be derived from history, geography, the sciences, and the works of nature. 3. Discussions on systematic theology too frequently usurp the place of pointed moral instructions addressed to the affections and the conscience. 4. Catechisms and other hunian formularies are too frequently set in competition with the instructions to be derived directly from the Scriptures 5. Many of the teachers, however pious and well intentioned, are deficient in that degree of biblical and general knowledge which all religious instructors ought to possess. This last circumstance I consider as one of the greatest deficiencies in our Sabbath school arrangements, and therefore shall offer a few remarks on the subject. It is generally admitted, that a professor of any science, such as chemistry, ought to be acquainted not only with all its principles and facts, but with those subjects, such as natural history, experimental philosophy, and physiology, with which it stands connected. It is also admitted, that the religious instruction of the adult population, in order to be respectable and efficient, requires that the ministers of religion be trained to all those branches of knowledge which tend to prepare them for their office, and that they may be men not only of piety, but of talent and intelligence, and found qualified by their superiors for the duties they undertake. And can we suppose, that either the literary or the religious tuition of the young, can be intelligently or efficiently conducted by men who are comparatively ignorant, and who have undergone no previous training for such an office? On the contrary, I have no hesitation in asserting, that instructors of youth ought to have as much information on every subject as is usually judged necessary for a respectable minister of the gospel, and even more than many of this class actually possess. Besides, they ought to possess not only clear conceptions of every portion of knowledge they wish to impart, but also of the best modes in which it may be communicated with effect to the juvenile mind. It requires even more information and greater powers of mind to simplify knowledge, and render it perspicuous to the opening intellect, than to convey it to the understandings of those who are advanced in years. The man who wishes to act as an intellectual and religious instructor, should, if possible, acquire a comprehensive view of the whole of the revelations of Heaven, and of the collateral subjects with which they are connected of the leading facts of ancient and modern history-of the scenery of nature in all its varied aspects of the operations of the Creator which are displayed in the "firmament of his power," and of human nature as exhibited in all the scenes and relations of social life. For it is from these, and similar sources, that he is to derive his illustrations of divine subjects; and unless such subjects be illustrated by sensible scenes and objects, no clear and distinct ideas can be communicated to the young, nor any deep impressions made upor their hearts. The instructor of the young must have the faculty of ascertain ing the range of thought possessed by his pupils-of adapting his instructions to that range of thought-and of rendering the ideas they have already acquired subservient for increasing their number, and for opening a wider field of intellectual vision. For this purpose, his imagination must roam over the whole circle of his own knowledge, to select objects, events, scenes, circumstances, and similes, adapted to the comprehension of his pupils, and calculated to expand their views, and to illustrate the particular subject to which their attention is directed. He must sometimes extend his views to the histories of ancient times, both sacred and profane, to the circumstances which attended the accom plishment of ancient prophecies, and to the doctrines, maxims, and precepts of the Bible sometimes to the knowledge he has acquired of the earth, the ocean, or the atmosphere, the animal and vegetable creation, or the glories of the heavens-and sometimes to the state of barbarous nations, the persecutions of the church, the lives of good men, the progress of the gospel among unenlightened tribes, the scenes of domestic life, or the wars and revolutions of nations. Circumstances, incidents, anecdotes, descriptions, and similes, derived from such sources, he will find expedient, and in some cases necessary, to be brought forward for explaining and illustrating many portions of Divine Revelation. And therefore, were it possible for a teacher to be a man of universal knowledge, so much the more qualified would he be for imparting religious instruction, provided he had the art of simplifying his knowledge, and rendering it subservient to moral improvement. If religious instruction, indeed, consisted in nothing more than prescribing tasks, and hearing children recite catechisms, psalms, hymns, and passages of Scripture, any man, however ignorant, who had been instructed in the art of reading, might be considered as qualified for such an office ;-and hence, I have seen men, pious and wellmeaning perhaps, but ignorant of almost every branch of knowledge, and without any clear ideas on the subject of religion, appointed as Sabbath school teachers, who did nothing more than take the Psalm-book or Catechism into their hands, and put on their spectacles to see that the youngsters repeated their prescribed tasks with tolerable correctness. But if the great object of religious instruction is, or ought to be, the communication of clear ideas respecting the attributes of God, the principles of his moral government, the va riety and immensity of his works, the history of his providential dispensations, the plan of his redemption, and the way in which its blessings are to be obtained, the principles of moral action, and the rules of duty he has prescribed, and whatever tends to display the riches of his grace and the glories of his universal kingdom-in so far as such subjects can be imparted to the youthful mind-then it is evident, that a religious instructor ought to be a person endowed with as much general and Biblical knowledge as he can possibly acquire. In throwing out the above remarks it is by no means intended to insinuate, that no good has been effected in Sabbath schools where the teachers were comparatively ignorant; as I believe many good impressions have been made upon the youthful mind by pious and well-meaning men whose range of information was extremely limited. But it is evident, at the same time, that were such instructors more enlightened than they have generally been, a much greater degree of important instruction would be communicated, and a more powerful moral impression made upon the heart. It is consistent with the dictates of reason and the general practice of mankind, that every man should be trained for the profession he adopts, and be found qualified for any office before he enter on the performance of its duties. And is the religious instruction of the young a matter of so trivial importance, that such a rule should be set aside in appointing teachers to Sabbath schools? If not, then every one who wishes to devote himself to the religious tuition of the rising race, should be regularly trained in all those branches of sacred knowledge which are requisite for rendering his instructions fully efficient for the purpose intended. It should likewise be ascertained whether he be of a communicative turn of mind, and has acquired a facility of imparting ideas to the youthful understanding; and for this purpose his qualifications should be tried by experiment, by placing under his superintendence, for a few days, the instructions of a religious seminary. Every one found duly qualified for the office should receive a pecuniary compensation, as well as the teachers of other seminaries, provided he chooses to accept it. Hitherto our Sabbath schools have generally been taught gratis by the benevolent individuals who have devoted themselves to this service, and if duly qualified instructors can be found who will give their services without remuneration, no objection, of course, can be brought against such labours of love; but it is nothing more than equitable, that every man who devotes his time and the energies of his mind to any object, should receive a fair compensation for his exertions, especially when he is under obligation to cultivate his intellectual powers, and to pass through a course of training for this purpose. The departments of knowledge to which religious instructors should devote their attention are such as the following:-1. Sucred History, or, in other words, the Records of the Divine dispensations, as contained in the Old and New Testaments. For elucidating certain portions of this history, unravelling difficulties, answering objections, and explaining various circumstances connected with the Jewish worship and economy, the perusal of such works as Horne's "Introduction to the study of the Bible," Shuckford's "Connection of Sacred and Profane History," and Stackhouse's "History of the Bible," particularly the last, will be found of great utility in expanding our views of the revelations of Heaven, and of the facts connected with the moral government of God. For illustrating the history of the Jews and surrounding nations, from the time of the prophet Malachi to the birth of Christ-a period of more than four hundred years, during which many of Daniel's prophecies were accomplished-the First Book of "The Maccabees,” Josephus' "Antiquities,” and his "History of the Wars of the Jews," and Prideaux's "Connection of the History of the Old and New Testament," will be found particularly useful.-2. Ancient History and Geography. The history of such nations as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, is so interwoven with the sacred history and the predictions of the prophets, that a knowledge of it is, in many instances, necessary for understanding the descriptions and allusions of the inspired writers. Millot's "Elements of General History," part i., and "Rollin's Historical Works," particu larly his "Ancient History," will afford the most satisfactory information on this subject. In connection with the history of ancient nations, ancient geography should be particularly studied, for the purpose of acquiring clear ideas of the boundaries and divisions of the Land of Palestine, and of the relative posi tions of the countries that lie adjacent to it, which are so frequently alluded to in the history both of the Old and New Testaments. Without some knowledge of this subject we can have no clear conceptions of many interesting circumstances recorded in the writings of the Prophets and Evangelists, and must frequently read their narratives without ideas. Maps, on a large scale, of the countries to which I allude, are of course indispensably requisite, when engaging in this study; and such maps should be hung up in every Sabbath school, and referred to for illustrating the narratives of the sacred historians. Wells' "Sacred Geography," and his "Set of Maps of Ancient Geography," and similar works, will afford the requisite information on this subject.-3. The circumstances connected with the fulfilment of ancient prophecies. The ac complishment of prophecy is recorded either in the sacred history itself, in the annals of civil and ecclesiastical history, in the present state of the nations and the events passing under our daily observation,—or it is to be looked forward to in the prospects which will open on future generations. Hence the necessity of being acquainted with the history of the Church and of the nations, and with the political and religious movements now going forward throughout the world, if we wish to trace the faithfulness of God in the accomplishment of the predictions of his word. Such works as Newton's "Dissertations on the Prophecies," and Keith's "Fulfilment of Prophecy," and his " Signs of the Times," will direct the mind to many interesting views on this subject. 4. Another subject which deserves the attention of religious instructors, is, Biblical Criticism and interpretation. As the Scriptures form the groundwork of all religious knowledge, it is of importance to ascertain that the copy or edition which we use approaches as nearly as possible to the original; and when we are satisfied on this point, it is equally important to determine the rules by which the different portions of the Bible are to be interpreted, according to the subjects on which they treat. This includes an inquiry into the literal meaning of words, and the figurative sense in which they are frequently used the scope of the writer-the parallel passages-the sources of poetic imagery, or the objects whence the sacred writers derive their figurative representations-the principles of symbolical language-and a knowledge of the localities in which the writers were placed, and the historical circumstances to which they allude. On this subject many voluminous works have been written; but the general reader may, perhaps, be sufficiently gratified by the perusal of such volumes as Carpenter's Scripture Difficulties," and his "Popular Lectures on Biblical Criticism and Interpretation."-5. The manners and customs of the Eastern nations. The manners, customs, arts, and sciences of the Hebrews, and the natural and artificial scenery with which they were surrounded, exerted a powerful influence upon their literary productions-even upon those which were dictated by inspiration. Without a knowledge of these it is impossible, in many instances, to unravel the sense of the inspired writers, to perceive the beauty and emphasis of their compositions, or to feel the full force of their narratives and allusions. For the elucidation of this subject we are now furnished with a variety of interesting works, of which the following are specimens:-Paxton's "Illustrations of Scripture;" Harmer's "Observations on certain passages of Scripture;" 66 Taylor's “Fragmenta,” appended to Calmet's Dictionary; Burder's "Oriental Customs;" Carpenter's "Scripture Natural History;" and the reports of certain modern travellers, such as Burckhardt, Buckingham, Legh, Dr. Jowet, and the American Missionaries. In the first six volumes of "The Modern Traveller," compiled by Dr. Conder, almost every thing will be found requisite for the illustration of the physical geography, climate, seasons, &c. of Judea, and the surrounding countries. An occasional reference to such subjects for the elucidation of Scripture, could not fail of exciting the attention and improving the understandings of the young. 6. The study of the system of Nature, or the material works of God, as displayed throughout the earth and the starry firmament. To these works the inspired writers, on numerous occasions, direct our attention, as evidences of the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of Jehovah, and of his superintending Providence. They should therefore be studied with care, and contemplated with an eye of intelligence, as illustrative of the perfections of the Deity, and of the declarations of his word. There is nothing to which young people listen with more attention than to familiar discourses upon the wonders of creation, when they are delivered in a clear and distinct manner, and made level to their capacities; and when the works of God are brought into immediate connection with the truths of his word, a more powerful impression of these truths, on the principle of association, will be made upon the mind. For example, when we describe the immense mass of water in the caverns of the ocean; the lofty ranges of mountains; the flaming volcanoes; the magnitude of our globe; the rapid motion with which it flies through the voids of space; or the immense number and size of the celestial orbs-and bring these objects in connection with such passages as these: He holdeth the ocean in the hollow of his hand; he hangeth the earth upon nothing; he meteth out the heavens with a span; and taketh up the isles as a very little thing-Great is our Lord, and of great power, his understanding is infinite-Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty:" &c.-when these passages are at any time recalled to mind, the objects which illustrate them will naturally occur; and, when the objects themselves are directly contemplated, the mind will revert to the dictates of inspiration with which they were formerly associated. For the purpose of acquiring some general knowledge on this subject, religious instructors should peruse some of the popular works which have been lately published on the subjects of Natural History, Geography, Astronomy, Experimen |