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two hours and a quarter! and let us ask ourselves, must not such a confinement produce repugnance in the children in whose minds we desire to produce an attachment to our public ordinances?

I cannot help hoping that if the discussion of the question should not at present lead to an arrangement for separate services, which probably it may not, though I persuade my self that will be the ultimate effect, it will produce an effect on our services, by simplicity being more studied, and the time occupied being, in some instances, restricted, which I am certain will tend to the spiritual improvement of the adults, as well as the comfort of the children.

I perfectly agree in a suggestion made by Mr. Martin, that were a separate service established, it should, if practicable, be conducted in a building distinct from the school, and set apart for that particular object. "A children's chapel," suggests the idea of a place for public worship, and thus lays the foundation of the habit of attending public Christian ordinances.

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To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. SIR,-The remarks of Dr. Morison in your last, on the essay of Mrs. Davids, appear to be just. When, in my last charge, I occasionally examined the children on the sermon I preached in the morning; the congregation was dismissed, none remaining along with me but the young people and their teachers. At other times the teachers also examined the children in a similar manner. As all my leading ideas were readily recollected by the children, these examinations excited considerable interest, and induced the little folks to give attention when I was preaching. As the sabbath school here is superintended not only by baptists, but also by Wesleyans and Primitives, I have not the same opportunities of questioning. The scholars attending my bible class are duly interrogated respecting the sermons they hear; I sometimes desire the boys to examine the girls, and the girls the boys, on my lectures and sermons. It is not difficult to render the public services interesting to the youngest as well as to the oldest; the lambs must not be overlooked. We ministers must never forget the divine injunction, "Feed my lambs."

I recommend my brethren who are teachers, not only to read treatises on the subject of teaching, but what is of more importance, to visit other schools. A few years ago I visited a ragged school in Aberdeen-can any good come out of Nazareth ?-from the pupils of that school I learned several lessons. Having entered the school-room, I was desired by the school-mistress to address the children, I did

so, and my address being ended, the teacher looking to the girls, inquired, "Who put the questions?" Six or eight girls rose and replied, "We put the questions;" the other pupils sat during the examination. The former examined the latter on the subject of my speech, and did the work much better than I could have done. This exercise over, the teacher asked, "Will any girl repeat Mr. Robertson's speech as nearly as possible in his language?" A girl rose and almost repeated my speech verbatim. The Messrs. Chambers of Edinburgh visited this school a few months after, and having seen much more than I had seen, they inserted in their Journal a flaming article respecting the Aberdeen ragged school. And these scholars were taken off the streets, many of them were orphans. Before being received into the House of Industry, most hardly knew what it was to sleep in a bed; carts, wheelbarrows, sheds, and outhouses, being their usual dormitories at all seasons of the year. One may receive more useful hints from such a school, than from all the treatises and essays that have been published on education.

As catholics, Puseyites, and others are straining every nerve to secure the young, are we not called upon as dissenters to use our greatest efforts to bring our youth, not to priests, but to Christ-not to a church of dead forms, but to churches in which they will be invited to make choice of God as the guide of their youth? Let our young people be told, that when God has any great work to perform he very frequently employs the young; Satan too employs the young as his agents, what good-what evil-have the young not done! If the agents of God-ditfusing light and love, and the knowledge of salvation. If the servants of Satan-like the fabled Upas tree, diffusing death and destruction all around.

Todd, of America, frequently preaches to the young-has separate services. His example is worthy of imitation. But whether we are to have separate services or not, never, never let us think of withdrawing the youngest of the young from the house of God.

JOHN ROBERTSON. Middleton Teesdale, Jan. 11, 1849.

To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. MY DEAR SIR,--I have read with much satisfaction the extract from the Evangelical Magazine contained in your last number. The question of separate services for children I must regard as a very important one; feeling convinced that the plan, if adopted generally, will operate injuriously, I shall be obliged by an opportunity of stating my views on the subject.

The following are some of my reasons for being desirous that our schools and the children of our families should continue to have a place in our Lord's day congregations: 1. The law which makes it obligatory on

adults to attend the public services of the sabbath, ought to be regarded as rendering it equally obligatory on them to cause their children to attend. We come together on that day for the exercises of prayer, praise, and the study of the word of God, because we believe it our duty to do so; that duty being indicated by the nature of our relations to God, the injunctions of scripture, and the practice of the early Christians. But our children's relations to God are similar to our own, and the precepts and practice of inspired men were intended to influence their habits no less than our own. When God requires his creatures to engage in the performance of any duty he virtually requires those to whom is committed the determination of their proceedings to facilitate their doing so. For us to adopt measures which shall have the effect of necessitating a neglect of such duty, is not only to fail to co-operate with God, it is to place our authority in opposition to his. To this statement of the case I can imagine the following reply: "What God in all cases demands is intelligent service; from inability to understand the language employed in our ordinary sabbath services, the children cannot render it, and therefore their obligation to attend, and ours to enforce their attendance, necessarily ceases." But, Sir, I venture to assert that if it be true that the language of our pulpits is generally unintelligible to the children in our schools, it must be sadly wanting in adaptation to the great majority of our adult hearers, and that it is high time that we should cease thus to "darken counsel by words without knowledge." The utmost "plainness of speech" is compatible with the greatest richness and variety of thought, and is essential to the proper and profitable conduct of our ordinary religious services. Supposing, then, the allegation to be true, what is needed is not "children's chapels," but that our ministers, in order to make themselves understood alike by children and by their hearers generally, should set themselves at once and diligently to the study and practice of the "science of simplicity." Let but this be attained, and the institution of separate services would involve an unnecessary, and of course, because unnecessary, most undesirable and injurious multiplication of machinery.

2. The regular attendance of children on our sabbath services is calculated to confer a variety of important incidental benefits, none of which could be so well secured by any other means. As among these I may mention, first, the exercise of early self-discipline. The communication of information is unquestionably of great importance, but of still greater is the discipline of the mind; the latter is education, the former can scarcely be so called. Now, providing it were possible for a child to attend regularly our sabbath services from four years of age till seven, and

to be trained to habits of decorum and attention in the house of God without receiving any direct benefit from the ministry, that attendance could not fail to involve the employment of most salutary self-discipline. His ability to observe rules, to repress for a season his animal spirits, and in some degree to fix his attention, would be developed and strengthened, and thus he would become possessed of the means of subsequent and life-long improvement. But, second, the habit of attending divine worship on Lord's days will thus be originated. Who will not admit the importance of this habit, and especially on the part of those classes that will be shortly, to a great extent, composed of the children now in our Sunday-schools? Let it but be secured, and our country will not fail to become virtuous, and prosperous, and happy to an unprecedented extent; to endeavour to create it is surely one of the duties of parents and teachers. When can it be formed so easily as during the season of early, pliant childhood? But, third, by this practice there may be secured the co-operation of ministers and teachers in the work of imparting information, forming virtuous habits, and creating religious impressions. Only let a teacher duly appreciate the preaching of the gospel himself, occasionally examine his children on what they have heard from the pulpit, and accustom them to ask him for explanations of any part of the sermon in which they felt some interest, but which they did not fully understand, and the preaching would undoubtedly become, at the same time, a vehicle of interesting and important information, and an effectual means of education. Often will it fall out that the minister will relate some circumstance, or make some appeal peculiarly adapted to the character or present circumstances of certain of the children, often too will he explain a text or enforce a duty about which the teacher has been recently conversing with them; then is the time for the intelligent and devoted teacher by the pressure of the hand, or the significant glance of the eye, to arouse the attention and awaken the interest of his children; such co-operation could not but do good. Let me add that I here write of what I have known to be repeatedly done, and in many cases with the happiest results.

3. The presence of children in the house of God supplies the minister with material on which he may hope to operate more successfully than on any other; to this reason for their attendance I attach the utmost possible importance; of its existence I imagine no doubt can be entertained; on the comparatively unsophisticated minds of children the strong and graphic statements of scripture cannot fail to exert a peculiarly powerful influence. On their susceptible hearts its affecting narratives, and simple, touching ap peals, cannot but make some impression and

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a deeper one than is made on others; "whosoever," said the Saviour, "shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter therein." Wherever the gospel is preached in simplicity, proofs are not wanting of the propriety and force of this allusion; wherever so preached, children are among the first to be impressed by it; they receive it in the exercise of a simple, unquestioning faith, and more completely than any others submit to its control. Of the correctness of this statement countless illustrations might be supplied. I have now on my memory the case of a little girl who died at the age of six years and a half, leaving unequivocal evidence of sincere piety, whose first impressions were produced by a sermon from the text, "Fear not, little flock," &c. The experience of a dear boy also occurs to me, who, at the age of eight described his being first made acquainted with the way of salvation under a sermon preached (I think) from the text, By his stripes ye are healed." Perhaps I may be pardoned if, in further confirmation of the above sentiment I adduce the fact, that, during the nine years of my connexion with the church of which I am now pastor, it has been my privilege to receive into its fellowship no fewer than sixty individuals who, at the time of their admission, were pupils in the Sunday school. Of these some ascribe their conversion, under God, to the instruction of their teachers; many to the public preaching of the gospel; and some to the conjoint efforts of preacher and teacher. That there have not been more cases of delinquency among these sixty than would probably have occurred among an equal number of persons of maturer years, may be inferred from the fact that, after all deductions arising from removals and death, fifty of them are still in communion with us. Many of my brethren could, I doubt not, supply much more striking facts illustrative of the truth, that it is to the very young the Holy Spirit most frequently renders the preaching of the gospel effectual. But, Sir, I will not detain you longer, only let me say that there are few things I more deprecate than the removal of the children of our schools and families from that ministerial influence which has already proved highly beneficial, and the exercise of which constitutes one of the best grounds of hope in relation to the virtue and piety of the succeeding generations. So far as my own congregation is concerned, I would not consent to occupy my place in the pulpit except children, as well as adults, were both allowed and encouraged to take theirs in the pew. I am, my dear Sir, Yours very faithfully, WILLIAM MIALL.

Dalston. January, 1849.

EDITORIAL POSTSCRIPT. Our correspondents are particularly requested not to address their future communications to the editor at Acton Place, as he expects to have removed before they receive this intimation, to 11, Smith Street, Chelsea. This will be now the most convenient place to which to send letters or other articles transmitted by post; though these, as well as larger parcels, will be duly forwarded to him if left at 65, Paternoster Row.

Intelligence has just been received from Jamaica of the death of Mr. Edward Knibb of Falmouth, brother of the late William Knibb, and an active promoter of the same interests to which he devoted his life. Mr. E. Knibb, two of whose children had recently died of a fever which had prostrated others of the family also, was attacked by the disease on the fourth of December, and on the tenth expired.

It will afford our readers pleasure, to learn that a sketch of the eventful life of the late Rev.

The

Thomas Burchell of Montego Bay, which his brother, the Rev. W. F. Burchell of Rochdale has long been busily engaged in writing, is now nearly completed. biographer informs us that he expects that it will be ready for delivery by the close of March, and that he hopes that the price will not exceed four shillings and sixpence.

We never felt it so necessary as at the present time to invoke the patience of authors and publishers in reference to our review department. In spite of our exertions to prevent it, arrears have accumulated to a distressing extent. Among many books notice of which has been delayed, are some on which we had fully hoped to have reported in our present number, but which, at the close of the month, we found it necessary to postpone. There is one, which it may be desirable to mention, of which we have not been able as yet to read a single page, and which relates to a subject on which we should not think it proper to write anything without much care and deliberation. We refer to a volume of five hundred and forty pages, to the preparation of which our friend Mr. Hinton has recently devoted much time and attention, entitled, “Athanasia: or Four Books on Immortality." It consists of "a review of several publications which have issued from the press within the last fifteen years, so far as they affect and impugn the doctrine of man's natural immortality." The writers to whom Mr. Hinton replies are, "A Clergyman of the Church of England"-the Rev. H. H. Dobney-the Rev. E. Whitethe Rev. G. Storrs-and the author of an anonymous tract containing the substance of five lectures delivered at Bristol. Appended is a reprint of Mr. Hinton's recent pamphlet entitled, "Who will Live for Ever?"

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ASIA.

KANDY.

Kandy, a representation of which we have given this month, as most of our readers are aware, is the capital of that which was called till of late "the kingdom of Kandy," being the portion of the island of Ceylon which was governed by a native king till the year 1815, the rest of the island having been under British rule from 1796. The town of Kandy stands at the head of an extensive valley in the midst of wooded hills and mountains, and is more regularly built than most Indian towns. The palace is a square of great extent, built of a kind of cement perfectly white, with stone gateways. The temples of Bhudda are numerous, and that of Malcgana is the most venerated of any in the country, in consequence of its containing, what is considered a precious relic, as genuine a relic as many which the church of Rome presents to its votaries, "the tooth of Bhudda.”

The missionary station at Kandy in connexion with this Society, was formed in 1841, a printing press forming part of it; and the efforts of the missionaries have been greatly blessed among the Kandians, who are a distinct race from the Singhalese, who form the principal population of the remainder of the island.

The encouraging state of things at the present time our readers will learn from the letter of Mr. Allen in page 121.

CALCUTTA.

A letter has been received from Mr. THOMAS, dated the 7th of November, in which, after stating that Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have left for a season, having gone on the river in company with Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, the health of both, but particularly that of Mrs. Lewis, having suffered a great deal, as well as that of Mr. Morgan, he says, "I hope both families will derive much and lasting benefit from the change and relaxation they are now enjoying.

"You will be pleased to hear that brother Leslie baptized four persons last sabbath day; at the same time two were baptized in the native chapel in Kalinga, and one in Intally. Thus at three places the sacred rite was administered on the first sabbath of the month. I hope we shall soon have to report other additions to one or other of our churches."

DUM DUM.

As the name of this place has not occurred lately in the Herald, it may be desirable to inform our readers that it is a military station about eight miles northwest of Calcutta, and ten north-east of Serampore, in which a church was formed at an early period of the mission, which has consisted of soldiers and their wives. Though many have been the subjects of decided conversion, the number of which the church has at any time consisted has not been large, its members being scattered, with their regiments, throughout India, where many of them have borne a pleasing testimony to the truth and power of religion.

Mr. LEWIS, under date Calcutta, 6th November, says:―

I had the pleasure in July last of baptizing | afforded good reason to hope that they were three European soldiers at Dum Dum. They Israelites indeed. They are all now removed

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