conscience in present worldliness, with the vain hope, that some future change of circumstances will bring him near to God? It is even so. "I am busied now," he says to himself, "with abstruse philological matters, and the subtleties of polemic theology. My companions are all pious men. There are no impenitent sinners in close connection with me, to excite feelings of holy compassion in my soul-to present their awakening claims to my prayers and my efforts. When I enter the ministry, the sense of its high responsibilities, and the sympathies of the pastoral relation, cannot fail to raise high the tone of pious feeling in my heart."-Deluded man! He takes upon him the holy office of the ministry. And he maintains perhaps a fair reputation. But he is still a "half-way Christian." The habit of shrinking from present self-denial, in the hope. of finding entire devotion to God more convenient hereafter, has become so confirmed, that it seems almost impossible to break it. It goes with him to the grave. And if he sink rot at last to the final abode of the hypocrite, he is, indeed, "scarcely saved."

Let me now say to you, my dear young friend, now is the accepted time" for entire devotion to God. You may be tempted now; but so it will always be. Your present temptations may pass away, but others will come in their stead. It may be difficult now to keep near to God. But difficult it will always be, till the flesh" ceaseth to "lust against the spirit," and the world," and the "god of this world," to tempt you. Beware, then, of saying, I cannot be a devoted Christian now, but I hope to become one hereafter. Would you know what will be your character at college, or in the theological seminary, or in the Christian ministry, 'just ask yourself, what am I now ?what habits am I now forming? These habits will abide with you, it may be, till your dying day. Give then, your whole soul to the Saviour now. And form such habits as you would be willing to carry with you into college,-the theological seminary-the Christian ministry-aye, and even to the judgmentseat."-pp. 110-116.

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE ADVANTAGES OF SABBATH SCHOOLS.

[As the season comes round in which renewed and increased exertions are called for in behalf of Sabbath Schools, we hope the following may prove timely and useful.]

We come to a consideration of this subject, fully.convinced that its importance has never yet been sufficiently felt, and that the experience of one or two generations, will prove Sabbath Schools to be one of the most powerful means of benefitting the human race. In the present exhibition of the advantages of Sabbath Schools, we will follow the light of prospective reasoning, without reference to any facts which experience may have shown. These advantages may be set forth, 1st, in the character of the Sabbath School pupils; 2d, in the character of Sabbath School teachers; and 3d, in the nature of the truths taught in these schools, and the circumstances under which those truths are communicated.

I. The character of Sabbath scholars. Both religion and philosophy show us the advantages resulting from the youthful age of the pupils in Sabbath Schools. It is a rule of our holy religion, laid upon parents, to train up their children up in the way wherein they ought to walk through life. The obligation of this rule is not only felt in the heart which has been sanctified, but it is an element of the natural heart, placed there at creation, by the same God who afterwards inspired the wise man by whom it was written in Scripture. But while the duty is felt, few place sufficient reliance on the positive promise, connected with its performance. There are reasons to be found in all human hearts for this want of reliance upon the truth of this declaration. Were it to be felt as sensibly, and believed as strongly, as our present existence, what a tremendous weight of responsibility would it bring upon every parent! How would it make every one concerned in the business of education, sensible that on his efforts hung, inevitably, the future character of his pupil! How would it teach us all to gather good and holy influences around the child: to remove from him all precepts and examples of evil, and to watch over him with unslumbering anxiety, as a pledge committed to us, and to be accounted for by us, in the great day of the Lord! From this accumulation of care, labor, and responsibility, our evil natures lead us to shrink, and we become exceedingly ingenious in removing from our shoulders the burden. Now Sabbath Schools, in view of this Scripture, possess vast advantages for moulding the youthful character into forms of good, and sending their pupils forward

in the way they should go in this life, to the life that is to come. In the light of philosophy these advantages may be seen as clearly as in the light of Scripture. In childhood the conscience possesses great sensibility and power. Its office is to report impressions of right and wrong, and thus to act as a check on our passions and appetites. It is vastly affected, however, by the training and education it receives; and if neglected or abused, becomes weaker and weaker, and nearly loses, at last, both its excitability, and its power of warning. If early nurtured and cultivated, its strength is increased. Habitual obedience to its dictates not only keeps it alive, but increases its guiding power. As by being often violated, it becomes blunted and deadened; so the oftener it is awakened and obeyed, the more susceptible are we to its impressions, and the more confirmed in our habits of obedi

ence.

Of these facts relating to conscience, Sabbath Schools avail themselves, and they ought to be appreciated as of inestimable value.

Again. In childhood the mind is not hardened by long-formed habits of evil thinking or acting. We cannot sufficiently bless God for the powerful auxiliary to the performance of duty, which he has given us in the force of habit. Nor can we guard, with too great caution and zeal, from perversion to evil purposes, this instrument which our heavenly Parent has given us for good. A habit of any kind is with difficulty overcome ;-it is a new-formed nature. But when made coincident with our original carnal and perverse natures, its energy is tremendously augmented. Sabbath Schools possess the advantage of anticipating this good or evil, and of turning this principle to great account in education. They avail themselves of the early disposition to imitate, and to form habits, and give such direction to these tendencies as may make them truly blessed. In this respect, they may be said to snatch from the author of evil, the instrument which he purloined from the armory of heaven, and turned against our race. Solomon had seen the force of this acquired nature, and calculated wisely on its power over human action, when he made the declaration before alluded to. He saw the need of giving a very early bent to the mind, even in its leaf and twig, so that the branch and tree might be inclined to good. He had experienced the iron obstinacy of our wicked natures, when cased in the invulnerable armor of habit. Experience is now, every day, showing in domestic circles, the truth of his assertion, and enforcing it by examples of both gladness and sorrow.

And thirdly, philosophy coincides with religion, in exhibiting the advantages of Sunday Schools, by showing us that in child. hood the heart is filled with warm affections, reaching out for objects on which to fix themselves, and which, by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, education may turn to pure and holy things. It

is delightful to contemplate the affections of the young; their rich abundance; their unsuspectingness; how warmly they gush out; how guilelessly they centre on an object;-how tenaciously and fondly they cling to it. But the fact that they so rapidly assume the complexion of those objects, on which they are allowed to pour themselves out, shows the infinite importance of securing them in behalf of truth and virtue; and the advantages of Sabbath Schools in accomplishing this object, are most manifest. We do not pretend to say that aught but the Holy Spirit can sanctify the heart. But we do say that his customary operations are by means, and that this principle of human nature, may, by Sabbath School instruction, be made one of the most efficient means used by that blessed Spirit.

II. The character of the teachers of Sabbath Schools shows us that great advantages must result from these institutions.

What are the teachers, and who are they? Are they hirelings, performing a task for selfish purposes? No. Theirs are unbought labors in the field of benevolence. They are the disciples of Jesus Christ, coming to their work in the spirit of love,-love to God, and love to men. Their purpose is to benefit, to the greatest possible amount, their pupils. They act under the impulse of motives which are gathered from both time and eternity. They know and feel that they are forming brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and parents and citizens, for this world; and fixing the destiny of souls that can never die in the world to come; and can their zeal be cold, their efforts small, their success doubtful? Does not reason teach us even on mere human principles, that they, who act from such motives, and under such responsibilities, will advance vastly farther on the road to success, than they who are carried forward by the mere efforts of cold and calculating self-interest? The Bible declares this also. Nor is this coincidence between the light of nature and revelation a solitary one. In every case where human reason acts unrestrained by prejudice and passion, coincidence exists so far as reason can reach. The Bible goes, however, far beyond human sagacity, in all cases; and in the present instance, it assures us that efforts made under such circumstances, are certain to secure God's blessings, not only for those who labor, but for the object of their exertions. It tells us that our Father in heaven, from whom cometh every good gift, is delighted to behold the creatures of his hands engaged in the same benevolent work, in which he is himself engaged; and that his hand is extended to aid their efforts, and bless them to their full desire. Can the advantages of such teaching be doubted?

The instruction is given with many prayers, which, like sweet incense, come up before the Lord, and find favor. So that by a triple cord-the three-fold cord of untiring zeal, disinterested exertion, and believing prayer, are temporal and immortal benefits

secured to this teaching. And this glorious combination of encouraging circumstances ought to give us full faith in the expected advantages of these institutions.

III. We now-pass to a consideration of the advantages which may be expected from the nature of the truths taught in Sabbath Schools, and some further circumstances under which they are inculcated.

The instructions of the Sabbath School are wonderfully fitted to affect the youthful heart. They are from the word of God, and teaching from the word of God, comes home to the feelings of a child like no other instruction, It excites his interest, and wins his affections beyond every thing else. In all story or song, there is nothing found like the Bible, so simple in pathos, so engrossing in interest, so elevating in influence. The whole relation of God's doings towards the children of men; the creation of the world; the entrance of sin into paradise; the patriarchal history; the wanderings, settlement, elevation to power, and the decline of God's chosen people; the coming of Messiah, and his character and life, are listened to as no human production ever was; while they impress themselves most deeply on the memory, and enter more completely into the heart of the child than any thing else ever does or can. The influence upon conduct, exercised by the heart, is very powerful, whether it be in deterring from evil, or encouraging to good ;—and we can readily calculate the advantages to character, both individual and general, that must be produced by a system of education which engages the affections in behalf of virtue.

But not only is that Scripture truth which forms the principal part of Sabbath School instruction, engaging in manner and pleasing in incident; it is also important in principle, and advantages must follow from its inculcation in this respect. It teaches the way to eternal life; and, although its lessons may not be blessed at once to the conversion of the soul, yet is it the most common and powerful agent of the blessed Spirit in producing that effect. Moreover, an early acquaintance with the Bible, as observation and experience have both shown, is the most certain protection against skepticism and infidelity, even though conversion should not take place. That feeling of awe, with which the Sabbath scholar is accustomed to regard the word of God, together with the influence which its maxims never altogether fail to exert over his actions, is the greatest defence to a yet unsanctified mind, against the attack of the scoffer and unbeliever. Such are the truths of the Bible, that, being received into the young heart, before the devices of Satan and the growth of sin have hardened it and blinded its moral vision, they in a great measure forestal the evil which might otherwise be lodged there; so that the internal convictions of a mind once effectually imbued with them, become, as it were, a part of its elemental character, against