in taste as not to avail himself of the opportunity of hearing that great preacher. And yet, according to this school return, we must regard all children who are under the teaching of such a man as in a condition so deplorable as to demand our best efforts to reclaim them. Suppose a parish in which there was a drinking, hunting, horse-racing, card-playing clergyman, who had bought or been presented to the living, who has determined to make the most of his tithes and fees, and to exact all his rights, but who cared not for the people; and suppose that in the same parish there lived an excellent minister of the Independent, Baptist, or Wesleyan denomination, whose life was in accordance with the precepts of Christianity, and whose unwearied efforts to do good amongst the grown-up people and their children displayed the spirit of power and of love, and of a sound mind-shall I try to reclaim those who have placed themselves under the pastoral care of such a man, in order to lead them into the fold of him who is a hireling, and careth not for his sheep? The Bishop of Bath and Wells is now, by extreme age, prevented from attending to the affairs of his diocese, or I am persuaded that these questions would not have been sent to the clergy of this county. During the sixteen years that I have been here, I have never heard him speak with unkindness or disrespect of the Dissenters; on the contrary, it is known to many that he has expressed his high esteem for Mr. Jay, the beloved and revered Independent minister of Bath.

Instead of wasting all our time in finding out the children of Dissenters, and our energies in reclaiming them from dissenting schools, would it not be more profitable, under the head Statistics, to ascertain how many persons attended the public-houses, the gin-shops, and the beer-shops? -how many children are brought up in the habit of drinking and smoking ?-how many spend their time in idleness, swearing, lying, and stealing? and then to ask how we can reclaim them? Instead of drawing away those who are already receiving as good an education as any national school can give, would it not be better to ask how many children are receiving no education at all?-how many are brought up in a workhouse, where they will inevitably imbibe the feelings of helpless pauperism, which will remain with them all their days?-how many are destitute of shoes and stockings, or of fit clothing to attend a place of worship on the Sabbath, or a school during the week?-how many

of these miserable beings are in this condition through the idleness and drunkenness of their parents? and how many through hard times, want of employment, and low wages And if the intemperance and improvidence of the parents be the cause, would it not be well to try to reclaim them, by advising them to join a temperance society, and to encourage them to do so by preaching total abstinence? And if it be want of trade and employment, and consequently want of wages, would it not be well to reclaim the wretches from their rags and misery, by discovering and removing the cause of their poverty; and to call public attention to those oppressive laws, which, for the supposed benefit of the landowner-the privileged dealers in provisions-restrict our trade, keep up the price of food, and keep down the wages of labour?

THE CHURCH MEMBER'S MONITOR,*

CONTAINING A PASTOR'S

FRIENDLY HINTS AND AD

VICES OF THE PRIVILEGES, DUTIES, AND ENCOURAGEMENTS OF CHRISTIANS IN CHURCH FELLOWSHIP; WITH A VIEW то THE REVIVAL AND SPREAD OF SCRIPTURAL RELIGION, BY CHARLES MOASE.

THE Author has endeavoured to guard the members of our churches against the frequent and almost universal efforts now made by members and ministers of the endowed church, to substitute the false for the true, the human for the divine, and the ceremonial and formal for the vital and essential. He thinks there never was a time when it was more necessary to insist upon the sole sovereignty of Christ in the Church, the exclusive authority of Scripture in determining what is obligatory in religion, and the unquestionable right of every individual to inquire and act freely, under a conviction of his personal responsibility to God, the Judge of all. He has therefore added an Appendix to this Edition, in which the great controversy of the present day is brought within narrow limits, and the least lettered members of our churches may find two things contrasted which are often confounded, or represented as one and the same.

*We strongly recommend this excellent little tract to our readers.

INDE

GIVEN TO THE TEACHERS OF THE ROCHFORD PENDENT CHAPEL SUNDAY-SCHOOL, AT THE NEW YEAR'S TEA-MEETING, JANUARY 17TH. 1843.

DEAR friends of our Saviour, and friends of our youth,
Fellow-helpers in Christ in the cause of the truth ;
With pleasure I meet you, and thus would I prove
The int'rest I feel in your "labor of love,"

How Christ-like your work! while sojourning here
And the WORLD'S great salvation demanded his care,
He forgot not dear children-but o'er their souls yearned,
With the tenderest love, for their safety concerned ;
"Forbid not the little ones, said he, to come
"In the arms of my favor, for them there is room,
"Of such is the kingdom of glory above,

"For all there unite as the children of love."

'Tis yours then, dear friends, in the steps of your Lord,
To walk as he walked, with the sweetest accord.
To invite the dear children around you, to tell

What that Saviour has done, to redeem them from hell;
To speak of his love-which is ever the same,

And still glows for the young, with an undying flame,
To assure them, that if in the power of his grace,
They will prove their own love, by regard of his ways,
That he'll keep them from evil, while here they may live,
And then to his glory their spirits receive.

'Tis yours-thus to help in the cause of our God,
And spread thus, the power of his gospel abroad;
To train the young mind to your minister's hand,
That in hearing the word they may well understand;
To prepare them, that each, in their yet coming days,
May fill stations of houor, to Jesus' praise;

To show, and to lead in the only right way,

That brings to the land of unclouded day.

'Tis true my dear friends, in this course, you may meet With much to obstruct, and entangle your feet; And oft with a mind over burdened with care, And a heart almost brought to the verge of despair, You may come to your work, and be tempted to say, "I must give up my post, at the close of this day,

"I see no good done, I fear I am found
"At best but a cumb'rer of God's holy ground."

But who (I would ask,) is permitted to know,
All the good he effects, while he's working below?
We must wait, till we meet in the regions of light,
Ere the fruits of our labours, all stand in our sight;
'Twould lift us too high, were success always known,
And in pride we might think we've succeeded alone;
Might forget that we nothing can do without grace,
And deny to Jehovah, our helper-the praise.
-What then must we do, amid trial and care?
But wait on the Lord persevering in prayer.
And keep at our post, with a heart full of zeal;
Then leave it with him to accomplish his will.

Thus, on then dear friends in your labor of love,
With your feet in the path, and your eye fixed above,
And though you may sometimes discouragements find,
You'll oft'ner meet that which will comfort the mind,
Such a meed of success shall your efforts attend,
As will animate onward, e'en unto the end;
And while the dear souls of the young you would bless,
Your own shall be crowned with the riches of grace.
Then fear not, and faint not, but hold on your way,
And let the firm promise of God be your stay,
"The faithful God," he, and all that's revealed
Shall be, in his time, completely fulfilled.

Through the past has his faithfulness unfailing stood,
And he still lives as ever, to make his word good;

May the faithful God bless you, whenere you meet here,
And grant you in this-a happy new year.

Great Wakering.

I. JACOB.

SHEARCROFT, PRINTER, BRAINTREE.

CONTENTS.-A Sermon by the Rev. E. F. Bodley,

Rochford-The Duty and Encouragement of the Church

to labor for God-The Life of Faith, recommended in a

Letter found in the Study of a Reverend Divine being

an Answer to the Question, Howto Live in this World

as to Live in Heaven?-(ECCLESIASTICS) The Bible

the Fountain of Truth and the only proper Rule of Re-

ligious Faith and Practice-(SUNDAY SCHOOLS) Qualifi-

cations of Sunday-school Teachers-(POETRY) On Heaven

-The Christian's Glorious Meeting.

SO

SERMON.

-Neh.iv.6.

FOR THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK-

THIS was the last historical book that was written.
It is only a continuation of the history of the cap-
tivity of the Jews, and their sufferings in Babylon,
as recorded in the Book of Ezra, which precedes
it. Both Ezra and Nehemiah were distinguished
for their piety and usefulness; the latter, at one
time, sustained the office of cup-bearer to the Per-
sian monarch, Artaxerxes; but his love for his
countrymen, above all for Israel's God, constrain-