tant from each other. We avail ourselves of this progression, and forward you a communication, hoping to receive one in return. Our vessels are continually ploughing the great Atlantic, bringing from your shores the production of your fruitful soil. Half of the exports of your country consist in the article of cotton in its raw condition. This is converted into cloth and yarn by our industrious artisans, and finds employment for vast numbers of our population; part is returned for sale to your continent. To you we are indebted for a large supply of grain during the scarcity which has existed amongst us in a time of famine. These things show us that we are mutually dependent upon each other for the necessaries and comforts of life, and that an allwise Providence has intended this for our benefit and advantage. We have heard-and the fact has cheered us on amidst our labours -that there are many sabbath schools in your country, and that thousands are receiving gratuitous religious instruction therein. Many valuable works have issued from your press on the sabbath school system, have crossed the great waters, been reprinted here, and circulated in thousands amongst us. There are few sabbath school libraries but what are enriched by the productions of your writers. The names of Todd, Abbott, and Barnes, call for passing notice, as writers to which sabbath school teachers in our empire are under great obligations. The works of our writers, no doubt have had a wide diffusion amongst your people. It is impossible to tell how much we are indebted to you mentally, intellectually, and spiritually. We rejoice that we have one of your noblest sons labouring amongst us, zealously and perseveringly, in the great objects of his life-one whose name is as ointment poured forth, and will be handed down to posterity as the friend of man-one whose name shall outlive a marble statue, the venerated and loved in future ages. The name of Elihu Burritt will stand beside that of a Carey, a Morrison, a Judson, a Knibb, a Gurney, and a Howard, as the philanthropists of their age and times. His name will be associated with our Cobden, both as the apostles of free trade and mutual exchange.in mind, literature, affection, and commerce; thus cementing together the various branches of the one great family, and acknowledging in the countenance of every man a friend and a brother. We enter our disapproval of all war, and feel glad that the threatening cloud which hung over us, in connexion with yourselves, has been scattered and dissipated. We wish to cultivate the kindest and most affectionate intercourse with you, to instil into the minds of our youthful charge the principles of peace and of universal brotherhood. Our vessels have for ages sailed to your ports; the pilgrim fathers left our then inhospitable shores, and found a home in your Far West. As their descendants, on both sides the ocean, we wish to form a friendly intercourse and alliance, and shall be happy at all times to hear from you.' Stockport, June 28, 1847.' A KIND WORD. A LITTLE word in kindness spoken, Has often healed the heart that's broken A word, a look, has crushed to earth Then deem it not an idle thing A heart may heal or break. SUNDAY SCHOOL ERRORS, FOR SUNDAY schools are allowed by CONSECRATION OF THE CROSS REGARDING Popery as one of the greatest evils of the present day, we are concerned that in Protestant Sunday schools its fearful and foolish ceremonies should be understood and denounced. Our engraving represents one of its ten thousand follies. A new cross, designed for use in some cha-employed in lauding these instipel, is here to be consecrated. The priest is in his full canonicals; a discourse on its merits is delivered; prayers are said; tapers are lighted; offerings of incense are burned; sprinklings of holy water are scattered. It is difficult to repress intense indignation, when we see men lending themselves to such senseless rites, and overlooking all the great high moral purposes to which the death of Christ (not the wood on which he suffered) is devoted. We have not so learned Christ, may every teacher and scholar gratefully exclaim. Let all adhere to the simple word of God. The institutions of the church as planned by inspired Apostles, will fill earth and heaven with glory. To increase them, will only expose us to the scathings of the last curse. tutions, and presenting pictures of their future success. They have been established nearly sixty years, have seen two generations pass away to the grave; and what, after all, have been their results, compared with the labour which has been expended on them? They remind us of a large and complicated steam engine, of tremendous power, but that power unapplied to any useful purpose. It is true, its piston, cranks, and wheels keep moving with great rapidity and gigantic force, but it accomplishes nothing! It is a wasted power. It requires a constant supply of fuel, and unremitting attention; and its only result is, to cause the spectator to admire its graceful movements and mighty strength. He who the work. That a very large mass of the teachers in Sunday schools have not this object in view, will be admitted by all who are acquainted with our schools. Many become teachers from the wish of their parents, who are pious people. This is wrong; parents must not sacrifice the souls of the children for the good of their son or daughter. Many become teachers because their young friends are so. Many become teachers because they know not what to do with their dull Sundays, without some such excitement. With such teachers how can a school be expected to produce conversions? Piety is the first and most important requisite in a Sunday school teacher. The Scripture knowledge in ma looks well into the history of Sunday schools, from the time of their institution, must be brought to the conclusion that the success attending them, so eloquently described by Christian orators, has never been realized. No! it must be admitted, however unwillingly, that they are still very imperfect institutions. I know that it is considered almost heretical to speak thus, and that I shall incur the charge of presumption in recording my protest against the failings and imperfections of the system. But it is of no avail to attempt to hide our faults. If the system, or any part of it, be defective, let its defects be plainly stated, and honestly avowed. He would not be considered a skilful physician who only desired to heal the wounds rather than tony of our schools will be found, eradicate the disease of a patient. upon examination, exceedingly I shall, therefore, pursue the plan small. of plainly exposing the errors of Sunday schools, in the simplest language I can use; indifferent to the motives which may be imputed to me by those who wish to retain things as they are. When Sun-ganized schools, and try a few of day schools were first established, the object of their originators seems to have been, more to keep the children out of mischief, and get them into a habit of attending a place of worship, than that of leading them to conversion. This motive has happily, in a great measure, given way to a higher one; and, with evangelical Christians, the object of Sunday school tuition now, is, that of making the children wise to salvation. The general advance of education has considerably altered the character of these institutions, and brought the best teachers to the conviction, that their business is to instruct the children in the great doctrines of the gospel, and to bring them to Jesus. This object, and this only, do we consider a sufficient motive to induce the Christian teacher to engage in The simplest question, put to the children individually, will very frequently be answered in the most absurd and ridiculous manner. Let any one who doubts the fact go to one of our best or the boys and girls, picked from a variety of classes, with simple scriptural questions, and the extreme ignorance of the children will excite his bewilderment and utter astonishment. There is frequently in our classes no teaching at all, neither the minds of teacher or children are alive; the whole is a mere parrot process. A hymn, catechism, and Scripture, committed to memory and repeated to the teacher, form the sum of the children's education; the whole of which is an entire riddle to the child. Unless teachers make very vigorous efforts to impart understandable instruction, and dispense, as speedily as possible, with such mechanical trifling, they cannot expect the children to be converted. We believe in no spiritual magic, our God requires of us a reasonable service, and real conversion can come only through the exercise of reason. The discipline of our schools is exceedingly defective. It is amazing what loose notions of discipline our teachers have. They meet together to make rules and laws for their own government, and immediately break them without compunction, and justify themselves in the violation. Many of them take offence if they are called to account for it by their faithful superintendent. How frequently do we find punctuality, order, and attention to their class unblushingly broken in upon by them. It would appear that some of them are making an experiment as to how far the laws of the society may be set at defiance. It is to be lamented that too many of the superintendents are remiss in their duty of reproving such teachers. To expect success in a school where laws are set at defiance by teachers and children, is as wild and fanatic as to expect a miracle. The teachers and superintendents of many of the schools are quite unsuitable for the work in which they are engaged. Some of them are exceedingly ignorant of what they are required to teach. Many of them have no intelligent plan of teaching, and therefore try the plan of thumps and cuffs, in order to hammer the gospel into their classes. Others seem to care very little whether their children are benefitted or not, so long as they get a little comfortable gossip with some other teacher likeminded with themselves; and many appear as sleepy and dronish as if they felt no manner of interest in the work to be done. Let teachers wake up to their employment, lest their master come at an hour when they least expect him, and find them sleeping. With most of us the day is far spent and the night is at hand, and the question soon to be put | to us is, 'Give an account of thy stewardship.' Ah! teachers, àre you prepared to give an account? Prejudice, pride, and party spirit are too prevalent in our schools. How often is a good wholesome measure, which has been proposed for the benefit of the school, rejected in consequence of the foolish prejudice of a few of the teachers, who hate any innovation. New measures must constantly be introduced into schools if they would prosper. Then, there is not a little pride among some of the teachers. The little insignificant distinctions of society keep one aloof from another, whereas all distinctions ought to be dropped in the Sunday school. The richest teacher ought to be willing to take his station at the lowest class, if he be appointed to it. How often is the selection of officers for the society made from the rich, rather than the suitably qualified persons. And does not party spirit, that vile, godless thing, find its way even into the Sunday school? Oh, yes, it is often found there! and it rages sometimes so strongly as to threaten the destruction of the school. The writer has seen the most flourishing and harmonious school made a moral waste, through the blasting influence of this foul spirit. Fellow teachers, if prejudice, pride, or party spirit are encouraged in your schools, or in your own bosom, they must be eradicated ere the day of usefulness will arrive. We talk of what Sunday schools might accomplish, and while with one hand we urge them onward, with these failings; in the other, we make them go back. The indifference of the Christian church has done much to hinder Sunday schools. It is truly depressing to see how very quiet and indifferent the members of churches remain respecting these institutions. A comfortable din ner, a refreshing nap, and a little quiet conversation respecting the sermon of the morning, seems infinitely more important to them than the conversion of the souls of these dear children. What an outcry is there by them against our school, if the children do not happen to sit perfectly quiet during a long sermon, of which they do not understand one sentence! Who are the persons that raise the outcry? Why, those very persons who will take no part in the work and incessant labour of teaching and attending the school. True, they attend at our public meeting, and rejoice with us when we rejoice, and they wish us God speed, and we see nothing more of them till the next annual meeting. The ministers also are too frequently behind in their duties towards the school. Where are the ministers who examine the schools every fortnight or month, who enter our schools and recognise the children, and mix with the teachers, and make it their business to acquire simplicity of speaking, in order to arrive at the minds of the children? Why can they not? It is their duty to study simplicity, and to spare no pains to arrive at that aptness to teach which the Scripture enjoins upon them. They forget how large a portion of their congregations are made up of children, and that other classes besides would be no losers if a far greater simplicity of language and thought were adopted by them. The notion of Sunday schools being merely charity schools imparts a great coldness to them, and indifference of many towards them. These institutions ought at once to repudiate this false principle, and establish congregational schools, at which all the young persons under fifteen should attend, both rich and poor. Why should not the rich and poor meet together for instruction in religion? The souls of both are equally valuable. But, alas! the rich seem to think that qualification, in some measure, exempts them from the necessity of religion. It would be of incalculable advantage to all parties if this intermixture were made. These proud, haughty feelings, which are soon engendered in the minds of the young, would give place, and much more kindly feelings would be promoted in the minds of the poor towards the rich if this arrangement were made. This would also have the effect of interesting a great number of people among the middle and upper, classes in these institutions, and a greater amount of efficiency would be thereby attained. There ought to be a more direct aim at conversion by the teachers. Teachers have scarcely yet arrived at the conviction that children are open to conversion under the age 1 of fifteen or sixteen, and therefore their labours and hopes are aimed at prospective rather than immediate conversion. They suppose, that by sowing the seed something will eventually be accomplished, but hardly expect ever to live to see it. Too many of them think that merely telling them of certain duties, and spreading what they call truth before their minds will be sufficient. But this is a mistake. God works by means, but they must be wise means, or what is the meaning of that text, 'wise to win souls?' It will be necessary for the teacher to urge home the truths he proclaims, to the individual consciences of the children of his class. He must study the characters and dispositions of his children separately, and find out their besetting sins, and apply the probe and lancet; and then, when their consciences are awakened, he can pour in the oil of gospel consolation and healing. He |