tittle, and endeavour to do that little well; our progress must be slow, and we can make that progress certain. The same rule that directs their steps to advancement in their studies serves to guide them to improvement of behaviour.

Many schools have no doubt framed a set of rules, attempted to establish a system of discipline, but want of experience, and want of perseverance has caused their little success. Experience is necessary to know what rules should be made; and perseverance is requisite to enforce them. When I entered college, a copy of the laws was given to me; the second law was, "No student is allowed to wear his hat within the walls of the college." And I do not remember to have seen a student with his hat off! This law could not be complied with; and want of experience gave rise to a law that would scarcely ever be followed. There were thirty laws, and like some of our corporation laws, they were never enforced. These remarks apply to the Sunday School rules. They are made, committed to memory, and there the matter ends. They take no trouble to enforce them, and they are committed to memory to be forgotten. The rules for the order of a School should be similar in every class. To gain sufficient influence over a class, so as to obtain a strict observance of any set of rules, we must possess an even temper, a good knowledge of character, and more than an ordinary stock of patience. We must commence with some rule they already observe, or that can be easily enforced, and proceed to others more difficult. When a scholar has forgotten a rule you have told him some twenty or thirty times, you will find that patience is necessary to tell him yet another time; and when he repeatedly commits the same fault, you will need a good temper to bear with it; but above all, a knowledge of character will be of most utility in overcoming and changing a child's evil disposition. (To be continued.)

THOUGHTS ON THE EFFICACY OF SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

Effect of Sunday Schools in Correcting the Religious Prejudices

of the Age.

I will have mercy and not sacrifice, saith the Redeemer; and many of the followers of the meek sufferer for mankind have for ages endeavoured to spread his peaceful doctrines, with swords reeking with the blood of thousands. With the glad tidings of salvation on their tongues, and death and torture in their hands, have they erected an altar to him who said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The shrieks for mercy of the number. less victims, and their dying groans, have ascended to the mercy seat of Heaven; and mercy wept to find her peaceful doctrines so shamefully profaned.

Enthusiasm kindled the fire, fanaticism fanned it to a blaze; ignorance, superstition, bigotry and persecution, spread the destructive, desolating flames far and wide. The thousands who have writhed in agony, under the excruciating tortures of

the inquisition, those whose blood deluged the valleys of La Vendée, the hundreds that suffered at the stake in England, the Scottish heather, died with the blood of the covenanters, and in this western world the quiet quakers, driven from their peaceful abodes, by those who had scarcely concluded their prayers for their escape from the persecution of others, prove that no sect nor country, since the establishment of christianity, have been exempt from the merciless scourge of religious persecution. We cannot attribute it to ignorance alone: the wise, the learned have been its promoters. It could not be superstition: it has raged in the most enlightened age. An infidel would not say it was owing to the religion they professed. Search the Scriptures, read the precepts of the Saviour. "If a man smite thee on one cheek, turn to him the other :" but I say unto thee "forgive thy enemy, love them that despitefully use you." Do these precepts sound like persecution?

However difficult to trace the source of it, yet the dark clouds of calamity that have hung over the christian world for ages past, have cast a shade upon that fair encomium once so justly due, 66 see how these christians love each other." But the golden age of christianity has recommenced; once again Mesiah's peaceful reign pervades the hearts of his people, and breathes a spirit of forgiveness and humility among the sons of men. We may hail the advancement of an happier day, when all christians" shall keep the bond of peace in the unity of the spirit:" and we cannot but admire the beautiful display of divine wisdom that has wrought so happy an effect in correcting the religious prejudices of christians, and enforcing that necessary gospel precept, "love as brethren." This has been by diffusing the knowledge of his holy word. BIBLE SOCIETIES have laid the foundation, and Sunday Schools have carried on the superstructure; in these institutions children are taught the bible, and they are early instructed in the simple truths of religion. In their teachers they behold a band of brothers, united in christian love and fellowship, though separated by religious sect; and these are the examples presented before them and their parents. Prayer meetings, at which more thar, one sect bend their knee; an association of Sunday

School Teachers, of almost every denomination, pursuing the same design with the utmost harmony; an anniversary, in which thousands are concerned, who know each other as christians-will the parent bar his door against the visit of a Sabbath School teacher, because he belongs not to the same denomination? Think you he who has seen the steps of his children arrested in their career of vice, and directed in the way of life by the exertions of some Sunday School conductor, wishes to leave them in the care of a more orthodox guardian ? Already is the effect of these Sunday Schools upon the conductors, and upon those who have been there taught, wonderful to behold; nor has it been the work of ages but a few years have passed away; the blessings of unity, harmony and love are spread far and wide; and what may we not hope for the ages to come? Would we promote the interests of religion-let us support Sunday Schools; one of them will effect more in preventing the prejudice that otherwise will hang over the minds of the rising generations, than a host of those whose efforts will be directed to remove that which will be so firmly rooted in their minds.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNALS.

THE WHITE BOOK.

[Continued from page 290.]

There is a moment when the heart is glad; that incidents, which at any other time would have passed unnoticed, become sources of delight. With a thoughtless eagerness, a childish avidity, do we pursue and seize every object likely to give us a moment's pleasure.

I had attended much earlier than usual, and, instead of going into the school, it afforded me so much pleasure, to observe the different looks and actions of the children as they approached the place of instruction, that I stood by the door, enjoying the scene with rapture; and the superintendent coming out of the School, for a moment came to me, and as I inquired the conduct or disposition of the boys, who were approaching, his remarks gave me both pleasure and instruction: "Look," said he,

:

"there are two boys crossing the street; they live just opposite that is their mother standing in the door, looking after them; she feels proud enough of them this day. The eldest is about ten years of age; he was rewarded last year, and is considered one of the best boys in the School. See how he almost drags his little brother along; there is time enough to walk a mile, yet he has, no doubt, been hurrying his mother this half hour. Look at their dress, how neat and clean: the most conspicuous part of their dress you will observe, is their shirt collars. Their little, sleek, well-combed heads, just peeping out of them. Their shoes have been well cleaned-see how they shine their pocket handkerchiefs how nicely they are folded they will, likely, remain so all day. That little girl, looking out of the window, is their sister; she belongs to the female school listen to the brief, yet pleasing history of that family; their father is a labourer, and about five years ago, before his children joined the Sunday School, spent his sabbaths in sauntering around the docks, looking at the shipping, or loitering about the streets, stopping at this tavern, or that porter house, to pass away this day, that lay so heavy on his hands. The dif ficulty of supporting his large family was his theme of discourse: to those who inquired after his family, the hardness of the times was his excuse. Already the multiplied miseries of wo, want and wretchedness, had made rapid strides into the abode of cheerless poverty; the demon of dissipation knew him as his proselyte, his hand was stretched to seize his prey--but the protecting arm of Sunday School Benevolence interposed; the pride of a mother's heart, awakened by the well-deserved praises bestowed on her children at the Sunday School, caused the first attention ever paid to her hitherto neglected children. Gratitude for the repeated visits of the conductors of the Sunday School, and for the disinterested favours shown to his family, gained a father's attendance at the church; gradually was he drawn from his dissipated destructive course of life; and if you would ask now who are his acquaintance, you will be answered, the pastor of the church, the elders of the congregation, the superintendent, and teachers of the Sunday School. Would you know where his sabbaths are spent ?-look in at the church during divine

worship; a husband, a wife, three children, and an aged parent, attentively listening to the doctrines of salvation, will give a conclusive answer. Would you inquire after his family, notwithstanding the difficulty of supporting a family these hard times children decently clad, a father conducting himself with propriety, a mother attending to the concerns of her household entitle them to respect from those who five years since, thought it a disgrace to acknowledge their acquaintance. Do you see that lad approaching with hasty steps the place of instruction: observe how well he is dressed--his actions accord with it. He has reason to be thankful to the giver of every good and perfect gift,' for conducting him to the Sunday School. This is the fourth year he has been connected with our School; and an honour he has been to it. youth you see turning the corner, though he has no shoes to his feet, and his clothes are of many colours, yet he is likely to be the reformer of a large family. That little boy is his brother, and is a very active and intelligent child.

The

a

"This family have, like many others in this part of the city, in the same circumstances, much to contend with. The father works hard, but he also drinks hard; and if you were to pay him visit this afternoon, you would find him as I have found him, and many other unnatural parents, more than once on a Sunday, insensible with drunkenness; neither washed, shaved, nor dressed. The mother has a large family to take care of, and besides keeping a cow and raising hogs, takes in washing, in order to support them; so many necessary employments take away her attention from the children. They all attend the free school, and the two boys have received much benefit from the instruction they have there received. When I first paid them a visit, I despaired of success, for the father said the mother had so much to do on Sundays she could not attend to them; and for his part, he thought the children got learning enough at the free school during the week. Perseverance has done much here; the boys have belonged to the school about two years; I have visited the family regularly; the teachers of their classes have also paid them many visits; the boys have been rewarded; by their industry